17 July 2008

Blue Dingo Motorcycle Apparel - A great Canberra export

| johnboy
Join the conversation
17

A motorcycling friend of mine (pictured in the slideshow – he’s far too ugly to show his face) has been raving about the riding gear Blue Dingo are making.

Designed here in Canberra he reckons the Snowy II is not only the best motorcycle jacket out there, it’s also one of the cheapest.

It’s certainly got loads of innovative straps and fastenings to customise the fit and you can judge for yourselves how it looks on him. He’s been riding in it for a few months and loves it.

Before the screaming starts let me be very clear that there’s been no payment or consideration made for this article. We just reckon it’s a great product coming out of Canberra, and worth checking out if you’re a rider.

Join the conversation

17
All Comments
  • All Comments
  • Website Comments
LatestOldest

Hey Graeme and others. My hubby has been wearing his Dingo for several years now and swears by it, best winter bike jacket he’s ever had. Worn it up to the Snowy Ride twice now, including once when it was actually snowing. He wore it on the chair lift up to eagles nest in the snow and was toasty the whole time.

We love our Joe Rockets for summer riding though.

(And no, Graeme didn’t pay me to write this either 😉 )

graeme-in-oz9:58 pm 16 Jul 08

Hi Graeme from Blue Dingo here, just found this and am really quite pleased by the comments, particularly as this jacket is my own design. A few years ago I left Melbourne early one Sunday morning on a 1200 Bandit, -3 deg and thick fog all the way to Wodonga, usuall extremities fingers, toes soon froze but the thing that annoyed me most was that a well know brand, top of the range jacket was letting in quite a bit of chill through the front opening, being a front flap, a zip and a flap behind the zip. The trouble I thought is that the thermal liner zips into the jacket about 50mm either side of the opening, so there is 100mm of chest with no insulation. Sitting in a road house in Albury later that morning I decided that what the touring rider wants is an insulated liner that overlaps in the middle, so the Snowy II jacket has a liner that zips together in the middle, there is no gap, there is a flap over that join, then the jacket outer shell does up as is pretty common with a flap over the main zip and one behind. The other thing that I have done is put in extra waterproof layer, the outer layer of the lining is a Reissa membrame as is the middle layer of the jacket shell. I got some prototypes made, Hal from TJ’s had one for a winter and another I put kilometeres on, apart from badly sized collars they exceeded expectation, and the rest as they say is history, I had the collar and a few other minor thigs changed and got them made. They are in stock at TJ’s in Braddon.

Cheers
Graeme

Apple’s computers are made in China, Taiwan, and Malaysia.

But the brains are all in California and that’s where the money goes home.

I don’t have a problem with that.

Canberra doesn’t have the labor force to support manufacturing. But a whole bunch of smart design bureaus? That sounds like a good idea to me.

nice automatic assumption that the australian company’s production floor would be a sweatshop. the level of workmanship that I have seen them turn out both on road equipment and race leathers would suggest something more than minimum wage slave driving (cue dim lights and whips etc). the pakistani facility on the otherhand is much more likely to be the sweatshop that you described

I would have thoughts its all important, including where the materials are sourced from, through to the design and manufacture

I know what the helmet is! I just think it’s disgraceful. He could’ve just worn a motorbike helmet or something. Or a bag.

jase! said :

don’t you mean a great canberra import?

“Designed in Australia
Made in Pakistan”

there are companies that make motorcycle gear IN australia, just not this one

Personally I think design and head office are more important. Who wants to work in a sweatshop?

don’t you mean a great canberra import?

“Designed in Australia
Made in Pakistan”

there are companies that make motorcycle gear IN australia, just not this one

I’ve also heard excellent things about BD gear – almost makes me wish I was in the market for a jacket right now…

I know what that helmet is.

I want one! Sold my bike thhough, so don’t really need a jacket. :/

johnboy said :

Did you read the last par?

Actually I didn’t, I just started my rant after reading the first part.
Sorry, and in future I will save my vitriolage for more deserving targets.
(Like the toilet wall hole)

Skidbladnir said :

Is this editorial, advert, or a combination of both?

Did you read the last par?

What we can’t ever say anything nice about anyone ever?

Is this editorial, advert, or a combination of both?

C’mon people, if you can’t identify that helmet you’re not the nerds I’m looking for.

We are thinking of doing a long term Stiggy style thing with it though, see how we go.

Maybe he’s the lovechild of the STIG (with a bit of Darth Vader perving over the action)?

I bet the apparel is great, but…. what the HELL is that on his head?! argh.

I have a friend who recently purchased one of these. Looks like the designer definately had the CAnberra climate in mind for the all year rider. Looks great for the winter set up. Some jackets get stinky hot in summer though.

Joe Canberran6:32 pm 15 Jul 08

Does that helmet meet Australian Standards?

As for the Dingo stuff I know you can get some of it at TJ’s motorcycle shop in Braddon. Any other stockist in Canberra? I like to try on apparel before I buy, I’m a little gun shy of buying directly over the net.

Daily Digest

Want the best Canberra news delivered daily? Every day we package the most popular Riotact stories and send them straight to your inbox. Sign-up now for trusted local news that will never be behind a paywall.

By submitting your email address you are agreeing to Region Group's terms and conditions and privacy policy.