StromTrooper banner

M2R Nordic boots

8.8K views 14 replies 5 participants last post by  Rick505  
#1 · (Edited)
I was in the market for a real motorcycle boot with foot protection, after wearing regular street boots while riding and suffering a broken ankle in my latest crash. Currently Bikergarage101.com has on sale M2R Nordic boots for $67.19 + shipping. They looked pretty good, so I ordered a pair, haven't rec'd them yet, but they shipped them out within 24 hrs., so, so far so good. They also sent a tracky #, which sez they're scheduled for delivery on 24 Dec. It looks like a reasonable boot, especially for the price, with good foot protection and features, somewhat more road oriented than off-road or dual-sport oriented. Prolly O.K. for fire roads.
jeffster
Disclaimer: I have no business connection with bikergarage101.com
 

Attachments

#2 · (Edited)
The boots showed up today, Christmas eve, at 4. There IS a Santa, and I am him. I tried to persuade the U.P.S. driver to climb onto the roof and come down the chimney with them, but he declined. They were $67.19 + $10.87 for shipping from MI, which is Michigan (?), to CA, which is California in this case, total $78.06. For what it's worth, MSRP is about $140.00.

First impression - On the box, they're described as a "waterproof touring boot." Light to medium weight, due to the use of modern materials. Better overall quality than I expected, and definitely a fairly high-feature boot. You can look up all the features online. Not as great a name as Sidi, no doubt, but I looked at some Sidis, and although they looked like good quality, I felt that 2 bills and up was a bit steep, at least for me. On the boot M2R says "MADE 2 RIDE," but in some of the literature it says "made to race." Really more ride than race, but they should be adequate for the occasional track day.

They fit true to size. I wear an 8 1/2, these are 8 1/2 or Euro 42. Made in Pakistan. Workmanship & materials are quite good, maybe even excellent. I know there are some boots out there for $50, but they don't generally have toe, heel or ankle protection like these do, and are usually not waterproof either. Take it from a certified crash test dummy who has broken his ankle as well as thoracic vertabrae in two separate moto accidents, buy all the foot protection you can afford. These also have shin protection. Supposed to be rain proof with a "100% waterproof and breathable membrane." We'll see. The zippers are on the inside side of the foot with velcro storm flaps, so the boots are easy on & off. The zippers are YKK brand and I am pretty sure they are metal, which should hold up much longer than plastic zippers.

So I took them for a walk, cuz I was hoping for a boot that I could walk comfortably in as well as ride in. The soles are molded on, so likely cannot be re-soled. If I get 2 or 3 years out of them, I will have gotten my $ worth. They fit just slightly snug, and I know that they will loosen up a bit over the miles. They should be good down to fairly low temps, but I expect them to run hot in the hottest of weather. They are not heavy or bulky, and were very comfortable to walk in, with actually better support than the street shoes I normally wear. Conservative styling, so you'll be protected on the bike, and look like an ordinary civilian off the bike. The tops are 12 1/2". The tread on the soles, which is semi-knarly, is not particularly deep and I wish the heel was a little higher, as I like to lock my heel over the pegs. I was, however, able to pull slightly better Gs walking around corners in my 'hood than I could pull in street shoes.

A road test ? Saturday.
jeffster

P.S. Bikergarage101.com has now put the price back up to $83.99. Would these still be a value @ $83.99 + shipping ? Yes, because they're still as feature-rich and well-made as boots in the $125-200 range.
 
#3 · (Edited)
As promised, I got in a ride today, about 55 miles, in temps ranging from about 45-58 on dry as well as slightly wet surfaces, as we had some light rainshowers during the ride. My feet didn't get cold, and I estimate that feet would stay warm down to about 35-38, maybe lower if you wear some thermal socks.

The soles are VERY grippy on the pegs, levers and on dry tarmac. Both boots have extra leather on top, where the boot meets the shift lever; I think they put a shift lever section on the right boot just to match the left boot and look more street, and less "moty." I didn't try them in gravel or dirt. They seemed grippy also on damp tarmac, although it wasn't completely wet. It wasn't rainy enough to test them for waterproofness; that will have to wait until another time.

I wish the soles were a bit thicker, as I have a 30" inseam, and it is a bit of a reach to the ground with these boots, although I could (barely) flatfoot the bike at a standstill. Stops on off-camber surfaces could pose a challenge. Thicker soles would help me flatfoot more easily.

On the M2R website, they emphasize their helmets; I don't even know if they're still making boots. Perhaps these boots are discontinued and that's why the reduced price. I checked out several websites for their boot selection, and at the price, these boots are at least the equal of boots running $125-175 retail. If you like to save money and still want quality, consider these. If you're looking to brag about how much you paid for a well-known brand name, these might not work for you.

jeffster
 
#8 ·
LOL!! Thanks for the review Jeffster! I was following your post waiting for your impression of these boots. Some of my favorite on road boots have always been the Tourmaster Solution boot. Good price, decent protection, and I always found it more comfortable than the $250+ boots...but a good fitting boot sometimes can be costly depending on size/shape of feet. Post back in a few months with an update.
 
#10 ·
Jeffster; I think this is the first boot thread I've seen. Maybe everyone is in shock. :jawdrop: Speaking of boots and not to totally hijack, but what is an economical (read cheap) D.S. or off road, flexible (read comfortable) boot, for light off road use? I like the fox comp 5 look, but have no way of trying one on. (no one, local, has a 13 in any boot.
 
#11 ·
#13 ·
After a couple months of use, I still like these boots. The only thing they're not good at is gravel, but most boots aren't, except possibly genuine off-road or dual-sport boots with lug soles. I don't know since I've never worn them. But all in all a pretty good compromise for a boot, mostly intended for street use.

They didn't prevent me from dropping the bike the other day, however. I stopped at the side of the road, put my foot down, and there wasn't much down there. Since I've already taken off the crash bars, which were badly damaged in the July, '09 crash, I decided to put frame sliders on. I found some at D2MOTO.COM FOR $22.90 + tax + $5.90 shipping. They have the aluminum inserts, also. Sometimes I think the price might be as low as $18.90. They're Delrin, so not top of the line, but for the $, they might help prevent damage. They don't extend out quite far enough to prevent at least scratches, however. You get what you pay for.

Since the bike is a little tall for me, I've finally decided to pop for lowering links. I found some, made in USA, at burkhartcycle.com for $34.00. These were for street as well as heavy-duty off road use, made of 7075-T6 aluminum. They haven't arrived yet. Burkhart also has some light duty ones made out of 6061-T 6 aluminum, for $18, but they weren't recommended for heavy off-road use. I figured for the little bit extra, I would have some links that could take anything the Strom could dish out.

Today I put an extra MRA wind wing I had laying around the house since the Triumph Sprint days on the Cee Bailey's Perfect Strom screen. If you read my earlier post on the "Perfect Strom" screen, I found it less than optimum. The addition of the MRA wind wing completely eliminates any bobble head effect, and cuts the noise down nicely up to at least 70 mph. From 70 to 80 the noise does increase somewhat, but still tolerable, and less than what it was before the wind wing went on. There is still a bit of back-end buffetting around my chest, but I don't find it troublesome. I don't cruise higher than 80 indicated, anyway, which I believe is 74 actual, at 6K rpm, so the set-up should work well for the long-term.

I hope some of this helps you Strommers find good parts cheap. If you have a moment, please have a look at my website, which documents my crash experiences as well as transcendental experiences, at www.journeytoecstasy.com.

Regards, Jeff
 
#14 ·
Jeffster - wow, your ancient old boot thread is getting a bump! How have these boots held up for you another couple years down the road? Much to my surprise, I came across a similar deal price wise on this same boot and am quite tempted to give them a shot.

Mike