I found a track nearby the place I'm about to move to. It's going to be a while before I can afford the proper gear, though. Andhow, I've got SMX-4 boots, but I think I'm going to sell them for something with a little more protection. I was mainly wondering about leathers. Because I don't really have $800-900 to spend on a suit that I only use on the track, I was wondering if a two-piece would still offer good protection? I want to get a jacket I can ride around with daily and just get some pants that will zipper to it. Is there anything besides CE protection that I really need to look for? And what about back protection?

Also, if I buy perf'd leather, will it stay warm in the winter with the liner in (at the coldest, the highs get down to around 40 here) or would I be better off buying a leather jacket for the winter?

Think about how much you are going to use this stuff...

It is literally a magnitude safer than your daily sprint down the public highways and byways.

$300-$400 for new bottom end or used/preowned middle end. Two piece is fine, if it can pull double duty as daily street wear then worth ”investing” a couple of extra bucks. Perf leather cools surprisingly well and newspaper can be used if you get too cold. Once you get out there you’ll be running on adrenalin and the comfort issues will be non-issues...unless you'll be getting your license and really racing or are just plain nuts...then I suggest the money no object philosophy...

That's my attraction to it... I want to be able to really learn to control my bike without the worry of falling in front of a semi or smashing into a car... and a track looks like a lot more fun than the roads around here, anyways.

If I can pick up a used suit for that much, I may just do that... but a pre-made one-piece doesn't offer significantly more protection than a two-piece, does it? I just plan on honing my skills, no competitive racing...

My comfort concerns were more about using it as my normal riding gear. I want to get a perf'd leather jacket when fall rolls around, but I didn't know if I'd still be able to use it in the winter. If I do get one, it will be something I'd take to the track, but it was kind of an unrelated question.

Find out what the track requires. I've seen some tracks that won't allow a 2 piece (road rash as the jacket rides up and exposes your underbelly).

An Aerostich roadcrafter is great for everyday riding and the track might allow it. It is $700+ bucks though.

http://www.aerostich.com/catalog/US/Roadcrafter-One-Piece-Suit-p-16133.html

good luck, my brother in law is a track nut, he really thinks it improves craft/skills and safety.

I've heard a lot of good about that suit, actually, but the two organizations that run the track days require leathers. Two-piece is allowed, but one of them requires a full-circumference zipper... and requires a Snell helmet... which I think is stupid (BSI good enough for the AMA, but not a track day? I'm not a huge fan of the Snell rating, and I want a Suomy...), but oh well... pay to play...

Find a Frank Thomas Strike suit. It's about $570 (or was when I bought mine), comes in two pieces, has a full zipper, and is perforated. It will not keep you warm down to 40 degrees, but you can easily fix that with a rain jacket over it (to block the perfs), and some extra layers under it. That's what I do when I ride in cold weather. (Or you could get an electric jacket to wear underneath - that's nice too.)