The "garbage" line was used to describe my feelings on overpriced gear and not directed towards anyone or their preference.
When I mentioned the thing about the helmets, I use an experience I had back in '05 when I bought a ZX10R. My SO, my newborn son, and I, were in Alabama, shopping, and I stopped in at a dealership in Pelham. I wasn't looking to buy anything but I wanted to look over things because there wasn't anything in MS where we were living.
Anyhow, they had a special on the 10R because the '06 model was supposed to be a new design. They were selling it for the price of a 600 and I couldn't resist and I bought it. The problem was that I didn't have any proper clothing to wear back home (I only had shorts and sandals). I bought an inexpensive Shark helmet and went to Wally World to get some jeans, a jacket, and some boots (I returned everything once I got home, LOL).
So as you might know, the 10R is an absolute beast; we lived in an area that was open, flat, and mostly devoid of cops and traffic. I would go out and hit 176 mph (indicated), but that helmet was loud, the optics were complete shit, and it was actually trying to come off of my head! My previous helmet, an autographed Scott Russell replica, was never like this when I raced 600s when I was stationed in Italy, so I knew that this Shark was, well, garbage.
I found an Arai dealer and spent about $700 for a Wraith. The optics were crystal clear, the helmet was better-fitting, and I had no issues. So while these helmets may indeed be made in the same factories (like we did with Craftsman, Murray, and Scott riding mowers at a factory I worked at), the design and materials are not the same and there is a clear-cut difference.
Now, while Shark may have a $700 premium helmet that's equivalent to an Arai or Shoei, the $150 model was clearly not in the same timezone as the Arai. So in this case, spending way more $$ was definitely worth it, whereas spending $1,200 on a riding suit probably isn't and I would just flat-out say it's not, unless it was custom fitted and spec'd by the customer (such as what Aerostich does).
For me, I wear my Tourmaster jacket and pants year 'round. The pants are not ventilated (and there are times I wished they had something, especially in the crotch area), and opening and closing the vents is a real bitch (you can't do either while it's on you and you're riding). I have the jacket oversized to allow for more clothing underneath in the winter and extra air pockets when it's warmer. The extra length also helps to keep my backside covered. Both do an excellent job of keeping the wind at bay, they are waterproof, and even without the liners or heated gear, I can ride with them in temps down to the mid-40s with only those aforementioned 10+ year-old WalMart base layers on. In winter, I will have the pant liners in with a lightweight fleece jacket on (instead of the jacket liner), my heated gear, and I have ridden in the low single-digits.
When it's hot outside, as in the mid-90s, I have the vents in the jacket opened and while they aren't the best designed or that efficient, they will let in just enough air to slowly circulate in those air-pockets I mentioned earlier, and that, along with the moisture-wicking cheap-o clothing, keeps me rather comfortable. I just have to make sure I am adequately hydrating.
I was going to mention my crash experiences but this is already wordy enough.