Are either of these good value?

[EazyDuz]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MAX-MPH-WATERPROOF-ARMOURED-MOTORCYCLE-MAX/dp/B002RFDUN0/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1306407488&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.co.uk/MAX-MPH-ULTIMATE-LEATHER-APPROVED/dp/B002RFFA74/ref=sr_1_19?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1306407488&sr=1-19

Havnt got any kit yet and i am still unsure on what to actually buy. Thanks

[CaNsA]

I know gear can be epic pricey, How ever... if you cank fork out a buit of a wedge it will last you years.

Ive had my Hien Gericke textile gear for about 3yrs now, cost me 400quid though.

Not a prob with it.

[EazyDuz]

Dont want to spend that much, more £200 max for everything i need, new only

[DrDonnyBrago]

You looking for waterproof or not?

Leather or textile?

Leathers offer better abrasion resistance (i.e. less likely to wear through in a crash) but are not waterproof and are usually rather impractical as they are too tight (when fitted properly) to fit over jeans etc.

Textiles are far more practical, waterproof and warmer but offer less protection.

Both sets seem ok from the ad, the leather looks kinda gay but would probably be fine otherwise. Very hard to tell tbh, you would ideally want to see them and try them on, look for thick leather (1.3mm plus) and double stitched seams. Textiles then a good membrane to keep them dry is essential, gore tex and the similar cheaper ones like shelltex all do a good job.

What bike will you have and riding will you do? If it is a high powered sports bike that will see you reaching silly speeds just in the summer you will need different gear than a CG125 commuter.


Get some good boots too, something that goes up the ankle a fair amount and something waterproof if it is your only set.


Lid is the most important thing, and fit is the most important aspect about the lid. Caberg lids are cheap and score well in the SHARP tests. HJC FG-15 can be found for £80 now which is an utter bargain (IF IT FITS!!!!).

If it is going to be your only kit for a while I would recommend textiles, I bought leathers first and bought textiles after freezing myself through a few winters, I prefer textiles for all year riding now.

[hellbound]

[EazyDuz]

textiles tbh, i thought when wearing textile trousers you dont wear normal clothes underneath? Or do you, then just remove the textile trousers when you get to work or wherever you are going?
It will be for a 125, so nothing too fast.

[DrDonnyBrago]

[EazyDuz]

What do you do for sizes? I think im a 33" waist so do i go for something like 36" so i can wear casual jeans underneath? Same goes for a jacket, im a M so do i buy L so i can wear clothes underneath?

[clancy]

if you can stretch a bit on your gear it would be well worth it. cheap cheap stuff just doesnt last in my experience. they will wear really fast and youll just end up replacing them pretty fast

i have RST 2 piece leathers, fairly cheap and they are really good quality, had them about 2 and a half years now and the trousers are still mint and the jackets pretty good too, has a few wear marks on the leather but thats pretty much it.
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KLX 300r

[CaNsA]

Do your jeans give you an extra 3" on your waist?
Do they contain a nappy?

[DrDonnyBrago]

[EazyDuz]

Fair enough, are there any budgety brands you could recommend that would be in most stores?
Also, when will Lidl or Aldi bring out their biker gear again?

[clancy]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[EazyDuz]

south leicestershire borderline warwickshire...

[clancy]

ok you live miles away no idea about shops near you but there must be some.

as above aswell, buffalo gear is cheap and fairly good, i have a textile jacket which is pretty good and was like £80. spada do some cheapish stuff which is good from what i heard.

only thing that puts me off richa ( i think it was richa) anyway, guy in a gear shop told me its the same as the RST gear just labeled differently and more expensive. i think it was richa, may be massively wrong though
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KLX 300r

[Rebel]

[deleted111]

Jumping in without reading the majority of the thread because I'm at work and just wanted to throw my 2 cents in.

I ride a CG125, whether that's relevant or not you decide,

I wear a KBC Helmet = £54
RST TracTech Red Textile Jacket = £110
Buffalo Armoured Textile Trousers = £60 down to £40
Blitz (by Buffalo???) Boots = £80
Spada Gloves = £20

Cheers,

Steve.

[truslack]

Get an old leather jacket for £20, a pair of combat boots for £20, some goretex gloves for £10 and a lid for £50, comes in plenty under budget, will last you a long time and are practical.
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Current: Suzuki RG 125 Gamma, Honda H100, Triumph Tiger 800XC, Suzuki SV650 (minitwin)

[Ingah]

I remember buying my first cheap gear for my CG125, from Motorcycle Accessories and Hein Gericke in Leicester about 4 years ago (don't know how close you are, but you're in the county, so good start). Buffalo textile jacket for about £100 from Motorcycle Accessories (recommend the jacket it lasted me a couple of spills), HJC lid from Hein Gericke, gloves i forgot (have used Aldi specials since though), boots were later on (should've bought them immediately and would've if i'd known what i know now) from Aldi for £30, and it took me a couple of years to find suitably-fitting (i.e. so i could wear jeans underneath) textile trousers from Hein Gericke in South Wales for £150!!! (wouldn't rate them too highly though as they wore straight through in a 25mph spill, and through my jeans underneath, and ultimately my "Ride it like you stole it" wallet sacrificed its looks protecting my leg!)

Wouldn't say size of bike matters to me at all regarding gear. Full textiles on everything - even when i was doing pizza delivery on a 50cc scooter! Own a leather jacket too but it's just not a patch on the practicality of textile stuff.

As a "bike-only" road user, i highly recommend the use of easy-on, easy-off gear, over "maximum protection" (the extra protection of leathers over textiles etc is generally not going to make a huge difference in the real world, whilst causing alot more bother and leaving you alot more liable to not bother with it). Once you add in all the bother and time to go anywhere (all gear on, ear plugs in, bike unchained and put in tank bag, then reverse everything at other end), it's not worth the extra to put on a dedicated back protector (use the jacket insert for faff-free back protection), and take off all your clothes, squeeze into the leathers (if you're like me and constantly getting fatter it gets ever harder due to less and less room), before having to put clothes back on at the destination etc. Argh!
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-- Ingah

[AndyB1989]

im just getting into biking and have gona a bit over your budget .. but all i did was go into the shop and try things on untill i found things that fitted and were comfortable


helmet (i wear glasses) arai condor £190 reduced from £240
jacket dainese g. aarron d dry .. https://www.dainese.com/uk_en/motorbike/g-aaron-d-dry.html?cat=12 10% off rrp of £219.99

gloves Rev it £50
yet to buy trousers and boots but have some being ordered in in my size to try on
also need to buy a back protector insert for my jacket



i tried on helemts ranging from £80 to £400 and the one i chose without paying any attention to price came roughly in the middle and was the best fit. and with jackets it was one of only two that i found comfortable ( i am a weird shape .. lol )

[bikertomm]

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220734828335&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

You owe me one.

High quality jacket, all the amour, an inner layer and waterproof.

Brought it a couple of weeks ago. Well impressed, it's half price.


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07' Honda Hornet now full powaah! My guide on performing an oil change!

[HD]

Right, money shouldn't be an issue when buying gear I don't think. If you can afford the bike, you can afford the gear. But I guess we can't all afford it and if it wasn't for my birthday and Christmas being 3 weeks apart I wouldn't be able to afford it so I can appreciate the lack of budget but I think £200 is okay.

My helmet was bought years ago when I did motocross and seriously needs replacing but no money. £100 (+£50 goggles but that was my preference).

RST Ventilator Jacket £100. Honestly everything I could ask for in a jacket. Has both waterproof and thermal removable membranes. So if it is hot but wet then remove the thermal liner or if it is cold but dry just remove the waterproof one. Normal conditions (AKA now) I ride with none in but at night with windchill it can actually get cold Has loads of pockets and adjustable arms so the armour stays tight and adjustable waist so it is snug on your waist. Looks good and is waterproof and warm. Really is a 4 season jacket. Would highly recommend it. Has yet to stand the test of crashing though.

Gloves are IXS Bristol ~£40. Again, everything I could ask for in a glove. Never had cold or wet hands in them but they are not bulky like normal winter gloves. Can get a decent amount of feel while not comprimising comfort. They are not real leather though. They are chamois leather so not inspiring in an off but we shall see. Otherwise they are the perfect gloves.

Kevlar jeans £120. I said to my mum to get Hood jeans as they seem to be the best but she got the Berik ones from the shop which are more expensive and have less coverage . The hoods are only £80 and I recommend them! I would highly recommend kevlars instead of textile trousers. Are hot in the sun but just keep riding. I have had several comments on how discreet they are. And apparently some people reckon that kevlar jeans are better than textiles for abrasion resistance! They have knee and hip armour.

Boots were £100 from George White. They are the TCX Competizione S. Now they don't say waterproof on them but the bloke said in the shop he has a set and his are waterproof. He has been caught out in them a couple of times for 2 or so hours and has had fully dry feet when he got back. Everywhere I look they seem to be the same model but some say gore-tex whereas other places don't but either way they are great boots. But they squeak, really bad Especially the day after they get wet or muddy for days after. But they are really supportive and I have great confidence in them. True to size and look great.

Now that adds up to £360 but that is including boots. If you don't get boots and get a slightly cheaper helmet then you are keeping just around your budget. If you definately want boots (recommended after the stories I have heard) then I know George White are doing RST Razor and Oxford Bone Dry boots for £50. Don't know if they are still in stock, though. But I know people who have both and say they are good boots.

I reckon helmet £80, jacket £100, gloves £50, trousers £50, boots £50 is a good spend. Maybe sacrifice the boots or trousers if budget is a bit tight but I would ask the parents (dependant on your age) and explain to them the risks involved.

What sort of 125 is it?

Sorry about the essay
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Rusty '02 Vito Camper + CBR600F3

[pinkyfloyd]

Get what you can afford when you can afford it. Ultimatley you can spend as much or as little as you want but the best protection is trying not to crash in the first place.

I have both textiles and leathers. The prices are as follows:

Leather jacket £90 from Ebay.
Leather jeans £70 from Brighton Burn Up.
Textile top £55 from Ebay.
Textile trousers £50 from Ebay.
Duchini Helmet £90 from J&S.
Gloves £25 from Ebay X2.
Winter boots £55 from ebay.
Summer boots £40 army issue marine boots.

The collection has taken me 3 years to build up with the Leather jacket being the last purchase a few weeks ago and I still have the old jacket which is still wearable and is about 10 years old! The winter boots were a left over cruiser style pair from the 125 and while they are still waterproof and wearable under my textiles I wont bother changing them. The summer boots are lace up marine style boots from the army surplus store and I'll wear them until they die and then replace them with proper biking boots.

All have CE protection in all the right places and the leather is all a min of 1.3mm. Might well be some of the cheapest gear on the market but I've heard cases where the expensive stuff is worse than bad. Just ask Blackwolf about his gloves for proof.

Buy what you can afford to buy and wear it when riding. Hope you never have to rely on it and you'll be fine.
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illuminateTHEmind wrote: I am just more evolved than most of you guys... this allows me to pick of things quickly which would have normally taken the common man years to master
Hockeystorm65:.well there are childish arguments...there are very childish arguments.....there are really stupid childish arguments and now there are......Pinkfloyd arguments!
Teflon-Mike:I think I agree with just about all Pinky has said.

[Ingah]