New 125 rider - What clothing/protection?

[Stobo91]

Hi all,

In the next month or so ill be getting my YBR125 MOT'd and taking my CBT.

Just thinking about the clothing etc ill need to buy.

Im only going to be using the bike for a 6 mile commute each way into town and the roads ill be travelling on will be mainly 30-40mph A roads with a single NSL B road.

Jacket wise ive seen this on eBay which to be honest looks perfect for me - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/281301151225?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&var=580343583958&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

And id be looking for something similar trousers wise so i can just slip them on over my work uniform but still going to offer decent protection.

Cheers

[wr6133]

I doubt that hoodie will offer a lot of protection and it will slide up easily when you slide. Also you will bake in it, my Kevlar jeans cook my balls far beyond well done so I reckon that hoodie would leave you pretty sweaty on a summer day.

If you want one jacket to use all year just get a textile one with a removable liner. Avoid the really cheap ones I slid in a Tuzo jacket not long ago and the thing disintegrated.

Trouser wise Kevlar jeans are versatile but not going to be easy over your work trousers, again you are probably best looking at textiles.

[Timmeh]

1. Welcome to BCF.

2. Ask yourself this. How much is your life/mobility worth?

It doesn't matter how experienced you are, if your number is up and you fall off or get knocked off then your gear is going to save your arse. Literally.

Textiles are the way forward if you want to wear them over your work clothes, get something decent like spada or similar, something that's tough and will stand up to the rigours of you sliding down the road. Same for gloves. Cheap ones will burst leaving your fingers to bear the brunt of your spill.

road rash is debilitating and extremely painful. Can you afford to take 6 weeks off work?

Not saying that you will have an accident, but sensibly, you need to prepare for the worst.

Hope you have fun with your new bike.


____________________
GSXR400 x2 | '94 RVF400 | '93 TZR125 4DL (again)
20:22:30 BLUEX5: i would love to be forced to undergo a**l plugging with different sizes
20:48:18 Temeluchus: comp you hunk of smouldering homos3x you

[Robster]

Got a Richa TG1 jacket with removable waterproof liner and thermal liner for £150 from top gear, and a set of fairly naff 'Viper Rider' over trousers with knee and hip armour which are vaguely waterproof.

I'm using kevlar jeans in the summer for breathability but i'm sure they don't offer anything like the same level of protection as a decent set of leathers, but better than nowt!
____________________
Up the bum no babies.

[Stobo91]

[Orennayar]

I got an RST ventilator jacket bought specially for the summer. So far it's been great in the warm, I removed the quilted and the waterproof layers and it feels like I'm riding in a t-shirt. (got caught in rain without the waterproof layer though and it REALLY felt like I was riding in a t-shirt ).
It's as practical as any normal jacket, obviously it doesn't fold as well because of all the armour etc..
I wear that with random textile J&S waterproof/armored overpants and got nothing to complain about so far No probs to fold them under my desk or in a locker.
____________________
DAS passed: 21/07/14
2011 YBR125(sold)
2009 XJ6N

[_Troy_]

You'll be surprised how cool you keep in a thick jacket when moving. Even in this heat I sometimes wear a hoody under my leather jacket on my way to work, because 80mph on an open road makes for a lot of wind chill.

Personally I'd be looking second hand for your first lot of kit until you know what you like. No point splashing out on an expensive item you end up not wearing because it doesn't suit your needs.
____________________
Current bike: ZX6R J1
Previous bikes: CLR 125 | GS500 | ZX6R G2 | SV650

[Stobo91]

[Orennayar]

Yep that's the same kind except mine is made with some sort of mesh material.
____________________
DAS passed: 21/07/14
2011 YBR125(sold)
2009 XJ6N

[Rogerborg]

Another vote for avoiding that hoodie. I have a kevlar lined shirt bought for the same purpose, and it's too hot for summer.

I'm currently wearing a jacket that's a mix of leather (on the abrasion sites) and cordura, with vents front and back. I won't link to it as the seller is a mong. Plenty of alternatives are available.

Job done, except upgrade whatever piece of comedy back foam comes with your jacket to a CE 2 protector.

Legs, kevlar lined jeans for me, with armour.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[Stobo91]

Think im going to end up ordering these

https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/117246

£100 and you get the matching pair of trousers free. Yes it seems cheap but the reviews stack highly in its favour and perfect for my needs.

Cheers for the help all.

[CBFcarl]

Dont scrimp on gear, but do search for bargains.

I had an RS jacket that I got free when I bought my first bike (dealer threw it in the deal). That lasted about 8 months before it was leaky and the stitching around the fasteners ripped and seams came apart.
Looking around ebay, I got a Triumph Redline jacket (textile with leather arms, shoulder, back and elbow protection) for just over £35 with P&P. I have some Alpinestars SMX4 boots that I paid £30 for second (possibly third) hand. I have a paid of generic padded textile trousers that cost me £25 and I am going to have to replace because after a year because the stitching around the crotch has come loose and the zip has bust. I bought one of the Lidl helmets that were on sale about 4 months ago. The flip front feels loose and the visor is loose at the sides, leaving noise and damp to get through.

TL;DR? Sometimes you get what you pay for.

[_Troy_]

Definitely some bargains out there that don't mean awful gear. I got a 2-piece Dianese leather set for £30 on Gumtree. Also picked up 2 pairs of Alpinestars gloves yesterday for a tenner a piece.
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Current bike: ZX6R J1
Previous bikes: CLR 125 | GS500 | ZX6R G2 | SV650

[CBFcarl]

[_Troy_]

[CBFcarl]

[R_Josh]

[Mudshark]

I got some CE armoured trousers from JTS - www.jtsbikerclothing.com - quick delivery, seems good quality (time will tell), I'm a 34" inside leg and trousers that fit standing up can ride up to around your knees when you've been on the bike for a while, they are one of the few that do "extra long"

and Ebay is OK as long as you are very, very wary.
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R1250RS
XT660X

[Hokum]

[Andy9934]

You can get some almost unused stuff off ebay for nearly nothing.

I currently have 4 Jackets, two of which were under £1.50 – one in fantastic condition, the other with the zip broken (Velcro intact). Other items don’t come up so frequently so I’ve not snatched any massive bargains on these but my full kit, excluding helmet has probably cost me a little over £100.
I found a hoody quite poor in april, it was quickly too cold when I got up to speed. No way it would have saved me from much either.
____________________
Surrey
Honda Varadero XL125

[Rogerborg]

Don't overlook Gumtree either, I've scored a fair number of bargains there.

Funny how every helmet there has barely been worn, never been dropped.
____________________
Biking is 1/20th as dangerous as horse riding.
GONE: HN125-8, LF-250B, GPz 305, GPZ 500S, Burgman 400 // RIDING: F650GS (800 twin), Royal Enfield Bullet Electra 500 AVL, Ninja 250R because racebike

[TallPaul_S]

I picked up the aldi textiles when they were on offer earlier this year, they've held up well and have kept me dry through some pretty wet rides.

I'll probably end up picking up some better textiles before winter really hits, but for summer use they're perfectly fine.

Get textiles, they'll keep you warm, dry, cool in warm weather with loads of zipped vents. And falling off at 40 mph hurts just as much on a 125 as on a big bike.
____________________
00 Honda VFR800 | 09 Aprilia Tuono Factory
CBT 06/03/2014 | Mod 1 and Mod 2 passed 15/10/2014

[Teflon-Mike]

[Fladdem]

TL;DR

If I am wearing smart trousers I slip my £30 Aldi Kevlar Jeans over the top. I've got a Buffalo motorbike jacket, with body armour removed, I got this from a friend, who got it from his CBT instructor, who wasn't allowed to use it anymore because a student crashed in it and ripped it. I have since proceeded to crash in both. When either rips, I either leave it, or stick a patch on it, the jeans have a couple of patches and the jacket has one. Gloves, Alpinestars M10, cost me two pints, still in good nick, a little battered now, but almost new when I got them. Boots were sixty quid from the local bike shop. First lid, £60, Wulfsport Prima.

I have another pair of Kevlar jeans, but cost a whopping £110, not much noticeable difference between the cheap ones. Got some winter gloves for a tenner from Welly Market, lasted me three years with lots of crashes and they just look a bit scuffed on the outside, but the inside started to fall out last winter, so some new ones in order. Got some cheap under gloves for a tenner at the bike show. Got some MX boots, Wulfsport GP, £100.

I don't know, you can go cheap or you can go expensive, I tend to go reasonably cheap and just replace the stuff more often. I have never ha a serious crash on the road, just a few low sides, when the knobblies give way. But I seem to walk away OK.

Remember, it's usually the time that you don't wear the gear that you will have the bad accident. It might be something to do with not wearing the gear that makes the accident worse.
____________________
Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[Rogerborg]