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Jam-R1 |
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Jam-R1 L Plate Warrior
Joined: 25 May 2023 Karma :
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grr666 |
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grr666 Super Spammer
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Posted: 23:21 - 30 May 2023 Post subject: |
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With lids what fits best is probably more important. You don't necessarily have to spend hundreds. Even a 40 quid
job can meet ACU gold requirements. Clothing is again a personal choice, but certainly don't skimp on gloves
and wear something sturdy on your feet. You need to decide whether casual clothes reinforced with aramid/kevlar,
textiles or leathers will suit what kind of riding you want to do. For me the best kit innovations of recent times are
pinlock visor technology and D30 armour. I have bought full carbon fibre Shark and HJC helmets for less than £300
so you really don't have to spend mega money to get lightweight and high levels of protection from your lid. I bought
the vast bulk of my clothing second hand bar a few exceptions which is a way to stretch your budget and still get high
end gear. ____________________ Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off. |
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Nobby the Bastard |
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Nobby the Bastard Harley Gaydar
Joined: 16 Aug 2013 Karma :
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arry |
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arry Super Spammer
Joined: 03 Jan 2009 Karma :
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Posted: 08:27 - 31 May 2023 Post subject: |
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Kit is a bit of a minefield, unfortunately.
As said, on helmets, fit is most important. After that it's weight and bulk, for me. Shell sizes on cheaper lids tend to go in 2 size increments. say XS and S, M and L, XL and XXL ish. If you're at the lower end of one of the shell sizes, then you've got a bulkier, heavier lid than if you were able to just get in the next one down. Weight and size make a difference to long term comfort IMO. I've (relatively) recently swapped to a Shark carbon lid with 'air-fit' cheek pads, after years of being a Shoei kind of guy - for less money, the Shark has more features, better ratings, less weight and bulkiness, so it was an absolute no brainer. Wouldn't have bought it if it didn't fit well, though...
As for aramide / kevlar jeans and the like. They have their benefits / weaknesses. If you're getting jeans they have to be a relatively snug fit, otherwise your knee pads will just move around and when you come off that's not particularly helpful. Likewise the bottoms around the ankle - need to be tight so they don't ride up but then if you're going to wear them with bulky boots then guess what, you can't get the boots under the jeans. The ratings help these days, in understanding what level of protection they're going to provide, whereas before you'd have to turn them inside out to see where the lining starts / stops. I have two pairs, a pair of Route One and a pair of Knox AAA's. The Route One are infinitely more comfortable to wear, lighter, more breathable, an easier fit, easier to slip over boots - but for all those things they are less safe. The Knox are much safer, but less comfortable, harder to fit over boots, much warmer (I mean much, much warmer - on cold days you're thankful for it, on hot days your baws are baking in your own grim juices).
I have also had a really frustrating problem with my Knox that I didn't expect - they have knee pads that remove from the outside, ie there's a zip on the pocket externally. That zip has scratched the plastics on my bike So yeah, making knee pads more practical to get in and out and made them impractical to wear on that bike as the zip sits proud and just at the wrong point where it makes contact. Arse.
Other problem with jeans is there's seemingly no universal zip pattern to attach it to a jacket. Buy a new jacket, then have to unpick the opposite end of the zip you've put in your old jacket and re-sew it into new jacket. Or get one of those RST Belt Loop things (which I have, and is a PITA) and sew all the different zip halves you have from your various jackets (which I've done) so that you can attach any particular one of your choice on the day. The problem is then you're walking around with this ridiculous looking zip contraption stuck around your waist and the only point of wearing kevlar jeans is for convenience of not looking like a freak-show as you get off the bike the other side. Ruins the practicality.
And if you're going the jeans option then you've got boots to consider. Anything bulky/uncomfortable you won't want to walk in them the other side so will be taking a change of clothes anyway. Anything less bulky you're losing at least some shin protection. And that shin protection does something else that's useful - it gives your waterproof over-suit something to grip onto so that your trouser legs don't ride up when you're on the bike soaking the bottom of your jeans, because you've tucked them into the boot and draped your WP's over the boot / synched 'em down proper like. Ask me how I know this, after a couple of trips away touring with shorty boots with waterproofs that didn't work well in combination....
Gear needs to work in combination or it's failing at the weakest link. Finding stuff that all works together is harder than you think. When you find something that really works and you've tested it in the real world, buy more of it while you can, IMO.
I am Teflon Mike and I clam my 5 ponds. |
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha |
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha World Chat Champion
Joined: 22 Nov 2012 Karma :
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MarJay |
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MarJay But it's British!
Joined: 15 Sep 2003 Karma :
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Posted: 10:28 - 31 May 2023 Post subject: |
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I've had 3 or 4 HJC lids, and they are very good. Not quite up to Shoei standards, but very very close indeed. I currently have a Shoei, but I got it relatively cheaply, and only paid a bit more than the equivalent HJC. It is more comfortable, durable and built a touch better, but we're talking tiny degrees here. It's not the same as an ancient BOX lid vs an Arai or something.
RST are now the go-to reasonably priced brand for clothing, and I'd trust their stuff. It is on the cheaper end, but much like HJC it's perfectly fine.
I'd still avoid cheapo lids, lids from vendors you don't know or trust or any clothing that claims to be CE marked but made to measure in Pakistan. Other than that, buy from reputable sources (not WISH or Aliexpress or anything like that!) and buy brands you recognise, and you'll do OK. ____________________ British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another. |
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
Joined: 12 Jul 2004 Karma :
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Posted: 11:29 - 31 May 2023 Post subject: |
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Here's a slightly alternative perspective on what gear you need from Fortnine. Selecting gear based on where people sustain injuries rather than what you perceive you need.
https://youtu.be/rmWQKoN6yX0
Also. What is going to make you less likely to die in a crash. A £500 helmet or a £200 helmet and an IAM advanced riding course? ____________________ “Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles. |
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dave001 |
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dave001 Banned
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MarJay |
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MarJay But it's British!
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Nobby the Bastard |
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Nobby the Bastard Harley Gaydar
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grr666 |
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grr666 Super Spammer
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Posted: 14:41 - 31 May 2023 Post subject: |
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I have to say I'm definitely a gear every single time kind of guy. A lot of that is because I like looking at myself in
shop windows when I'm out on the bike . Also, I've spent too much money on tattoos to want to rub them out
with some tarmac. ____________________ Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off. |
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Polarbear |
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Polarbear Super Spammer
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Nobby the Bastard |
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Nobby the Bastard Harley Gaydar
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stinkwheel |
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stinkwheel Bovine Proctologist
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grr666 |
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grr666 Super Spammer
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RhynoCZ |
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RhynoCZ Super Spammer
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Posted: 18:10 - 31 May 2023 Post subject: |
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dave001 wrote: | Bikers are pussy's now. In my day it was a lid,boots, some gloves and a pair of levi`s |
Sure, cemeteries are full of heroes and disabled accessible places are in abundance these days.
But in all seriousness, I say let people wear whatever they want. I mean, I crashed a motorcycle only twice in maybe 14 years of riding, both times in full gear, and both times I only got a few bruises and one time a limp for a week or two.
Let's say those boots you mention were firm enough, the ''Levi's'' would most like not protect my knees and hips. Also, road rash is much worse than broken bones and takes much longer to heal. Sure, some people are lucky, riding in shorts, trainers, t-shirts... but it does not take much to feck up your knees (*hard to fix), ankles (*can't be fixed), hips (*very hard to fix), wrists (*very hard to fix), elbows (*can't be fixed)... and your spine (*can't be fixed). One unlucky event and you'll never ride again.
This pretty much goes for everything. You can't tell immediately, but in the long run unwanted stuff might happen. For instance, very loud noises combined with ''yeah, I don't need hearing protection... Oh, what's that? Tinnitus, hearing loss, going deaf.'' Or ''who needs a proper welding mask, I can just close my eyes... Oh, what's that? I see flashing lights and black spots, going blind.'' And I could go on. ____________________ '87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor |
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dave001 |
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dave001 Banned
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DaddyStu |
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DaddyStu Spanner Monkey
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Nobby the Bastard |
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Nobby the Bastard Harley Gaydar
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dave001 |
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dave001 Banned
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UncleFester |
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UncleFester World Chat Champion
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RhynoCZ |
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RhynoCZ Super Spammer
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Posted: 23:14 - 26 Jun 2023 Post subject: |
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RhynoCZ wrote: | dave001 wrote: | Bikers are pussy's now. In my day it was a lid,boots, some gloves and a pair of levi`s |
Sure, cemeteries are full of heroes and disabled accessible places are in abundance these days.
But in all seriousness, I say let people wear whatever they want. I mean, I crashed a motorcycle only twice in maybe 14 years of riding, both times in full gear, and both times I only got a few bruises and one time a limp for a week or two.
Let's say those boots you mention were firm enough, the ''Levi's'' would most like not protect my knees and hips. Also, road rash is much worse than broken bones and takes much longer to heal. Sure, some people are lucky, riding in shorts, trainers, t-shirts... but it does not take much to feck up your knees (*hard to fix), ankles (*can't be fixed), hips (*very hard to fix), wrists (*very hard to fix), elbows (*can't be fixed)... and your spine (*can't be fixed). One unlucky event and you'll never ride again.
This pretty much goes for everything. You can't tell immediately, but in the long run unwanted stuff might happen. For instance, very loud noises combined with ''yeah, I don't need hearing protection... Oh, what's that? Tinnitus, hearing loss, going deaf.'' Or ''who needs a proper welding mask, I can just close my eyes... Oh, what's that? I see flashing lights and black spots, going blind.'' And I could go on. |
EDIT: Funny stuff happened today. I went through a bend on my motorcycle, ran over fine dust, lost the rear end, hit my knee on the ground, the foot peg hit my calf, then I sort of used what I knew from driving cars in/on snow/ice (never let go of the throttle, feather it to control the grip*) and regained the grip again, saved the bike. If I was in shorts and trainers, I'd be quite unhappy right now. A minor bruising on my knee, but other than that, no damage whatsoever.
*...or I was just lucky. Be that as it may, if I wore shorts/jeans, I would have probably not be able to use my knee to support the bike while it was losing grip mid-corner. Well, and the foot peg would definitely leave a mark in my calf. ____________________ '87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor |
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