new biker, looking for equipment

[steven_191]

ive not got any gear yet, and i want to check things out before buying anything. eg brands, prices, quality, etc

can anyone reccomend good sites to start researching.

i will be needing everything.
helmet
gloves
trousers
jacket
leather or non leather?
armours
boots

you lot should know more than me

[Seb]

Got a Hein Gericke near you? They have a deal going this week for 25% off if you spend over 500 quid, well worth a look if your going to get kitted out

Get the voucher for the offer from www.4theride.co.uk
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2010 Triumph 1050 Sprint ST

[iooi]

Is this because you are doing a CBT or have you done that and now got a bike.

If you have only just done the CBT and are still a bit unsure if biking is for you.
I would stick to getting a lid and gloves and a jacket. Then build the rest up over time as you need it.

Try you local aldi/lidl to see if they have any of the gear left they sell from time to time.

Pointless wasting load's of cash on something that you maybe won't wear.....
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[G]

Details of what riding you're intending to do and your budget would be useful.

[swiftb]

I have a lot of gear im upgrading at the min but its all good stuff and hardly worn (bought to use for DAS with intent to upgrade once bike purchased) All 7 months old max. I have a good kbc helmet, some alpinestars gloves (worn 3 times) some boots and some textile trousers but all depends on your size obviously! pm me if your interested in any of it.

[steven_191]

[G]

A good helmet is one that has a good fit. A bad helmet is one that doesn't have a good fit.
There are some variations, but those rules should be applied first.

[chris-red]

By the cheapest lid you have it's not like there is much in your head that needs protecting

The best bet is a bike show, they have everything there and usually at heavily discounted prices.

the next one is the BMF in September then the NEC after that.


A Jacket all depends on when you will be riding, leather for protection textile for weather proofing. I good textile will do you all year round.

If you plan on riding in the winter you will need 2 sets of Gloves as summer ones will not cut it in the winter months and vice versa.

Boots are up to you a good set of sterdy combat boots will be fine if you have them. If you are willing to spend the cash to get some decent bike boots make sure you go water proof. They should set you back £100-£150.

Helmets stick to well know brands but as has been said the best one is one that fits. The cost of a helmet is not only protection but comfort build quality etc. A £100 helmet will have a wank finish on it.

I paid £400 (RRP £500) for my lid but then I ride most days all year round. Everything about it is better that the £180 (RRP £300)AGV I had before. The finsh is much better and it has survided several knocks that would have scratch the AGV the visor and mechanism is better quality as is the lining and the vents.


I doubt you get much better protection from a £100 say HJC lid compared to a £500 Arai but everything else will be far superior. My HJC lasted a year before it was battered to fuck and skanky I have had the Arai 6 months and it still looks Tip Top it will last me many years.

Trousers I would go will leather or kevlar jeans unless you are planning to ride when it is freezing my draggins where one of the best £120 I have ever spent.

Armour should come with most of the kit although a good Back protector is a good idea, I hardly ever where mine though.
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Well, you know what they say. If you want to save the world, you have to push a few old ladies down the stairs.
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WANTED:- Fujinon (Fuji) M42 (Screw on) lenses, let me know if you have anything.

[G]

[Cptn. Awesome]

As far as lids go, there is a saying, "Buy a 10 bob lid for a 10 bob head". This isn't necessarily true but would you take the risk? I would say a minimum spend of at least a 100 though.

Leathers, I'd only say get leathers if you're definitely gonna stick with biking. Will most likely cost around £300 - £400 for a two piece suit which for the average rider is sufficient.

Textiles jacket, these can be the difference between a major accident and a minor accident. A good jacket could stop you from gashing your arm wide open or just have a minor scratch. Here you really need to try different ones on, make sure arm movement is sufficient and that all the armour is protecting the parts of you that it's meant to. You may only need to spend £70 - £80 on a good jacket.

Textile pants, same advice as jacket really.

Boots are fairly hit and miss depending what you're looking for. I recently bought a pair of Frank Thomas boots that don't have all that much plastic protection on them for about £80 and I don't think the soles are reinforced, they're basically just boots. Like I say it depends what you want.

Gloves are IMHO one of the most important things next to a lid and jacket. If a stone flicks up off the road at 60mph it'll bl**dy hurt. You want to get a pair of gloves that are very comfy and offer you a decent amount of protection (look at your knuckles, fingers etc...) You may only need to spend £30 or so. I only spent £20 on some I got the same day as my boots because I got a £10 discount just for asking.




Hope this gives you some idea of what to look for. Find some local bikers in your area and ask them whereabouts they go for their kit or as somebody previously mentioned check out some of the bike shows.
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Rides - '60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25, '03 Plate Kawasaki ZX6R B1H and an '87 VFR400 NC24

Naughty Fawbish: "An eagle is but an eagle until the suns flare blinds his prey." - Fawbish, 2010.

[G]

[Cptn. Awesome]

I personally refuse to buy a second hand lid. No guarantees it hasn't been dropped etc.. My brain might not be worth much to anyone else but it's my only one.

Just to make it clear, I wasn't advocating buying a £500 Shoei or Arai. I was simply stating that I wouldn't necessarily skimp on price.
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Rides - '60 Plate Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.25, '03 Plate Kawasaki ZX6R B1H and an '87 VFR400 NC24

Naughty Fawbish: "An eagle is but an eagle until the suns flare blinds his prey." - Fawbish, 2010.

[G]

For a start, dropping a lid doesn't generally cause problems unless there's a head in it, as it's the head that compresses the lining.
But, more importantly, I have never managed to drop a helmet decently and not leave a mark. So it's very easy to tell if a helmet has been dropped or not.

I've seen plenty enough of helmets dropped in shops, then put back into boxes or displays.

Because my brain is important to me, I buy second hand helmets that have an excellent fit.

[Cptn. Awesome]

I wonder how many people agree with you. I believe you are wrong because of the fact that when you drop a helmet it does misshape the EPS (expanded polystyrene) and although may appear fine, it is not as it came from the factory and so is not as safe.

https://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_high_up_can_you_drop_a_motorcycle_helmet_from_before_it_is_deemed_unsafe

Also

[G]

[Howling TerrorOutOfOffice]

Hi steven_191, I wear textiles in winter(Rev-iT) and leathers(GP Leathers). The textile jacket lets water in the outer pockets as they're a velcro and poorly placed. The textiles did protect me when i parted with my bike at about 45mph. Cost about £180 for the 2 piece, and they have knox armour in the shoulders,knees,elbows with a foam pad in the back. I wouldn't buy them again.
Whereas the Gp Leathers i'd buy again and recommend. They cost £125. C.E approved armour. Thick cow hide,comfy and a thin removable lining. Not crashed in them, but have read a review where they survived well. They've got shoulder vents. What they lack are side pockets.
My helmet is a Caberg V2 Zonda(stupid name, good lid) It got 5stars in the SHARP tests(contentious issue for some, including Arai) It doesn't leak, has removable lining(big plus point) a sun visor(not anti-fog coated tho..no probs i use a spray that works fine) Seatbelt type chin strap(prefer double D-rings)..yeah its a good fit for me and comes in 2 shell sizes. BTW i will never buy 2nd hand helmets. Whats the point?
Boots, i have 2 pairs. My first pair were the Frank Thomas AquaBoot...hmm yeah waterproof and comfy, But and its a big but, they're just a fancy welly, and wouldn't trust them to stay on in a 'biggie' So i got some 3/4 boots (F.Thomas again...will i ever learn!) 2 inadequate zips and velcro fastener.
Gloves, again 2 pairs. Summer ones from GP Leathers. Winter ones by Wiess. Both good for protection, price and quality.
Best thing to do is pop in a bike shop and spend a few hours trying loads of stuff on. Then haggle or google
Oh and try and get some gear with reflective piping, no need for a DayGlo Derek look (unless you have a penchant for yellow)


Pat
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[Cptn. Awesome]

[G]

Sorry, perhaps I'm just being dumb, so could you copy and paste the supporting argument for your point of view?

My view of the details in your link:
The first answer deals with head in helmet and references a program he recently watched on TV.

[Cptn. Awesome]

[G]

You will note I highlighted your use of the word 'will' and their use of the word 'can'.

Words with a a rather different meaning. Snell could have used 'likely', or 'most probably', but have used a very ambiguous 'can'.

If you buy a helmet from a shop it CAN be damaged already. If you let other people touch your helmet it CAN be damaged (contaminates on fingers), or indeed if you take it through an area where building works etc are going on. If a stone from roadwords hits it, it CAN be damaged.
If you leave your gloves in it, it CAN damage it.

I still stand by my point that it's incredibly unlikely someone would damage a helmet and not leave a mark. And, further, it's quite possible this damage could be done while in the shop, where people tend to be less worried about damaging things they haven't paid for yet!