New to Bikes and need kitting out.

[perry01150]

Hi chaps
Plans are underway to get my full licence by May next year. Theory Test and CBT this year and then direct access early next year.

Was wondering if anyone can recommend some decent kit to be looking at over the winter months where there may be a deal to be had.

Looking at getting a new helmet from a store and shoes, gloves and over garments from ebay hopefully.
Only problem being I don't know which brands are good or bad and which kit is good for a beginner. Don't want to shell out fortunes yet. Just want a nice level of gear that I can improve on as time goes by.

Any recommendations will be of great help. Only know Sidi through cycling shoes!?!

[pinkyfloyd]

For the most part bike wear is pretty much you get what you pay for. Well known brands like Alpine Stars, Dianese etc are well established and they do the job pretty well but are way more expensive.

Boot wise the same thing applies. Sidi, RST, A* etc are all better than non brand cheap stuff.

The only exception seems to be Lidl and Aldi when they do their bike wear. People seem to rate it very highly.

Best advice would be buy the best you can afford, second hand if needed, and go for textile to start off with. You can build the collection up over a few years but textile gear is a good start point. warm in winter, kind of waterproof, and you can take the inner layer out for summer.
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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.

[stredon]

[perry01150]

Agree. Looks the part. I'm trying to get my jacket and pants off eBay but there are so many I just don't know where to start.
Was going to go to the Rocket Centre for a wander round try some stuff on.
Anyone know if Richa is an established brand?
Nice tip about Aldi and Lidl. Didn't think of them.

[TallPaul_S]

What riding will you be doing? If you're commuting to work in all weather you'll need better kit than if you're just riding at the weekend for fun.

I do the former (200 miles a week commute) and got the aldi bike gear (trousers and jacket) in the spring, it's done me fine through summer but it's not good enough now winter is coming. The jacket even with thermal liner in is already chilly on the colder mornings. Considering they cost £120 for both they're pretty good, but they're being replaced by £470 worth of furygan trousers and jacket.

You get what you pay for, and riding in winter you want decent kit or else you'll be cold/wet/miserable.
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00 Honda VFR800 | 09 Aprilia Tuono Factory
CBT 06/03/2014 | Mod 1 and Mod 2 passed 15/10/2014

[Teflon-Mike]

Oh no, not anuva-one... you would appear to be that very common newb condition of over stimulated enthusiasm, without much to get your teeth into to expend it and DO this biking-thing.Consequently, you are LOOKING for stuff to fret about.

I hate mantras, they are fools philosophies, but I seem to have a lot of them, and this is one to make the good folk of BCF to chant in uniso with us... "Stop Thinking - Start Riding".. you dot need to sweat the small stuff, over-thinkig, over analysing, is as sure to cause trouble as not thinking, not considering. Biking is an a tactile activity, not a cerebral one; you have to train yourself to work by feel, not a manual, train your instincts and trust them.

So shopping for gear? Why are you worried about it? You know, once upon a time, there simply wasn't much by way of 'dedicated' motorcycle wear; You could buy a crash hat, cos law said you had to wear one of them; but local bike shop might have three or four jackets in the shop, and probably not in all the sizes, and probably for near a such money as we'd bought the BIKE for.. SO, we set out on the roads on our first rides, in a thick pair of jeans, an old pair of workmans boots, and if lucky a second hand or hand me down BLJ (Black Leather Jacket) or as often as not, heavy army surplus 'fatigue' jacket.

And you know what? Dressed in whatever improvised ensemble of cheap 'out-door' wear we could scratch together, by serendipity, we probably put as much or more 'crash protection' on ourselves as some-one now going out all full of enthusiasm and buying a head to toe, 'My First Motorcycle Outfit', thinking that covering everything in leather covers everything......

These days, consumerist 'stack-em-high-sell-em-cheap' marketing has saturated the mass markets, so manufacturer and retailers have had to move into ever smaller 'niche' or specialist markets, to shift products; and motorcycling, like so many hobby pursuits is one such niche where we are now spoiled for choice..

Twenty odd yeas ago, I bought my BLJ mail order out the back of a magazine. 'Cheap'... could expect to pay probably £100 for one i a bike shop, think I got mine for about £70... and I still have it, and it still fits me, and I still wear it! 'Cos, back then when we bought something like that, we expected it to last..... These days? Well, consumers expect to chuck stuff away, and the makers know, that i all likely-hood, any-one buying a new bike jacket now, is probably only going to ride for a year or two, before they get a car, or, get bored; with more and more bikes bought purely as 'leisure impliments', the bikes and the garments worn on them, aren't going to see the heavy every day wear and tear, they might just a couple of decades ago... and even if they do, well, odds are, that even a long term and more regular rider, will change their bike every couple of years... a-n-d when they do that.. they'll buy new bike gear to match.....

Bike gear is not 'made to last' these days like it was; it is almost ALL built down to a quality, where it might last two or three seasons 'typical' use... and disagreeing a little with Pinky, price is NO grantee of quality... or maybe, 'low price' may be a guarantee of low quality... not sure.. Thing is, even a lot of the big-brand names, the 'quality' is likely to be as low as they can get away with...

And its very EASY to sell motorcycle gear to folk no their fears of 'safety'... newbs especially

Doesn't mean you are getting 'ripped off' if you walk into a shop and walk out a hour later with a new hat under your arm, booted and suited from head to foot for £300.... just that you have probably bought a lot of stuff you don't 'really need; and bought a lot of 'cheaper' kit that doesn't offer AS much protection and probably wont last as long.. as well, stuff you might already have your wardrobe.. JUST because of the amount of choice you were offered, and struggling to make those choices, tried to buy EVERYTHING... all at once, and spread your spend, and your safety and your quality a bit thin in the process.

Motorcycle Gear = Motorcycle LEATHERS doesn't it? Bikers wear LEATHER... so when we go looking for gear, we expect to be looking for leather. Saves Skin, dunnit?

Oh Kay, well.. lets start with that idea.. yes, it does, or it can, and might. Thing is, leather is very very good at resisting abrasion.. its not very water-proof, and its not very 'plastic', it doesn't like to bend very easily, certainly not like cotton or wool; so it tend to only be 'supple' if it's been shaved rather thin.. which means that it can often tear before it'll wear, ad even f it does wear, not so much of it to wear before whatever underneath is being worn...

BUT, good thick, well tanned leather.... if you come off at 100 miles an hour on a race track made of high friction 'delugrip' tarmac, that has the surface texture of a belt sander belt.. BRILLANT STUFF, for the 30 seconds or so you slide down that sand-paper, before boning over the concrete kurbing, onto the grass and eventually the gravel trap, fan-fuckg-tastic.. even in a cheap suit, probably enough leather, that even against that rough surface, it wont hole and WILL save skin.... Err.. benefits m-i-g-h-t be a little less obviouse if you come off on the road... I mean, MOST motorcycle acidents happen on urban roads at less than 30mph, and usually because they are no where near as abrasive or grippy as a race track... it was probably lack of grip that saw you come off! Wet 'polished' crappy council tar and a panic application of brakes!.. so not going so fast, or on such an abrasive surface.. leather isn't offering 'so' much protection for you... a-n-d eve fit is.. for how log? You aren't going to slide so far, so fast, and in all likely-hood... you are n a public road, reaso you are slidig down it is probably 'cos you snatched the brakes on a shit bit of tarmac when some miopic SMIDSY pulled out on you... you are probably going to be brought to a rather sudden stop by that idiots passenger door, or alamp-post, or a parked car, or an ncoming bendy-bus... etc etc etc, LONG before you have worn away 'leather' on the ungrippy bit of tarmac that didn't help you STOP with your bum still 'safely' in the saddle.....

Leather is great, but, as 'safety wear' it is HUGELY over-rated...

Back to my generation of hooligans, in Rigger-Boots and the Army Surplus nicked off Dad who wore it to go fishing.... in that sub 30mph SMIDSY scenario.. thick heavy canvas, will wear away when we slide down tarmac; but that tarmac isn't THAT abrasive and we ent going to slide that far, practically it is JUST as likely of saving skin in an off as leather... might be less left after, but who cares as log as we aren't in A&E with an usympathetic nurse using a wire brush and TCP on the wound! Thick Arran jumper underneath?Good chance that the shear thickness of 'stuff' between road and skin is enough to keep the tarmac busy before ski is exposed. Likely to also offer some 'cushioning' when you hit it too....

I fact, used to have a pair of well known brand name leathers hung up in the hut at the school to show newbies... worn by one of the instructors when he was brought off at just 30mph, that were totally tattered, had pictures of the bruising on his legs and and arms too.. wasn't pretty; the 'armour' in the leathers, being tight fitting, was thin and hard, didn't do much to soften the impact he had with kerbs.. just spread the bruises about a bit, meanwhile, leather 'thinned' so much to make it stretchy enough to pull on, and let wearer still walk.. wore through fast and tore easily, leaving inconvenient 'holes' where you would have liked there to be some sort of matter.

Conversely.. I used to have a cheap quilted ski-jacket.. dated from the 250 Learner era.. not even particularly thick cotton, and stuffed with some sort of man-made fibre wool.. it was actually still wearable, apart from the stuffing falling out of a couple of quilt pockets on shoulder and sleeve, after a two-week wonder had succumbed to a SMIDSY backing off a drive way, doing aprox 60 down a 40mph suburban trunk road.. totalled a brand new 250 Super-Dream.. but he got up and walked away, with barely a bruise....

Morral... is NOT don't buy safety wear, cos old army surplus and 1980's fashion jackets do a better job... moral is DON'T assume, just 'cos its sold for wear on a bike, or that because its leather, it JUST make you 'safe'

Another fools philosophy for you; "Safety comes from USING YOUR HEAD, not sticking it a plastic hat and thinking you 'Got Safety Covered'

So backing up; buying a load of 'dedicated' bike gear, is no garantee you are buying 'safety'.. point of fact actually, you can spend as much money on the most assured 'safety-wear' as you LIKE, and you are NEVER buying 'safety'.... leathers ad crash hats DONT stop you crashing! THAT'S where 'Safety' comes from! Not falling off the fucker! All lethers and hats MIGHT do is save a bit of hurt when all else has failed and its GONNA HURT, and its merely a question of how much!

Back to that typical £300 head to toe 'My First Motorcycle Outfit', a lot of money spent covering everything, because you cat decide which bits to cover first....

Well, after your crash hat, cos you know you HAVE to have one of them, so that's where you started.... Ironically that is PROBABLY the bit you are best leaving till last.

Cash-Hats; start from around £30 and go up to silly money.Lots of debate and argument over them, ratings, approvals, and so on... BUT bottom line; to be sold for use on a motorcycle, they ALL have to meet basic standards, and the differences in 'safety' between ay of them, are probably NOT all that large; big bit of what you are paying for from better hats is better quality of finish, more and better features, colour schemes, brand name, and MAYBE a little extra durability. Bt very easy to get carried away, and let choosig your hat take priority in the time and money you devote to it. Leave it till 'last'.. sort the rest first, see what 'change' you have left in the budget.. £30 hat will do the job well eough, and you can treat it as disposeable, and save for the one you'd preffer later.

Next, Jackets.. this is what gets looked at next.. big chunk of cow-hide.. feels like you are getting a lot for your money... and oftenleads to matching trousers...

hen folk start looking at boots... and they get a bit expesive, so might deliberate between the boots and the trousers, and will often decide to skimp a bit on both in order to cover all....

The they get to the till, and "Oh shit! Need gloves!... £80! F'GLOVES! sod that!" and they pick up a pair for £15 out the 'bargains' basket..

So, lets turn this on its head... look at the GLOVES first. There's a reason good gloves cost as much or more than a cheap jacket; it's the WORK that goes into making them. You make a jacket you have to make three 'tubes'. One for your torso, one for each arm.. big, yes, but its still only three tubes, and one or two seams to be stitched, probably in a pretty straight line to make them... how many fingers you still got? OK, well skipping over the argument over thumbs and fingers.. to make A glove you have to stitch SIX tubes, one for each finger, and a thumb, one for the palm and wrist, and you have to make two of them. Not a lot of material in them, BUT there's a lot of intricate detail 'work' to make them; probably as much as there is in making a jacket... but, doesn't look like you are getting a lot for your money, does it?

BUT, like as not, you come off, FIRST dam thing that will touch tarmac as you 'surrender to the floor' natural instinct, when we feel ourselves falling, being hands coming up to protect our face....

But even THIS is why they aren't the most important bit of kit to consider..... as I said, 'protection' is only any damn use when all else has failed and its gona hurt... RIDING, I'm not really doing much with the bits of me covered by Jacket...... might twist my shoulders a little, to look behind me, might move my arms a bit to turn the handlebars at slow speed, BUT for the most part, its JUST coverig bits of me that don't move much.

My HANDS on the other.... err... hand... of oth even! Well? I'm gripping the bars; right mitt is constantly adjustig the angle of the throttle control; while figers are working the clutch and brakes, indy-switches and horn.... doing a LOT of work with my hands, in fact most of the business end of riding the bike....

Thick stiff leather, is not very helpful, if I cant make it bend to work the levers, or if 'thinned' to make it supple, stuff tears or wears away in double time; or if its so big on my hand and so padded, I don't know f I'm applying pressure to brake lever or glove stuffing!

Cheap gloves CAN be worth less than NO-Gloves, if they hider you controlling the bike.. that could be the difference between making a 'controlled stop' front of a SMIDSY or hoping that them cheap gloves at least offer some protection to save your fingers when you surrender to the floor in-front of it....

BUT, that's why Gloves should be the first bit of kit to consider, and where you ponder prioratising your overall spend on 'kit'...

Next? What was above the gloves in the original list? Boots. Again, long before, and hopefully a damn site ore often than you ever need to worry about how much 'crash protection they offer... they are on the other bit of your body doing real work. Changing gear, braking, propping the bike up when you stop.... bugger how much crash protection they might have IF you come off... they got enough grip that they aren't goig to slip out from under you when you stop at traffic lights? They got enough 'feel' through the sole that you aren't going to lock up the back wheel and fish-take to a hedge first time you go into a country corner a bit 'hot'?

And again, as a garment, they are more complex and demanding to make, making them relatively expensive.

Lots of choice the market these days in boots, and they are a lot less 'clumpy' than traditional bike boots; but, something I have observed,particularly in the budget end of the market and the lighter weight 'sporty' or paddock style boots is that while they may have 'some' added crash protection over a cheap trainer from shoe-zone or wherever, they are often very low quality construction, moulded plastic and glued together, rather than stitched, and often barely 'last' any better than a cheap pair of trainers, especially if worn as 'casual footwear' off the bike... this does not suggest very good Value-For-Money, especially when they can cost £50-£80, and are offering little or no more protection, or usefulness than a £20 pair of 'sensible school shoes'.. good enough, perhaps for an early rider, but it's an extra £30 or more out your budget, to buy from a bike shop rather than shoe-zone, that COULD have maybe gone to getting you better gloves.

OK.. now hands and feet sorted, we might ponder the Jacket and Trousers.... but hang on a second.. 'protection', thats what we are mainly concerned with, that and maybe comfort... hmm... just HOW important is this protection again? Yup Only any use AFTER you have come off and it gonna hurt. Dont crash... don't need it....

But what about good old British WHETHER? I tend to find that I get wet, when I ride, rather a lot more often than I crash.... maybe just ME, and certainly judging by some folks fears of water, maybe there are a lot who rash more than they get wet... b-u-t I thik it SHOULD be more common to get wet than hurt.

Wet-Weather gear. Cold, wet, uncomfortable & miserable.. not going to to much for your attention or reactions to 'save' a crash, or suggest much fun at the end of your journey. So, wet weather gear, PROBABLY far more use, far more often than (un)Safety-Wear.

Useful 'dedcated' motorcycle water-proof over suits start at as little as £20 these days.. I recall when they first came out payig £50 for one, and it was a revelation, compared to the mix and match of old fishermans and hikers leggins and cagoools, plastic shopping bags ad shit we'd improvised with before! All I can say is BUY ONE; probably one of the least expensive bits of kit you will buy, yet one of the most useful.

They often have built hi-vs, which saves a flappy wally-bib or vest, A-N-D cover whatever multitude of sins you wear beneath. Keeps out wind as well as rain, and maybe thin, but its STILL extra 'stuff' to give paddiNg or wear in an off.. and you CAN pretty much wear every-day cloths beneath one, not get them all bugged up or look like a stick of liquerish or an extra from a sci-fi movie when you get off AND STRIP'EM OFF.

So back to where I started, and the old 'improvised' riding gear, fro 'sensible' outdoor wear...

Gloves; Boots, Over-Suit... £20 for an over-suit.... Hmm... forget the 'bike-boots' lets see if they have 'catapillar' knock-offs or 'army' boots down the market... £30? Means you could probably afford them 'good' £80 gloves..... So, while down the market and in town, lets see what they got on the fishig stall? Camo-Jacket? Well, might not have a bike related brand name or race-teams sponsors logo on the back.. but £40-£50? Does a cheap BLJ really offer twce the practicality, usability and protection?

I reckon I can put together an 'improvised',head to toe 'My first motorcycle Outfit' for under £150..NOT looking for dedicated 'BIKE GEAR', and get as much, or more real world 'protection' and practicality, and all-round usefulness, and probably more long term durability for it... and the ONLY bits I would go into a bike shop for would be the gloves and hat, and maybe the over-suit, if ALDI didn't have them on offer or I couldn't get one I liked off e-bay.

DONT think brand, DONT even think BIKE GEAR!.. and for NOW, not yet on the road, DONT THINK!... you don't have to fret about this shit yet.. if at all.

BUT, lessons above on how, when you DO need to fret about it.. fret in the right order..

For now, just keep your eyes open when you are out and about, and when you see shoes or jackets on the market or in the shops, ponder thier value as bike wear.

I have, in the wardrobe, a tailor made one piece race suit... never gets worn. I have a very nice, two-piece leather touring suit.. it's been worn ONE this year. I have, err.. touring boots, trials boots, race boots, dont know what, actually.. I used to have a spares & accessories shop.. I got a LOT of stuff to try out! If they made it, I probably have it or have had it... BUGGER ALL of it gets much use these days.

My 'General' riding outfit is, crash hat, 'cos its law, that BLJ I have had since I was at Uni, cos its 'easy', whatever every-day jeans I'm wearing that day, whatever 'sensible-footwear' I have on (I have, since spending chunk of my childhood in Canada, an affectation for Sears & Robuck 'Ranch-Boots', sort of like a Cowboy boot without all the frilly bits the square-dancers & rock-stars like).... and an over-suit tucked in the pannier or tank bag...

Gloves? Yeah.. do as I say, not as I do. I don't commonly wear them. I like the TOTALLY direct feel of NOT having bugger all between my figer-tips and the controls.. and I 'hope' not to come off to regret it! But, when it gets cold enough, and does have to be VERY cold, there's a pair of tailor made doe-skin race gloves in the middle of the water-proofs.. we can merely stick in the eff-off expense category, 'cos I didn't pay for any of them (I have I think three pairs!)... but if I needed another pair? I'd pay for it... even though would probably mean a trip over the pond to get'em! THAT is how 'worthwhile' good gloves are... and ALSO how almost next to useless, crap ones can be by MY sense of values.... and why I say stick them at the top of the list, not the bargain basket after-thought at the end.

So, final thought for you.... GEAR don't make you safe.... NOT FALLING OFF is what makes you safe..... as a new rider, well, yo DO stand a much higher chance of falling off from ignorance or clumsiness, and lack of experience, no matter how 'sensible' you may be or think you are, compared to old duffer like me.... so you stand much better odds of getting value from that safety wear earning its keep than I do.. but still better to Not fall off... and where you don't have your own experience.. which is earned learning by your own mistakes... which I can tell you, tends to hurt, when it comes to motorbikes... there is WISDOM... which is learnig from OTHER PEOPLES MISTAKES... so you dot have to make the same ones... and you can buy an AWFUL lot more 'safety' bookig a coupl of extra days training, and learning from an instructors 'experience'... than you can buyig a head to foot my first motorcycle outfit.

Easy to see the 'value' in a motorbike suit... you can touch it, smell it, feel it, and when you come off, and see the gouges in it.. well, very easy to say "Oh yeah, that saved my skin... worth every penny"... rather harder to touch taste, feel or smell 'wisdom', or rate its value by the accidents you DON'T have because of it.....

On which ponder point... if you are priority your budget..... before gloves, before boots, before ANY bike wear, improvised or not.... prioritise and VALUE that TRAINING.... because THAT is where safety lies, the KNOW HOW to keep your bum in the saddle... not a bit of leather or kevlar or foam rubber that MAY or MAY NOT save you some hurt when your arse is in the breeze and about to take what comes.

So after giving you so much to think about......back to the beginning....... Stop Thinking - Start Riding.. THAT is what will tel you what's important and not, what's valuable or not, far better than I ever can.
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[Tungtvann]

What the hell, tef.

[FlightRisk]

Do you think smoke starts to come out of the keyboard after a while?
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Honda CB500S

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

[monkeybiker]

You know if your posts are too long people wont bother reading it?

[Snowdonia Rider]

I didn't bother reading it all. That surely must be copy and paste?!
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I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.
Suzuki GP125 Suzuki GSX600F Suzuki SV650S KTM EXC250F SkyTeam Bongo 125
My YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/SnowdoniaRider

[Jaloopa]

Helmets: go for comfort first, a £500 lid that gives you a headache after 20 minutes will distract you and be worse than a £30 one that's a better fit.
Don't buy a used helmet. You have no way of knowing if it's been dropped.
Jackets: try charity shops. I've got a really nice leather jacket I found for £45. Does the job brilliantly
Boots: I bought a pair of steel toe cap, non biking boots when my Sidis were on their last legs. Not quite as good but they're still pretty comfortable and have the added benefit that I can wear them at work after riding in instead of having to have another pair with me.
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mattsprattuk wrote: but at least the lifan could do like 104mph in 3rd gear

[Mirey]

I went to J&S to get all my stuff. I haven't fallen off yet so can't really comment on how good they really are...

I spent £50 on some RST winter gloves. They're perhaps a little too thick but they are doing a decent job keeping my hands warm.
I tried on some RST summer gloves which cost about the same whilst I was there, and they seemed awesome. So next summer I'll probably go back and buy them.

I then got a matching top/bottom Frank thomas textile suit. I think the trousers were £70. They come quite high and do keep me warm, even when it's pissing down. Same for the jacket. I haven't fallen off, as I've said, but they seem durable and they've comfy.

I didn't buy boots. I just ride in my Doc Martens, or some other boots I have.

I'm looking for a new helmet. My one at the moment has really really bad glare, but my landlady gave it to me for free, so can't really complain.

[pinkyfloyd]

[Chuffin Nora]

[RedPanda]

You can research specific jackets, trouser and gloves and how big or small they come up but buy boots in store. They shouldn't rub you but should also allow room for thick winter socks.

Online check out ebay (obviously). You can get some great bargains on 'old' stock. My Alpinestars textile coat cost £90 because it's a 2013 design. Everything else is 120+.

Sport Bike Shop is a handy site, if only for seeing what's about. As said, get a helmet that fits. Google 'SHARP helmets' for an official UK guide.
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CBF125 (2013) -> CBR600F (2001) -> 'Ninja' 300 (2014)

[grr666]

Bought most of my kit 2nd hand via ebay.
I have a similar jacket to the one linked above but made by Richa. I took
it on holiday to New Zealand earlier this month with me (after removing
the armour) as it is a lightweight jacket, plus with the quilted bit and the
waterproof bit meant I had a jacket for all weathers (And I certainly saw
ALL weathers over there)
I gave 30 quid for mine on ebay, and the quality is pretty good I must say.
I have a few bits by Richa, so far so good. It's all decent quality.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Wednesday Biker]

[Barnoe]

Get yourself kitted out with reasonable gear that will give confidence, keep you dry and warm and obviously safe.... without spending a fortune (to start with).

Personally i wouldn't stock up with lots of gear with no bike to ride.

I bought all my gear then started riding and after only a few week i was starting to replace gear. This was because i had no idea what to look for when buying clothes.
I soon realised that
The helmet steamed up all the time!
My jacket didnt have enough pockets and the zips where so small i had to take my gloves off to unzip pockets.
My pants let the wind through... meaning my knees got really cold when riding about.
My gloves where too tight, and made my hands sweat a lot resulting in stinky gloves that i ended up throwing away!

All this would be normal things to look out for after riding even 1 week... which is my point really.

Save up money over winter and after this first week, you will know what you need for your own personal circumstances, and buy the right gear first time.
Buying everything twice gets expensive... specially when your already forking out for lessons and/or Bike

Good luck with the tests
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You know you are old when you're told to slow down by your doctor and not the police.

[perry01150]

Cheers for the tips fellas.

Got a Richa Adventure Jacket and Trousers off eBay for £50.
Intend to use my old Matterhorn leather army boots for CBT and training see how they feel.

Just thinking of some half decent warm gloves and any recommendations for a helmet which I'll get new after the advice I've read.

So far believe pinhole compatibility for an internal visor is advisable to help with steaming up and no Matt black helmets are the tips so far. Any makes and models worthy of me trying out?

[Barnoe]

Pinlock is a good tip yea

as for brands.... any from well known manufacturers tbh
white helmets are what a lot recommend for visibility.

if you see one you like, google it for reviews
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You know you are old when you're told to slow down by your doctor and not the police.

[talkToTheHat]

Helmet: beyond a good fit, a pinlock or fog city insert will stop the visor steaming up. A respro foggy mask will replace your helmets breath deflector with one that keeps glasses from steaming up if you wear one. Integrated sun visors are marmite, if you ride all hours they will save you from being caught out with wrong visor, but they are not as good as tinted visors. Buy from a shop where you get plenty of fitting help. Get a lid that fits, buy anti-fog accessories as you need them.

Gloves: every crash or fall on every bike and push bike has resulted in the heel of my hand hitting the road. Spend money here. Comfortable well fitting gloves with reenforcement layers or parts designed to slide where you hit the road. Consider your riding plans, vented summer gloves are mostly sunny day wear, and getting caught in a shower in them is not nice. Perhaps start with a decent waterproof glove designed for British summer. I use this kind of glove most of the time (currently IXS narius, formerly some similar hein gericke) and carry them as spares on long journeys should it rain in summer, or should my winter gloves become waterlogged. then look at vented hot weather and extreme winter gloves as you become familiar with your needs. Avoid paying for flashy hard knuckle protection and similar gimmics, abrasion resistance and good stitching are what you need. Impact absorbing bioelastomer foam is nice, but you can't get a lot into a thin glove.

Directive 89/686/EEC separates fashion items from items that meet an acceptable standard, and items meeting such will have a tag or label stating want they protect against. This is now commonly in use for motorcycle gloves.

Boots: avoid steel toe work boots, although PPE in other situations, can cause injuries due to sole flexing and toe cap acting like a knife edge. Army boots are popular and provide some ankle protection. But like hands, feet get the worst of it. A pair of 70 quid bullsons (hein gericke own brand) turned what might have been a badly broken foot into a foot I could run out of the road with. Foot trapped under swingarm and dragged down the road until I kicked free, chain marks along the boot at ankle joint level, much scuffing. Result minor sprain and bruising. Plently on the market at a similar price. Now I ride in 200 pound Altberg boots which are huge, thick, and decidedly unsporty, but very waterproof, very comfortable, and warm enough in the winter without being unwearable in summer. Good boots are nice to have.

You can find second hand leathers on eBay at reasonable prices, look for crash damage and avoid. I found some RST touring leathers that did not appear to have been worn for less than £100 for jacket and trousers, however if I only had none set of kit it would have to be textiles as they dry out much faster, and varies between showerproof and stormproof. Days of drizzle, unpredictable showers and wet roads after the rain textiles are much more convenient than stopping to put over suits on. Even dirt cheap textile trousers are better than denim in an off, particularly if there is CE armour in there, throw some hip pads into trousers that don't have, as most cheap ones just have a pocket for such. Again a decent fit is important or the armour won't work, and if the textiles zip together at the waist, it works as a draft excluder. The time I got wettest was hitting a patch of floodwater at about 40mph, which got thrown up underneath my 3/4 length touring textile jacket. If the rain is really bad or it is very cold I will put an oversuit on over my textiles, as a damp outer layer of textiles gets you cold fast.
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Bandit. does. everything.