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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 13:30 - 25 Oct 2018 Post subject: First gear decisions... |
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Hey there, new rider here, looking for some input in my first gear decisions. My bike will be a brand new Lexmoto Valiant which my step dad just bought for us to share. (I did prefer a rugged Suzuki GN for half the price...but this one was free!).
I have a semi flexible budget of 3-400 for 4 pieces I'm skipping boots for now because all I wear are heavy duty boots.
I won't be doing any long journeys nor commuting as of now, it is for pure enjoyment and practice.
I think I have decided on the helmet, HJC IS-17 discounted at £99 at sportsbike shop. There's cheaper ones but I'm unsure if it's worthwhile.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/107118
My biggest indecision are jackets!!! There are tons and tons of them.
Pretty decided on textile, although I saw some really cool used Wolf leather jackets for 50 quid.
Current contenders are all available for 100-125 and have matching trousers available for a further 100~
Oxford Montreal 3.0,
Oxford Oslo at 50% discount
RST Rallye
Richa Phantom
A used Wolf GT-s Titanium for 125 (looks to be as new)
From reading some reviews they all look alright, and I was quite inclined to the Oxford Montreal kit, seems to have some really neat features. But would the Wolf jacket with double RPR completely blow it out of the water??? Or are there even cheaper jackets just as good?
And with the Montreal, would the hi viz version be a good idea, or look plain stupid
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/386933
Still haven't looked at the final piece, gloves... |
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NJD |
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NJD World Chat Champion
Joined: 11 Mar 2015 Karma :
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Posted: 13:46 - 25 Oct 2018 Post subject: |
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Make sure you cover the Lexmoto in a product called ACF-50 (£15 for a spray can or £30 for a bottle) the moment you get it delivered: letting a bike from such a brand go through the roads this time of year without protection will soon see it with problems.
All well and good looking at helmets but you need to go and try some on in person -- and learn how to PROPERLY tell if a helmet can fit -- before buying one. First time mistakes include buying a helmet far too big for the persons head (watch videos online if you're unsure; make sure you wear it for ten minutes or so -- take someone with you so you don't get bothered).
In terms of gear RST Blade range are entry level and should sort you out for now (Wolf are made in the same factory but I've only ever been tempted by their gloves). RST low level ranges are basically all the same and differences appear when you get into their PRO ranges. You'll basically just want something with a removable thermal layer for when it gets warm (but by that point in time I'd suspect you'll be buying more gear as time progresses).
You didn't ask but look here -- https://securityforbikes.com/ -- for your chains (or Almax; a different website) because stuff they sell in shops are pants. 125 cc's are so hot for being stolen at the moment that it's redonkulas. 16 mm for at home and 13 mm for around should do you well, you'll need as many locks as you can afford in the current climate. ____________________ The do it all, T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶r̶o̶k̶e̶n̶ ̶o̶n̶e̶,̶ ̶T̶h̶e̶ ̶b̶i̶g̶ ̶l̶u̶m̶p̶,̶ ̶C̶h̶o̶n̶g̶ ̶N̶o̶o̶d̶l̶e̶ |
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 14:04 - 25 Oct 2018 Post subject: |
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Wow thanks for that lightning fast reply!
I'll take your advice on the rust protection (hadn't even thought of it). I wanted to get a used bike, seeing as I'll only keep it for 1-2 years, but my stepdad wanted something to keep for himself and with warranty my opinion was a good bike wouldn't even need warranty for anything that we couldn't learn to fix, but I digress.
I'm waiting for the weekend to go visit some shops and try some things on, it's a bit weird how all the brands make things different size.
Although I'm a bit conscious of wasting their time and then buying online bc it's cheaper might end up buying from the shop.
Whats your opinion on the Wolf jacket? It's not scuffed so I figure it hasn't been compromised. Is it a good opportunity to get something double quality at half price? |
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Kentol750 |
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Kentol750 World Chat Champion
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Tdibs |
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Tdibs Traffic Copper
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Evil Hans |
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Evil Hans World Chat Champion
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Teflon-Mike |
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Teflon-Mike tl;dr
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha |
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha World Chat Champion
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha |
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha World Chat Champion
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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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Posted: 07:22 - 26 Oct 2018 Post subject: Re: First gear decisions... |
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TheWhiteBaron wrote: | Hey there, new rider here, looking for some input in my first gear decisions. My bike will be a brand new Lexmoto Valiant which my step dad just bought for us to share. (I did prefer a rugged Suzuki GN for half the price...but this one was free!).
I have a semi flexible budget of 3-400 for 4 pieces I'm skipping boots for now because all I wear are heavy duty boots.
I won't be doing any long journeys nor commuting as of now, it is for pure enjoyment and practice.
I think I have decided on the helmet, HJC IS-17 discounted at £99 at sportsbike shop. There's cheaper ones but I'm unsure if it's worthwhile.
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/107118
My biggest indecision are jackets!!! There are tons and tons of them.
Pretty decided on textile, although I saw some really cool used Wolf leather jackets for 50 quid.
Current contenders are all available for 100-125 and have matching trousers available for a further 100~
Oxford Montreal 3.0,
Oxford Oslo at 50% discount
RST Rallye
Richa Phantom
A used Wolf GT-s Titanium for 125 (looks to be as new)
From reading some reviews they all look alright, and I was quite inclined to the Oxford Montreal kit, seems to have some really neat features. But would the Wolf jacket with double RPR completely blow it out of the water??? Or are there even cheaper jackets just as good?
And with the Montreal, would the hi viz version be a good idea, or look plain stupid
https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/content_prod/386933
Still haven't looked at the final piece, gloves... |
Box branded lids are fine for 125s. Jackets - I'd be buying a second hand Spada (w/ removable linings), used of eBay. In XL or XXL. For those two bits of stuff you'd be coming in under a ton. ____________________ "Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."
Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125 |
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ocatoro |
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ocatoro World Chat Champion
Joined: 06 Sep 2012 Karma :
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Posted: 19:29 - 27 Oct 2018 Post subject: |
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i think you should pay more close attention to what gear you get. especially heading into winter. good gear that will keep you warm and dry will be the difference of whether you stick with motorcycling or not.
most helmets are decent these days, just get one that fits and forget the price. though I'd recommend definitely getting one with the built in sun visor especially with the sun so low at the moment.
jacket, just get something waterproof with armour. it doesn't have to be stylish. personally i'd be on ebay looking for a 2-piece goretex set that zips together to stay dry over winter.
boots, up to you, but you say heavy duty boots? does that mean toe caps? you don't want to drop a bike on a toe cap and have it buckle in on your foot. plenty of waterproof bike boots out there with proper protection. i got some richa monza-2 boots for £30, 2 years ago and apart from the soles, they still look new now. ____________________ CBT - 17/09/12 * Theory - 23/10/12 * Mod1 - 05/03/13 * Mod2 - 25/03/13 * BOSH!
Current - None but shed project H100 (first bike )
Past - ER5, '93 ZZR600, '92 CB400 SF, ZZR600 (again), yellow Monster 620, Blackbird - black Monster 620ie - '96 ZZR600 |
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Sister Sledge |
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Sister Sledge World Chat Champion
Joined: 17 Aug 2018 Karma :
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Hong Kong Phooey |
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Hong Kong Phooey World Chat Champion
Joined: 30 Apr 2016 Karma :
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grr666 |
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grr666 Super Spammer
Joined: 16 Jun 2014 Karma :
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Posted: 11:20 - 28 Oct 2018 Post subject: |
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Lids gloves and boots - New
Everything else. Used via ebay. ____________________ Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off. |
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 15:52 - 29 Oct 2018 Post subject: |
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Thanks so much for all your advice! I think now I can shop more confidently
When I say heavy duty boots I mean thick leather, the kind that lasts forever, no steel caps as I read that in an accident they can bend/warp, as they are only designed to take vertical force. |
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bacon |
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bacon World Chat Champion
Joined: 09 Jan 2009 Karma :
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Posted: 14:29 - 31 Oct 2018 Post subject: |
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Leave leather for now, get some textiles.
I bought my first set of textiles last year, which considering I've been riding 9 years now is stupid. I suffered with a leather 2 piece for most of that, wearing a one piece rain suit over the top for bad weather. Froze my tits off and got soaked regularly.
Prioritise the textiles and buy leathers later if you want them |
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chris_hu_cheng |
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chris_hu_cheng Renault 5 Driver
Joined: 06 Jul 2018 Karma :
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talkToTheHat |
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talkToTheHat World Chat Champion
Joined: 21 Feb 2012 Karma :
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Posted: 07:16 - 04 Nov 2018 Post subject: |
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The RST kit is reasoanble, I go throgh kit quite fast and my blade trousers and evo jacket I bought in early 2016 are still going. that's good for me. I'm considering a rallye when my jaket finally dies as the sporty evo is a bit short.
IS17 is a good helmet, (5 star safety rating https://sharp.dft.gov.uk/ ) it's not a good fit for me, but I've had other HJCs and bought an IS17 for my now ex. I've got an rpha ST which has the same visor. It's ok, the pinlock is a good fit, but some early ones crack at the catch. The ones with premium metal catches dont last as long but are interchangable with the plastic catches.
I've had problems with the Shark skwal visor mechanism and my AGV K3SV has a fragile visor with a poor pinlock implementation and the sunvisor mechanism keeps breaking.
Don't skimp on gloves. They're the most likely part of you to hit the ground. You might end up needing more than one pair, I'm not sure to advise getting full winter gloves or all season watherproofs.
Go Goretex for gloves, it's where it makes the most difference. I've had HG and IXS goretex and they'be been great, cheap gloves don't last long and bulky ones are hard to move it. I had a really chunky pair of BKS gloves and whilst they were very war I couldn't move in them. Every time I go glove shopping there's never waterproof Alpinestars in my size that I like but I like their summer gloves
I've just got a set of Richa Hurricane gloves which are a non-bulky all season glove that importantly have a long narrow gauntlet that fits inside my jacket cuffs. Unless you have ape-hangers water runs down your jacket into your gloves wirh it chucks it down.
I've had good experiences with my Richa ColdProtect gloves, they're a full on wihter glove but aren't unmanageably thick. If I had to have one glove for the next 6 months, no heated grips or muffs, it would be these.
Whilst you'll hear a chorus of fit muffs for winter here, get confident on your bike first. Then don't skimp and get the rigid tucano urbanos.
With all of your kit, check the whole item is CE certifed if you can, not just the protective inserts. Whilst some non-certified kit can be good, you don't get to find out untill someone else has tried. There's a lot of reasoanbly priced certified kit out there that I wouldn't otherwise touch. Category 2 gloves are better than cat 1, but mostly only bulky winter gloves are meeting cat2 at the moment. AAA clothing is better than A, but I've not seen affordable textiles better than A rated. Most certifed leathers are AAA.
As for boots, put and empty boot on it's side on the floor. Stand on the side of the sole and see if it folds. if it does, that's broken bones in your feet if you drop a bike on it. And you want the boot to come up over you ankle.
But the best gear is gear you can afford, not gear you're saving for. I had an off maybe 3 or 4 months into riding. Cheap (like £40) trouses and a hand-me-down leahter jacket held up. Got my ankle caught uner the bike and dragged along. There's a mark on the boot where the chain bit them, and some scuffing. I had some minor soft tisue damage in my foot. But my gloves didnt pull off my hands being dragged feet first, and my jacket remained zipped to my trousers so it all worked well enough. You probalby don't need kit that can withstand sliding down a racetrack at 150mph, you do need to survive urban stupidity. ____________________ Bandit. does. everything. |
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 14:50 - 26 Nov 2018 Post subject: My gear |
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Hello guys, just thought I'd report in in case anyone is interested.
It seems one can fully kit out on the cheap WITHOUT compromising quality, but it takes some research and diving into eBay or visiting a lot of shops. So here goes:
Shark s600 dark knight: £25
Can you believe?? It was an ex display item and when I asked the guy offered it to be for 25 as long as I bought something else.
Akito leather jacket with elbow, shoulder & back protector: £20
No scuffs, fits me perfect and has a full trousers zip.
Akito leather trousers: 25£
I wanted some matching trousers, which I found with the full zip and all, but I got distracted and lost the auction.
Ended up buying another pair. They are pristine and fit good, problem is, I didn't realise they only had the jacket zip at the back, and too short on the ankles (I forgot to compensate the riding position). Knee protection is on right place though, just missing an inch or two of leg.
Could they actually be lengthened, or am I better of searching for another pair??
talkToTheHat wrote: |
Don't skimp on gloves. They're the most likely part of you to hit the ground.
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I'm still missing proper gloves and ride with standard leather ones. (Don't bash me).
Was looking at some akito ones as well, but not sure if they are good enough. They'd be more for the rest of the year tho not winter.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AKITO-HI-SPEED-PLUS-KEPROTEC-motorcycle-gloves-Medium/283271559650
I want to spend more on those as talkToTheHat suggests. But found it hard to pick a model as there's so many. Both the Hurricane and ColdProtect look quite good. The saving I made would allow me to pick these up.
talkToTheHat wrote: |
As for boots, put and empty boot on it's side on the floor. Stand on the side of the sole and see if it folds. if it does, that's broken bones in your feet if you drop a bike on it. And you want the boot to come up over you ankle.
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2 of mine survived the test, the other 2 failed, thanks for the tip and all other advice as well.
So, to sum up:
Helmet:£25
Jacket: £20
Trousers: £25
Gloves:£15-?
Some nice gear, new or with minimum wear, for possibly <£100.
Thanks folks. |
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Evil Hans |
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Evil Hans World Chat Champion
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M.C |
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M.C Super Spammer
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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SirFallalot |
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SirFallalot Trackday Trickster
Joined: 25 Oct 2018 Karma :
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Posted: 17:52 - 07 Jan 2019 Post subject: Re: My gear |
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Evil Hans wrote: |
Bargain, but I'd be slightly concerned about the number of times an 'ex display' helmet may have been dropped. |
Hey there, just leaving an update, if anyone's interested...
I replaced the helmet, you guys are right, of all the things to cheap out on, a helmet ain't one, I also noticed the date and it's near expiry.
Bought a comfy Duchinni 605 flip-up with side grooves that is a breeze to put on/off with me curly long hair (I had to wear a scarf or similar before otherwise the hair would get stuck) and glasses. Loads of boxes had arrived same day I went to pick up the bike from service/tyre change (OEMs sucked), and the dealer made a nice discount.
I've traded the leather trousers for two other pairs, couldn't fit me belly properly in there after all...anyways, I have a "proper" pair with all round zip, and a more casual pair, although no knee protection worries me a bit on the second pair. Still better than jeans tho! And quite warm.
I added to the collection a mint Wolf Outlast jacket for £30, and some Akito 3 season leather gloves I like a lot for £15 quid, new with tags from ebay. Idk how some sell these things so cheap, esp the wolf which RPRs at 250+, but good for me! I'm on the lookout for matching wolf trousers to complete the two sets, but there's no matching 32" yet
Still no intention of buying boots though, only ones I like are the Spada Pilgrim and Harley Faded Glory, which is the kind of boot I wear all wear round anyway. (I can leave my address below if any of you are feeling generous )
Now I'm looking for proper winter gloves the chill is horrible after the first 10-15 minutes...but I have another thread on that.
All in all I'm happy with me gear (-gloves), has kept me warm and comfy from 30 to 60 minutes rides.
BTW, why did no one warn me biker gear was addictive!? |
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M.C |
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M.C Super Spammer
Joined: 29 Sep 2015 Karma :
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Old Thread Alert!
The last post was made 5 years, 82 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful? |
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