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jammy_basturd
Original Poster
8,345 posts
82 months
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Gained my CBT today and looking to order my CBF on Saturday. My local Honda dealer is willing to do a good deal on my lid, clothing, gloves, etc so trying to find out a bit more info before I head down there. The bike is mainly for commuting, all weathers, circa 10k miles a year. At the moment I'm just looking for a lightweight jacket and trousers (over trousers?), and decent boots, gloves and helmet. I know, especially with the helmet, that much of the choice will come down to personal preference and what fits best, but are there certain brands to look for, brands to avoid, brands that are slightly more expensive but well worth laying out the little extra? Is it too much to try and get kit that will be both suitable for hot summers and waterproof? Looking to try and get all the kit in for ~£400-500, give or take £100 or so. Realistic? Apologies in advance if this is often covered, though I have spent the evening reading the last 40 pages of biker banter! 
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Ray Luxury-Yacht
6,519 posts
86 months
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In my racing experience, and as a result of lots of evidence and discussions with other racers, it seemed that no-one trusted their heads with anything less than Arai helmets back in my day.
Indeed, I ran Arais on tracks for years, and had more than one spill which clumped the lid badly - with some pretty horrific visible damage, but me and my brain are still here, functioning as well as ever (how well is open to debate though, lol!)
Some people swear by Shoei if they don't have an 'Arai' head.
To be fair though, it seems that now (I was racing over 10 years ago) there are a myriad of other brands to choose from - some of which you see in MOTO GP and WSB, so they must be quality, trusted makes - or these world-class guys would presumambly not use them?
Kit wise - I trusted Dainese leathers (and especially gloves - they were the only brand to feature proper Kevlar protection, with heavy guarding along the outside of the little finger to stop flesh being eroded in a low-side crash) and I used full 'Knox' armour and back protectors.
Boot-wise, all the serious racers used Daytona 'exo-skeleton' boots...these are basically a carbon/kevlar hinged boot which straps over your ankle and foot, with a leather outer skin. They prevent foot and ankle injuries from impact and twisting. Although some other brands now have similar built-in protection, too.
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sjg
4,325 posts
135 months
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Cheaper end of textiles then. As long as they've got (closable) vents and removable thermal inners they'll be OK for (british) summers. Make sure you can get enough layers underneath for winter but still cinch everything down so it's not flapping away over a t-shirt in summer. Get some warm textile gloves for winter and some thinner leather gloves for summer. If you're riding year-round then try to get waterproof boots - most aren't, ie. they have vents that water just goes into.
Don't get too hung up on helmets - check SHARP ratings, for commute use try to go for white or another bright colour (more visible), there are some good deals to be had on previous years models. There's plenty of sub-£100 ones I'd be happy to use.
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Speed addicted
1,882 posts
97 months
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For helmets get a good make that fits you well, the fit is by far the most important bit. I use Arai and I'm happy with it because it fits me well and has good vents, the downside of the good vents (it's a RX-7 Corsair, the old top of the range race hat) is that it's fairly noisy.
Leathers or textiles? Textiles are far more flexible and for commuting are the only choice really as leathers arn't waterproof so involve more jackets and stuff if it looks like rain. Having said that for fast stuff I only wear leathers because the don't flap about and generally offer more protection.
For boots I use goretex Daytonas, I have big feet and the Sidis or Alpinestars ddin't fit. Again fit is everything because you don't need to be thinking about how uncomfortable you are when blasting along roads you need to concentrate on.
The Daytonas are now about 6 years old and still completely waterproof, the soles have worn smooth so I'll probably get a new set soon.
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DH01
382 posts
38 months
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It's sunny, Wooohooo, shorts and a T-shirt !
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Speed addicted
1,882 posts
97 months
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DH01 said: It's sunny, Wooohooo, shorts and a T-shirt ! Zebra stripe mankini for me! Hey ladies!
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toxgobbler
2,336 posts
61 months
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Gore-tex if you can stretch to it, this drought has needed it...
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Dr Jekyll
5,737 posts
131 months
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In terms of protection, once you've got a helment and gloves boots are the priority. Ankles are vulnerable and difficult to fix. Then decent trousers.
Jacket armout and back protectors are nice to have but secondary.
As for helmets, protection is pretty much the same for all makes providing they fit properly. Expensive makes tend to be quieter and more comfortable rather than safer. But if you wear glasses, you'll regret not getting a flip up helmet.
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jackh707
1,023 posts
26 months
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How fast you likely to be going on your daily riding?
In summer if it's just town riding on a 125 jeans and waterproof shell is fine on your legs.
I wouldn't waste all of your budget on a £300+ helmet, it's largely just brand whoring... Try a brand like shark that are slightly cheaper than the gucci makes I'd look to spend,
£150 to get a nice helmet.
£30 for reasonable summer gloves(until winter)
£120 for a good set of waterproof boots. Might struggle for gortex
£200 for a good breathable textile jacket that you can keep.
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Fleegle
10,808 posts
46 months
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Dr Jekyll said: But if you wear glasses, you'll regret not getting a flip up helmet. Seriously?
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Dr Jekyll
5,737 posts
131 months
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Fleegle said: Seriously? Yes.
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Fleegle
10,808 posts
46 months
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Never once regretted not having a flip front lid in the 32 years I've been wearing crash helmets. Maybe we have different levels of patience 
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off_again
8,989 posts
104 months
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I find that there is a big difference between the lower end textiles and the more expensive heavily branded stuff. A Frank Thomas all season jacket that I have is OK, but the Hein Gerike Gortex jacket that I bought is lighter, warmer, cooler, dries fast and has genuine waterproof pockets! Yeah, it was 3 times the price, so you pays your money and takes your choice. Could you live with the FT one? Of course, it was a cracking bargain and will be fine, but the HG one is just better. Same goes for trousers, boots and gloves. A cheap pair of FT gloves proved that they arent waterproof and the lining comes out easily! And as with most things to do with clothes, you really have to try them on to get the best fit. A pair of RevIT overtrousers are now a bit too small for me (and not waterproof) while the same size trousers (not overtrousers) from a different manufacturer are nice and comfy and roomy.... you just cant tell sometimes! Try some stuff on, get a good idea what type and size of clothing you want and go from there. You might find cheap stuff on the internet, but its likely its cheap for a reason. So maybe going with a real shop / retailer might be a good place to start. As for helmets, go to a proper shop / retailer to get a decent fitting and recommendation. You can get cheap lids that have the relevant tested protection, but they will be cheap for a reason (loud, nasty build, lacking in features etc). If you are aiming for 10,000 miles per year, you will want something comfortable, so its probably worth investing a few quid. Dont underestimate how much you can spend on stuff though - yes, you can get fully kitted out for £400 or less with care. But, get seduced by the brands and you can spend 4,5 or more TIMES as much without blinking an eye.... 
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jammy_basturd
Original Poster
8,345 posts
82 months
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Thanks for all your advice so far, really helpful! To clarify, the commuting I'll be doing is 50 miles a day, of that at least 20 will be country lanes. Whilst I'm on L plates, the rest will be 10 miles of A roads and a few more country lanes. Once I've done my DAS in a couple of months I'll have the option of 10 miles of A roads and 10 miles of M20/dual carriageway. I'll have a look at the gore-tex boots, would rather spend that little bit extra and get something that I'll be happy with all year round than get to winter and regret not paying that extra £50, £100! Also, I know from past experience with another mate that my local Honda dealer are willing to do quite good discounts on gear when buying a new bike from them.
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SteelerSE
568 posts
26 months
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I think if you spend £400 now for all your kit you'll probably end up replacing quite a lot of it in the next 18 months/two years. You don't have to go silly but I would strongly recommend an Arai or a Shoei as the fit just seems to be light years ahead of the other makes. Lots of people rate Cabergs and others too though. Hein Gericke make some great waterproof kit and if you're doing 10K per year then you will want gore-tex. Gloves and boots are up to you as to levels of protection etc. I use a British company called Altberg - not stylish but after nearly four years of pretty much all year round commuting they haven't leaked, are warm and feel really solid. There are a ton of gloves on the market but again if you plan to ride in all weathers get heated grips on the bike (plenty of aftermarket ones available) and then get some waterproof gloves (I use Furygan ones but again there are lots out there) with some insulation. That will do you for 80% of the year if not more. When I started I bought some waterproof budget textiles for about £300 all in and they were in the bin within 18 months (leaking). I'm sure that some others on here have had better luck with more budget clothing but that's been my experience. http://www.altberg.co.uk/Web/motorcycle_ClubRoad.j...http://www.helmetcity.co.uk/Arai-Chaser-Clearance_...http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/clothing/motorcyle-c...http://www.onyerbike.net/clothing/Gloves/Furygan/F...Shop around, try lots of stuff on and see what suits you but you're probably looking at £1000 all in for quality kit that will last you. Also invest in a pinlock or similar (Fog City) to help reduce visor fogging.
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Dr Jekyll
5,737 posts
131 months
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Fleegle said: Never once regretted not having a flip front lid in the 32 years I've been wearing crash helmets. Maybe we have different levels of patience Maybe what you've never had you never miss.
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Fleegle
10,808 posts
46 months
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Dr Jekyll said: Fleegle said: Never once regretted not having a flip front lid in the 32 years I've been wearing crash helmets. Maybe we have different levels of patience Maybe what you've never had you never miss. Maybe the fear of the flip part coming apart in an accident over-rides any regret that I don't have. All the tests in the world to prove this wouldn't happen would not be able to make me reconsider. It's a head thing
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Yazza54
9,801 posts
51 months
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dave_s13
8,440 posts
139 months
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I've got an HJC helmet and although a little bit noisy it's spot on really, for the money.
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RemaL
19,971 posts
104 months
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Buy the best you can afford. Simple.
Lid that fits best, same with textiles, gloves etc..
Can't go much wrong then
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