Buying first set of clothing
Discussion
Rawwr said:
But wearing steel toe cap boots on a bike is really stupid and the mark of someone with severe learning difficulties. Why would anyone do that?
the same reason I despatched for a year in Levi's, a ski jacket, La Gear high tops and a Premier helmet I got for free with my first moped: expedienc and lack of cash/motivation to do owt else. The backs of my hands were SO brown!tvrolet said:
You need to understand that you do not have a free choice in clothing – you have to wear the style in keeping with your bike. Indeed I gather there’s quite a hefty fine if you get caught on a GS without textiles. The following guide should help:
Sportsbikes excl Gixxers – leathers in any colour scheme, knee sliders and calf length boots with assorted bits of plastic sticking out. This dress code mandates a Neanderthal walking style off the bike with knees bent, shoulders hunched and arms wide and dangling that is quite revered in some circles. All other clothing choices allow the user to walk like a Homo-Sapien off the bike.
Superbikes – as above, but now the colours must match the bike, and one-piece suits with stretch panels mandatory. Quasimodo-style humps also now required.
Gixxers and streetfighters – Grey hoodie, cammo combats and work boots.
BWM GS – textiles with more pockets than can you can shake a stick at – plus mandatory pockets on legs and on the back of the jacket to keep stuff in that will bugger your kidneys if you come off. Some drab green or grey ‘highlights’ are ideal; buy the helmet with the biggest peak you can find.
BMW K series – textiles again, but must be all black and without the GS-style plethora of pockets. Add sensible police-style riding boots.
CBF1000 – as BMW K series, but add high-vis tabard thingy and white helmet becomes mandatory.
Retros excl Triumph – Leather jacket, riding jeans and work boots. Full face helmets acceptable.
Triumph – as above, but open-face helmet and beard mandatory
Harley – get yourself a cut and chaps, or these leather jeans with laces down the sides and the most unfeasibly clumpy boots you can find. Open face helmet required, and beard recommended. Add various patches such as ‘loud pipes save lives’ and ‘if you can read this the b!tch fell off’.
You won’t go far wrong with these style rules.
No mention of supermotos?Sportsbikes excl Gixxers – leathers in any colour scheme, knee sliders and calf length boots with assorted bits of plastic sticking out. This dress code mandates a Neanderthal walking style off the bike with knees bent, shoulders hunched and arms wide and dangling that is quite revered in some circles. All other clothing choices allow the user to walk like a Homo-Sapien off the bike.
Superbikes – as above, but now the colours must match the bike, and one-piece suits with stretch panels mandatory. Quasimodo-style humps also now required.
Gixxers and streetfighters – Grey hoodie, cammo combats and work boots.
BWM GS – textiles with more pockets than can you can shake a stick at – plus mandatory pockets on legs and on the back of the jacket to keep stuff in that will bugger your kidneys if you come off. Some drab green or grey ‘highlights’ are ideal; buy the helmet with the biggest peak you can find.
BMW K series – textiles again, but must be all black and without the GS-style plethora of pockets. Add sensible police-style riding boots.
CBF1000 – as BMW K series, but add high-vis tabard thingy and white helmet becomes mandatory.
Retros excl Triumph – Leather jacket, riding jeans and work boots. Full face helmets acceptable.
Triumph – as above, but open-face helmet and beard mandatory
Harley – get yourself a cut and chaps, or these leather jeans with laces down the sides and the most unfeasibly clumpy boots you can find. Open face helmet required, and beard recommended. Add various patches such as ‘loud pipes save lives’ and ‘if you can read this the b!tch fell off’.
You won’t go far wrong with these style rules.
Also what about the modern triumphs?
I've got a Street Triple at the moment, but I use my motocross boots and dual sport helmet with textile jacket and trousers because they look cooler than power ranger style gear.
Pravus1 said:
I ended up with 3 levels of kit. Full gortex textiles for commuting and rainy days, full leathers for track days and medium warm blasts and kevlar jeans and mesh jacket for when it's really hot.
2 levels of boots and 3 of gloves. It's all about being comfortable so you can concentrate on actually riding.
This is what I have.2 levels of boots and 3 of gloves. It's all about being comfortable so you can concentrate on actually riding.
I do ride all year round and it’s pretty easily matched in usage.
Expensive though.
I came back to biking his year, have got a Fazer8.
So far I’ve acquired -
A full set of Merlin textiles - quite impressed. They’re were reasonable but having done a fair bit of cold and wet commuting, I can’t fault them.
Some Bullit jeans. Well impressed with these. On any dry day, regardless of temperature, they’re my go to. They’re comfy, warm, and feel safe.
I’ve just bought an RST Blade 2 leather jacket. Only worn it a few times but I echo what’s been said already, seems good quality, certainly good VFM, I went for plain black and it’s pretty inoffensive as I was keen to avoid the power ranger look.
3 pairs of gloves, summer, thicker summer, and winter. I feckin hate winter gloves and will wear my intermediate gloves if I can get away with it, which is sometimes a mistake!
RST Paragon2 boots. Bloody best purchase I’ve made. Very comfy, def waterproof, prettt warm, and again, inoffensive.
I didn’t scrimp on the lid and got a Shoei Ryd which I’m happy with. I must have tried about 6 on in the shop of various makes models and this was the model that best fitted my misshapen swede. That’s one thing I would say with lids... forget what you have decided you like, go with what fits and is comfy. I was going to get a Shark, but for some reason they just don’t fit my head!
My preferred riding gear is the jeans, and my new leather jacket. I think weather allowing its the best combo for me, leather trousers just don’t appeal. But each to their own!
Enjoy shopping!
So far I’ve acquired -
A full set of Merlin textiles - quite impressed. They’re were reasonable but having done a fair bit of cold and wet commuting, I can’t fault them.
Some Bullit jeans. Well impressed with these. On any dry day, regardless of temperature, they’re my go to. They’re comfy, warm, and feel safe.
I’ve just bought an RST Blade 2 leather jacket. Only worn it a few times but I echo what’s been said already, seems good quality, certainly good VFM, I went for plain black and it’s pretty inoffensive as I was keen to avoid the power ranger look.
3 pairs of gloves, summer, thicker summer, and winter. I feckin hate winter gloves and will wear my intermediate gloves if I can get away with it, which is sometimes a mistake!
RST Paragon2 boots. Bloody best purchase I’ve made. Very comfy, def waterproof, prettt warm, and again, inoffensive.
I didn’t scrimp on the lid and got a Shoei Ryd which I’m happy with. I must have tried about 6 on in the shop of various makes models and this was the model that best fitted my misshapen swede. That’s one thing I would say with lids... forget what you have decided you like, go with what fits and is comfy. I was going to get a Shark, but for some reason they just don’t fit my head!
My preferred riding gear is the jeans, and my new leather jacket. I think weather allowing its the best combo for me, leather trousers just don’t appeal. But each to their own!
Enjoy shopping!
tinder said:
As long as it meets BS why even give a f
k?
Good point. It's just a shame there's no such thing as a British Standard for bike clothing k?
Motorcycle clothing: The CE safety standards explained
Bennetts said:
EN17092 has five test levels, covering three key zones of the garment – Zone 1, Zone 2 and Zone 3.
Classification AAA: The highest level of protection (equivalent to 75mph) in Zone 1, around 45mph in Zone 2 and at around 28mph in Zone 3.
Classification AA: More suited to touring gear, this specifies Zone 1 at the equivalent to about 45mph, protection in Zone 2 equivalent to around 28mph, the equivalent of around 15mph in Zone 3.
Classification A: Utterly crap, requiring protection to around 28mph in Zone 1 and around 15mph in Zone 2. There’s no requirement for abrasion resistance in Zone 3 materials.
Classification AAA: The highest level of protection (equivalent to 75mph) in Zone 1, around 45mph in Zone 2 and at around 28mph in Zone 3.
Classification AA: More suited to touring gear, this specifies Zone 1 at the equivalent to about 45mph, protection in Zone 2 equivalent to around 28mph, the equivalent of around 15mph in Zone 3.
Classification A: Utterly crap, requiring protection to around 28mph in Zone 1 and around 15mph in Zone 2. There’s no requirement for abrasion resistance in Zone 3 materials.
wiliferus said:
RST Paragon2 boots. Bloody best purchase I’ve made. Very comfy, def waterproof, prettt warm, and again, inoffensive.
And yet mine leak! I like the cost of RST gear, but it has put me off rather. Fortunately all RST gear is sized for short people so I won't find out if there other gear is better or not.I need a pair of spring / autumn gloves next - in between my vented summer and bulky winter ones for the current cold mornings / warmer evenings.
https://youtu.be/rmWQKoN6yX0
First time round, try everything on before you buy. You won't know what fits you and what suits you. I still don't.
First time round, try everything on before you buy. You won't know what fits you and what suits you. I still don't.
I agree about trying everything on before you buy.
Crucially, elbow and knee armour shouldn’t budge: when you’re trying on kit, see if you can move the elbow and knee armour. If you can rotate it by hand, then expect the forces involved in a crash to move the armour out of place.
Oh, and leathers should feel tight when new. Leather expands by about 10% once you’ve worn it in.
An excellent option is to get clothing altered to fit you perfectly. If you buy gear that’s fractionally too big, then you can get one of several specialists to tailor it to you: Hideout in Essex/Cambridgeshire, Nine Lives in Hampshire, Hill4leather in Aldershot. (You get the same exceptional comfort as bespoke leathers, but for significantly less money.)
Lukas239 said:
I still don't.
Clobber should feel snug yet comfy. Baggy clothing flaps in the wind (tiresome). And it’s less safe. In a slide, any bagginess means material can fold over and more easily wear through. Crucially, elbow and knee armour shouldn’t budge: when you’re trying on kit, see if you can move the elbow and knee armour. If you can rotate it by hand, then expect the forces involved in a crash to move the armour out of place.
Oh, and leathers should feel tight when new. Leather expands by about 10% once you’ve worn it in.
An excellent option is to get clothing altered to fit you perfectly. If you buy gear that’s fractionally too big, then you can get one of several specialists to tailor it to you: Hideout in Essex/Cambridgeshire, Nine Lives in Hampshire, Hill4leather in Aldershot. (You get the same exceptional comfort as bespoke leathers, but for significantly less money.)Lukas239 said:
https://youtu.be/rmWQKoN6yX0
First time round, try everything on before you buy. You won't know what fits you and what suits you. I still don't.
good video, when i first started my instructor covered pretty much the same things albeit less scientifically. When starting with a limited budget spend the bulk of money on some quality full height boots and gloves. Go the the sharp website, get a list of the 5* helmets in budget, find whichever fits best and buy that. First time round, try everything on before you buy. You won't know what fits you and what suits you. I still don't.
Jacket and trousers, plenty of cheap gear out there and better to be comfortable and aware than uncomfortable and not concentrating.
There's been quite a few posts already but I'd just say get some decent kit from the off both from a warmth and protection point of view.
Nothing puts a new rider off bikes like being cold and gravel rash!
Personally I have a good armoured textile jacket, RST Trackstar (I think that's the model) two peice zip together leathers, RST boots and a couple of pairs of gloves (newish Alpinestar GP somethings and a twenty year old pair of Hein Gerick Prosports).
Road riding I wear the lot bar the leather jacket part of the two peice.
Track work obviously leathers only.
As has been mentioned try everything on rather than ordering off the inter web. Different brands fit very differently.
At 6'2" and pretty trim the RSTs were the only ones that fitted properly for me.
Richa textile jacket is brilliant for the money and feels like it was tailored for me, clearly it won't if you're a chubster though so as said try everything on.
Nothing puts a new rider off bikes like being cold and gravel rash!
Personally I have a good armoured textile jacket, RST Trackstar (I think that's the model) two peice zip together leathers, RST boots and a couple of pairs of gloves (newish Alpinestar GP somethings and a twenty year old pair of Hein Gerick Prosports).
Road riding I wear the lot bar the leather jacket part of the two peice.
Track work obviously leathers only.
As has been mentioned try everything on rather than ordering off the inter web. Different brands fit very differently.
At 6'2" and pretty trim the RSTs were the only ones that fitted properly for me.
Richa textile jacket is brilliant for the money and feels like it was tailored for me, clearly it won't if you're a chubster though so as said try everything on.
You should go to a big store, a J&S superstore or Sportsbikeshop superstore and try a load of gear on, best way to see what you like.
Textiles are very flexible and are also armoured inside, you dont tend to sweat as much inside textiles as you do in leathers either BUT i do like a leather pants w/knee sliders doubled up with a textile jacket and some sports boots.
Textiles are very flexible and are also armoured inside, you dont tend to sweat as much inside textiles as you do in leathers either BUT i do like a leather pants w/knee sliders doubled up with a textile jacket and some sports boots.
I sweat less in leathers than textiles, but a lot depends on the quality of the leather, as well as whether your leather food is one that blocks the leather’s pores or not. (E.g. Gold Label Hide Food is fantabulously good.) And some textiles – vented mesh – are going to be more breathable than others (winter waterproofs).
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