Discussion
In the process of doing my bike test and have started to look at bike gear 
I currently have little knowledge around what the "best" kit. In normal circumstances I'd go to a shop and try a load of stuff on and get some advice, however at the moment this isn't really an option.
Ultimately I will be a fair weather/day off user, riding a super sports/sports tourer and want the safest possible kit within a budget of about 1-1.5k (for everything). Not particularly keen on the thought of leathers/one piece suits but if it was deemed safer than textile kit, would sway towards the safety aspect over styling.
Is there areas of kit where more money should be spent, with the exception of the helmet? Any "must haves" when buying particular types of kit?
Appreciate a lot of it will come down to how comfortable it is whilst wearing. I just don't want to spend the budget to find out kit needs to be upgraded/changed due to inexperience of not knowing what to look out when it's my first time buying all this stuff.
Many Thanks.
I currently have little knowledge around what the "best" kit. In normal circumstances I'd go to a shop and try a load of stuff on and get some advice, however at the moment this isn't really an option.Ultimately I will be a fair weather/day off user, riding a super sports/sports tourer and want the safest possible kit within a budget of about 1-1.5k (for everything). Not particularly keen on the thought of leathers/one piece suits but if it was deemed safer than textile kit, would sway towards the safety aspect over styling.
Is there areas of kit where more money should be spent, with the exception of the helmet? Any "must haves" when buying particular types of kit?
Appreciate a lot of it will come down to how comfortable it is whilst wearing. I just don't want to spend the budget to find out kit needs to be upgraded/changed due to inexperience of not knowing what to look out when it's my first time buying all this stuff.
Many Thanks.
With that budget you're going to be able to look at some really decent gear, I prefer textiles personally so I'd be looking at something laminated, my Richa jacket and trousers were about £800 (Bike show deal) but IMO it was worth every penny.
Re trying stuff on, I think I've seen that Infinity and J&S are opening next week depending where you are.
Re trying stuff on, I think I've seen that Infinity and J&S are opening next week depending where you are.
Classy6 said:
In the process of doing my bike test and have started to look at bike gear I currently have little knowledge around what the "best" kit. In normal circumstances I'd go to a shop and try a load of stuff on and get some advice, however at the moment this isn't really an option.
Ultimately I will be a fair weather/day off user, riding a super sports/sports tourer and want the safest possible kit within a budget of about 1-1.5k (for everything). Not particularly keen on the thought of leathers/one piece suits but if it was deemed safer than textile kit, would sway towards the safety aspect over styling.
Is there areas of kit where more money should be spent, with the exception of the helmet? Any "must haves" when buying particular types of kit?
Appreciate a lot of it will come down to how comfortable it is whilst wearing. I just don't want to spend the budget to find out kit needs to be upgraded/changed due to inexperience of not knowing what to look out when it's my first time buying all this stuff.
Many Thanks.
Hi mate I currently have little knowledge around what the "best" kit. In normal circumstances I'd go to a shop and try a load of stuff on and get some advice, however at the moment this isn't really an option.Ultimately I will be a fair weather/day off user, riding a super sports/sports tourer and want the safest possible kit within a budget of about 1-1.5k (for everything). Not particularly keen on the thought of leathers/one piece suits but if it was deemed safer than textile kit, would sway towards the safety aspect over styling.
Is there areas of kit where more money should be spent, with the exception of the helmet? Any "must haves" when buying particular types of kit?
Appreciate a lot of it will come down to how comfortable it is whilst wearing. I just don't want to spend the budget to find out kit needs to be upgraded/changed due to inexperience of not knowing what to look out when it's my first time buying all this stuff.
Many Thanks.
SO lets start by saying that these days you have PLENTY of options.. you can buy all leather gear 1piece or 2piece, and textile gear (2 piece that still zip together) you can now also buy mixed textile/leather gear, iv recently been having a look at ICON gear.. decent quality D3O armor, decent price and they do all three options in various forms.
Its worth remembering to that you can with most brands mix and match leather bottoms with knee sliders with say a textile jacket and they will still zip together. Currently iv got Dainese leather pants with knee sliders and a matching Dainese leather jacket making it a 2piece BUT i also have an alpinestars textile jacket which will zip to the same leather pants.
I found when i was trying stuff on last year in the shop that BKS do a really nice fitting 2piece leather outfit in J&S heres the link...
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/buy/bks-evolution-...
I also found that alpinestars/dainese fit really nice but i found that RST stuff just didnt fit me very well, i know plenty of people who have had it and swear by it but i found the fit poor.
You want to make sure you measure your head properly and get the correct shaped head fit - helmets come in different head shapes so thats worth noting, you should soon be able to go into a store and try some lids on so might be worth waiting - its way more helpful being able to try an Arai on then a Shoei then a AGV etc etc to find what you think fits best.
Quick list...
Helmet, (Arai/shoe/agv/hjc/xlite/nolan/icon all seem to make a decent lid these days).
2piece leathers OR textiles or mix,
Boots,
Gloves,
Base layers - i use some sports skins UA an the like, they work fine and make getting the leather pants on and off a breeze!
Get yourself a neck warmer thing aswell like this...
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/shop/clothing/neck...
dont get a "warmer" for in the summer a thin/stretchy type one is best.
As others have said that's a pretty healthy budget to get started with.
I was like you when I started and safety was a concern ,I tried to get good gear. Again like you, I use my bike for fun so having a suit that would stay dry for hours and hours wasn't a concern an opened the possibilities. Some of the expensive stuff Rukka etc can be thousands! worth it if your on the bike in the pouring rain everyday or lots of tours but that's not my type of riding.
I bought a Richa suit to start with, I think the whole thing was about £450.00. I replaced the back protector for a level 2 for added security. The next year I bought a pair of riding jeans (Rokker Rokkertech) as again I wanted something with a little more protection than the textile trousers. These added Hip protection, better knee protection and a slide resistance that would give better protection in an off. They were £350.00 I think so not cheap but I love them.
I bought Alpinestar SMX-V2 boots (£170.00) and Alpinestar SP2 gloves (£70.00).
I went with a HJC helmet Rpha70 in very bright colours ! that was about £370.00 from memory.
So all in with relatively decent gear for £1,400.00
Motolegends in Guildford were very good to deal with, I was in the area so picked some bits from them.
Oh and you will change things, I have several pairs of gloves a couple of helemts etc etc.
HTH
I was like you when I started and safety was a concern ,I tried to get good gear. Again like you, I use my bike for fun so having a suit that would stay dry for hours and hours wasn't a concern an opened the possibilities. Some of the expensive stuff Rukka etc can be thousands! worth it if your on the bike in the pouring rain everyday or lots of tours but that's not my type of riding.
I bought a Richa suit to start with, I think the whole thing was about £450.00. I replaced the back protector for a level 2 for added security. The next year I bought a pair of riding jeans (Rokker Rokkertech) as again I wanted something with a little more protection than the textile trousers. These added Hip protection, better knee protection and a slide resistance that would give better protection in an off. They were £350.00 I think so not cheap but I love them.
I bought Alpinestar SMX-V2 boots (£170.00) and Alpinestar SP2 gloves (£70.00).
I went with a HJC helmet Rpha70 in very bright colours ! that was about £370.00 from memory.
So all in with relatively decent gear for £1,400.00
Motolegends in Guildford were very good to deal with, I was in the area so picked some bits from them.
Oh and you will change things, I have several pairs of gloves a couple of helemts etc etc.
HTH
Depends on what you want to look like - a pair of riding jeans, trainer style bike shoes and a Belstaff type wax jacket will give you roughly the same protection on the road as a 1 piece suit provided the armour is equivalent.
First think about the kind of bike you see yourself riding and the kind of riding you’ll do on it, then go from there. You’ll end up collecting kit over the years anyway. Textiles are a bit more versatile weather wise, they often have a removable thermal liner built in, and they can be waterproof. They look a bit s
te though. One piece looks great on a sport bike, less so on a Chopper. Watch a few bike video reviews and see what gear the reviewer wears that stands out to you maybe
First think about the kind of bike you see yourself riding and the kind of riding you’ll do on it, then go from there. You’ll end up collecting kit over the years anyway. Textiles are a bit more versatile weather wise, they often have a removable thermal liner built in, and they can be waterproof. They look a bit s
te though. One piece looks great on a sport bike, less so on a Chopper. Watch a few bike video reviews and see what gear the reviewer wears that stands out to you maybe Edited by Zakalwe on Thursday 11th June 08:24
My experience is you have to just try it to see what suits you - the best quote I've seen is "the best armour is the stuff you wear" because lots of guys weren't wearing it on the way back or for long trips as it was uncomfortable.
I found my inbuilt knee armour was never where my knees were, I tried 6 different sets and currently have settled on forcefield graph - it adds up so I buy mostly from ebay, reading reviews and trying on in a shop only goes so far.
I found my inbuilt knee armour was never where my knees were, I tried 6 different sets and currently have settled on forcefield graph - it adds up so I buy mostly from ebay, reading reviews and trying on in a shop only goes so far.
For a super sports I'd be going leather 2 piece all day long of protection is your main concern as it'll give most protection.
BUT, in the summer I ride in Kevlar jeans (draggin) with strap on knee armour underneath, they have hip protection also. Where a leather jacket with a zip belt that connects to the jeans too. Proper boots and gloves and a high end helmet.
After chatting to someone yesterday that had an off in normal jeans and a leather jacket, his knees, thighs, hips and back / side are road rashes - his jacket rode up as it wasn't connected to his jeans. Obviously the jeans were as protective as lycra...
Good quality textiles are really good these days, trust me, I've testing them!
I also where a separate back protector sometimes. If it's too hot I use the pocket in the jackets as being comfortable is also an important element.
ETA: the most expensive and high tech armour is only going to protect you if it's in the right place. Knee armour on your shins or elbow armour on your forearms is not going to work correctly. Its a try stuff on and see how it fits deal.
Also, different brands fit differently - I'll never get in a dianese two piece but alpine star is spot on. Sidi boots are great, RSTs don't feel comfortable. Same as helmets - different shell sizes and shapes mean some fit better than others...
Enjoy shopping, I can't wait to justify to my fiance another leather jacket (6 and counting...)
BUT, in the summer I ride in Kevlar jeans (draggin) with strap on knee armour underneath, they have hip protection also. Where a leather jacket with a zip belt that connects to the jeans too. Proper boots and gloves and a high end helmet.
After chatting to someone yesterday that had an off in normal jeans and a leather jacket, his knees, thighs, hips and back / side are road rashes - his jacket rode up as it wasn't connected to his jeans. Obviously the jeans were as protective as lycra...
Good quality textiles are really good these days, trust me, I've testing them!
I also where a separate back protector sometimes. If it's too hot I use the pocket in the jackets as being comfortable is also an important element.
ETA: the most expensive and high tech armour is only going to protect you if it's in the right place. Knee armour on your shins or elbow armour on your forearms is not going to work correctly. Its a try stuff on and see how it fits deal.
Also, different brands fit differently - I'll never get in a dianese two piece but alpine star is spot on. Sidi boots are great, RSTs don't feel comfortable. Same as helmets - different shell sizes and shapes mean some fit better than others...
Enjoy shopping, I can't wait to justify to my fiance another leather jacket (6 and counting...)
Edited by TommyBuoy on Thursday 11th June 09:21
Fit is one of the most important things (particularly with helmets), what are your journeys likely to be, a blat or destination where you’ll be wandering around?
I tend to ride in Rukka jacket, leather jeans and Daytona boots, but if it’s just out for a coffee it will be Kevlar jeans and leather jacket, take a look at motolegends YouTube channel, lots of good info, even if you don’t buy from them.
I tend to ride in Rukka jacket, leather jeans and Daytona boots, but if it’s just out for a coffee it will be Kevlar jeans and leather jacket, take a look at motolegends YouTube channel, lots of good info, even if you don’t buy from them.
s1dew1nd3r said:
Helmet, (Arai/shoe/agv/hjc/xlite/nolan/icon all seem to make a decent lid these days).
2piece leathers OR textiles or mix,
Boots,
Gloves,
Base layers - i use some sports skins UA an the like, they work fine and make getting the leather pants on and off a breeze!
Get yourself a neck warmer thing aswell like this...
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/shop/clothing/neck...
dont get a "warmer" for in the summer a thin/stretchy type one is best.
This is a good shopping list.2piece leathers OR textiles or mix,
Boots,
Gloves,
Base layers - i use some sports skins UA an the like, they work fine and make getting the leather pants on and off a breeze!
Get yourself a neck warmer thing aswell like this...
https://www.jsaccessories.co.uk/shop/clothing/neck...
dont get a "warmer" for in the summer a thin/stretchy type one is best.
Personally I'd want leather for the added safety (textiles are good, but not as safe, no matter how much you spend). Oh and the neck warmer is an absolute must-buy, I've got two now - one fleecy for cold days and a second for warmer, and they're lovely on everything but the hottest days.
V8RX7 said:
My experience is you have to just try it to see what suits you - the best quote I've seen is "the best armour is the stuff you wear" because lots of guys weren't wearing it on the way back or for long trips as it was uncomfortable.
This. You have a realistic budget for some great gear. I was in this position when I came back to biking. I ended up with 2 piece Furygan leathers (which are excellent) and a Schuberth SR1 helmet, also excellent. I had long Sidi boots and Furygan gloves. However, I felt like a bellend walking about in leather trousers and boots with a bit of a heel on them. It wasn't long before I went for Furygan kevlar jeans and shorter ankle high Alpinestar boots. If you're in biker cafe's or visiting places or doing anything other than purely riding, realistically you don't want to be in anything other than armoured jeans. They are very strong etc and decent ones give good protection, not as good as leather but less restrictive off the bike. The same goes with the boots so these became my go to. Over the years |'ve added different jackets, gloves.
I now have Textiles (Furygan again) for touring, these are great for touring far from home as you are ready for any showers, bad weather etc. These are 2 piece textiles and I use the long boots with these as the trousers go over them.
As you are talking fair weather, I would stick with a leather jacket, protective jeans with proper biker ankle boots. If you're only going out for a razz on a race bike, then consider 2 piece leathers with sliders (I didn't get sliders) but now I fancy doing a trackday it would have been better to have gone with sliders at the outset.
Brands I can personally recommend;
Furygan
Dainese
Alpinestar
Schuberth
Sidi
I am just about to try a Held 1 piece race suit, should arrive today!!
You can pick up some great bargains, especially on lids. My go to shops have been Helmet City and Sportsbikeshop. Once you know what size you are and find a brand that fits well things are easier. Ideally you want to try stuff on first, might be worth a visit to someone with a huge inventory like sportsbike shop even if you have to travel.
For leather jackets and trousers Furygan is great quality and VFM. Dainese is a bit plusher but dearer. Alpinestars, Held etc will all be great safe bets too.
For jeans I went with Furygan but there are many good ones. The quality, thickness, stitching is very different to regular jeans, while the fit and look is similar.
For boots, Sidi and Alpinestar are probably the benchmark.
For gloves I like Furygan and Dainese.
For helmets, I like Schuberth very much and Bell. I found Arai/Shoei/AGV didn't work with my head shape so this is something you really need to get right.
With protective gear, you need to wear it and it needs to fit properly!!
Classy6 said:
Is there areas of kit where more money should be spent, with the exception of the helmet? Any "must haves" when buying particular types of kit?
Textiles or leather for the suit is a matter of choice but definitely two piece. Leather slides better but neither will protect you if you hit a tree or a bit of road furniture like a lamp post. Whichever you choose make sure it has a heavy duty zip to connect the jacket and pants.
Krikkit said:
Personally I'd want leather for the added safety (textiles are good, but not as safe, no matter how much you spend). Oh and the neck warmer is an absolute must-buy, I've got two now - one fleecy for cold days and a second for warmer, and they're lovely on everything but the hottest days.
I'm not wanting to get into a massive debate on here as to which is better, but It still amazes me how people think leather is still safer than most other products on the market. I have been wearing motorcycle jeans for a few years now, around town, weekend trips, week long trips around Europe and some other longer trips in other parts of the world. I would always suggest a pair of jeans with good certified armour fitted.But again i agree with the other comments in the previous posts and it really depends on what riding you are planning on doing. Do some research and try the gear on. The shops will hopefully be opening shortly and comfort to me is key.
Motolegends - Great store and service. I like the fact they have a motorcycle in the shop, so when you try on any of their gear you are able to test it out on a motorcycle.
arcticGT said:
V8RX7 said:
I have wondered whether I should sew a zip into my kevlar jeans - is that what most do ?
You can buy jeans connection Zips - you thread your belt through them then zip to your jacket.I have only been wearing lined jeans recently, certain jean maker's have passed and exceeded the current and tougher older CE ratings.
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