Muzz

Many thanks for all the great advice folks. My wallet had a very painful weekend - I ended up buying a Shark helmet because for me it accommodates my glasses (and an intercom for when I do my advanced riders course). SportsBikeShop gave me a bit of a discount because I was buying a full kit, which took some of the sting off. As for the bike, I visited 4 dealers. While I loved the thought of a repro-classic, actually trying a pre-loved Royal Enfield Interceptor confirmed my thoughts about its weight, it just felt too cumbersome. Also, lovely as it was, I quickly realised all that brightwork would become a maintenance chore. So in a complete about-face I am now looking for a pre-loved CB300R. I know I will probably outgrow it fairly quickly, but for me it would be cheap enough not to worry too much about dropping it, new enough to have all the rider aids I never had back in the day (rear disk brake, ABS+IMU, slipper clutch, LED lights), and light enough to boost my confidence while I get my chops back.

Thanks Bonio, I'm not sure a scrambler is my thing, but I had certainly short-listed HJC helmets, so some experienced validation is great.

Hi folks, I would be immensely grateful for your advice. I am a fairly fit 60 yo, 6ft tall, 12.5 stone. I have not ridden a bike in 35 years, but with retirement looming I am looking to get back on the saddle. My last bike was a Honda CB400N (a bit staid I know, but I liked it), before that the ubiquitous 250N (the bike I had for longest). I am looking for something fairly light I can bimble around the country lanes where I live in Hertfordshire on a nice Sunday, maybe stop off at a village pub, strictly to re-hydrate of course. Contemporary bikes all seem to be far larger, heavier and more powerful than I the 400 I had back in the day before marriage, car, mortgage, kids etc stopped my 2-wheeled fun. I am not after something that can blast past anything else on the road, I would certainly end up in a hedge in very short order if got something like that. 1) What bikes would you recommend for someone like me? No surprise I prefer the classic look. I have been looking at the Enfield Interceptor, but have serious reservations about its weight - its another 60lbs more than my last bike and seems more like an A-road cruiser and less suited to twisty lanes. Also, beautiful as it is, all that polished chrome and aluminium looks like a maintenance nightmare. 2) As I no longer have any of my gear (totally regret selling my Belstaff jacket and Bell helmet looking at current prices - but I am sure that it would all have shrunk in any case) - what brands can you recommend, given its occasional fair-weather intended use? Advice on full-face helmets would be especially welcome. Are cheaper polycarbonate helmets still considered a health risk?