dimmers

what you could do is buy a cheap waterproof over jacket, which you can then wear the sleeves over your gloves. This is what i do. Also, i've got those hein gericke gloves (the lobster hand style) and they keep my hands dry. Gore-tex is the way to go if you've got a lot of spare cash, otherwise some of the cheaper alternatives are still very good: shell-tech (hein gericke) d-dry (dainese) drystar (alpinestars) hippora (not sure?? not quite as good as the others) read something in the Ride magazine this month saying that these technologies are very similar to gore-tex (as the gore-tex patent has ended now), but a lot cheaper as it's the companies own technology so they can produce it cheaper than using gore-tex. one last thing, for leather gloves anyway, is buying some nikwax leather waterproofing wax. Works wonders, and does actually work!

What was the incident of putting your hands on engine when traffic lights were on? i meant that when stationary at a red light, i'd sometimes warm my hands up by placing them on the bikes engine casing (obviously i had gloves on at the time

i use scottoiler fs365 for that has seen me through 2 winters so far, and no rust on my bike yet.

Yep, they worked well on my commute in to work this morning, i could still feel my fingers by the time i parked up.

I wish i had the skills to make my own, but i'm useless at that sort of thing!

They were quite expensive, part of the reason I was put off buying them, but i couldn't face another cold winter. Cost £80 from Chainspeed. I'm in Frimley...

I really wish i'd bought some of these a couple of years ago, as they truly make riding in the cold that much more comfortable. I know most people fit heated grips to their bike if they ride through the winter, and i know it's supposed to be easy to fit a pair, but i just couldn't be bothered, so i've suffered with cold hands (understatement) for the past 2 years during my winter commute. Up until i bought some Barkbusters S1 handguards, cutting out the wind blast on your hands makes such a massive difference... full review here: viewtopic.php?f=83&t=46189

I bought some of these a while back, very good, surprised how reflective they were. Lots of different types of stickers sold as well.

Barkbusters S1 hand guards Right, i don't normally post really long reviews with lots of pics, but i really think this is worth it. These hand guards are brilliant, and i really wish i'd bought them a couple of years ago! First off, let me say that Chainspeed (the company i bought these from) are brilliant. They packaged the hand guards really well, delivery was next day, and they also threw in a few ear plugs for free, and a 3 pack of Oxford neck tubes, nice one Chainspeed!!! I will be using those guys again for sure. Anyway, these hand guards are supposed to fit most naked bikes, but i'd always check with the company first before buying. However, they fit my 2010 Hornet perfectly. Went out for a ride this afternoon (it was around 6 degrees) and wore my leather summer gloves on purpose, and managed the whole ride without frost bite on my hands... they are going to save my hands this winter, no more putting my hands on the engine for warmth at traffic lights again! (i hope I'll let the pics speak for themselves... (one final thing, the instructions are first class as well, not that you really need them because they're so easy to assemble and fit, but it's nice to see some decent instructions for a change).

Forcefield chest protector I've got a few forcefield products, pro sub 4 back protector, and the leg tubes, and i've been considering a chest protector for some time now, so obviously if i was going to buy one it would be by forcefield, i think their body armour is the best around. Anyway, it arrived a few days ago and i just thought i'd give some first impressions. pro - very light weight - works with the pro sub 4 back protector as it comes with some velcro straps that work in conjunction with the pro sub 4 (if you don't have a forcefield back protector then you have to purchase a separate harness to use the chest protector) - very comfortable, and after your body heat has managed to warm up the chest protector it moulds itself to you for a perfect fit. - keeps you nice and warm (probably won't be a good thing next summer... but we hardly get summers here in the UK so no big deal) con - bit of a fiddle to get set up right, bit too much velcro for my liking, but once strapped in everything is ok. - probably be a bit too warm in the summer overall, i think this is something that will become part of my normal every day riding gear from now on, much like the pro sub 4 did a couple of years back.

Horse is better and kangaroo is best. Kangaroo gloves and a hide jacket is my choice. I only wear bottoms if it's cold. Cow for comfort. It may be bullocks but who can tell? and stingray is better still, but is there a full stingray jacket around... probably not

I have Heine Gericke 3 finger gloves and they do a good job at keeping my hands warm. I did a review of them in the tried and tested section http://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/view ... 75&t=43896 yep, i use these, great gloves and good at keeping you hands warm for around 30 mins in very low temps, especially if you wear an inner glove as well.

you've summed it up nicely there, i think it is all down to pure luck as to how you land, where you land, and what you hit! you could be wearing the best gear in the world, but if you fall off on to a patch of road with a load of sharp gravel/glass on the road then it's just going to shred your gear. saying that, i always wear as much gear protection as possible, and am a big fan of strap on (please, no silly coments armour, as it is more likely to stay in place and protect what it's supposed to protect. can be a bit of a pain putting it all on in the morning before the ride to work, but you soon get used to it. Forcefield armour for me, there stuff is brilliant!

after a lot of research a few years back, check these guys out... http://securityforbikes.com/torc-ground-anchor.php http://www.elitesecuritysupplies.com/ground-anchors-2.html

bought this bag the other day, and am impressed with it so far, although i haven't tried it in the rain yet (won't be long until that happens i'm sure!). Basically, the bag is a waterproof drybag (the kind you normally use as a rucksack liner) but it comes with straps so you can wear it as a rucksack. it also has a chest strap which i find useful to keep the bag more stable when riding. holds a lot of stuff, will keep everything dry, and is very light weight. No longer do i need to carry around a rucksack waterproof cover (they were such a hassle anyway... would never stay on properly) worth a look if you commute all year round and need a light weight bag to hold a few essentials out on the bike.

you can't go wrong with those howard leight max ear plugs, very good! glad they work well for you.

looks awesome! i'm so tempted to test ride one of these, had a go on the cb1000r the other week, and it got me thinking about the blade....

hit 5000 miles today on these tyres, and they are still performing very well. the tread still looks as good as the last pic i posted! honestly, i wish i'd switched to these tyres sooner. The way things are going i think i'm going to get at least 10,000 miles out of the rear Wet weather riding is easy on these, they really do inspire confidence.

i considered these tyres before getting the pilot road 3's, but wasn't that impressed with the bt012s that i had on my hornet. But then again, i think the bt012s were more a road race tyre, so long life isn't their main purpose. Glad to hear good things about the bt023s! are they classed as a sport tourer tyre techno?

don't know if i'm too late, but have you tried the Howard Leight max ear plugs? they stay in place well, but as they are disposables they don't last that long (pretty cheap off ebay though). or the earsoft fx ear plugs are good as well.

luck you blow it on a new bike!

Had someone come round knocking on my door tonight. Nice chap from the Surrey air ambulance service, explained how they are almost entirely funded through charities and donations. So anyway, i think they do a good job, so worth checking out their website... as i can't put a direct link, just Google: kss air ambulance

the rear has now done 4000 miles! unbelievable i'm expecting to get at least 8000 miles out of this tyre

Not that i can really afford one, but i like the idea of their new roadcrafter light suit. Has anyone got an Aerostich suit? If so are you happy with it? Looks like there aren't any UK retailers, so i'm guessing there is quite a lot to pay on import duty/tax? Delivery looks to be around $100 as well Any alternatives out there that people currently use? Alpinestars do a suit similar to the Aerostich, a drystar 360 i think it's called.

cheers!