queen bodecia

Good fun and nice to see everyone.

Cool. I'd better make sure the drinks machine is full. See yas later.

Akey, yes I'll be there as long as the weather is OK.

Fit is the most important factor. Other than that look for jackets with elbow and shoulder armour, kevlar inserts, triple overlooped stitching and with as few panels as possible (colours/styling should be overstitched panels). If it's not the same brand as your trousers, make sure you have both halves of the connecting zip so you can get it stitched into your trousers to fasten them both together. Make sure you can wear it comfortably with your back protector (or that it has an integral back protector). Also try it with your gloves sitting on your bike to make sure it fits your arms correctly.

Haha! I'm not actually working on Friday, just Saturday as usual.

You two Akey. Was just chatting about you last week when Korbs dropped into the shop.

Right, I'm gonna haul my lazy butt out there for this one. See yas there.

Definitely look for Cordura or Ballistic textile gear. Polyester is basically just a banner term for several different polymer-based fabrics and I doubt it would offer the same levels of abrasion protection as Cordura or Ballistic. Check out these wiki definitions: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cordura http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballistic_nylon I would still recommend that motorcycle gear in either fabric is supplemented with CE approved armour, back protector and kevlar inserts in high stress zones.

Much the same as Susie and Ruth, I like girlie but not pink. Here's my new lid: http://www.shoei-europe.com/upload/mode ... tc-2_b.jpg

I would think the problem with buying gear on Fleabay is that you have no idea whether it will fit and fit is the most important aspect of motorcycling gear. However, if the retailer in question has a sensible returns policy, then there should be no problem. Within your budget, check brands such as Hein Gericke, Jofama and JTS. Waterproofing, double stitching and CE armour should be standard, then as prices rise you'll find additional features such as removable warm linings, treble stitching, kevlar panels in high stress zones, climate control features, waterproofed seams and pockets. You'll probably find back protectors are not always a standard feature. Many riders wear separate back protectors, or you can usually purchase them to retro-fit to the jacket.

Hi Kirsty, In my experience Hein Gericke gear tends to be more 'woman-sized' and generous, I can get into a 12 from there (!). The majority of other branded off-the-peg gear (Dainese, Alpinestars, RST, Spidi) is made in Pakistan and tends to be on the small side, I really struggle with length more than anything and I'm only 5ft8 (but ridiculous 34" inside leg), but they still seem to be stuck in the mindset that female motorcyclists are petite pygmy pillions only. Other brands to try are JTS and Halvarssons/Lindstrands. I'm a recent convert to the latter and can confirm that a EU42 is indeed a UK14. I have heard good things about JTS ladies sizing too.

Hein Gericke or Halvarssons/Lindstrands. In my opinion Dainese off the peg really isn't all that for the money. Ditto Alpinestars. More fashion than function. Italian brands made in Pakistan and mostly in the same factories as Frank Thomas, RST, Akito, etc. Made to measure is a different matter of course.

I've never heard of the bike you show, I assume it's nasty cheap Chinese thing probably made of cheese. I think you'd be better off looking for a good used Jap 125 such as YBR125 or CG/CBF125 which will a) be more reliable, better built and with easy parts availability and b) will have far better resale value. You might even find one with a top box fitted already. The only 125 I know of that you can get a hard pannier fitting kit for is a Varadero 125 but they are much more expensive (£4k new, from £1,500 used), don't think I've ever seen hard panniers on any other 125s. But top boxes are a common enough fitment. How much do you want to carry? If it's considerably more than would fit in a top box, you should be looking at a larger capacity bike or maybe a car!

Off to Matlock for chips at around 4ish. Been too busy working today to get out any sooner.

I'm going out tonight. There's no way on god's earth I'll be out of my pit at 8am.

In honour of the repetitive date and the fact that it might just be the last sunny dry Sunday before winter kicks in, I think I'll be heading out for a wee bimble somewhere in east of midlandshire. Any suggestions or partakers?

Sorry, I was in Essex without bike yesterday. Would have been there otherwise.

If they don't fit now, I doubt they ever will. Always a risk when buying something you haven't tried on. I daresay if the leg length isn't right then the armour and padding is not in the right place either. Probably best to return them or sell them on and buy something that fits. Sorry.

There's no single answer to that. Too many variables such as speed/distance of slide, fabric involved, road surface involved, etc. There were some figures released after bench-testing various garments. In terms of abrasion-resistance alone, kevlar-type materials came out on top and now many mid-ranged upwards lines have kevlar panels in appropriate places (most of Halvarrsons/Lindstrands ranges have this). 1.4mm cowhide is still better than cordura, but remember this is bench-testing not real-life spills. There are other factors to take into account alongside abrasion resistance, such as impact protection and of course warmth and weather protection if you are going to be riding in adverse weather conditions. RiDE magazine run a series of 'Which?' style tests on leading products and their results are probably as good as any when it comes to comparisons. However, if you crash and hit a hard object (car/tree/wall/road sign/etc.) then most of this stuff becomes irrelevant. That's how the worst injuries happen. Of course the obvious answer is to equip yourself with good riding skills so the event of an off becomes less likely.

Budget is dictated by personal circumstances. For example we sell a 'starter pack' for £200 which includes jacket, trousers, helmet, gloves and boots. Obviously this is all budget gear, but all meets the required European safety standard and for someone starting off on a small bike on a budget, it's perfectly adequate. At the top end, the sky is the limit. Top of the range Arai helmet will set you back around £500-£600, made-to-measure race spec leathers around £1,500, etc. Decide what you can afford to spend and buy the best fitting clothing you can within that budget. Fit is more important than anything else.

2fast2soon, true on paper but they always seem to come up a bit generous.

Most brands of motorcycle gear are based on Euro sizes, not UK chest sizes in inches. So if your normal UK size is a 40 chest, you will want Euro size 48.

Better bet would be to buy an all-weather jacket with a removable winter lining. That way you have a year-round jacket for most weather conditions. Have a look at the Halvarssons/Lindstrands ranges or Hein Gericke's own brand. They are the best combination of features for the price in my opinion.

DAS. No brainer. Why stay on a 125 (especially Chinese) any longer than is necessary?

Fair weather definitely. Weekends only. If the weather is poo, I find something else to do with my leisure time.