Protective gear

[Guest]

Hi,

I am about to get my first bike which will most likely be a cbr 125. I want to be as protected as possible but I am going to look a bit of a fool wearing full leather suit on a 125, so what can I wear to make sure I am as protected as poss in the likely event I come off?

[Glorian]

That depends really..

I would wear what you feel comfortable in as there is no point wearing tonnes of armour if you cannot control your bike. I bought some big clunky motocross boots on recomendation from a friend, I can't ride in them safely so i dropped down to a small leather pair and though i may be less protected i find i can control the bike easier and safer.

Now gear wise make sure you cover the basics.

- Helmet (Duh)

- Jacket

- Trousers

- Gloves

- Boots

Now helmet. When you did your CBT I'm sure you were shown how to check a helmet fits? If not ask in the shop i'm sure someone can help you. Don't buy second hand and personally i wouldn't buy online. Try a few on, different brands/styles/sizes etc untill you are happy. it should be comfortable, not loose, not tight but your head shouldn't shake about. Also look into getting a pinlock visor if possible for your helmet, come winter it will stop fog (racevisors.co.uk) Check online the safety rating aswell if thats what you're into (sharp.direct.gov.uk/) I personally use a Caberg V2RR, good helmet looks nice and 5 star safety rating.

The main information i was given on my CBT. Leathers are better in a crash (if they're quality) As they have higher abraision resistance so they won't tear as much, but they are worse against the elements such as rain and snow. You also have to take better care of them with waxes etc. Textiles are still durable but not as durable as leathers but if you have armour inside unless you come off ridiculously fast you should be ok. They're also better in the rain and other elements as they're designed to be water resistant. Not 100% but still good also cleaning them is easier!

Jacket. If you're planning on commuting daily. Go textile, You get less abraision resistance (Leather is naturally tougher) but they are more waterproof, leather can get damaged in heavy/constant rain, a good textile jacket with some spray put over is worth while. Make sure there is armour pads in the forearm/elbow and shoulder also back if you're interested in that.

Trousers. AGain same as the jacket, Textile for daily commuting, i use slip over trousers that are armoured and tough when i came off my bike they have a slight tear in them which isn't to bad for £50!!

Gloves. After my crash, i fractured my wrist so think i would get something more paded. I have a pair of thin summer gloves i wear around town, but to commute i now have a pair of leather gloves with knuckle protectors and palm padding to protect from the impact definately worth while!

Boots. These are another tricky one, Try several boots on shapes/sizes/brands etc. Then make sure you're comfortable changing gear in them, Most bike showrooms have a bike you can sit on and you can practice gear changes perhaps? I wish i had with my big boots but you live and learn. I now wear some solid leather boots which are waterproof and comfortable.

Hopefully this gives you a bit of help, if you need some more advice feel free to PM me and i will try to help as much as i can! Also not sure where abouts you are located so can't recomend any shops to you but shop around and but the right stuff you need. This stuff COULD save your life.

[klingelton]

depends what time of year you're intending to ride. if you're all year, you will be better off with textiles as they tend to be a little better against the weather. they offer decent protection if you do find the road and are a decent trade off for comfort.

[MR_W]

I rode with textile jacket, gloves, skid lid, boots and jeans on a 125cc. Would defo recommend textile trousers or kevlar jeans over normal ones from experience and wiser with age!

I use Shark helmets, but try on different models under a manufacturer (by that I mean Speed-R vs S900 in Shark, rather than colours), as well as different manufacturers.

Glove wise, if you can afford it and are riding all year, get a summer and waterproof pair. Hot days, you will be grateful for the summer ones, wet days, grateful for waterproof.

Boots, I would pick Sidi or RST and would never touch Alpinestars again due to the squeeking. I've owned some Sidi's in the past and currently on RST Tracktech Evo Waterproofs, and they are so comfy.

If you want a textile jacket with a nice female cut, check out some of the Frank Thomas stuff. Most textiles have a winter liner as well, which is a godsend in January!

[Chrissb6]

Nothing wrong in wearing leathers on a small bike Mate, that little 125 will make enough speed to do you an awful lot of damage should you crash and be unprotected. There's Plenty of quality second hand leathers on the market so don't think it all has to be new.

Essentials:

A Good helmet

Gloves

Boots

leathers

waterproofs

[WorminatorII]

Don't worry about how you look as you'd look a whole lot worse with no skin left.

Regardless of the size of the bike, a slide down the road at 50mph would give the same results.

Safety first always

[littlecat]

always worn full leathers, even on my 125.

personally im not a fan of textiles , as I find them cumbersome and uncomfortable, and the ones ive tried are bloody useless in the rain anyway... and still needed waterproofs over, so I stick with leathers and chuck waterproofs on top if its chucking it down

[Guest]

Thanks guys. Yep take the point around no skin being way worse. I just didn't want the big boy bikers laughing at me but guess that would say more about them than me. Going to get leather jacket and some kavlar jeans see how I get on with them. Was going to get some motorcross gloves as I figured they would have more protection, am I right?

As for helmet I am going in with a budget between 300-400, my noggin is important to me.

On another note I get really confussed with bike clothing sizes being in numbers can some one explain?

[Mr Fro]

That's a healthy helmet budget! You'll be able to get last year's top draw lid for that - I picked up a Shoei X-Spirit II recently for 400 nicker, down from 630.

For hand protection, I highly rate the Racer High Racer gloves. It's what I have - super comfy, great protection (I tried that it out ) and not too hot in the summer. The last set I had lasted me 8 years so for 130 they're pretty good value for money. The Knoxx Handroid look pretty good too but they didn't fit my freaky hands too well.

Fitting is subjective - see if you can get somewhere with a decent selection and try a load of stuff on .

Have fun!

[Glorian]

Corr thats a lot on a helmet. Thats good but just be careful as i found out coming off a couple times. be careful you dont knock it. chances are you might fall off (Chances are you might not to!) So spending a lot on a helmet may be good for protection but you'll be gutted if you knock it a little and find it's cracked. i'd spend around £200 still get a fantastic helmet for that. so if you do f**k it up you can replace it

[Chrissb6]

Corr thats a lot on a helmet. Thats good but just be careful as i found out coming off a couple times. be careful you dont knock it. chances are you might fall off (Chances are you might not to!) So spending a lot on a helmet may be good for protection but you'll be gutted if you knock it a little and find it's cracked. i'd spend around £200 still get a fantastic helmet for that. so if you do f**k it up you can replace it

Sooner scratch a quality helmet, than have a cracked skull through a cheap cracked helmet

[Mr Fro]

That's why I get helmet and leather cover in my insurance...

[Glorian]

Corr thats a lot on a helmet. Thats good but just be careful as i found out coming off a couple times. be careful you dont knock it. chances are you might fall off (Chances are you might not to!) So spending a lot on a helmet may be good for protection but you'll be gutted if you knock it a little and find it's cracked. i'd spend around £200 still get a fantastic helmet for that. so if you do f**k it up you can replace it

Sooner scratch a quality helmet, than have a cracked skull through a cheap cracked helmet

 

£200 is not a "Cheap" helmet. my caberg is one of the better rated helmets and only cost me £130. unfortunately if i bought a £600 helmet i probably wouldn't be able to replace it. I'd rather get a decent quality £200 odd lid (my max budget at that time) than spend another £400 for what is going to likely be minimal difference.

[Chrissb6]

Corr thats a lot on a helmet. Thats good but just be careful as i found out coming off a couple times. be careful you dont knock it. chances are you might fall off (Chances are you might not to!) So spending a lot on a helmet may be good for protection but you'll be gutted if you knock it a little and find it's cracked. i'd spend around £200 still get a fantastic helmet for that. so if you do f**k it up you can replace it

Sooner scratch a quality helmet, than have a cracked skull through a cheap cracked helmet

 

£200 is not a "Cheap" helmet. my caberg is one of the better rated helmets and only cost me £130. unfortunately if i bought a £600 helmet i probably wouldn't be able to replace it. I'd rather get a decent quality £200 odd lid (my max budget at that time) than spend another £400 for what is going to likely be minimal difference.

I was not inferring that your £200 helmet was a cheap Mate, not for minute! Just putting the point across to stay away from the cheap nasty things that are hitting the market.

http://www.visordown.com/snippets/helme ... z32MtQwf32

[Glorian]

Definately don't buy one of those nasty ones that clearly wouldn't protect you if someone gave you a slap. But i really wouldn't spend £600 on first helmet because it's highly likely you'll slip off at some point and if you scratch the side up or hell even drop it while you're walking around. You'll feel a big of a mug. But if you're happy to spend the money go for it Your comfort and safety are whats important.

[Guest]

I was the more you spend on a helmet the better. Can you guys give me idea of a few brands that provide top notch safety? I am not fussed about flashy designs just want to be as sure as humanly possible that if I come off I stand a good chance of being OK. Having worked with people with brain injuries I have seen first hand what scrimping on safety equipment can do, dammed if I will condeme my self to that to save a couple of quid. If I ding it I will save for a new one having seen bikers turned into drippeling shadows of their former selves puts money into perspective

[Chrissb6]

All the branded names are good, what's more important is getting the right fit. You would be so surprised just how much the fittings vary even though the manufactures are stating the same sizes. What l will say is do not buy off the net you've got to go and try them on. Same go's for the rest of the gear, gloves in particular, to loose you can't feel the controls, to tight and they will starve your hands of blood also not good. Again Shop around and try them on before you buy, and also remember if buying leathers to squat into a riding position arms out to see how they fit you whilst your on the bike.

Have fun!