Guest Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Hello,I am new to this forum and bikes. Have been driving cars for about 20 years and now in late 30's. 2 weeks ago in Greece rode a moped for the first time and decided to pursue it further. This combines with taking a job which is an 80 mile commute into London. 70 miles on the motorway and about 6 miles into Central London. Passed my CBT today and have booked a direct access course for October. 2 main questions one of which I think I have resolved.....the bike I do not want anything fast but the best commuter and given the shaft drive think a Deauville fits the bill. Second is for both self and concerned family I want the best protection possible. Comfort would be nice but providing the safest protection is most important. I do not care about style in the slightest or colour choices. Have been informed bright is safer but want to give myself the best chance in an accident helmet, boots and clothing. I would prefer clothing which is completely waterproof and might allow me to wear work clothes underneath, if that exists?Have trawled search engines but cannot seem to find a comparison in terms of best safety of all the equipment.Thanks in advanceNick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Hi Nick welcome to the forums ... and congrats on the cbt pass ...If your sticking around stick a post in newbies just to inroduce yourself ( even though you have in essence done that in here )Best protection overall are leathers BUT they can get quite hot so wearing work clothes underneath may not be a viable option ( why not either place work wear in bag and change at work ) or just leave main parts of workwear at work ( eg trousers/shoes and then just take the fresh items each day ( shirt/underwear/socks ) and thren bring home on a friday etc)You can get textile garments which give great protection but not to the same extremes as leather ( i wear Akito textiles with no issues ) again they canget a bit warm but with removable linings etc it can be reduced and also can be fully waterprrof if looked after but you can get one piece oversuits that are fully waterproof. As for Boots and helmets best thing to do is visit lots of dealers/clothing shops and try lots on and look for what appeals to you .Read reviews of items etc. As for bike just wondering if the deauville will be ideally suited to inner london traffic ? It is ideal for the longer segments of your journey and this is not a sneer or being derogatory you have said that you have only had the experience on a moped recently and your cbt that going for such a large bike straight off may be quite different to what you have been riding .. Are you planning to ride inbetween now and your DAS on a 125cc to gain that extra experience of life on two wheels ? As for High visibilty yes it is good to stand out but also in my own experience i have found that sometimes we all have become so used to now seeing High vis jackets and such like in normal life they just seem to have lost the effect they had years ago and the mind skips over them But a jacket or that that has small patches of Bright colours or high vis segments stands out more but this is my own opinion and others may differ Hope this helps and im sure others will give their views and recommendations Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Thanks for that.I had a chat with the instructors and they explained there was no need to have any practice while waiting for the DA course. They offer a taster on 500cc hondas but that is just riding around their compound. I was thinking of getting a 125cc in the interim but am keen on a Vespa 125 when really I guess a geared bike would be more useful. Suggestion about clothing seems logical, but do not want to rely on dealers but want to go for something which has been independently tested.Nick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoody Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Spend a bit more on good quality breathable waterproofs with CE protection, remove liners in summer, insert in winter - all sorted Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Korben Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Spend a bit more on good quality breathable waterproofs with CE protection, remove liners in summer, insert in winter - all sorted Clothing.... What Hoody said about clothing. I would agree with TimR regarding your work clothes. Keep as much as you can at work (Suit's, shoes, and whatever), and just wear your daily changes under you bike clothes (Underwear, shirt). One thing I will recommend is you get CE approved armor in the shoulders and Elbows in the jacket and get a CE Approved back protector that fits under the jacket. A really good one will save your spine in a crash, and won't move around as much as one that fits in the jacket.Helmet.... Everyone is different mate. We all have different shaped heads which suit different helmet makers. From my own experience of discussions about this, I would say about 90% of people have a Shoei or Aria shaped head. After that the last 10% is shared between Shark, Caberg, and all the other helmet makers out their. All I can recommend is that due to the motorway miles you will be doing is a full face helmet which will reduce the high speed wind noise as much as possible. All I will say is when you go to buy one make sure the guy wants to help you fit a helmet and not just sell you one. It has to fit correctly. If the guy don't seem interested in helping, walk away.Gloves... Get good ones. A lot of time this is your first contact with the road in a crash. Make sure they have good armour on the knuckles and are made of good quality leather. Also I guess waterproof should be a good option for you, and make sure they are comfy. You do a lot with your hands while riding and if restrictive or painful they will not be good.Boots.... Same as gloves really, lots of protection, waterproof, and comfy. Personally I would recommend Oxtars. All they make is footwear so they know their stuff!!Lot's to think about mate, but at least you have the right attitude.As for bike I would recommend something a bit smaller than a Deauville. When you do those last 6 miles you will want something smaller that can filter!! Drop into Newbies and say hello mate!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoody Posted August 10, 2008 Share Posted August 10, 2008 Actually the Deauville has quite a narrow profile and would be ideal for what you want.I agree with Korbs, get a helmet that fits well and make sure the shop doesn't just fob you off for a saleCheck out Alt-Berg for boots too, i have had a pair for 5 years and never ever had wet feet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.