Had a motorbike lesson today, kit advice pls

CraigofScotland

Doing direct access over summer.   

Was out today for a few hours with an instructor and was great fun.  
Anyway, the kit was hoofing.    All sweaty from previous users.

Need a helmet / gloves / shoes for now.     

Whats crap.  Whats not?  Is the lower end budget stuff still as safe etc?         Not wanting to spend tonnes.   

Thinking this helmet, any insight?   Flip because I wear glasses and seems alot easier to get on/off.  
Caberg Duke II Smart Helmet - Black || FREE UK Delivery | FREE UK Returns     reviews seem fine.

mikeysthoughts

Welcome to biking!

Spending more won't necessarily guarantee a safer piece of kit, but it can buy you better insulation, ventilation, waterproofing, etc. Rider comfort in itself is an important safety factor as you will be able to better concentrate for longer in all conditions.

NEVER buy a helmet second hand as it may have been damaged without that damage being visible.

Independent helmet safety ratings are found here. Helmet fit is one of the most important aspects of safety and comfort, and the only way to gauge it is by trying them on in person. Make sure the initial fit is snug without being painful. The internal padding will shape around your head over time.

There isn't an equivalent safety test for other kit, so go and chat to your local dealer and try stuff on. I always make sure I buy double-stitched clothing as it gives greater abrasion resistance at the seams. Gore Tex is often oversold as being the panacea of textiles, but others are available and often at lower price marks for the same effectiveness.

CraigofScotland

Cheers Mikey.  
I do some downhill mountain biking so can appreciate a good fitting lid.     

Assuming your a biker, how do you find leather or textile stuff?

Trollslayer

Agreed! The helmet is your main piece of safety equipment.

mikeysthoughts

I prefer the look of leather and have a leather jacket for a casual ride out, but the thermal and waterproof properties of textiles mean that they are much more practical for British weather!

I've never had to test the abrasion resistance of either, thankfully.

CraigofScotland

For sure.   I once got totalled by a 60 mph car when i was on my road pedal bike.    Helmet saved me 100%.   Just wont compromise on that.

494930

Welcome to the club

After sorting a good fitting helmet, I would prioritise boots and gloves next. Your wrist and ankle joints are very fragile and likely to break, even in a slow spill. Imo you need a proper height boot (preferably with rigid armour along the shin bone) and gloves with scaphoid protection.

I've tested the abrasion resistance of textile gear unfortunately, and even at a relatively slow speed (20ish) it was destroyed, along with the elbow, knee and shoulder pads that were gouged to hell. Leather is much more abrasion resistant but is also much heavier, colder, harder to put on and isn't waterproof so not really suitable a lot of the time. Realistically, unless you intend to be a dry weekend rider only, you'll get more use out of a decent textile set.

CraigofScotland

Aye, those 3 are what ill pick up this week.  Next lessons Thursday.  Im off this week so will take a wander round some of the shops in Glasgow.  

Still on a 1st bike decision train too, its a nice problem though.

bubs999

Get the best helmet you can afford, it's the one thing that really needs to fit and be comfortable. Have a look at the Sharp rating for any helmet you look at. Also look at reviews for how noisy the helmet is, as a noisy lid is a pain in the head.

As for the rest, whatever you buy, you'll replace with newer gear anyway

I bought Alpinestars leather trousers off eBay 2nd hand and in great condition, I also bought one of those cheap jackets of Amazon, which I replaced with an Alpinestars one very quickly (the quality was bad).
I used the Infinity Motorcycles clearance warehouse for the boots, great pair of leather boots for £90.
Amazon got me some nice Richa leather summer gloves.

I've been riding since September and I've already spent more on kit.
2 pairs of jeans
Alpinestars textile trousers
Alpinestars leather jacket (eBay 2nd hand)
Richa winter gloves
Thermal glove liners
Neck tube x2
Balaclava

The list soon grows!

I now want a new lid, some waterproof gloves and waterproof boots, plus a new bike

mikeysthoughts

I'm selling an FJR1300A if you're interested?!

@CraigofScotland
For your first bike, get something forgiving! I don't know what sort of bike you're interested in?

After DAS you might be tempted to jump on the quickest thing you can afford, but I strongly suggest being patient and getting something smaller and lighter like a 400 to 600cc non sports bike.

My upgrade path over the years has been RXS100, XV250s, C800, XVS1300, and now an FJR 1300 and I'm glad I did it that way because I made mistakes on the smaller bikes that would have had me off on the bigger ones. We all make mistakes when setting out, and your bike will need to accommodate these. The bigger and more aggressive the bike, the less forgiving it is.

If you don't enjoy the prospect of tinnitus in your old age, I'd also recommend some earplugs. These are great.