new motorcycle rider what gear I need? whats difference?
So i just took the plunge and decided to start riding a motorcycle (i know i know, thanks… keep the appluase down, please…).
and have some basic general dumb q’s as far as gear goes.
looks like for startes im going to need a helmet, a nice riding jacket, and some gloves. did i miss anything?
my questions are :
for the jacket, is leather or mesh better? which ones get hotter? are they both windproof? waterproof?
i dont plan on doing a lot of free way driving just yet mostly around town and little trips through canyon areas…
so leather or mesh? armor or no armor? and last of all, any good suggestions on where to shop online for stuff like this?
gloves – any good glove recomendations? i want some i can wear that will keep my hands warm, but nothing too bulky and maybe something ventilated so my hands are warm but not sweating…
and a helmet…. i went and tried some on at a store, i tried a large, then x large, then xxl… couldnt really tell the difference, is there some kind of a size guideline when it comes to picking a helmet? and any tips or receomendations on brands or places to shop would be awesome!
thanks for the input guys, lemme know your recomendations and ill go clothes shopping asap!
there are no stores where i lives around here that sell any decent biker clothes so online recomendations appreciated!
also if anyone wants to recomend any type of shoes that are good to wear riding along with pants as well those are other things I will look into…
Wish there was an easy answer to your question, but there is not-heres what I mean.
Helmets-each manufactor sizes things differently. What is XL to one manufactor is a large to another and a XXL to another. The only true way to buy a helmet is to try various brands on and try to get one that fits snug, but not too tight. Now to further complicate this, is that if you are going full face (recommended) the padding needs time to "break in" so what is really snug when brand new will loosen up to just the right amount of snug once broke in.
Boots-some where everyday boots on their bike, some wear sneakers, some wear specialty boots, me I kinda have proper boots for when I am out and about away from home, but mostly when i am out puttzin locally it is just in sneakers-I know, I know, I was a former MSF instructor so believe me I know the risk. If you do decide on boots, I would say get the water PROOF ones not just water resistant. I myself have been out in rain so bad, while traveling by bike, that it took 4 days for my water resistant boots to dry. (about 150)
Pants-Most wear jeans, some wear work clothes, some wear motorcycle specific
Jackets-are you gonna ride all year? If so a 3 season jacket may be more to your liking. Cordura fabric, body armor, with zip out liners. About $225 It will hold you over thru some cold riding-but not much below 30 degrees. Leather is hot and while I personally have a leather jacket or 2 (about $90)I prefer to use the mesh summer jacket. (about 90.)
Gloves-I personally like the gel padded palm made of a knit fabric with vent holes on the fingers. I use these gloves more than any other. About $35 I also have a pair of heated gloves for winter riding that plug into the jacket liner and heated pants that I have.
how can i get that rocker look?
« Can someone break this down into easier steps? | Home | Does any Motorcycle Jacket Zip to any Pants? »
Comments
You never got around to asking about gears. Here’s a quick explaination though, think of it like a ratchet, when you click up or down the peg isn’t going to rise or fall, its going to stay at the same level, its just like a wratchet going into different gears. People always say you know when to change gears which is frustrating to a new rider since you dont know…lol…but once you get it down you understand what people mean by this. Basically as a rule of thum under 20 would be first 20-30 or 35 seceond and so on.
For jackets, don’t buy from a store, way overpriced, a decent leather jacket will be like 400 or 500. I got the same jacket at a motorcycle show for $150 this past winter. Leather is more expensive but you can also get a cheap summer jacket. I got one off ebay with full armour that’s a mesh like material, I think I paid $35 plus shipping.
Gloves I don’t like heavy gloves, you have no feel. I got a skinny pair of summer riding gloves.
References :
newenough.com
http://www.dragginjeans.com
Both have good gear cheap.
I’d browse around and see what you think would work best. I wear a mesh jacket (has warming liner and rain liner also) mesh gloves with hard knuckles, racing boots (I like the lower leg protection) and draggin jeans along with an HJC-SP helmet.
References :
Wish there was an easy answer to your question, but there is not-heres what I mean.
Helmets-each manufactor sizes things differently. What is XL to one manufactor is a large to another and a XXL to another. The only true way to buy a helmet is to try various brands on and try to get one that fits snug, but not too tight. Now to further complicate this, is that if you are going full face (recommended) the padding needs time to "break in" so what is really snug when brand new will loosen up to just the right amount of snug once broke in.
Boots-some where everyday boots on their bike, some wear sneakers, some wear specialty boots, me I kinda have proper boots for when I am out and about away from home, but mostly when i am out puttzin locally it is just in sneakers-I know, I know, I was a former MSF instructor so believe me I know the risk. If you do decide on boots, I would say get the water PROOF ones not just water resistant. I myself have been out in rain so bad, while traveling by bike, that it took 4 days for my water resistant boots to dry. (about 150)
Pants-Most wear jeans, some wear work clothes, some wear motorcycle specific
Jackets-are you gonna ride all year? If so a 3 season jacket may be more to your liking. Cordura fabric, body armor, with zip out liners. About $225 It will hold you over thru some cold riding-but not much below 30 degrees. Leather is hot and while I personally have a leather jacket or 2 (about $90)I prefer to use the mesh summer jacket. (about 90.)
Gloves-I personally like the gel padded palm made of a knit fabric with vent holes on the fingers. I use these gloves more than any other. About $35 I also have a pair of heated gloves for winter riding that plug into the jacket liner and heated pants that I have.
References :
advid motorcyclist for 40 years
I used to teach motorcycle school and here what we told new riders. Bright and light. First a bright or light color will make you more conspicuous to other road users. A helmet should be snug but not tight. A loose helmet will not protect you as well as one that fits properly and too tight a helmet will be uncomfortable.
The jacket should allow easy movement of the arms and torso. Leather vs fabric, leather is not water proof like a rain jacket. Most fabric jackets do not provide as much protection as leather in a high speed fall. But most riders fall at speeds of 30 – 40 mph which the fabric jackets handel just fine. Also leather is hotter and heavier. A leather jacket can weigh 2 to 4 times as much as a fabric jacket cut the same way. Then there is cost difference.
Gloves come in so many different styles and materials. I have several pairs, warm weather gloves that are fabric and leather, cool weather gloves that are all leather, and rain gloves that are all fabric. So buy a pair of warm weather riding gloves first, then if you need other kinds, get them when you need them.
You didn’t mention boots. Boots need to protect your feet and your ankles. The boot needs to be strong enough to protect your feet from road debris and provide ankle support to prevent injuries. Once again I have more than one pair of boots I use for riding. I have two pairs of purpose made motorcycle boots for different conditions. dirt and street. I often use lace up work boots for casul riding. In selecting boots, all leather is usually the best choice because the abuse from road debris, water, dirt etc… cause them to wear more quickly.
References :
Leave a Comment