General gear questions

[Boostinu13]

Hello.

I am a new rider (hopefully my bike wil be delievered this week) and want to purchase some gear before it arrives.
I have done abit of a search on the forum and have worked out I am a retard as I have not been able to answer my own questions.

I am told/aware the gear I am needing is
Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Pants, Boots. I am going to have a look at some bike shops this week as most are closed during the weekend to enquire about the gear. Because I am unsure about what I am actually looking for could you recommend what I should look out for?

For example those AIROH GP helmets are apparently down form 700 to 500 so seems quite good to me, but again after any links that I may have missed or just quick info that would get me int he right direction in regards to any gearing.

Better safe then sorry

Thank you

[nzspokes]

Welcome!

Cycletreads and Motomail will be open all weekend. Go try gear on as fit is the most important. Helmets are all different inside and fit differently. Try before you buy.

[Boostinu13]

Welcome!

Cycletreads and Motomail will be open all weekend. Go try gear on as fit is the most important. Helmets are all different inside and fit differently. Try before you buy.

Great that was the site i was actually looking at. Will go give them a go.

[The End]

Depends on your budget really.

Helmet:
The number one priority for obvious reasons, and the only piece of equipment you are legally required to wear at all times.

Don't go for something too dirt cheap here, as you do get what you pay for to a certain extent.

This is a handy website for reviewing helmet safety ratings - it shows that sometimes a cheaper helmet performs better than a higher end, more expensive one: http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/

Jacket:
Will you be riding year round? Do you require something versatile?

At a minimum you're going to want something that is waterproof, and if riding year round consider how warm the jacket is too. A lot of jackets come with removable inserts such as a water liner and thermal liner. These mean you can get away with using the jacket with no inserts in summer (it gets hot) and using them with the liner in winter (it gets cold/rainy).

Whether you want 15 pockets, removable liners, water pouches and air vents is up to you.

Leather vs. Fabric is another thing to consider. Leather will offer more abrasion resistance in a crash, although is much more prone to letting rain through. Fabric is generally more waterproof.

Pants:
I'd recommend getting a set of pants if you are going to be doing a lot of motorway or open road riding. If you're just going to be a city rider, then you don't really need a pair of pants. Although, the ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) crowd will tell you even if you are riding down to the corner dairy, you should be wearing all your gear.

An alternative is buying a pair of kevlar lined jeans. While not as protective as a proper set of motorcycle pants, these offer a compromise between wearability and safety.

Boots:
Again something that isn't really require unless you are doing a lot of motorway or open road riding. That said, I have a pair of boots and wear them any time I am going somewhere more than the local shops or friend's house. They do make a difference in the case of an accident when it comes to protecting your ankles and feet.

An alternative is buying a pair of the sneaker like protective boots - they're not a full length style boot and look more like a normal shoe, while being stronger/more protective than a pair of sneakers from K'mart.

Gloves:
Definitely a must buy here. Ever fallen off a bike as a kid? Your instinct is to put your hands out in front of you - the same goes for falling off a bike (not that I have the experience on this one, touch wood.) Your hands can easily be pretty badly damaged if you come off with no protection, so you should definitely invest in a decent pair.

Again consider your riding style - if you're riding in summer only then get a more lightweight/breathable pair. If you are riding in winter, either get a separate thicker and waterproof pair or buy one set of gloves which are for all year round riding.


Some good local stores from personal experience:
Motomail
Cycletreads

NZ Stores:
1tonne

[OddDuck]

+1 to everything The End said above. I'd add just one thing: try it all on first, and if at all possible, try sitting on the bike wearing the gear. Things can feel fine standing but tighten up badly when in riding position. The shop will probably draw the line at letting you test ride it though...

Don't let price or specials make the decision for you. Look at pricing last. Make sure it's suitable first.

[eldog]

+1 to both of the above.
fit is important, got to allow for expansion, down the road.

quality and fit for purpose.
after you have tried the gear on, you will be able to tell what you think would suit.

i would narrow down your choices on the helmet to just a few and go back in a week or so to try again, you will be surprised how your initial ideas may have changed. Your head shape changes the more helmets etc you try on.

If in doubt ask the staff, they are there to help you.

techmoto in kingsland is worth a look too. As are the various motorcycle shops as they offer an alternative.

think about what your future plans are.

[AllanB]

Helmets - look anything in the mid range $400-$500 is going to protect you as well as a $1200 lid.

I watched a lost sale a few weeks back in a shop - guy dropped twenty grand on a bike and was being told he needed a top range helmet to suit the bike - his questions about a mid-range lid were dismissed by the shop.

Fit and fit should be your initial priority on a lid - different brands and models within brands have different fits (round, oval etc heads) - once you pick two or three that fit you really well then look at the features offered between the models. No point in your Rossi rep lid if it does not fit your head.

[neels]

A helmet that fits your head, go at least one above the cheapest they have, but fit is most important given the time you'll spend inside it. Main thing to watch for is no pressure points, it will piss you off very quickly

Jacket, whatever works, some armour on the contact points is good.

Pants, they all claim to be waterproof, once you've been sitting in a puddle for a while it gets in. Something comfortable and easy to get on and off, once again armour on the on the contact points is good.

Boots, wait until you get your bike, take it to the shop and try them on your feet while on your bike. I tried several pairs before I found something that worked with both, happy feet and changing gears and braking are all equally important.

Gloves, try them on and buy what works, different gloves fit different ha d shapes.

Sent from my SM-G920I using Tapatalk

[Boostinu13]

Just want to thank everyone for your help. I ended up trying out motomail and it was def worth the trip.

I believe (according to reciept) I spoke to Kenny, and he was amazing help and also said what you guys have.

Got myself a Bell helmet (apparantly 50% sale as the new model is now out so was quite happy). Some gloves, pants and a jacket.
Now all I will do as suggested is wait until I get the bike and try some boots on.

Thanks again for the help.

Hopefully this comes out correct, as my text box is writing words above what I am writing so I can not actually see what I am typing.