Newbie needing gear advice

[badmofo]

Hi girls and boys, I'm a total beginner, just bought a GN250 (and before you all start hassling me, I know its a slow and reasonably unatractive bike, but it's just for commuting to uni on). I've gotta go get some gear and I checked out the motomail outlet store in Kingsland. They have Nitro helmets for $79. Is this a good brand? seems kinda cheap but they look good to me. Also what's the best kind of gear for the warm humid auckland conditions cos all the jackets i've tried on make me feel like I'm in an oven. I guess you can't tell what it's like until you're riding with the wind chill etc but what's best, leather or synthetic with armour? It'd be nice to have some flash gears to attract the ladies, but then they'll see my GN and run, haha.

[Devil]

Hi,

I assume the helmet will be up to NZ safety standards, so thats a start, but you may find something a little more comfortable and quieter if you spend a little more money. the HJC CL-14 ive found to be a decent helmet thats easy on the wallet (Deals can be had around the $199 mark).

For cool gear, you want synthetic (deals with the rain better than leather as well!). Most jackets/pants come with a zip out thermal liner in them, so check for that the next time you're trying them on, you definately dont want that in during summer in auckland!

Dry weather, I wear a pair of draggin jeans ($199ish) to work which have kevlar lining in them. I also purchased the accessory knee armour for them ($30 ish) just for peace of mind. Not waterproof though! I believe Shift and Tecnic also sell similar products.

When you're shopping for all your gear, try and buy it all at once if you can, this will give you the best chance of working some kind of discount out of the shop.

Send a PM to AMPS and they may be able to help you out with a deal.

Ride safe.

Devil

[Ixion]

Don't diss the GN - they are a jolly good little bike. And excellent for commuting. I think most (all?) Nitro helmets are fibreglass - and it's a well respected name. I'd think it would be quite sufficient for commuting purposes that seems a very good price.

Jackets, I use both. But if you intend to commute in winter you want textile, cos leather in the rain is a pain. There are some clever vented/mesh ones out there , but I just go with the cheap and cheerful m'self. Some have removeable linings, a good idea becos you can remove the lining in summer which makes it much cooler. Heretic that I am am, I'd say that around town gloves are more important than jacket, you're more likely to be tossed than slide.

Oh, and welcome, and enjoy biking!

[badmofo]

thanks for the tips, I was thinking waterproof textile gear cos you can never be sure about auckland weather, even in summer it'll be blue skies all day then it'll rain on my way home damnit. Yeah the Nitro helmets were on special from $149 down to $79 and they seemed pretty good. I'll be going down the motorway from Te Atatu peninsula so I think I'll deffinitely get a jacket, specially as I'll be going slower than all the cars while I'm on my learners which seems like a kinda dangerous and stupid rule to me.

[Rosie]

I just bought a fairly cheap Teknic textile jacket (sequoia), and the vents on it are HUGE (under each arm, and one across the back of my shoulders) I assume they would have a similar men's jacket. The vents don't do much at 50km/h, but are better than nothing (the body armour is also much better than nothing). And its waterproof.

[Colapop]

The following is an unpaid presentation by Quasimoto Leathers - Giving motorcyclists the hump;

"Okay here it is, honest unbiased advise
Synthetic sweats alot so hot and sweaty in Summer warm and dry in winter, synthetic is hopless if you want to move on your bike ie sport riding, you need stretch panels for that.
Leather is better in Summer but colder in winter (get leathers with a lining inside (like mine, oops coulnt help that)
Leather should be a size to allow you to put a bit of extra clothing underneath ie thermal pants long sleeve vest, and back protector .
Room, well there is no room in synthetic it just doesnt give, leather is loverly to ride in and with stretch panels its a dream !
Protection, well simply put when was the last time you saw a racer wearing Synthetic ? well there is a reason for that mate, its better. Ive had 7 customers crash in my gear and guess what, its all completely usable. I have crashed turn one taupo doing about 130kmph I walked away and the leather is good as gold.
I recommend buying leather and a one peice rain suit 2 or 3 sizes to big so you still have heaps of room to move in it. Thats what I use and would never go back, I dont get wet cold or sweaty and Im comfy.
Thats the honest truth, ask anyone."

And that's from a KBer who arguably supplies leather to the stars!! (in their own minds of course)
PM Quasievil, top chap and top quality product from what I been told. Just ordered a new set, for less than I would have paid at two different bike shops for synthetic.

[flash]

so did you buy his gear colapop? or ae you just brown noseing?

also ive got all the quasimoto gear, and i love em to bits!!!. the leather jackets hotter than a textile

[Lou Girardin]

Heard of breathable membranes colapop? It's called that because it allows moisture to evaporate through it. So you don't get sweaty.
Leather is useful for racing or other situations where you intend to fall off a lot.
It can stand more than one slide better than textile, as for protecting better in a normal, sane speed road bin is debatable.
But you're quite welcome to join me in April riding down to Welly. I'll wear my textile gear with T shirt and shorts underneath, you do the same under your leather gear. I'll even shout you coffee to thaw out.

[Motu]

Speedway riders have moved to textile the last few years - and don't say oh,they only fall off at low speeds,they are moving bloody quick (160kph sideways in the turns on a longtrack) and the surface loose,rough and it takes longer to stop sliding,and there are solid walls.They are not DriRider of course,but purpose built racing textile with armour suits under.Dirt riders also move around far more than road riders,they use textile for freedom of movement.

Who the hell wrote that Quasi blurb,it's fulla shit!

[Lou Girardin]

Who the hell wrote that Quasi blurb,it's fulla shit!

C'mon Motu, it was honest unbiased advice.:lol:

[thealmightytaco]

Cordura doesn't breathe terribly well, and old leathers that are nice and thick and work bloody well and look aight (and breathe a bit) can be had pretty cheap on trademe, I got kitted out for $160 for pants and jacket. I went for new boots though, $200 is a bargain for a normal pair of shoes these days. And helmet was a hand me down from brother, he moved to Oz and left his helmet behind, so I aint got much to help you with there.

[babyB]

hay there badmofo welcome
realy i think its your own preferance & depends on what you intend on doing realy. i own both leather & synthetic each has its bonus

just remember ..DONT put ya leathers in the washing machine!:doobey:

[Highlander]

My jacket is leather, custom fit birthday present from my folks 16 years ago. Still in good nick (never slid down the road in it though). Never been wet through even riding in thunder storms, coat it with Nikwax (from the Kathmandu shop) occaisonally seems to work wonders. Pants are synthetic, shoulda got the removable liner jobbies though, too hot with anything other than shorts at this time of year.

Here Baby B I'm not stalking you even though this is the second thread in the last few minutes I've posted after you.

[R1madness]

Welcome dude. First things first. The GN is the exact right choice for your needs. Dont appoligise for it. Love it, thrash it, have a good time. It will hose off most boy racers from a standing start across an intersection so blow them away and laugh like a maniac.

Now, riding gear.
Nitro helmets are fine. if it fits properly then all is good. The main difference between a cheap helmet and an expensive one is the comfort and noise level and quality of the lining and graphics, not the safety of the helmet.

Leather vrs textile. Well it depends on how fast and often you intend to crash. I use full leathers when i plan a fast ride. Other than that i use textile for its conveniance and comfort. You can whip out the armour and walk into a resturaunt or nightclub in a textile jacket and look pretty tidy but that never works in leather.

Gloves - Proper bike gloves are a must have item. You can get inexpencive ones for under $50. Always use them. The one time you dont will be the time you fall of at 15kph and rip your hands up. You will only do it once.

Boots - not strictly necessary for road riding but try to wear shoes that cover the ankle bone if you can.

[ducatilover]

i found the dririder codura stuff bloody good, waterproof and breatheble, amoured and very good for coming off gns in [oil and rain and rimutakas argh:no: ]

i have a zeus flip front thingy helmet which has survived two crashes with no damage and is also very comfy but fogs up really easy.

gloves- mine were $100 and are waterproof to an extent.

doubt that helps

[naughtygirl]

They have Nitro helmets for $79. Is this a good brand? seems kinda cheap but they look good to me. .

Not a bad helmet, but not a good one either. It depends which series it is, as we sold there higher Nirto helmet, which was about $175+ or - some. $79 seems VERY cheap, so they maybe old stock...so your home work, check out the nirto website etc

[Quasievil]

Who the hell wrote that Quasi blurb,it's fulla shit!

Which part you smart prick
I wrote that and I stick by it if you disagree tell all. Im sure like everything else youre an expert in this subject as well.

[Quasievil]

Dirt riders also move around far more than road riders,they use textile for freedom of movement.


yeah baggy textile bottoms, and light material tops with hard arse armour underneath.
if you go and buy a pair of textile pants for a sports bike you will have limited movement and excess material gathering in ya crutch as well as alot of sweat in the crutch region, and it is not comfortable.

[Motu]

Go to the first post - he's got a GN250,not a sportsbike.

Last time I saw a racer not wearing leather was at Rosebank Speedway last month.The surface is McCallum Chip....and you know what it's like to fall off on pea gravel eh?

You are entitled to your biased opinion....I'm entitled to mine.....but I don't make money out of mine....

[Quasievil]

Go to the first post - he's got a GN250,not a sportsbike.

Last time I saw a racer not wearing leather was at Rosebank Speedway last month.The surface is McCallum Chip....and you know what it's like to fall off on pea gravel eh?

You are entitled to your biased opinion....I'm entitled to mine.....but I don't make money out of mine....

Okay smartarse (again), how long do you think he will have a gn for, thats 1. Who is talking about Speedway only you, thats 2. No I dont know what its like to fall off on Pea gravel but ive seen it on 22 and warned others which you promptly bagged me for, thats 3.And 4 you are entitled to your opinion and regulary announce it ,and you make money out of your opinion everyday cause youre a mechanic so what are you talking about.

[Motu]

I make my money from facts - as outlined in the LTNZ VIRM....or the fact that at 100,000km the cambelt is due for replacement,and that in my opinion the water pump should be replaced at the same time.It's my opinion,but the customer makes the decision.

[Quasievil]

Good on ya Motu:whocares:

[Lou Girardin]

yeah baggy textile bottoms, and light material tops with hard arse armour underneath.
if you go and buy a pair of textile pants for a sports bike you will have limited movement and excess material gathering in ya crutch as well as alot of sweat in the crutch region, and it is not comfortable.

I don't know what you've worn before, but it was either too big, too cheap or just plain crap.
I've never had this happen with my kit.

[Quasievil]

I don't know what you've worn before, but it was either too big, too cheap or just plain crap.
I've never had this happen with my kit.


Tecnic gear is what it was, the jacket wasnt bad but the pants were hideous. each to their own of course but what is above was a private message which was based on my personal experience, and of cause there is always a cunt or two that like to bag someone eh ? if people like Textile bloody wear it I personally dont give a shite mate, at the end of the day most prefer leather and most aspire to own leather.

[avrflr]

When I was a learner I commuted in a leather jacket, gloves, jeans and running shoes. I found the leather jacket worked well, kept me dry in the rain. The jeans less so. A leather jacket also works well when you walk into a nightclub because it gives good protection when the bouncers throw you into the street and start kicking you. And for fucks sake don't do 70ks, just stay in with the flow of traffic, be the grey man and you will never get a ticket. Also would recommend not having an L-plate. I got pulled over for speeding when I was a learner a ridiculous number of times and no cop even mentioned "no L-plate", even the ones that yelled at me.

[Lou Girardin]

at the end of the day most prefer leather and most aspire to own leather.

Not that I've seen or sold.
Perhaps you think that because you sell leather?
Go to any gathering of bikers, other than HOG, and you'll see more synthetic gear worn.
A newbie on a GN is going to be far better off in mid-price textile gear. He'll be more comfortable, drier and there won't be such a big hole in his pocket. (generally speaking)

[Ixion]

This argument could go on for ever. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Most long term bikers will have both.

But, a beginner, the overriding argument must be that textile is cheaper, and does not need extra (waterproof) stuff.

Just as the beginer starts with a GN250 , and if he sticks with biking advances to other bikes, so he may start with a cheap and cheerful textile suit, and, if he sticks with biking, advance to other stuff.

I think it is silly for a beginner to lash out several thousand bucks on top gear, for riding a GN250 (nothing derogatory about the GN, I think they're jolly good little bikes). Buy cheap and cheerful, explore, get an idea of what you want longer term, and upgrade both bike and gear when you're ready for your full

[ZeroIndex]

I plan to get some Quasi pants/jacket as soon as i sell my car (hopefully in the next week or 2)

[Motu]

I used to be a no compromise dedicated leather gear rider,in the late 70s and 80s I wore custom made leather jacket and jeans with full length leather boots and leather gloves,open face around town and full face on the open road - extreme protection at the time when riders generaly just wore a leather jacket.

But when it came to updating my gear over 5 years ago,I thought I'd give this dorky new fangled textile stuff a try.I'm really happy I did,and I'll be sticking with it until the next fad comes along.Ideally I'd like a full set of leather gear too....but there's a hell of a lot of other things I'd like to spend that money on too...and if the textile does me for 90% of my riding I see no real reason to do it.

I brought up speedway because it's an interesting case.Speedway riders have always worn full one piece leathers...flamboyant in some cases with flouro and fringes,long before the road racers got into the high visual stuff....because speedway riders are closer to the audience.It's a tough fiercely competitive sport,the riders dicing it out full lock sideways rubbing shoulders and interlocking handlebars...spills are plenty.The track can be wet,dusty and fine gravel is included in the track mix,there are solid wooden walls and other bikes on the track.Speedway riders are often called the gladiators of the motorcycle world,fighting it out in arena cheered on by crowds...and sometimes there are deaths,several in the last few years at Rosebank.

So it's a toss up between abraisive and impact protection,they need both - but with the trend towards full armour suits with a tough one piece textile outer,I'd say they've opted for impact protection being more important.My think too on my riding,I don't see my self sliding down the road at 120kph anymore,but see a lot of things I might get involved with at lower speeds,the gear I wear is good for that....and warm and dry!

[Groins_NZ]

Badmofo – it’s quite a daunting task buying your first set of MC gear, there’s so much to consider; price, safety aspect, fashion, armour or no armour, leather or synthetic, brand, fitting, etc etc.

Obviously a helmet should meet the approved safety standards (it’s illegal without). It needs to be a snug fit but not overly tight on your head/face. It’s good if they’re relatively light to prevent excessive strain on your neck (generally the more money you pay the lighter they are). Wind noise is also a factor but you can’t get an idea what that’s like until you ride with it on. Other things which will affect your decision are colour, style and price.

Choosing between leather or synthetic riding gear is up to your personal preference at the end of the day (obviously). Either option should see you right. I don’t want to go into the pros and cons of each one as it’s all too complicated with all the differing opinions. I’d suggest doing some reading online so you can form a more objective opinion for yourself. Nothing beats personal experience however, so that’s got to come later.

Quasievil's leather are a.) excellent value for the money , and b.) well made using good quality cowhide. I don't think he's changed his pricing too much since I brought my 2 piece off him and I’m dubious as to whether you’d be able to pick up decent synthetic gear much cheaper ($500 at the time).

Incidentally, I saw Dusty at Leda Leathers the other night about altering the jacket and pants I brought and he reckoned they were well made and the leather was of a high quality. He's been making suits for 33yrs now so I guess he knows what he's talking about.

There are a lot of people buying (wearing) synthetic/cordura gear. When I went looking for leather gear in shops last year they had buggar all to choose from on the shop floor. Most of it on display was all synthetic which might be why a lot of people end up buying it? - not that buying it is a bad thing, just my observation.

At the moment I wear my cordura pants when commuting into work each day. When I get the leathers pants sorted I might start wearing them as if I come off, personally I’d rather be wearing the leather as it has an all-over layer of protection plus the impact armour at critical points.

My 2c.

[Lou Girardin]

When I went looking for leather gear in shops last year they had buggar all to choose from on the shop floor. Most of it on display was all synthetic which might be why a lot of people end up buying it? - not that buying it is a bad thing, just my observation.
.


The reason is that leather gear, especially full suits, don't sell anywhere near as well as cordura. So you stock what moves. It's all about profit centres.
We'd sell 4 or 5 times as many $1600.00 Spidi textile GT suits as we sell $700.00 leather kit.

[Quasievil]

Well truth be known I have both, textile and leather. If i was going to go touring around the south island for the month I would take the Textile and leather pants. Day to Day and day rides I always wear leather and if its going to rain I chuck a one peice rain suit in.

Im obviously leather Biased, thats not just because I sell it its because I prefer it, arent we lucky we have choices.

[Motu]

I don't dare look in the mirror anymore - this opens up a whole new world in clothing choices....

[Colapop]

so did you buy his gear colapop? or ae you just brown noseing?
also ive got all the quasimoto gear, and i love em to bits!!!. the leather jackets hotter than a textile
Yes I have bought Quasimoto gear. I have yet to purchase a bike to give a fully unbiased review but from everything that I've researched and heard anedotally they'll do me a treat.

[Colapop]

Who the hell wrote that Quasi blurb,it's fulla shit!
I reproduced that blurb without the knowledge of the writer. I reckon you get the best you can for the money you got.

[kickingzebra]

Hey guys,
The politics of it all aside, I can only share from my gear and crash experiences. Hope this is of some use.

When I first stared on bikes, I had a leather Jacket, Made in pakistan, and a huge rubber suit, black and very kinky looking. I used to wear it if it was pissing down, bloody thing made me sweat enough to not have bothered, but I suspect It would have been better than just jeans in an off.

After about a year, I bought a cheap bullson textile set, Arsed the bike a week later, wearing the full kit. The bottoms were more for rain than anything, and though they protected my ass sliding alright, My knee touched the road first, and it just ground through the pants, my jeans underneath, and a little bit of my knee in one impact.

The jacket on the other hand did bloody well, It has padding on the shoulders only, and it was a bit worse for wear, but that is kinda what it is for, to save the skin underneath, sacrificial anode etc. 200 bucks that set cost me. I thought that to be alright value.

When I bought some new stuff last year, after a few years with just the leather jacket, I bought a Neo Milano Jacket, with armour inserts, and matching pants.

Compared with all my old gear, they were supremely waterproof, save an annoying habit that the pants have of occasionally dumping a huge volume of water down my crotch quite unexpectantly. That onyl seems to hapen in huge rainstroms, that one should probably question the sense of riding a bike in anyway. (gosh darn weekend warriors!!)

I assed off at manfield wearing the pants, with the old leather jacket, Pants got one hole over the boot, and a tiny bit of scuffing on the thigh. They are still going to be perfectly usable, and as waterproof as before I suspect.

The Leather jacket on the other hand, though it had elbow pads of stretch panel, the way I slid, forced the sleeve up, and so my elbow and the track met. the slide burned a hole just below the thick elbow piece, result, a tiny pin prick of blood, a small burn (synthetic linings can melt under friction when sliding) and a bruise.

I also bought some Shift kevlar jeans, I haven't offed in them myself, but watching the videos of people that do (on the net), they seem to work pretty good. The only nit pick I would have with them is that they only have kevlar panels, on the ass, and on the knees down to the foot. They aren't completely kevlar lined. The Dragging jeans diagram shows they have kevlar on the sides of the thighs as well. I don't know if they are comfortable or what, but my shift jeans, I can just wear on the bike, and carry on wearing all day. They look fine, and are just a tad warmer and heavier than ordinary jeans. The kevlar is however interwoven with the jean fabric, so you don't feel any bulky panels or seams. They were 160 or so.

Gloves can be a pain, if you buy huge gauntlet type gloves, and the weather is hot, you're stuffed, but they might be waterproof (for a while anyway) Problem with the waterproof ones, is they have a waterproof lining, which isn't sewn into the outer of the glove, hence when you pull the wet gloves off, the two parts can separate, and that can be a real pain in the ass to get right again.

I now have two pairs, big ass winter gauntlets, for rain, or long rides etc, and some kevlar reinforced leather gloves, only one layer, for jaunts about town, or hot as weather. I suspect the main thing with gloves is to get a good fit, because if they are too big, you won't be able to have a good feel of the controls, and your fingers may slip off the brakes at the critical moment etc.

I opt for kevlar, simply because I used to wear these kevlar cut resistant gloves, working in a factory, and though they looked and felt just like thin cotton packing gloves, you could run a brand new stanley knife right across the palm of the glove, hard, and it wouldn't even pill the fabric, much less cut the hand underneath. So that was enough to sell me that the stuff would be better than nothing, and probably better than a lot of other things in a crash.

Summation; My key ingredients in motorbike cloths are waterproof, wind proof (good seal at the neck and front closure) and with the scar on my knee, I don't think armour pads are such a bad idea. In saying that, if you buy cloths too big, then armour etc will just slide off the part it is supposed to protect in a crash.

At the end of the day, an old friend used to say, it ain't going to stop a mack truck hitting you, but for anything else, it should be better than nothing.

[ZeroIndex]

wise words kickingzebra...

[Blairos]

If you are going to run with the synthetic stuff, the homework I did before getting mine was based on the "how long is this stuff going to last if I end up scraping my arse/legs/elbows down a road?"

The homework I did meant the gear was a little pricier, but it all conforms to the European "CE" safety standards (which I believe are the toughest in the world) and is full of Kevlar armour etc.
As usual, this inexpensive CE "label" ends up commanding a higher price for this gear, but I just closed my eyes and handed over the money :ride:
Just my newbie 2 cents worth...:msn-wink:

[Quasievil]

If you are going to run with the synthetic stuff, the homework I did before getting mine was based on the "how long is this stuff going to last if I end up scraping my arse/legs/elbows down a road?"

The homework I did meant the gear was a little pricier, but it all conforms to the European "CE" safety standards (which I believe are the toughest in the world) and is full of Kevlar armour etc.
As usual, this inexpensive CE "label" ends up commanding a higher price for this gear, but I just closed my eyes and handed over the money :ride:
Just my newbie 2 cents worth...:msn-wink:


I have CE approved armour in my leather gear and the gear is made to these demanding standards, so there ya go it doesnt have to cost alot eh?
I even got the CE certificate to prove it

[Teflon]

I've crashed in textile and leather gear at similar speeds. I ended up with road rash on my arms, stomach, back with the textile jacket.. with full leathers not a scratch.. these were low speed crashes to.

So if you don't mind the feeling of skin against tar seal, buy textile.

[Teflon]

I have CE approved armour in my leather gear and the gear is made to these demanding standards, so there ya go it doesnt have to cost alot eh?
I even got the CE certificate to prove it

Sounds like you have quality gear. Depending on costs to modify my full leathers (to fat), i'm interested in buying full or two-piece suit.

I'll let you know in the next few weeks..

[chickenfunkstar]

Hi girls and boys, .....
, haha.

When I first started I got a textile jacket, helmet and some cheap chunky gloves. I used to wear (and sometimes still do) some waterproof snowboard pants over jeans if it was raining. I've added to my gear collection over time, now I've got the same helmet, 2 pairs of gloves (one summer, and the chuncky old ones) 2 jackets (one leather, one synthetic) and 3 pants (leather, synthetic and draggins jeans) and boots. Depending on the weather, where i'm going, temperature etc. I choose different gear as appropriate. Regardless of what you choose to buy (maybe have bought by now) you don't have to be stuck with it for ever.

Having said that i'd probably get a textile jacket if I had a fairly limited budget. They're comfortable, reasonably water proof and usually very adjustable depending on temperature. (its easy to take the liner out when its hot and easy to wear a jumper underneath when its cold). Most jackets will make you feel like an oven when you're just standing around and not riding. If you do get a leather jacket make sure you sit on your bike with it on to see how it feels. Some leathers can have a 'sports cut' which would be uncomfortable on a bike with a riding position like the GN.

Which uni are you at? I'm at auckland uni, Yellow SV.

[badmofo]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I got a Spool textile jacket and teknic pants. I got an HJC CS-12 helmet in the end, thought it was pretty good for $110. Got some thin ish gloves so I can still feel what i'm doing. Still working on my confidence, I've been up the motorway a few times and it's all good, just gotta work on the rush hour stuff, I hate all the stop starting and I'm a little anxious about zipping up the white line like everyone else does. I hope you're right AVRFLR about not getting a ticket for doing over 70 cos it's too dangerous going that slow and the stupid cagers sit on your rear wheel.

I'm at auckland uni too chickenfunkstar, what you studying?

[ZeroIndex]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I got a Spool textile jacket and teknic pants. I got an HJC CS-12 helmet in the end, thought it was pretty good for $110. Got some thin ish gloves so I can still feel what i'm doing. Still working on my confidence, I've been up the motorway a few times and it's all good, just gotta work on the rush hour stuff, I hate all the stop starting and I'm a little anxious about zipping up the white line like everyone else does. I hope you're right AVRFLR about not getting a ticket for doing over 70 cos it's too dangerous going that slow and the stupid cagers sit on your rear wheel.

I'm at auckland uni too chickenfunkstar, what you studying?

I'm using the QUASiMOTO Racing gloves, and I've got so used to the feeling of them that even pushing the bike around (to put it in the garage at night) feels weird. There's plenty of feeling in them and they will protect you well if you bin it.

With regards to the going on motorways etc, if it's just a small distance on a regular basis, do 80 - 95km/h (that's what i do), or if it's longer distance, like a bike run, just take the 'L' plate off for the day

[Freakshow]

It is getting chilli out there and I have see all threads about cold hands etc. But what I want to know is about keeping your face and neck warm. I have had a search around and had little luck with this one, I guess for most it is simple, wear a balaclava. But I have tryied that and my glasses keep fogging. Does anyone else have this issue and any suggestions products they recomend???

[Swoop]

It is getting chilli out there and I have see all threads about cold hands etc. But what I want to know is about keeping your face and neck warm. I have had a search around and had little luck with this one, I guess for most it is simple, wear a balaclava. But I have tryied that and my glasses keep fogging. Does anyone else have this issue and any suggestions products they recomend???
I wear a fullface helmet with just a neck warmer "tube" thingy. Hold top of tube thingy in mouth when putting helmet on and she's all toasty!
Glasses only fog when not moving along, so use the helmet vents to keep clear.
My 2c.

[bert_is_evil]

I wear glasses during the week when I'm riding to work and am too lazy to put my contact lenses in - I wear a balaclava but pull the eye hole down so my nose is poking out, stops them steaming up.

[Roj]

I wear glasses during the week when I'm riding

I would recommend getting a flipface helmet, they make it a lot easier to put glasses on

[Steam]

All I have to say is; Black. Oil and other shit gets everywhere on colours. I have a tan Dririder jacket, it's cool but damn, I have to spot clean it nearly every weekend. Black is the go.