Boots and helmet??

[Little Miss Trouble]

As a newbie I've been asking everyone I come accross all sorts of questions, sorry to the guy I kinda ambushed in the supermarket the other day!
One of the opinions I've heard a few times is, if you cant afford the best of everything, go higher quality in your boots and helmet, obviously jacket and pants need to of reasonable quality to protect you but that you can put up with them not being quite as good.
What do you all think of that theory? Can anyone suggest what I should be after?
Grant at Spectrum here on the North Shore was going to set me up with an HJC helmet(XS), Spool jacket and pants, boots we hadn't gotten to yet, I take about a 42 i think (tried on some really comfy Dainese boots at Motomail)

[Devil]

To start with, if you can spread the money around so you have everything (Helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves) you'll be ok.
Along the way when you can afford it, upgrade your gear. Wont take too long before you've collected some good stuff.

PS: What part of the shore are you on? If you need any help with picking out gear or the bike/learning give me a yell. Am in Glenfield.

[NZsarge]

To start with, if you can spread the money around so you have everything (Helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves) you'll be ok.
Along the way when you can afford it, upgrade your gear. Wont take too long before you've collected some good stuff.

PS: What part of the shore are you on? If you need any help with picking out gear or the bike/learning give me a yell. Am in Glenfield.
Yeah this sounds pretty fair I reckon.... when you get around to upgrading, look at a top of the line helmet first, may i suggest Arai or Shoei is a good place to start. It's all budget dependant ofcourse but i've always felt spending money on a good helmet is never a waste of money. You can get into Arai/Shoei's for around $650-750ish.

[dnos]

damn mornings, i was a bit confused at first cos i thought your title said BOOBS and helmet.
Need coffee.

Anyway that seems like good advice, because while it is important that you can get all the gear you need, a helmet and boots would really be the best place to spend your money.
The good thing is that a helmet and a pair of boots will both last you a long time. Just don't drop your helmet;) Unless of course your head or feet get bigger - then your buggered.
So if you can afford it there is no reason not to get a real nice helmet - just make sure you get one that fits really well. Figure out your budget and then see what you can get for it.

And then you will be all kitted up for when your nice shiny bike arrives!! Wicked. Enjoy.

[Big Dave]

Motomail will do inteterst free terms on a kit to suit you. Did you ask about that

[Crisis management]

While I advocate getting the best gear you can afford, the size of your budget has to be accounted for.

Sooooooo, I would initially put my cash on the bits that are going to save me the most damage. IMHO, the bits that get hit the hardest are your feet, hands, shoulders and hips, all the bits that hit the ground first. The bits you need to protect most (cause they're most useful) are your hands and feet so get reasonable gloves and boots, next a decent jacket, then a helmet and lastly some trou.
Helmets protect your head but don't often get damaged as they aren't usually the first thing to hit the ground, so buy a reasonable helmet (i'm talking $300 here) and HJC is good value.
Of course if you have a spare couple of grand to spend, then spend it!

The gear you mentioned, HJC and Spool is good quality so that salesman is giving you good advice, use him if you want to.

My recomendation for advice would be go to Motomail in College Hill, I've always been impressed with their service.

[Devil]

Bought my last set of jacket/pants from Motomail. Good service, gave a discount and threw in a pair of gloves as well. Plus it's a comfortable place to go try everything on.

As Big Dave said. Nothing wrong with Interest Free deals as well if you happen to find something you really really like ;)

[Little Miss Trouble]

damn mornings, i was a bit confused at first cos i thought your title said BOOBS and helmet.
Need coffee.


I understand entirely! nobody bothers talking to me in the morning anymore til I've had my first coffee.

[Little Miss Trouble]

PS: What part of the shore are you on? If you need any help with picking out gear or the bike/learning give me a yell. Am in Glenfield.

Im is Sunnynook.
Will definatly give ya a shout if I need help, Haha we may have already crossed pathes, I'm in I.T. too:whocares: lol

[Little Miss Trouble]

My recomendation for advice would be go to Motomail in College Hill, I've always been impressed with their service.

I was in there yesterday, managed to leave my sunnies behind after trying on helmets too:doh:

[avgas]

I buy good helmets as i seem to always hit things head on.
But then again if i had knee braces, leggings and good boots i would have 2 unscar'd legs as well.
But then again, i need my head.

[peasea]

Im is Sunnynook.
Will definatly give ya a shout if I need help, Haha we may have already crossed pathes, I'm in I.T. too:whocares: lol

We're in Sunnynook too, I dunno, those bikers are everywhere! I can recall reading (might have been in Bike Rider Magazine) an article comparing jackets etc. The bottom line was...Gortex and stuff like that is warm and lightweight etc, but the best protection against road tats was leather. I got a good leather jacket from Motomail and while it's a tad heavy it's good at keeping out the cold and I'm confident that if the excrement hit the air handler I'd be as well off as could be expected. As for helmets, you can get some good deals for a few hundy, upgrade as you can afford it but watch the weight. A heavy helmet is a pain in the neck on long trips. Most modern lids are good but there are differences. Like everything else, shop around and you've done the right thing asking on KB. There is a wealth of information here.

[The Lone Rider]

To start with, if you can spread the money around so you have everything (Helmet, jacket, pants, boots, gloves) you'll be ok.

I agree with that. Well.. if it was summer maybe not the jacket. My summer riding gear is blue denim jeans, a black tshirt, and a blue denim cut off sleeve jacket. But now I'm singing Black Leather.

Oh, and my riding boots are a pair of british combat boots or my steel caps I wear for work.

[Hitcher]

Buy something really cheap, preferably second-hand, that's two sizes too small.

[stelartia]

if you know someone who rides their likely to have some gear you can borrow till you can afford your own.
just hopefully your the same size...!

[Little Miss Trouble]

Thanks for the info, and a special thanks to MotoGirl who now has me drooling over leathers from the US:sunny:

[peasea]

Buy something really cheap, preferably second-hand, that's two sizes too small.

To which you can add some jandals and a cotton T-shirt. Better stll, you're quite legal in nothing but a g-string, bra and helmet. Even if you're a bloke. Be warned, there are some odd KB'ers out there.

[MaxCannon]

As a newb I found it a bit tricky to get everything (Helmet, Jacket, Gloves, Pants and Boots) for the budget I had to spend.
One of my reservations was that I didn't know if I'd stick with riding so I didn't want to spend a fortune only to give up after a couple of weeks.

My gear cost just over $800 all up.
Probably not the cheapest I could have gone for but it all seems well made and so far has kept me warm and dry.

The helmet I got is a Zeus 803 from Haldane's.
Being my first I have no basis of comparision but it seems pretty light (1.5kg) , and comfy.
Most important;y - it looks the part.
From memoory it was $200

[Big Dave]

I checked with Chris over a bevy tonight - 100 days interest free in the current motomail offer.

[NZsarge]

Thanks for the info, and a special thanks to MotoGirl who now has me drooling over leathers from the US:sunny:
Are these leather pants on a website? if so could you pass it on please. Cheers

[Street Gerbil]

What do you all think of that theory? Can anyone suggest what I should be after?
* TurdMe is your friend. For whatever reasons people tend to get rid of perfectly good gear every once in a while (helmet excluded of course).
* Read reviews. Sometimes less expensive high end item from lesser manufacturer is better than similarly priced low-end counterpart from a fashionable company. Everybody knows that HJC is uncool but carbon fiber HJC HQ1 is far better than anything else sold in NZ, even twice more expensive lids.
* Some things, unfortunately, cannot be bought cheap. I am saving money for a pair Frank Thomas winter gloves, just because there is nothing coming even close and no one seems to sell used 2XL FT gloves either on TM or on eBay. You r mileage may vary.
Just my NZD0.02

[The Lone Rider]

Everybody knows that HJC is uncool

Saftey and price aside, coolness of what you buy is defined by you and your satisfaction (not what the masses tell you is cool) :Punk:

[Devil]

Everybody knows that HJC is uncool

Glad I wasn't aware of that one when I bought my CL-14 a couple of years ago because I would have missed out on a decent helmet. :whocares:

[Roj]

Don't skimp on the helmet, my lady had a serious accident recently and she had no serious head injuries, considering the damage to the helmet this was amazing, buy the best you can afford.:scooter:

[Jantar]

Don't skimp on the helmet, my lady had a serious accident recently and she had no serious head injuries, considering the damage to the helmet this was amazing, buy the best you can afford.:scooter:
All helmets sold in New Zealand must meet the required standards as far as protection is concerned. There has even been research carried out by one of the magazines that suggests cheap helmets can often give better protection than some of the more expensive brands. Buy a helmet that is good fitting, is shaped for your head, and is quiet.

I find the Nolan brand suits me best, and so I stick with it.

[Hitcher]

All helmets sold in New Zealand must meet the required standards as far as protection is concerned.

Clearly the same does not apply to helmets WORN in New Zealand. Otherwise how come bikers who wear Nazi WWII helmets, or those ridiculous turtle lids that let one's ears flap in the breeze, aren't busted and slapped around by Officers of the Law?

[Roj]

All helmets sold in New Zealand must meet the required standards as far as protection is concerned. There has even been research carried out by one of the magazines that suggests cheap helmets can often give better protection than some of the more expensive brands. Buy a helmet that is good fitting, is shaped for your head, and is quiet.

I find the Nolan brand suits me best, and so I stick with it.

it just so happens she was wearing a Nolan helmet, at $600 it is not the cheapest on the market

[Street Gerbil]

Glad I wasn't aware of that one when I bought my CL-14 a couple of years ago because I would have missed out on a decent helmet. :whocares:
What a waste of sarcasm... Dude, I was joking! I was referring to "the common opinion of the folks who know everything about motorbikes but never actually rode one is that Arai is cool and HJC is uncool". More to the point, a top of the line helmet from a good but "uncool" manufacturer is way better than average item from a fashionable maker sold at the same or even higher price.

[Jantar]

it just so happens she was wearing a Nolan helmet, at $600 it is not the cheapest on the market
I'm pleased to see that it did its job correctly. Some helmets don't show the obvious signs of damage, but any helmet that has had heavy contact with trhe ground should be replaced.

The Nolan certainly isn't the cheapest helmet around, but its still only 2/3 the price of an arai. As I commented earlier, I'll stick with them because they suit my head shape and are nice and quiet.

[dmc]

I can highly recommend upgrading to hard armour if your jacket can take it, I came off the other week and the jacket and pants took the brunt of the impact but the hard armour made a big difference to how much damage I received, just a shame it couldn't stop the broken ankle :no:

[Scamp]

Hey there Miss L - got to start with saying "Great choice of bike"

How's the boot purchase coming along? I felt like I tried on every boot in the shop and still didn't find one I liked the feel of. The guys got 4 more pairs in for me to try and I ended up with a pair of Gaerne's. They're mens boots, but my feet are about the same size as yours and the fit great.

Enjoy the shopping (that's the girlie part) and then enjoy getting out on that GPX of yours.

[Little Miss Trouble]

Hey Scamp,
I ended up with a pair of Dainese boots, first ones I tried, tried a couple of pairs after them but noting quite compared after having my feet in these ones. They look good and don't scream bike boots so I'll be able to get away with wearing them other times too:)

[HenryDorsetCase]

Like someone else said, online auctions can be a good source of kit: I bought a pair of Sidi Vertebra's for under $NZD220 and they were unmarked... I was stoked since they're about 500+ in the shops. Because my road boots are Sidi i knew they'd fit.

I got a Shoei Raid 2 from the local harley shop for $499: the X1000 was $599 but I spent the extra coin on a "whisperkit" which is makes the thing quieter. I wanted to buy an Arai, and tried on a bunch of them but nothing fitted as well as the Shoei. A friend on mine loves his CL14 HJC also, but it wasnt right for my head shape. Those carbon ones are cool!

I have this thing about gloves as well, and Ive decided you do get what you pay for. I bought one pair which fitted well when new but then got wet and grew about two sizes.... Nazran or something they're called now I only use them for commuting. My favourites are a pair of old stock Dainese street gloves I got out of the specials bin at one of the stores for $100. My next pair are going to be either expensive Dainese or Alpinestars. Since your hands are the first thing that you will put out in a fall, I think its worth spending money there.

Goretex/Cordura riding kit you will be able to get reasonably priced instore: I have a cordura RJays jacket I got from motomail for under $200 which I thought was excellent value.

shop around....

[howdamnhard]

Botany Honda had a $600 deal for all your basic gear.Motomail is also good.The cheaper helmets tend to be heavier.Glad I was wearing decent gloves and jacket otherwise would have lost some skin other day when I wiped out in the wet.Rather buy all the reasonable quality gear you can afford,than buy only one item and blow your budget,that way you will be reasonably protected all over and not leave some area open and vulnerable.Just make sure it all fits properly otherwise it won't be much use.

[peterpan]

I see on tardme you can buy a new V-can helmet from $100 up that comply to NZ safety requirements. will anyone admit to buying one or trying these out.

[Devil]

The cheaper helmets tend to be heavier.

FFM M7 ($150-$200), 1300g. Pretty light!

[NZsarge]

I can highly recommend upgrading to hard armour if your jacket can take it, I came off the other week and the jacket and pants took the brunt of the impact but the hard armour made a big difference to how much damage I received, just a shame it couldn't stop the broken ankle :no:

Bummer about the get off dude...hope the ankle mends quickly:yes:

[vifferman]

I understand entirely! nobody bothers talking to me in the morning anymore til I've had my first coffee.
Huh.
My brain has started giving me dyslexia lately.
I was absolutely amazed when driving back from Papamoa on Saturday to read "Truck Drivers are Dangerous". :gob:
Then when I read it again, it resolved itself into typical Transhit nonsense:
"Tired Drivers..."

I was pretty excited there for a moment.

[Templar]

My partner and I just bought complete kits for ourselves. She too was very concerned that her bike boots should not scream bike boots, but in the end there is nothing she could find that was waterproof/breathable/comfortable and did not, so has decided her touring boot can look a bit bike boot and her day trip dry weather boot can be fashionable.

For touring she went with a BMW all round boot (think that's what it's called) and for day trips has her heart set on a pair of Harley boots at AMPS. The BMW gear is amazing, very pricey but reeks of quality. We went down there to look at their bluetooth helmets, which they don't do anymore, and walked out with a small mortgage and quite a few pieces of kit. They're pretty nice guys too.

[surfchick]

i had a nightmare getting boots first off. I wanted total protection, but something I could turn up and lecture in if i didn't have time to switch boots to shoes... i checked everywhich store in AK and finally went nuts on the net and finally read enough reviews of US boot chippewa (rally) to decide to import my size. It's all leather, super sturdy and the sole is the best most hardwearing (and non-marking) rubber in the world -vibram. they're all leather lined and stiff leather ext with easy entry via the velcrve rippers. and best of all they look decent and not bulbous. I've had mine 2 years, and the soles are almost as new with almost daily winter wear. Actually the sole of the boot's been designed to have grip over greasy road surfaces... handy. Indestructable boot wear and tear-wise

good luck finding you way through!

[klingon]

oooh now THAT'S a fine looking boot right there :yes:
I think I might have just found my next pair of boots. :love:

[Sanx]

Just wondering - do all the biker girls have 14 pairs of bike boots for different occasions?

[Little Miss Trouble]

Well I've ended up with an HJC helmet, the Spool sandy jacket, can't remember the name of the gloves but they have nice hard knuckles :innocent: Revit womans pants in the short leg and the very comfy dainese boots.
Already have my eye on the draggin camo pants too - coz the jeans dont fit, wouldn't it be great if they made half sizes:yes:

[Little Miss Trouble]

Just wondering - do all the biker girls have 14 pairs of bike boots for different occasions?

haha I don't. yet...

[The Pastor]

I find cheap helemets are just as safe as anyother helmets (full face only). I'd buy a cheap set of everything execpt pants and armour, any decent thickness leather jacket will do, but armour is the key.

[blackrider01]

If you have the money, get BMW leather boots.


_____________
Bert
BMW Leather Boots (http://www.who-sells-it.com/cy/bmw-motorrad-723/bmw-riders-apparel-catalog-457/leather-boot.html) - Get the BMW Riders Apparel Catalog by BMW Motorrad