Ideas for doing things on the cheap

[mnkyboy]

Shorts, a wife beater and jandals.. don't come much cheaper than that !

Another money saving idea by McBoomer !

If we wanted a troll we would have invited............

Oh wait you are the resident troll

[boomer]

If we wanted a troll we would have invited............

Oh wait you are the resident troll

We..??! Who made you site spoke lady?

[mnkyboy]

We..??! Who made you site spoke lady?

I have the authority given to me by having the discs of power.

These are almighty discs

[boomer]

I have the authority given to me by having the discs of power.

These are almighty discs

Stolen fookin disks... ur as bad as mildew.. Disk stealers! both of you !

[Winston001]

Shrug, I guess I'm a poser, I've spent shitloads on nice gear.

On the plus side, it's about as safe as I can get, comfortable, looks nice, and should last the distance. I just couldn't see the point in cheaping out when the cheaper gear I tried was nowhere near as nice/comfortable to wear, and I was in the position where I could afford the nicer gear (well, sorta could anyways... )

Good on you. Comfort is worth paying for.

Nothing wrong with doing things on the cheap provided it ain't nasty. Some pieces of gear should be motorcycle specific IMHO. A safe helmet. Strong gloves. Strong boots with ankle support. Permanent damage to your fingers or ankle will be with you for a lifetime.

Ixion suggests paratroopers boots which have ankle support but from what I've seen, you can get a good pair of m/c boots on TM for the same price.

There is masses of gear on TM if you are patient. Apart from that second-hand shops, Sallies etc have gear.

[AlpinePossum]

Yeah, gotta agree with you there. I think the tendency is for people to underestimate the complexity that goes into the design and testing of things. Looks the same is not a good indicator of ability to keep your skin on and your bones whole.

Having been in both govt science and commercial engineering places... I know people massively overestimate the influence of the safety engineers and testers relative to the "cool factor" marketers and cost cutting bean counters.

ie. The OP is quite correct. A big name brand gets you exactly that. A brand. Maybe a little R&D, quite a lot of a "cool look" designers time, and a massive amount of marketing, and almost bugger all extra safety.

Formal Safety standards should be regarded as a minimum, but you can bet your booties an industry lobby spent more time watering the standard down than they spent on engineering their products to meet them!

Personally I think this thread is superb for the following reasons...

* Make people think critically about what they are actually getting for their money.

* Make people realise the only true AGATT is an SUV. Biker in the best gear meets car, hard, equals buggered up biker no matter what the gear.

I'm not saying, don't wear the gear. I'm saying switch your brains on and _don't_ trust the brands.

I'm saying avoid accidents where you can, don't trust to your gear, no matter how good.

[popelli]

A big name brand gets you exactly that. A brand. Maybe a little R&D, quite a lot of a "cool look" designers time, and a massive amount of marketing, and almost bugger all extra safety.

why do we have brands?

a its marketing

b people know what they are getting

you can buy a brand name leather or a cheap copy for a 1/3 the price from a flea market stall

which will work and last better - its a no brainer

have bought cheap gear no name gear it works sort of / ok

have also bought dainesse, it works, fits and functions really well

however best buy was a new triumph jacket, last years range at the BMF show £20 closely followed by the BMW leather jeans at £30, also last years range and that takes a lot of beating

[Marmoot]

Arai Helmet - $1300
Alpinestars suit - $3500
Alpinestars GP gloves - $500
Sidi boots - $750
Dainese back protector - $250
Fogless visor system - $100

Don't settle for anything else. Even if you're on a scooter.
Rely on tested names. Don't go for cheapo.
Do it big or go home.

[jono035]

Arai Helmet - $1300
Alpinestars suit - $3500
Alpinestars GP gloves - $500
Sidi boots - $750
Dainese back protector - $250
Fogless visor system - $100

Don't settle for anything else. Even if you're on a scooter.
Rely on tested names. Don't go for cheapo.
Do it big or go home.

Jeysus. That is almost 5x what I paid for my bike...

[Pedrostt500]

I've got a coupe of large tool bags that I'm getting converted into Paniers, just getting some extra D rings sewen onto them by a canvas shop, to take the straps for accross the seat.