newbie question about riding gears, dont laugh!

[crashe]

GN250 is a great bike for a learner...

Do a 'search' on here and you will find stuff written about them.

There are heaps of KBers riding the mighty GN250

[sunhuntin]

yep, thats "Pup", shes an 86. need to get a photo of her with the top box...thats an oldish pic.

she rides fine during the day, but rather enjoys farting along and then pulling a slight wheelstand in the middle of mainstreet on the way home from work, no matter how long i let her warm up. seems she likes day riding over night, lol. she pulls ok. not sure how any other 250 would handle, shes all ive ever ridden solo. best advice is to test ride. she was my brothers, and then dads, now shes mine. shell go back to dad when i advance to a bigger bike.

a friend has a new GN. beautiful bike too....much prettier than mine, of course, but not necessarily a better bike.


IXION: where did you get your cargo net? im assuming is stretchy? been looking for one, but all i can find are the ones for trailers/utes.

[crashe]

cargo nets... go to your local bike shop they sell them.

[sunhuntin]

cargo nets... go to your local bike shop they sell them.

had a look at super cheap, and they had nothing. will go have a look on tm

[Waylander]

Just wear your kit mate, shows that you are proud to be a biker.

[Ixion]

..


IXION: where did you get your cargo net? im assuming is stretchy? been looking for one, but all i can find are the ones for trailers/utes.

I got it off Trademe. Yes, its stretchy,has 6 hooks to fasten to the bike , about the right size to cover a back pack on the rear half of the seat. Tis quite good, much better than wearing the back pack. And some stuff I don't even bother putting in the pack, just shove under the net.

Here's on on Trademe now, different trader, but looks much the same .
Here

[sunhuntin]

cheers for that, ixion. found one for $5, lol. glad to be getting one, definatly handy things!!

*damn glenn with his decker and lots of storage space! im too young for a geezer glide!* p/t

[Pancakes]

i am thinking about getting either a 2005 GN250 or a 2004 GSX250 for my first bike, GN costs 3000, and GSX costs 6000. which one is more practical for my situation? (little riding experience, but thirsty for a good looking performance bike and the most important: definitely want to live longer than a week!)

The length of your riding career is 99% up to you and 1% out of control. Get a ten year old gn and when you're done learning sell it for the same amount and buy what you really want, they're really easy to pick up basic mantainance and mechanics on too.

[vifferman]

It wasn't a laughable question, and it's good that you thought ahead. What you do with your gear when not riding depends on circumstances, and it can sometimes be a real pain!

I commute to work, and it's easy, because I just get changed into my work clothes when I arrive, put my leather trousers in my backpack, and my boots under my desk. When going elsewhere, I just have to wear my gear, and sometimes it's hot and awkward. But I put up with that so I don't get damaged if/when I crash.
If it's a real pain to you carrying your stuff around, you could invest in a top-box, so you can leave your helmet, gloves, wet-weather gear etc. on the bike.
Alternatively, some bike luggage (like the Ventura stuff I use) has back straps so you can stuff your gear in to carry it when off the bike. You can also get helmet bags, some of which are just soft cloth bags with drawstrings, and others are proper purpose-made bags with handles and storage for other things.

Jim2 - I always stuff my gloves in my helmet, except when they're wet. AGVs have special glove-resistant foam in them made out of concrete or spent uranium, or recycled frigates or summat.

[Coyote]

This is the setup I have for school:
-Leave gloves inside compartment underneath pillion seat
-Attach the helmet to the helmet lock (helmet strap goes around a hook, pillion seat locks it in place)
-Wear my draggins, I got the black chinos so they go with my school uniform. They don't have any armor but you can buy some knee braces that go underneath them. The Kevlar is pretty good for winter, but hot in summer as you walk around
-Have a seperate bag for my jacket which I ask a teacher to look after or carry around with me. I would wear the jacket if it wasn't for the stupid school rules saying you can only wear a black or dark blue jacket. I knew about this but chose a red jacket because its bright and cagers are more likely to see you
-Boots a just wear around school anyway, despite them not being lace ups and getting greif from the uniform nazis that patrol the school grounds looking for prey (like un-tucked shirts and sneakers)

Hope that is of some help

[sefer]

If your after a cargo net try the two dollar shop too. I'm not vouching for the quality of them, but hey for $2 there probably worth a look

As for me I do pretty much what everyone else has said, gloves in helmet, helmet in helmet bag (untill I lost it last week! my backpack zip split open on the way out Rolleston and I didn't realise untill I got there. Could have been worse thou, I also had a $150 check in my pack that didn't blow out), or sometimes if I'm at uni or college I'll lock it to my bike.
My jacket stays on if I've nowhere to put it (and it's a kawa green and white one, so it stands out if I'm at the mall ). Everything else goes in my backpack (which I carry 90% of the time), or I've got a little shoulder bag under my seat for when I don't have it.

[Potzman]

Got one of those neck strap things where the bike keys just clip onto while I'm wondering round off my bike, deffinately wont lose them there

[Wolf]

I wear cordura jacket and leggings, Sidi boots, usually winter weight gloves (have summer weight ones as well) and full faced helmet.

Usually I just unzip the jacket and wander around with my gloves inside my helmet and the helmet slid over my forearm.

I shed jacket and leggings and boots at work - I keep shoes at work to change into so I don't wear out my boots (have occasionally kept the boots on all day to no ill effect - except to family later that day when I took them off but ) - my office is secure enough I can keep my riding gear there.

Once ended up going to dinner at a flash Auckland restaurant with our CEO and some important visitors (don't ask me why he invited me, but it was last-minute and I was unprepared for a social event) so I parked up the bike, stowed my gloves in my helmet (on the floor by my chair), draped my jacket over the back of the chair and sat down at the table wearing my leggings and boots. Then again, I'm one of those "take me as I am" kinda guys and I figured that with my beard untrimmed and long hair, merely turning up at table in armour was the least of my breeches of etiquette. No one seemed to give a damn - like they were going to say, "Oh you should be riding a motorcycle on the open road in a tux in case you get invited out"?

I wear jeans or work trousers under the leggings and have no worries about sliding out of my leggings in public if I want to look "presentable" - backpack gets kind of bulky with both leggings and jacket in it and often it's less hassle just wearing the stuff. Trousers can be quickly untucked from the boots and slid over the outside to make them appear more like black shoes for the purpose of entering licenced premises with draconian dress codes.

Years back, when my riding kit was jeans, army-surplus Greatcoat and gumboots, a friend of mine and I decided to partake of a late night coffee at a rather (as it turned out when we sashayed in) posh cafe - I really felt thankful I'd pulled my jeans cuffs over the outside of the gumboots so I didn't look too "rustic". We still looked rather out of place.

Even in the heat of summer I'm used to wandering around armoured from the waist down, helmet on my arm and jacket either draped over a shoulder or worn open

Do spend good money on decent wet weather gear and armour - it will increase your longevity in more ways than one.

Decent wet weather gear will improve your riding experience so you won't feel so inclined to give up in winter, the padding and armour will protect you should you spill, and being warm and dry rather than cold, wet and miserable may well prevent you having an accident in the first place.

[danb]

I have the spool brand jacket and pants - They don’t look to out of place when going shopping etc (nor could I give a dam what people think). Shove my gloves in my helmet and open up my jacket if it gets to hot or take it off completely.
I haven’t experienced summer temperatures in the gear so im not sure how hot it will get.
When im at Tech I leave my gear on all the time and carry my helmet and tank bag with my books in it etc around.
As for work I have a pair of shoes at work and I carry with me my sweatshirt and pants (or store them at work in a locker) on the bike to get changed into.

[vagrant]

Wear your gear and be proud.
I wear a 2 pce suit with sliders etc. I get some funny looks wandering round Newmarket or the supermarket but I don't care. I am comfortable and feel safer than wearing jeans!