Newbie needing gear advice

[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

[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.