Boots and helmet??

[Little Miss Trouble]

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

[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

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)

[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.

[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.

[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.

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.

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