Need help on what to buy...

[WEST777]

hi there, i've finally found a bike but need to know what gear i should get! i already have a nice helmet, but are wondering how far is too far............ i've seen guys riding around with singlets and flippin jandals??? so i was thinking a 1 piece race suit with matching gloves and boots, but is this needed? i would like to have the breathe-ablity due to the sun time, but aren't sure if the leathers breathe enough, any help would be awesome!! it's my first time to all of this, thanks

[rachprice]

Guess it would depend on what you use your bike for...
A one piece suit for cruising around might be overkill
Its all about preference I guess and what it will be used for.
A few people I know have kevlar jeans for town to full on race leathers for track days.
I personally wear my leather jacket with jeans around town

[slofox]

Leather jacket and leather trou if you can afford it and especially if you do much highway riding - MUCH more dangerous than the track...at least of the track everyone is going the same way....most of the time....

[TaNkSlApT]

there is soooooo much to choose from dude so i can see where you're coming from, but this is what i do for a living so hopefully i can help.

basically it would help to know what kinda bike you have and what kinda riding you're gonna be doing, as it's always best to have the right gear for the job.

ALWAYS wear protection. chances are (and i'm speaking from experiance) that when you have a spill it's mainly gonna be the bits of you that you weren't protecting that are gonna get damaged.

leather = far better abrasion resistance
more comfort (once stretched and broken in.)
cooler looks
more expensive
far less water resistance (unless you pack 400kg of wax into it)
hot in summer
cold in winter
and personally i like the smell of new leathers too! haha wierdo.

textiles = much better temperature control
most textiles have removable liners
there's a bigger range of season weights to choose from
(summer,winter etc.)
it melts against exhausts
most have waterproof liners
cheaper
only really good for one maybe two crashes.
(they rip holes really easily)

a few tips too;
your hands are normally the first thing to hit the ground
kevlar jeans dont have impact protection unless you fit it
backprotectors WORK and save you from wheelchairs
ankles and heels take forever to heal
waterproof linings only work well if you do them up properly
the better protection you have and the more comfortable you are
means you feel safer and ride with alot more confidence

[TaNkSlApT]

oh i forgot, you can get heaps of other stuff to keep you comfortable too.
like thermos, balaclavas and waterproof over gear (a one piece over suit although fookin ugly is still the best way to try and keep dry when its pissing down)

[Mystic13]

You stay cooler in leathers in summer is my experience.
I prefer a two piece because when you stop you can unzip to keep cooler and or remove the jacket.

It's freakin cold being in leather in winter, the cold wind goes straight through.

The rain suit not only keeps water out, it also keeps the cold out when it's not raining. I got caught out in leathers about 6 weeks back. I went for a short ride North of Auckland and ended up at Cape Reinga. I hit Whangarei two hours after dark and starting to freeze. I threw the wets on even though there was no rain and I was fine for the remainder of the trip. I didn't stop sooner because I wanted to make Rewa's on the quayside for a coffee and food asap. I prefer the two piece rain suit because you can leave the leggings on and it's pretty easy to remove the top.

The last big advantage of two pieces is the toilet stops. Just imagine the routine and it should make sense.

If you were a short distance hard out rider or into lots of track days you could go the one piece for better protection.

With leathers try and avoid the ones with fabric patches, they tend to tear if you go for a slide.

Made to order leathers by the lady in K'Road are pretty sharp in price, made in your colours and fit.

Textile tends to get a bit humid to be in on hot summer days. In summer my textile stuff gets left home.

_______________________

To answer your question it would be useful to post up what you plne to ride and what sort of riding you do.

Secondly many riders by cheaper gear, then replace it with better stuff as they learn from their mistakes. You're generally better to avoid the lower end stuff if you can afford to.

Back to you for more info.

[shadow sol]

check out quaismoto.co.nz, hamilton based and really helpful, i wear a leather jacket gloves and boots when ever i ride - jeans when riding to work, then leather pants and back protector if im out for a ride.

you wont need a full on one piece race suit - if you buy a 2 piece you can get them so they Zip together when need be.

as for leather being hot - i wear a vengeance (quais) jacket and find that with the vents open in summer its nice and cool.

put it this way a set of leathers might cost a bit more but at the end of the day which would you rather be in if you crash?

[nosebleed]

+1 on the QuasiMoto recommendation. and they're local to you. i travel down from Akl specifically to get my gear from them.

I'm sure brett (and/ or Paula) will take the time to go through all your questions.

yes. dress for the crash
yes. 2 piece for the wee-wee stops

[CookMySock]

If you are just going to hum around on your 250, all you really need is a tough pair of Jeans, $150 textile armored bike jacket, leather bike boots, and some leather gloves.

If you are going to commute on it during the winter, you will need a warmer jacket, and rainsuit to go over the lot.

If you are going on an all-day open-road ride, then wear some solid knee armor over your pants, at least.

Thats your minimum gear list, but hey if you see some shithot gear you like - buy it!

Steve

[sinfull]

You could be a hard arse and ride around in steelcaps, jeans, Ridgy demin jackets and work gloves like we did in the 70/80's !
We were so cool man, you just couldn't imagine how cool ! Sure we came off and smashed the knees, hips and shoulders up and copped a bit of gravel rash, but we were tough and hey ya heal (sorta)
But fuck we looked cool !!
Funny how things change though aye !
Now i find it hard to kneel beside my bike, My shoulders cop a lot of pain if i ride more than a couple of hours !
If i dare ride in just jeans now even on a warm day, i have a lot of trouble walking for at least two days afterward, due to the wind chill gettin in (could be looking at knee and hip replacements in the near future)
But fuck we looked cool !
If i could do it again knowing what i do now, i'd look stupid as, with the hell knee, shoulder and back armour, padding that made me look like a woman with child bearin hips ! (Wasn't a big selection back then, dont even remember ever seeing knee armour, but then we were too cool to want it anyway)
Beauty of being who you are, you still have some freedom of choice !

[WEST777]

hi there, thanks for the feedback guys. i've got my eyes on a 1 piece suit from alpinestars that looks mint, just sorting out costs at the moment though. (would like to buy gloves and boots too) i was a little worried that the leathers on a hot day wouldn't breathe, but it sounds like they do! and i have thought alot about the toilet thing too, as i consume alot of water (more than the average person), and couldn't think of anything worse than having to take the whole suit off!! i'll just be using the 250 as a weekend thing on back roads, just to get used to the feel and bike and move into busier areas from there, totally hanging out for a 600cc+ bike as this is why i decided to get my licence!

[sharky]

In my opinion you can't be over-protected.
Good advice from "Tankslapt" Up to you to weight up what will work best for you.
Most leathers are perforated so they do breathe a bit. I have leathers and textile gear. Only other thing I would add is it takes a bit more time to climb into leathers, which is the main reason I don't wear mine all the time.