Gear for a scooter rider

[ZK-Awesome]

Hi
Now that I've got myself a scooter pretty much confirmed, I'm going to need some gear. However, I don't have a lot of $$ to spend and I don't want to look like a big ol leather biker, just an average person crusing round town on a scooter (but still protected). I want something thin and not bulky.

I like the idea of these semi-open face helmets that I've seen round the place, that will protect my face but will still give good visibility. Can someone recommend a brand/model? I'd try to buy locally from a motorcycle shop.

As for jacket and pants, like I said I want something minimalist. I'm not going to hoon round in T-shirt and shorts like half the people I know who own scooters, but at the same time I'm not going to wear something that makes me look like I'd fit on a motocross track or in a biker gang.

With that said, I like the look of something like this:
http://shop.scootling.co.nz/index.ph...&productId=325

Apart from the price, is there anything out there like this but cheaper?

And, would I need something like this to have some degree of safety? Could I not just get a hoody and jeans or something?

[Nagash]

Well no one's ever gonna recommend to wear less protection so yes, a kevlar jacket and something of the sort would be useful. Just gotta think what kind of crash you're gonna get into, scooters ain't gonna boost too fast so if you fall of it'll be at 50-60, that said you can still loose alot of skin at that speed. Though a thick hoody and a good pair of jeans woild probably absorb most of that.

Thing you gotta worry about is cars crashing into you, at that point you're gonna want some armour, which is what a proper jacket would give you but they ain't too cheap. But not too expensive either,

$135 Jacket:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-137775846.htm

$120 Pants:
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-138593663.htm

Ultimately, it's your body. Good to see you want some sort of protection, but as long as you have thick, tough clothing covering your *entire* body I reckon you'll be alright for 'most' of the situations you're likely to get in.

[scootnz]

One of those jackets plus some draggin jeans http://www.thunderbike.co.nz/shopn:spi::TBIKE_1_DRJ would still look reasonably normal around town. If safety is important than dress for the crash, not the ride. Don't forget good gloves, and footwear.

[Badjelly]

Hi
I like the idea of these semi-open face helmets that I've seen round the place, that will protect my face but will still give good visibility. Can someone recommend a brand/model? I'd try to buy locally from a motorcycle shop.

You mean flip-face, ie. full face with a flip-up chin bar? (If you mean something else, then I have to ask "Are you so ugly you want your face scraped off?")

I have a flip face, a KBC FEC, that was $400 at full retail. I wasn't looking for a flip-face particularly, nor a helmet that expensive, but it was about the only thing in Wellington that fit my enormous, ill-shaped head.

The flip-face thing is handy, but after a few months of owning it, I dropped the partially-open helmet about 0.5 m onto a carpeted floor. It landed on the chin bar and bent the brackets so it wouldn't close. I bent them back OK and now the helmet closes and latches nicely, so I think safety is not compromised, but I've become a bit paranoid about damaging it further and never flip it up. So what I have effectively is a full-face helmet that's a bit bulkier and heavier than it needs to be.

Mind you, the convenience of being able to flip up the bar, rather than taking the helmet off, when you walk into a dairy is huge. So the flip-face idea is attractive, but I think you're better off with full-face.

And, as I alluded to above, open face is just not an option IMO.

[Weaver]

Wearing thick clothing won't help an awful lot if you have an off. I low sided a scooter once at about 30kms. I was wearing, ordinary jeans, work boots (the type with the elastic on the sides), T shirt, woolen jersey and an old leather dress jacket. Plus a full face helmet.
I managed to get a boot ripped off, take the skin off both elbows and knees, scuff up my palms and scratch the visor on the helmet.

I agree entirely with what scootnz said.

[pritch]

I didn't want to ride a scooter in big boots and full touring suit either.

A Fox enduro jacket seemed to fit the bill, it's lighter but does have some armour.

[Badjelly]

Round town these days I'm wearing a reinforced cordura jacket, reinforced cordura pants, Dri-rider boots, lined gloves with knuckle guards and the above-mentioned flip-face helmet I never open.

F**k me, I'm hot! I really need to get a more sensible summer outfit. The draggin jeans sound interesting.

[Romeo]

I crashed my BMX on the road and tore my knee down to the bone, aswell as rooting my hands for atleast a month. I wasn't even going that fast!

So I'm glad you've got half a brain and have decided to wear some gear! I'd say get some QuasiMoto Sliderz, they're very good apparently. I was going to get a pair, but needed some kevlar jeans at short notice so paid the extra $50 for some Draggins. (Or you could put up a "WTB: Kevlar Jeans" on KiwiBiker)

As far as gloves and boots go, just remember that if you can pull them off, then the road can pull them off too.

[Badjelly]

I crashed my BMX on the road and tore my knee down to the bone, aswell as rooting my hands for atleast a month. I wasn't even going that fast!

So now you wear full motorbike gear on the BMX?

Sorry to hear it, by the way. Sounds painful!

[ZK-Awesome]

I do like the idea of the Kevlar jeans, maybe a WTB topic is a good plan, as I'd like to avoid shelling out $179 for them.

I like the look of these lighter jackets on the Thunderbike website, like this Ixon Diablo textile jacket (attached pic)

As for helmets, I don't want a full-face one with a chin bar, I'd much prefer to have one that is "open face" but has a large visor over my whole face (pic attached)

[Dodger]

Well I own a Bike and a 50cc scooter.
On the Bike I wear full gear.

On the scooter I wear my armoured jacket (cordura) and gloves.

I feel a full face helmet is a must, unless you don't like your chin.
You can pick up a cheap one for around $100 (most people say cheap helmet for a cheap head, but in reality they all need to pass the same safety standards and you shouldn't be doing 100kph on the scooter) eg. http://www.motoretail.co.nz/product.cfm?ID=6141

In the end it's all down to what makes YOU happy, and even minimal protective gear is going to be better than 90% of the scooter riders in Wellington.

[ZK-Awesome]

Ok, point taken about full-face helmets. I'm really only looking at cheap gear, cos I'm never really looking to go into bigger motorbikes.

I think I'll get myself sorted with the safety gear before I pay back my parents the $300 or so I'll be owing them.

Can someone comment on these pants: They're more in my price range.
http://www.motoretail.co.nz/product.cfm?ID=6564

[UberRhys]

I feel a full face helmet is a must, unless you don't like your chin.

So true, after being taken out by a car and face-planting the bonnet and the road with a full face helmet on I can tell you that a pudding-bowl type open face job on your noggin would be plain insanity...

you shouldn't be doing 100kph on the scooter

Ummmm, why not? What I think you ment to say was...

you shouldn't be doing over 100kph on the scooter because then you will be breaking the speed limit

Hahaha...

[Dodger]

Ummmm, why not? What I think you ment to say was...

Nope.
I was assuming that it was a 50cc scooter, that *should* be limited to around 50kph (2Kw power) being a moped.

Ok, I have managed to get my 50cc past 90kph (that's as far as the speedo goes) on a slight downhill.

[ZK-Awesome]

Yip thats right, 50cc SJ50. Will be freakin sweet cruising round all the roads that I couldn't be bothered going to on my push-bike