I spent quite a lot on my gear.
You did, but the prices do seem to be all over the place and not where you'd expect the higher prices to be (like helmet for one) etc.
Now that I've passed, here is a breakdown of my costs, bearing in mind that I'd never ridden a bike 6 months ago (plus I failed my mod 1 first time, would have been about £95 less otherwise) and wanted some half decent gear.
Training
CBT: £125
Theory: £23
Mod 1: £573.50 (Test is £15.50 x2 of that)
Mod 2: £467.50 (Test is £75 of that)
Total: £1189
Gear (waterproof)
Jacket:
£139.99
Trousers:
£109.99
Boots:
£149.99
Gloves:
£74.99
Total: £474.96
I already had a helmet I bought a few years ago from J&S for a track day in the car (it's a bike helmet and hasn't taken any knocks) and I need to replace it but used it for training anyway, once I decide to get a bike I will spend a sizeable amount on a new, decent helmet (likely with sun glasses flip down as low / bright sun is really annoying).
Training + Gear: £1663.96
When in my gear I'm basically an RST billboard...but I found the gear to be comfy and fit well when I was in store so it seemed like a sensible amount to spend. I could have spent much less by picking up non armoured gear / really basic stuff however I figured I'd rather have some impact and weather protection without going absolutely nuts. Equally, I could have spent much more but I don't plan on getting a bike for the next 6-12 months so spending loads on gear which would have just sat around for some time seemed pointless.
E: Also, I fell off three times when doing mod 1 training in their dedicated mod 1 training area, all my gear held up well each time and didn't show any signs of falling off (didn't donk my lid). Then when I did my Mod 2 it was cold and wet (including flooded dual carriageways) and all the gear kept me warm and dry.
Personally, I see this as £1600 well spent and I am slightly gutted that I never did it 15 years ago when it was cheaper but then I'm also glad in a way as the training received and required these days is much better than I'd have had back then.
