Any bikers out there?

bazola

bazola

bazola

Associate
Joined
31 Dec 2003
Posts
207
Location
Midlands
Evening

Been looking at doing my direct access and jumping on a bike. Nothing too powerful as I dont want to die just yet!!!

No idea what safety gear to go for really. Been looking around and reading a few reviews. I was very suprised to find that Dainese and Alpine star didnt very well for the 2 part leather review in ride mag some months back. They were the ones i was looking at!!

What do people think of HIDEOUT leathers?
Also a good helmet SHOEI XR1000?
Gloves (Havent got a clue)
Back Support (Havent got a clue)
Boots SID Vertigo.

I dont know anything about this stuff, and I could really do with some advice from people who have personal experience. I have only being going on what the books say and I dont want to buy the wrong stuff.

Personal safety is very important. If you have any personal experiences falling off etc and how your safety equipment held out that would be ace

Cheers Guys and Girlz

Any Advice and Opinions welcome
 
The most important thing with bike gear is the fit, not the brand.

These plokers you see riding around in the latest Dianese leathers, Arai lid etc that don't fit them properly are asking for trouble. Saying that though, it's always wise to wear a quality brand.

All the brands you mention are excellent.

Leathers: Dianese, Frank Thomas, Hideout, Hein Gereke etc. are all good off-the-peg makers. Regarding the back support. Any decent set of leathers will have a protector that is specifically designed for that suit. You may have to pay extra for it.

Gloves: Anything by the above will do you. Don't go mad though. You can easily spend £200 on a set of gloves.

Lid: Shoei, Sumoi, Arai, Craft, Dianese, Simpson, Shark etc. are all good but the shell shapes vary immensly. I can't wear Arai or Shoei lids for example but I fit Craft and Shark perfectly.

Boots: SIDI Vertebra I think is what you mean and yes they are an excellent boot if you have narrow feet. If, like me, you have wide feet then Alpine Stars are a better bet.

Just don't go getting you hear set on a specific brand as it may not fit properly.
 
Make sure you try stuff on before deciding on it.

For what it is worth, I've got:

Shoei XR1000 (and an old Arai RXX7X)
Alpine Star boots
Hein Gereke 2 piece leathers and custom made 1 piece race suit
Dianese something-or-other gloves

I'm very pleased to say that I've no experience with falling off my bike.
 
Ive got the Shoei shaped head, they are the only ones that fit comfortably.
Leathers, ive got Heinz Gerkin 2 piece, nice fit and very good quality.
Same for the boots. Gloves wise its Alpinestar GP-Pro's.

Just try as much as you can, find ones that fit and are comfortable. Remember you could be wearing the stuff all day.
People argue that a £80 lid is as good as a £300 lid, but then you factor in how much lighter and quieter the £300 lid is, and you then see why its that price.

Robb
 
Buy a spine protector from Knox it will be well worth the money. Get yourself one of these. No faffing about, just do it.
The only other piece of advice I can give you is buy the very best that you can afford. Never skimp and scrape when it comes to safety.
My leathers held up very well to a low speed off during a track day a while back and the armour that was in the arms meant that I never felt a thing when my elbow went down :D

My mates ride around in leathers that look as thick as bin liners and with second hand lids :eek: I get called "the poser" because I chose to spend my money on decent kit rather than cheap tat :D

Also, what bike are you thinking of getting once you've passed your direct access course?
 
Cheers guys. If anymore of you want to post that would be ace. I am trying to get a good picture of things and general kit advice before buying.

I dont really know what I want yet in regard to bike

Maybe an SV650s or Suzuki GSR600 although I cant afford more than £3000 so the second one is out of the question at the moment
 
Shoei said:
People argue that a £80 lid is as good as a £300 lid, but then you factor in how much lighter and quieter the £300 lid is, and you then see why its that price.

Robb
Click to expand...
This true but I found a clone of the Shoei flip front helmet made by Takachi which appears to be identical for £100. It's motorsports approved too so I reckoned it can't be all that bad. Weight and fit are identical, well pleased with it and it's made better than the Caberg Justissimo.
 
Jonny69 said:
This true but I found a clone of the Shoei flip front helmet made by Takachi which appears to be identical for £100. It's motorsports approved too so I reckoned it can't be all that bad. Weight and fit are identical, well pleased with it and it's made better than the Caberg Justissimo.
Click to expand...

Exactly, they're all safe enough.

AND a £100 lid I'd replace far more readily than a £300 lid.

A lid's useless once you drop it, bang it, have a silly low speed off, and if you think 'erk, I haven't got £300 for another lid' and keep riding with it, you're asking for trouble.

Don't skint yourself on a lid, make sure you can replace it as soon as you need to if it comes to it!
 
I have the CBR600, its nice and powerful when you want it to be and quite a nice town bike too, I have no problems filtering and riding it slowly either :)

I have a friend with an SV, obviously the CBR is faster, I personally think the CBR looks a lot better too, for £3k you will find a good CBR, mine was £2200, on a 99 plate with only 18k on the clock. Very happy with it so far :)
 
I always buy Arai, nothing to do with brand,just find them an excellent fit.
I have the Sidi Vertigo Corsa's best boots i've ever worn.
Frank Thomas Jacket (watch the zips)
Richa Trousers.

As you can see I dont go for one brand, just whats good and comfy at the time.
 
Need to dig out the article in Superbike mag, where they went to Shoei's factory in japan.
Shoei test the "clone" lids and found that they didnt meet the basic requirements. Read what you will from that, but i'd rather spend £250-£300 on a helmet that i know will meet or exceed the required standards.

Robb
 
Hi guys,

I am thinking I may go for some Frank Thomas 2 piece leathers or spend the extra and get some Hidout 2 piece. Some of you have concerned me about remarking on the zip's on the frank thomas leathers

Do you think its worth spending the extra for the hidout leathers?

Cheers
 
I've been told that Arai and Shoei do the spike test on various places of the helmet, even at the side of the chin section. The only compulsory place to do the test (to conform to british standards) is on the actual cranium section of the helmet. Factor into that the points that shoei makes and i know where i'll spend my money. :)
As most people have said mate, just go and try on as much stuff as you can and see which is the comfiest for you. Its all pretty personal stuff really.
 
Major_hangover said:
just to clarify, i've had three frank thomas jackets and the main zips have let go. not saying its a design flaw probably just my bad luck.
Click to expand...

Too many donuts tbh :D :D

Lets forget about brands and reviews and costs for a second.

1st off, buy yourself the best protection that you can afford.
A good quality brain bucket, leathers, boots and gloves can last you a very very long time. Regardless of what leathers you buy ..... take the spine protector out of it and buy a seperate one. You will not believe how much safer you feel. A good quality boot will stop your feet from becoming twisted and reduce the risk of your feet being snapped should you be unfortunate to come off. Try and buy a pair that has a good quality polycarbonate/plastic outer shell that will protect your feet in the event of a spill. Leathers can vary, but I would always suggest going for a well known brand. You would normally find that these will have things like and extra thickness of leather around the arse area, armour in the shin, shoulder and elbow regions too. Gloves are down to a personal preference. I paid £210 for mine and they feel fantastic everytime I put them on. (Kangaroo skin is very tough yet extremely strong). They just seem to fit really well for me. Buy a lid with a gold sticker on it ( is it ACU approved or something?) and for christ's sake make sure that it is a snug fit. When buying a set of leathers "really" try them out. Pretend you are sitting on a bike and bend around in them as much as possible. Sure they will soften in time but just make sure they don't pinch anywhere.
Reading reviews is all very well but a lot of the time we can't afford the kit that they are wearing. Don't rush into buying anything, take your time . :D
 
Good thread. Im a complete noob to this too and want to take my CBT asap. Just not sure where to start. I dont even know about brands at all. I have heard that rather than leather, you can buy a material that is like leather but waterproof and just as good if not better than leather. Is this true?
 
sniper007 said:
Good thread. Im a complete noob to this too and want to take my CBT asap. Just not sure where to start. I dont even know about brands at all. I have heard that rather than leather, you can buy a material that is like leather but waterproof and just as good if not better than leather. Is this true?
Click to expand...
If you mean a textile like thick Goretex then yes, that's what I ride in day to day. I don't have leathers.
 
its not as good as leather for falling off in (I wouldent have thaught) but great for commuting with, then save the leather for sunday blasts. Never skimp on helmets, you only get one head. Go shoei or arai. The non budget shark lids are good to. I have all alpinestars, sidi vertabre (the mk 1's that squeak) and a foggy shark.
 
Cheers guys. You have been a great help.

Feel free to post your advice. I will keep checking the new posts to get further advice.

Probably going to go and buy a GOOD lid, gloves and boots on Saturday.

Leathers I am still not sure. I dont know whether to buy £1000 hidout leathers or go for some Frank Thomas or something. I really dont know what to do

Ride gives the HIDOUT 21/21 where as the best others only get 13 tops. Can you really put a price on safety?

My head is hurting too many numbers !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom