armour

[stuman]

hi guys, in the coming months i'm going to be undertaking my full motorcycle test bits. Just as a thought to work out how much i need to save for the bike and all the gear is there an item available that acts like a leather jacket (safety wise) that would fit under a normal jacket. i say this as i have a nice weather-proof jacket i use for cycling that would work well for keeping the elements out however lack any sort of protection. (http://www.endura.co.uk/Product.aspx?dept_id=123&prod_id=141)

so a slim fitting armour vest of some kind?

also with helmets is there much difference between the £500 lids and the £350ish ones?

ie. is it worth going for an **** rx7gp lid or save a few quid and go for a range or 2 down?

i'm not going to be racing track days but my daily commute and maybe a little weekend riding etc.

also, what is peoples experience with finance, the banks won't touch me for an unsecured loan however i have yet to try for finance secured again the bike itself. is this generally easier to get approved for? does the size of the deposit help?


thanks again.

 

[stuman]

thanks for all the replies. yeah i kinda understand now that the cycling jacket is maybe not the wisest idea.

what i had planned was get a good lid now, and then after a few months of saving get a good leather jacket. i guess i could save a few pounds on the lid and invest in some nicer textile bits.

the bikes i'm looking at;

triumph street triple
ducati monster 696
aprilia shiva 750
kawasaki er6n
fz8 (maybe)
BMW f800

something along those lines. budget anywhere between 5 - 7.5k is what I'm looking at.

but once i have my licence i'll put a few hours in test riding them see which one fits best.

 

[stuman]

thanks again guys.

i'm starting to see that maybe the saying "buy cheap buy twice" doesn't apply to bike like it does to other stuff.

as for fit of a lid then, what should i be looking for? will most shops selling lids be able to guide me through this process?

the list of bikes was not exhaustive just to give you an idea on what i "think" i want.

ok, so if i was to get a ******* of a first bike which one will return well fuel wise and be a good learning tool? also which bikes do dealers give good part-x for, or is it all pretty much the same?

would you guys go for 500 - 700cc for the first one or would something like a ninja 250 do the same job?

ohh, i'm 25 and have been road cycling for 5 years. a pain in the ass cyclist for the first 2 years then had a bit of a scare using my hip and shoulder as breaks from 25mph after a taxi driver pulled a SMIDSY on me. since then it's opened my eyes a bit as to our vulnerable out there! but touch wood clean slate for 3 years.