Budget for CBT gear?

elrasho

elrasho

elrasho

Soldato
Joined
12 Jan 2009
Posts
6,453
I'm going to do my CBT and need to budget everything from the bike to clothes. I've got £1600 for a YBR, £300 insurance. That leaves about £200 for helmet and clothes.

Can anyone recommend a helmet, jacket and gloves? I'll only be doing a 10mile commute with no dual carriage ways so I don't need any heavy duty clothes. Just cheap stuff that has the protection. I'm keen to get a back protector though.
 
elrasho said:
I'm going to do my CBT and need to budget everything from the bike to clothes. I've got £1600 for a YBR, £300 insurance. That leaves about £200 for helmet and clothes.

Can anyone recommend a helmet, jacket and gloves? I'll only be doing a 10mile commute with no dual carriage ways so I don't need any heavy duty clothes. Just cheap stuff that has the protection. I'm keen to get a back protector though.
Click to expand...

Just go to your local motorcycle shop and see what you can get for that money.

With a budget like that there's nothing I can recommend other than get a jacket, trousers, gloves, boots and a helmet.

You'll probably want a neck warmer too.

Trust me, if you think you don't need all of those at this time of year then you're in for a shock :p. It's freezing and road conditions are as bad as they get.

£200 for gear isn't ideal but probably doable if you don't care what you look like. If I were you I'd save a bit more money.
 
dont buy rst boots they dont last five minutes,try and buy weise jacket trousers and save for some quality sidi boots,my last pair lasted me 3 years and i ride all year round
 
£15 on 125,i bought a airoh flip up helmet for £70 off ebay brand new works great,but you can get £100 hjc or agv if you look around,nows the best time as they will be getting shot of last years stock
 
Last edited:
elrasho said:
I can stretch to £300. I understand the helmet is the most important. What's the road tax on a 125cc bike these days?
Click to expand...

Around 15 quid for the year from what I can remember. It will be cheap as chips to run, insure and tax a YBR.

As for the helmet, as long as it is comfortable and fits properly then you're usually onto a winner. You can pick decent helmets up for between 50-100 quid.

Edit:
Make sure your jacket, trousers, gloves and boots are waterproof for this time of year. You certainly don't want cold and wet hands or feet.
 
Last edited:
Please don't get a YBR they're horrible little bikes, had a go on one when I used to have my cbf125 and it was probably the worst days riding I've ever had.

The one I rode had only done 3k miles but felt like it had done much more, the speedometer needle wouldn't stay still even at low speeds and the engine seemed to have very little go in it in comparison to the cbf (which isn't exactly a speed demon).

Also avoid anything clothing wise made by Richa as both the gloves and trousers I've had from them have fallen apart after a couple of months of use (obv I could have just been unlucky but I personally wont be buying anything made by them again)

I can quite happily recommend these boots made by spada. Had mine for 6 months now and have had no issues at all, completely waterproof and quite comfy.
 
Last edited:
MonkeykingZX said:
Please don't get a YBR they're horrible little bikes, had a go on one when I used to have my cbf125 and it was probably the worst days riding I've ever had.

The one I rode had only done 3k miles but felt like it had done much more, the speedometer needle wouldn't stay still even at low speeds and the engine seemed to have very little go in it in comparison to the cbf (which isn't exactly a speed demon).

Also avoid anything clothing wise made by Richa as both the gloves and trousers I've had from them have fallen apart after a couple of months of use (obv I could have just been unlucky but I personally wont be buying anything made by them again)

I can quite happily recommend these boots made by spada. Had mine for 6 months now and have had no issues at all, completely waterproof and quite comfy.
Click to expand...

I know the feeling when you've had a bad time with a bike, but 99% other people say YBR's are awesome for noob bikers. Can you recommend any clothing though please?
 
No idea what sizes you are but here's some gear to consider...

these boots have been recommended by someone on YouTube. He had a crash, the boots did their job but were damaged and he bought the same boots again.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NITRO-SUP...39?pt=UK_Motorcycle_Boots&hash=item1e5fc54cbf

I have this jacket and think it's excellent. Removable thermal lining, though the high neck means I will be buying a summer jacket soon™. Also it has back armour as well as shoulder and elbow.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_n...2+blade&_osacat=0&_trksid=p3286.c0.m270.l1313

Helmets are nigh on impossible to recommend as peoples heads are different and not all helmets are suitable for everyone. The best advice is always...

A £50 helmet that fits correctly is better than a £500 helmet that doesn't.

I would not recommend buying a second hand helmet.

Kevlar jeans and some winter gloves are easy to find for good prices.

As for short journey with no dual carriage ways, 20 odd years ago I got hit on a small roundabout, someone didn't give way to me, and at around 10-15 mph I broke my ankle. The boots, and rest of the gear, I had on saved me from a far greater injury I am sure, considering the damage to the bike.
 
Again im going to be a Hein Gericke fanboy :)

I picked up a HG jacket for £80 a few months ago, waterproof and comes with a detatchable lining for colder weather. Ive never been cold since buying it only downside is that it didnt come with any shoulder padding but i was happily pointed to some inserts that work just as well.

And a HJC ZF-10, nothing to do with hein gericke but hey they had it on sale for around £75 which was a nice price for the quality of helmet.

And as Arctine said, definately get a neck warmer for the sake of around £10 you will feel so much better riding with one then without.

Best option is to pop down to a bike clothing store and try stuff on
 
I'd vouch against getting RST boots. I have some. Used them for my CBT & DAS and a few months of weekend rides (4/5 months) and the rubber where I have used the shifter & break has perished badly. I no longer have a bike so they will be used for other DIY/household duties!
 
hey Elrasho, where do you live? if your in a fairer part of the country then you don't need quite as heavy winter kit. Scotland is always way colder and wetter than Southampton.

One of the more important things I had when trying to buy budget jackets is arm length, I'm skinny and tall so all the budget kit just didn't fit properly. If the arm is too short then you'll get water down your sleeve where the jacket and gloves meet. Make sure the jacket fits properly. Um also you can get cheap warm layers from weird places. Gap sells thin merino wool jumpers for about £30 which are fine if they get a bit wet. Cotton is bad when wet so some thin fleece tops are handy as well.

I never found cheap bike boots that where waterproof, you could maybe look at some army surplus stores that sell heavy duty waterproof boots, they're usually pretty solid and I used them to ride off-road for years.

If you get a ybr you'll just end up wanting a bigger bike sooner, not really a bad thing :) £1500 gets a 2nd hand sv650 if you pass your test in the first year. But yeah you'll get bored on a ybr quicker than something more sporty.
 
DanF said:
But yeah you'll get bored on a ybr quicker than something more sporty.
Click to expand...

But with a YBR you'll have more money left for the big bike :)

The YBR is fun in its own way. When I started learning I had big confidence issues. The YBR took me past these and got me to the point where I could take the test with confidence. I couldn't praise the YBR highly enough. It's perfect for new riders. Its handing is so predictable that you can focus entirely on improving your riding.
 
DanF said:
hey Elrasho, where do you live? if your in a fairer part of the country then you don't need quite as heavy winter kit. Scotland is always way colder and wetter than Southampton.

One of the more important things I had when trying to buy budget jackets is arm length, I'm skinny and tall so all the budget kit just didn't fit properly. If the arm is too short then you'll get water down your sleeve where the jacket and gloves meet. Make sure the jacket fits properly. Um also you can get cheap warm layers from weird places. Gap sells thin merino wool jumpers for about £30 which are fine if they get a bit wet. Cotton is bad when wet so some thin fleece tops are handy as well.

I never found cheap bike boots that where waterproof, you could maybe look at some army surplus stores that sell heavy duty waterproof boots, they're usually pretty solid and I used them to ride off-road for years.

If you get a ybr you'll just end up wanting a bigger bike sooner, not really a bad thing :) £1500 gets a 2nd hand sv650 if you pass your test in the first year. But yeah you'll get bored on a ybr quicker than something more sporty.
Click to expand...

I live near Manchester. I know what you mean about the YBR, I'm planning on riding the YBR for a few months to get some experience then doing DAS in August and getting a bigger bike.

I was driving to work this morning and due to the excess rain there were MASSIVE puddles in the road, even by driving 15mph over them I made a big splash, would hate to do that when on a bike! I'd get soaked. This kind of stuff is kinda putting me off getting a bike :(
 
Yeah you have to be pretty hardcore to go out riding in the torrential rain, and the right gear. Most of us are more mild/sunny weather riders ;) puddles are usually ok, just ride around them.
 
arctine said:
Pfft.
Click to expand...

The only road crash I've had was about 12 years ago on a 125 in torrential rain, diesel on the road at a 10 mph hairpin :( some guy came to help me up and fell over as well :)

I've ridden a fair amount in the rain and it's crap without the right kit.
 
DanF said:
The only road crash I've had was about 12 years ago on a 125 in torrential rain, diesel on the road at a 10 mph hairpin :( some guy came to help me up and fell over as well :)

I've ridden a fair amount in the rain and it's crap without the right kit.
Click to expand...

I wasn't being serious, don't worry :p

There are times where I too think **** it, I'll take the car. Strong winds being the mainn cause of this. Usually rain isn't so bad that I don't want to ride in it though. Maybe 5 or 6 days a year at most I'll take the car because of weather.
 
some of us dont have the luxury (or burden) of choosing the car,but when your sitting in traffic in the warm think of me whizzing past you (but freezing my doodahs off)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom