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Gear for newbies?


Wojo72

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I am looking for suggestions for riding. For my class I picked up a pair of gloves and a $10 DOT "birth control" helmet off of the clearance rack at Iron Pony. Once I get through my class what should I put on my must have list?

Helmet?

Boots?

Riding glasses?

Etc

2014 Vmax? LOL. Just kidding.

Thanks

Wojo

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Dumb question. How do you keep from overheating in full gear?

i wear mesh gloves, jacket, pants all have kevlar liners except the gloves which are leather palms. As long as you moving it's cooler than squid gear, because it also keeps the sun and wind burn off you skin.

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Dumb question. How do you keep from overheating in full gear?

Purchase gear that is breathable! If that is the case, as long as your moving you are cool. The stoplights/stopped traffic will kill you.

 

Beyond that...

 

Minimum: Eye Protection.

Recommended: Boots, Overpant/Pant, Jacket, Gloves, Helmet.

Ideal: Boots, Overpant/Pant, Jacket, Gloves, Helmet, Camera.

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Bicycle shorts under mesh overpants and a dry fit shirt under a mesh motorcycle jacket is actually cooler than you would think. As stated above, it keeps the sun off of you, but it allows the wind through the suit. Remember: Dress for the crash, not for the ride.

Edited by Connie14
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The only thing you necessarily need to buy new is the helmet. Get the ECE-rated Icon helmet from Revzilla or Motorcyclesuperstore for $150.

The rest of the stuff, $500 could get you top shelf lightly used gear (ebay, or even better fotum classifieds. ) I just wouldn't be able to trust a used helmet..

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I live in Phoenix, I ride in full gear (1000wt cordura pants, jacket, full face helmet, leather gloves, riding boots).

Good gear breathes. Most important thing is stay hydrated. Ride in places where you move constantly, not stop and go. If you can't handle it, go home asap and chug Gatorade. (I have a can of the powder at home all the time).

Remember, its much less painful, and much less expensive to sweat than it is to bleed.

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Minimum

Jacket, Gloves, Full face helmet and ankle high riding boots and long pants. I am rethinking riding pants as a minimum too as I crashed in a parking lot on a dirt bike over the weekend wearing jeans, they did not tear but I did need 13 stitches in my leg.

Edited by zx3vfr
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Dress for the fall, not the ride. If you need motivation look up skin debridement procedures that they will do as they pick pebbles out of your butt. Nobody looks cute after that. Blew most of my funds on getting the bike this year so I picked up a textile jacket, cheap Scorpion full face, kevlar reinforced jeans and $50 ankle high riding shoes. Planning on upgrading gear over off-season starting with helmet. Motorcyclecloseouts.com sometimes have some decent deals on the cheap.

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Having recently been in a low speed low side, I can tell you I'll never ride without gear ever again. I've made excuses in the past, but never again. My gear (mostly) did its job and saved me from anything worse than a few minor friction burns, a sore shoulder and a fractured pinky.

 

On a semi-related note, why is it that every decent textile jacket I've seen has CE elbow/shoulder/back protection, but the leather equivalents, often from the same manufacturer usually do not? I'd like a full leather jacket for the better abrasion resistance w/o settling with the likelihood of a shattered elbow if I go down again (knock on wood).

Edited by Phreon
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At the very minimum wear a helmet EVERY time you ride. For newbie riders, most accidents occur at low speeds and within a few miles of your starting point. So that "I'm only going across town, I don't need a helmet" idea is bs. It doesn't take much force to crack a skull.

Don't be afraid to put some money into gear. Good helmet, good jacket, boots and gloves will set you back a few hundred at least. But even if you spend a grand or two on gear, that is WAAY cheaper than what you'd pay in medical bills and general misery if and when you go down. A $200 jacket will save you thousands in stitches, pain meds, X-rays and who knows what else.

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