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The right gear


mykeee1880
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just read fahren account of his accident and am truly glad to hear he is ok ( see topic Gutted but Glad ).It set me thinking - when I 1st got my bike I promised myself I would get the right gear to wear but never did. I live in a country where i don't even have to wear a lid but ALWAYS do.

My question to you all is what is the best gear to buy for a country where the weather is regularly in the 40's (damn Hot) .

What would you recommend Boots upwards remembering my pockets are not bottomless.

Mike

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When sliding down the 'cheesegrater' surface of tarmac, there is still nothing better than leather.

However, there are other options...

Vented leathers are my choice.

I have a Frank Thomas Tourino leather jacket with perforated panels that allow so much airflow that you forget you're wearing it. It also has full armour.

FT make a set of trousers that match.

I got mine brand new at a show for £30 (it retailed for £180), because it was "last season's stock".

Another fantastic option is Draggin Jeans.

Kevlar lined, they make trousers, jackets and other stuff, most with provision for armour too.

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It's a tough question is this.

I'm lucky, I have a shite but well paid job, and to cap this my missus is a teacher as a couple we have spare cash.

I have a number of options, as I ride all year, and have different bikes.

I have a set of Teknic leathers with elbow, shoulder, knee and hip protection - it's the thicker leather. I also have a Knox back protector, the new Aeges one. This is a great setup, but only on nice warm days as the leather is very well vented. This is my choice of attire for the XJR, as my speeds are a little higher than the other bikes.

For everyday riding I use a combination of Akito leather pants and a Hien Gericke Master V jacket, again protection all over the place, back, elobow, shoulder, knee, hip. I carry some good quality waterproof overpants to help keep out the rain or extreme cold.

I also have a HG rally Suit, this is a bit heavy and has a detachable linning so the air can pass right through it, again full body protection. I use this when travelling, it's very good at dealing with extremes of temp.

Off-road, I have a full knox body suit - protects forearms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders, back , kidney, chest, hips (front and back), coccyx. I also use knee/shin protectors as well as HG Tuareg MX boots - I can work the bike, but walking is a bit funny!!

Lids I always wear, I have a shoe flip front for the XJR, Shoe Hornet for the Tenere and my older Aria Tour-X for off-road

Gloves I have a pair for all occasions (like shoes!!) from vented warm summer things to full on heated winter gear.

What should you wear?

If you know the sort of accident you are going to have, then tailor your gear to match - trouble is we cant, so we all have to balance the risks.

Slow speed spills, gloves are going to be the first thing that hits the ground, so good palm protection (don't worry about the knuckle stuff, it's no help when you come off!), if the bike land with you then your legs are going to be pinned between the bike and the ground. Leather wears best, but a sturdy set of boot with good ankle protection and some hip/thigh protection is the very least. Higher speed, you are either flying, or sliding, mostly on your backside, but you could end up on your front so it's impossible to say what's best. Of course a full set of body armour is best, if you can afford it, but it is restrictive and in the heat you are in, thei sleads to another point.

saftey comprises of two areas, active and passive. Active is the stuff that stops the road wearing away your skin, we've talked about that. Passive is more along the lines of preventing the spill in the first place. If you are uncomfortable, or cold then you are more likely to make a mistake, so being comfortable with less protection might actually be better than having an accident with all the protection. It's a bit of a paradox.

Training can help. Here in the UK we have many places people can go to learn skills that keep them alive, IAM, ROSPA or BikeSfae are the best known.

What you must do, is balance the comfort, ability and impact protection to give what is best for you - it's all about how comfortable you are and how best to spend your cash.

PS - As tskmaster says, shows are a great place to pick up 'last years' styles at knock down prices, still the same good quality, just a different colour!!

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I recently started taking my oldest son (he's just turned 5) out in the fields on my trials bike.

He sits on the tank in front of me.

Even though speeds are low, first thing I did was to buy him a helmet. Got him measured and made sure it fitted well.

Gotta be safe no matter what.

As everyone else says, watch out for sales. I got him an RST moto-x style lid for £29 in Hein Gericke's sale.

He loves it, its his pride & joy. Only problem is he's even more determined that he wants a bike of his own now!! :D

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