Pete

OK...well these are the facts on it Alan. All of which are verifiable if you do a Google search. The list is huge....I'll just give you a few. Kevlar is 5 times stronger than steel on an equal weight basis. Kevlar is up to five times more cut resistant than leather, which is why it is used in the glass industry. Kevlar is used for small-diameter, lightweight ropes that hold 22,000 pounds to moor the largest U.S. Navy vessels Kevlar is used for shrapnel-resistant shielding in jet aircraft engines that will protect passengers in case an explosion occurs. Kevlar is used for industrial gloves that protect hands against injuries in glass and sheet metal factories. And finally...Kevlar is the technology of choice for bullet-resistant vests. Police officers have relied on it for more than 25 years. If there's an armed response unit sent out, they don't wrap themselves in material made from a cows ass. Cos that would be silly wouldn't it?

Then you're wearing what you think you should be seen in, rather than the most effective product. Modern corduras are lighter, cooler, more weather resistant, and safer than leather. I wear a leather jacket most of the time, unless it's hot or extremely cold. And I feel "right" in leathers. But there's times that they're not pleasant I'm afraid.

Leather isn't waterproof and is a nightmare in Summer. And if you wear Winter gloves and boots in the Summer you're going to sweat your bollocks off. Similarly, wear Summer gloves and boots in the Winter and you'll freeze. They're for different times of the year Alan....you don't carry them round with you. Ask yourself.....do you wear the same clothes in Summer as you do in Winter? Obviously not. And the same applies here....there's Summer riding gear and Winter riding gear...and you should have both.

Too much information there Smitty!

2 piece waterproof for Winter, and a one piece thin oversuit to use on top of your leathers/jeans if needed in the Summer. Something you can rollup and pack under the seat is best....cos leather isn't waterproof, so you can get caught out. And with the 2 piece cordura make sure you get one with a removable liner cos then it will double up as a Summer Jacket. Leather is the biz....but it's no use in the wet and a nightmare in hot weather.

Right...here's the answer...you need different types of kit. Here's the minimum: 2 piece leathers. 2 piece waterproof cordura. 1 piece rainsuit. 1 pair Winter boots. 1 pair Summer boots. 1 pair Winter gloves. 1 pair Summer gloves. Balaclava/Facemask. Quality helmet....ideally Arai or Shoei Apart from helmet don't worry about brands....they'll all do the same job and some brands are overpriced for what they are. And here's a tip....apart from a helmet you can minimise your outlay be buying good condition, second hand kit. There's loads of it about....usually expensive stuff bought by enthusiastic wannabes who found they couldn't hack it on a bike.

You haven't got a bike yet then Smitty. I tell you what, you can save yourself a lot of time on researching info by just doing a search for all posts by JohnR6. There's nothing on the face of this planet that he didn't ask.

A car!

What was Tigger doing on the floor at 6am? And Tomboys always seem to get hooked up with hopeless blokes!

And there's me trying to get my Gay Honda's exhaust note to sound like a ringtone!

Eddy's taking orders for KFC? Make mine a Zinger then! Oh Eddy....a message for you.....

You should have stayed home and done girlie stuff like flower arranging and making the tea. N_Tart swears by this regime!

You tell the fucking idiot Bazz!

You came to the right place mate! However I can't help cos I know fuck all about anything else other than cleaning bikes!

It's full of Homos I heard!

I've owned 13 Suzukis. Beat that!

Busters has been going for years mate. They were the original M&P.

Shit! This thread has run for longer than the bloody bike did!

No! Fuck off you stupid boy!

I had 2 400/4's and 3 750 F1's. Great bikes....never missed a beat.

Doesn't HondaClub.com have a nice ring to it? Could the owners be as cretinous as some other brands?

....then you'll get screwed by the manufacturers. What am I talking about? Well I'm referring to manufacturer's pricing structures and dealer networks. Because Honda dealerships tend to be solus suppliers (no other brands), the pricing structures remain constant. You don't see rival dealers slashing huge amounts off machines, and you don't see Honda dramatically dropping prices on new models like Yamaha have just done with the FZ6, Kawasaki did with the Z750, and Suzuki did with the SV1000. A friend of mine paid £7K for a Burgman in August....they're now selling new for £5K. Your investment just won't hold any sort of value. But Honda move slow models by bundling additional extras with it, so there's no knock-on effect on resale values. So you're protected. So....the message is clear....you want a nice Gay Honda you do!

PM a Mod Bazz!

I'm getting one of these!