Riding gear - clothing

[Vtekkers]

Just bought my first big bike Bandit and need to get some decent rinding clothing / but dont want to be a power ranger

i have some alpinestars boots i picked up of FB marketplace last year when i had my 125 and doing the Mod's

but would like new top/jacket and bottoms any recommendations i wont be using the bike in winter and wet but will get caught in showers when out and about, not commuting just riding for enjoyment

[julian64]

Job done

[trickywoo]

Slightly more seriously you can't go too far wrong with mid range RST leathers.

Have a look at sportsbikeshop in the RST leathers section. A zip together jacket and jean option you like the look of there will be hard to beat.

[modellista]

Official naked bike uniform is jeans and leather jacket, no?

My Merlin jeans wear just like Levis and the thin D3O armour is almost imperceptible. Other brands are probably pretty much the same.


Try Goldtop if you want a classy jacket that'll last a lifetime. Sounds like you're sorted for boots.

Urban Rider stock both and have easy free returns. Ditto Motolegends. If you've got loads of space on your credit card, order loads of stuff in loads of sizes, have a trying-on party at home and send most of it back.

Maybe keep some cheap waterproofs on the bike for unexpected rain showers. Or just get wet.

[black-k1]

Have a look at kit that is AAA rated and see from that what you like (and are happy to pay for.). If it's not waterproof then buy a simple over suit, one or two piece, as works for you.

[ChocolateFrog]

I picked up some Dianese kit second hand, rrp was £400 for the trousers and I doubt they'd been worn more than 10 times, cost me £70.

[modellista]

black-k1 said:

Have a look at kit that is AAA rated and see from that what you like (and are happy to pay for.). If it's not waterproof then buy a simple over suit, one or two piece, as works for you.

I wouldn't restrict myself to AAA for road riding.

[black-k1]

modellista said:

black-k1 said:

Have a look at kit that is AAA rated and see from that what you like (and are happy to pay for.). If it's not waterproof then buy a simple over suit, one or two piece, as works for you.

I wouldn't restrict myself to AAA for road riding.

Safety kit and its A, AA and AAA rating is about minimising the outcome after an event has happen, Why do you think that the outcome after an event on the road will be less than the outcome of an event elsewhere (track I assume)?

It's an individual choice each of us make but I'd only look at less than AAA rated kit if I really couldn't find something that was AAA rated.

[boyse7en]

Everyone has their favourite brands (personally, I like Dane gear)

There are three basic options with motorcycle clothing

1. Leathers
2. Textiles
3. Jeans and jackets

With a Bandit, options 2 or 3 are probably what you are looking at. Textile suits will give you the best protection when it comes to the weather, but if you are a fair-er weather rider then jeans and a jacket are generally more comfortable and easier to wear off-bike (shopping, cafe, work etc).

When it comes to jeans there are plenty of options at a variety of price points -PMJ, Merlin, Weise, Oxford, Alpinestars, Dianese etc. I've had pairs from a variety of different brands and they all wear similarly whether they are AA or AAA rated, so once you have decided on what safety rating you want you can buy on price and style.
For jackets, go to a dealership and anything they sell will be CE-approved as safety gear suitable for use on a bike. Price vary wildly depending on brand and material - you can get an LS2 jacket for under £100, up to £1000+ for a Rukka.

[KTMsm]

Either go to the nearest big shop and have a look or look on Facebook and eBay and see what pops up

Plenty of choice from leather to textile to Kevlar denim etc

[Vtekkers]

Thanks there is some interesting stuff to take into account which never thought about or crossed my mind ( different safety ratings )

im not really looking for specific brand/s and i will take second hand stuff no problem just what i can afford and is comfortable to be in for a while ( i would rarther a second hand better safety rated than a cheaper lower rated product )

looks like the best bet is to go to a motorcycle clothing shop try a few bits and see what sizes and fitment is like then look what's available second hand

is there anything to makers brands that are a 100% stay well away from ( like the generic ebay and amazon stuff )

im liking the look of the this style gear or maybe leather jacket with this style bottoms



and thanks for all the differnt outlets to have a look at

Edited by Vtekkers on Thursday 27th April 10:17

[modellista]

black-k1 said:

Why do you think that the outcome after an event on the road will be less than the outcome of an event elsewhere (track I assume)?

Because the difference between AA and AAA is only the speed at which the 4 second slide time is calculated. I do think slide times as single measure of safety are more relevant for track riding than road riding.

On the road I'm spending my concentration on looking out for collisions with other vehicles. The concept of ending up sliding down the road hardly enters my head - for the kind of riding I do it's extremely unlikely, and I am confident that AA gear will offer sufficient protection from slide at my typical road speeds should it occur.

Track riding is completely different, with the objective to corner as fast as possible, a low side or high side with subsequent slide is far more likely than on the road, while a collision with a car is obviously not a concern.

If collision protection was part of the AAA standard I would be more interested. As an example, I'd rather wear an AA jacket with an airbag rather than an AAA jacket without. As it is, I'm happy to consider AA as protective as AAA for the kind of riding I do. Your mileage may vary

[black-k1]

modellista said:

black-k1 said:

Why do you think that the outcome after an event on the road will be less than the outcome of an event elsewhere (track I assume)?

Because the difference between AA and AAA is only the speed at which the 4 second slide time is calculated. I do think slide times as single measure of safety are more relevant for track riding than road riding.

On the road I'm spending my concentration on looking out for collisions with other vehicles. The concept of ending up sliding down the road hardly enters my head - for the kind of riding I do it's extremely unlikely, and I am confident that AA gear will offer sufficient protection from slide at my typical road speeds should it occur.

Track riding is completely different, with the objective to corner as fast as possible, a low side or high side with subsequent slide is far more likely than on the road, while a collision with a car is obviously not a concern.

If collision protection was part of the AAA standard I would be more interested. As an example, I'd rather wear an AA jacket with an airbag rather than an AAA jacket without. As it is, I'm happy to consider AA as protective as AAA for the kind of riding I do. Your mileage may vary

The completely unscientific evidence suggest that a road accident resulting in a slide is actually not that uncommon...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Using the AA plus airbag vs. AAA is, I'd suggest, daft. There is no rule that says you can't have an AAA outfit with an air vest, which is the best option of all from those mentioned.

Safety is a personal thing but if anyone is investing in safety gear, then why would you not try to get the safest? Why invest in safety that you know (by the only standards based measure available) is second best?

[marksx]

modellista said:

Official naked bike uniform is jeans and leather jacket, no?

Glad I'm complying with uniform standards

I have weise jackets. A normal leather one and a textile waterproof one. Both great quality and weren't overly expensive.

I have some cheap textile over trousers for when it's raining.

[KTMsm]

As others have mentioned look at the safety rating not only of the jacket but of the armour, I've upgraded the armour in my older jackets

Personally I wouldn't touch any of the unknown makes on eBay, Amazon etc

[Krikkit]

trickywoo said:

Slightly more seriously you can't go too far wrong with mid range RST leathers.

Have a look at sportsbikeshop in the RST leathers section. A zip together jacket and jean option you like the look of there will be hard to beat.

I'd agree with this - their ranges are very good and sensibly priced, I've got 2x RST sets now and they're excellent.

If I was buying again I'd have a Sabre airbag jacket: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...
and matching jeans with the knee sliders left at home for minimum power ranger vibes: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

Or if that's too much then a pair of denim-style, but they're less well protected: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/... and Fusion airbag jacket https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

[TimmyMallett]

I'd add, make sure you try stuff on. There is nothing worse than buying something you like the look of/is cheap/is expensive/is shiny but is uncomfortable. I'd wager an annoying uncomfortable item adds to your distraction. Online buying is ok but make sure it's free returns. Or travel to a stockist to try before you buy.

[modellista]

black-k1 said:

The completely unscientific evidence suggest that a road accident resulting in a slide is actually not that uncommon...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Using the AA plus airbag vs. AAA is, I'd suggest, daft. There is no rule that says you can't have an AAA outfit with an air vest, which is the best option of all from those mentioned.

Safety is a personal thing but if anyone is investing in safety gear, then why would you not try to get the safest? Why invest in safety that you know (by the only standards based measure available) is second best?

Cool thread link there, thanks. Crash tales are few and far between so it's good to read a few collected together. Indeed a handful of examples of sliding on the road, certainly it's possible. I'm struggling to see any example where AAA would have prevented injury compared to AA. What's notable is how well the kit stands up to sliding, whether textile or leather. Except for the guy that went down wearing actual Levis, and even then the result of a 10m slide was "a couple of grazes"!

"Safety is a personal thing but if anyone is investing in safety gear, then why would you not try to get the safest?"

The safest thing is to drive or stay at home.

I said I would prefer AA+airbag over AAA without airbag to make the point of difference between abrasion and impact. I didn't mention AAA plus airbag which is obviously theoretically better.

The debate here is, does AAA give you significantly more injury protection *in a real world situation* than AA for the riding that you or I as an individual do? AAA certification is not rocket science, you just put more layers of kevlar in a pair of jeans, for instance. At the cost of making the item more bulky and less well-ventilated. Plenty of excellent manufacturers make good kit at AA which suits my riding habits, and the benefits of said kit outweigh the theoretical increased risk of skin abrasion, which is all the A ratings indicate.

I'm not going out on my W650 wearing a set of one-piece leathers. I might wear my AAA RST jeans and airbag leather jacket. Alternatively I might choose a lighter-weight AA Belstaff jacket and AA Merlin jeans because it's a very sunny day and I'll boil over in the AAAs. And it's a more stylish outfit. Which I'm not afraid to admit is a consideration - I might be going out to a social event and don't want to look like I've just got off a bike, which is difficult to do with AAA gear.

Or it could just be that I'm a mentalist and want to die.

[Catnapper]

Get in the sales section of Sportsbike shop.
If like me you're not too fussed on latest colour schemes etc there are some bargains to have

[ujio]

Krikkit said:

I'd agree with this - their ranges are very good and sensibly priced, I've got 2x RST sets now and they're excellent.

If I was buying again I'd have a Sabre airbag jacket: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...
and matching jeans with the knee sliders left at home for minimum power ranger vibes: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

Or if that's too much then a pair of denim-style, but they're less well protected: https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/... and Fusion airbag jacket https://www.sportsbikeshop.co.uk/motorcycle_parts/...

Thanks for this heads up on RST. I've been out the game for a few years and it looks like nowhere really sells Dainese or A Stars as a 2 piece set for leathers and as a result you're looking to shell out £800+ for leather jacket and trousers on their own!

OP, also take a look at www.fc-moto.de, it seems a lot more reasonable for the brand names but you may get hit with customs duty as we are now out of the EU!