Bike Apparel / Helmets

BlackTigers

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2006
4,491
2
71
I just got my Motorcycle permit....and I'm going to the bank to withdraw some cash in a little bit to go visit a nice 08' Ninja that's calling me.


Before I make that trip....what do you guys recommend for some gear?

FWIW, THIS store is like 5 minutes from me if you guys can find anything there.

I need the whole shebang, but a helmet will be good enough for the ride home. I've always used dirt bike helmets, so I don't know what to look for in a street helmet. Full face preferred....and suggestions?

Yeah, yeah...MSF course blah blah. I'll get to that eventually.
 

Fenixgoon

Lifer
Jun 30, 2003
33,056
12,448
136
Here's what I wear:

KBC Force RR full face helmet
Shift Streetfighter Jacket
Joe Rocket Ballistic 5.0 (link is 7.0, but close enough)
Joe Rocket Reactor Gloves
Vega Sport II Boots


I prefer to be covered head to toe. I am *all* about motorcycle safety, and part of that is good gear. I chose gear I thought would stand out - colored/patterned clothing to make me more visible to traffic.

The most important thing is to get a helmet that fits (rest of gear too, but helmet is most important). Have someone take measurements on your head and help find a helmet that will fit you properly. Something like 50% of all riders wear the wrong size helmet, and god forbid you have to use it, it won't protect you properly if it's the wrong size.

The online store you listed didn't show much - hopefully the B&M offerings are better. Here are some good online places that sell gear:

bikebandit.com
motorcycle-superstore.com
revzilla.com
newenough.com

I've used the first 3 and actually met the guys who own revzilla (great guys, helped me get my helmet. took measurements of my head and all).
 
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Occ

Senior member
Nov 11, 2009
276
0
76
A lot of stores I've been to actually have policies where they won't let you buy a helmet unless one of their staff helps you with it and makes sure it fits properly. Pretty cool.

Don't cheap out - a couple good brands for helmets are Arai and Shoei. Full face helmets are the only kind I would consider, the 3 quarter hybrids make me think the front could snap off or something. Keep in mind you'll probably have to get a tinted visor separately. Although some guys just wear sunglasses underneath the clear visor. It's unfortunate you are on a time table, if you can take the time to look around you could get "old" new gear (like last year's model of helmet) at a significant discount (known as a closeout).

For bare bones gear you should also have ankle high boots of some kind (work boots with steel toe work), a leather jacket, and gloves.

Take the MSF and get frame sliders, and keep us updated. =)
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,550
940
126
Cycle Gear is also very good. I've purchased a ton of motorcycle gear from them and they have a very good return policy.

I've always worn a full face helmet personally. Did you know that if you go flying over the bars the second part of you to hit the ground will be your chin? So, if you aren't real fond of your chin and lower jaw then go ahead and wear a half helmet.

I rode through a swarm of bees this morning at 65mph. It made me glad that I was wearing my leather jacket and gloves along with my full face helmet, jeans, and boots. I have bee guts all over my clothes from the helmet down to my boots. Now try to imagine that scenario wearing only a half helmet, t-shirt and shorts.

I'm a member of svrider.com and there is a poster there who crashed this weekend wearing full leathers. Look at the pics of her gear and tell me how you think she would have fared if she were wearing a t-shirt and shorts with no helmet. Here's the link. http://forum.svrider.com/showthread.php?t=125910

The great thing about leather is you can crash in it and wear it again as long as the seams and zippers hold out. You cannot do that with textile gear.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,550
940
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What kind of Ninja? 250 hopefully?

And yes, take the MSF course. Honestly, you should do this BEFORE you get a bike.
 

BlackTigers

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2006
4,491
2
71
Ninja 250, yes. I almost went for a 500....but I'll have more fun on the 250.

I have steel toed boots that cover my ankles, so im good there. I'll get full leathers eventually.....but for now I'm good with a hemet. THe MSF course will most likely happen this fall, I know how to ride a bike pretty well so I'll just youtube some MSF lessons for now to get a feel for the jist of the course, I guess.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
36
91
At the very least, you'll want a helmet, jacket, and gloves in addition to the boots you already have.

Here's what I ride in:

- Arai Vector helmet
- Brooks motorcycle-grade leather jacket (12 years old now, the style is out of production)
- Unlined leather motorcycle gloves with padded knuckes
- Timberland over the ankle work boots
- Jeans

A good pair of ballistic pants isn't a bad idea, but since I don't ride the sort of bike where I'm going to be dragging a knee, I skimp a little on that aspect.

Definitely go with a full-face helmet as others have mentioned. While any helmet is better than none at all, the full-face helmets offer a good amount of protection against expensive dental work that other helmets just can't.

ZV
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,550
940
126
Ninja 250, yes. I almost went for a 500....but I'll have more fun on the 250.

I have steel toed boots that cover my ankles, so im good there. I'll get full leathers eventually.....but for now I'm good with a hemet. THe MSF course will most likely happen this fall, I know how to ride a bike pretty well so I'll just youtube some MSF lessons for now to get a feel for the jist of the course, I guess.

Glad to hear that.

Definitely take the MSF, riding a dirt bike is quite a bit different than riding a street bike. I rode a bike a full year before I took the MSF and I got a lot out of it. Honestly, I would recommend you take it as soon as you possibly can, it will teach you things you've never even thought about.

I wear:
Shoei RF1100 helmet
Alpinestars leather jacket
Sidi Air Vertigo boots
Dainese Hellfire leather gauntlet gloves

This is really the minimum I wear when I ride as it doesn't take a long time to get ready to ride and it isn't constricting or uncomfortable except on the hottest days of the year yet it offers decent protection should something happen.

Luck favors the prepared.

Just click that link I posted above if you have ANY doubt at all about my last statement.
 
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Occ

Senior member
Nov 11, 2009
276
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76

BlackTigers

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2006
4,491
2
71
newenough.com




Good luck, you'll need a lot of it with your MSF attitude.

lol, what attitude?

nobody i know who rides has taken the course, and they're all fine and dandy.

I even said I'm taking it lol, just not right now. my state has a (practically) free one thats booked until august in my county, and I'm not paying $500 if I can wait two months and take the same class essentially free
 
Sep 7, 2009
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lol, what attitude?

nobody i know who rides has taken the course, and they're all fine and dandy.

I even said I'm taking it lol, just not right now. my state has a (practically) free one thats booked until august in my county, and I'm not paying $500 if I can wait two months and take the same class essentially free



I went off of your first post, which seemed to have an 'it's not a big deal' (as does this post) sorta attitude.


The statistics behind the MSF are jaw-dropping. The book explains them all, I don't recall off the top of my head, but you have like a 50%++ higher chance of crashing if you haven't taken the MSF. Maybe some of these people are just a bit more safety minded or whatever, but in my experience the people that will "take it later this year" are the ones that end up on the side of the road.

Add to that, it sounds like your friends are a bunch of squids too. Don't pick up their bad habits.


Seriously, I've stopped riding with people like this. I hate to be a dick about it, but search my past posts. I've been riding a (relatively) long time, and every spring it's the exact same lame excuses.


$500 won't even pay for the ambulance ride man. Just sign up for the damn course, you gotta pay to play.






At least you picked a good starter bike, I was happy to read that..
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
36
91
The statistics behind the MSF are jaw-dropping. The book explains them all, I don't recall off the top of my head, but you have like a 50%++ higher chance of crashing if you haven't taken the MSF. Maybe some of these people are just a bit more safety minded or whatever, but in my experience the people that will "take it later this year" are the ones that end up on the side of the road.

Add to that, it sounds like your friends are a bunch of squids too. Don't pick up their bad habits.

Seriously, I've stopped riding with people like this. I hate to be a dick about it, but search my past posts. I've been riding a (relatively) long time, and every spring it's the exact same lame excuses.

$500 won't even pay for the ambulance ride man. Just sign up for the damn course, you gotta pay to play.

At least you picked a good starter bike, I was happy to read that..

More than just "some" of the people who take the MSF class are "more safety minded".

I will say straight-up that I recommend the MSF class very strongly to all new riders, but the facts are that, because it's self-selecting, the statistics around it are worthless. It's simply not in any way valid to claim that the MSF course is responsible for the variance in accident rates; there are far too many other variables that just aren't accounted for.

He's buying a 250 and even when he considered a larger bike he was looking at a 500 and not a 600, which shows a good degree of intelligence and responsibility in itself. He's ridden dirt bikes and has some baseline experience and he's soliciting information for proper gear. Cut him a little slack.

The excuses I typically see come from the "I just bought a ZX6R" or "I just bought a 'Busa" crowds. Yes, the MSF course is a good idea, but he's doing everything else right I don't see any indication of a flagrant disregard for safety from him.

ZV
 

Occ

Senior member
Nov 11, 2009
276
0
76
More than just "some" of the people who take the MSF class are "more safety minded".

I will say straight-up that I recommend the MSF class very strongly to all new riders, but the facts are that, because it's self-selecting, the statistics around it are worthless. It's simply not in any way valid to claim that the MSF course is responsible for the variance in accident rates; there are far too many other variables that just aren't accounted for.

The Hurt Report said:
35. Motorcycle riders in these accidents were significantly without motorcycle license, without any license, or with license revoked.

I would assume it's not really the MSF course, but the fact completing and passing it instantly grants you an endorsement that is statistically relevant.
 

BlackTigers

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2006
4,491
2
71
I'm taking the class, I'm really not sure what more you people want. I'm just not taking it right now, I'm 18 and if I can wait two months to save $500 - I will.

That said, I found a nice Arai helmet that I am going to try out tomorrow after work. Haven't gotten the bike yet though.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,550
940
126
I'm taking the class, I'm really not sure what more you people want. I'm just not taking it right now, I'm 18 and if I can wait two months to save $500 - I will.

That said, I found a nice Arai helmet that I am going to try out tomorrow after work. Haven't gotten the bike yet though.

We want you to remain alive...which kind of contradicts the hoard mentality around here that says you should be able to choose if you wear a seatbelt when driving a car or a helmet when riding a motorcycle.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,514
36
91
We want you to remain alive...which kind of contradicts the hoard mentality around here that says you should be able to choose if you wear a seatbelt when driving a car or a helmet when riding a motorcycle.

Just because I want someone to wear a helmet or a seat belt, doesn't mean I think they should be forced to do so. It's a fine point, I'll admit that, but it's still a separate issue from safety.

ZV
 

angry hampster

Diamond Member
Dec 15, 2007
4,232
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www.lexaphoto.com
newenough.com


I LOVE this website! I got my Firstgear Honcho jacket from them a couple years ago and initially bought the wrong size. They have such an incredible return policy and customer service that I recommend them to every rider I know.

I also recommend Firstgear. My jacket is very thick though..almost unbearable in summer heat, but I've never seen leather of as high of quality.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,550
940
126
Just because I want someone to wear a helmet or a seat belt, doesn't mean I think they should be forced to do so. It's a fine point, I'll admit that, but it's still a separate issue from safety.

ZV

Get back to me when you have a kid of your own. I'd prefer that my son doesn't have to learn that seatbelts save lives by sacrificing his own.

The fact is that these laws are a minor inconvenience that benefit everyone and I, for one, am perfectly willing to accept this infringement on personal freedom...but we've been over this before.
 
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BlackTigers

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2006
4,491
2
71
Get back to me when you have a kid of your own. I'd prefer that my son doesn't have to learn that seatbelts save lives by sacrificing his own.

The fact is that these laws are a minor inconvenience that benefit everyone and I, for one, am perfectly willing to accept this infringement on personal freedom...but we've been over this before.

Me not going to an MSF class the second I jump on a bike is not a law, nor is it even required...
 

Nessism

Golden Member
Dec 2, 1999
1,619
1
81
One common fallacy that many shops push is how more expensive helmets protect better than cheaper ones. For example: an Arai or Shoei will protect you better than a HJC or Scorpion. This is simply not true however the better brands make really nice helmets with outstanding fit and finish. The key thing is to wear the gear all the time. Things like knees and ankles are quite vulnerable so don't forget boots and maybe some knee guards.

Good luck.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,550
940
126
Me not going to an MSF class the second I jump on a bike is not a law, nor is it even required...

We briefly got off topic and were discussing helmet/seatbelt laws...not the MSF.

Do you have your motorcycle license? Taking the MSF waives the DMV riding test which was worthwhile to me. Not sure why you're saying it costs $500, it only cost $250 here in CA to take the MSF course.
 
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