My first Motorcycle and gear... critique within

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Jacket: FirstGear Kilimanjaro 4.0 Textile Mesh

Gloves: Alpine Stars GP Pro

Pants: FirstGear HT II Overpants

for a helmet, i am not positive, i would love an Arai, but i need to focus more on what fits me than the name brand. i know the Arai fit well, but i was unable to try on a Scorpion, which ive read good things about as well. I know they are on 2 different price levels, but IMO it is more about fit and comfort than price.

the bike will be an SV650. i fit extremely well on them, and the bike felt great when i sat on it.

anything you would suggest instead?

i havent decided on boots yet, if i will buy boots, or just a nice, stronger shoe to wear.

thanks for the help so far guys.
 

essasin

Platinum Member
Mar 4, 2004
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Do you have any experience with bikes? If you are really concered about safety I would suggest to get a more forgiving bike. Sure, there are people that will tell you that you could hop on a 600cc bike right off the bat, but any experieced rider will tell you that even a 250cc is more than enough for a starter. It personally took me 2 years before I out grew out of a 250cc. Of course there will be the punks that will say you ride a girls bike, but this is the way to go if you are serious about it. You are not going to pop open a bottle of Dom the first time you taste champagne....you gotta work your way up there.
 

teddyv

Senior member
May 7, 2005
974
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76
If you plan on riding it at all get an Aerostich (aerostich.com) for the suit and either the Sidi Touring boots or Aerostich's Combat Touring boots. I've got about 125,000 miles on motorcycles (mostly BMWs) and in all my riding experience have not come across a better suit than the Aerostich, especially if you'll be doing multiple-day trips or long hauls. Seems expensive up front, but as I can personally attest, you will never regret paying a bit more for truly good gear. The boots are a bit more up to the taste of the rider. Personally I like the BMW Gore-Tex enduro boots but when it comes to long hauls or weeklong explorations nothing can beat a well-worn pair of Combat Touring Boots.

As for gloves - I like the BMW Gore-Tex gloves. Completely waterproof, breathable, excellent comfort and protection.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: essasin
Do you have any experience with bikes? If you are really concered about safety I would suggest to get a more forgiving bike. Sure, there are people that will tell you that you could hop on a 600cc bike right off the bat, but any experieced rider will tell you that even a 250cc is more than enough for a starter. It personally took me 2 years before I out grew out of a 250cc. Of course there will be the punks that will say you ride a girls bike, but this is the way to go if you are serious about it. You are not going to pop open a bottle of Dom the first time you taste champagne....you gotta work your way up there.

if i wasnt 6'3 i would be on a 250.

i sat on one the other day and my back/arms/legs were in a VERY awkward position.
 

michaels

Banned
Nov 30, 2005
4,329
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I wouldn't recommend a 250 even for a noob unless you are very small. You will be tired of it after a month or two. A 500 Ninja or Nighthawk would be a good starter.
 

mattpegher

Platinum Member
Jun 18, 2006
2,207
0
71
Ok so you want a sports bike. Just remember to take you time. Resist the urge to speed. I still suggest a good situp style bike, and agree with essasin try a smaller engine to start.
 

ValValline

Senior member
Feb 18, 2005
339
0
0
Helmet: You have the right attitude. Fit and comfort is the most important feature. Each manufacturer and each model is shaped a bit different. If the Arai fit you well, then the odds are a Shoei might not, because they both cater to different head types (long oval vs round). Still try as many different brands/models as possible.

The rest of the gear you have selected looks good. As mentioned above higher level gear like Aerostich will last longer, but you don't have to buy the very best to be well protected.

You bike choice is excellent as well (I ride an 04 SV650S) :D, but if you have never ridden before there are better choices out there. The biggest draw backs for a new rider getting an SV650 are the engine braking of the V-Twin (down shift one to many gears, drop the clutch, and you will lock the rear wheel) and the brakes which are strong enough to lock either the front or rear in a panic stop situation. More forgiving bikes (Ninja250/500) will give you a much larger margin of error when you do make a mistake (and everyone does from time to time). That being said don't let the engine size fool you. The 647cc V-Twin in the SV is nothing like a 600cc Supersport power plant. It makes much less horsepower (70 vs 100+), but it provides a lot more torque across the rev range. I love my SV because I can cruise the twisties in 3rd gear and easily run between 35-65mph with plenty of pull.
 

essasin

Platinum Member
Mar 4, 2004
2,777
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Originally posted by: MIKEMIKE
Originally posted by: essasin
Do you have any experience with bikes? If you are really concered about safety I would suggest to get a more forgiving bike. Sure, there are people that will tell you that you could hop on a 600cc bike right off the bat, but any experieced rider will tell you that even a 250cc is more than enough for a starter. It personally took me 2 years before I out grew out of a 250cc. Of course there will be the punks that will say you ride a girls bike, but this is the way to go if you are serious about it. You are not going to pop open a bottle of Dom the first time you taste champagne....you gotta work your way up there.

if i wasnt 6'3 i would be on a 250.

i sat on one the other day and my back/arms/legs were in a VERY awkward position.


lol I didn't know you where that tall. I would go with a 500 because they have more than enough go and are still forgiving. After you outgrow the bike its you can go move on up to a 600 and eventually intp the 1000cc class. But if you really like the sv650 just ride safe and don't ever push it anytime soon, even if you do feel very confident.
 

MaluMan

Member
Nov 23, 2002
183
0
0
Also check out http://www.imotorcyclestore.com/ if you know what you want in the size you want, they have prices sometimes cheaper than newenough. I like newenough's return/exchange policy so I stick with them if my local shop doesn't have what I'm looking for to try on.

I have the original HT overpants, can't complain about them. Its always said you should wear bright colored jackets/helmets ... that was one of my reasons for not getting the Kilimanjaro series jacket...Aerostich is great, if you can afford it ... but something is always better than nothing at all.

Get a pair of boots!
 

jagec

Lifer
Apr 30, 2004
24,442
6
81
Buy boots! You don't want a shattered ankle. Boots are just as important as a jacket IMHO.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,456
854
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Originally posted by: michaels
I wouldn't recommend a 250 even for a noob unless you are very small. You will be tired of it after a month or two. A 500 Ninja or Nighthawk would be a good starter.

That SV650 probably wouldn't be too bad either. The riding position is fairly upright, not like a sport bike.

I would get the best riding apparel you can afford.
 

TBone48

Platinum Member
Feb 23, 2005
2,431
0
0
I'd look into the aerostich suit if I were you. I've been riding for about a year and have gone through 4 different jacket/pants combinations so far. I'm trying to save up for a 'stich since I haven't heard anything negative yet about them.

As far as the bike goes, the SV650 is a good choice, IMO. Just make sure you take to an empty lot and practice panic braking and swerving. You want to burn those maneuvers into your muscle memory.

Lastly, I just got a Scorpion helmet. For my head shape, it's awesome. I almost don't notice it. Ride safe!
 

teddyv

Senior member
May 7, 2005
974
0
76
Love my Stich, I actually have had two - bought my first used for $200 off the IBMWR Marketplace. Sent it to Aerostich for a $90 renovation and it served me well for two years from snowstorms over Newfound Gap, hurricane-force winds/rain on Prince Edward Island and even 115-degree weather stuck in slow traffic at Tappan Zee bridge. I won my second at a Rally in Georgia, that served me well until it sacrificed itself protecting me from what could have been a far different outcome had I been wearing a suit of lesser quality/protection. I wrote Andy Goldfine a nice thank you note after that :)

Now I still have my old grey one, still waterproof and with the new pads, still fully protective.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
well...

i would rather have good everything than great this, and decent that.

i like the glove suggestion, i think ill go with the Racer highend gloves.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo
I'm confused, weren't you about ready to purchase a GTO just a little while ago?

i have been ready to buy all kinds of stuff, so dont worry bout it :D
 

firebyyrd

Senior member
Mar 15, 2006
761
0
0
Ninja 250cc.

My first bike. It's easy to handle, quite fast too, don't understimate it.
Second bike... ZX-6.

I'm 5'7... so these bikes are quite comfortable for me. Personally I really recommend the ninja 250cc, don't start on such a big bike, bad things happen, just start small and work your way up... I've learned like that and I feel much more secure on a ZX-6 then other people who hit the big bikes right away.

About your gear, would you consider leather? I think a leather jacket would be a much better choice in my opinion.
 

MikeMike

Lifer
Feb 6, 2000
45,885
66
91
Originally posted by: firebyyrd
Ninja 250cc.

My first bike. It's easy to handle, quite fast too, don't understimate it.
Second bike... ZX-6.

I'm 5'7... so these bikes are quite comfortable for me. Personally I really recommend the ninja 250cc, don't start on such a big bike, bad things happen, just start small and work your way up... I've learned like that and I feel much more secure on a ZX-6 then other people who hit the big bikes right away.

About your gear, would you consider leather? I think a leather jacket would be a much better choice in my opinion.

it would be if i wanted something extremely heavy, warm, etc. and not suitable for any condition cleveland might throw at me.

also, you are 5'7 throw another 6" on top of your height, and you cant fit me on a 250. how many times do i have to say it?
 

Journer

Banned
Jun 30, 2005
4,355
0
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i would NOT reccoment ANY mesh type jacket....i had a NICE joe rocket mesh jacket w/ CE pads and all...and my arm got FCKED up in my wreck...other than that one side comming undone and falling into threads it held up nicely...

i agree with previous poster...dont spend so much on gloves...some $30 leather/mesh ones will be fine...

as far as pants... iwas wearing some old navy jeans, lol...they held up pretty good...i god some cuts on my leg...but nothings too bad...

shoes: uhhh...i was wearing some leather dress shoes...ankles and feet are fine...

helmet: mine was an HJC cl14...saved my noggin....it is priceless to me...buy a good helmet...dont skimp :)

the bike: i started on a 650 KLR...i thought it was a good learner :p...i dont know much about crusies...but from my experience i dont see why starting on a 600 is a big deal...i was doing fine on my vfr750 with only a 8mo of exp before getting it...granted i did wreck...but i dont agree that it was 100% rider error...road hazards and what not :p

anywho...just my 2cent...

btw i was going 55-60 and laid it down around a corner ... :p

edit: i spend 150 on my jacket...if i could go back and spend an extra 100 on leather i would have...would have saved thousands to my insurance company... :(