did my CBT today and it was seriously ace! I did it on a CG which I felt was a bit too small for me. When we were going down the country roads at 60 with the high winds, it felt a bit of a struggle. Had to really be careful when slowing down. At the beginning, had a massive problem with getting the right biting point when moving off. But after a while, suddenly got it and had no problems. When going round town etc, it felt really good. Haven’t driven a car for ages but quickly started getting back all the hazard perception stuff. Didn’t have any major problems, though I feel I need to make sure I slow down fully when going into corners.
So am now looking to get all the gear. Riding around in jeans and trainers made me decide I really need to get the best I can afford. Would be great if you could give me some advice.
Helmet - Shoei XR1000. Tried it in a shop and it felt a lot more comfortable than the Arai Condor. It’s online for £165, worth buying?
whilst these are good, they are rather expensive. Anyone got a better recommendation?
Gloves - What should I go for?
BIKE!
Like I said whilst I could happily ride the CG round town, I would feel more confident riding a bigger 125 on the country/high-speed roads. The Varadero is good, but having real problems finding a second hand one. Anybody know where to find one in the York area? The other option is the CBR 125, what are peoples’ thoughts on that bike?
I know it’s a v.long post but would be really grateful for any advice you can give!
pretty much anything shoei and arai is good, which of the two you go for is all about personal fit. Dainese is great for clothing, however comes with quite a high price tag. could always try alpinestars. ixon is great value for money, try and steer clear of frank thomas. congrats on getting your cbt done.
just had a look at your links on ur post, could always try the puma boots most on sale at hein gerick at the moment, could be worth a shot, i bought mine at full price and never regretted it and they saved a broken ankle, also check out dainese boots, they tend to be quite cheap and very warm and waterproof with quite a casual look but by the looks of those leathers you posted up might not be what your looking for
dont forget you dont just have to go for leathers, textiles offer close to the same protection and 125 speeds and offers more versatility. many being waterproof
I remember the feeling when I was on my way home after the CBT day! So good that I recorded a description of it onto my phone and play the recording when I’m feeling stressed or sad to help me remember ‘my happy place’.
My gear and come comments -
Jacket - Weise Nimbus - which has proven great so far.
Helmet - Shoei Raid ll - bought in store after advice on LB against buying online due to reduced peace of mind about the helmet’s condition.
Never buy one second hand! Actually, it doesn’t matter, it’s only your head! :blink:
Gloves - Tucano Urbano Super Insulator - waterproof so far and not too bad in the cold, although I have found that silk inner gloves (sold separately ) help!
other - Neoprene neck/ chin wind protector - indespensible! I couldn’t find it once and had unpleasant (cold neck/ chin) rides all day.
Just bought some boots and will be getting trousers soon.
hi mate, am in middle of my DAS :)have the same Shoei XR1000; very pleased with it (but maybe should have got the multitech with flip-up lid as i wear glasses)
as i am learning in winter (although it is mild out) and i will be commuting on motorways in all-weather, i went for Hein Gericke GTX textiles, not cheap but seem to be well made and give me confidence, most reviews in the press rate them very highly for winter use - the only gripe i would have with them is the crash protection is on the soft side but you do feel snug
hoping to save up for some leathers for better weather
Bear in mind (as you probably are!) that different makes of clothes, be they textile or leather, don’t all suit everyone.
I wear textile stuff and find that H-G jackets suit me better than Weise, for example, purely because the neck-fastenings on the Weise jackets cut across my throat!:w00t:
strange you mention that…i forgot to mention that my HG Cruise GTX jacket has a far to narrow neck fastening, had to buy a neck warmer to ease the irritation on my neck after a long ridei might even have to extend the neck with some more velcro its that bad; and i only have a 16" neck size!
Cheers for the advice. Whilst I understand that textiles offer greater funcionality especially for Winter riding, I think to be honest I am going to be a fair weather rider. I feel leathers greater protection at my price range than equivalently priced textile jackets. I tried on the jacket last week and I felt confident in the skin tight feeling that Leathers provide.
Stupid question, can you wear jeans under leather trousers? Would like not to have to walk around in leather trousers all day if I am out.
Also, if you could get a brand new Varadero for £2900, would you buy a new one over a second hand one? What will end up having the lowest depreciation cost as I am only intending to keep it for 6 months max?
IMO you could probably get a recent reg Vara with only a few miles on the clock for less than that price. One that would certainly last you for 6 months and not lose much value (although I suppose that depends a lot on the condition you keep it in ).
Still looking!
Just saw that the London Motorcycle Show is on next weekend. Do you think it will be a good idea to go down there and get all my gear? Do they tend to offer much bigger discounts than those available currently?
i would go with the 2nd hand one if its temporary as you wont loose the vat once you put a mile on it. you could go down to the show for the experience and pick up what you like if you like anything but from most people view it doesnt sound to be too great from last years impression. why varedero??
I’m sure many will disagree with me but I don’t think a show is the best place to buy your first set of biking clothes.
If you go to a shop you will not be involved with the inevitable scrum of the show and will have plenty of time and space to try on lots of different jackets, trousers and boots with more attention from the sales staff.
When you know what suits you and need to replace it in the future, that’s the time for buying at a show.
Yes, you may get a bargain at a show but most good shops have a wide range of good-quality stock at prices to suit most pockets.
This really is just my opinion - not necessarily the only one.
Welcome, and congraulations on passing the CBT! yes the varadero is a good bike for someone who is bigger framed, although it is a bit low on power evenutally, it will do if you dont intend to do much dual cariageway stuff. Although I noted you are in York…maybe a more sportier bike might be better if you are not doing much town work, the Hyosung 125 is a bigger 125…You can pick up quality ones for £1900 from a dealer easily…
As for gear, yeah try everything on and see what suits really, especially for the helmet, whichever you buy it will be good, but only if it fits properly, an ill-fitting £400 helmet is worse than a fitted £150 one.
If you are thinking about jeans, try ‘Draggin’ jeans, they have kevlar lining and are pretty good, I use them all the time when i am not using leathers, they are great for pub-runs etc. Jeans definitely wont go under leathers…textiles/overtrousers yes, leathers, no.
i agree about avoiding Frank Thomas gear, everything i ever brought from them has fallen apart within weeks. Since then i’ve never brought another item.
hey mate, i am on a CBT at the moment as well so ill give you a lowdown on what i got after i passed.
bike-wise i went for the CBR125…although some other bikes were cheaper such as the honda XR125, i wanted a bike that looked the part…or close enough. other options i think are the hyosung and the aprilia RS125 if you are looking for bikes which give a impression of much faster speed [the cbr does that quite welll…most of my freinds who dont own bikes are wowwed…lukily they havent seen a CBR off the lights against a 500cc+!]
for my gear, i got all my clothing from hein gericke…a matt black nolan helmet which was £100…which does the job imo, but with helmets i think its down to individual preference.
i do like the carberg ones…they have full flip up chin and a tinted visor u can slide down whenever you’re bedazzled by sun/headlights.i dunno about their protection though, better to ask mre experienced riders!
i bought some normal gloves from hein gericke, i just asked for the lightest pair that could still survive me through the winter…they wer elike 20 odd quid.
for jacket i got one of these http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/products_id/2642
you can wear it under or over clothes…i usually do t shirt, HG jacket and then a light raincoat to prevent any windchill.its as lightweight as you can find, and had back,elbow and shoulder protectors
HG also do some jeans style bike trousers which i thought were pretty cool,but if not you can do like me and just get some normal armoured textile trousers…they have a removable lining for cold days and i wear tracks or jeans underneath fine…just find your right size!
I’ve had a frank Thomas Titanium jacket that I have used pretty much everyday for the past 2 years (and thats also taking on and off loads when going out at night as well), its getting a little worn around the edges and also needed the zip replacing, but all in all its been a goodun.
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