Motorcycle clothing ?

[Sprocket]

Some great ideas out there, and a good onrunning thread, good to let people know just what is becoming available and where the best prices are.

Me, well to start with, I have thickish leathers but they have no provision for padding, so what I am looking at getting is this sort of thing ;

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/XXL-Motocross-...item414c579889

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Skiing-Snowboa...item414d2f4cb5

The sort of stuff that can be worn under clothing, or if I am feeling particularly mind full, over the leathers. I quite like the bug like exoskeleton look. Also I am looking out for motocross boots, but helmet, probably a full face road type lid.

[CrazyCarl]

You could take one of those and turn it into an ant suite! Just get a black helmet and glue some old windshield wipers on for antennae!

If you're on a budget, main thing is to get helmet, boots and a couple different types of gloves. After that I'd say good jacket and then pants. Elbow and knee pads can be had for cheap as well...I've always wondered how the foam football/soccer type of knee pads would work under a pair of jeans. May give you some impact protection but would likely slide off if dragged across the ground. That's another point... be sure the jacket you get has a way to tighten up the cuffs. I had a buddy go down wearing a normal leather jacket but when his arms contacted the ground the cuffs un-buttoned and the whole sleeve slide up above his elbows making it TOTALLY useless for protection. Major road rash on his hands, knuckles and the entiere length of his forearm up to the elbow (forearm rash was the worst and very deep with that white color). Zip down cuffs if you can!

CC

[davidqc]

In the UK, LIDL have been offering some fantastic biker gear. Real quality on a budget - I'm cleaned out!: http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/S...offerdate=8675

[jape]

You jammy buggers! Winter is coming down-under and I need all of that stuff - worked it out to be at least double the price here for similar quality. So if this gear is still available and any of you lot over there want a bottle of scotch, I want someone to get a 'birthday present' together for me 9to save customs problems) and send it over to me down-under, seriously ... XL jacket, gloves, black rainsuit, set of underwear, I will pay all costs upfront.

In the UK, LIDL have been offering some fantastic biker gear. Real quality on a budget - I'm cleaned out!: http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg/S...offerdate=8675

[Sprocket]

Well, to update, my bike is just about finished and I have started the protective gear hunt. So far I have the Caberg Trip/Rhino lifting face helmet and a pair of old Sidi motorcross boots. Everything works with my current leathers, but now I am looking for the armour and feel I will be going down the motocross armour route, the mesh and joint protector jackets and trousers to wear under my leathers. For when it rains, I have a British army surplus goretex rain suit, £20 all in, and good because it is made from the heaviest grade of goretex fabric, ( So, I will look like a mobile cabbage, but as long as I am dry, I don't care ). Gloves, I have the AARD kevlar jointed gloves.

Has anyone any suggestions how to soften up leather motor cross boots, for mine are a tadge stiff and I feel like the wrong trousers in them at the present.

Also, has anyone fitted padding to leathers that don't have pockets for padding ?

Everything I have and intend to get, is black, including the bike....What about visibility to other drivers you may ask, well, to that I will also be wearing a solid dayglo yellow vest over the leather jacket, for the reason that as a driver in the past, a mishmash of bright colours confuses the eye, and especially bright colours with writing or decals on, they create interest in what is written, not interest in keeping away from the biker. So, I am going on visibility defined by contrast, dayglo yellow on a non reflective black back ground.

Mind, given that drivers seem to be trained to recognise red as stop or danger, I wonder if a dayglo red is available.

[jape]

My jacket is like a waistcoat and bright dayglo red, as common as yellow in Aus and cost me just about 5 quid from a bicycle shop! It also has reflective stripes for night which glow very well. If you can't find anyin UK let me know and I will send you one!

You like black on your gear ( I do too ), so for an extra coupla quid on Ebay you can get black 3M tape which is sticky backed and stiff but flexible enough to go on curved objects like helmet and bits of the bike like suspension. This tape looks black in daytime but shines white at night. PM me your address and I will send a sample piece I had left over.

This is what I am saving up for: kevlar leggings
Draggin GREY KEVLAR LEGGINGS

[moilami]

This is what I am saving up for: kevlar leggings
Draggin GREY KEVLAR LEGGINGS

Uhm, why do you think those trousers are good?

[jape]

This kind of kevlar is meant to be nearly as good as professional leathers for abrasion in a slide and is full cover rather than just some places like in most re-inforced jeans. Also I can choose any kind of trousers including tailored on some (rare) occasions when riding, instead of having to get kevlar reinforced jeans and cargos and having to change clothes if I am having to dress up for a visit or an appointment. The climate in this part of Australia is such that I can use a motorbike happily nine/ten months of the year without extra bad weather gear. Summer is hot but with thin cotton pants on top these leggings should be ok in a breeze, better than thick leather anyway.

[moilami]

Ah, ok, safety and comfort. It is a difficult compromise to do well. I personally just think that impact protection is more important than abrasion resistance for street or trail riders, so I was a little bit puzzled. Could be insteresting to see some statistics of wounds street motorcyclists have got.

[jape]

I have some light armour (plastic/mesh) I wear when I am riding right off the road. I am not comfortable in it and would prefer some built in I think. Might get some CE hip and knee pads and velcro fix them, it seems to be as good as pockets made specially for them.

Those leggings are soft after washing apparently so when working on the block in the cold I could wear them more than just when riding, i.e. when chainsawing ( I do a bit most days). That is the theory ...

Yeah, the compromise is always difficult especially when you just want to hop on the 'bike on a short trip. I always wear my leather jacket but often wear just jeans for such trips - which I KNOW is stupid.

Talking anecdotaly only, my neighbour rides a m'bike every day to work and his wife who is a long experienced nurse around the world says that since the use of helmets most injuries that aren't total mincemeat or plain and simple write-off crunches are lower body and nasty to fix with muscles torn and ripped down to the bone, skin rubbed off and fibres from clothes all mixed in ... she enjoys painting a horrible picture to us over dinner.