New Kit - Where to begin?

[WAREGS]

right chaps,

as some of you may have read (or Not) i will be doing my test and aquiring a GSA next year (earlyish)

being new to the world of motorcycling i wanted to know where i should start with kit!

i realise it will be like alot of things in trying before buying etc. But where should i start.......

i will be after the following:

Lid (helmet)
Boots
Gloves
Clothing (preferably textile)

i'm a bigger built chap of around 5'10" i dont mind spending the money for a better product.

any help or recommendations would be greatly appreciated?

 

[Deleted account 211025001]

My top tip would be:

Go for Gortex, accept no substitute

You'll get lots of opinions on what sort of gear to go for but if you want the best combination of breathability and water proofness make sure it's got Gortex.

Having tried most of the alternative so called breathable kit out there I have yet to find anything that both stops you sweating in a humid, wet traffic jam and keeps you totally dry in torential rain on the motorway.

Hein Gerricke have a good reputation for quality, value for money kit and use Gortex in their top of the range stuff.

Andres

 

[WAREGS]

Thanks Outto

i'm a great beliver in Goretex, i have used it for the last 10 years since i was 15 and did alot of hiking!

i was looking at the Hein Gericke stuff and it does look nice something like the MasterV's although expensive i assume it would last well and i would stay dry!

what are their goretex enduro boots like?

 

[JemandSi]

I would second that!, I didnt spend alot on my kit when learning but now regretting that!

jacket and trousers - as said Gortex is definately the way forward make sure they are warm for winter and breathable for summer!

boots - depends on what the ratio of on/road off road I guess, but make sure you find a decent pair that are again goretex and comftable to walk in the £150 I spent on my Alpine Stars boots has been well spent and I have no qualms of walking around all day in them.

helmet - priority 1 for me no misting! my current lid (Shark S650) has misted up at the first sniff of moisture in the air and destoryed 2 months of riding with me struggling through with it (although now fixed with a fogcity) so I would recommend a pinlock insert minimum. Priority 2 is noise ask around and make sure you can get one that is going to be quiet - the other problem I am finding is air whipping up underneat the helmet and behind my ears causing a racket when 50-70mph and a significant draft!

kit is the biggest regret I have whish I would of spent that extra £100-£200 instead now I have to probably spend another £500ish to get my kit up to scratch for proper use!

Regards

Si

 

[WAREGS]

well most of my riding will be commuting through the year, with EU trips (to start) in the summer months.....

i like the Enduro Style lids, so the Arai / BMW Enduro and is there a new shark one?

can i ask what a pinlock is?

 

[JemandSi]

I have no experiance with teh Arai/BMW enduro range but

I have seen the new Shark evoline in use and is good - but still mists up when the going gets a little tuff, although the dark visor and flip up functionality is good.

a pinlock is a visor insert which is now very common on Arai and Shoei helmets (sorry not sure who else has them) they prevent misting up using the double glazing school of visors and allows you to swap in and out different levels of tint and colour for grotty weather or good weather riding!

also for the winter might be worth while investing in a heated vest - although bear this in mind if your jacket has a goretex liner (rally2 suit style) as the heat will probably ensure the goretex does next to nothing

regards

 

[WAREGS]

Heated Vest? use the car! lol

i'm a firm beliver that layers are the way forward, using them for cricket and fishing they do a very good job at keeping you cool and warm!

 

[JemandSi]

it really depends on what you mean by commuting through the year! - I found last January cold with plenty of layers on although i did not have the luxury of heated grips then!

but always for me priority 1 dry priority 2 warm!

 

[WAREGS]

Priorities

well for me staying dry in number 1!

aslong as my feet are warm i stay warm! lol

 

[Dreamer]

Ialso for the winter might be worth while investing in a heated vest - although bear this in mind if your jacket has a goretex liner (rally2 suit style) as the heat will probably ensure the goretex does next to nothing

Can you elaborate? I'm just starting to think that heated waistcoat might be the way to go for my winter commuting, but have never heard of probs with goretex - are you saying the heat affects the waterproofing?

Also, how long do heated jackets take to warm up, and are they innefective if you wear over other layers (i.e. jumper or thin fleece)?

 

[WAREGS]

well it wont effect the waterproofing!

Goretex is just a membrain, it stops water penetrating but allows heat to escape and be breatheable!

 

[Fanum]

A couple of thoughts for you.....

Don't become a GS clone....there's a lot of fashion trends that go on, and some are because the kit is really good, but assess each bit individually and don't just get it 'cos so many other GSers are wearing it

1) Consider summer gloves and muffs for winter riding...personally I hate winter gloves and their lack of feel and the way the lining pulls out if you put them on with damp hands....Muffs may not look good but with the superb heated grips on a GS, they're al you need even in sub-zero temps.

2) Layers are your friend.

3) you can get a home-made heated garment kit that you can put into any garment and concentrate the heat where YOU want it....there have been some threads on this and as well as being very cheap, you end up with a bit of kit that's probably better, and more suitable to you personally, than any commercial heated kit.

4) Try several helmets and walk around the shop with them on for at least half an hour....it's generally considered that you either have an Arai shaped head or a Shoei shaped head
Ps try them one at a time

5) look up each item on the search button at the top of the page and do a LOT of reading......make a mistake on a helmet and it's a lot of money wasted.

6) Think outside the box....Just 'cos so many people use the Arai Twat-X, it doesn't mean it's the only helmet...I've just started using a Givi X01 and it's a good lid that switches from summer use to winter use or jet style very easily for example

7) Consider what sort of riding you're really truly likely to be doing.......no point in spending a fortune on rugged off road suitable kit if you never go off road (spot the people wearing all the hard-core kit on their bikes that are fitted with street tyres and huggers and I laugh your arse off at them.....wtf is that about!!) Be honest with yourself on this.

8) Following on from 7, I don't believe there is any kit which 'does it all'.......The Aerostich Roadmaster for example is my favourite bit of riding kit EVER, but it's not suitable for any more than gentle off-roading.......my proper off road kit is also no good for longer rides, so consider what you actually need and buy appropriately

9) Watch the FS&W section like a hawk...there are some good buys there from time to time

So endeth the sermon

 

[JemandSi]

but I have heard that heat applied direct i.e. heated grips to gloves can negate the water proofing! no personal experiance but something to note I guess (Iam sure some one will be along later to explain)

sorry no personal experiance with heated jackets / waste coats, I hvae just been advised to get one from friends, who use them at the mo apparently simular to heated grip warm up time? I guess they are ok to use over a jumper/ T shirt combo??

 

[Readz]

What not to get from my experience is the Arai TourX, cost a fortune leaks, mists up, lets in too much cold air and is noisy as hell, on the other hand it looks cool as f**k. Gave mine to the Mrs as she needed a new one, she isn’t even 100% happy with it riding pillion but loves the look.

Which gave me the excuse to go out and buy new  so I went for the Schuberth S1Pro, which I know is silly money but I managed to pick one up for £250 the air flow is best I have known, no misting due to the pinlock system, top notch but don’t think I would go and spend £400 on one. This helmet has all but stopped the buffering on my GS, great improvement.

Rukka Steel jacket is again top notch but crazy money. Mine fits really nice and is so light its like wearing a normal everyday jacket. Fitting the inner liner could have been better thought out, If I were looking for a jacket again I would want the inner liner fully zipped in, just something that may be worth you looking out for when selecting jacket.

Daytona boots are by far the best I have ever had, I got the Evo touring boots again I was lucky to pick up a bargain, I’m not sure they still make these now but the sport ones are nearly the same boot. If they last 10 years + there money well spent in my opinion. Comfort and protection, they look great and are ok for walking around town in.

I’m in the process of looking for new textile trousers myself, just sold my old ones as I found while touring they were no use in hot weather. I think as a lot of people say on here Gortex is the answer you need breathable. I had the Wolf textile and leather trousers I nearly threw them in the bin in France.

 

[WAREGS]

Big heads!

i'm happy to say i have a big head! so it could be interesting!

Fanum some good advice! its a bit like cricket! when you see alot of players who have all the gear and no idea!

The bike will be used alot for short Uk based trips as well as commuting, it wont be used for much Offroading (not yet anyway!)

Goretex membrane should not be affected by heat! never had any problems with any of my jackets ! and i have had a fair few!

 

[Fanum]

The bike will be used alot for short Uk based trips as well as commuting, it wont be used for much Offroading (not yet anyway!)

I would seriously recommend you have a look (and a search here) at the Aerostitch then......superb bit of kit and ideal for commuting...wear it over normal work clothes etc etc.
There are lots of people here (like me) who swear by them

 

[WAREGS]

will do fanum

thanks

 

[Mutley]

No, no, no

A couple of thoughts for you.....

Don't become a GS clone....there's a lot of fashion trends that go on, and some are because the kit is really good, but assess each bit individually and don't just get it 'cos so many other GSers are wearing it

What are you saying?

Ignore Bill he hasn't got a clue

Things to check:

1. Did Charlie & Ewan use it?
2. Does it have a BWM badge on it
3. Can you pay more for it if you order it from Touratech?
4. Does it colour coordinate with your bike?
5. Will you look good?
6. Does it make you feel like a gnarly off road Dakar God?

If you answer yes to all of the above then buy it and enjoy the experience

 

[WAREGS]

well this is true as well! hell i bet half the GSA riders would not have bought them or wanted one if they had not been so well publicised!

 

[PIGGLET]

A couple of thoughts for you.....

Don't become a GS clone....there's a lot of fashion trends that go on, and some are because the kit is really good, but assess each bit individually and don't just get it 'cos so many other GSers are wearing it

1) Consider summer gloves and muffs for winter riding...personally I hate winter gloves and their lack of feel and the way the lining pulls out if you put them on with damp hands....Muffs may not look good but with the superb heated grips on a GS, they're al you need even in sub-zero temps.

2) Layers are your friend.

3) you can get a home-made heated garment kit that you can put into any garment and concentrate the heat where YOU want it....there have been some threads on this and as well as being very cheap, you end up with a bit of kit that's probably better, and more suitable to you personally, than any commercial heated kit.

4) Try several helmets and walk around the shop with them on for at least half an hour....it's generally considered that you either have an Arai shaped head or a Shoei shaped head
Ps try them one at a time

5) look up each item on the search button at the top of the page and do a LOT of reading......make a mistake on a helmet and it's a lot of money wasted.

6) Think outside the box....Just 'cos so many people use the Arai Twat-X, it doesn't mean it's the only helmet...I've just started using a Givi X01 and it's a good lid that switches from summer use to winter use or jet style very easily for example

7) Consider what sort of riding you're really truly likely to be doing.......no point in spending a fortune on rugged off road suitable kit if you never go off road (spot the people wearing all the hard-core kit on their bikes that are fitted with street tyres and huggers and I laugh your arse off at them.....wtf is that about!!) Be honest with yourself on this.

8) Following on from 7, I don't believe there is any kit which 'does it all'.......The Aerostich Roadmaster for example is my favourite bit of riding kit EVER, but it's not suitable for any more than gentle off-roading.......my proper off road kit is also no good for longer rides, so consider what you actually need and buy appropriately

9) Watch the FS&W section like a hawk...there are some good buys there from time to time

So endeth the sermon

Pretty much what fanum said
Have a look at Halvarsons kit.
Re layers in the winter, my favourite bit of kit for keeping warm is my Buffalo Mountain shirt. I've got it on now, use it for all sorts. The benefit of it for me is I can get off the bike and brew up at the side of the road and still be warm without relying on bike electrics.

Off-road style kit (eg HG rallye or BM rallye) is generally not as warm or waterproof as road based stuff.

Don't go and try to look for everything on one day ie spend a day looking at helmets, a day looking at jacket and pants etc. After 4 hours traveling round looking at lids you might quickly try on a pair of pants and think these are ok then regret it. I did and I did

Spend as long as you can trying on different lids. Regardless of what you like the look of and what people reccomend the most comfortable lid will be the one that fits best. It might not always be your first choice. I really wanted a Schuberth C2 flip up lid but unfortunately they don't fit me properly, neither do the BMlids. I like my Tour X as it fits better than any other lid I 've tried and feels less claustrophobic than most conventional lids for me.

Muffs and summer gloves are deffinitely the way to go. I tried them for the first time last winter and am 100% converted. Got some for my bro and he reckons in 35 years of biking they are the best accessory he's bought. They take a couple of rides to get used too but then your paws will be warm and dry whatever the weather. They're only £35 odd quid and even if you really don't like them someone will have them off you. Keep and eye out on the site as someone usually puts a bulk order in for them (tuccano muffs).