Getting a motorcycle

bigjl

I went to an three bike RTC when the young lads fell off whilst being pursued by the Met area car, they had been doing some carjacking, believe me when I tell you that they where all scarred for life, they where all young black lads, so their scars would have been even worse due to skin pigmentation, no broken bones but they had abrasions over huge swathes of their torsos and legs, if they had been wearing half decent gear they wouldn't have been injured.

I also have long term knee problems due to coming off and hitting my knee off the road, with decent armour in the knee I woudln't have this issue, just not worth the cost saving, remember that i passed my test in 1990, so have 20 years experience on bikes, learn form my mistakes, the London Ambulance Sevice has ST1100 and ST1300 bikes, and the riders of those wear al the top spec kit, they have trousers that are breathable and look OK, easy to walk about in, don't look in anyway odd, but are very good in an accident, with hip and knee protection, I believe they are made of cordura as are the jackets, though most have a summer and winter jacket, the LAS hasn't had any serious injuries on the bikes, thoughone bloke was killed doing his training course a couple of years ago.

Wear the best that you can afford, sometimes no matter how well you ride you can have an accident.

Tinks74

The one thing you will notice is that almost all the riders who are responding are mentioning that they have come off their bikes at some point or another.

Listen to the voices of experience

tbourner

Interesting read:
http://homepage.mac.com/wegster/the_search_for_decent_motor/

0.6 seconds for jeans to wear through!!!

Having said that even motogp crashes they don't slide for more than about 2 seconds.

missile

tbourner wrote: »

Well he did say after another few hours practice, basically that I have road sense and know where to position myself etc. I just need to get used to the gears and clutch control, and make sure I do more shoulder checks as I kept using my mirrors but not 'lifesaving'!

I would do if I got a geared bike, I was thinking jeans and normal boots would be OK on a scooter as you're not likely to trap your leg under it!

Motorcycles are a lot of fun and I don't wish to be a kill joy.

Have you ever tripped whilst running and skinned your hands and knees? Do you remember how sore that was and how long it took to heal?

You will fall off, probably sooner than you think and it will hurt far more than you can possibly imagine.

Life is all about choices. I am merely trying to help you make the right ones. When I was a yoof I rode in jeans and have the scars to prove how macho I was :j

missile

tbourner wrote: »

Having said that even motogp crashes they don't slide for more than about 2 seconds.

You can suffer a lot of painful injuries in 2 seconds:eek:.

To name but one of my heroes> Mick Doohan had his little finger amputated and ground his ring finger down to the bone. He wears Nanki Pro, possibly the most expensive gloves money can buy?

dizzybuff

missile wrote: »

You can suffer a lot of painful injuries in 2 seconds:eek:.

To name but one of my heroes> Mick Doohan had his little finger amputated and ground his ring finger down to the bone. He wears Nanki Pro, possibly the most expensive gloves money can buy?

Troy Bayliss lost a ball and half a finger as well .

Many have lost their lives ( God rest their souls ) too many talented people taken from us at the wrong time. Please remember they were all proffessional riders.

I havnt come off YET, but I have nearly become very intimate with a dry stone wall. Its all about learning , and one motto our ride out group is if you aint got the right kit on you aint riding with us.

You can have all the gear and no idea , but at the end of the day , if you do come off , drop the bike on you you have more chance of walking away from it all.

Please listen to all the posters. You can get a decent pair of trousers from Hein Gerik or bike gear, or if you are lucky enough to live near a George White , for less than a tonne.

Keep it shiney side up !

http://www.georgewhite.co.uk/

http://www.hein-gericke.co.uk/1/

http://www.bike-gear.com/category/175/Hornee_Kevlar_Jeans

www.jsaccessories.co.uk/

tbourner

The bloke in Hein Gericke was completely uninterested in helping me, I guess because i rolled up in my 'cage' rather than an R1 like all his mates. Another local place where I got my lid was similar. Not keen on ordering online as fit is crucial for safety gear (especially the first pair). So I need to find a better place to go now.

tbourner

Also, I do appreciate the advice, I'm not a clown honestly I am taking it on board. Just when you see people on pushbikes doing 25 without anything it seems odd that adding an engine makes so much difference. My average speed on route to work is 22, like I've said if I get a bike (eventually I'll go for a 250 and maybe more later) I'll get the best kit I can, at the moment I think I'll do a few commutes and see how it feels. Another thing putting me off is having to get changed at both ends!! Maybe some kevlar jeans that I can wear at work? Or are they too uncomfortable?

Coveredinbees!!!!

are you really going to get dress up in all your bike gear for a 3 mile ride to work?

Demonicomelette

You could get a looser pair of "all-weather" trousers, which provide all the protection of proper bike kit, but you can get them on over your normal trousers. Makes getting changed at the other end a hell of a lot easier!

And get a bike, not a scooter. Scooters are for chavvy kids and mods, bikes are for rockers.