This is one occasion where you may be better off on a motorbike forum.

jackets wise be sure to test fit first, I ended up returning two as they simply did not fit, sizes seem to be smaller than expected.

Also kit your self out to what weather you plan to ride in!

thanks sam, tried on all of the above mentioned kit. i plan to commute all year round, and thought this would be a good option for all but the coldest days, with the detatchable linings etc. i have read reviews for HG and most seem quite happy, and compared to some crap stuff i tried at another dealers i was impressed with their finish. but shall carry on looking. more than anything, i'm just wondering if my budget is smart one? not too much, not too little.

The HG kit is good quality so you won't be disappointed in that respect. What I will say is that I did exactly the same once I passed my CBT and spent about £400 on kit like you. Once I'd been riding for 6 months I realised there was other kit I would have preferred but didn't now have the money for it.

I would recommend buying some second hand stuff (not helmet) if you can find it, or at least some cheaper gear from somewhere other than a top brand retailer as HG can be pricey.

Once you've been riding for a few months, then decide what you want and go and spend a little more money.

I would say its a very sensible budget for a new to riding start

I used to wear Rukka jackets. Absolutely superb comfort, water and wind proofing and good materials/armour should you have a trip off the bike.

Very expensive to buy new but eBay is your friend Rukka

IMO - you should spend out just as much on the clothing as the bike! You just never know!

Good luck

I bought Dane gear. Difficult to find, but it seemed to me to be very nearly as good as Rukka, but at a fraction of the price.

Listen to Patch, he speaks the truth!

I got some decent leathers 2nd hand off eBay. I had to very careful with the measurements, what with not being able to try it on first, but it fitted perfectly.

cheers guys. i text a friend today who is the assistant manager of a large bike shop down here. he said he can sort me out for the same money as HG so will go along and see what he can offer......
i'll keep this post updated, but, is there a way to change the sunject title? bit depressing.

craig

What would you like it to be called Craig?

learning to ride?
ta

You should try J and S motorcycle clothing as they have a good stock and are resonable cheap . The hein G pants you posted i have the next step up and after riding 3 years in all weathers and been off 3 times they are still in good condition . One piece of kit you should really consider is boots . I have a pair of Sidi vertigo corso boots and although not water proof are the most comfortable boots i have ever owned . If i have to nip around to the shop with shoes on instead of boots i feel so vurenable without them .

Just to echo what others have said - HG stuff is really very good, their 'lobster' winter gloves (two big fingers and a thumb) are absolutely brilliant.

As with most things in life it's horse for courses and what you want to buy depends on what/when/where you're going to ride.

Without doubt your first year of riding is your most dangerous, so please do kit out well. In almost all cases cheap stuff that fits you properly is better than expensive stuff that doesn't, especially with helmets.

If you're planning on only being a fair-weather rider then go with two-piece, zip together, leathers and one-piece oversuit. Leathers need to be a bit baggy on you when you're just standing round in them, otherwise you won't have enough room in them to move around properly on the bike.

Two piece Gore-Tex stuff is good for all year round riding, but make sure that:

1. It has a removable thermal lining, otherwise you'll be boiling all summer.

2. The trousers and jacket zip together, because the jacket riding up your back is a great place for cold water to get in when it's raining.

I'd recommend two sets of gloves - one for summer use and one for rain/cold. With summer gloves you want good fit, good feeling and lots of armour (if you come off the bike you'll instinctively put your hands down, so look for high quality stitching and protection on the palms).

For winter gloves without a shadow of a doubt Hein Gericke Pathans are the best I have ever used. The 'lobster' design feels strange at first, but they are amazingly warm and as waterproof as any bike glove is ever likely to be.

Get one pair of boots, but make sure they're waterproof. They won't look as sexy as the race boots, but when you're fifty miles from home, it's pissing down and you're freezing the last thing you'll give a toss about is how sexy you are.

With helmets try on every one in the shop. Some people seem to fit different makes better than others. I've always had AGV helmets and have never had any problem with them, but nothing else seems to fit me quite right.

It's also worth getting a neck tube (just a couple of quid) - I wear one all year round; in the winter it keeps you warm and in the summer it stops insects hitting your neck and/or getting inside your helmet.

It's also worth investing in some thermals if you're planning to bike on days other than those with glorious summer sunshine. Aldi and Lidl both regularly have thermals in at knock-down prices, so keep an eye on their web-sites.

Be aware of noise levels in a helmet. I have a Schuberth which I bought as at the time it came out it was the quietest helmet on the market. I still wear earplugs.

I suffer from tinnitus, the first time I noticed it was after a ride from Southampton to Glasgow in the 80s. There has been a lot of research into helmet noise levels this is simple. It also possibly explains why after refitting the screen to my Roadking, my tinnitus appears to have got worse despite earplugs.

Thanks a lot for the posts chaps. as i have said, im going to look at more kit and hopefully make some purchases on tuesday. i bought a pair of sidi vertebra boots on ebay a couple of weeks ago for 35 pounds, almost brand new. is there a way to waterproof them? Can i use a spray like you would on walking boots?

Best of luck with that - I've never owned a pair of boots that let in as much water as my Sidi Vertebra boots did. Trainers are more water-proof. Heck, open-toed sandals are more waterproof!

On the plus side, they're great boots for summer riding, but if you're going to venture out in the winter you'll need a 2nd pair of boots, or some waterproof socks (these do exist - that isn't a joke).

These are what i use to waterproof my sidis .Best boot ever made www.ebay.co.uk/itm/270680775070?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

well i went to have a look at a bike today. fazer 600 with 30k on the clock. tatty bike but a sound workhorse. despite the fact that i don't much like the look of the bike, it was bloody comfy, and might be a perfect first bike? also had heated grips crash bars (look pants) and a couple of other bits ,top box etc.
they are people i know loosely, and bike fans themselves (she rode it to the italin alps and back last year) the ballpark price was about £900 it this about right? i'm in no rush to buy (wont until i pass my test) and there in no rush to sell. i dont have my heart set on it, just thinking aloud really, what are your thoughts?

craig

Fazer 600 is probably a good first bike choice - it will be quick enough for a novice rider and should be fairly cheap to insure and run.

Crash bars (even pants looking ones) are a good idea on your first bike, as they should stop anything expensive getting damaged in the all-but-inevitable low-speed drop. A top box is a bit "pipe and slippers", but they're extremely useful, especially if you intend to use your bike for commuting or touring, and if you don't like it/don't use it then it will sell easily on eBay.

All in sounds like a good buy, but ... well, I still feel that a bike has to be something you buy with your heart. There's got to be some love there, or you might find you just sling the bike in the garage and use the car all of the time.

thanks for the thoughts, i do agree with what you say, it does go against most of what i look for when buying a car. mpg, comfort, cost to run etc. the general view is however to buy with your heart more than your head (though not to the extremes of buying a ducati )
i would like a tt600 cbr600, but above all a zx6r. i just think if i drop this, so what, it's a year to build up no claims, it's comfortable to commute, and after 12 months there will still be those bikes going for similar money, as will mine be worth nearly what i pay for it, even if i drop it once or twice.
the more i look into it, i find cars are for looking good, and bikes for riding, so to a degree, i don't mind what my first bike is? does this make any sense?

ok really quick one, does anyone know anything of rst? the bike shop i'm going to tomorrow is a stockist, and i bet my mate is going to sugest this line for me. does anyone know how it compares to HG? will post updates tomorrow.

Nowadays, most kit you can buy is very good. The only difference will be in the comfort of the fit (cheaper is possibly less comfortable) and the effectiveness of it keeping the cold and rain at bay.

It really is one of those things that is decided by you alone in the end.

Good luck by-the-way

i passed! waaaaayyyyy!
scarily, not by much though, still a pass is a pass!
having spent the last two weeks doing at least one HP test on my pc (from the people who make the tests) i was suprised that i got my lowest score today, and by 10 points aswell!

anyway its done and dusted now, and to bossycoupe yes you do have to do a case study now, todays made a lot more sense than last time around, but the cd-rom i bought made things much clearer (now for sale, ahem).
so i went to see my good friend dan who sorted me out with kit. total spend was just north of £450, but when the lid was £225 i still think i did ok.

i did indeed go for the rst stuff, (paragon iii if anyone is interested)and provided it really is waterproof then i'm happy. both top and bottoms are snug but not tight with the usual stuff (zip out linings, protection etc.)
i couldn't help it with the lid and went wayyyy over budget, and ended up buying an HJC fs11 in matte black and pearl. the clincher being the drop down internal visor. all in all agreat day, just a shame i'm going to have to wait about a month before i can start my das, but didn't want to book up before the theory was done.

craig

Well done matey, I bet you're glad to get that out of the way!

I've got an HJC with internal visor too, well worth it in those low light conditions.

thanks. i hope i'm not mistaken, but that felt like the biggest hurdle to overcome. wierd eh?

for my budget the lid is pure sex. do you use a pinlock in your visor? if so was the difference really worth it? i mean anti fog, not for tintin

I thought the CBT was the hardest bit to be honest.

Not used pinlock before, just had a look though, might give it a go

Well done Craig

well, i had a couple of hours 'finding my feet' on the 500 today, and loved it!
i did drop the bike as we left the car park mind confused on where the instructor wanted me, and went to squeeze the brake, except, it was the clutch! :roll: doh! in my defense it was more a gentle lowering than a drop, but ho hum.

the good news was it didn't really damage my confidence, and from that point on i just kept smiling away to myself, and having a good laugh at my instructors commentary of other road users

he was overall very pleased with my riding, which is good, because so was i but being new, you have no frame of reference, so was nice to know it was looking good.

he explained that we have three sessions on the mod 1 curcuit before the test (sunday and monday), which is great for my confidence, in so much as i'm not going in cold.

in terms of bikes, i really want a zx6r in green. love the colour, and the looks/size of the bike, also pleased to hear my instructor say how much he liked owning his.

roll on sunday!

craig

just an update really, after my second day of training, i have my mod 1 tomorrow morning. i'm feeling ok for it, though after yesterday, i kept making silly mistakes on my u turn, today went really well, and though there is still room for improvement, i feel much happier about it.

my instructor is great, and very good at praise, and also nice and gentle on the criticism. a real natural teacher.

my generel observation so far is that this is a greulling course, with long days on the bikes, i feel quite knackered by the time i'm done at 3.30 ish. fortunatley both tests are in the am! it really is good fun on the bike, and having poped out in the car when i got home today, you just miss so much of the road and enviroment around you. my observation has gone ballistic, and as i said, theres more to come!

so all i need, is some kind weather, a good nights sleep, and to stay calm.

i'll update when i get a chance.

craig

Good luck for tomorrow