I bought a bike.....

[YetAnotherOne]

Why you shouldn't skimp on a helmet.

[jim777]

The following should be minimum:

Full face helmet (HJC or Scorpion for inexpensive; Arai or Shoei for the best).

Leather jacket with CE approved armor (see below)

Leather Gloves

Full-boots



I can't recommend these guys enough

https://www.newenough.com

I just picked this up (actually came in a few mins ago) on closeout. Great jacket @ an unbelievable price.

http://www.newenough.com/closeouts/leather_suits_jackets_and_pants/moto_gp/corkscrew_leather_motorcycle_jacket.html

Also, I'd recommend a full-boot. I ordered these--Oxtar TCS EVO ti (again, on closeout) from here

https://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com

Browse those sites if you're in a rush for gear (and you likely will be) also check out Ebay, craiglist, and other motorcycle forums for great deals on used gear.

Also, CONGRATS!!

Exactly what I would have posted!

Get a full face helmet, absolutely. Get a leather from NewEnough (I have a Joe Rocket, they last for years). Get full boots as well, again, Newenough is the place to look.

Congrats on the 'lil Ninja John, I've heard they are a total blast!

jim

[atomic charvel guy]

I love going fast on just about any kind of moving device. For motorcycles I'm more of an ape hanger cruise down PCH kinda guy , but I never bought a motorcycle after my yamaha YZ80 when i was a kid cuz I'd be dead now if I did. be careful out there, people can't even drive a car properly much less a bike, be safe John.

[jgcable]

I got my permit and the bike all registered.

For helmets what do you guys think?

Shoei RF700. There are a few on Ebay that are NOS. Not the coolest colors but are they any good??
HJC CL-15 Session. I tried one on at the store. Cool.... but what do I know??
Vega Full Face
KBC TK-8

Most of the Arai and the new Shoei helmets are more than I can afford.

For shoes I like the Nitro Touring Boot.

I am trying to win a Kawasaki jacket on Ebay. Its the same color as my bike. It has protection in all the normal places. I tried on a First Gear Mesh Tex 3.0 at the store. Its kick ass. Nice armor in it too.

For gloves I can get First Gear of Joe Rocket Razors. Either one seemed pretty heavy duty.

For pants I am looking at textile Joe Rockets or Kevlar jeans.

[YetAnotherOne]

You *really* need to hit a few bike shops and try on some helmets. They're all shaped a bit different inside and there's no good way to determine what's going to work the best for you without trying on a bunch. For example, Arai makes a few different internal shapes and if you picked one randomly off of the 'bay it might not work well for you at all; Shoeis are generally for people with round mellon heads, others will vary similarly.

And I wouldn't try too hard to color-coordinate the gear to the bike unless you're getting the gear cheap. You'll likely want to trade the bike off in a year or two and it might suck to be stuck with color-matched gear.

[jgcable]

You *really* need to hit a few bike shops and try on some helmets. They're all shaped a bit different inside and there's no good way to determine what's going to work the best for you without trying on a bunch. For example, Arai makes a few different internal shapes and if you picked one randomly off of the 'bay it might not work well for you at all; Shoeis are generally for people with round mellon heads, others will vary similarly.

And I wouldn't try too hard to color-coordinate the gear to the bike unless you're getting the gear cheap. You'll likely want to trade the bike off in a year or two and it might suck to be stuck with color-matched gear.

I went to all the local bike shops today and tried on a ton of gear. The most comfortable affordable helmets were the HJC CL-15's. They had a ton of them. The Shoei's that I tried on all fit nice though.

The most comfortable nicest helmets were the $500+ Shoei's and Arai's but I can't swing that kind of cash.

[YetAnotherOne]

Nothing wrong with HJCs, I know lots of folks who use them. Just count yourself lucky that you're not in the same boat as me; the only full face lid that fits on my head is an Aria long-oval XXXL, after the interior has been worked over a few times with a ball peen hammer, and my chin still hits the chin guard. Last time I bought one it was close to six bills and I had the choice of black or white.

[jgcable]

Nothing wrong with HJCs, I know lots of folks who use them. Just count yourself lucky that you're not in the same boat as me; the only full face lid that fits on my head is an Aria long-oval XXXL, after the interior has been worked over a few times with a ball peen hammer, and my chin still hits the chin guard. Last time I bought one it was close to six bills and I had the choice of black or white.

At the bike store, I tried on Large and Extra Large. They both fit. The guy at the store told me to go with the tight fitting large because it will break in after a while.
Just about every large and extra large in any brand seemed to fit me fine.
Its going to take a little while getting used to the lack of total visibility and hearing though.
I kind of like the rounder looking Shoei helmets.

[Thrust]

I got my permit and the bike all registered.

For helmets what do you guys think?

Shoei RF700. There are a few on Ebay that are NOS. Not the coolest colors but are they any good??
HJC CL-15 Session. I tried one on at the store. Cool.... but what do I know??
Vega Full Face
KBC TK-8

Most of the Arai and the new Shoei helmets are more than I can afford.

For shoes I like the Nitro Touring Boot.

I am trying to win a Kawasaki jacket on Ebay. Its the same color as my bike. It has protection in all the normal places. I tried on a First Gear Mesh Tex 3.0 at the store. Its kick ass. Nice armor in it too.

For gloves I can get First Gear of Joe Rocket Razors. Either one seemed pretty heavy duty.

For pants I am looking at textile Joe Rockets or Kevlar jeans.

Congrats on getting the permit and getting the bike all registered up!!

Also, big props for you doing things the "right" way and taking the time to ask questions and research BEFORE diving into the two-wheeled world. This will save you $'s and skin in the long run. If you haven't yet, I'd suggest joining the forum over at http://www.ninja250.org/ .

As for helmets...go with which one of those FITS best. All will be good helmets, as I mentioned earlier I think basic protection is all covered once you find a helmet that has a SNELL rating. Afterwards it's a matter of better liner material, aerodynamics, visor mounting hardware, etc. (basically you pay extra for additional amenities).

Boots look great and look like they'd offer a good bit of protection and be comfortable.

Jackets--I HIGHLY recommend leather. Don't do mesh or textile. Perforated leather is cool enough once you get moving, however, it's crash protection is FAR superior to any mesh/textile material. You should be able to find a nice leather jacket similarly priced to text/mesh.

Pants--I'd recommend leather here too, however, I realize sometimes you look like a tool running around in full leathers. The reinforced jeans should offer adequate protection under most circumstances.

Also, in case you haven't heard the saying yet (it's one of my favorite lines to tell my folks when they ask why I'm all leathered up in 90* heat), "dress for the crash, not the ride."

Good luck!

[SouthernXer]

+2, you did good. Boots saved me once already. I never ride without prober gear. I hate seeing people in shorts and sandals.

Yep, definitely take the time to get you some gear. Squids are ridiculous.

[Guitarnut]

I had a quick flick through the above replies - loads of good advice. I can't add much else apart from what a bike instructor said to me when I asked about how much I should spend on a helmet - "how much is your head worth?". I got a good Shoei (I got my GF an Arai) - plain colour as I don't give a monkey fu*k what it looks like as long as it protects me (the GF's has a really cool paint job though "I have an Arai head & the only one that fits is the one with the racing colours" - yeah, I should coco!). I started on a Kwaka 500 & then moved on to a 600 (ZX6R Ninja) I don't use much anymore - easily quick enough for British roads - the 250 looks cool - congrats!. As soon as I got the 600 I got full leathers, better boots, better gloves (with carbon fibre knuckles so I could punch through car door windows), a back protector & a new helmet - about £1000 worth - no price is too much & the gear I had before wasn't too bad anyway. I'm a health & safety officer though - high perception of risk! Enjoy it though - it's a great feeling - one I must get back into (although roads here are overcrowded & the news carries a biker death notice every day). Sorry for the downer ending - it's a hard world out there though. Again - enjoy.......safely!

[jgcable]

I scored a brand new helmet from my brother in law. He is letting me use it until I get one of my own. Here is a link to it:

http://www.hjchelmets.com/cl33.htm

I tried some full face helmets but I had 2 problems with them. One was a Shoei and the other was an Arai. After about 20 minutes of riding I was sweating like a stuck pig. Also... I was EXTREMELY paranoid riding because of the limited range of view. I couldn't really get a sense of what was around me. It also sucked not being able to hear much. I was riding with my brother in law and I couldn't hear him at all.
He let me try out his 3/4 helmet and it was so much better. I could see everything, hear everything, I could talk and I wasn't sweating nearly as bad. Is this an ok helmet for me? I am just a beginner and I haven't even gotten past 40mph yet and I have only ridden in traffic a few times. This helmet seems very safe to me and it gets great reviews.

The only uncool thing about it is the look. It is pearl white and looks a little goofy compared to the kick ass full face helmets with graphics. The visor is nice and big and clear and it covers my entire face. I can wear sunglasses with it on too. It looks more like a cruiser style helmet but I think that is because of the color. Black, red or blue would be a better color I guess. My brother in law told me not to spend alot on a helmet because eventually I won't be wearing it. I told him that I won't even ride my bicycle without a helmet on. He said.. trust me.. you won't wear it. Hardly anybody in CT wears helmets. Most of the "squids" ride high powered ricers with shorts, sneakers and a t-shirt. Even their passengers have nothing on but short shorts and a bikini top. The Harley guys wear do-rags, or shaved heads or the occasional skull cap. At least they usually are wearing jeans, chaps, gloves and motorcycle boots. Anyway.....
I also ordered a pair of Tour Master 600 Denier Carbolex® shell ballistic armored riding pants, a Cortech GX Sport Textile CE armored jacket, leather gloves and Vega Nitro Matrix boots. They will be arriving sometime this week.
Will the CL-33 and all the gear I mentioned be a good safe way to start?

I put 17 miles on the bike around town yesterday. It was fun when I was riding in no traffic. It got a little scary in traffic but I think all the years of road cycling is helping out because my bother in law told me that I was handling the bike great. It was really fun. Damn...

[Thrust]

Is this an ok helmet for me?

Simply put--no.

During my first few months of street riding I wore a DOT skull cap. Never again. I now look back and realize how silly it was trying to "conform." Although I'd still like to conform, it will be to the "rest" of the population--the ones with a normal (i.e., not disfigured) face.

[jgcable]

Simply put--no.

During my first few months of street riding I wore a DOT skull cap. Never again. I now look back and realize how silly it was trying to "conform." Although I'd still like to conform, it will be to the "rest" of the population--the ones with a normal (i.e., not disfigured) face.

Did you check the helmet out?? Its not a skullcap. The only difference between the CL-33 and a full face helmet is the chin protector.

I value your advise but I am not trying to conform. What I am trying to do is make myself safe and comfortable on the bike.
Give me some reasons why the HJC CL-33 helmet is not safe. I'm listening.

[Cleveland Metal]

Well, just from looking at the site that was posted about wrecks, they showed that the chin area acounted for like 19% of the impact on helmets. That was the most of any area I think... Seems like the full ones are of good use...