getting prepared

[6speedhemi]

So this spring looks like it will finally be the year that I get my baby ninja. I've been trying since the 250 was redone to the sexy beast it is now. So now I'm starting to get around to finding the gear that I'm going to get once I get the bike. I've ridden before, last year was my first year. My dad let me have his old Harley (1990 Sportster 1200 custom), and we rode together last summer. I'm used to riding gear consisting of a half helmet, some gloves, a leather jacket, and some blue jeans. So looking at all this other gear that I didn't know was out there is kind of overwhelming me.

I was hoping you lot of intelligent people could let me know what you thought of the equipment. Maybe the things I'm looking at aren't from a very good company, or maybe there's a feature that I'm just missing, I dunno yet. Anywho, here's what I'm looking at so far.

Helmet
Jeans
Shoes
Jacket
Gloves

[setasai]

I'm still fairly new at this but I'll attempt to say something useful.

When it comes to helmets, as long as it is certified DOT/SNELL you're good to go. The next major part goes with the "FIT" of the helmet. I find the Scorpion EXO-400/700 series to fit my head perfectly but I also have friends that cant stand it. I highly recommend going to the store and trying them on before committing to a brand and even more importantly the SIZE. Snug is good.

I have the Shift Torque riding jeans as well and I love them. If you do go this route though, get some knee guards to go with them. I have the knox knee cross guards in long. They're super comfy and I feel much more secure with them on.

My brother had the Shift Fuel riding shoes and I had the A* SMX-1 riding shoes. Personally, they look cool because they look like tennis shoes but after getting some touring boots, I cant imagine going back. Everytime I went out, I kept thinking in the back of my mind that it's just not protective enough. I now have the TCX Synergy Touring boots. I feel it is a good blend since it's taller than a shoe but shorter than a full boot and plain enough that you cant tell it's not a shoe.

Your choice in jacket looks fine to me. Anything with CE armor is good. Your preference when it comes to textile vs leather. Personally I feel leather looks wicked cool so I went with a Scorpion All-in. Classic style with a modern look.

As for gloves, I am a firm believer of guantlets and hard knuckle protection. Atleast if you end up in a fight you'd have a slight advantage with them and with the longer gauntlets, it keeps things from going up your sleeve. Granted, it might be a little warmer but I think it's worth it. When you get the size, be sure to leave a little for warm weather hand swelling. Worst thing when your hands start sweating in the summer.

Hmmm that's all I got. If I missed anything, do a search. I believe we've gone through this whole ordeal several times now. Congratz.

[JMcDonald]

I wouldn't say Snell is absolutely necessary. In fact, here is a list of well-backed arguments against Snell-Approved helmets...
http://www.motorcyclistonline.com/ge...iew/index.html

Basically, to survive the overly-aggressive Snell tests, helmets often end up being harder than is actually needed, which actually results in more energy transferred to your skull for a given impact. They also tested DOT-only helmets well beyond standard protocols and they all survived while still transferring less energy to the skull than most of their Snell helmets at much softer impacts.

Originally Posted by setasai

If you do go this route though, get some knee guards to go with them. I have the knox knee cross guards in long. They're super comfy and I feel much more secure with them on.

Especially +1 on the knee guards. I was wearing kevlar-lined riding pants, and in my ~35mph low-side, there were actually a few spots of the knee that wore all the way through the kevlar. However, my knee guards took the rest, and my actual legs didn't feel a thing. The only other damage my pants took was my back pocket ripped open. A friend of mine low-sided at about 50mph in regular jeans, with similar results (no damage other than some spots worn through in the knees, but unfortunately he wasn't wearing knee armor and suffered some bruising and a bit of rash). So, in that regard, I'd almost say knee armor is by far the most important thing you can wear for your lower half, even if you just go with regular jeans** other than that.


**This is, of course, just anecdotal evidence. I've seen a picture of a cruiser rider who went down in leather chaps, and there were two nice softball-sized bloody areas in the center of each of his buttcheeks where he slid without the protection of the chaps. So, I would still recommend abrasion-resistance in the butt and hips. I've sewn abrasion-resistant panels into the seat / hip area of a few pairs of my jeans so I could wear them to school and still be reasonably protected.

[kkim]

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9694

[Alex]

J - that article in motorcyclist was quite eye-opening when it came out in 2005, but things have changed quite a bit since. The Snell 2010 rating in fact deals with almost all of the issues brought up, including not using different head forms, the sharpness of the blows, etc. There's no legitimate (health-related) reason to avoid helmets that have the Snell M2010 rating on them, but if they have the latest ECE (european-only), that is very close in just about all areas anyway.

Some more threads that touch on this here:

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=15803
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=26669
http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=43090

[JMcDonald]

Ah, that's good to hear! It always seemed counter-intuitive to basically build helmets for extreme toughness rather than for how well it cushions the impact of the head inside. Technically, the softer the helmet, the more energy will be used in damaging / distorting the helmet that would otherwise go strait through to the head inside.

I really only meant to say if he is just trying to protect his body as best he can for the time being, even a <$100 helmet is perfectly capable of keeping his head safe in a crash (and, at least compared to those old standards, might have even done a better job).

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by kkim

http://www.ninjette.org/forums/showthread.php?t=9694

Can I propose that Kelly gets a nominal fine every time his post simply refers us to another thread (even if - as usual - it is directly on point and totally useful.) The cyberverse demands at least one pithy comment per post!

At the very least can we officially rename the "unspoken-but-helpful-link-to-an-on-point-thread-by-a-grizzled-veteran-who-has-seen-every thread" posting "Pulling A Kelly"?

[kkim]

I'd agree to that as long as we impose a similar fine on threads that are started w/o first doing a search.

[gfloyd2002]

Originally Posted by kkim

I'd agree to that as long as we impose a similar fine on threads that are started w/o first doing a search.

That sounds like and win/win and much profit. We'll be rich, RICH! Though if everyone did a search first, we could end up without further activity on the board.

[JeffM]

+1 on Brian's comments. Instead of riding jeans I'd go with armored over-pants. I have Tourmaster Caliber pants and they are great. I slip them on over my jeans, commute to work, and slip them off when I get there. They are a little hot in the summer but they are not mesh.

[CC Cowboy]

1990 Sportster 1200 custom, nice bike.