New rider gear suggestions

[Nexed]

Hey guys since I am new to the nighthawks and riding in general I was wondering what is the best set up for a new rider I am on a low budget but don't wanna compromise safety either.

I did order a new helmet This one from Dennis Kirk I think it will be good
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp;jsessionid=5EKSIKD2A2GSBLA0WTISM4VMDK0OWIV0?store=&skuId=3301795L

I do have some gloves already from shift these probly will order better ones.
http://www.denniskirk.com/jsp/product_catalog/Product.jsp?skuId=3570968M&store=&catId=&productId=p3570968&leafCatId=&mmyId=

Now for a jacket I'm looking for ideas I live in the northeast in new York so I will only be riding during the summer months is a mesh jacket with padding the way to go or is leather the way to go ? I would like a few opinions on what you guys use leather or mesh. I was thinking mesh for the airflow and keep me cool, but I don't wanna sacrifice safety for airflow. So what do you guys recommend ?

As far as pants again I need some opinions I don't know what the best option is I saw they have Kevlar lined jeans or the pants made just for riding what's the best way to go here and what do you guys use.

As far as boots since I am on a budget I think this is where I will go cheap on as I do own a lot of over the ankle boots and think they will be fine. But if you guys don't think so please let me know ?

Is there anythig else you guys would recommend getting ?
I really could use your guys input as I don't wanna getthe wrong gear and don't wanna ride with no gear so your experience as riders will really help me out when I decide what to get.

[ariwhiteboy]

Before you purchase any helmet you need to go to a local bike shop and try on different styles and brands. Find some that fit slightly tight yet don't hurt.  A good rule of thumb is you should be able to shake your head "no" vigorously without the helmet shifting. After you've made a note of what size you wear in different brands get on www.motorcyclegear.com or www.motorcyclesuperstore.com and purchase the corresponding lid at a discount price.  You don't want to buy helmets sight unseen, ever. Those gloves look good, but go ahead and check out what the websites I mentioned have.  Those two sites are consistently cheaper w/ better service in my experience.  As far as a jacket and pants go, check around on ebay.  Find something you like and then look for it used.  I bought my pants and jacket used for <$100 and have been very pleased.  You say you aren't really in budget for boots (believe me I understand), but unless you already own sturdy, lace up, over the ankle boots you might as well look for some actual MC boots.  The cost will be comparable to what a decent pair of regular boots would cost, plus you'll have more protection.  Either way good luck on the hunt, feel free to post what you are looking at and we will be happy to give our opinion of individual gear (chances are someone here already has it).  Good on you for wanting to buy the gear, shows you are smarter than the average squid. 

[Hawks_Nest]

Welcome to the forum, Nexed. I am also from Metro NY area.

Since you already bought the helmet and gloves, I won't comment on them. They look reasonable to me. Glad you didn't order an open helmet    You'd better use ear plugs even though you have a full face helmet.

For jacket and pants, buy full protection gear: leather is the best and denim should be avoided. If you go textile side, look for denier 600 or higher.

As Ari suggested, e-Bay can be a good start. You can find decent ones around $80 or less. I ordered few just to check (local bike shops don't stock much) but ended up using them for years. As long as you stay with name brands, you will be safe.

I am not a fan of mesh jackets. It is still too hot in hot summer days and once you got caught in rain your ride ends there.  I prefer to ride with leather with good ventilation even on 90+ days in NY area.

Ride safe!!!

[Burgi]

I'm the opposite of Hawks_Nest. I hated my leather and sold it. It was too hot in the summer and cold in the winter.
I love mesh for hot weather. Cooler than riding without a jacket since it protects from the sun and air passes right through it. Mesh riding pants are cooler than denim since you get better air flow. They also offer protection which denim does not.
I also prefer lighter colors both for visibility and they are cooler in the sun.

[Messorius]

Don't rule out your local bike shops entirely, if you haven't been in. Have you taken an MSF course? I got a 20% discount off of my boots by being confident and asking if they gave them to new riders who just graduated.  They didn't this year,  but a lot of places will give coupons for the instructors to hand out when you finish.

My jacket(JR Alter Ego) was 100 bucks off of Kijiji. I talked him down from 125 because I had to replace a zipper on the cuff.  Any bike conventions around you soon? They'll also have cheaper gear, just make sure it isn't crap.

[LOKi]

If you can afford leather I would go for it. You said you want air flow OR leather but how about both?

First the home page.
http://www.topgearleather.com/

This is where I'm getting my next jacket and paints. I want something I could actually take to the track if the opportunity presents itself. Did someone say track bike? 

I like the first one listed there


http://www.topgearleather.com/product/335BL/Motorcycle-Leather-Suit-With-Kevlar-Paddings-2pc.html

[happycommuter]

If that kevlar-lined denim stuff doesn't at least have knee armor available, don't bother.  It really doesn't matter if the pants weren't penetrated if you knee cap is busted. 

The only advantage of leather is that it is less sacrificial, meaning it should stand up to more than one crash.  At twice the price.  Burgi has cited the hideous disadvantages above.

The main three disadvantages of 'street' boots are that there is no armor, the soles tend to grab rather than slide on the pavement (resulting in higher chance of fractured bones) in a crash, and the thicker lug soles are often bad for fitting under shift pegs.

Make sure all riding gear is snug and does not shift.  A big noob error is going for oversized baggy stuff that will flap in the wind uncomfortably, not keep armor properly positioned, and allow abrasion from internal rubbing during a crash.  Fit while in a riding position is the only thing that matters.

[LOKi]

If that kevlar-lined denim stuff doesn't at least have knee armor available, don't bother.  It really doesn't matter if the pants weren't penetrated if you knee cap is busted. 

I would take the lined denim over just jeans though. During the summer here in Louisiana it gets hot. I mean  . On top of the heat there is usually about 95+% humidity. It latterly feels like your riding in a clothes dryer. At some point the risk of busting up your knee is out weighed by the air movement not having a big plastic wind stopper cupped over the knee provides. Yes you can bust up you knee without knee pads but having knee pads doesn't mean you won't bust up your knee either. It's all about risk vs reward. I have seen a lot of offs and it's usually upper body that takes the blunt of the damage. Now if you slam into something hard or something hard slams into you then......well then knee pads aren't really going to help all that much.

I wear the dragon jeans during the summer. Even though they are thick with the big Kevlar pads I find them cooler than my mesh paints. The mesh paints have a knee pad and over the knee pad it is not mesh. This patch of non mesh continues down to my boot. So the entire front of my leg facing the wind is shielded from any air movement. When it gets really hot I'll pull over and wet my shirt. Then wring out the shirt on my jeans. The Kevlar acts like a big sponge and holds that water to be slowly evaporated away as I ride. This goes a long way in keeping me cool.

[Burgi]

My pants have mesh panels above and below the knees plus they are mesh on the back of the leg from about mid thigh on down. It can get hot behind the knee armor but with all the mesh they work much better for me than the kevlar jeans I had.
Different climate though I usually don't get to much humidity when it is really hot.

[Nexed]

Guys thanks for all the suggestions
so i went to a local shop to try stuff on, And from what i found leather jackets where just not what i am looking for right now. SO i tried on a few mesh jackets and looks like im going to go with a icon or alpinestar they seem like the best made jackets,

Anyone have any of those jackets and like them ?

As far as pants still need to search around the store didnt really have any pants other then dirtbike stuff,
so im still looking for a good brand, I do like the idea of getting pants with  knee protection in them cause the jean style seem to offer little protection,

i also looked into boots riding boots dont seem to be worth the money i have a few over the ankle timberlands and boots i use at work that i belive will work just fine for now.

So right now im gunna go with one of the online dealers for a jacket since the local store was a bit over priced

[Burgi]

I really like my Olympia Airglide pants. They have a removable quilted liner so really handle a wide range of temps (note it doesn't typically get that cold here but I've worn them into the high 30's). Best chance you have of finding Olympia gear in a shop locally is typically at BMW dealers.

[JB1290]

to the forum. Congrats on the bike.

I have an AFX helmet (not the one you ordered) and I love it. I will most likely stick with that brand from now on. Also, I have those same Shift gloves and they are really nice gloves. Very comfortable. I ordered them a size smaller than what I normally wear because I heard that they stretch. I found this to be true and after wearing them for a couple of weeks, they fit perfectly now. They won't work for any serious cold weather riding but for spring and summer, they are awesome.

[Nexed]

Thanks on the info on the helmet i tried on a bunch of brands at my local shop but they didnt have afx but i was a large in every other brand so i figured size wouldent be a issue, Im glad they are good helmets plus i couldent pass up that good deal on a helmet, And im glad the gloves are good here in NY i wont be riding into the cold too much probly just the few summer months so i think they will work for me. Well ill find out for sure tommorow is the first day of my MSF Course

[mattrowe19]

If you have a Cycle Gear near you, they have the Cortech GX Air on closeout for around $143. Great 3 season jacket. Has a waterproof liner as well as a thermal liner. The shell is mesh for the hot days. Cortech is definitely a quality brand. I'm looking to pick one up soon.

[harrisonfaulkner]

I picked up one of those gx  jackets on Friday. I love it so far, but pretty warm in the southern heat.

Sent from my HERO200 using Tapatalk

[Nexed]

im gunna look into those jackets im sure i can find a good deal online since there is no cycle gear near me

[mattrowe19]

im gunna look into those jackets im sure i can find a good deal online since there is no cycle gear near me

motorcyclegear.com has them now for around $130

[Nexed]

I picked up a nice jacket off craigslist for 40 bucks might get something better later but this is a good start for now

[bajakirch]

As far as pants still need to search around the store didnt really have any pants other then dirtbike stuff,

Sorry to thread-jack, but this is a pet peeve of mine. If a dealer is at all concerened about the safety of its customers, it should have at least a modest selection of rider pants in stock.

[Bumblebee]

Sorry to thread-jack, but this is a pet peeve of mine. If a dealer is at all concerened about the safety of its customers, it should have at least a modest selection of rider pants in stock.

They're only concerned with profit. The last thing they want to tell a prospective motorcycle buyer is "You're going to be skinned alive and brain damaged beyond recovery without buying all this stuff too and you better learn to ride properly too lest you crash yourself to death."
It's criminally negligent behavior in my book.

Motorcycle gear should be considered part of the purchase cost of a motorcycle by new riders. A $1200 motorcycle really costs about $2000 when you add crash gear.

[LOKi]

Motorcycle gear should be considered part of the purchase cost of a motorcycle by new riders. A $1200 motorcycle really costs about $2000 when you add crash gear.

One of the reasons it took me as long as it did to buy a bike. Had to save up for the gear too.

[BigSquareHead]

Motorcycle gear should be considered part of the purchase cost of a motorcycle by new riders. A $1200 motorcycle really costs about $2000 when you add crash gear.

 

I agree 1000%

I rode through my childhood, teens, and into my mid 20's. I was away from motorcycling for a while and recently got back on a bike for the first time in 20 years.

Took the MSF (excellent money spent) and outfitted myself with a full face, textile jacket, gloves, boots and pants.

I have a Joe Rocket Nova textile jacket that I like very much. Breathable, zip out liner, shoulder/elbow/back pads, good ventilation and relatively flexible. I almost bought a mesh for summer riding her in New England, but the Nova is ventilated enough that even when temps hit the mid to upper 80's you can still ride in relative comfort (emphasis on relative).

Full disclosure: when the temps recently crested 100 here the bike and I stayed in the cool shade of the garage.

I shopped at Motorcycle Gear (formerly New Enough) and researched all the gear I bought both online and in person whenever possible. The jacket I bought was last years style on closeout, same for the pants and helmet. The Fashion Police haven't issued me a citation for wearing last years styles and if they do, well I'll show them where they can bite me.

All rated well in tests and/or feedback and I promised my wife that if I don't have them on, I don't ride.

The folks at Motorcycle Gear are A+ in my book. Prices are right and the quality is there.

I also agree with BumbleBee on the fact that a lot of dealerships are more interested in selling you a "style" with t-shirts, do-rags and what I call fashion leather than they are selling you real protective gear.

I have one local dealer that I try to buy from who is the exception rather than the rule. He knows his stuff, but most others want to get you into a denim shirt with cutoff sleeves, logo, and matching Zippo before they want to talk about dennier nylon density and removable shouldamapads.

Sad but true.

Wear the gear and ride safe.

Happy shopping.