This is my first post, so hi there Wild Dogs :thumleft:
Too Long / Didn't Read: I want to ATGATT but I'm honestly FRIKKIN OVERWHELMED with buying gear. Ek nodig hulp mense.
My main motivation is safety. I mean this is a a frikkin essay. I wouldn't be writing all this out of school if it wasn't important to me, ok :biggrin:
I know this post is long, but I want to give context and not make this a "do my homework for me". Please hear me out and see your time reading as helping a young new biker start his journey the right way and paving the way for many happy miles
. Gear is a lot of $$$, and I really don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that I hate wearing, so I'd really appreciate any advice here.
-------------------
Just a bit about me: I did a beginner course at SQA in Centurion which convinced me to buy a bike. I got a KTM Duke 390 and I've been practicing in the quiet suburbs near my house. I have the usual helmet / jacket / gloves combo but I'm looking to go full ATGATT. Now I've been all around JHB and I'm struggling to find anything besides Alpinestars and the cheap stuff (Assault, Metalize, random house brands ???).
Now I've already bought a bunch of gear and ended up returning it (or still plan to return it) because it's not working out for me. I'm getting kind of frustrated, and I heard y'all are a friendly bunch so I came to ask for recommendations of where to shop for gear that I might not have tried yet
-------------------
Questions
[list type=decimal]
[*]What do you wear? Why do you wear it?
[*]All the variety on Revzilla makes me a sad panda. Any other local stores with good stock levels that people would recommend?
[*]Do any pants come with hip protection that wasn't meant for packing fruit at the grocer? Is this an extra that you buy? Where?
[*]Any specific gear items that you think will fit my needs? See below for details
[*]Is leather an option in 30 degree summer?
[*]Is avoiding Assault and Metalize brand snobbery or do you really get what you pay for?
[*]I literally can't shift in the Terra boots and I don't think shifter adjustment would totally help. Is any kind of firm full length boot going to be a hassle compared to sneakers? Thinking of the Alpinestars SMX6
[*]Where do you buy quality knee guards / separate hip protection?
[/list]
-------------------
My priorities:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Safety. I'm very aware of how dangerous motorcycling can be. I'd take a full length boot over a "riding sneaker" any day. Knee guards. Etc.
[*]Comfort. If I can't operate the bike comfortably, I'm going to screw up and crash.
[*]Looks. Convince me that this is stupid. It's hard to not want to look like you're about to fight a bear on a snowy mountain.
[*]Off-the-bike. I'd happily change from full boots at work as opposed to wearing a shorty. I won't live on the bike so I don't need 24/7 gear.
[/list]
Type of riding I will be doing (not very "Wild Dog", I know, but we all start somewhere):
What hasn't worked for me:
Stores I've visited:
If you made it this far: you're lekker and thank you :biggrin: :biggrin:
Too Long / Didn't Read: I want to ATGATT but I'm honestly FRIKKIN OVERWHELMED with buying gear. Ek nodig hulp mense.
My main motivation is safety. I mean this is a a frikkin essay. I wouldn't be writing all this out of school if it wasn't important to me, ok :biggrin:
I know this post is long, but I want to give context and not make this a "do my homework for me". Please hear me out and see your time reading as helping a young new biker start his journey the right way and paving the way for many happy miles
. Gear is a lot of $$$, and I really don't want to buy a bunch of stuff that I hate wearing, so I'd really appreciate any advice here.-------------------
Just a bit about me: I did a beginner course at SQA in Centurion which convinced me to buy a bike. I got a KTM Duke 390 and I've been practicing in the quiet suburbs near my house. I have the usual helmet / jacket / gloves combo but I'm looking to go full ATGATT. Now I've been all around JHB and I'm struggling to find anything besides Alpinestars and the cheap stuff (Assault, Metalize, random house brands ???).
Now I've already bought a bunch of gear and ended up returning it (or still plan to return it) because it's not working out for me. I'm getting kind of frustrated, and I heard y'all are a friendly bunch so I came to ask for recommendations of where to shop for gear that I might not have tried yet
-------------------
Questions
[list type=decimal]
[*]What do you wear? Why do you wear it?
[*]All the variety on Revzilla makes me a sad panda. Any other local stores with good stock levels that people would recommend?
[*]Do any pants come with hip protection that wasn't meant for packing fruit at the grocer? Is this an extra that you buy? Where?
[*]Any specific gear items that you think will fit my needs? See below for details
[*]Is leather an option in 30 degree summer?
[*]Is avoiding Assault and Metalize brand snobbery or do you really get what you pay for?
[*]I literally can't shift in the Terra boots and I don't think shifter adjustment would totally help. Is any kind of firm full length boot going to be a hassle compared to sneakers? Thinking of the Alpinestars SMX6
[*]Where do you buy quality knee guards / separate hip protection?
[/list]
-------------------
My priorities:
[list type=decimal]
[*]Safety. I'm very aware of how dangerous motorcycling can be. I'd take a full length boot over a "riding sneaker" any day. Knee guards. Etc.
[*]Comfort. If I can't operate the bike comfortably, I'm going to screw up and crash.
[*]Looks. Convince me that this is stupid. It's hard to not want to look like you're about to fight a bear on a snowy mountain.
[*]Off-the-bike. I'd happily change from full boots at work as opposed to wearing a shorty. I won't live on the bike so I don't need 24/7 gear.
[/list]
Type of riding I will be doing (not very "Wild Dog", I know, but we all start somewhere):
- "Weekend" style leisure rides / urban exploration. Urban roads easily hit 80+ so this is not puttering around
- Highway trips between JHB and PTA
- Non-daily commuting (when I have gear and feel safe to do so)
- Avoiding rainy days if possible
- Basically getting used to life on 2 wheels before deciding if I want to be a hardcore biker
What hasn't worked for me:
- Alpinestars mesh jacket. Not enough protection for highway, and the fit was too loose (my bad)
- Alpinestars Gunner WP jacket. This is 100% the type of jacket I am looking for, but the rain lining is not removable and it sticks to your skin as you sweat. Not good for summer.
- Alpinestars Andes pants. Same complaint about the waterproof lining. Knee pads are way too low.
- Forma Terra boots. Great protection. I bought them for the protection. But they're just too clunky for me, the bike, and the street.
- XKulcha stuff. Material is good, but impact protection is not there. Would reconsider if I could get standalone impact protection.
Stores I've visited:
- Full Throttle Cresta (A*, Assault)
- Full Throttle PTA (A*, Assault)
- Moto Mate (A*, limited RST, XKulcha)
- Linex Yamaha (Forma, Macna)
- Race! Midrand (super limited Dainese)
- Cayenne Midrand (Richa, $$$$$)
- Nexo Sport
- BMW Fourways
If you made it this far: you're lekker and thank you :biggrin: :biggrin:
