Motorcycle Clothing
The motorcycle helmet is the most important item, it's also the only item that is a legal requirement to be worn in the UK.
A helmet wears out, it does not really age.
The polystyrene absorbs your sweat, as it does it looses its elasticity and hardens.
This makes the fit very loose, like the helmet is one or two sizes larger than when new.
When it gets to bad, you need to buy a new helmet.
The most important thing is to get one that’s the best fit, it does not matter if it’s a £50 helmet or a £500 helmet,
if it’s a bad fit, it offers no protection in an accident and is noisy and uncomfortable.
To find the best fitting helmet, you need to try every make and model at every price point.
Try as many shops as you can find, since they can stock different makes and models.
Its also worth trying a BMW motorcycle shop since they sell BMW helmets and some peoples heads will only fit a certain model of BMW helmet.
When you think you have got the best fit, try the same make and model, one size smaller and one size larger to confirm the correct size.
You then need a trained helmet assistant to check the helmet fit is safe, all shops should have at least one trained person.
They will check that the helmet is not to loose and that it can not be turned around your head easily or rolled off,
you can check these for yourself but a trained assistant is better.
Since most shops refuse to accept a helmet back once you leave the store unless its faulty,
you should try it on in the shop for 15 to 20 minutes.
Watch out for pressure on your forehead,
if you get a headache or when you take it off you notice excessive red marks on your forehead, its to small.
You must leave the helmet on for 15 to 20 minutes for these problems to show up.
A helmet will very slightly, permanently squash to your head and face, but its only slightly,
so a very slightly uncomfortable tight fit will change to a perfect fit (slightly tight).
A slightly loose fit when new will become very slightly looser.
The tighter the helmet, the safer it is in an accident, but to tight and its uncomfortable and can give you a splitting headache.
Never lone your helmet to someone else, since if any part of their head or face is larger than you, it will permanently squash to that size at any age.
If you have a choice of helmets that are all the same perfect fit.
You might like one that has a anti fog/mist visor (stops your breath misting up the inside of the visor when the weathers a certain way).
The ones with permanent anti fog/mist coatings are best since the inserts reduce vision.
The inserts can be purchased and stuck on any visor.
You might also like a removable liner so you can wash the liner that touches your head all the time, you may also like a cooling / antibacterial one.
Generally the more expensive helmets have all these and can be quieter (but they will be noisier if their a bad fit).
If your hearing is affected by motorcycling,
the normal thing is to wear motorcycle ear plugs to stop you permanently damaging your hearing.
If you have a non flip up helmet, some shops sell an anti wind noise fabric that fits underneath and around the bottom of the helmet.
Flip up helmets are popular since you can speak to people easily and show your face (your hearing is still effected), you can also eat and drink.
But the main reason is if you wear spectacles,
you do not have to remove them while putting the helmet on / off and risk the wind blowing them off the bike.
They are a necessity unless its very hot and even then its debatable. If you fall off your instinct is to land with your hands.
The main requirement is leather to stop the road rash.
If you go for non leather, make sure its a motorcycle glove since it will have special materials inside to replace the leathers road rash abilities.
The bike is small and very underpowered above 50mph, this means your biggest enemy is wind resistance,
your coat is the biggest wind surface area.
Different materials have massive differences in wind resistance,
leather is smooth and makes the wind flow around and away from you,
a textile coat traps the wind and slows the bike down significantly more than leather,
plastic reflective safety coats are the best thing since they are smaller and lighter than leather and are also smooth,
but do not breath and are very hot (horrible, leather is much better).
A coat that flaps in the wind is also wind resistance, so get one that’s stiff enough and tight enough to flap as little as possible.
Things like jumpers etc. might be much smaller and lighter, but their wind resistance is terrible.
Of course back wind or slipstreaming lorries can eliminate this problem.
Just make sure you stay well within your stopping distance!
The coats wind resistance also effects how much your blown all over the road by side wind.
Normal denim jeans with Kevlar in side are the most practical when it's not raining.
They are normally sold as motorcycle jeans, the Kevlar is meant to replace leather for protection from road rash if you fall off.
Denim jeans with Kevlar are easy to walk in, breathes and are not hot in summer.
It's up to you if you buy motorcycle trousers, many do not bother. If you do not, normal thick denim jeans offer some protection
Again many do not bother to buy motorcycle boots, if you do, make sure you can walk in them ok.
They will offer much more protection for your ankles than normal shoes in an accident.
If you do not buy motorcycle boots, normal boots offer more protection than shoes.