General Gear Recommendations
From Ninja250Wiki
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By IanJ I personally wear an Aerostich Roadcrafter suit with back and hip armor ($800ish), leather gloves (Olympia ($80) in winter (not impressed with their quality, though), and Teknic ($70) in summer), an Arai Quantum/f helmet ($400) (the only one I seemed to fit when I went to replace my Shoei RF-800), and German all-leather combat boots ($40) because every motorcycle boot I've tried on has been way too skinny for my big feet. In hefty summer heat, I have a set of ventilated gear (~$200 total) that I'm not terribly impressed with, but wear as a compromise between fainting from heat stroke and riding protection. The mesh gear zips together in the back, but I'm still easily able to expose a large expanse of belly by lifting my arms, which makes me really nervous, so I'll probably look for better mesh gear this summer. Recommendations I don't recommend the Aerostich unless you know you're going to ride every day, and you can afford it -- there are equally good alternatives that don't cost as much. It was the right choice for me, for a variety of reasons. The choice of leather vs. textile is a personal one, but textile is cheaper and protects well enough for street riding -- it is commonly also waterproof. You almost certainly don't need a leather suit, but they protect from abrasion really well, and are suitable for non-commuter sporty riding. They're also a requirement for track racing, but that's probably a consideration for later. Mesh gear has fared remarkably well in abrasion tests, so if that's appropriate for you, go for it. Just make sure it fits well, and try to keep it from riding up if you end up sliding feet-first. Whatever you do, don't waste your money on leather chaps -- how are you going to keep your butt off the pavement? I highly recommend Teknic gloves, I've loved every pair I've ever owned, and they're not too expensive. I'm not impressed with the long-term quality of Olympia gloves, but they seem pretty good for the first year of use. I had a pair of FirstGear winter gloves that I liked, but they also didn't last a really long time, which was dissappointing. Joe Rocket gear is so much better than "no gear" that you shouldn't think twice about getting it if that's what you can afford. I've heard that in recent years JR's quality has gotten pretty good (it used to be really marginal). Ideally, you should be able to talk to the sales person at the store you're going to, and they can help you sort out the best gear for your budget. If you're only shopping online, you're doing yourself a disservice, as real salespeople can be (but aren't always) good resources for sorting it all out. If you're truly poor, go to a real store to learn, then buy it on the 'net, but try to favor the real store with your business when you can afford it -- if we don't all do this, the local stores close up and go away, which sucks a lot.
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