Category: Clothing/Protection

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Clothing/Protection Gear Reviews

Forcefield Back Protectors Review, Armour Insert for Rukka Jackets

Forcefield back protectors Rukka insert
Armour Inserts: Left, Forcefield 009; Right, Rukka RVP.

If like me, you have a Rukka jacket with a back armour insert that’s worse for wear, then you’ll be interested in this replacement from Forcefield. Well known for their quality armour products, Forcefield has a range of armour inserts in many different shapes for all manner of jackets. For Rukka back protector owners you need the 009 model, which as you can see above is a like-for-like replacement. Well, not completely, the 009 insert is slightly thicker than the original Rukka RVP insert and is CE Level 2 certified to afford greater protection.

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Clothing/Protection Gear Reviews

Alpinestars P1 Sport Touring Drystar Trousers Review

Alpinestars-Drystar-P1-trousers-frontAs summer comes to a close and winter approaches, the prospect of wet riding days looms with a damp inevitability. I was fed up with my waterproof over-trousers that were no longer waterproof,  and a hassle to put on, as well as causing me to slip around on the seat and more importantly, look pretty naff. Definitely time for some new textile gear. Being a cheapskate, I hit eBay and found these Alpinestars P1  Sport Touring Drystar trousers brand new for £100. They’re not current, but the Drystar range is still going strong and well regarded.

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Clothing/Protection

Children’s Motorcycle Fashion – Textiles

Childrens Motorcycle Textiles Hein GerickeTextiles are very much on trend this season and extremely popular out on the road. Our model wears a vintage Hein Gericke Sheltex jacket with matching trousers (eBay, £20-30), RST MX Boots (eBay, £15). The look is then finished with a Hoo Rag ‘blue digital camo’ scarf ($16) to accessorise.

The children’s Hein Gericke combo is a miniature version of the adult line, featuring the same removable lining, waterproof protection, CE armour and pocket for a Hiprotec back armour insert.  However, it also has zips in the arms and legs for adding length as the wearer grows. The trousers also have an elasticated waist and braces.

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Clothing/Protection

Not Your Usual Hi-Vis

getoffphone-hivizDefinitely liking this Hi-Vis!

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Clothing/Protection Riding

Motorcycle Winter Preparation

Cold Wet Weather

We may be having a particularly warm and dry autumn so far, but it won’t last long. So now is the time to start thinking out your winter preparations. At Beginner Biker Adventures, we’re not fair-weather bikers,

we’re not fair-weather bikers

it’ll take some pretty extreme weather to stop us from riding and we use our bikes to commute year-round. Granted, in London, the weather rarely gets too bad and very few roads will be impossible to ride in the winter, nonetheless, good motorcycle winter preparation ensures safe riding throughout the winter months. Check out these useful tips to prepare.

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Clothing/Protection Maintenance

NikWax TechWash & SoftShell Proof

NikWax-TechWash-SoftShellProofGood old NikWax, going to try giving my new (second hand) Rukka jacket a freshen up and make sure it’s waterproof again. In theory, it should be as easy as throwing the jacket through the washing machine with some of this Nikwax Tech Wash/Softshell Proof
stuff. Fingers crossed!

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Clothing/Protection

New Lid – Bell Helmets M3R

BellHelmet-M3RIt recently came to my attention Amazon were offering some huge discounts on Bell Helmets. I wouldn’t normally purchase a lid without first trying it on for size, but the prices were so good it was worth taking a risk and distance sales law means returning for a full refund is always an option.

I went for the M3R, which was down from around £200 to £53. Not bad at all. However Amazon have been charging VAT on these helmets, even though they should be 0% rated being safety equipment (Amazon’s own help pages also stipulate this). After contacting them, I’ve been informed they are looking into this and should get a refund of £9 VAT, making this lid even cheaper!

Well, the helmet arrived today, all in good nick and the fit is pretty damned good, although I am an XS according to Bell’s sizing chart!  I’ve not worn it out yet to compare for noise, but first impressions are good, it seems snug and comfy, either way £43 isn’t bad for a 5 star Sharp rated helmet.

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Clothing/Protection

New Leather Jacket & Trousers From Alpinestars

Alpinestars-Leather-Jacket-Pants-1I recently picked up a new set of Alpinestars leather pants and jacket, perfect for the coming summer. I have been wearing the Alpinestars Bat Pants for over a year now, however, the second-hand set I had were starting to show their age, but a knackered lower leg zip drove me to finally replace them. Jacket wise, I’ve been wearing a Hein Gericke textile affair, which although good in cold and wet weather, is a bit warm in the summer and doesn’t really suit the leather trousers.

After completely failing to find any trousers at the MCN show that fit me around the waist (I wear 30″ waist Levi’s, but all 30″ leathers were huge on me and nowhere had any smaller), I opted to get another identical pair of Bat Pants (labelled size 30 and fit perfectly). There weren’t many pairs this size on eBay, but those that popped up received few bids, so I was able to blag a pair in top nick for a measly £25 – epic bargain!

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Clothing/Protection Gear Reviews

URAD Mr JoJo Waterproofing Wax Review

URAD MrJoJo Waterproofing Wax

URAD MrJoJo Waterproofing WaxThere’s very little question about it, when it comes to protection on a motorcycle, leather is where it’s at. Which is all well and good, until it rains, and that happens an awful lot here in the UK. Leather just isn’t very waterproof and soon becomes water logged, heavy, cold and pretty miserable to ride in. This is where this little tub of wax named Mr JoJo comes in.

I picked up this Mr JoJo wax up at the MCN show a couple of months ago, cost me a tenner for a 200g tub, with a few sponges thrown in. The sales chap demonstrated it on our boots with a spray can of water. Seemed worth a punt. It’s name, Mr JoJo, doesn’t seem to have any relation to a certain Madame JoJo’s of Soho fame, but is a leather waterproofing and conditioning wax from URAD, which contains Jojoba oil. This oil comes from the little Jojoba shrubbery that grows around Mexico, Arizona and California, and is a popular alternative to Whale oil. The wax is white in colour and has a distinctive sweet smell.

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Clothing/Protection

Childrens Motorcycle Gear

Childrens-motorcycle-clothingMy daughter has been dying to ride on the back of my motorbike for ages now. The legal requirement being only their feet can reach the foot pegs and the wearing of a helmet. Since my daughter is rather tall, there’s been no problem there, however from a maturity point of view we have held off for some time. With her 8th birthday later this year, we have decided she is now old enough to ride on the back of the bike and hark back to the days when she was a nipper and would ride on the back of my bicycle.

Of course, safety is a paramount concern, so we have been keen to kit her out in some decent gear to protect her. A tricky prospect considering the price of motorcycle gear and the rate she will grow out of it, and so we hit ebay with a vengeance to find decent gear without breaking the bank.

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