I’ve spent the last few days trying to make my mind up as to what bike I get next. I’ve even done some insurance checks to make sure it is all possible. I was worried about the price of my insurance due to my last crash. As it turns out it hasn’t really changed the price and I’m still under the £200 mark for a full year’s insurance and protecting my no claims.
I think I need to put my bike choice on hold for the time being until I can get some test rides done. I love the look of the MT01 but I have no idea how the ride is. Would you buy a bike without a test ride ? I wouldn’t, a picture speaks a thousand words but it want tell you the truth. A good photo will hide the scratches and dents and those telltale signs that the bike has been down the road on its side or dropped in the garage.
My next task is to find a good pair of gloves; I’m very fussy about the gloves I wear. They need to be comfy but serve a purpose. All too often people ignore the job your gloves do, they are just as important as your helmet or boots, if not more so.
My last gloves were race tec kangaroo skin. Very comfy from the day I bought them. With hardened knuckles and extra padding in all the right places, it’s not just the comfort that is important to a good set of gloves. When they hit the floor at speed that’s when you need your gloves to come into their own.
9 times out of 10, it’s the first thing you do; you put your hands out for protection when you fall. Anything above 30 mph and it’s like placing your hand on a sanding belt. The palms of your hands take the full force and then fingers and knuckles as you roll.
Its catch 22, the road surface needs to be rough to provide grip and traction but when it comes into contact with leather it shreds it like paper. My knees cringe when I see riders on the road with no gloves on. It’s estimated that skin will be removed at a rate of 1mm per second travelled. At 30 mph, that means you will be down to the bone in less than 10 yards. You will never be able to hold a pen, let alone ride and control a bike. It’s a complete waste and all because the individual in question couldn’t be bothered to wear gloves.
A good pair of gloves will not be cheap but then you have to look at what you want from them. They need to last, at least a couple of years. They need some form of wind protection, even in the summer the wind created flowing over your hand will have a cooling effect. They need to provide protection for the palm, fingers, knuckles and the wrist. They also need to be comfy and allow you to operate the clutch and the front break. So you need to be able to feel the levers, especially the front brake, feel is everything to good breaking. Finally they need to withstand getting wet in the odd shower or in the UK, soaked most of the time.
A good pair of gloves will cost between £150 and £300 that may sound a lot but put into context against a set of tyres at £250-£300. They don’t need changing every year or more depending on your choice of tyre. On average your gloves should cost about the same as you would spend on your boots.
The choice of glove is enormous (Alpinestars, Dainese, Knox, Spada, Spyke, Weise, RST to mention a few) but I would always recommend that you spend as much as your budget will allow, if needs be, wait and save for the next level up. Its money well spent and in the long run if you ever hit the tarmac you will be more than pleased with your gloves.
I’ll be covering boots in my next Blog.
"All men die, not all men really live"
Ed.
No comments:
Post a Comment