I was looking for a bike a few years ago also. I wanted a cruiser and had pretty much decided on a Honda Shadow, cant remember what model though. No one has mentioned the Shadow. Any comments about the Shadow from someone "in the know"?

So... signed up for the MSF course schedueld for end of this month & will be getting my endorsement soon after. Did a lot of research on what I want/need - a straight up, street bike is what seems to fit the bill. The new Honda CB500F is my #1 choice so far (not too powerful, not too weak, forgiving for the most part). But did see a 2008 Yahama FZ6R on Craiglist, but that might be more bike that I need at this point. The Triumph SpeedTriple looks fantastic.. but too expensive & fast for me.

Question on riding gear - Do you guys wear protective gear when you ride? Any recommendations/suggestions/advice on overpants? I plan to ride to work (~15mile, mostly highway) & so need to wear my work clothes under it. Looking for something that has a decent amount of protecion while not sweating like a pig on the commute. I do plan to get a helmet, jacket, gloves & pants. But there are so many choices out there, it's kinda confusing.

I'd bring a change of clothes rather than wear something over...
Helmet, jacket, jeans, gloves and boots is IMHO plenty. Although I must admit to wearing shorts and a t-shirt for a short ride this past weekend.

I don't see how anything you wear over work clothes would not make you sweat. In addition to the equipment Tom mentioned if you are going to ride deep into the fall get a full face helmet and some chaps. The cold fall air will put a damper on the fun of riding in a hurry.

I am a firm believer in ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time). I know all think we are not going to fall/crash, but it will happen at some time in your riding career. You never know when, or how minor or major it will be. It is best to wear always wera protective gear.

First, I don't know what you do or how you have to dress for work. The issues can be different if you have to wear a suit or if you can wear casual clothes. Also, it will depend on whether you have an area where you can change at work.

Gear:

Helmet - a must for safety even if your state does not require it. There are a lot of views on the type of helmet. I prefer full face (actually, a modular or flip face) which offers face and chin protection. Some people don't like them either because they feel they are restrictive, or can cause injuries in very rare circumstances. The helmet should at least be DOT approved, and other certifications are up to you. I actually prefer a helmet that has European Union certification but does *not* have a Snell certification (there are some indications that the Snell certification allows too much impact to be transmitted to the head). Whatever kind you get, make sure it is a proper fit - you don't want it to move on your head or to roll off in a crash. Check several different brands, they all fit a little differently. I strongly advise that you try it on in person before buying and not mail-order a helmet (unless you have tried it on locally and know that it is the right fit for you).

Gloves: At least some decent glove to protect from insects, road debris and some protection in the event of a fall. Details are up to you, and the season. I use a light weight vented glove in the summer, a buckskin glove when it is a little cooler, and an insulated glove in early spring and late fall. Don't forget about gloves for in the rain - the best is a good gore-tex glove, second best is neoprene scuba diving gloves.

Boots: Leather, and above the ankle. I prefer ones with a good zipper opening so you can take the boot off in the event of an injury (don't laugh, that saved me from cutting a boot off once). Rubber soles are nice if you have to deal with oil spots on the road when you stop.

Jacket: A must have, and a lot of choices. First choice is material - leather or ballistic nylon. Both give decent protection (as long the leather is not thin). Cost and style are your call. If you are only going to have one jacket, consider a leather jacket with venting (you will want the venting in the summer). If you can swing two, get a flow-through nylon mesh for the summer, and leather for spring/fall. As for riding to work, just take the jacket off when you get to work. If you have one with good air flow, you should not sweat. I wear a suit to work, and a nylon mesh jacket over my shirt and tie is fine on all but the very hottest of days.

Pants: For riding to work, the big question is whether you have the abilty to change pants at work. If so, leather pants or leather chaps over jeans are great protection. If you can't change at work, consider oversized nylon mesh pants that you just wear over your regular pants. (First Gear, and Joe Rocket are a couple of brands of nylon mesh that my local shops carry). Make sure it is a large enough mesh to allow sufficient air flow. I could change at work, so I generally wore leather and changed at the office. On those occassions where changing was a problem, I used nylon mesh pants (e.g., taking a ride down the shore and want to be wearing shorts when I get there but need protection for the ride).

Just don't cut corners on gear. You don't need to get the most expensive, but don't get thin leather or stuff that will fall apart in season or two.

k_enn

First Gear mesh jacket:



Check Revzilla for more info.

k_enn

Joe Rocket summer mesh pants:



You can get them oversized, and use as overpants.

k_enn

Schuberth modular helmet:






Pricey, but the nicest and best helmet I have had in over 30 years of riding. FWIW, the interior shell is replaceable, so after the recommeded 5 years of use you can just replace the interior and not the whole helmet. The built-in sun visor is a nice touch.

k_enn

BMW boots:



Gore-tex lined is a nice touch if you ever ride in the rain. Otherwise, you need to oil you boots regularly.

k_enn

Holy crap, that's a lot o gear...about $1200?

For me, safety does not have to be a fashion statement.

Thanks for all the adive guys. I'll be heading to a local gear shop to check the helmets in person. Will also check out Revzilla for the others.

I have to wear formal pants & long sleeves to work, no jacket or tie thankfully.

The sleeves hide all of your tats so that's good.
...or are they intimidated by your massive Nexterra guns as well?

Somewhere around that. The bulk of the expense is in the helmet - $600+ - but for me it is a good investment. I'm very particular about my helmet (and it is hard to find a helmet in this country that is not Snell certified but meets the EU standards). I appreciate the fact that the interior is fully replacable when it has too much wear (before this, I was replacing helmets about every 5 years) and there is no way in hell it can come off in a crash (it is the most secure helmet I have ever worn). I also love the ratchet latch on the chin strap instead of the usual D-rings. The boots, mesh jacket, and mesh pants were around $200 each.

Then there is the other riding gear I have - the heavy weight leather and ballistic nylon (non-mesh) colder weather jacket, the leather jeans, and the rain gear.

I ride a lot - so for me it is worth the investment. I will usually be riding from at least April and into November - sometimes as many as 6 days a week. In addition, I do enjoy taking mini-tours on the bike of 3-4 days. The gear gets used.

k_enn

(P.S., a number of years ago I had a significant crash while touring the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. My injuries were relatively minor, but would have been a lot worse without quality riding gear. That is one reason why I don't skimp on the gear.)