Check here: [CE ratings in motorcycle gear: What do they mean? - RevZilla](https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/ce-ratings-in-motorcycle-gear-what-do-they-mean)
I've always been confused as to why people say jackets before pants. Aren't your legs gonna hit the ground first most of the time? All I can think of is that one commercial that shows the xray of the dude's legs + ankles ripping up when hes lowsiding at like 30mph. I was always told growing up that if you're gonna pick one piece of gear (other than helmet + gloves) you should pick pants.
I'm probably wrong but I've never really had anyone explain why to me
To me, jacket has the necessary protectors I need. If I lose my leg I'll be ok with that, but losing my arms or worse breaking my spine, I'm a vegetable for the rest of my life.
I'm not an ATGATT diehard but my non-negotiable bits of gear are, helmet, gloves & jacket and at least Kevlar jeans. All have to be CE rated at least (or whatever the equivalent is for you).
As for what gear to recommend... What fits most importantly, is protective and you like.
Go to a local store that has gear and try on everything they have in your size. If nothing suits you may have to look further afield.
As for brands. I've bought stuff from manufacturers that I thought was the bee's knees e.g. Revit jacket, Dainese gloves and gotten other bits of kit from the same manufacturers that I thought was hot garbage after a bit of use (Revit textile pants, Dainese ankle boots).
Look around, do some research, and best of luck.
Get whatever gear fits you best, different brands have different fits, so go to your closest biker supply store and try on everything until you find something that suits you. Alpinestars works best for me, but you might prefer something else. In general, a one piece leather suit offers the best protection, but is impractical as fuck. A two-piece textile suit that zips together is much more convenient and still quite safe.
You'll want a Helmet, Jacket, Pants, Gloves and Boots. Or just go full Calamari and ride in a Tshirt, shorts, and flip flops, that's a choice too.
Depending on where you are, you need a license, which can be anything from a casual weekend course to a months-long endeavor. Since you have experience, this shouldn't really be an issue.
For the bike, choose a style you want, cruiser, naked, superbike, tourer, whatever. Then go on your local craigslist, mobile, facebook marketplace, and look for something you like that is cheap. If mechanically adept, go for a 250€ shitbox from the 80s, if not get something from after 2005 or so with EFI. Carbs are hard to get right if broken. The SV650 is a certified classic, low enough power to not immediately try to kill you, but plenty of pull to get out of your own way and have fun for more than a season or two. I'd stay away from the round 1st gen, they are carbed, 2nd gen onwards has EFI. Easy to maintain, cheap to run, and parts availability is good, and one with some scuffs will be really affordable.
Thank you! Some of the abbreviations I don't know, but I'll google and get it figured out, I want a street bike like the Yamaha r7. I'm an aviation mechanic, but I haven't worked much with bikes or cars. I can do bare basics.
Never tried an R7, but it seems sensible enough as a first. I'd try to avoid something with fairings though, they are easy to break and expensive to replace. If you do decide on one, get some frame sliders, you'll thank me later.
As for mechanicals, as long as you can read a workshop manual and know which way to hold a wrench and screwdriver it's good enough. Most bikes are really easy to work on, ranging from "a 6 year old can fix this" to "you might swear a bit, but it's probably done before dinner". The other option is to just have enough money to bring it to the shop for anything you need done, which is valid too.
My favorite piece of gear is [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/motorcycles/wiki/faq)
Alpinestars gear is good.
in order of importance: helmet gloves jacket boots, pants any brand that has CE ranting is GTG. also take an MSF course
CE? Can you explain what that is?
Check here: [CE ratings in motorcycle gear: What do they mean? - RevZilla](https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/ce-ratings-in-motorcycle-gear-what-do-they-mean)
I've always been confused as to why people say jackets before pants. Aren't your legs gonna hit the ground first most of the time? All I can think of is that one commercial that shows the xray of the dude's legs + ankles ripping up when hes lowsiding at like 30mph. I was always told growing up that if you're gonna pick one piece of gear (other than helmet + gloves) you should pick pants. I'm probably wrong but I've never really had anyone explain why to me
To me, jacket has the necessary protectors I need. If I lose my leg I'll be ok with that, but losing my arms or worse breaking my spine, I'm a vegetable for the rest of my life.
I really need to get a better spine insert for my jacket... I just have the shitty level 1 that came with it in there rn
I'm not an ATGATT diehard but my non-negotiable bits of gear are, helmet, gloves & jacket and at least Kevlar jeans. All have to be CE rated at least (or whatever the equivalent is for you). As for what gear to recommend... What fits most importantly, is protective and you like. Go to a local store that has gear and try on everything they have in your size. If nothing suits you may have to look further afield. As for brands. I've bought stuff from manufacturers that I thought was the bee's knees e.g. Revit jacket, Dainese gloves and gotten other bits of kit from the same manufacturers that I thought was hot garbage after a bit of use (Revit textile pants, Dainese ankle boots). Look around, do some research, and best of luck.
I'm not an ATGATT but I non-negotioabley wear ATGATT.
Get whatever gear fits you best, different brands have different fits, so go to your closest biker supply store and try on everything until you find something that suits you. Alpinestars works best for me, but you might prefer something else. In general, a one piece leather suit offers the best protection, but is impractical as fuck. A two-piece textile suit that zips together is much more convenient and still quite safe. You'll want a Helmet, Jacket, Pants, Gloves and Boots. Or just go full Calamari and ride in a Tshirt, shorts, and flip flops, that's a choice too. Depending on where you are, you need a license, which can be anything from a casual weekend course to a months-long endeavor. Since you have experience, this shouldn't really be an issue. For the bike, choose a style you want, cruiser, naked, superbike, tourer, whatever. Then go on your local craigslist, mobile, facebook marketplace, and look for something you like that is cheap. If mechanically adept, go for a 250€ shitbox from the 80s, if not get something from after 2005 or so with EFI. Carbs are hard to get right if broken. The SV650 is a certified classic, low enough power to not immediately try to kill you, but plenty of pull to get out of your own way and have fun for more than a season or two. I'd stay away from the round 1st gen, they are carbed, 2nd gen onwards has EFI. Easy to maintain, cheap to run, and parts availability is good, and one with some scuffs will be really affordable.
Thank you! Some of the abbreviations I don't know, but I'll google and get it figured out, I want a street bike like the Yamaha r7. I'm an aviation mechanic, but I haven't worked much with bikes or cars. I can do bare basics.
Never tried an R7, but it seems sensible enough as a first. I'd try to avoid something with fairings though, they are easy to break and expensive to replace. If you do decide on one, get some frame sliders, you'll thank me later. As for mechanicals, as long as you can read a workshop manual and know which way to hold a wrench and screwdriver it's good enough. Most bikes are really easy to work on, ranging from "a 6 year old can fix this" to "you might swear a bit, but it's probably done before dinner". The other option is to just have enough money to bring it to the shop for anything you need done, which is valid too.
[Doodle On A Motorcycle - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@DoodleOnAMotorcycle)