New Gear For First Time Rider

[organicchef]

Hey all, I have been doing several posts lately and appreciate all the response.

I will be going to get my 125 cc 2009 buddy this friday or saturday and I want to know what other basic gear I should get. I am getting a scooter to be a minimalist so I don't want too much but I want to take advantage of my discount and get all my basic needs taken care of. I don't need to be too fancy or spend too much money. Especially since it will be raining and I will be riding in the rain, so I want to make sure I am safe. Here is a list of what I came up with so far, please feel free to add.

Helmet
Corazzo Padded Jacket and Pants
Rain gear? Are the padded jackets and pants water resistant?
Wheel lock (one where you put in the wheel so people can't roll it away)
Milk crates and bungee cords for front an back rack
Do I need theft insurance or lojack?
Any type of maintenance supplies like oil etc?

Thanks!

[Meresankh]

Your list looks pretty good. The only other thing that I think I would add are riding gloves. It's good to have two pairs - light-weight ones for warm weather riding and heavy ones for cold weather riding. Make sure they offer some protection. I use a pair of Cortech DX gloves for summer riding. They run about $20. Most of your heaver winter gauntlet gloves are going to run anywhere from $50 to $100. The Corrazzo winter gauntlets are really nice.

since I live in the desert, I have no experience with rain gear. That's going to change soon. =)

If you get a disc lock (wheel lock), be sure to get a remider cord if the lock you get doesn't come with one. That will help remind you the lock is on there and prevent you from trying to ride away, saving some embarrasment and possible front fork & brake disc damage. The Xena disc lock is nice and heavy, and has a built-in alarm.

Definitely get insurance. If the scooter is now your primary vehicle, I highly recommend getting full coverage. That way, if the scooter gets stolen or damaged, you are covered, or if you are in an accident, your medical bills are covered. It's a bit more expensive to get a scooter insured for full coverage as a primary vehicle, but in my experience, it's worth it.

Welcome to the wonderful world of scootering! You are well on your way!

[siobhan]

Add boots and gloves to your list. If you're riding in the rain, waterproof overgloves. No regular moto-glove is waterproof; I don't care what they say. And you should get waterproof boots. Good gear costs money. Spend it now on good gear instead of replacing mediocre gear again and again.

Corazzo makes pants?

Look for used gear especially if your size fits within typical sizes.

Insurance...where do you live? I live in crappy neighborhood so I have full theft. But I love my 'hood.

If your jacket/pants are not waterproof, get rain gear that goes over. My gear is supposed to be waterproof, but after three years (even with retreating), it ain't waterproof no more. I wear a cheapie PVC suit over except when it's really hot. Then I don't mind getting wet.

[Meresankh]

Ah, boots! How did I miss that those were absent from the list?

Boots are great, but also, any sturdy, over-the-ankle shoe will make a big difference. Ankle protection is a big thing if you crash, as it's likely your foot may get caught under the bike. Many motorcycle-specific boots look like space boots and aren't very comfortable off the bike. You may want to find local gear shops in your area and go see what they have and try things on before you buy.

I think what you'll find is that you're going to need different gear for different weather and riding conditions. I know that you're trying to keep down the amount of stuff you have in association with the scooter, but having a variety of gear to utilize under varying circumstances will make all the difference in how comfortable you are on your ride.

And, as anyone who rides regularly knows, being comfortable on your ride makes for a much happier, and less distracted, ride.

[ericalm]

Corazzo doesn't make armored pants but they have a rain suit.

Ultimately, you'll probably need 2 jackets for LA. An 8.5 month jacket and a summer mesh.

It's very hard to be a scooter minimalist. Most of acquire more and more stuff. And more. And more.

[TVB]

It's very hard to be a scooter minimalist. Most of acquire more and more stuff. And more. And more.

It can be done, however. Being naturally frugal plus underemployed helps. Not counting gear that I already owned (warm leather jacket) or would've bought for other purposes anyway (boots), the only gear I've purchased in the last 2.5 years of scooting are a couple helmets (3/4, plus a 1/2 for hot weather that I actually never wear), two pair of gloves (warm/cold weather), and a mesh jacket with liner.

[Rippinyarn]

Armored pants are for the hard-core folks I have one kevlar pair and one armored pair, but only use the armored ones when I know that it's an all day ride. I got both of them from motorcyclegear.com in their closeout section.

I've also had great luck buying military surplus boots, jackets and gloves. There are all very tough and were all very cheap. I used my local place so that I can try the stuff on (gloves and boots especially). My favorite winter riding gloves came from my local place, and a great set of "combat" gloves (for cops, I think) came from sportsmansguide.com. My rain gear is a set of yellow Frogg Togs that I got on closeout. I got them one size big so that they can go on over my other gear. They are awesome - very durable, light weight and they work amazingly well.

Good gear doesn't have to be expensive, but sometimes you have to have a little imagination (and maybe a tailor) to get it just right.

Good luck and ride safe -

[Caesonia]

I fully admit that while fairly new to the scooter world, I come originally form the motorcycle world. I have never bought anything motorcycle specific. other than helmets. I have a half helmet I use with dirt bike goggles to go over my glasses, and a full faced dual purpose helmet. I admit I prefer the half helmet because it has ear muffs, can be worn with a scarf, and I am not bothered as much by the wind when I need to turn my head.

That being said, I use my horseback riding chaps - better than anything but Kevlar- and you can buy some simple ones on sale from Dover. Way better than pants because you can put them on over anything but a skirt. Ride in nice pants, shorts, whatever, and simply unzip at your destination. I use a heavy canvas padded field jacket in winter, heavy workshirts in summer. An inexpensive oversized bright rain suite is what should be worn in rain. 40 bucks should get you one. The gloves are the big money, because you want touch, but well fitted.

[neotrotsky]

I'm personally a HUGE fan of the "Kevlar Jeans" denim many companies make. Sure, I don't wear them often but for longer rides it's a nice bit of added protection that doesn't make you look like a displaced sportbike rider on a scooter.

As for jacket, again I prefer the neutral scooter rider look instead of the "power ranger" look. Corazzo looks great, but there isn't a local dealer around for me to actually size one. I actually found a River Road "Laughlin" armored textile jacket that looks just like the old 60's shop jackets. Totally awesome fit and looks fantastic. And it was on sale for half off! Yay for 90 buck gear!

Either way, a bare minimum of shoulder, elbow and back armor. The arguement against leather vs. textile is ongoing, but at 40 to 60mph, as long as the stuff holds up when I stop bouncing, I call it good. I'll buy new gear after an accident anyways so as long as it's quality and lasts through the incident I'm happy.

Shoes? I still ride with Adidas trainers Hey, I have to live in these things while riding to school or work! But, I also have a pair of "Response Gear" tactical boots that look good that I bought at Big5 sporting goods for 39 bucks that fit great and are very durable. I've been wearing this brand for 10 years on the job so if it's fit for OSHA, it works here. Great ankle support and a very thick sole.