Original Kit.

[robG]

Myself and Gc were chatting last night, regarding riding kit.

I recalled that my first ' bike jacket ' was a 'TT Leathers' waxed cotton jacket. This jacket lasted for about eight years, all in . Basically fell apart despite patching and stitching but it was used an awful lot.Then had a red and black Sidi 'Rukkaesque' jobbie which was replaced with a Rukka blouson which I've had for about twenty years and still occasionally gets pressed into service.

I was wondering what was the first kit employed by others on the forum?

Rob .

[squirrelciv]

My first jacket came from the army via my dad who worked there. Didn't look very bikey though so I had a denim cut-off chucked over the top which had a honda wing embroidered across the shoulders by Mrs Bushell, the old lady who used to baby sit us as kids.

Can anyone remember the name of the helmet that had a detachable face mask velcro'ed to the chin bar?? They were banned in the end [I think] cos of the risk of asphyxiation. Anywho, had one of them too. Add some 18 hole Ox blood Docs and a pair of dads gardening gloves, whack it on top of a fizzy and you have the picture of biker fashion Chepstow style.

[guest27]

Fluffy lumberjack jacket and jeans.  Ex German jackboots with bits of old trials tyre on the bottom as soles, a pair of MC gloves and a Kiwi helmet - I think I may still have the helmet - used it for a bit for canoeing...

Second up was a Pat Smith Leathergoods leather jacket - stil have it in the loft complete with abrasion holes and knackered stitching - but it was a fine jacket and more protection than the lumber jacket in an off - as tested more than once...

R

[robG]

Can anyone remember the name of the helmet that had a detachable face mask velcro'ed to the chin bar?? They were banned in the end [I think] cos of the risk of asphyxiation. Anywho, had one of them too. Add some 18 hole Ox blood Docs and a pair of dads gardening gloves, whack it on top of a fizzy and you have the picture of biker fashion Chepstow style.

Would that be a Stadium Achilles, by any chance?

Rob .

[Steve Lake]

Can anyone remember the name of the helmet that had a detachable face mask velcro'ed to the chin bar?? They were banned in the end [I think] cos of the risk of asphyxiation.

Dunno....I think it might have been an 'Everoak' .....this makes interesting reading....
http://www.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/284/6318/774

[KirriePete]

Fluffy lumberjack jacket ....

So I wasn't the only one!  Brutus jeans, ex-MOD DR gauntlets with enough wing area for Concorde, Doc Martens and the whole lot topped off with a Centurion 2000 helmet.

On a Puch Maxi!

Oh, the shame .......

[Richard]

My Mum bought home the oldest most knackered open face helmet with no visor that I have ever seen.  That lasted a year on my moped.

I then had a red nylon belstaff with no insulation or armour or anything really except a red nylon shell.  Very cold, especially in the snow on the ride from London to Aberystwyth.  I had a pair of cowboy boots died black as well.

I then moved onto a wax cotton Belstaff, thanks Mum,  that I only recently threw out after it developed a funny smell in the attic.  Wish I could afford one now.  Wore that with a red Griffin.

I then bought a black leather jacket with red shoulder pads (sartorial error really) that for some reason I sold on.

[squirrelciv]

Would that be a Stadium Achilles, by any chance?

Rob .

That's the one, bright red, went quite well with the combat jacket and denim cut-off. 

[guest40]

I 've still got a near complete Suzuki T500 tool kit. Does that count?

[guest7]

Belstaff Trialmaster suit bought from a catalogue by my mum, Halfords PVC gloves, Spanish trials helmet, Stadium goggles and Doc Martens. Docs looked great, but were about as waterproof as a pair of sandals.

I too threw away my Belstaff jacket when it turned out to have shrunk over the intervening years  

GC

[trophydave]

Another vote for the Centurian 2000 helmet.Mine came free with my first bike a Suzuki GP100.I had no idea how old the lid was.It did have a nice set of teeth drawn on the chinbar in black felt pen.I had a second hand leather jacket bought from a mate,market stall quality.Waterproofs were a combat jacket worn on top.Boots from another mate,something from the 1970s,high leg,steel toe caps,zip up the back.I did have some decent gloves,very thick leather and fur lined,never seen any like them since.For my 18th birthday I bought myself a second hand Belstaff which like many others shrank over the years.After a few years I got one of those rubbery Rukka jackets.I couldn't believe that you could be warm and dry.

As for Doc Martens a mate wore his to the Dragon last year and reckoned that he didn't have cold feet

[guest7]

It all began with a 50cc Suzuki and my only riding kit was a Spanish trials lid:


Then I moved up to a 90cc Yamaha Step-thru and my mum bought me some Belstaffs:


After a few years of riding 400/4s and CB400Ns I ended up with an XBR, a Lewis Leathers fringed jacket, stonewashed jeans and a Stadium 'Achilles' lid:


If it was raining I had a complete 'Protectorl' boil-in-the-bag suit:


I bought a really nice bikers leather and started adding to it:


I also had some 'distinctive' haircuts over the years:


It's all been downhill since then  
GC

[robG]

Then I moved up to a 90cc Yamaha Step-thru and my mum bought me some Belstaffs:


We appear to have forgotten something, GC,or is the band playing 'Born to be Wild'
After a few years of riding 400/4s and CB400Ns I ended up with an XBR, a Lewis Leathers fringed jacket, stonewashed jeans and a Stadium 'Achilles' lid:


Would that be a Stadium Inca?

It's all been downhill since then  
GC

[guest27]

I also had some 'distinctive' haircuts over the years:


It's all been downhill since then  
GC

So that will be GC doing the Stray Cat Strut, or boogying down to Crazy Cavan's "My Little Sister's Got a Motorbike"...

R

[guest7]

Don't knock the rock Rog...  

Yeah, I have always been a fanatical rock 'n' roller. You can keep your white boy blues and ponderous rock, the real deal is Joe Turner's Shake Rattle and Roll and Jackie Brenston's Rocket 88. Add in a bit of Link Wray and Little Richard and who could ask for anything more? Except perhaps for Elvis' Mystery train.... brrrr... shivers down the spine. It says it all when you look at the credits on some of the early Led Zep albums, Willie Dixon gets a credit for most of the tracks alongside Plant and Page.

As for the nice leather jacket, I should have said it got cut off me after an accident and is now in a glass case in my office  

GC

p.s. You're right Rob, a Stadium Inca it was. My mistake, sorry.

p.p.s. I also should have said that I once flipped the 50cc Suzuki forwards over a jump whilst wearing a suit and brogues, but no gloves. The gravel rash was a thing of horrific wonder.