1981 / 82 Achilles Stadium helmet from girlfriends (now wife) mums Gratton catalogue Donkey Jacket Combat trousers Doc Martins Wool Gloves with leatherette on the back For winter / wet weather - Dad's BR orange jacket and trousers - completely waterproof but absolutely mafting Pair of sheepskin mittens (no string to hold them together through your coat - I was hardcore) (all this on a Lambretta)
I once had a pair of Doc Martin boots. They weren't very comfy on my feet, but they were very well made and they looked good.
Had to google that and totally agree. You’d end up being just as wet from sweating as if you’d not worn the waterproofs
DR Martins Leather laces Levi staypress Clip on braces We are the boys That’ll smash your face in We are the Sunderland SKINHEADS Ahh....my misspent youth
I have finally got the Brando look - unfortunately, it's the 'later-life' Brando with the added ballast! Beerman
I bought the Prime jacket and Prince trousers. I think they are excellent, and actually reasonably cool in summer. Watch the sizes - they encourage you to size up on the jacket, and I think mine's a bit big - but there is plenty of adjustment. Beerman
A red and white "FM" helmet (no visor). I seem to remember a "by fimez" on it? Used some goggles. A brando style (very loosely styled....) leather jacket bought from snetterton market on a sunday, normal bleached jeans (turned up of course!) and some bright green "answer" motorcross gloves that were too small. All on top of a suzuki TS50ER. VCL156X. I wish i still had it. The way it rocketed to 20mph was phenomenal .....
Money was the tell tail factor back in the day, jeans was my only protection , leather jacket was my biggest expenses and a pair of Dr Martin's boots , wet gear was a pair of my dad's oil skins he had for fishing and carrier bags with elastic bands over my boots . I did finally upgrade the boots to proper bike boots with white fishing socks folded over the top. Wet gear was finally upgraded to a aqua pack . A fold away wet suit that went around your waist when not in use, all this was with a cut down Jean jacket badged up . Oh I looked the part
The early 90s. Cheapo bike kit and a mix of army surplus for me. Crap open face lid, with flying goggles. Cheap leather motorbike jacket with a old army combat jacket over it. Cheap fleece for under it when the temperature dropped. Jeans/cheap leather motorbike jeans. Cheap walkers waterproof trousers. British army NI patrol gloves (which where surprisingly tough when I had my first slide). British army combat boots.
My first set was a zip together BMW leather suit 1989, navy with grey inserts. I now have a winter and summer set of Dianese leathers . (Avro1/Alien and Assen/Misono perforated) I've always liked the option to be able to do Jacket only for short hops
It was a denim jacket from Next, a second hand Bieffe helmet, ordinary grubby jeans, no gloves, and a pair of ex-German army parachute boots. The Suzuki X7 was capable of remarkable speed for a 250 but luckily my poor maintenance kept me alive by making it go slower. Clearly I had no idea about safety gear.
There used to be a shop in Preston that sold secondhand leathers, gloves and sometimes boots. It was a bit of a lottery as to what they’d have in but there’d be bargains to be had. I got an Ashman biker jacket, some Frank Thomas gloves and a pair of short boots for my first roadbike kit, for a cheap price as I remember. He also did part exchanges if you wanted to change kit, and repairs too. It was a real Aladdins cave; shame it’s long gone now.
Aye that was in the day's when we reused or repaired, today is a throwaway society I have spent many hours repairing my own kit and my brother has a set of old boot dolly's so we would repair boots and stick loads of segg's on the soles and a steel heal cap as well made great sparks skidding down the road on them . We had a guy just like you mentioned selling bike gear pot luck what he had but there was a lot off use still in the kit made to last a lot longer they where then.
My dad's pre-war leather jacket (worn to ride his BSA 250, before he ended up in the Royal Signals and had his BSA M20 and riding gear supplied by the government). Belstaff waxed cotton jacket donated by someone who worked with my dad. PVC overtrousers Leather gauntlets. Come sort of fashion boots. Everoak jet helmet and visor. The Bell Star would have been introduced a few months earlier, I suppose, but nobody had one.
My 1st bike boots were SIDI Couriers. Steel segs on the toes... enabled this simple pleasure too. Wore through pretty quick but by then had moved on to centre stand grinding for even greater night time nonsense.
