[xeony2k]

Originally Posted by JustWondering

Is all of this stuff neccessary just to get me the mile and a half of city driving required to get to school and work? If not, what things are necessary? I would guess a helmet at the very least but what about gloves or a jacket? If I want to wear 'normal' clothes without having to change my clothes once arriving, are jeans acceptable? Any pants? Shorts? Naked?

IMO, jeans at the bare essentials. The least I ever ride with are my gloves, jacket, riding boots, jeans and helmet of course. People don't plan accidents, so you have no idea when you're going to get hit, go down, etc.

And what general info should I know about the various types of gear that would help me make a better informed choice in what I'll buy. Do I need a $400 helmet or is a $25 helmet that I might find at a garage sale acceptable? What should I look for in a helmet? What should I stay away from? And more importantly WHY should I look for, or stay away from, certain things?

Used helmet should be avoided like the plague. On a recent memorial ride the ex-gf of the deceased was asking me questions about helmets and remarked that the guys helmet "looked" fine. I can assure you it was anything but... he died of massive head trauma on his way into surgery after being flown by chopper to the hospital.

Buy a new helmet you know is undamaged that fits your head comfortably and meets DOT, SNELL or European certs like Shark helmets. Some helmets that fit into that category are HJC, Scorpion and sometimes Shark due to them being unfamiliar to most Americans.

Are gloves neccessary? Can I use those 99 cent mittens I see at the dollar store or should I find some cast iron gauntlets? Leather or chainmail?

Aside from a helmet in some states, nothing is mandatory... but they certainly are a great idea. Most of us when we hit the ground use out hand to catch our fall, stabilize during a slide or something along those lines. For that reason I like leather gauntlet gloves for hand/wrist protection. Aside from that, how hard is it to wear some gloves?

Jackets? The pro's and con's of leather jackets versus some of the synthetic materials I see out there. Dont some jackets actually have hard material like plastic or perhaps even kevlar in them?

Leather trumps textile and mesh jackets no questions asked. Textile jackets are decent, but tend to be a one and done type deal. I've gone down in my leather jacket and have some scuffs... that's it. Get a leather riding jacket, my favorite one I own came from E-Bay new for less than $200.

If I dont want a pair of raicing boots are my regular sneakers okay to commute in? What about for joyriding?

I once read that one of the highest points of injury in a motorcycle accident were injured ankles. Good riding boots provide significant ankle/shin protection and then again some are no better than $20 boots from Wal-mart. Non slip soles are also important. Again I fall back that no one plans when and how they are going to wreck.

I'm not 'skinny' or even 'average' in weight. I'm above average with a picture perfect beer belly and some beautiful love handles. Is there gear to fit my body style?

Yes, in fact many riding pants have cinches to accommodate some "variety", same deal with jackets. You can even get into one piece suits, although the arms/legs might be a tad long.