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Clothing
The best clothing is Leather, there are others, but the best is Leather.
A good leather jacket will be made of quality unstretched hide,(one
Hide one Jacket) it will have padding in the back, kidneys, elbows,
shoulder and in some cases the neck area. All seams and joins are
double stitched, the padding may be kevlar or some other shock
absorbing material.
Fashion bike jackets are no good at all, they rip easily because they
make 2-3 jackets out of one hide, and not the best quality.
A good pair of Leather trousers, the same as the jacket,(one Hide one Pair Trousers) with padding in the knees, butt, shins and thighs.
No matter how good the quality of leather, its not water proof once removed from the animal, so an alternative is advisable for wet weather riding.
Aqua suits are great, they're waterproof and fit over your leathers, when not in use they fit under your seat or in a bum bag round your waist, light and easy to carry, they cost around £30 and are a good investment.
There are many types of waterproof material on the market, and your dealer should have a range of these on the peg, always shop around and try several on. The average price of a good jacket is £100, trousers are about £90, these also come with protection in the appropriate places, but are not as good as leather.