When you?ve crashed as many bikes as I have over the years, you soon appreciate the differences between decent riding kit and cheap stuff. And not just because the stuff that costs a bit more looks a bit nicer. Pucka riding kit usually fits a bit better to start with. And generally speaking, it?ll do better when the inevitable happens and you?re sliding along on your head, arse or anything else that you shouldn?t be.

Everyone has a budget for their riding kit, that?s fair enough. I?d never try and persuade anyone that they need to go and spend £5k on the latest, made to measure, custom designed, kangaroo skin airbag suit. Like-wise, there isn?t one person in the world that needs to spend an extra £150 on their helmet just for the sake of having their favourite MotoGP rider?s colours on there. But when you are on a motorbike, flip flops and a £50 helmet won?t cut the mustard.
You might argue that the 16 year old who?s just spent all his paper round money on a moped to get to college and back can only afford to spend a few pennies on a crash hat. And maybe you?d be right. But if it was my offspring, I?d be making sure they had something sensible on their head before they went anywhere near it. That might mean giving them an advance on their Christmas present. But it would probably just mean suggesting they got themselves a bigger paper-round. I?ve seen budget helmets on sale that I wouldn?t want anywhere near my head. Even if I was only nipping round the block on...