Greetings from the South!

[GilHirien]

Haha, no prob. Thanks Mag. I always wear a helmet regardless and I'm actively fighting with my boss about wearing my other gear. Her prevailing argument is that I look like my clients and since I'm a probation officer thats a bad thing, she says. I can handle the jabs so go right ahead! Its sound advice. Its not like I'd take offense to THAT. The remaining funds on the purchase price all went to bills that were past due, so.... Thanks again ya'll!

[Rookie Rider]

Welcome to the forum, I here you with backed up bills, but try.......at least try to get the book mentioned above. It really is worth it, and you will thank the guys and gals on this great forum. Some of them that wrote to you already KNOW what they are talking about and are veterans and care. They have taught me alot on here, so i just ask you to at least try to get that book for a start. Ride safe !!!

[GilHirien]

Will do RR. They have already done so much for me. Thanks to the guys on this forum I've figured out that what caused the electrical issue I mentioned in my first post (bad rectifier) and have gotten many great tips, tricks, ideas, etc. from all the advice given to riders before me. There is a wealth of knowledge on here and the people are great!

[Water Warrior 2]

Originally Posted by GilHirien

Haha, no prob. Thanks Mag. I always wear a helmet regardless and I'm actively fighting with my boss about wearing my other gear. Her prevailing argument is that I look like my clients and since I'm a probation officer thats a bad thing, she says. I can handle the jabs so go right ahead! Its sound advice. Its not like I'd take offense to THAT. The remaining funds on the purchase price all went to bills that were past due, so.... Thanks again ya'll!

Oh a P.O. kinda guy. Might be a first on the forum. You have a tough job dealing with many of the wrong element and a few who were just in the wrong crowd at the wrong time. A big :2tup: for doing a job many folks could never handle.
I take it many of your clients wear leather. Why not be a touch different and wear textile gear that is armored. That will set you apart from most clients and maybe just dazzle the boss a bit. Look for gear on closeout sales providing the vendor has a good return policy if it doesn't fit quite right. Take a peek at MotorcycleGear.com online.

[alantf]

Originally Posted by GilHirien

I have to wear dress clothes or business casual for work and they won't let me walk in in my gear.

Hi there.

What's to stop you taking your "office" clothes to work, & changing out of your riding gear when you get to work? That's what I used to do.

[bpdchief]

Welcome from Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Sounds like you've started your adventure in grand style. Go to your public library and get the mentioned reading material, Dress heavy til you get proper gear and above all else get into a riding class for your license - :skull: operating without a proper license can do very bad things to your chosen career.
Good luck! A few LEO's, one Chief (that I know of ) - yep you might be the first P.O. in the group. Ride safe - maybe we'll get together for a ride someday.

[GilHirien]

Bpdchief- Down here the riding class is not mandatory for the M endorsement, only recommended, and it gives a pretty good discount on the insurance. Just the written and skills test are required. I did chance that one for a few days simply because I had to go to work, but I'm good now. Generally I am in heavy clothes just because I'm cold natured (2-3 degrees below normal body temp). I specifically do electronic monitoring (House arrest bracelets and Alcohol monitoring bracelets) for those that care.

Alantf- Boss literally won't let me walk in the door in my gear and I don't have a place to stow it. I get away with the helmet and the jacket because its a $500.00 (full disclosure: I actually only paid $200.00 on a wicked sale at the beginning of summer two years ago) leather bomber and looks classy (if a bit antiquated) with my business clothes. I'm in and out of the office throughout the day going to court, the jails, etc. doing bracelet hookups and I'd be changing sometimes 4-5 times a day O_o .

WW- Thanks for the support and also the link! Its a rough job sometimes. I'm basically babysitting several dozen full grown men and women who cannot seem to handle their own problems. I take the monitoring phone calls as well as my client phone calls from 8am - 10pm 365 days a year and am not paid for anything after 5pm so most days are pretty hectic. Nah, none of my clients wear leather, that's just my thing. Its not the clothes themselves, its the biker look that the boss objects. I'm working on convincing them. I just have to find stuff that is both durable and also nice looking that I can wear with my work clothes. The gloves and jacket are approved and already in use. Thinking about some old school leather riding gaiters/spats/half-chaps which would be protective and come off quickly and easily. Full blown chaps are a no go since I have to wear slacks, and I never cared for them myself anyway. If I can keep it classy looking and not "rugged" I can probly talk the boss into it. That said, further suggestions are both welcome and much appreciated!

[Water Warrior 2]

Look for some overpants to save your office wear from getting dirty and grungy from the road. They will slip off and on fairly easily and come in a variety of configurations for weather and what not.

[mole2]

Since you can't wear the proper clothing to work you could always add armour under your regular cloths. For knee and shin protection you can wear shin/knee guards under your pants. They vary in price but these Alpinestars Reflex Knee Guards might fit the bill. I do not own a pair so I can't vouch for them.

As mentioned previously, you can get a good textile jacket such as this Joe Rocket Ballistic 8.0 Motorcycle Jacket which I do have. It's a nice jacket with armour in the elbows, shoulders, back and fanny. The black and gray is very conservative and will probably pass muster with your boss. Show her it online before you buy and see if she approves it. I do own this jacket in black and red (the older 7.0 version) and can recommend it. It's also waterproof.

As far as boots I wear these Original S.W.A.T. 9" Tatical Boots which are very comfortable, has side zippers for easy on and easy off and weigh about as much as a pair of sneakers. I can walk around all day and not have the fatigue that other heavier boots cause.

[Rionna]

Welcome to the forum from Ohio. Congrats on getting such a great deal on your bike. As a side note, I checked the Proficient Motorcycle book out of my local library for free and renewed it until I was satisfied. I also take clothes to my office on the weekend and drop them off so that when I want to ride to work, I will have a simple business outfit waiting for me. I also have a certain dress code as I am a felony prosecutor who sends the bad guys your way. LOL So, like you, I couldn't possibly wear riding gear to work. Hope you enjoy your bike and ride safe!