Safe riding and protective equipment
The protective-equipment domain tests what the law requires, what a passenger needs, and how equipment fails when it is chosen badly.
Legal minimum and what it really costs
- Helmet: compulsory for rider and passenger, ECE 22.05 or 22.06 approved, correct size, chin strap fastened before you move. A loose helmet can rotate off in a slide.
- Replacement: after any impact - including a drop from seat height - the shell or liner may be compromised. Replace it.
- The rest: KRESZ does not force gloves, boots or a jacket, but every instructor and every crash does. Abrasion-resistant jacket and trousers, gloves with knuckle protection, boots covering the ankle, and ideally a back protector.
- Visibility: bright colours or a high-visibility vest, plus a clean visor that is legal for night use.
- Headlight: a motorcycle must run with its dipped headlight on at all times, day included.
Passengers
- The bike must be registered for two people, with a proper seat and footrests.
- The passenger sits astride, feet on the pegs, helmet on, holding the rider or the grab rail.
- A rider who has held the A1 licence for less than two years may not carry a passenger.
- Add tyre pressure and suspension preload for the extra load.
Worked example
A friend asks for a lift home two months after you pass your A1 test. You refuse the pillion ride and explain the two-year rule, even though the bike has a seat and a spare helmet. Reasoning: the restriction follows the rider's experience, not the machine's capacity, and the fine and insurance consequences land on you.
Traps
- A cheap non-homologated helmet bought online is not legal protection and may not be covered by insurance arguments.
- A fashion jacket with no armour is not riding gear.
- Loose straps, scarves or open pockets can flap into the wheel or across your visor.
- Assuming a tinted visor is fine at night - it is not.