| Author | Message | ||
     Blackxb9 |
This issue has been bugging me for a while now. Why do I feel like I am the only rider on the road that wears any protection at all? It just seems like everybody I give the wave to is wearing jean shorts, sneakers, and a wife beater. Now maybe I am exaggerating but this is ridiculous. It doesn't seem to matter what type of bike they are riding...either a chopper, standard HD bike, or sport bike all I see is skin everywhere. Then there I go with my Joe Rocket jacket, helmet, over the ankle boots, and jeans and I feel totally over dressed when I know I shouldn't. I don't mean to be over sensitive about it or point the finger at any fellow bad webbers who enjoy to ride like this....to each their own..its a free country. I just had to voice my opinion and see if any of you feel as I do. Personally i've never had a major brush with the pavement but I know if or when I do I want to be protected. I say also help keep health insurance down and gear up! Ok I am done now. Thanks for the forum to rant. Ride safe and rubber down. | ||
| Djkaplan |
I feel the same way about people that eat too much fried food, but people are just going to live their lives the way they want to. | ||
| Lucky |
I live in york to and I see the same thing even some of the guys i ride with. If i am going to work i will wear shorts and a t shirt but its only 5 minutes away max. other than that i almost always have jeans jacket and gloves. | ||
| 12r |
Having endured 6 crashes to date I'm armoured up like a Stormtrooper for most rides. The first crash hurt but physically I soon got over it, although it cost me a few degrees of lean psychologically. Subsequent get-offs hurt more, took longer to heal and I'm almost out of lean angle.  The pavement is freakin' HARD and there's no such thing as 'overprotected' on a motorcycle. | ||
| Rubberdown |
I've thought about this a lot. When I'm on the Buell I wear protective gear as I'm unable to control my wrist. When I'm on my BMW cruiser, I wear what I feel comfortable in. I use the crusier for 90 per cent of my riding right now. I love riding around comfortable rather than encased in gear. I rode 40 miles to work on back roads this morning in slacks, oxford shirt, tie, and touring boots, and a 1/2 helmet. Damn I had an enjoyable ride! Sure If I crash like this, it's really going to hurt. Such is life. I've road raced bicycles for years. When you go down at 50+ on a decent in a pack of 75 bikes wearing only lycra and a helmet, it hurts. Such is life. We make our choices and hope it works out. | ||
| Spatten1 |
That's the East Coast for you. It makes me cringe to see all these guys on GSXRs in tank tops, shorts, and sneakers. If you go to California most of the sportbike, sport touring, and touring guys are fully geared up with leathers or good riding suits. The cruiser guys still tend to wear $10 walnut shells on thier heads and the full costume, but that is just thier deal. | ||
| Spatten1 |
Rubberdown has a good point. I guess I never thought about it being more enjoyable to ride with less gear, probably because I'm too worried to enjoy the ride. | ||
| Ronlv |
i think most people who dont gear up have never gone down yet i gear up everywhere i go except around the block(i should even then, they say most accidents happen right near your home) yes i have been down(on the track)had on full gear and i still got burns(roadrash)on my knee, elbow and hip and ground one finger down to the bone(they couldnt stitch it back togther, no skin left, it had to grow back on its own), hit my helmet 3 times on the ground(good thing i had one on) on the street the pavement is the least of your worries(its hard yes but it doesnt try and run you over),its the cars and trucks you need to worry about i have been gearing up here in 100 degrees, i look stupid and i loose 10lbs from each ride, but i feel safer(i need to go home to my family every night) i have a freind who no longer rides because one day he cliped a van in the middle of the desert between california and las vegas at about 100 mph. he had on a helmet but no other gear. he said when he was laying in the helicopter on his way to the hospital, he thought he was going to die forsure. i saw him when he finally got home out of intensive care but still in traction at home in one of those medical beds he was a mess, he got rid of his bikes and he made me think twice about street riding gear up guys or one day you will wish you had later, ron | ||
| Jessicasdad |
I have been noticing this myself. I have done some accident scene photography when I still lived in New Jersey, I saw too many hands, legs, and faces ground to a bloody pulp not to wear every piece of gear that I have. Going down is a possibility that we all face and can not be controlled or predicted, being prepared however is. I have had other riders ask me if I thought that I was over "dressed" when it was hot, I simply look at them and say "No". Each one of us makes a decision, makes a choice, in the end it is up to each of us and no amount of preaching, arguing or safety discussions will matter. Each of us will continue to wear what we want, we take enough chances just sitting on our bikes and starting off down the road. Hey .. if I could this is what I would wear when riding http://www.angelfire.com/fl/FelixsFleet/guyver.html | ||
| Buell12hundo |
Jdad you are 100% right at least thats how I think, I rather be smelly and sweaty than have all my skin shaved off. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Until both deer and everyone with a cell phone and a car demonstrate that they are capable of distuingishing between BMW crusiers and Buell streetfighters, I don't see what the choice of bike has to do with the amount of gear worn... | ||
| Mesafirebolt |
One of the managers where I work looked at me yesterday as we were getting on the elevator and said "it's too hot for all that isn't it" meaning my black gauntlet gloves, black full face helmet and black leather jacket, I just said no and left it like that. Did I mention I live in Phoenix Az and it was 107 yesterday? Nuff said? Oh, I had a GREAT ride home... | ||
| Naughtynurse |
I totally gear up!! No matter what temp it is. Some insurance companies will not cover your medical bills or slap you with a LARGE deductible, if your hospitalization is due to a motorcycle accident and you are not wearing a helmet and other gear. Have seen way too much bad stuff in my line of work. And if your gonna ride and have fun do it safe!! I can not understand these guys though that wear helmets and flip flops though?????? | ||
| Henrik |
I wear full gear all the time. Hot'n sweaty - yep, but *much* better than skin grafts - or worse. Grizzly gave me some interesting numbers one time; think of the road as a big belt sander (if you look down - be careful - on a ride you'll know what I mean). Back to those #'s; given a certain speed you're likely to slide a certain distance - Grizzly's department had approximate numbers for how far you'll slide before your jeans are worn away, after that a few more feet will take your skin off. A bit more distance and you're past the relatively tough skin and will be wearing away soft tissue, muscle etc. Depending on location and amount of muscle mass in that area, at some point you'll have worn yourself down to the bone ... literally. And that's if you're lucky and only slide. Hit anything along your way and all bets are off. All gear - all the time. You makes your choices and takes your chances ... Henrik | ||
| Spatten1 |
When I was in college the quarterback was on a Hurricane 600 (what's a CBR?) in flip flops, hit a couple of tight turns, and shaved off a little toe. No pity here. | ||
| Cruisin |
As for me, it depends on the ride. If I'm going anywhere for an enjoyable ride (meaning haulin' a$$ through the corners) I'll gear up fully. If I'm going with the wife I might just do jeans, jacket, helmet and gloves. However I'll admit that my daily commute (a whopping 3.5 miles) I will ride in shorts, sneaks, and a t-shirt - in the summer (helmet is mandatory). It's a risk I'm willing to take. To go that 3.5 miles usually takes 15 minutes or more. Nothing like sitting in the direct sunlight in black gear on a hot engine with my nuts roasting. I've been down in a t-shirt and jeans before. Yeah I got road rash the first time. Broke a collar bone the second time. I still take the risk to commute that way. BMW had the right idea - I saw some of their new leathers that had a UV reflective coating so they don't heat up due to sunlight. I think if more gear had that technology more people would use it. | ||
| Tpoppa |
I always wear at least Helmet, Gloves, Leather jacket w/armor, jeans, and boots. If I am heading to my favorite twisty roads for some spirited riding, I replace the jeans with my Armored Joe Rocket riding pants. IMO, regardless of temperature or distance, a Helmet, Long pants, and riding gloves should always be worn. Also IMO, bandanas are stupid. If you wear one because you think it is part of the required biker costume, or think it looks cool, or you are trying to hide a bald spot--you look like a Moron. | ||
| Paulson |
I too see the fellas riding with flip flops and tank tops (their girlfriends on the back too!). I agree with Ronlv - they just haven't been down yet. Wear what you want, it's your own perogative. But take responsibility for your own mess if and when you make one. Just because you think you have great riding skills doesn't mean the cage next to you is up to par. | ||
| Gearhead |
Shark helmet, Buell leather jacket, gloves and boots unless it's hot then I'm wearing a Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket. All the time!! With the gear on I can relax and concentrate on the riding not the what if's, the gear is much cheaper than skin graphs... | ||
| Fullpower |
I wear leather, Shoei RF1000, aerostar or danner boots when i ride. it is none of my business how much skin anyone else wants to expose. you can ride your GSXR1000 in sneakers and t shirt I DONT CARE. | ||
| Tpoppa |
I care, because every moron that wrecks with shorts and no helmet has high medical expenses that eventually make MY insurance premium higher. Motorcycle insurance is already high enough. | ||
| Vonsliek |
overheard salesstaff in sportbike store informing newbie to not worry so much abt fancy jacket & invest better in leg protection, as they are what take the most abuse in a slide w/ bike on top of yr legs. she seems to have a point. made me think hard abt it. i have fancy full padded race jacket (no hump, tho ;p) from *first gear* .. it is a pain to get on if i just wanna get out riding .. but i always feel protected & once the temp drops, i am glad i have it on .. wasps don't hurt when they hit (don't even notice their impact). now i have to get over the idea of padded fag-pants .. i wear leather jeans on cold days or on long/wet rides. fullface helmets are awesome .. never thought they wld be, but lets face it .. biker style is just a pose by ppl who can't back it up most of the time. i rode w/ a hell's angel once & he had already a nasty near foot loss accident before .. he limps badly & is in a lot of pain all the time .. anyway .. he jams around in track pants, sneakers, beanie, no eye protection at nearly 100mph everywhere .. i am serious, but he is one of the few i have seen who can back it up. its his choice & not for me, but it is kinda impressive. but personally sporting rides are where some of are at & protection is the smart move .. esp. if one has children to raise!  ride safe but aggressive & own the road! paul. | ||
| Budo |
I always wear the gear. It gets pretty warm here, high 90's but it is the humidity that really hurts us here in the south. The other morning I had just arrived at work and was taking my gloves off when a woman walking to the bldg stopped to ask 'why are you wearing a jacket?' (JoeRocket mesh). What can you say? Umm incase of a crash? Sounds self-evident but I guess it's not. I have not had a BANG hit something lay in the street accident since high school (knock on wood), however I have seen seven accidents, two of them severe, and when I was a kid my local hero (because he rode a bike) crashed and exposed the bone in his arm due to road rash. That really got my attention, you are not supposed to see your bones.  | ||
| Gowindward |
"Also IMO, bandanas are stupid. If you wear one because you think it is part of the required biker costume, or think it looks cool, or you are trying to hide a bald spot--you look like a Moron." Here all this time I thought those Dew Rags were "Smell Approved" head gear. I had a kid pull up next to me in traffic a few weeks ago who was wearing a full face helmet, gloves, tennis shoes, and gym shorts. It hurt just thinking about him going down. I think it's really all about risk management. Some people either don't think about the risk or are willing to accept far more risk that myself. I always wear, helmet, gloves, riding jacket, boots, jeans, and riding pants, except for the commute home in the afternoon heat. Then the riding pants get packed in a tail bag. I'm willing to assume that risk, for the short hot ride home. While there are people who wouldn't consider getting on a motorcycle regardless of how much gear they had on, because the do not want to accept the risk of riding a motorcycle. | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
  Those are a far and close view of my jacket after hitting the road at 80mph. Slide time was minimal as I spent most of it rolling. The white circle at the elbow is where mine wore thru and took an inch out on the roadway... Keep in mind, this was a mechanical failure, not caused by rider error, not caused by a cage doing something stupid, but blind chance stepping up to the plate and taking a swing. This was after 300+ of good solid canyon carving and moderate highspeed runs, and came down to 15 mins from home and passing slower traffic in a legal section of roadway, just over the speedlimit. Just think about that aspect for a bit... My roomate used to laugh and make jokes, his ex-girlfriend came by yesterday and was laughing at him because he used to make jokes about how much gear I wore when I would go ride. He doesn't joke about me wearing gear anymore, he jokes about the fact he USED to make jokes at my expense and couldn't understand why it didn't bother me. Then he saw my bike, my gear and the little bit of physical damage I took, and started putting the imagery in his head if I hadn't have had the gear on. Now the questions that people ask me are "your not going to get back on a bike right?" And when I tell them that yes I am, they just don't understand...just like they didn't understand when I wore all that gear... | ||
| Tpoppa |
Wycked, What was the mechanical failure? | ||
| Wyckedflesh |
A clamp for a custom fit exhaust came apart and took the front retaining springs with it. The front of the canister slipped back enough to drop off the head pipe, dig into the road and pop the back of the bike up and into a tank slapper. | ||
| Jeremyh |
just keep wearing your skins, sooner or later those guys will see why that stuff sells so well. | ||
| Garrett2 |
im sorry,but i dont see a point in "gearing up" to go ride my bike. ok, the boots youre talking about, are they actually comfortable to walk around it? like around a mall for two hours or so? id rather not have to lug around a big jacket everywhere i go. when i go for a ride, i wear whatever is going to suit me best for where im going. if im going out to a decent restaurant ill wear some khakis and a button up, if im just going to go chill with my friends theres a good chance you'll see me in cargo shorts and t shirt. but thats just me. ive never went down, i know it'll happen at some point, its got to. i started riding when i was 16, im 22 now and dont ever plan on stopping. so im assuming ill be riding for a good 50+ years, somethings bound to happen.... | ||
| Nadz |
Hey Black, I'm with you. Look at my profile- that's what I wear, all the time. Never gone down, but I'm smart enuf to learn from others. The way I see it, if you go down fast, you're probably gonna break something and gear won't help much. But if you go down and get all scraped up, well then yer a dum bass who didn't spend enuf on gear. Now if I could only convince my Sportster-in-FlipFlops brother... |
