My small brain and safety equipment...

[nvp]

So... I've been riding for a good amount of time now. I've been through racing schools, attended a bunch of track days, and have been commuting for 5 years.

I have failed to learn one thing, and I'm afraid I may never understand this principle:

WHY DON'T MOST PEOPLE WEAR EQUIPMENT? My ability to absorb new information must be limited by finite genetic borders. So I need to ask a few questions in hopes that I willl begin to understand "those other people."

1. Does pavement get softer and less harmful as the outside tempurature rises?

2. Is there ever a situtation where riding a motorocycle without gloves is a good plan? (I have crashed mountian bikes, at low speeds, without gloves and f'd up my hands so bad I couldn't type for a week.)

2a. Are my hands just 'girly'?

3. What exactly is someone thinking when they are riding down the freeway at 65+ with just a helmet?

possibilities:

A- "I'll just 'run it out' if I have to bail off.

B- "I am such a good rider I will never fall... and if I did (which would be someone elses fault entirely) I can control the WAY I fall to the point I won't get injured.

C- F**K it! What happens happens!

I bring this up because I read these posts and sometimes (not always) fellow riders are hurt only because they were too cool, cheap, hot, cold, lazy, brave, whatever to wear equipment. There are SO many good options for safety gear out there these days... I just don't get it.

Come on people... motorcycles are dangerous no matter how you use them... why wouldn't we want to make it as safe as possible?

Thanks for letting me vent,

- Lil' old lady

[paladinnorcal]

Some people just have a higher opinion of their riding ability and general invincibleness. I was at Alices' on Sunday and there were two guys in their early twenties wearing sweatshirts and jeans. They did have gloves, and helmets, and some really great tennis shoes. Some folks only learn the hard way.

[Z3n]

I don't comprehend the squid mind. I'd imagine though, that they think that riding is just like driving a car. They're wrong but they'll only learn when it happens to them.

[paroxysm]

I'm a squid, but I wear gear :)

I used to ride my 250 around with a sweater. Had anyone told me I needed gear, I would've gotten it, but nobody did. I wasn't on BARF or any forums and really didn't think anything of it (I wore gloves when I was cold :) )

My favorite is seeing someone wearing a jacket, Arai, and NO GLOVES. WTF?

Anyway, maybe that is other people's excuse - they just don't know any better and need someone to tell them to quit acting like a retard. I really like it when someone has a FUCKED up bike that I KNOW they have crashed and still don't wear gear. You think they would know better. Guess not.

[Mad Gnome]

The rider on the thrashed bike probably picked it up on the cheap from the previous owner- who paniced, crashed and sold as soon as the wife heard.
The sales guys used to laugh at the squidlies who would come in and buy the newest, fastest, quickest and would be back in a few weeks later to buy new fairings and $500 mirrors... sad but true. That was back in the 1980's - maybe people know better now a days.. naw, I doubt it. They (insurance reps) were saying that 60% of the new riders would drop it within the first 6 months.
It takes a few falls for the economics of good fall protection to sink in.:cry

[The Debbid]

I guess you could say it has to do with who you riding "role models" are. I had gear before I had bike because that is what I took from the MSF course. My buddy who took the class with me must not have been paying attention. The week after we took the class he went and bought a shinny new TLR. He only had enough money left to buy a helmet and a textile jacket. He promptly laid his bike down. He didnt get a new jacket until he crashed a second time and still hasn't bought a new helmet. I suppose some people just don't care enough or consider the consequences associated with riding:dunno

[PorradaVFR]

When I started riding I was blissfully clueless. Sure, I knew about "gear", I had gloves (cloth wrenching ones), boots (cheap Payless garbage), pants (Levi's) and a KEVLAR™ (shirt) from the Draggin Jeans folks. Oh, and a too-large HJC.

Thankfully the sausage monster ignored me for a while, until I bought a TourMaster 3/4 jacket and Joe Rocket ballistic pants. The pants I left hanging in the hotel (didn't want them to get used???) when I went out for our first "mellow" run up around the Dragon in TN. I was riding FAR over my head, my memories of BMXing as a kid giving me FAR too much bravery for both the public roads and my woefully insufficient gear. Everything was fine until a ~40mph left hander when I stopped focusing on MY ride and decided to shoulder check for my riding buddy's GF that had fallen behind. She was smart - on a new (to her) bike and new roads, she was taking it easy. I was foolish and cocky and that moment I stopped paying attention the sausage monster took a LOT of interest in me.

I ran off slightly onto the shoulder and in a moment of WTF reaction I managed to grab throttle and recover ONLY the front end, with the rear sliding and then catching and launching me into a nice highside.

Jeans? Shredded.
Boots? Ditto.
Gloves? Split wide open.
Jacket? Shoulder seam failed.
Helmet? Saved my ass (thankfully I had upgraded to a well-fitting Arai by then).

I got off with a shoulder separation I still live with, scars on my knees from road rash and from pure luck nothing on my hands.

I also knew DAMN well it was luck. Now I have a full leather suit or a full nylon oversuit when I ride. Along with gauntlet race gloves and A* or Teknic boots. Every time. The sausage monster doesn't tend to forgive repeating idiot mistakes.

[Mad Gnome]

Yeah, I still pick gravel and glass outta my knee as it works it's way out ... Foolish is as foolish does....

[nvp]

I started riding late in life, when I was about 30 years old, so I guess I was able to gather a bit more common sense, and importantly, some cash by the time I purchased my first bike. Also, I had club raced cars and instructed high performance driving, in addition to racing mountain bikes. I knew the dangers of speed and had fallen off a mt bike more times than I could count. And ya know what? I hurt like shit! I even broke a couple of helmets while strapped to my coconut!

My first ride was a Triumph 955 Daytona. (Stupid first bike, by the way.) I bought a full Frank Thomas race suit, complete with knee pucks plus the matching boots plus dianese gloves plus a dainese back protector. Some thought I was trying to look like a hero... reality was I was just scared of getting hurt. I would have worn an airbag suit if it had been available.

Riders used to give me shit for my shiny knee pucks. My group never gave me shit for anything. Because they were smart. They would DUST me every ride... and eventually I would come meandering around the last corner.

Well, now I hang at the front. Comfortably and in control. I have gone through countless sets of pucks and have only had one "incident" during my riding tenure. And that was on the track (Infineon) and due to a bad case of tank slapper. In that situation I was wearing a Kush suit with addditional back protector, sidi boots and AS GP gloves. All the equipment worked great as I slid down the back straight at 100+ MPH on my back. The only thing was my suit didn't fit perfectly. My knee armor shifted during the slide and I smacked the knee (at some point... don't really know when) and broke my knee cap.

I still feel lucky. Equipment saved my back, arms, and everything else. I have since replaced the leathers with a Dainese Bora suit that fits perfect, and ride daily with an Aerostich (it's BMW law) + Dainese back protector and sidi boots.

Be safe out there and ride until you're old.

That's my plan anyway.

Peace,

N

[Variable]

The best was up at Alice's, a guy was on an MV Agusta F1 (if I recall correctly) nice ass carbon fiber lid, brand new one piece leathers, gloves and low cut tennis socks with low cut white tennis shoes. :wtf okaayyyy........

[nvp]

THAT is CLASSIC!!!! Those little shoes would fly off the second he hit the ground. He would be in perfect shape... except he'd have no feet.

N

[Mad Gnome]

four words : shorts, tee-shirt, sandals, sunglasses
Ok - ready- Lets ride SoCal style!





uh... oh well, maybe not.

[Z3n]

I actually had gear before i bought my bike as a result of the MSF as well, and the fact that my parents actually took some positive interest in my riding...helped me find good gear, took me around for test fittings, etc. My first helmet was an Arai Astral, cortech magnum jacket, A* Sp-2's, Fox offroad boots (i was a noob, ok? :laughing ) I too had kevlar reinforced jeans, but thankfully i never crashed in them, only dragged a knee for the first time in them ( :laughing )

When i've crashed, once was in my jacket, arai, gloves, leather overpants loaned to me by a friend and dress shoes (leaving work), and i had a nasty concussion and some bruising/minor scrapes, but no major damage (40mph highside). The second time i crashed was when a lady made a left in front of me and i was going too fast for the conditions, and i was in an A* jacket, SP2 gloves, arai astral, and dickies and skate shoes...i tore up my knees pretty good, but no broken bones (at about 30 mph). The last time was a 5mph lowside on my SV in full leathers, got up more pissed off, no damage to me at all.

Now, whenever i'm out riding agressively I wear a Joe Rocket Speedmaster one piece, SMX Plus boots, SP2's (hopefully getting replaced by some helimot gloves soon), helimot back protector, and my OGK.

I still ride like a squid on the street, in jeans, skate shoes, and my jacket/gloves/helmet. I don't really have a commute at the moment though, so no 'stich for me, i just walk to work, and ride basically only to the twisties. Any distance stuff is done in full gear.

[Red6Rdr]

I started out w/ gear first because it was a way for me to "introduce" motorcycles into my life and household to my mom. She hated the idea but couldn't stop me from getting a helmet than gloves than jacket...than bike. WOW I feel like I've achieved so much.

[RhythmRider]

Originally posted by Z3n

Now, whenever i'm out riding agressively I wear a Joe Rocket Speedmaster one piece, SMX Plus boots, SP2's (hopefully getting replaced by some helimot gloves soon), helimot back protector, and my OGK.
What is "OGK"? Also, have you thought about getting some gloves from Lee Parks?

http://www.leeparksdesign.com

[VTRZA]

I think the answer is most likely C,at least thats my reason

[CaliRVF]

Originally posted by GSXRider750
What is "OGK"?

:teeth

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/198/198/3057187-ogk.jpg

[Z3n]

Originally posted by GSXRider750
What is "OGK"? Also, have you thought about getting some gloves from Lee Parks?

http://www.leeparksdesign.com

OGK...is a helmet. :laughing

Lee Parks...well, he's made some really cool stuff and I enjoyed his book, but i really liked the Helimot gloves. They fit me very, very well...+ the customization makes them worth the cost.

[4tuneit1]

i remember my squid days...i used to wear i layer of jeans with foam i glued on to it, then another pair of larger jeans over that. then i would wear an old police bulletproof vest under my jacket. I wore steel toed boots and gloves/helmet to round it out...but i was poor and just wanted to ride fast. Eventually i saved up for a used 1 piece leathers suit and still wore the steel toe boots until i got real boots. :teeth lol

[Mad Gnome]

Nice!