Time for another gear lecture

[xtremelow]

I agree with you Dave, when I ride I look like a squid to some I am sure.

But I wear Shift kevlar jeans, Shift riding boots, full armored textiled jackets, thick and hard knuckled gloves, and IMO a good helmet (my helmets might not be Arai or Shoei, but my Scorpion has great reviews)

BuellChick pushes it sometimes so I have to get on her to wear her gear but most of the time she is good about it

 

[twoguns]

can not agree more with this... we had a ride a couple of weeks back. i nice stretch of a journey encompasing a nice section of 45klms of 25/35 and 45 klmh bends round a mountain that is still rated as a 100klmh zone. then a nice long straight stretched out section of country road after for about 70klms.

one of our girl riders made it through all the hard stuff and rode awesome, but on the nice straight stretch lost a little focus and control and binned her bike doing 140klms/h. she had all her gear on. thankfully, and something we encourage to all our new riders that join our group. she bounced and slide down the road and destroyed her leather jacket, pants and bike, but she suffered only some impact bruising and scrapes, and lives to ride again.

ATGATT! and have fun!!

 

[agfish18]

I always wear helmet, jacket, gloves, boots when I ride. I have several "outfits" however... and I dont think that is a bad thing. I probably have 10 or 11 different jackets, but I have owned more than one bike, and I like to match colors. I have 3 leather jackets, one for warmer weather, one for cooler weather, and one that attaches to my leather pants for track days. I then have 3 mesh jackets, one red (bought when I had my old ducati) one Gray (found for cheap at a motorcycle swapmeet.) and one black/blue (goes with my 1125R blue accents) then I have an extreme heavyweight winter jacket for those bitter cold nights (im not a fair weather rider) and then 3 textile jackets, 2 are buell, one is S&S, but all have specific advantages. I have 5 helmets, one was a christmas present from my girlfriend, one I use for the track, and one is just a different color. the other two belong to the G/F. I probably have about 5 different pairs of gloves, but they each have their own advantages as well. I only have 2 pairs of boots though. my point is, just because some of us have a lot of options, doesnt mean it is a bad thing. some of us are pack rats, others just like to accessorize (not in a gay way though )

 

[Jabaniz]

i couldn't imagine riding in shorts, i have had too much road rash from my dirt bikes to even consider shorts, even when its hot, i lived in California for a year and they have helmet law so doesn't matter if its 120f, and i suspect sooner rather than later all states will have helmet law, reading my cycle world there was big article on bike airbags /shrug

 

[fwkapaun]

Seems I am the exception rather than the rule here in Florida. Wear a helmet, mesh jacket with armor over the ankle boots and long pants. A lot of riders here go for the wife beater, sandals, backwards baseball cap and shorts look. When you see one of those people go down and the aftermath it will make you a believer. Motorcycling is Darwinism at it's finest, you either evolve or become extinct.

 

[4xsteve]

The first time I ever had a piece of machinery that warranted a helmet was my 4wheeler. I debated not wearing it once; smartly decided against NOT wearing it... Flipped the ATV on a hill that day and I heard the helmet crack a few times as the 600+ pound ATV proceeded to sandwich my head between it and the ground. No longer is it ever even a question anymore as to whether or not to wear a helmet. IT'S JUST NOT WORTH IT! I don't care how hot it is or how short the ride is, you can't control all the variables and factors around you enough to justify any excuses. The Eagle Scout in me reminds everyone to always BE PREPARED!

 

[Ronin1]

I usually MOTGMOTT.
Most of the gear most of the time.
Always a helmet (two Aria's but I do go around the block lidless occasionally, say what you want, I like it once in a while)
Always gloves, summer or winter but all are armored and cover the wrist.
Various boots but my favorite's are a set of Magnum Stalkers modified with extra leather pieces on the toes and sides and metal cups over the ankles. Various pants but my usual one's are Draggin jeans.
I own four jackets, a leather, a perforated leather, a 3/4 length "enduro" type that’s warm down to 35 degrees and a mesh textile. All have armor. But I will ride with just a Draggin shirt or a T-shirt.
I've ate it on the street and I know what the risk is going jacketless but when its 95 and 95% humidity, I'm leaving the jacket home. I can grow new skin but already having had 6 concussions, I can't fix veggieness.

Jim

 

[09CRRED1]

ur tellin me my HD boots wont work? so im guessn my **** kickers wont work either. Someone mentioned they think there will be a helmet law in every state i doubt that nebraska is tryin to get rid of theres

 

[dave_xb12r]

09CR, the problem with shoes and boots like HD boots are the material used. Keep in mind that us buellers lean a hell of a lot further than any harley can. If you were in a lean, your large boot could catch on the ground and yank your foot off of the peg. I was on a ride with a member on here(he shall remain nameless) when then happened. It could have been a disaster, but he quickly recovered.

That's why you see these guys with race boots and toe guards. The guard is meant to slide instead of yank your foot back.

Maybe you haven't touched toe yet, but you will someday.

 

[Fock347]

wow you guys are serious about gear, all i got is a ryno lining suiti made its ok..... but im stuck in the riding position untill i take it off.

 

[Jabaniz]

Someone mentioned they think there will be a helmet law in every state i doubt that nebraska is tryin to get rid of theres

i live in North Dakota and it might be one of the last states that gets a helmet law too, but
i guarantee there will be one, its like seat belts, or smoking, the more people that turn there head into mush that isn't wearing a helmet is all the evidence that is needed, whether or not a helmet may of prevented the injury

 

[browland]

I kinda doubt Florida will have one ever

 

[09CRRED1]

no ive only got 1200 miles on my bike and i try to lean it over good but its no were close to knee dragging and in Neb the roads arnt curvy enough thats why i cant wait to go to sturgis in august

 

[Nuage420b]

wow you guys are serious about gear, all i got is a ryno lining suiti made its ok..... but im stuck in the riding position untill i take it off.

I haven't totalled a bike yet. but I watched two different riders die in front of me growing up. one was a chick changing lanes nothing crazy or illegal but there was uneven pavement and her tire caught and bucked her off at highway speeds. she was in the next lane over about 20 yards ahead of me when she went down. can't confirm she dies but at 60-70 face first i'm sure it was bad. The second some douche bag on an r1 (which i love, nothing againt r1's here) was doing 100 plus down the double yellow line in stand still thanksgiving day traffic. not sure what happened but spectators said his front tire just blew and he kissed the pavement instantly, caused a 12 car accident (mine being one of them) landed next to my car his bike bounced of some cars and wedged under a 20somefoot Uhaul and i watched the guy lay face down for about 15 minutes then death rattle fingers twitch and **** and then go limp. that wasnt the scary part. he got what he was asking for IMO. The part that got me was when his wife was escorted to the scene. . . I will never be that guy who puts his family through some **** like that. It makes me want to puke just imagining my wife and kids showing up to some grizzly accident with me dead or dismembered.

 

[Jabaniz]

agreed, im not a big fan of helmets either, or making people do this or that, but for me, having the right gear on sure make riding more comfortable and i feel more confident while i ride on aggressive roads, or adverse weather conditions.

Ive wiped many times on dirt bike and been hurt bad one time,I have worn gear on dirt bike ever since, still on a street bike I would just jump on it and ride, until I was riding with some of Air Base guys in my town and one was wearing cutoff sleeves and running shoes, no helmet...basically the same as me, and when he bit it it tore him up bad, ever since then I started wearing at least some protection.

 

[Baal]

Not to beat the horse, but the infection rate for road rash is about 95%. And it heals slow.

 

[browland]

Yep and not to mention with my luck some kid with herp would have just spit gum out where im landing... then I would end up with his saliva tainted gum embedded in my dermis

 

[dave_xb12r]

Oh that browland, always worrying about his dermis...

 

[GatorBuell]

Dave you know I love your gear Nazi rants but I would have to disagree about the cheep helmet thing. The $150 Z1R helmet out preformed all the High end helmets in crash testing. You just get better features with the higher end helmets. BTW It cost Arai around $30 to make that $600 helmet, I know, I know, your paying for the research and development but still.

 

[Ronin1]

Not to beat the horse, but the infection rate for road rash is about 95%. And it heals slow.

I must be one tough mother then because I've never had an infection from road rash and I've had quite a bit.
I pulled some pieces of traprock out of my knuckles last year that had been there since 1985!
I thought I had a pimple. [up]
Maybe its because I get a tetanus booster every couple years?
Jim