A few thoughts on Motorcycle Safety.

[zore]

I was asked by another ROV member to put together my thoughts on some safety gear.  I agreed and have posted it here.http://www.m900.net/modules/sections/index.php?op=viewarticle&artid=5

I hope this is what you were looking for Don.  Let me know what you think.

[h2olawyer]

Zore -

A well though out, sensible approach to riding gear.  Too bad you had to test out the abrasion resistance of the mesh, but it seems to have done a good job protecting your skin from more serious injury.  I would add that a decent rainsuit & ear plugs should be part of most everyone's gear.

H₂O

[Tiger]

 8) 10 out of 10.... 8)

Like you, during the warm/hot weather, I ride in mesh jacket/pants & gloves, with a full face helmet and a good pair of riding boot's.

I really believe in "All of the gear, ALL of the time".

A great safety promo' piece....... 8)

                          8)       TIGER        8)

[Serendipity]

Great article! Thanks for confirming what I already suspected. I too am an "all the gear all the time" (yes even pants) kinda gal...which is an extreme, EXTREME rarity in this part of the world of the helmet less, tank top and flip-flop wearers.....if I had a dollar for everytimg someone said, "Isn't all that stuff hot?" I'd have paid for the Vision including parts and have a downpayment on a Shadow. My response, "Yes, it's hot!" but having a 3 yr old and a husband at home, a job, and well, frankly kinda liking my skin and brain cells where they are, I can't in good consicence NOT where it all.

Sometimes I really wish I could be a little more ignorant, and at least ride with jeans and a tank top too....I could never, ever think about going without a helmet....but it's not going to happen my friends...mama didn't raise no fool.

Do you mind if I forward the link to the article to my Women's delphi forum and my Women in the Wind girls?

[MotorPlow]

I recently went to my brother's wedding in Boston. One of my Brother-In-Laws who lives in Florida told me he just bought a motorcycle. I think it was a VTX or something... Some sort of "cookie cutter" metric cruiser. I asked him what kind of helmet he bought and his response was "You can't wear a helmet in Florida it's much too hot" and that he didn't buy a helmet. I then asked him if the increased heat in Florida would make his brain leak out slower when he crashed. Again the safety question about boots and he said that he has a job where he can wear sandles. I stupidly said, what about when you ride the bike though, and he said he wears his sandles to work on the bike. I asked him if he knows what road rash feels like and he had no idea. I said I don't know what it feels like either, but I don't plan on finding out any time soon. I guess in an attempt to save face with me thinking he is an idiot, he did tell me he bought a $250 pair of sunglasses specifically designed for riding a motorcycle. The conversation ended when I told him that for that price, he could have gotten a nice vented helmet.

[don_vanecek]

Thank you Zore, needless to say some V improvements are going to wait till I improve my riding gear.  I would have never have thought about connecting the pants and jacket without your article.

Again, thanks for taking the time to write this.

[crackerkorean]

Wonderful article.
I need to get some pants for myself and my wife. Next on the list.

Her parents (ride a harley) think we are silly for having all the gear. They say because when thye grew up they just wore 3/4 helments that thats all they are used to and done like the rest of the stuff.

[haunter]

your new helmet rocks


I will be getting an AC-12 sometime hopefully soon

[Serendipity]

I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but someone posted pics on my delphi forum recently of a guy who was wearing a half-helmet and of course no other safety gear besides boots. Nearly lost my lunch. He survived without too much in the way of broken bones, but the road rash...everywhere.....even where you would have thought his helmet would have covered.......ugh.

No thanks, I'll just sweat and keep a change of clothes for when we stop to eat or whatever at nicer places.

Patti

[Tiger]

 :o There really is NO substitute for the skin that you where born in....... 8)

[haunter]

I at times won't wear my jacket around town, due to zore's comment about smelling like a sweat sock at work, but I always wear my gloves and helmet and jeans.

this winter I plan on geting pants and riding boots

[zore]

Get some mesh gear of heat is an issue.  It saved my ass.  Given the little bit of rash I did get, I will say that it is most uncomfortable. 

I'll wear the mesh in the summer and a thicker textile the rest of the time. 

[haunter]

I picked up a leather coat last night on the cheap locally, teknic lightning...........

I wear the coat all the time now that its 50 degrees when I leave for work, I just feel falsely safe since work is a mile and one stop light away I guess ???


I'll probably snag some mesh in teh spring from new enough, my ICON TiMax is textile, and black, and makes me sweat very quickly if I am not going over 45 MPH

[VisionaryDan]

Good recomendations. I have the mesh, gloves and the full face helmet need to invest in mesh pants and a good pair of boots next. I just bought a helmet and mesh jacket last week for my girl friend. It's too important not to be safe.

Thanks for sharing we are all a much safer from what you have learned first hand.  I have been riding bikes off and on for the last 30 years and never paid much attention to safety gear except for a helmet and gloves. I now have adopted a policy of always riding with my mesh jacket and some kind of boots. I'm going shopping for pants this weekend.

Dan

[Lucky]

The recent post about the Areostich  auction & my ride to the Gap had me thinking about my level of protection.  i wear as much gear as i can afford, but if money was not an object i would consider buying a 'stitch for the protection. 

The question that i keep comming back to though, is given the fact that i have to start admiting i'm approching 'middle age' (i'm 43 in Nov), i'm in farely decent shape except i have a bit of a 'gut'. Not obese, but i could stand to get rid of it (probly aint happening  ::) )

somehow i doubt 'stich makes a suit with tummy extentions, lol. maybe they can make me one with a corset built in?? (no, it's called armor!)

Then again, 'Dipity did say i looked sexy... :o

[zore]

I think i paid 60 bucks on ebay for the phoenix pants and maybe 80 for the jacket.  I paid 149 for the razor suit which is some heavy duty stuff.   Any thing is better than nothing at all.

[crackerkorean]

HOw well are the draggin jeans? I know they do not have any armor or padding but they do have keval linings.

[Paul_Jungnitsch]

HOw well are the draggin jeans? I know they do not have any armor or padding but they do have keval linings./quote]

I'm just about to order a set. Sounds like it's easy to velcro armour on the knees, but otherwise they are good at not tearing. For commuting to work I'll either wear my old one piece aerostich, or a mesh jacket and overpants, but I still seem to wear jeans for shopping and short runs in town.

Talking to a buddy the other day, him and a group of friends was doing a safety course and one guy laid down his 'Wing in a emergency stop portion. He wasn't going more than 10 km/hr or so when it went down and he didn't slide very far, but still tore the knee out of his pants. I'll go 80 km/hr just in town, so it was a sobering tale.

If anyone fits a 34X30, there's a set on ebay right now.

[zore]

They'll protect your skin in the event of a slide to some degree.  I do think that the padding is key however.  I think it saved me from getting more banged up than I was.

[crackerkorean]

Who makes good over pants that are comfortable in the summer esp here in GA?
Or what should I look for?

Also I noticed something today on the way home from atlanta from the triumph dealer. I saw two cops riding on the hwy only wearing boots and brain buckets. They had gloves but they would have been pretty much useless in a crash.

Just puzzles me that the people that are there to protect us and keep us safe are not safe riders them selves. I know if I was a bike cop I would have all the safety gear.