Safety gear--what do you wear

[The Tourist]

Originally Posted by katydid

both have reflective piping

My newer style jacket also have reflective piping, but I'm not sure that's enough--now.

Two other threads here come to mind. One of them I started, about better headlights--not only to see, but to be seen.

The other thread deals with cagers and our experiences. As I write this that thread just started, but my guess is that it will rapidly add posts.

We all know that some accidents are beyond our control. We can buy the best safety equipment and take the most comprehesive classes we can find, and still wind up filtered through the grill of a cigar truck driven by an idiot on crystal meth.

I noticed that my dealership sells bright vests with reflective tape. I'm wondering if the macho identity of a biker all in black is the proper attire to cruise in after dark.

[TORQ]

all-ways a brain bucket-jacket-boots-jeans. Gloves not all the time.

[Wombatunderground]

I have
An open faced helmet
An armoured leather jacket
Armoured, light, ventilated gloves
Motorbike boots.
A one piece wet weather suit

I ride to and from work in the jacket, gloves, helmet(it's the law in OZ) and we weather gear when needed.

Have yet to attempt long distance riding on the freeway but I will probably wear the boots as well and invest in some dragon jeans or proper motorcycle pants.

I will be limited to 80kph for a while until I get my provisional license, then 90kph until I get my open license.

[ttp]

It might not be in keeping with the current rage, the "all black" look, but I wear an all white helmet, full face helmet. Better protection, better visability.

I saw a bike wreck once wear the rider had taken a super nasty header over the handlebars, face first, then skidded along the pavement aways. Put you bare chin down on a moving belt sander sometime and you'll get the picture.

[Wombatunderground]

Yeah, next purchase for the bike will be a full faced helmet, Probably something bright. My mates said they were going to buy me a bright pink one :-D

[ttp]

I'm 60 yrs old and this past summer was my 40th yr of motorcyling. My avatar pic is my current road bike, an '09 Yamaha Road Star. I own an '01 Honda XR650L as well for my off-road riding.

I've never taken a spill on the road. Why? Some luck, but I've always ridden with the attitude that no one can see me and I operate accordingly. On a motorcyle, ya' sorta' make your own luck most of the time.

In my experience a full face helmet offers a lot of protection as do made for motorcyling riding jackets, pants, boots, and gloves. A white helmet can be seen a long way off as can a brightly colored riding jacket.

So you take a little kidding and ribbing from your "mates?" So what? If they're unfortunate enough to sustain a spill on the road, it'll be you that has the last laugh, metaphorically at least.

You should try and do everything possible to keep yourself safe on a motorcycle. Stay healthy and safe to ride another day.

[ttp]

Originally Posted by The Tourist

My newer style jacket also have reflective piping, but I'm not sure that's enough--now.

Two other threads here come to mind. One of them I started, about better headlights--not only to see, but to be seen.

The other thread deals with cagers and our experiences. As I write this that thread just started, but my guess is that it will rapidly add posts.

We all know that some accidents are beyond our control. We can buy the best safety equipment and take the most comprehesive classes we can find, and still wind up filtered through the grill of a cigar truck driven by an idiot on crystal meth.

I noticed that my dealership sells bright vests with reflective tape. I'm wondering if the macho identity of a biker all in black is the proper attire to cruise in after dark.

I'll do ya' one better my friend, I quit riding after dark altogether. Too many critters up my way and too many drunks!

[LEATHERMAN]

I dont ride after dark ,Wisconsin has to many deer to watch out for.

[TeutonicBeemerMan]

Just bought a set of textile pants and Jacket sold by Olympia, Well made and half the price of basically the same thing with the bmw logo. Paying that logo premium is one thing I hate to do if there is a comparable product available. I am wearing a mid-range helmet in both quality and price but I will be getting a high quality one come spring. Also I have just finished reading Proficient Motorcycling books by Hough and they are an excellent safety resource and gives me some decent winter reading.

[Andreas L]

Textile pants with pads on long trips, Chaps in the city. Jacket is bright yellow, modular helmet and gloves . I know some of my gear should be better, but when I see a 1K crotch rocket pass me on the freeway at 90 mph and he's in shorts - no helmet and the t-shirt is flying up.........I feel good.

[Phydeaux]

Helmet. Full face or brain bucket depending on length of ride, etc. Chaps, leather coat and always gloves and eye protection. On hot days a mesh jacket with kevlar inserts (elbows, back, shoulders). Nice and cool even on hot days. Oh... and good boots!

[Gold5th]

In town, Full face(maybe to be replaced by a modular this season), Gloves with CF knuckle protection, armored Textile jacket, Swat boots(planning on getting proper motorcycing boots), and jeans. If I'm going out on the highway, I'll put on my armored textile overpants as well.

[TORQ]

The POLL missed 1 other, important piece of equipment! BOOTS to me there as important as a helmet! {IMO} I have seen, and was there! When it happened!
Where his snickers were MELTED! And rear foot peg, WENT RIGHT THREW HIS FOOT! Made a nice hole, you could see bones! Hell I even video taped it! And made a comment, THIS IS WHY YOU DON'T WEAR SNEAKERS, WHEN YOU RIDE.
Yet I have a friend that says, "If you don't limp, you ain't CHIT!"

[tankertoad]

1. Leather boots
2. Jeans (never shorts)
3. Mesh sport jacket with armor in the elbows and back
4. Reflective yellow ICON Milspec vest
5. Helmet (always) with tinted visor (glare is dangerous!)
6. Mesh gloves

The Air Force pretty much mandates all this stuff to ride on base anyway, so I just wear it all the time.

[J2H]

tanker... quick question... do we HAVE to wear full helmets, or can we wear the open face with the fulll-face shield? I am at Charleston AFB.

[tankertoad]

You can wear an open face, full, or Harley skull cap if you like. Just has to be USDOT approved.

[tankertoad]

MSF basic rider course is also required to ride on base.

[tankertoad]

If you wear an open face helmet then you need a face shield or protective glasses as well. Sorry, can't figure out how to edit previous posts.

[J2H]

awesome, thanks (I'm a cop and still didnt know that)

[eddard27]

I wear my helmet always, sometimes I wear my gloves. Other then that I will go tennis shoes, shorts and a tank top. Sometimes I wear jeans and my boots sometimes not it just depends. I feel pretty comfortable on my bike and I know the horror stories of not being bundled up in modern day leather armor but it's my choice to wear what I want.

[Zen_]

Helmet, jacket, gloves, pants and boots. Only lose the jacket when it's unbearably hot (95+ and high humidity) around town and my pants are just a couple pairs of the shift torque jeans...probably not a whole lot better than regular jeans but it's something.

Commuting with gear seems to be a tough balance between protection and practicality.

[curtis41]

Helmet, long jacket, insulated gloves, long pants (usually jeans), boots that cover the ankles. I too lose the jacket when in the mid to upper 90s and higher, as of late. Ordering the Tour Master Air Intake 2 jacket in the hi-vis yellow (looks more like green to me!) and can wear that in the hot weather that seems now to be the norm, not the exception. Where I live, the Air Intake should be good for a full three seasons and then I will bring out the heavy leather and heavy fleeced coat in winters, which are mild here. My sense is these items are basically common sense insurance policies, that one never hopes to collect.

[Girl]

I voted, I ride nekkid!
Just kidding, because I'm military I have to wear at minimum (helmet w/ faceshield or goggles, boots, long pants, long shirt, and gloves) and I usually wear all of it. On super hot days I sub the boots for tennis shoes.

[curtis41]

Should add boots or shoes that cover the ankles. Those are clearly safety items. And, NO, I don't ride in flip-flops. One of my three spills involved sitting on gravel at a stop sign, foot slid out from me and dropped the bike. My ankle was the worse for wear and I never rode again with regular shoes on. Experience should not always be that which enables you to recognize a mistake the SECOND time you make it. At 101 degrees today and 103 tomorrow, I was tempted to say I rode naked, you know, like Lady Godiva.

[RiditAgain]

Full face flip up helmet armored mesh jacket and pants, MC boots and gloves. I didn't always but now I do. If I only knew when I was going to have a mishap I would only where it then, but it just don't work that way.

[elvisR]

Always wear my helmet. On rides that aren't just down the road through town, I'll wear helmet, gloves, jacket, and boots.

[joekool4]

Fullface helmet (sunglasses sometimes with visor up), rode once without it and took a june bug to the face. Usually a jacket, sometimes its just way to hot here tho so for short intown stuff i'll opt that out. always long pants, unless its a test ride around the block. and sneakers**hangs head in shame** too lazy when im going to work and i cant afford riding boots, for joy rides i'll wear work boots.

[Lil' Red Rocket]

BH I got one word for these pictures: YUMMY!

I ride 365 days a year. I wear dead cow from neck toe. Two pairs of boots, 6 pairs of gloves, and two helmets. A 1/2 skid lid for most of the year, a 3/4 speed racer bucket for those days when you cant see your front fender.

I also have rain gear and a thermo suit that I wear over my leathers.

Soccer mom and diesel dan never take a day off, neither do my leathers.

[hogcowboy]

I'm surprised at the low number that ride naked or without safety gear of any kind. I see more than that when I'm riding. So what is that saying exactly? Maybe it just means that most of those that don't also don't use a computer so we only see a partial picture.

[megocode3]

I wear:

Full face helmet
Leather armored jacket
Leather chaps
Kevlar gloves
Hi-viz airbag vest

[Gold5th]

On Saturday I saw a fellow on a Crotch rocket wearing Helmet, leather work gloves, shorts, white sockets, running shoes... no shirt or anything.. so almost naked...

[hogcowboy]

Well at least he cares about his head.

[Harvey]

Hot weather: Mesh jacket, gloves, full-face helmet, motorcycle boots, pants are either Sliders or Draggin Jeans. Cooler weather: Dariens instead.

[mikevillena]

ATGATT. I always wear my 1-piece Teknic Violator perforated suit, Teknic Chicane boots, Teknic Violator gauntlets and Bell Apex helmet. Even in hot 95+ degree weather. I wear UnderArmour heat gear long sleeve compression top and bottom underneath which helps with perspiration and to make it easier to slip out of the suit when I'm sweaty. I'll be switching to Cold gear underwear in the fall.

[hogcowboy]

ATGATT. What is it or stand for or mean? May seem like a dumb question but hey, I don't know. So I ask rather than be ignorant about it.

[mikevillena]

No, not a dumb question at all. ATGATT - All The Gear All The Time. Easier to wipe off sweat than blood. With the cooler fall temps upon us, even less excuse to ride without gear.

[hogcowboy]

Thanks.

[SpitefulHam]

Helmet, textile jacket, gloves, Draggin' jeans with optional knee/shin and hip armor, S&S Moment of Truth boots, all the time. Well, I went to the grocery store down the street in shorts and t-shirt once, but my wife throttled me when I returned...

[mikevillena]

Originally Posted by rexmitchell

Maybe just show up naked, with some crude message written on my back in a sharpie.....

Definitely show up in the buff with Sharpie'd "AMF" on both butt cheeks.
(Adios M....... F........)

I ALWAYS ride in full leathers with a full face helmet.

[mikevillena]

Originally Posted by Gold5th

On Saturday I saw a fellow on a Crotch rocket wearing Helmet, leather work gloves, shorts, white sockets, running shoes... no shirt or anything.. so almost naked...

Those are called "squids" (not meant as a derogatory towards Navy personnel)

Urban Dictionary Quote:
A young motorcyclist who overestimates his abilities, boasts of his riding skills when in reality he has none. Squid bikes are usually decorated with chrome and various anodized bits. Rear tyres are too wide for their own good, swingarm extended. Really slow in the corners, and sudden bursts of acceleration when a straight appears. Squids wear no protection, deeming themselves invincible. This fact compounds intself with the fact that they engage in 'extreem riding'--performing wheelies and stoppies in public areas. Squids wreck alot. Derived from 'squirly kid'

also see stunta
We were suddenly passed by a chromed out R1 and then when we rounded the bend, we saw the squid wrapped around a tree, he'd probably be alive if he was wearing a helmet.

OR:

An extremely rare animal with a short lifespan. Usually a new sport bike enthusiast with the reasoning of a lunatic, whom you might see thrashing on an R1 wearing sandals, shorts, and a tee.
When found lying motionless on the pavement, this creature transforms itself into a stream of blood, exposed flesh, and broken limbs. Hence the squid moniker.

Stupid
Quick
Underdressed
Imminently
Dead
"Did you see that guy leave the showroom on the R6? Did you see what he was wearing? What a moron. That Squid."