Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Is it me?

Took the bike to my local dealer (GreatBay Motorcycles) saturday to pick up an oil filter and felt odly out of place. There was a good crowd there and all the riders I saw were wearing/carrying full armored gear. Now I applaud them for all the protective gear, but here I was, black jeans, steel toed work boots, t-shirt and a blue/gray suede jacket and shades. I did have a pair of those armored Triumph gloves (the came with the bike, to pricey for me). I got some strange looks. Are those armored jackets comfortable? Was I dressed wrong? Should I have hung around and looked at the Ducati's with them? Oh well at least I was riding and it was a beautiful day for it.

what gets me is baltimore is full to the brim of "scooters" and "mopeds" that go less than 40 mph, require no helmet, no insurance, no registration, no eye wear, etc. i predict more than a couple unnecessary deaths this summer before they are outright banned. as far as personal decisions regarding personal protection, well i feel that once the law is satisfied, anything else is an individual choice.

Jason,
Don't feel out of place. What you were wearing is fine, if you feel safe. Most of those riders were probably riding "organ donor" bikes like Ninjas, FJs, Hayabusas, etc. They have to protect as much of their bodies as possible so someone can get some use out of leftover body parts.
I would love to wear all that stuff myself, but don't have time to don it all before each ride. I pray that I will never need any of it. You will notice: Sportbike riders in shorts with tank tops and flipflops with a full face helmet, and cruiser riders wearing all leather with a cotton rag on their head. Don't worry about your appearance - worry about your protective gear. Just Ride Safe!

Yes, it is, as a matter of fact! Vegas

I, too, simply do not have the time nor the inclination to put on all that protective gear other than a helmet and eye protection / glovers and what is necessary to protect myself from the elements.

I firmly believe in safety but at times I admit in the past I have foresworn some of the safety gear in lieu of pure freedom and comfort.

Its hotter than hades here in southern Arizona in the Summer and I will often just wear a short sleeve shirt or even a T-shirt and no jacket. Just too frigging hot for that. I am well aware of the risk of having chunks of skin and flesh removed via high speed road friction in the event of a crash but I guess I just take the risk.

I admit to even on occasion going for a joy ride with no bean protection.

I always wear jeans or long pants .....in my youth I was known to ride in shorts. When you think of it....if you experience road rash at a high rate of speed ...jeans are not going to last long anyway. A 50 mile an hour drag on hot gravelly pavemnt will eat right thru in a heartbeat. Might as well be naked for all the good it would do. Thick leathers and protective jackerts will save your hide or at least greatly lessen the lesions but ...****** its just to hot for all that in mid June.

"Put your bare palm down on the hot asphalt in mid June and imagine dragging it 50 yards at 50 miles an hour. How much skin will be left?" Thats the analogy our MSF safety class instructor used for protective gear. He was right but sometimes ya just gotta be free and take the resultant risk.

Which reminds me I need some decent hot weather gloves.

Sure, it's true, you probably can't have enough protection. However, don't feel bad. All that armored stuff is expensive. At the very least you did have protection. Like you I usualy just wear jeans, boots, good gloves, leather jacket and a helmet. The biggest question is, do you feel comfortable? Don't fall into the peer pressure trap of getting all that other stuff just because everyone else has them. Do what you can when you can.

Don't worry about not hanging out to look at the Ducatti either. Unless it is a bike you are interested in, there is no point in that either. While those other guys were hanging out pretending to be cool, you were out riding actually being cool.

Remember Triumph's new slogan, "Go Your Own Way". It means exactly that, be who you are, not anyone else.

Soren

I'd really like to find a good pair of riding pants I could just leave on. My leather jacket is armored, and aside from it being about 20 lbs, it's not a hassle. The only thing I don't like is the hurry up n go once I get my helmet on before it starts to fog up Sometimes those armored outfits look trickier than they really are. Could just be a jacket and pants....

After working for 5yrs in A&E (ER across the pond), I never ride without Leather trousers, and a Corded Jacket (armoured), full face lid, gloves and good boots. Ok so it takes me 15min to get ready for a ride but!!!!! Oh and of course here is Blighty its always bloody raining anyway so, go out in sun you just know you'll get caught in a shower somewhere!!!
Organ Donor Riders in shorts and T-shirts, see it all the time in the summer here, but having helped remove some of those organs for donation, it sure cures!

Paul

Ride safe, but be prepared to bounce!!!!!

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Its hotter than hades here in southern Arizona in the Summer and I will often just wear a short sleeve shirt or even a T-shirt and no jacket. Just too frigging hot for that. I am well aware of the risk of having chunks of skin and flesh removed via high speed road friction in the event of a crash but I guess I just take the risk.

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It gets almost as hot here in the summer. I have found that it is cooler to wear an armored mesh jacket than it is to have skin exposed to the sun. It's like riding in the shade .

It's even hotter up here in Phoenix (over Tucson), so in the summer, you'll see guys wearing strap tee shirts, shorts and flip-flops! Oh, and no helmet.....

Its so wet here in the SW of England that most of us wear wet suits and flippers in the summer months. Its a bugger changing gear but you have to make some sacrifices sometimes!

aye it gets hot in the summer here as well

last year we did one ride in temps in the 80's!
and it was dry!!!!

I live in a pair of draggin jeans...Well their combats. Really comfy and easy to change in to my uniform at work from them... Only problem with them is that I had to get them from the Hardley dealer.... They don't look like bike trousers and are civilised for in the pub. If I'm going long distance however I'll wear my Belstaff trousers. Won't wear leathers...I got given some but they tend to be a bit hypocritical as a veggie.

It's just you. I wouldn't worry about the latest squid fashion if I were you. They've been reading too many Joe Rocket commercials.