All the Gear, All the Time?

[dcarver]

Admittedly, I'm not a hard core long distance rider. As such, much of my riding is in the Western states. Recently, breaking the surly bonds that bind, I escaped west coast gravity and rode across the midwest to the right coast, Stowe, VT, for the fantastic NERDS run.

And what I saw in lack of gear actually stunned me.

Need proof? Ok, here we go..

(I am convinced most 'bikers' are a bunch of idiots. I saw many more without protection than with. I did not see a single rider with more or better 'Power Ranger' gear than me - I ride with CyclePort. For example, I saw only 3 Aerostich riders the entire trip. Amazing)

This guy looked studly compared to most..

Born to be wiiiild, born to be...

Nice protective gear, Homer!

Biker Gurl

Biker Guy

 

[dcarver]

More fun..

Oh NOOO, not an FJR peep!

Imagine the damage without good gear?

ATGATT isn't *always* a good idea! :yahoo:

Oh NOO.. not another feejer pilot..

 

[dcarver]

I have more and will post up..

for now..

goodnight Don-Boy!

 

[escapefjrtist]

Live and let live Don.

Basically what you saw is the 'uniform' that permeates each of the biker types. Take a look at the September'11 MCN and read their article titled appropriately...*Uniforms*, it's on page 38. I will go out on a limb here and say in most cases, it's peer pressure for each bike type that cause folks to wear what they feel is necessary. OK, the couple on the GW trike is a little over the top.

It doesn't bother me any more, there's always a shortage of organ donors...

--G

 

[Tyler]

 

[Willie]

What I get a kick out of is the rider with the Icon armor jacket with shorts and flip flops on a Gixxer. Oh but they did have an Icon helmet that matched the jacket. Living in the Northeast here I would say the vast majority of riders do not wear protective gear. With NH, RI, CT and ME not having helmet laws more do not wear in those states than wear.

Willie

 

[zip]

Kinda reminds me of The People of Walmart.

 

[FJR Flyer]

Like the doo-rags. And those helmets do a great job of protecting the luggage.

And someone is still wearing those zebra pants?????? :bad:

 

[TriggerT]

Well what the hell do you expect? Half of them are riding tricycles, and 75% are fooking Hardley riders and would be thrown out of the order of pirates if they wore gear. Sheesh, you really still need this explained to you?

 

[dcarver]

Well what the hell do you expect? Half of them are riding tricycles, and 75% are fooking Hardley riders and would be thrown out of the order of pirates if they wore gear. Sheesh, you really still need this explained to you?

Uh-Huh.. explain this then buckaroo!

 

[TriggerT]

The condom his daddy was wearing broke! That is the only explanation.

 

[PoundingAssphalt]

Kinda reminds me of The People of Walmart.

Such AS.

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[GeorgiaRoller]

Oh NOO.. not another feejer pilot..

FullFace Modular Helmet - Check!

Armored Riding Jacket - Check!

SHORTS WITH SANDALS - EPIC FAIL!!!!!!!!!

I cannont even begin to fathom riding in shorts & sandals. Even when it's 100 degree's in Georgia it's always jeans & riding boots. Shifting with sandals would feel terrible as well IMO. But too each his own. (sigh)

 

[TheZsdad]

I think newer riders are more susceptible to peer pressure in regards to gear and the choice of bike. Sometimes the pressure isn't from peers but

just what you see everyday. Most people want to fit in so they just go with the flow. Depending on your environment you may be showing anti social

behavior by your choice. Kinda of funny looking back to my Dad's and Grand Dad's riding years when motorcycles in general were anti social.

Now it seems peeps are buying bikes to get into a social group. At this stage of motorcycling at least in America the real anti social ones

may just be the Power Rangers. I do wonder about some of the riders in those pics though maybe they have lived a charmed life.

 

[TriggerT]

Looks to me like this is isolated to 2004 FJR owners. I bet there is a picture of Reno John riding in only a thong around here somewhere. :bad:

 

[wfooshee]

Even when it's 100 degree's in Georgia it's always jeans & riding boots. Shifting with sandals would feel terrible as well IMO. But too each his own. (sigh)

I hope you don't think jeans are any better protection than riding naked. They might protect you from bug splats to the shin, but that's about it. Like you said, though, to each his own. :huh:

 

[stryg8r]

One would think someone with an IBA number attempting an IBA ride would be ATGATT. Sadly there are those that still think they'll be OK or have the "won't happen to me" attitude. This one is heartbreaking in it's irony.

From the Webster City News.

https://www.webstercitynews.com/page/content.detail/id/516286/Christopher-Schrad--29--Webster-City.html?nav=5008

One of Christopher's greatest passions was riding his 2001 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle. Chris and Shelly were participating in the Great Lakes 100 Challenge through Iron Butt Association - participants had to completely circle the Great Lakes within 100 hours. While on the trip, the day before the accident, Chris proposed to Shelly and they were engaged. Christopher spent his last moments doing what he loved and being with the one he loved.

Details of the accident...

https://posttrib.suntimes.com/news/lake/7504832-418/toll-road-crash-claims-one-life.html

September 7, 2011

GARY One person is dead and another is in critical condition after a Monday afternoon motorcycle crash on the Indiana Toll Road.

At 2:55 p.m., witnesses told police that a 2001 Honda Gold Wing motorcycle was in the left lane going into a curve when it lost control on some gravel on the shoulder, which is part of the construction zone. The bike fishtailed, went across the right lane, and struck the guard rail, which ejected both the driver and passenger off the bike.

The driver was ejected 428 feet through a fence and came to rest adjacent to the north side of the Broadway overpass. The passenger was ejected 122 feet.

After the ejections, the motorcycle bounced back across both lanes of westbound toll road, struck the concrete barrier wall, went up in the air and slid for a distance in the left lane. The driver, who was later identified as Christopher Schrad of Webster City, Iowa, was pronounced dead at the scene by the Lake County Coroner of massive blunt force trauma. The passenger was taken to Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary with critical injuries.

Neither the driver nor passenger were wearing helmets; there were two helmets secured on the bike with a sticker attached to one that stated I dont wear this helmet by choice. Lane restrictions were put in place in the westbound lanes of the Indiana Toll Road for crash re-enactment until 4:30 p.m.

 

[DailyCommuter]

This one with a guy wearing a motocross helmet is good-

 

[TriggerT]

Well, I would have to guess that the helmet wouldn't have made much of a difference for him. It sounds like he had massive internal damage. Still, you never know, and that is why you wear ATGATT. He made his choice, too bad it turned out the way it did for him and his fiance.