Motorcycle Accidents and Riding gear

[bramfrank]

What I know I know from experience.

I'm glad I'm not your insurance broker.

 

[Rolavine]

I'm constantly amazed that we get all pedantic about the value of safety gear while promoting the bravado of driving like racers on the street!

Number one cause of my accidents was going too damn fast, and I believe this is a universal truth for all.

Next cause is not paying enough attention.

If you're depending on your gear to save you, might as well add a few religious artifacts to the bike as well to show what a person of 'faith' you are (i.e. Archangel Constanzo lobbyist for Sidi Boots).

Slow down and keep that pretty gear all nice and pristine.

P.S. My FJR is adorned with a well worn South Park Chef that holds both hands out in front in a 'Whoa Children!' gesture, He has been most effective in deflecting a wide variety of objects from impacting us, including a pheasant just this morning (yeah I know, 'thems good eating'). Chef works fine and I'm willing to live with the truly horrifying possibility that he is powered by L Ron Hubbard, mostly because it seems mostly everything is powered by bullshit anyway.

 

[GPRIDER]

As I have gotten older, I've started wearing more protection. Better helmet, good leather gloves and armored jacket. Still wear jeans though. I've had good luck with them in three lay downs and a wreck over the last 30 years. Never wore through from abrasion. But, with that being said, I am starting to shop around for some good riding pants. I'll probably buy some before too long. I've got three different jackets now. Heavy, medium and mesh for hot weather. Also wear some good Sidi boot's on trips. May not be as good as leather, but it's a hell of a lot better than what I used to wear. Leather or textile with armor are probably not going to save the bones from being broken. At least they didn't for me.

GP

 

[Geezer]

I'm constantly amazed that we get all pedantic about the value of safety gear while promoting the bravado of driving like racers on the street!Number one cause of my accidents was going too damn fast, and I believe this is a universal truth for all.

Next cause is not paying enough attention.

If you're depending on your gear to save you, might as well add a few religious artifacts to the bike as well to show what a person of 'faith' you are (i.e. Archangel Constanzo lobbyist for Sidi Boots).

Slow down and keep that pretty gear all nice and pristine.

It is about enjoying the ride. I ride for fun. For me that means I ride as fast as I feel safe going. For you that apparently means riding more slowly. Nothing to do with bravado, just riding my ride the same as you are. I have ridden with many people from this forum and I have never seen one riding too fast for his skills. Many are faster than me, some are slower, all are having fun.

Back on topic, I wear ATGATT. Mesh pants in the summer and heavier ones when it cools off. I always wear a 3/4 length jacket. Currently that is an Olympia AST in HiViz. I wear that jacket regardless of the temperature. My helmet is a flip up modular. I suppose the protection from that is somewhere between a 3/4 helmet and full face.

 

[Silver Penguin]

My opinion, FWIW, is that there is absolutely no question about ATGATT. The level of protection is a personal choice. For example, you might have a high grade full leather suit with armored everything but it be such a pain to get in and out of, that you ride without it. Not cool. A slightly lower grade of protective gear that you wear for every single ride would be a better option.

Leather vs textile vs mesh is chosen for the same reasons. If your leather jacket is just too hot and heavy to wear, then the mesh that is actually WORN will offer better protection.

With respect to helmets, the same thing. Personally I couldn't see riding without a full face helmet but if you're claustrophobic and can only handle a 3/4 helmet, then so be it. If you think a light plastic novelty helmet will do anything in the way of protection, then you probably don't have much upstairs to protect!

Then there is the bigger picture. ATGATT is only a part of your arsenal in the war against those who are out to get you. Sobriety (while riding), rider training, being well rested/hydrated and riding a decent bike all play a significant part.

It is my choice to wear ATGATT. Having all that protection doesn't change the way I ride. The gear isn't for the ride (apart from protection from the elements). The gear is for some unplanned event, which will hopefully never happen. If it does, I've done my part in planning for the crash.

 

[Rolavine]

......I have ridden with many people from this forum and I have never seen one riding too fast for his skills. Many are faster than me, some are slower, all are having fun.

Yes, the FJR is a great fun bike, the best I've ever had, but there is more to this than just skills. If you ride at the level of your skills on the street, without leaving a reserve your odds of crashing are much higher. There is a nearly random distribution of deadly situations out there just waiting for you. I want to go faster and faster, it is fun to be on the edge, but the idea of being able to control that edge is hubris. The most useful bit of riding gear you have is your mind, any concept of ATGATT without a survivalists mindset is just dressing up in costume.

I like all my FJR friends, lets stop crashing.

Of course after I crash you can all say, 'lot of good his damn attitude did him'.

 

[playgtar]

I see it all the time, but don't know what it means. What is ATGATT?

 

[todd493]

I see it all the time, but don't know what it means. What is ATGATT?

All The Gear All The Time

 

[gregorytx]

I ride ATGATT without fail. Many of my co-workers laugh at the way I dress to ride. Last week, a co-worker (while laughing) asked me if a planned on crashing. I replied, "Everytime I get on the bike, why do you think I wear all this shit?"

 

[Braenen]

I answered a co-worker "No, I plan to survive a crash that I didnt plan."

 

[johnny80s]

ATFATT

 

[ctfjr]

So what did I learn from all of this?

Nothing personal, maybe you should quit while you are ahead!

 

[johnny80s]

So what did I learn from all of this?

Nothing personal, maybe you should quit while you are ahead!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

 

[wfooshee]

Last week, a co-worker (while laughing) asked me if a planned on crashing.

I really wish there was some way to convey to someone when they ask this, just how stupid a thing it is to say.

I'm sure everyone who's ever crashed had it planned the whole way. Bike, car, plane, walking, whatever. How many people have EVER FUCKING PLANNED TO CRASH??!?!??!??! Yet there they are, in the clinics, hospitals, and cemetaries all around the world.

So my answer is usually, "How many people trying to get their smashed-up cars out from under the semi-trailer planned to crash? Idiot!"

 

[Fz1Pilot]

.Of course after I crash you can all say, 'lot of good his damn attitude did him'.

They do say there are 2 types of riders, those that have crashed... and those that are going to... I hope you never join my group...

 

[Slick]

.Of course after I crash you can all say, 'lot of good his damn attitude did him'.

[SIZE=12pt]They do say there are 2 types of riders, those that have crashed... and those that are going to...[/SIZE]

I hope that's true. Now I don't have to worry about it anymore.

 

[old&slow]

Years ago when I started re-riding , a friend that worked in the ER explained to me in detail about how they scrubbed road rash.. :dribble:

He told me about how the biggest toughest biker would cry like a baby during the procedure..

As I have gotten older ,, I figure I don't bounce as good as I use to.. So I usually try to wear pretty good protective gear..

I'm still guilty of wearing jeans sometimes when I jump on the bike to run to town for something... But full face helmet,,

Mesh jacket ,, MC riding boots ,,, MC gloves,, always...

( I have a really nice 2 pcs. leather MC suit in the closet ,, but the darn thing shrank ...)

When the son-in-law started riding,, he wondered Why the MC jackets were so heavy and stiff... He hit some wet grass pulling into his

driveway one day ,,, did a low speed quick dis-mount ,,, Next day he was at the MC store buying a full armored mesh jacket....

And when people tell me,, "they aren't planning on having a accident" ...

I tell them,,, " I understand ,, it took me two week to plan my last accident". :angry2:

 

[Silver Penguin]

( I have a really nice 2 pcs. leather MC suit in the closet ,, but the darn thing shrank ...)

I have a two piece leather suit too, which zips together to form first class protection. During my commute, I'm going for maximum dork-looking points, by wearing it while riding a G650GS. The suit looks the part on the FJR but on a small dual sport??? I figure that it's dark when I commute and that the asphalt is just as abrasive, no matter what type of bike you get knocked over from.

 

[pcrdude]

@ Slappy,

You are a lucky man. I must agree that the Fazer was the 'cats ass'. I really miss mine, except for the head-shake at speed. Reading this and the 'other' forum, made me ATGATT when I resumed riding. My friends ride without protective pants. My incident was getting hit by a minivan on the freeway (rapid lane change into me). I had on a non-MC leather jacket and jeans (it was November and cold). I got lots of abrasions when the leather jacket 'accelerated' against my shirt at road impact. The jeans did NOTHING and I had lots of rash on my legs. I was wearing tennis shoes and consequently broke both ankles (along with my hip and pelvis).

I don't get why people will insist on a jacket, but think jeans will protect them. Overpants are so easy to wear.

Did I say I really miss my '87 Fazer?

 

[Intech]

Hey Slappy,

The only time I have "wrecked" was over in Hawaii also. I was stationed at Kaneohe. I had a Suzuki SP500 which was a blast to ride up on the North Shore in the Kahukahus.

The wreck occurred while I was riding in the dunes on base. I had ridden out and played around a while. I was on my way out and was tavelling the same route back. I came to a low dune that was just an easy roll over on the way in, so I didn't think much of it. Well, I didn't go back accross in the same exact spot. Before I knew it I was in the air with no time to correct the trajectory of the bike. I was headed straight down. Front tire hit the sand and I followed face first the bike coming over on me and then to the side. It happend so fast that both my hands were still on the grips when I hit. Probably a good thing as I may have broken something had I extended them. I was wearing a full face helmet with the visor up. The only reaction I had was to turn my head slightly. The chin piece acted like a scoop and packed the helmet full of sand. Most of the impact was on my left shoulder, but being sand it wasn't that bad. I got up and pulled my helmet off spitting out sand. I had to dig sand out of my ears! Once that was done I looked around thinking, damn! tthere was no one here to see that awesome wipeout!

Although this story really doesn't relate to the heart of this thread I thought it would be amusing. Talking about the Like Like and such brought back memories.