Rider Protection for newer rider

[exskibum]

ATGATT here too. Last get off in '77 wearing polyester pants after a day in my first office job taught me a bit about even a minor case of road rash. Not much that's more fun than getting it debrided with a brush every day.

If I'm not wearing my Motoport Air Mesh Kevlar suit, I'm wearing leather or perforated leather. All are 2 piece suits that zip together. Full face Shoei RF 1000 helmet, Sidi boots, and gloves. Once in a rare while on a hot day for a short ride I'll wear Kevlar reinforced Draggin Jeans with jacket and gloves, but not often.

 

[Bearly Flying]

Rider Protection for newer Riders

 

[exskibum]

[SIZE=12pt]Nice touch suggesting the LARGE prophylactics*, Don! [/SIZE] :clapping:

* [SIZE=12pt]Cuz there ain't no such thing as [/SIZE] [SIZE=8pt]a small *****[/SIZE] [SIZE=12pt]on the internet.[/SIZE] :lol:

 

[kulwen]

Two years ago I made two trips from Reno, NV back home to Tulsa. My MotoPort Gear fit my need perfectly. The first trip was late February and handled temps from 90 degrees to -7 degrees going though Flag Staff, AZ. My July trip was considerable warmer with temps over 115 degree and high humidity in some areas. However, MotoPort is not cheap.

As you already have a jacket I would consider getting pants first, then boots (wear good leather hiking boots till then), then upgrade the jacket. I can go from fully geared to work apparel in less than a minute. I leave my helmet and gloves in my saddle bag and head into the office. Once inside I can strip the pants, jacket, and boots in 30 seconds or so. I then spend 30 Seconds putting on the shoes I have under my desk at work. If, you are going to go with Motoport search for the stuff here. Many of us with MotoPort gear have had modification done. I think the most common mod is to remove all logos. I have no idea why, but many of us on this board have requested no logos.

By the way, I agree there are a lot of no gear wearing people in OK. I am always amazed by this when I go home.

 

[Bungie]

Long trip: HJC Full face, Tourmaster Textile jacket and pants, Teknic boots, Held Gloves, HiViz vest (the last one I just started wearing and haven't taken it off since!).

Short Trip in the city: all of the above minus the pants and boots - substitute jeans and work boots that I wear pretty much all the time. I figure if something untoward happens at around town speeds in traffic, road rash will be the least of my worries.

That beings said, I rarely ride around town anymore so I'm ATGATT at least 95% of the time.

 

[Auburn]

Full leather 2 piece suit for long rides and good weather. One piece aerostich for bad weather. I wear an aftermarket back protector under both the leathers and 'stich. Best leather gloves and boots you can afford. A full face helmet that fits properly. How much you layer up depends ono the eather. I also wear LD comfort pants and top under (it is the most comfortable gear under leathers and stich to wear).

I come from a racing background...one of the racer sayings is leather is cheaper than skin. Also a lot less painful. Dress for the crash and hope you will never test the theory.

EDIT: if you get a two pice suit of any kind make sure you can zip top and bottom together and always do so when riding.

 

[James Burleigh]

 

[blkredlinedrvr]

I've got a lot of gear. I know others that have more but compared to most people I know I have a lot.

I have 2 of the Teiz one piece suits. One of the Version 1 Mesh suits which I love and one of their Version 2 textile suits which also works very well. With those two suits I am good from below freezing temps to over 100 degree temps.

I do have other gear besides that I have winter time Leather Jacket and Joe Rocket ballistic 5.0 pants that work well in pretty good temps. And Mesh 2-piece gear that I wear other times.

When doing anything out of town I pretty much wear my one-piece suits but if I know I'm going to be in and out of my gear I'll wear the 2-piece gear cause I can just dump the jacket when needed and be comfortable even with the pants on. Most of the guys I ride with don't really wear much gear so the 1-piece takes longer to get on compared to them.

About the only non-motorcycle specific article of clothing I wear when riding is my boots which are my USMC Desert boots most times. Not ideal but they offer good support and are comftrable to boot.

 

[johnny80s]

ATGATT

Cycle Port Mesh Kevlar Jacket and Pants

Cycle Port Gloves

Full Face Helmet - I am too pretty and don't want to mess up my face. It would be a crime to take that away from all the ladies out there.

Boots

 

[Aasland]

The biggest issue with wearing a lot of gear is APPEARANCE.

It's easy to justify the gear, and it's easy to deal with the heat and hassle of putting the gear on. But the what requires the most tolerance is dealing with other people who don't understand why you're wearing the gear. "You look like a power ranger". "Are you from Mars?". "You must be hot!" (thanks, but I'm married ...!) "How can you wear that in this heat?". "Isn't that hot?", etc. Most are innocent, but once in a while there's a jack@ss who says something like "If you think that will save, you should learn to ride" (when they do neither).

If you're strong enough of mind and secure in your own decisions, it won't be an issue. But if you seek acceptance from other people, have a need to "fit in" or are susceptible to peer pressure you might get discouraged.

On good days I'll take the time to respond. I'll say something about "saved my butt several times" or "it's like riding in the shade, and the shade is cooler than no shade", or whatever. On bad days I ignore them and walk away.

Personally I wear an Aerostich RC 1pc, helmet, boots and gloves. Like others, I've tried several cheaper pieces before getting the 'stich and now only have the 'stich. It goes on super easy, covers me head to toe, goes off super easy. I can layer under it for warmth, or wear compression gear when hot. It comes off easy so when stopped in hot weather I can quickly slip out of it into nearly nothing. When going to work, it keeps the bugs off. When it looks like it will rain I don't have to decide whether stop to put on rain gear. WHen it's wet it drys quickly. When it gets hot I just open vents .. don't have to remove it to remove an underlying liner. When I crash it protects me, then I send it in for repairs instead of buying a whole new suit.

All this boils down to these items of advice:

1. Don't be a tighwad - spend the money on good gear. It will outlast your motorcycle.

2. Safety starts with the right gear, then taking the classes to become a more proficient rider.

3. Avoid dark colors .. they aren't visible and they get hotter in the sun.

4. Ride more!

 

[doctorJ]

Wow guys, lots of input and I really appreciate the responses. This is what I was looking for and what I kind of figured, the suggestions are going to help with my search. It'll be hard to choke down the cost of everything, but it's like insurance. It sucks, but it's needed. RemingtonRider nailed it for my thoughts, we have a TON of cruisers around here that wear no protective gear at all. AGATT is definitely in the minority in OK but I'm sure we're not alone either.I would like something that is easy on/off for when I ride to work.

Well, you really don't need protective gear if you could know if or when you might have a get off. I nor anyone else can predict that, so believe one should dress for the potential get off/accident and not the ride. I'm a motorcycle gear whore and have different gear for about every 3.5 degrees of weather change possible, . I much prefer waterproof gear since I hate stopping to put on rain gear. I generally prefer armored mesh gear in summer, but when moving a well ventilated jacket and pants or one piece textile suit or perf. leather suit works good too.

I personally wear waterproof boots, aerostich RC or my new Teiz Lombard and Nolan N102 helmet. I've got lots of other gear too and really like the Olympia AST jacket and Firstgear HT II overpants and the newer TPG overpants for really cold weather. My summer stuff is Olympia Airglide jacket and Firstgear mesh overpant or BMW Savannah II jacket and pants depending on temps and where I'm headed.

I never want another get off but sweat is easier to remove than putting skin back on!! :dribble:

doctorj

 

[Drew]

While reading all these answers, Aaslands response was what popped into my mind the most after cost - appearance. "Overkill, goofy, dorky" - all those references come to mind. I understand nobody can predict the future or know when a get off is going to happen, thus the need for the riding gear, I understand that. It's a little while before the riding season really gets under way so I've got some time to research everyone's suggestions and get things on order. After I sell my bike, I should be able to afford everything. <_<

I really appreciate the info/input on the topic.

 

[Geezer]

Based on real life experience, I can say that it is worth the money and discomfort to wear good gear, all the time. I walked away from a 30 mph deer strike without a scratch. My daughter walked away from a higher speed low side, probably around 50 or 60 mph, with a totaled bike and just a few scratches and bruises. In her case it would have been a life altering crash if she had not been geared up.

Maybe it's because I'm getting old, but I really don't give a damn about what other people think when they see me all geared up. If someone asks, I give them a direct, polite, honest response.

Regarding the cost of gear, yep, it can be expensive. In an effort to be a frugal as possible my first set of gear came from internet discounters and were old styles from a couple years back, all for at least 50% discount. I started with a heavy waterproof jacket and pants, suitable for cold weather riding, (Kilimanjaro jacket and HT overpants) and I wore them in all temperatures. I guess I got used to it. Since then I added mesh pants for the hot weather. Good gloves are important. You need gloves that will protect your skin while sliding down the road, and snug enough that they won't fly off or scrape off.

 

[Harvey]

Full face helmet, gloves, Sidi boots all the time.

Tourmaster mesh jacket and pants when it's hot, Aerostich Dariens when it's not.

Icon Field Armor Vest sometimes.

Hot day, slow leisurely ride with others: Kevlar jeans instead of mesh pants.

If it's too hot for the gear it's too hot to ride.

 

[fjrrider]

I would like something that is easy on/off for when I ride to work.

I'm with aasland on this too, the Stitch RC is by far the easiest on/off out there. No exaggerating here, it can be put on in about 15-20 seconds and will come off in 10 seconds. Sweet.....

 

[mcatrophy]

I just bought a used '07 FJR and plan on riding as much as I can, not sure what that will be though, at least to work and some weekend trips every now and then. I have a Fieldsheer jacket with shoulder, elbow and back armor, kind of mesh with a liner. I wear gloves that provide little to no protection, just to cover my hands and fingers mainly and some steel toe shoes/boots that cover my ankle. I do wear a helmet.
What do you guys typically wear when you ride? Any suggestions on how 'geared up' to get when a guy rides? How do you handle 100 degree temps, in your gear, riding in town? Just handle it?

Thanks.

There's an old saying that goes something like:

"Don't dress for the ride, dress for the fall."

Goes along with the one that says:

"There are two sorts of rider. Those who haven't had a crash, and those who will."

Although I don't usually have very hot weather here, it can get uncomfortably warm. So when I ride I'm a bit uncomfortable. So I stop more often to cool off. There's no compromise for me. Whether it's a 3 mile work commute or a 300 mile fun ride.

 

[Rolavine]

Yeah, I rode to work today with a kilimajaro jacket, armored over pants, ear plugs, Sidi Boots, firstgear winter gloves and an Arai full face. After 50 miles, the last few on ice, I arrived at work only to realize that I forgot to put the chin strap on the helmet, doh!

In summer I ride in jeans, a mesh jacket and a 3/4 helmet as I find being comfortable for hours helps remove the necessity to be well protected for only potential seconds. Melted head and body do not a good rider make. I also wonder about people that spend 15 minutes gearing up for a two minute ride, heck take the car you poser, lol.

 

[SacramentoMike]

Wow, Hans, your knight looks kind of . . . girly

Now, MINE . . .

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[SPORT]

I just bought a used '07 FJR and plan on riding as much as I can, not sure what that will be though, at least to work and some weekend trips every now and then. I have a Fieldsheer jacket with shoulder, elbow and back armor, kind of mesh with a liner. I wear gloves that provide little to no protection, just to cover my hands and fingers mainly and some steel toe shoes/boots that cover my ankle. I do wear a helmet.
What do you guys typically wear when you ride? Any suggestions on how 'geared up' to get when a guy rides? How do you handle 100 degree temps, in your gear, riding in town? Just handle it?

Thanks.

Didn't spend the time reading all the responses as most will probably be the same.

ATGATT: All The Gear All The Time.

Helmet with eye protection, riding jacket, gloves, at least a pair of Levis but the majority of the time is a pair of riding pants, and riding boots.

In addition to the added safety, insurance typically covers more when they learn you were ATGATT at the time of an incident.

Just my $0.02 worth

 

[madmike2]

I wear mesh because of the temperatures in the Summer. Where I live it will be 100+ for days at a time and I ride in the heat.

Hence my decision to buy Motoport/Cycleport kevlar mesh. AND...if you clicked on CAJW's link, it served me well.

A huge plus is that the zip-in rain liners work well and also serve as great windbreakers on cool mornings and Spring and Fall weather.

Bottom line: Buy the best gear you can afford and wear it.