Leather, nakedness and commuting

[Skippernick]

just a note.  In an American drag test many textiles performed only slightly better than budget jeans.  In Australian tests only 10% of the textile jackets performed to an adequate standard.
 
With the leather gear tested they outperformed all by at least double, but the most expensive suit burst LOL
 
But even having read this I will wear what I damn well like, when I like, and rely on my riding ability and common sense not to have to use my gear.
If I want to ride in speedos in a snowstorm what the crap has it got to do with anyone cept me.

 

[simonm]

But even having read this I will wear what I damn well like, when I like, and rely on my riding ability and common sense not to have to use my gear.
If I want to ride in speedos in a snowstorm what the crap has it got to do with anyone cept me.

And you needed this thread to tell you that ?  Shame on you.  You should always do what you damn well please and if you peg it it's your choice and your families funeral when you get swiped by some cager who is on their mobile phone paying no attention whilst pulling out of a blind corner or a stone flies in to your face when you don't expect it, or you slip on diesel spill.  This has nothing to do with common sense or riding ability, this has to do with the times when those fail.

This is your life you're talking about.  If you don't value it you can dress it up how you like, it makes no difference to the people that don't know you.  Good on you.  Make a statement and a stand about what you care about and put your life on the line to prove it.  Pride is really important when you're dead.


On a serious note.  Please don't.  Please wear as much protective gear as you can.  Not that you'll listen to me.

[Hedgetrimmer]

And fer chrissakes, ignore that "worthless without pics post"  - I really don't want to see you in your speedos...

[Slaninar]

This is your life you're talking about.  If you don't value it you can dress it up how you like,

If you are that safety and life conscious, why do you ride motorcycle in the first place? Do you know it makes you about 20 times more likely to get injured or killed than driving a car?


If us humans were made to live 10,000 years, than all this would make sense, but since we live around 50, we can afford that risk - not too much to loose. At 33 I'm almost there anyway. I'd rather die than not live at all, concerned about safety and all - fuck it.

[Lawrence]

just a note.  In an American drag test many textiles performed only slightly better than budget jeans.  In Australian tests only 10% of the textile jackets performed to an adequate standard.

Got any sources to back this up?
 
It's not so much about not being killed as if you hit something hard enough to kill you it'll probably do that whether you're wearing leathers or not.  It's about not needing extensive skin grafts etc afterwards, the difference between walking away with £500+ of knackered gear or spending weeks in hospital and then months recovering.

[alan sherman]

Hot today.  I was hot even in my Pink shirt.

[simonm]

This is your life you're talking about.  If you don't value it you can dress it up how you like,

If you are that safety and life conscious, why do you ride motorcycle in the first place? Do you know it makes you about 20 times more likely to get injured or killed than driving a car?


If us humans were made to live 10,000 years, than all this would make sense, but since we live around 50, we can afford that risk - not too much to loose. At 33 I'm almost there anyway. I'd rather die than not live at all, concerned about safety and all - fuck it.

It's about mitigating the risk.  For the sake of feeling a bit warm in the weather you reduce the risk of dying from bloodloss in an accident dramatically.  I like to live dangerously, just not as dangerously as you  . Besides, I'm a newb an have no confidence it my abilities either.

[Hedgetrimmer]

Confidence is something you build with time and practice. Your riding seemed Ok to everyone on the lofo ride Simon, and judging by your posts, you have a good idea of what to be wary of. Seems to me that the vast majority of people on this site actually are quite sensible about what to wear on a bike. Risk reduction - couldn't agree more, this applies to your riding as well as your kit. We all like to crack that throttle when we can, it's just about time and place - if your favourite bit of road is clogged with traffic, oh well, there'll always be another day. If you find a lovely bit of twisty tarmac but there are loads of hazards, well, it's a pity, but find a different road with less hazards. But it's fun to stir it up a bit on here sometimes!

[Bornagain again]

Its about the risk, what a piss poor argument.
 
I have ridden in jeans for 30 years, been a London despatch rider, led rideouts and been on rideouts with FOC-U.
 
I wear what I think I need from a full set of leathers to jeans and demin jacket. I recently tested my friends bike after sorting her clutch in socks lol (hard to change gear, not recommended)
 
If I put everything in the pot that could kill me I wouldn't even get out of bed let alone ride a motorbike. 
 
Skin grafts me hairy fat arse.  The worst I have had from far too many crashes ( a good way to learn what you cant do, lol) is a burn on my leg where it got trapped under the exhaust in a pothole incident at 60ish.
My mate got killed on his first ride with full leathers and a decent helmet, at 40mph without damaging his gear in any way, simply had his neck snapped when he bounced off a van (not his fault).
 
The only thing I wouldn't go without at any time is gloves cos hands is the first thing you put down, helmet cos I haven't got enough hair to waste it on the road (and cos jonny law gets quite upset if you don't wear one) and a jacket cos wasps and bees at anything over sixty damn well hurt (goes for helmet as well).
 
On an aside, go out and do an advanced course you may not be so scared of getting hurt when you know better how to avoid it.

[Slaninar]

It's about mitigating the risk.  For the sake of feeling a bit warm in the weather you reduce the risk of dying from bloodloss in an accident dramatically. 

Same could be said for motorcycle riding. For the sake of some feeling of excitement and enjoyment, you're risking your health - take a bus. 

When I don't ride in full gear, I take it slower, easier.

Riding in full gear in hot weather makes you nervous, sweaty, and you can tend to get into more risks than taking it slow in shorts.

[cfoley]

you're risking your health - take a bus.

That reminds me, I have been hurt worse in a road accident while on a bus (minor muscular whiplash) than when a car knocked me off my bike (totally OK).

I decided to go for this instead of the Spada jacket. Unfortunately, I can't try it out until tomorrow!
http://www.frank-thomas.co.uk/index.php/collection/leathers/ftl307-air-fusion-jacket-black.html

[simonm]

Example:  So you decide to take up mountain climbing.


Do you do it with or without a safety rope.  That's risk mitigation for me.  You want to climb without a rope, fine but some persuits are risky enough without making the risk stupid.


You can call it a "piss poor" argument if you like, that's your prerogative but your skill means nothing when some cager on a mobile phone takes a corner wide or you come over the brow of a hill to find a tractor turning in front of you.


You say it's safe, good on ya.  I hope you're never proven wrong.

[Hedgetrimmer]

The worst I have had from far too many crashes ( a good way to learn what you cant do, lol)

B*****ks. I apparently hit a car head on at a closing speed of somewhere between 120 & 150mph and can't remember the first thing about it...

[VNA - BMW Wank]

If you are that safety and life conscious, why do you ride motorcycle in the first place? Do you know it makes you about 20 times more likely to get injured or killed than driving a car?

Exactly!

I was just about to say the same.  I'm reading these endless comments about what gear you must wear every time you go out on your bike, and I'm thinking, why are you dudes riding bikes.  If you are that worried stop it, stop it now, cos I've got news for you, riding a motorcycle is an inherently risky business.  And all the fancy gear in the world won't do foc all if you head but a lamp post or get run over by an articulated truck coming the other way.

I'm all for folks wearing protective gear, but it's a choice and nor do we want silly talk from riders themselves leading to legislation, which as we know is a constant threat.

I'm like others here, when I started riding, it was a crappy leather jacket with a bit of foam here and there (no back protection), a hat and jeans. 

It's getting warm again up here in sunny Ayrshire.  I have to admit I'm not one for warm summer weather.  I was riding home after work this evening, full leathers, but the jeans were sticking to me and it was rather annoying an uncomfortable .  Tomorrow it'll be back to leather jacket and jeans.  It's either I am comfortable on the bike or I don't ride it.

Example:  So you decide to take up mountain climbing.

Whenever I can find some time and the weather is OK, I'm off walking, mainly hills or often into remote areas for the day.  I do it all year round, oh and last winter was great by the way, and I generally head off by myself.  And guess what, the same sort of safety police types keep taking me to task about it.  Apparently it's dangerous to out for a walk by yourself!  You shouldn't apparently walk up a hill in winter, and you definitely shouldn't go by yourself in winter.  Some folks even said me to me last winter (after a number of hill accidents) that winter hill walking should be banned!

OK, so there are risks, but like riding a bike one tries to manage the risk and attempt to choose how much to take on.  Riding a bike and walking in the hills keeps me happy and almost sane.  I'm at my most happy alone and on top of some remote peak in the Highlands.

Buachaille Etive Beag in winter during the week and I'm the only one up there!





It was a shorts and T-shirt day too 

[simonm]

Mountain climbing  :

[VNA - BMW Wank]

but your skill means nothing when some cager on a mobile phone takes a corner wide or you come over the brow of a hill to find a tractor turning in front of you.

I had a car a couple of years back coming towards me out of fast corner in the wet sideways.  I was going a bit quick myself, I remember positioning the bike on the centre of the road and thinking it might go one way or the other.  I also thought briefly - this is it - I'm gonna die.  I had full good quality leathers on, boots, gloves and hat, but if that thing collected me I knew I was almost certainly dead. 

I was lucky, it kept sliding round, tucked in and went into a roll when it hit the verge and ended up upside down in a field.  I pulled over, I was covered from head to toe in mud and grass.  The driver crawled out, hardly a scratch on him, his car a total write off.  He did even see me. 

I don't usually bother too much about the behaviour of others on the road.  But he almost wiped me out.  Fancy gear?  Bollocks, if that car had of hit me I'd have been dead.  Anyway I reported it, but the local police were not interested.  I insisted they fill out a report form and gave me a copy.  That generated a notice to traffic to have a look.  They had a look, did their stuff, took some measurements etc, gave me a phone call and told me the young lad had been charged with dangerous driving and would be up in court.  Dunno what the result was.  But with luck he had already leaned his lesson.  One witness I spoke to said it rolled three times.

I didn't ride the bike for a week after that.  It did have a bit of an effect on me, but only for a while.  Wasn't too long before I was back out again.


Your tractor?  Well stop.  If you can't you were going too fast.  Hit a tractor at any decent speed, no matter what you are wearing and you will more than likely die. 

[Hedgetrimmer]

Mountain climbing  :

No, that's ice climbing, climbing a frozen waterfall - a gamble if ever there was one! Looks like fun tho'...

[Hedgetrimmer]

but your skill means nothing when some cager on a mobile phone takes a corner wide or you come over the brow of a hill to find a tractor turning in front of you.

I had a car a couple of years back coming towards me out of fast corner in the wet sideways.  I was going a bit quick myself, I remember positioning the bike on the centre of the road and thinking it might go one way or the other.  I also thought briefly - this is it - I'm gonna die.  I had full good quality leathers on, boots, gloves and hat, but if that thing collected me I knew I was almost certainly dead. 

I was lucky, it kept sliding round, tucked in and went into a roll when it hit the verge and ended up upside down in a field.  I pulled over, I was covered from head to toe in mud and grass.  The driver crawled out, hardly a scratch on him, his car a total write off.  He did even see me. 

I don't usually bother too much about the behaviour of others on the road.  But he almost wiped me out.  Fancy gear?  Bollocks, if that car had of hit me I'd have been dead.  Anyway I reported it, but the local police were not interested.  I insisted they fill out a report form and gave me a copy.  That generated a notice to traffic to have a look.  They had a look, did their stuff, took some measurements etc, gave me a phone call and told me the young lad had been charged with dangerous driving and would be up in court.  Dunno what the result was.  But with luck he had already leaned his lesson.  One witness I spoke to said it rolled three times.

I didn't ride the bike for a week after that.  It did have a bit of an effect on me, but only for a while.  Wasn't too long before I was back out again.


Your tractor?  Well stop.  If you can't you were going too fast.  Hit a tractor at any decent speed, no matter what you are wearing and you will more than likely die.

I must be the exception to the rule then - why does that not surprise me? 

[simonm]

This topic is way beyond sanity.  UnNotifying. 

[cfoley]

New jacket is very nice. I arrived at work cooler than if I had taken the car or bus. Thanks for all the advice everyone!

[Lawrence]

Fancy gear?  Bollocks, if that car had of hit me I'd have been dead.

In a case like this, or hitting something static, then it doesn't make much difference if you're in leathers or flip flops and shorts.  If you don't hit anything it'll make a big difference and I know what I'd prefer to slide down the road in

[Punkstig]

Saw a guy earlier wearing shorts trainers and a smile, the 'what ifs' still. Give me the shivers!

[bwizz]

I had a  low speed of this year , I was wearing waterproof heavily armoured " especially around the kneees" Jeans .I had of often thought,(What is the likeliyhood of having an impact right on the armour) Van turned right across my path ,hitting my left knee with his front wing! my knee came up like a baloon and took 5 weeks to regain colour and shape.
How bad would it have beeen with shorts ?

[Slaninar]

 

[Punkstig]

I had a  low speed of this year , I was wearing waterproof heavily armoured " especially around the kneees" Jeans .I had of often thought,(What is the likeliyhood of having an impact right on the armour) Van turned right across my path ,hitting my left knee with his front wing! my knee came up like a baloon and took 5 weeks to regain colour and shape.
How bad would it have beeen with shorts ?

You probably wouldn't have a knee cap any more, just lots of lovely bits of bone rubbing against one another and tendons with every slightest movement!