Safety tips

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1Tcher

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I'm sure riders from both sides of the pond and our fellows in East Asia will attest to the fact that the #1 safety tip is "pay attention to everything" when riding. Even then, it's likely some twit in a car is eventually going to get you. No rules in the world can alter how people in auto's feel about cyclists. I use this comparison to leave you laughing and thinking at the same time. You can preach all you want that both a boy and a girl should take equal responsibility when having sex to prevent unwanted pregnancy. However, in the end, who is stuck having the baby? The same holds true with the rules of the road. In the end, what happens when a car and a motorcycle meet? :rolleyes:

The point of this thread in the Safety Equipment forum is that your senses are the best safety equipment you can posess, use them at all times. :)
 
While I do agree, it still pisses me off when I hear about a biker death in my state. The reason is not because somebody died while riding a bike, but because they died because they weren't wearing at the bare minimum helmets. In Kansas you don't legally have to wear a helmet while riding.

There have been nearly 10 deaths in the last two months and every single one involved a rider not wearing any protective gear... Although wearing gear and having common sense do go hand in hand.

ATGATT
 
Yes, I couldn't agree more. I need to get more gear myself. I always use a helmet. I have to here in NJ but I did even when I rented a Harley in Maui on my honeymoon or when I'm in Delaware on my bike. Those trips were awhile ago. Don't know if those states require helmets now.

I always wear over the ankle boots, thick jeans, gloves and some kind of heavy top like a jean jacket or a cheap leather jacket I have. That can get real hot in the summer but it's worth it. I really should get some better leather. But it's so expensive. Not compared to my life though, right?

What do you guys like? A basic leather jacket or one of those jackets that aren't so heavy but have the pads in them? What about pants or chaps? Who's a good online dealer for these?

Hey, what about those expensive sunglasses that change their level of darkness with the strength of sunlight. I think they're called "Chromolux" or something like that. I guess that's not "protective" gear per say but anything that helps with vision goes along with the idea. I'm getting a little older now so my eyes get fatigued more easily these days. Does anybody use these?

I'm riding a 93 Seca now but a 07 FZ1 felt sooooo right at a dealer yesterday. Purchase decision to be made soon.
 
newenough.com is (in my opinion) the best online gear retailer around, especially the prices in the closeout section.

Usually I wear a full leather Joe Rocket jacket (Sonic 2) with zip out side panels which expose mesh. It has pads as well. I just got leather Teknic riding pants because they went on sale and will probably never ride without them again. They have knee pads and knee sliders. I always wear leather gloves, most of the time full gauntlet racing Teknic gloves. I wear a relatively cheap (still $100) racing boot from a company called Setup (made by sidi) and of course a full face helmet.

For a big 3,000+ mile trip I have coming up next month, I did buy a Joe Rocket mesh jacket with armor just because I'll be riding through the desert quite a bit. Generally nothing will protect your skin better than leather. That's why no road course in the country will let you ride without a full leather suit. With that said, I've seen somebody go down on a drag strip in a Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket (same mesh jacket I bought) and it held up pretty well considering he was going over 100 mph.

I have a clear visor and a tinted visor for my helmets so I never ride with glasses on.

If you buy motorcycle specific leather, you will be cooler than if you ride with casual leather jackets. The motorycle stuff has vents and/or is/are perforated. Motorcycle leather is also thicker and usually softer, thus the price hike.

Clear as mud???
 
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I live in Florida, and for a long time I didn't ride with a helmet. Then for no real reason at all I started wearing it. I went over a cadillac a year ago and the helmet never touched the ground, did I stop wearing it? Heck no I didn't stop. :) because of the summer heat all the time here, I rarely use any other safety equipment. If I go on a long ride, I will wear all the gear, leather boots, and Icon mesh with outside armour. I know it looks space age, but I got it cheap on ebay. I have a heavy leather jacket for winter than I'm never without though our winters aren't nearly as bad as most other people's.
My biggest recommendation about gear is to get something comfortable. If you get something that is a pain to put on or take off, or is just plain uncomfortable to wear, then it will end up in the closet instead of on you.
 
in Australia you must wear a helmet by law , but the rest of the gear is up to the rider . 90% of the time i wear full safety gear = e.g leather jacket / pants , riding boots , gloves & full face helmet . ;)
 
gravelrashed both my knees to the bone through jeans .years down the line i still get an occasional piece of grit surfacing to remind me!! i wish i had a penny for every time ive seen a car drivers eyes follow me and then they pull out anyway!!!!!! sometimes even 110% concentration in't enough !!! BE SAFE!!
 
stonesie said:
gravelrashed both my knees to the bone through jeans .years down the line i still get an occasional piece of grit surfacing to remind me!! i wish i had a penny for every time ive seen a car drivers eyes follow me and then they pull out anyway!!!!!! sometimes even 110% concentration in't enough !!! BE SAFE!!
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wow , gravel-rashed to the bone :eek: cagers are often to distracted in their cage(car) full of electronic devices to pay attension to a motorcyclist :mad:
 
I am a MSF Rider Coach, and even though it is not part of the MSF curriculum, I show pictures of people after crashes that did NOT wear PPE.
That usually does the trick. I don't know if you have seen the website, but some of my pics are from ride2die.com (there is some advertisement on top of the page,so please scroll down)
Just remember when you were a little kid and you fell because you tripped over your own feet. What goes down first? Your hands? Now why in the world would you not wear gloves??? Remember how bad that little owie hurt on your knee? Now why would you not wear knee protectors? the list goes on and on.... My motto is: No skin below the chin!!! And of course (goes without saying)..the fullface helmet. Why wear a lid? it won't do you any good and it looks stupid too!
Anyways, as you can tell, I am strong advocate for PPE and the 1 month I have been in the US, i am so shocked on how people risk their lives here while riding their motorcycles.

Wear your gear! when your skin hits the pavement it takes a few seconds to get to your bone..if you wear cordura or leathers you have almost a minute of concrete sliding until it even gets down to the skin.
I have been riding for over 20 years and I have ALWAYS worn my PPE. Will something happen? Probably not - but just in case it will i do not want to have to say...I wish I would have...
 
I've lived in Michigan all my life, except for the years I was in the military and our helmet law started in 1967 I think so the helmet automatically goes on when I get ready to ride. The amazing thing is when I head south or west I immediately hit a non-helmet state and it's interesting to see how many riders don't think a helmet or other gear for that matter is a good idea. I've also noticed that non-helmeted riders seem to think a helmeted rider is somehow a pussy. It's obvious they have never needed one when they hit the ground. There's simply no doubt that the right gear will save your life or at minimum keep the scars down to what can be lived with. I've been there more than once and anyone who argues against a helmet and good protective gear is ignorant of the facts. Simple as that. Be smart, look smart, it drives the nut cases crazy.
 
Lids are also mandatory by low here in the Netherlands. Always wear them.

As for PPE alot off people in the summer don't wear them and just ride around in a short pants and a tshirt.
I always wear my PPE and just got me a new HighVis jacket to be even more safe for those cagers that don't pay any attention then how to get a differant tune on the radio.

PS pic of the jacket:

image020h.jpg
 
MEAN 1 said:
^^
hhmm , thats hard line :eek: but then again , if it actually saves lifes ..
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I always go out expecting someone in a car to try and kill me. I've had four people in the last three times I've taken the motorcycle out try to pull into my lane. One van actually forced me on to the shoulder. None were talking on a cellphone, and as far as I could tell weren't distracted in any other way. I always make sure to not be in the blindspot any longer than necessary but there are always going to be people that don't pay attention.

Being a card carrying member of the Libertarian party here in the States, I support someone's right to not wear a helmet when it's not required. I think they're probably not that bright but it's their choice. I always wear a helmet and usually wear boots and either a leather jacket or my Joe Rocket mesh one. I used to go without a helmet occasionally until I ran wide on a corner on my Vmax. I happened to have the helmet on that time and my face smashed full into the ground. The memory of the grass and gravel coming towards my face shield is all it takes to keep the helmet on even in 100 plus degree weather.

I have to disagree that someone should have his or her freedom of movement taken away because they were tuning the radio even if it is to save a life. We all know we're in a high risk category and I would hate to think that to save one life the government decided motorcyles were too dangerous and we weren't to be trusted making our own decision whether to ride or not. Everything in life has risks, where are the lines drawn in the name of saving a life? I don't think taking a life in one way is anymore severe than taken it in a different way. Dead is dead.

Sorry, didn't mean to go on a political rant there, it's just something I feel pretty strongly about.
 
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Steve F said:
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Hey, what about those expensive sunglasses that change their level of darkness with the strength of sunlight. I think they're called \"Chromolux\" or something like that. I guess that's not \"protective\" gear per say but anything that helps with vision goes along with the idea. I'm getting a little older now so my eyes get fatigued more easily these days. Does anybody use these?

....
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I purchased the auto-darkening feature on my latest pair of glasses and they are practically worthless for that feature. I wound up having to buy stand alone sunglasses.

I figured I would get two in one with the auto darkening feature, but it turns out that they are pretty much only activated by direct sunlight, so if you are in your vehicle they don't darken, if they are in your helmet they don't darken, If you are wearing a hat outside because the sun is blazing down they don't darken as much as you would like them too.

I told my optician I wouldn't have paid extra for that feature if I had known it was so worthless, and she said that is one drawback to them, but that newer tecnhology was coming out that was making them a bit more sensitive. I bought my glasses a couple of years ago, so I'm not sure if that technology has hit the streets yet. But if they are still selling the same feature that I bought, I give it a thumbs down.
 
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