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Interesting post on the reasons for wearing riding gear

13K views 56 replies 37 participants last post by  EYVoom 
#1 ·
The Why’s of Motorcycles: Gear
 
#40 ·
agree all round, riding smart is smart, but smart
is not enough sometimes..
4th road honda [cb750/4k6 front disc] second 4
years of regular experience of all sorts bar racing,
he turned from the curb, over double yellow lines
at end of traffic island, no blinkers, front wheels straight,
didnt look [a bushie in town].. police measured skid marks
said 'he had amazing reflexes [but] 'no chance'..

impact, flew over the ute, landed on road ahead
[not, speeding..] knocked unconscious, no memory..
depressed fracture left eye orbit, left cheekbone,
snapped left lower mandible [jaw].. open face helmet..
leather jacket, gloves, boots.. no other injury..

if i wore no helmet, i reckon death or rat5hit..

jaws wired shut 3 mths.. new nolan full face helmet..

until then had only a couple of controlled slide offs
hitting flattened road kill in a curve etc..
father a motorcyclist, ridden on road since 16..
reckon i was pretty 'smart' rider too..

anyway mate, something like that real event
can, happen, to anyone.. you could have
put casey on my seat and the bushie
would have gotten him too..

to each his own, and good luck to everyone,
whatever you choose to do.. but lets not
present experience and a good attitude
as if some sort of barrier to being in
the wrong place at the wrong time,
esp to novices..

that place and time could and can be
anywhere, at any time..
care and skill can and will help avoid
many potential dangers, of course..

but not, the ones you cant, avoid...
 
#41 ·
2 mins ago, watching footy, news report; 35yr old woman cyclist
taken out by 79yr old car driver.. stopped 100m up the road,
asked first person to her "what happened to the car?"...

there was a boat parked on the road, they rode around it,
car slammed into the cyclist driving her into the boat..

two bystanders tried to keep her alive
but dead when ambulance arrived..

you just, cant, trust them...
 
#43 ·
I'll add this crash to the discussion to make a point to any that think they are smart enough to avoid mishaps. Years ago we loaded the kids into the Jeep to head to the swimming pool. We were 2 minutes from the house at a four way stop on a 35 MPH city street. We were at a dead stop at a stop sign. In front of us two cars had a head on collision and veered over in the midst of the crash into the front of our Jeep. There was not 1/4 second of reaction time and what could I have done anyway? The front of the jeep was destroyed. I had to replace all of the front fascia and the radiator if I recall correctly. If I had been on a bike, sitting still, waiting my turn, I would have been seriously injured if fully geared up and dead if not. There is only so much that caution and careful driving can do to protect you. The gear does the rest. At least there is a chance you'll survive a serious accident if you're wearing your armor. I've never been in a wreck that I caused, but I've been in two or three that I didn't. And I never saw it coming fast enough to do anything to keep it from happening. Thank God I learned to ride (not very well yet) without going down.

An aside: To the two guys that passed me in a curve going at least 80 on a tiny country road yesterday wearing shorts and t shirts. Best of Luck! Don't expect to meet your grandchildren.
 
#44 ·
We must require helmets for trips to the bathroom, 21.8 million injuries, $67.3 BILLION (with a "B") in lifetime medical expenses. Ban prune juice, no more beer, avoid anything that can cause a need to bathe. Bathrooms cause these kind of statistics.
Nonfatal Bathroom Injuries Among Persons Aged ?15 Years --- United States, 2008
Shouldn't we take responsibility for our own lives, these are old stats, but the point is we are more prone to get injured in our homes than any other place, no one would advocate having to wear protective clothing in our own homes. In another statistic 40-60% of automotive injuries are head related.
One more, no one would discredit the Mayo Clinic, here's another link, Traumatic brain injury: Causes - MayoClinic.com
I'm not denying the efficacy of protective equipment, and I've seen traumatic brain injuries on 3 different continents, but more seem to come from home related causes than motorcycles. If you want to wear it, by all means wear it, but realize that you can get injured any where, even in your bathroom........


Doc
 
#45 ·
I always wear my helmet and jacket. I wear normal shoes and jeans always. I seldom wear gloves, but am looking at getting another pair of gloves and boots when money is suffice.

I always ride with caution with the mind frame that everyone is out to get me, so am always alert.
 
#46 ·
Added benefit

An added and unforeseen benefit to wearing gear.
the other day on my way to work I had a guy at a bus stop intentional step into my path and try to wreck me. There was no other traffic on the road and he was just looking to be an a**. Well I took it upon myself to stop and confront him. the gear I wear is from the world of motocross, and I wear it as an exoskeleton. When I got off my bike and started toward this guy in full body armor and helmet this guy changed his tune in a hurry. the girl that was at the stop with him was saying "I told you don't, I told you don't, I told you don't". I saw the bus was coming and gave him his "out". If you think you might get in a fight, put on your gear.
 
#51 ·
Always gear up. I'm too paranoid of other drivers and their unpredictability. I also admit my fallibility. I like to think I can avoid the unknown but in reality it is not possible.

And...."the Beib....the dude I love to hate. What a nob!"
 
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#57 ·
In my mind it's all about managing and understanding your exposure to risks. Like anything that is inherently dangerous, you need to decide what your priorities are. If you want maximum, moderate, or minimal protection, and when you find which level is appropriate. People's perception of maximum, moderate, and minimal protection are always different. There are certain precautions that you "should" always take though... helmet, jacket, long pants, riding gloves, and good footwear. Going beyond that it's up to the person and the type of riding they're going to do. For me, unless I'm going on a long ride where my exposure to risk is greatly increased (just by duration of exposure), I just stick to basics for protection. For me, it's the longer rides when you start jacking up your protection levels with more serious protective equipment. Much like in skiing (I'm a huge skier fyi) you wouldn't be bringing out full avalanche gear, a back protector, or other body armor just to ski around on groomed trails. The risk is lower, at least to the point of not warranting all of that. That doesn't mean you still don't wear a helmet and make sure all your gear is up to snuff.

It's up to each of us to decide what is best for us. There are basic levels of protection that we "should" all use, because we all make mistakes and so do the other people on the road. It's an inherently dangerous sport and taking no precautions at all is just asking for trouble.
 
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