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I've been riding without gear

Var

Var

One Track Pony
Joined
Aug 9, 2006
Location
San Mateo
Moto(s)
are better than cars
Name
Var
Someone slap some sense into me. I rode to work in a t shirt this morning. Yesterday I rode to work in gear and had my girlfriend drive my gear home for me, and I rode home in a tshirt and shorts. I was about to pass out it was so hot at my work (no ventilation) I had to take a cold shower when i got home. It's so easy just to say "screw it i'll just ride extra careful." But once I hit the road I imagine the pain of road rash. I still ride 80mph and laneshare.. :thumbdown
 
It is not so much the control you have on the bike, but all the cagers out there trying to kill you. Armor up, Starfighter.
 
Ya, what ^he^ said, you big dummy. You can be as careful as ever but you are still at the mercy of idiot drivers. I guess the upshot is that when it is this hot, the pavement will cauterize road rash.

But to each his own. I learned my lesson about commenting on BARF about the lack of gear being worn by other riders :rolleyes.
 
I lived in Chicago for 10 yrs., and the summers there are 100+ degrees with 90% humidity. The heat coming off the pavement on the hywy was stifling, couldn't breath, felt like you were riding in an oven. It's unbarable even without gear. We are lucky that our weather along the coast is so moderate.


Edit - get yourself a "Shamwow" from our buddy Vince, soak it in cold water, and wear it like a scarf. It cools your body better than you might imagine! I use one of those fake shamois (sp?) that you buy at Kraigan.
 
Last edited:
Var said:
Someone slap some sense into me. I rode to work in a t shirt this morning. Yesterday I rode to work in gear and had my girlfriend drive my gear home for me, and I rode home in a tshirt and shorts. I was about to pass out it was so hot at my work (no ventilation) I had to take a cold shower when i got home. It's so easy just to say "screw it i'll just ride extra careful." But once I hit the road I imagine the pain of road rash. I still ride 80mph and laneshare.. :thumbdown
Click to expand...

Pussy. :rofl
 
gear + hot weather = warm rider

warm rider + camel back + ice cubes = less sweaty gross
 
Stuff can happen. Imagine the difference between getting up and hopping on your bike and riding it home and having to be taken by ambulance to the hospital because you are missing so much skin.
 
Squid it up Var, contrary to popular belief you won't immediately die just because you're not wearing gear.

I wear a short sleeve shirt 12 hours a day while I ride a motorcycle, and guess what? I'm still alive!

Just be careful and enjoy your ride. I stopped being a gear nazi years ago.
 
Sweat is easier to wash off than road rash :| We really dont want to see the after pics when some cager knocks you over when you are lane splitting or sharing :rolleyes
 
I rode for years without gear (starting in mid-70's when there was no gear) and nothing bad ever happened to me.

But, if you do go down, choosing to (not) wear gear could have significant impact on how you come out of it.

It's always a calculated risk when riding a motorcycle, make the informed choices that you can live with.

My :2cents
 
9M61 said:
Squid it up Var, contrary to popular belief you won't immediately die just because you're not wearing gear.

I wear a short sleeve shirt 12 hours a day while I ride a motorcycle, and guess what? I'm still alive!

Just be careful and enjoy your ride. I stopped being a gear nazi years ago.
Click to expand...

I'd put forth that the mass car driving public pay far more attention to moto cops then they do to regular moto riders. They also pull over and give cops wide berths, as opposed to how they treat everybody else.

And I'm not disagreeing with you that you can ride naked and as long as you don't fall over, everything will be fine. The moment you become unstuck from the road, all bets are off and of course no ones plans to fall.

The one exception to the above is that I've found that good gear can insulate you from the heat of the bike, especially the tank and the engine area.
 
I get cut off and nearly ran into as much as anyone else does... they never see me.

I do agree when splitting or whatever they tend to give moto-cops more room, but in every-day riding, they never see me just the same as they never see you.

I'm not sitting here saying you don't need to wear gear, I'm just not subscribing to the OMG-YOU-ARENT-WEARING-GEAR-YOURE-GOING-TO-DIE theory.
 
Yo dog i hurd you like gears. So I put gear on your gear so when you go down your got nuff gears. Remember...always layer your gear!
 
2005 mid july 126 degreess needles CA, me in a joe rocket razor 2 piece.
I couldn't drink enough water fast enough, range limited by camel bak not gas tank.
Once I got to Knigman AZ it was only 99 degrees, felt down right frosty.
get some warm weather gear
 
realtalk:

I kind of pity people who have never ridden without a helmet, in a tshirt or no gloves ect.

I think its good to at least have a reference of what it feels like to be most vulnerable and a little out of your comfort zone.

Its motorcycling, its not supposed to make sense. Splitting hairs and dividing riding into sub-factions the in an activity of what most of American culture considers lunacy to begin with, is just odd. But, we do it any ways cause it make us feel better about ourselves. go figure.
 
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