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The debate about gear rages on

I blame our poor education system and TV culture. They encourage people to not think of other viewpoints as valid. Instead of rationally evaluating risk for themselves they jump to insulting others who hold alternative values or beliefs.

In short, the many insulting and venomous post in this thread reek of intolerance. Some people think gear is the answer to safely riding a motorcycle. I believe good judgment and mindfulness are the critical elements to safe riding.

I wear the gear I consider appropriate for the ride and potential accidents. So far I've had a quarter million miles of riding without "needing" any of my gear. Its helped keep me warm or cool, its helped me to be more noticeable on the road, and its protected me from bug and rock strikes. I'll keep wearing the best gear I can and encourage others to do the same. However, I'm not going to insult them for making different choices.
 
my mother is opposite,
she grew up in india where they have no concept of saftey gear, i see people in shorts and t shirts and flipflops no helmet just glasses, among roughly 80 percent of the riders i saw in india, granted they travel slower and it is much hotter outside.

But she asks why do i wear such "heavy jackets" and jeans in such hot weather outside. she thinks its silly, and after reading some of this thread im starting to understand why, that people should look at both sides.

i will continue to wear my jacket with ce, jeans or leathers, helmet gloves and high top shoes everytime i ride, but i will not judge those who do not.
 
Both sides.

So, non-riding gear wearing riders are stupid, ignorant, lazy, don't have anything worth protecting, delusional and they drive up everyone else's insurance rates.

In hot weather, you'll have a heatstroke, if you don't go far, you really don't need all the gear, you get over confident if you wear all your gear, you'll ride too fast, its too much work to put on your stuff every time.

All little extreme from both sides.

Personal choice. Personal responsibilities. If you can choose to drink liquor every day, eat yourself to death with those eclairs, or smoke your weed or cigarettes or whatever, which all have a much higher rate of affects on our populations and rates of death or debilitating illnesses, why the big deal about leathers and such? We are insignificant in the big scheme of things.
 
I've had 35-40 crashes since 1965. I've worn full gear in all but two of them. I've walked away from every one of them, or limped away. There's no doubt in my mind that had I been wearing jeans, a t shirt, no helmet, I'd not have lasted nearly this long.

My last crash was two weeks ago at Laguna, tucked the front in the corkscrew, went down, and got run over by the guy behind me ( who did it perfectly, thanks Dave for letting off the brake). I got up from that one and limped over to my bike and rode it back into the pits. When the doc saw me the next day, he said: "You must have been wearing damn good gear!"

There is zero doubt in my mind that gear saves lives.

Here's a little pic of what happens with a mesh jacket in a crash.
http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=3719907&postcount=20

I've ridden 800 miles in 110 degree weather in textile. It's hot, but the hottest part of you body in that kind of weather is your feet, from the reflected heat. I had no problems at all.
 
Tydive said:
I blame our poor education system and TV culture. They encourage people to not think of other viewpoints as valid. Instead of rationally evaluating risk for themselves they jump to insulting others who hold alternative values or beliefs.

In short, the many insulting and venomous post in this thread reek of intolerance. Some people think gear is the answer to safely riding a motorcycle. I believe good judgment and mindfulness are the critical elements to safe riding.

I wear the gear I consider appropriate for the ride and potential accidents. So far I've had a quarter million miles of riding without "needing" any of my gear. Its helped keep me warm or cool, its helped me to be more noticeable on the road, and its protected me from bug and rock strikes. I'll keep wearing the best gear I can and encourage others to do the same. However, I'm not going to insult them for making different choices.
Click to expand...

:laughing:laughing

You don't get it. You are not in control. I am sure you believe as long as you ride well and safely, you won't crash. That doesn't apply to the guy who suddenly and without warning turns left in front of you, or drifts across the yellow line in a blind corner and uses you for a hood ornament. You are not in control. Sorry.
 
35-40 crashes? I have crashed once, in 1979, on the street. About 400,000 street miles. Many times off road, but those don't count. I couldn't afford to fix my bike that many times Ernie.
 
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afm199 said:
:laughing:laughing

You don't get it. You are not in control. I am sure you believe as long as you ride well and safely, you won't crash. That doesn't apply to the guy who suddenly and without warning turns left in front of you, or drifts across the yellow line in a blind corner and uses you for a hood ornament. You are not in control. Sorry.
Click to expand...

You're wasting your time. You can't fix stupid.
 
Tydive said:
I blame our poor education system and TV culture. They encourage people to not think of other viewpoints as valid. Instead of rationally evaluating risk for themselves they jump to insulting others who hold alternative values or beliefs.

In short, the many insulting and venomous post in this thread reek of intolerance. Some people think gear is the answer to safely riding a motorcycle. I believe good judgment and mindfulness are the critical elements to safe riding.

I wear the gear I consider appropriate for the ride and potential accidents. So far I've had a quarter million miles of riding without "needing" any of my gear. Its helped keep me warm or cool, its helped me to be more noticeable on the road, and its protected me from bug and rock strikes. I'll keep wearing the best gear I can and encourage others to do the same. However, I'm not going to insult them for making different choices.
Click to expand...

You might be in for a rude awakening.
 
ALANRIDER7 said:
You might be in for a rude awakening.
Click to expand...

Dude, :wtf

I wear top end gear every time, I just don't think its a panacea. Explain how wearing full gear, riding within my skills, being mindful of my surroundings, avoiding reactive riding, and practicing to be a better safer rider everyday is not a good path...

I just don't believe being a dick to others who don't share my values is a good way to spend my time and energy.
 
Do what you want. I don't care. It's your risk. I'm not going to tell you what to do.

I'll make my own choices - ATGATT. I've been taken out by a drunk red-light jumper a few years ago, and have scars and broken bones as a consequence.

I don't think anyone likes seeing posts and reports of riders crashing and the consequences, but when I see the RIP's and read that the only concession the rider made towards protecting themselves was a novelty helmet my sympathy level drops significantly. If they don't care, why should I ?
 
Tydive said:
No, YOU don't get it. I know that I can only control my own actions. That is enough for me. I don't feel the need to control others. :twofinger
Click to expand...

:rofl

Yes, I am sure your Jedi mind control is capable of stopping someone from making an illegal u turn that you don't see.

Or perhaps you are against vaccinations, quarantine, and meddling government rules about contaminants in food as well.
 
corndog67 said:
35-40 crashes? I have crashed once, in 1979, on the street. About 400,000 street miles. Many times off road, but those don't count. I couldn't afford to fix my bike that many times Ernie.
Click to expand...

Six on the street the rest on the track. I crashed a lot in my younger years. The crash two weeks ago was the first since the guy on the GSXR took me out at Thill in T9 five years ago.
 
afm199 said:
Six on the street the rest on the track. I crashed a lot in my younger years. The crash two weeks ago was the first since the guy on the GSXR took me out at Thill in T9 five years ago.
Click to expand...

Are you sponsored by CRG or ASV? That's a lot to of levers and shifters and whatnot.

Glad to see you're still riding Ernie. Many would have (or have) quit by now.
 
Breaking Daniel said:
So, for intellectual conversations sake, I propose the following question.

Why does everyone get so upset at people who don't wear gear?

I propose that wearing gear does NOTHING in the means of crash prevention. This would equate to the rider who crashes as only causing additional injury to himself, but still not having an affect on anyone else. It's his skin that pays the price, not mine. Gear serves only the purpose of injury prevention, but does not make someone less likely to crash.

I'm not wanting everyone to agree with me, but I can't be the only one out there that understands this. Or am I mistaken? Feel free to educate me if I have overlooked something. Either way, I wear gear sometimes, and ALWAYS ride within my limits as to prevent an accident.
Click to expand...

I'm starting to think 2013 members are actually older members looking for a bit of fun because they know BARF intimately and know exactly how to troll us.
 
afm199 said:
:rofl

Yes, I am sure your Jedi mind control is capable of stopping someone from making an illegal u turn that you don't see. .
Click to expand...

You have failed to get my point, its the same one LouMC tries to make often enough. I mitigate risks to the best of my ability, but still may die at any time. I'm ok with that.

I can't even count the number of left turners, lane incursions, deer, objects, and various hazards that I've avoided over the years. so far gear has not been what saved me.

I still wear full gear, because I believe in doing dangerous things safely. Why does that incite you to make stupid analogies? What part of me being ATGATT makes you think I'm delusional?
 
Tydive said:
You have failed to get my point, its the same one LouMC tries to make often enough. I mitigate risks to the best of my ability, but still may die at any time. I'm ok with that.

I can't even count the number of left turners, lane incursions, deer, objects, and various hazards that I've avoided over the years. so far gear has not been what saved me.

I still wear full gear, because I believe in doing dangerous things safely. Why does that incite you to make stupid analogies? What part of me being ATGATT makes you think I'm delusional?
Click to expand...


Baffles me as well Tydive. When experienced rider/racers say things that indicate there is a part of the mental processing circuitry that never got exercised.

I'm very grateful to BikeAMA for posting up large pictures of me in my riding gear. Everything goes on, everytime.

Chaps my ass when bike "accident" reports show up in the local paper. Older man and wife, riding what I know is a Harley cruiser, and I'm inclined to think wearing beanie / novelty helmets.

Doing nothing even remotely difficult..he crashes, she dies of head injury from a simple fell off the bike falling over.

If we aren't supposed to feel bad, when others are doing wrong things...
Why is it acceptable to get upset with chowderheads yapping on a cell phone while driving? Really according to the wisdom in this thread..not doing the yapping ourselves is all we should be concerned with.
 
Tydive said:
You have failed to get my point, its the same one LouMC tries to make often enough. I mitigate risks to the best of my ability, but still may die at any time. I'm ok with that.

I can't even count the number of left turners, lane incursions, deer, objects, and various hazards that I've avoided over the years. so far gear has not been what saved me.

I still wear full gear, because I believe in doing dangerous things safely. Why does that incite you to make stupid analogies? What part of me being ATGATT makes you think I'm delusional?
Click to expand...

I get your point and agree. ( After rereading your posts). You don't appreciate people making fun of riders who don't wear full gear. At least I think that's your point. Their riding experience is just as valid as anyone else's. It's their business. I also disagree. When ignorant behavior is actively stigmatized, it is reduced. Not wearing gear is ignorant. Every crash without gear that results in injury ( most of them) also increases the chances of legislation and insurance policy modification that can have a negative impact on all of us. You may not remember, about 15 years ago, when this English asshat who built a "faired" bike that had outrigger fairings to "protect" the leg actively campaigned in the US for legislation that would "protect" riders by using his fairings.

Every crash that results in injury increases the chances of further punitive legislation that could take freedom away from all of us.
 
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