Ever been laughed at for "gearing up"??

[Wh0M3]

I attended a riders course given by Harley Davidson. I was the guy showing up on a Yamaha but they didn't seem to mind. The one thing they did stress was wearing gear. Helmet, Gloves, Jacket, long pants, boots. It has become a habit of mine to gear up everytime I go for a ride. Even if it's just to the store for dog food (bungie nets are great). I see people on motorcycles all the time in shorts, t-shirts, even once saw a guy with sandals on. I just shake my head at them all.

I had a friend of mine who was saying he was going to get out of motorcycles because it's to scary on the road. Not that he was afraid of the bike, it's the traffic he's afraid of. He's also the type to jump on a bike with only what they law requires (helmet). I admit that you really have to be aware of what's going on when your on a bike. But I feel safer with my gear on even if someone thinks it's not as cool.

I love my Joe Rocket Phoenix 2.0 the only time it gets hot in the summer is when traffic is slow or stopped.

-PD

 

[Wh0M3]

I have another reason for gearing up too. I like to mountain bike, and one day I was taking a quick trip down the road and decided not to wear my gloves because I wasn't going that far. Well to make a long story short I went over the handle bars and the only thing that really got hurt were my hands. They got cut up real good. So because of that I always wear gloves when on a bike anyway.. Every time I go to ride, I am reminded of that experience and it tells me even the short trips can go wrong.

-PD

 

[4drfocus]

Just ask them if the have ever witnessed a 12 bike pile up at 80 mph,with none of them wearing ppe,the result is 8 totaled bikes,and 5 cracked skulls:shakehead:

 

[CrazyBiker]

Sweat wipes Off. Road Rash doesn't!

 

[Wh0M3]

Just ask them if the have ever witnessed a 12 bike pile up at 80 mph,with none of them wearing ppe,the result is 8 totaled bikes,and 5 cracked skulls:shakehead:

I can't say I've ever seen that.. Sounds really bad.

-PD

 

[sideslider]

I can't say I've ever seen that.. Sounds really bad.

-PD

wtf! did that really happen? sounds horrible

 

[dako81]

Sweat wipes Off. Road Rash doesn't!

That's right!

 

[MisterX]

I can't say that I've been laughed at for gearing up, but I'm pretty sure that I've gotten a smirk or two. Truth be told, I could really care less what anyone else thinks about me and the gear that I wear. All I know is that I want as much protection on my body should I ever hit the ground.

The one thing that I think is insane are those who ride with only a helmet and no protection at all. As many of you have already stated, this is mostly with the cruiser owners, but I've seen some on sports bikes as well. All I can think of when I see these folks is pure pain should they ever go down.

X

 

[kamao]

"Dress for the crash, not for the ride"

I remember someone saying that while I was doing my bike training, it kinda stuck. If it's a scoot down to the shops, or a weekend blast the gear is always on. See too many idiots in shorts and T-Shirt and it just makes me cringe

 

[FZ6 in Gresham]

I saw a big dude on a metallic orange 'Busa last night with his matching orange helmet hanging from the helmet lock. Over his head and face he had one of other skull face masks. Muscle shirt, shorts and sandels. My 7 year old son saw him and said, "Dad that man is stupid." I think having my son wear all the gear on our rides together has sunk in. He asked me why he had to wear all the stuff. I asked if he remembered the time he fell and cut his knee real bad and how hard he cried. He said, yes. I told him all the gear will stop him from getting hurt. He said, "Oh, okay."

Good to hear of someone else who rides with their son geared up. I take my 8 year old son on rides with me all the time and it is full gear or no go. I haven't gotten any comments from people at work. Being in Portland, Oregon which is a big bicycle city, they ride bikes and understand the danger of being out in the open with cagers.

 

[mstewar1]

Not to my face. But I wouldn't give a darn if anyone did.

Friends of mine were leaving Laguna Seca a few years ago. They were gearing up. Some kids in t-shirts, sneakers, shorts, full-face helmets, and uber-fancy gloves were next to them, hopping onto their sport bikes. A friend asked one of the kids, "So, what are the gloves for?" Priceless.

As has been stated in this thread, I, too, am just dumbfounded by folks -- sport bike and cruiser riders alike -- who just don't seem to engage their brains. Hopefully they'll have a chance to live and learn.

Be safe folks.

 

[eparisien]

Up in Canada those people are called 'squids'. Thats pretty much what they look like after hitting the pavement doing 110km. I see alot of guys around here wearing t-shirts or muscle shirts, shorts and sometimes even sandles. The worst is some of the fathers on their cruisers are dressed like this and their children are dressed the same. They always say, 'oh nothing will happen, we're going slow and staying in the town' Fricken' idiot!!! If your not doing it for yourself atleast dress your children properly. I couldn't imagine if I dumped and my children were dressed like that.:squid:

 

[Bill3508]

I haven't been laughed at but I get strange looks all the time. Also, I have only seen one other rider in the last 3 weeks wearing anything other than shorts/jeans/tee shirts. I can understand it as its 95-100 degrees on a regular basis here, but man I'm trying be safe but its hard here at the same time. You put your gear on and in 5 minutes of riding your soaked with sweat. I'll keep wearing the gear but it doesn't mean I like it this time of year.

Bill3508

 

[Cmayer31]

I get called red power ranger at work and a co-worker with a blue ninja gets called blue power ranger. I've even been paged over the loud speaker as power ranger. For the most part they're just teasing me and I take it in stride and laugh with them. I've also had people ask how I can possibly wear a leather jacket during the summer and I tell them that it's quite comfortable while moving and I don't have enough skin on my rear to cover my upper body, so I'd rather keep it asphalt free; they normally laugh and wave as I leave.

 

[yamaha rider87]

Yea my good friend with the cbr600rr I've mentioned on here a couple times laughed at me one saturday morning when we were going out riding. It was about 95 degrees out and he was just wearing a t-shirt, gloves, shorts, and his helmet. I had on full length extra thick jeans, my scorpion jacket, cortech gloves, and my arai helmet. He was like "your gonna fry" and i said "I've watched them take the road rash out of a guy before, it ain't pretty." Well he laughed it off and away we went. Two days later he laid it down at about 45 goin around a corner and tore all the skin off his left forearm, then had the pleasure of having to scrub it out at home. He wears his riding jacket now lol.

 

[Wh0M3]

I've been starting to wonder. Have you noticed that it seems like on the average passenger seems to always have a strap top on.

I think it's just as important that the passenger is geared up like the driver.

-PD

 

[pottie]

Yeaap it happend and I did actually the one questioning my bud before I begin riding....After I took a class then everything changed...
if I dont feel comfortable to wear full gear then dont ride simple as that...
Sometimes is so hot and humid in TX and I told my self anything above 95F is better not to ride cz just too hot and can effect the rider...

Ok so im ready to leave work for home today, 85 degrees out. As im putting on my joe rocket textile mesh jacket, pants, full gloves, shoei helmet and boots one of the \"cruiser guys\" I work with comes up and just laughes at me \"afraid of getting cold there\"??? He wears jeans, tee shirt, tupperwear helmet (1/8\" thick that says for novelity use only) and no gloves. I say \"nah just being safe ya know\" Then he says \"oh dont be scared\"

What an idiot.. This ever happen to anyone else??

 

[Boneman]

Tell your cruiser buddy that road rash isn't an "in" look this year. Ask him which one will be laughing should someone go down?? Then after he remarks "well I don't plan on going down" (as he will), say that "yeah, not too many people plan on having an accident....that's why they are called accidents!".

Ask him which looks 'cooler'...wearing a t-shirt or showing off your skin grafts and permanent scars....

Cases in point:

"I don't need no jacket...or proper boots...."

I wonder who the "sissy" is now.....lol

"It's too hot for gloves"

"What do you need a jacket for?"

Although, being on a cruiser, he will probably be protected in a cacoon of farings and chrome...

I've not been laughed at...more like I did the laughing (along with a very strange look) when the lady serving us coffee at a coffee stop looked at all of us geared up and asked..."are you guys scuba divers?"...and she was serious!!! LIKE WTF!?!?!?!?! We were at a coffee shop by the ocean, but damn girl...

No one ever expects to crash, so you have to DRESS FOR THE CRASH, not the ride. Or at least that's what our MSF teaches told us.

I too am dumbfounded at people out there in their t-shirts, no gloves and shorts. They obviously don't hold their personal well being in high regard. I am begining to think that t-shirts are manditory for riding crusers these days.

I take comfort in the fact that they are a complete joke to anyone who knows the first thing about bike safety. Just like the riders who are cluess about how to properly ride dominantly in their lane. They just look like clowns to riders who are 'in the know'.

 

[wrightme43]

I was out riding yesterday. 92 lots of humidity. I was a shell station soaking down my jacket with the faucet outside. I big bunch of harleys roll in. I hear some fat, dyed haired obnoxious voiced lady telling the other ones look at that guy. He is getting it all wet. Must be hot. Ha ha ha ha.
No biggy you know. At least I dont have to go home with her. LOL

Anyway get back on the bike and ride off. the jacket soaked in water makes it like riding in a cool fall morning, no sweat, just a nice wind cooled ride. The were sweltering in the sun with no gear on thinking I was hotter in my gear, when I was cool and protected.

 

[Boneman]

What I don't get is why squid type people and other no-gear tards seem to view people in gear as "sissys"???

Hmmmmm....let me get this straight, I'm a 'sissy' for not wanting to have scars, road rash, broken limbs, a lot of pain and possible permanent disfigurment. I guess in their minds, all Moto GP races must be sissys too for all wearing full leathers in that heat.....

Guess I'm a sissy then....a smart, fully functioning, not living in pain sissy. :thumbup:

As for no-gear tards...I guess they can have the distinction of having "AT LEAST HE WAS NOT A SISSY" written on their tombstones...

Contrary to what my signature line sates, riding with no gear DOES make stupidity painful!!