Seen today 3 guys in shorts, trainers and T shirts riding sports bikes. Can just imagine the skin injury if they were to come off, but hey its summer, its warm and we look so cool. F***ing idiot's
They ride like that in other countries and it's just the norm,just because it's not usually seen in this country doesn't automatically make them idiots. If they're riding like assholes then they're idiots Most of us have been out somewhere,nice fast road,no traffic about and done stuff that not even a helmet and full leathers would save you if you came off,so maybe people shouldn't be so quick to judge
I don't ride in anything less than kevlar jeans, mesh jacket, shorty boot and stars gloves whatever the weather. Leather mostly tho, the above kit is purely for short journeys, I feel too vulnerable without! I agree they are tools tho however they ride.
2 guys got knocked off a sports bike Doncaster way few weeks ago low speed wearing similar stuff, riders foot ended up with his trainer in someone's garden least I ever wear is kevlar jeans for short runs. Thing is, if you have a survivable accident you'll have less injuries & keep most of your skin if you've got decent gear on...but hey ho each to their own
If being safe is your thing then don't ride motorbikes. If being free to do want you to do is your thing then let others do what want to do. It's their skin they're risking.
Yeah my wifes a nurse and seen far to many "Tea shirt and Jeans" bikers in her ward over the years needing very painful skin grafts, best keep with the leather to keep your own skin after all its only really too hot when you stop, as long as you keep moving you feel ok and when you stop and can take your leathers off
is it only "T shirt bikers" that appear on her ward. I'm guessing there are probably as many, if not more, who were in full power ranger gear thinking they were safe and invincible.
I remember a quote I heard about a surgeon who was about to operate on a biker who had been involved in an accident. He asked one of the nurses on his way to the OR if the biker had been wearing leathers or not, to which she replied "yes". The surgeon then replied "I do like it when they wear leathers. It usually means I still have all the bits I need to work with..." Probably an urban myth, but I've never forgotten it and have always worn protective gear (leathers or armoured textiles, boots etc.) even for the shortest journey...
My beef isn't about what's best to wear, I wear bks leathers and Daytona boots on occasion, it's about an individual's right to decide. When the safety lobby start quoting from sites such as this in there push for evermore safety gear ( hi-viz etc) then we'll all suffer.
I'm in Total Agreement only as long as the Rider pays for his resultant Surgery! If he chooses to risk his skin and then expect an expensive 'NHS' operation that I and other Tax Payers have have to fund, then Fek Him/Her off unless he gets his Credit Card out!
Ok, so that brings me back to my first point. The vast majority of motorcycling is avoidable, most do it for pleasure, so what level of safety do we want. The level you decide is right or the level the safety lobby want ie no motorcycles. It's only a short while ago that many on this forum were glorifying in a pair of knobs, one on a blade the other on a s1000rr, racing dangerously on a foreign motorway. To my mind you can't have it both ways.
We've opened up a right can of worms here. As the law stands the only requirement is to wear a helmet,therefore it is up to the individual what's an acceptable level of risk. To the majority of the public climbing on board a motorcycle is an unacceptable risk,so should we all pay more to cover that risk? Should smokers pay more? Should people who cross roads away from pedestrian crossings pay more? If that's the case then cyclists should certainly be forking out or is Lycra the new Kevlar?
Well I am sure the exact same was said when Helmet wearing became law, but that has saved loads of serious head injury since. so how many here would ride thier sports bikes without helmets if they could? would be interesting to know
I agree with spin99. Down to the individual what they wear, we wouldn't dream of going out on the bike in a tee shirt but freedom of choice has to be allowed.
The cost to the NHS is massive for those who are irresponsible and make no effort to wear any protective clothing. I would prefer to spend the money on something more useful for those who are sick and need treatment. Why bother with a crash helmet......it will not be the head injury that kills you it will the loss of your skin, muscle and bone and a festering smell of dying tissue as more and more is removed once it dies. So yes go ahead.....wear nothing and see what pain it causes you in a hospital ward..
Got the perfect solution. Limit all bikes to 70mph and 0-60 time of 8sec sounds quite safe as nobody that owns a Fireblade would need more performance than this Hopefully this never happens and thank f**k we live in a country with freedom of choice,we get to choose how we use a litre sports bike. You can be sure that once the biking nazis have us all in full leather the next thing they'll be after is performance reductions. But that would never happen in a free country,eh As for the helmet wearing,although I've got no problem popping out to the shops or down town for a coffee in jeans and tshirt,I wouldn't go without the lid even tho I'm not exceeding 30mph. It's about time helmets became compulsory for cyclists too.
I'm not disputing freedom of choice, if someone wants to ride a bike without wearing the correct protective clothing that's up to them, my personal view is that they are idiotic, stupid, etc etc. I would imagine most of us on this forum wear the best protective gear we can afford. But if u want to wear shorts and T that's up to you. I'm not here to stop anyone having fun, personally every time I go out on my bike I wear full leathers/boots/gloves. My choice.
Cannot believe I am reading this thread on a motorcycle forum. We are the first group to be up in arms whenever there are plans mooted to restrict our freedom of choice of riding motorcycles, that may be power limits, speed limits, or compulsory issues such as ABS Braking systems, noise limits, small number plates, exhausts etc etc. So to go beating on about what someone wears when they ride their bike is beyond me............hypocritical is a word that comes to mind.
That's the problem living in a free country,everyone's entitled to their personal view,even the judgmental ones. Bikers have been fighting this kind of judgmental nonsense since the beginning of motorcycling and where's it got us? Biking's about freedom,the last thing it needs is name calling within its ranks,so don't hold back there,and don't tell me you've never flouted a few laws since owning a Fireblade,but I bet you no one on here has called you names. And if you are a perfect law abiding citizen I apologise,and suggest you trade the blade in for a scooter so someone else's can benefit from a fantastic bike,and you still have the opportunity to feel the wind on your vagina
