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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | I'm getting ready to write a blog post about protective gear and wanted to ask you if you wear protective gear on a regular basis. If so, what type of protection (no jokes please!) do you prefer?
Also, it's easy to wear protective gear in cooler weather, what do you do during the warmer/hot months? |
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Visionary
Posts: 8144
New Bohemia, VA | My two cents. I wear my leather jack with vest most of the time, especially in the winter time. In the summer I prefer at a minimum a denim longsleeve shirt with my vest. Always long pants and boots. I know that the more leather the less likely you are to be severly injured. I known a few that have laid it down that was wearing ballistic type jackets and was with only minor injuries. I've laid down one time going about 35mph on my Honda 750 custom about twenty years ago and messed up the back of my forearms and had on short sleeves at the time. Since then it has been the minimum of a long sleeve. I'm shooting for a good summer riding gear, leather or ballistic top and bottom, especially for longer rides. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | In the winter months, Sportsmans Guide, website has jeans that have thinsulate lining and then lined with flannel. Like wearing waterproof sweat pants. I've ridden in downpours and still kept warm and dry, in fact I was sweating when I got home. Saved my skin once when I went down also. The pants were toast but my skin was still intact. Also more comfortable than leather. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Definately long sleeves in summer. You dont realize until its too late, how badly the suns been cooking you on a long run. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 266
Stockton, Ca. | Leather Jacket in the winter with Sliders kevlar lined jeans. The jeans are not stiff and light enough to not feel encombered. For the summer it is uasually a First Gear Mesh jacket with the sliders sometimes when it is too hot a long sleeve tee shirt and leather vest instead of the mesh jacket. Boots for the feet. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 89
Chandler, AZ | I wear a carbon kevlar half helmet most of the time and a leather jacket unless it is really hot... I also have a long sleeve shirt on unless I have my leather jacket on. I just wear plain old jeans however have been looking at some sliders type jeans... |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | I always wear boot, but that's because that's all I wear.
I always wear jeans, but that's because that's all I wear (aside from BDUs).
I wear the cheapest DOT helmet I can find, but that's because I'm required to.
I'll wear a jacket when the weather requires it.
I'll wear gloves when needed.
I'll wear sleeves when needed.
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Cruiser
Posts: 150
Las Vegas, Nevada USA baby! | I wear DOT/Snell half helmet with pop-down face-shield, jeans, leather jacket in winter, long sleeved shirt in summer. Good solid above ankle boots, and usually fingerless gloves.
However I wear one item that most folks think makes me look like a dork. I wear a lime green extremely high visibility surveryor style safety vest. I call it my "can you see me now?" vest. I wear it all year round, and take it off and saddlebag it when I get to where I'm going.
Believe me, I see folks at intersections looking straight at me. I think folks subconciously see the hi-vis color and think to themselves; "gov't employee? or highway worker?, or"... 
Road work crews almost always wave at me as I go through. I guess they think I may be a construction crew supervisor!  |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 619
Southeast Iowa | I wear leather everything and a helmet (with liner) when it's cold. When the weather is nice I wear.
1. Leather riding boots.
2. Jeans
3. T-Shirt (Victory, what else?)
4. Leather Vest
5. I don't wear a helmet unless I'm in a state that says I have to. Then I wear a DOT approved shorty. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 849
, FL United States | Guys/gals, anyone have info/link to where I can research these "slider type" pants? Thanks, Luke |
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Tourer
Posts: 423
northwest florida | I always wear a helmet, during the summer I have a mesh jacket w/ armour-jeans-boots-gloves, in cooler months I have 3/4 quarter lenght jacket-jeans-boots-gloves. I have been in 2 wrecks and wear the gear. in both accidents the other guy was cited for failure to yield right of way and it cost them. I don't sign anything unnless I am happy. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 600
Linwood, MI | I'm a biker rather than a rider*, so my "protective gear" reflects that: sturdy Red Wings boots, Levis jeans, plain T-shirt (non-Victory. Sorry, I don't want to be like all those HD riders whose wardrobe consists only of HD T-shirts...), sturdy leather gloves, and a half helmet. These items are always worn, no matter the weather or riding conditions. If the weather is cool enough to wear the leather jacket, then I do.
I have been considering one of those mesh fabric jackets, however. I've been hearing that they provide decent protection and rain coverage, yet breathe very well on hot days. My biggest problem with all the fancy jackets and leather pants and armored-whatnots is, well... I'm a big fat guy. It's pretty damn hard to find that stuff that's made to fit my fat ass. Hell, they had to kill four cows just to make my jacket.
* Just wanted to clarify this statement. I'm not making any kind of slam or saying anything bad about anyone here. It's just a distinction between two different styles of motorcycle riders that I tend to see. Neither is better or worse than the other, just different. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 294
rhode island | I wear leather year round,steel toe boots, gauntlet style gloves and full face helmet for weather under 50, warmer weather three quarter helmet regular gloves. Went down once in 32 years, didnt care much for the road rash. wasnt wearing any leather, wont happen again. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 293
Arkansas | Always a helmet: flip up in winter 3/4 in summer. Deerskin gloves always; leather jacket in winter- phoenix4 mesh jacket in summer.
Just jeans sometimes -leather overpants often. Ballistic overpants sometimes in the winter.
Cruiserworks boots most often-sometime just cowboy boots.
Edited by jama 2008-02-24 1:42 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Try dragginjeans.com. http://www.dragginjeans.com/default.aspx |
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Cruiser
Posts: 175
Colorado | Andy
Here is a list of what you will always find on our bikes.
Head
1/2 Helmet in the summer
full Helmet in the winter (Multi visor)
Ear plugs (What did ya say?)
Multiple Motorcycle glasses (transitional, yellow, dark, clear)
Motorcycle goggles for high wind and rainy days
Upper body
Leather Jacket with elbow and back armour (Heavy gauge with vents)
Winter gloves lined
summer breathable gloves (armored)
Legs/feet
Jeans
motorcycle socks
Steel toes boots
Chaps on 100 mile plus days or winter
Weather related but in the bags
Rain suit
long johns
balaclava
neckwarmer
bandanas
beanie (Stocking cap)
Not sure where you are headed with your blog Andy but something for everyone to keep in mind is your physical conditioning especially in the summer and incendatals a rider should carry with him or herself. For instance we carry bottled water and salt on the bikes. Why? Dehydration of course ..but why salt? "drinks should contain between 250 mg and 700 mg sodium per liter to enhance glucose and water absorption, and improve fluid retention."
So the next time your at a Wendy's or where ever and you see the small salt packets pick it up and keep it on the bike.
Other items we carry.
Asprin
Chap stick
Sun screen
first aid kit (various sized bandages, ointments, peroxide)
Edited by badnvegas 2008-02-24 4:58 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 150
Las Vegas, Nevada USA baby! | Living in 'Vegas I know about the importance of hydrating oneself during a ride. We don't see ourselves sweat, 'cause the arid air sucks it off our bodies, and unknowingly we dehydrate super-fast. I personally don't recommend table salt unless as a last resort. We spend money on our other specialized gear so I carry little bottle of "elete" electrolyte from the health food store.
( http://www.eletewater.com/ )
It is all natural with a combination of the different body salts that our human body needs. Great for rehydrating after an evening of drinking alcohol if you are a drinker too! It comes in tablets or drops. In your search engine put " elete electrolytes" and find a place online to purchase also.
FYI; I have NO fiduciary interest in this product.
Most sports/energy drinks are really not the best thing to be drinking anyway.
This is an important part of our safety gear/items. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 904
29 Palms California | No body mention tassles? Jeans, T-Shirt, Half Helmet, Combat boots, Leather gloves, a smile and enormous chubby! I remember when I went to work in Cammies....not bad riding gear. Buy the way, If you trying to go on a military base, no matter the "state" law, you need Heeled leather shoes, Long sleeve shirt, DOT approved helmet, Long pants (jeans and cammies are ok) and a FREAKEN STUPID REFLECTIVE VEST that make you look like one of the Villiage People. To be honest, I don't think the gate guards on my base can even see my vest (from the front or behind) but I'm still required to wear one 30 minutes prior to sunset 30 minutes after sunup. That is lax compaired to most bases. The active Duty Marines have to wear the reflective vest 24-7. Of course you can sit outside the gate and watch them pull over to take the vests off. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1324
So Cal | Makes a lot of sense, make the guys defending our country bigger and brighter targets. Hell, they wont be able to keep illeagal fireworks out on 4th of July. But they got a handle on terrorist. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 904
29 Palms California | Preach on my brother. All the services have the reflective vest thing going on. The break down on it is...your required to have a 2 inch piece of reflective gear acrossed the back and front of you. You could buy a reflective strip and sew it on your jacket, but vests are way cheaper, and most of the guards don't know the exact ruling, so you'd probably get hassled anyways. I really don't think you can see a vest on a full dresser, Especially my big Vision. |
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Do You Wear Protective Gear?
