Always Always Always Rock the Gear!

[MLavore]

http://vimeo.com/22897515

[JkRbbt]

OK, there, then! Message received! :thumbup:

[Laila's Dad]

wow!!! glad she lived to tell her story and thankful for the eye opening reminder to do the right thing EVERYTIME!

[Bob Denman]

I'm sorry to hear that she's had to go through this; but at least she's turned a negative back into a positive! :2thumbs:
For that; she's beautiful! :firstplace:

[flybuddy]

What we really need in HOT environments is a light color mesh armor. Why everyone makes BLACK in hot weather gear is beyond me (Harley Loons?). Even though I live in SW FL I own the black stuff. Unfortunately there is a large portion of the year where it's just not wearable. I can empathize with her, I went off a bike at similar speeds when I was 26 wearing shorts, t-shirt and a helmet. My roll out was on gravel and I was torn up from neck down (helmet crushed). Somewhere between 4 and 5 thousand stitches.

[sonicsix]

ATGATT = All The Gear All The Time

That acronym has been around for a very long time. Common sense, on the other hand... is not really common at all. I am glad she lived and is helping educate others but for the life of me can't imagine a reason for doing 120 MPH on a bike.

And remember, all the gear won't protect you from everything. Ride safe.

[MLavore]

What we really need in HOT environments is a light color mesh armor. Why everyone makes BLACK in hot weather gear is beyond me (Harley Loons?). Even though I live in SW FL I own the black stuff. Unfortunately there is a large portion of the year where it's just not wearable. I can empathize with her, I went off a bike at similar speeds when I was 26 wearing shorts, t-shirt and a helmet. My roll out was on gravel and I was torn up from neck down (helmet crushed). Somewhere between 4 and 5 thousand stitches.

You might want to take a look at the ICON overlord jacket, I have a white one its very high air flow, in the 112f degree temps this past summer I was only ever hot when sitting still.

[Laila's Dad]

ATGATT = All The Gear All The Time

That acronym has been around for a very long time. Common sense, on the other hand... is not really common at all. I am glad she lived and is helping educate others but for the life of me can't imagine a reason for doing 120 MPH on a bike.

It is interesting to me that you mentioned "for the life of me I can't imagine a reason for doing 120 mph on a bike". I have buddies that don't understand how I have not maxed out my spyder when I tell them I am still learning and taking things slow. I mean people that have never rode on a spyder or a motorcycle for that matter saying they would have "opened it up day 1". My story for them is that my first experience on the spyder that 20 mph felt fast. Of course they laugh(understandable) but when you can see the pavement beneath you and how close you are to it for the first time, then you really see where your mind is.

[ARtraveler]

A great video to watch and a great message to take to heart.

I am also a firm believer in ATGATT. :2thumbs:

[Bob Denman]

The folks who try to goad you into doing something that you're not comfrotable with are never your friends; they're goons looking for some excitement at the expense of somebody else! :gaah:
ATGATT! :2thumbs:
:roflblack: I need a Tee Shirt made up with that saying for those hot days when I don't wear a jacket... :yikes: :joke::joke::joke::joke::joke:

[DrewNJ]

That's a great vid and an even better reminder....

I think there are a lot of us (myself included) that are guilty sometimes of wearing squid riding gear in the hot summer......:sour:

[bikeguy]

What we really need in HOT environments is a light color mesh armor. Why everyone makes BLACK in hot weather gear is beyond me (Harley Loons?). Even though I live in SW FL I own the black stuff. Unfortunately there is a large portion of the year where it's just not wearable. I can empathize with her, I went off a bike at similar speeds when I was 26 wearing shorts, t-shirt and a helmet. My roll out was on gravel and I was torn up from neck down (helmet crushed). Somewhere between 4 and 5 thousand stitches.

My wife and I wear Tourmaster Flex mesh jackets in a silver color. Quite honestly, I like the fit and the feel of my FirstGear mesh jacket better but it's dark blue and the light color Tourmaster is cooler in really hot weather. I can honestly say that the Silver Tourmaster mesh jacket is actually cooler than a short sleeve T-shirt on a hot, sunny day.

Glad this girl lived through her crash and is taking advantage of the opportunity to tell others the dangers of riding without proper gear.

Cotton

[crossbowme]

I applaud your effort to educate riders but I'm afraid most people won't listen. They think they look better without that gear and usually don't wear helmets. They ride bikes to impress people not for the joy of riding and no amount of common sense will change them.

I knew a couple who road Harleys with nothing but designer leathers on. I tried and tried to get them to wear helmets but they wouldn't listen. One day one of them went down and ground his head and ear very badly. I visited him in the hospital and he and his wife told me that were selling their bikes - they were to dangerous! Go figure.

[BLUEKNIGHT911]

How about this instead ......DO NOT GO 120 MPH.....and give some thought as to who you are riding with. Mike :gaah::yikes:

[Bob Denman]

Amen... :thumbup:

[OldDog]

I remember a guy who would never wear a hard hat at work. He got busted and told if it happened again he was canned. The very day he came back to work he fell off a pole and shattered his hard hat. He ended up getting a "turtle" award I believe it's called. How ironic.

The 120 MPH makes me think of the Isle of Man video that was posted. Those guys/girls are going 200 mph in full leather and pads. Whew!!!!

All the gear all the time! I will admit, though, in hot weather I like to wear my 3/4 Nolan as opposed to my full faced, and yes I have one of those aforementioned black mesh jackets that cook you in hot weather. Can You wash those things? They tend to smell like a gym locker.

[oldbaldguy]

Great post!

I am sitting here reading X-ray/CT exams for 5 ERs all nite. Have seen entirely too much motorcycle/scooter trauma this fall. Wish everyone would gear up. Its a personal choice. Just hope people choose to. I would rather see everyone on the road than on my CT scanners

[Oldmanzues]

I agree ATTGATT. Take another look at her helmet. Without that on, she would not be here. There are white, yellow and in my case neon green. I have ridden mine 95+ degree and was hot only when stopped. Pouring water on them helps for a little while.
In the words of a lady rider, I know. I would rather sweat then bleed.
Remember our fellow Spyder rider on here. He was 60 MPH on a interstate when a yellow taxi ran into him. He managed to stay upright, but could well have gone down.
To each his own. I made my choice.
Oldmanzues

[bikeguy]

No chance of me going 120 MPH. My RT won't run that fast. My BMW would and occasionally did, but that's really not the point. You don't have to run 120 MPH to need protective gear. Most everyone on Spyderlovers is willing to run the speed limit and that's plenty fast enough to wind up with the same kind of road rash this girl suffered. I still applaud her efforts to get the message out.

Cotton

[SpyRyd]

http://vimeo.com/22897515

I'm reading your post on my iPad and cannot see any link.

[flybuddy]

My wife and I wear Tourmaster Flex mesh jackets in a silver color. Quite honestly, I like the fit and the feel of my FirstGear mesh jacket better but it's dark blue and the light color Tourmaster is cooler in really hot weather. I can honestly say that the Silver Tourmaster mesh jacket is actually cooler than a short sleeve T-shirt on a hot, sunny day.

Bikeguy---which model?--is it listed as white/silver (actually has black shoulders and sides)?


You might want to take a look at the ICON overlord jacket, I have a white one its very high air flow, in the 112f degree temps this past summer I was only ever hot when sitting still.

MLavore---do you have a link or model?? having trouble finding a white one on search..Is it Mesh?

[elixermixer]

I remember a guy who would never wear a hard hat at work. He got busted and told if it happened again he was canned. The very day he came back to work he fell off a pole and shattered his hard hat. He ended up getting a "turtle" award I believe it's called. How ironic.

The 120 MPH makes me think of the Isle of Man video that was posted. Those guys/girls are going 200 mph in full leather and pads. Whew!!!!

All the gear all the time! I will admit, though, in hot weather I like to wear my 3/4 Nolan as opposed to my full faced, and yes I have one of those aforementioned black mesh jackets that cook you in hot weather. Can You wash those things? They tend to smell like a gym locker.

Yup and the run off safety barriers are often old stone walls, houses, steep cliffs or rolling hills, tree lined roads or even pedestrians lining the streets... Yup
as one female racer was once quoted in regards to the difference in her track speed and those of many of the males. She looked at the reporter and said something along the lines of "I fully believe it comes down to self preservation... And to win you must be willing to sacrifice that and accept it"

[MLavore]

Bikeguy---which model?--is it listed as white/silver (actually has black shoulders and sides)?



MLavore---do you have a link or model?? having trouble finding a white one on search..Is it Mesh?


This one.

http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/icon-overlord-textile-jacket

[bertmc]

[QUOTE=bikeguy;547984]My wife and I wear Tourmaster Flex mesh jackets in a silver color. Quite honestly, I like the fit and the feel of my FirstGear mesh jacket better but it's dark blue and the light color Tourmaster is cooler in really hot weather. I can honestly say that the Silver Tourmaster mesh jacket is actually cooler than a short sleeve T-shirt on a hot, sunny day



Looks like red t shirts to me. Or were you just posing with your helmets on?

I've been caught like that too. For me, it's MOTGMOTT. My wife and I have tan Aerostitch Darien Light riding suits. We always wear boots & full-face helmets, but have been known to take short rides with jeans & shirts. We sometimes shed the jackets when it gets to 90+. Maybe some people are perfect, but we're not.

My only dump on the street was in 1959, riding with my friend on his Harley, wearing "summer gear": shorts, t shirt, tennis shoes (didn't even own a helmet). At about 45 mph we hit an oil slick and when I stood up my shorts fell down--tore the side out of them, and part of my leg as well. 350,000 miles later, and I haven't ridden in shorts since!

[jerpinoy]

Nothing will protect you but your own understanding. Ride safely God bless you all.

[pro10is]

One of the best pieces of motorcycle safety gear I own is my Spyder. Three wheel stability, coordinated anti-lock brakes, and a superb vehicle stability system are the best items I've ever added to my essential ATGATT. I never leave home without it.

[bikeguy]

Bikeguy---which model?--is it listed as white/silver (actually has black shoulders and sides)?



MLavore---do you have a link or model?? having trouble finding a white one on search..Is it Mesh?

Looks like I owe everybody an apology. The jackets we wear are Tourmaster Flex model but we've had them for a little over a year and I can't find that model in silver anymore. I am enclosing a link to a (mostly) white Icon Hooligan 2 model but I don't own one so I can't vouch for it at all. http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/jackets_and_vests/mesh_jackets/icon/hooligan_2_mesh_motorcycle_jacket.html

I'm also enclosing a link to a white Firstgear Mesh Tex jacket for women which is on closeout at a pretty good price. Some men can wear women's models okay, others can't. For whatever reason, they put the zippers on backwards on women's stuff. Once you get used to that, I can't tell much difference between men's and women's models but I'm vertically challenged to begin with. Firstgear makes good stuff,
http://www.motorcyclegear.com/street/closeouts/mesh_jackets_and_pants/first_gear/ladies_2010_mesh_tex_mesh_motorcycle_jacket.html

Cotton

[asp125]

There's no reason to skimp on gear. Just because the Spyder won't fall over doesn't mean you won't get hit or thrown off. People ask me why I wear gear? I tell them why don't they try running as fast as they can unprotected, into that brick wall there - nobody's taken me up on that yet. But, we're all big boys and girls here; choice of gear is your own decision.

[bikeguy]

[QUOTE=bikeguy;547984]

Looks like red t shirts to me. Or were you just posing with your helmets on?



Yep, I was waiting for that. :opps: Got to change that avatar.

Actually, we were riding. We left home with the temperature in the low 50's and wearing very warm textile jackets. By late afternoon it was high 80's and we were burning up with no options except burn up or take off the jackets. We rode in T-shirts for about 15 miles down the interstate to the motel where we had reservations for the night. Our son rode up beside us and his girlfriend took the picture. Not the smartest thing we've ever done.

That's one of the reasons we like the Tourmaster Flex series jackets. They convert from mesh to textile in a couple of minutes so if the weather changes, you're still in good shape.

Cotton

[asp125]

[QUOTE=bertmc;548363]
... By late afternoon it was high 80's and we were burning up with no options except burn up or take off the jackets. We rode in T-shirts for about 15 miles down the interstate to the motel where we had reservations for the night. ..

You should look into those evaporative cooling vests. They work well in the dry southwest.

[SllimG]

I can't see a link in the original post.

[spyderraven]

I rode a sportbike for many years my first was a cbr 600 then a gsx 750 than an R1 and finally and R6 (my favorite of them all) and in New Orleans there was a track about 40 minutes away that you could pay 45 bucks and ride all day long but you had to have full leathers and tape off lights etc to be track ready.

On that track I would hit 145 on the straights with my fastest at 153. There were many quick short corners and I went off the track many times and dumped the bike twice at speeds over 90 and thanks to leathers and an open track I never had an injury and the amount of time spent on this track made me a much much better rider in all conditions and more importantly taught me the value of proper gear and riding technique.

I posted that isle of man vid and you can see while the bikes are tuned they spend massive amounts of money on there gear for the best protection possible and I cant imagine the amount of prep time and just natural ability to prepare for a race such as that.

All that being said I will admit that riding the spyder can give a false sense of security and in the Florida heat I can not handle wearing leather in the summer... I always wear a helmet and still wear my mesh jacket (with armor) but as far as leather pants and riding boots I do not wear those anymore and instead jeans and whatever comfortable shoes I choose.

I am amazed at the amount of riders I see wearing nothing.. whats more amazing to me is seeing these riders pass me with no helmet and in shorts and a t shirt but the helmet is hooked to there back seat?? the helmet is right there on the bike but not on there head?? the ultimate irony would be to wreck and die of head injury and the helmet was 25 inches away?

[Laila's Dad]

I'm reading your post on my iPad and cannot see any link.

Not sure what happened to the link but it is gone. Not sure if it violated a spyder lovers forum policy? Either way you should be able to see the video or slink to it from the lady's website. I think it is rockthegear.com or .org

[wyliec]

Not sure what happened to the link but it is gone. Not sure if it violated a spyder lovers forum policy? Either way you should be able to see the video or slink to it from the lady's website. I think it is rockthegear.com or .org

It's still there. I just checked.

[Laila's Dad]

It's still there. I just checked.

Must be an iPad thing then, because I am on my wife's iPad now and can't see it but it showed on my PC though?