Riding Gear Poll

[broderp]

What's your take on riding gear when riding your Spyder on the road, either for short trips or long a long cruise?
This is not about brands, what brand is better, right or wrong just curious as to how the forum considers safety vs. comfort and convenience.

Pick which Spyder you have (sport model or cruiser) then select the level of gear usage that most accurately reflects your use. I'm hoping by doing it this way I can make some comparisons between the sport riders and cruisers.


Here are the definitions for this poll:
Track Ready - Helmet, Jacket w/Armor, Gloves, Riding Pants and Riding Boots. - All Track rated.
Safety First - Helmet, Jacket w/Armor, Gloves and Boots. Gear is mandatory to me.
Head and Hands - Helmet and Gloves. I have to wear something.
Essentialist - Helmet. Protect my brain, that's all that matters.
Commando - What gear? What I have on at the moment is what I wear.




I ALWAYS fall in the Safety-First category. Even on 90-degree summer days, I wear one of my Motorcycle jackets with armor, a Modular Helmet, riding gloves and riding boots. Yes, it's a pain. Yes it takes me several more minutes to gear up. Yes, it's a hassle to have to carry in all this stuff and stow it somewhere. In the summer you sweat like a pig, and its restrictive at times.

I've noticed a lot more Can-Am Rykers and Spyders lately, and it’s interesting to see that when compared to bikers, there seems to be more Can-Am riders without a lot of gear when compared to motorcycles. Not sure if trike riders being relatively new to the scene don't buy into the safety thing, are more "Harley Davidson" minded or perhaps there is a perception of "more safety" due to being on 3 wheels and not 2.

Thoughts, comments are always welcome!

[JayBros]

I agree 100% with the first sentence of your 4th paragraph. Therefore, I'm uninterested in how other riders prepare themselves for riding. Just my $.02!

[oldguyinTX]

Cruiser Spyder - Safety First. ATGATT.

[acdcking12]

I have no issues wearing shorts and a tee shirt for any rides. I hate the bulkiness of the gear and typically I stop riding when temps go above 90F. Heat sucks.

[RayBJ]

I push my RT pretty hard and I'm no spring chicken. I always wear ATGATT because a get-off hurts (and every few years the insurance co buys me new gear!).

[Jesster72]

I picked head and hands, though we also wear boots on interstate days and local rides depending on the weather. There are different combos for different situations.

[Cobwebs]

Don't know why but I think I'm not going to be sliding so much as just a sudden thud if I ever have an accident on the Spyder. Probably because I'm expecting some numb nuts to want the section of road I own. Still wear everything though like I'm on my Harley.

[PURPLEON3]

ATGATT for me and for those hot days, an evaporative cooling vest helps a lot! I wear it under my airtex shirt with Level II armor...so the air flows through...really helps!

[Bfromla]

Casual spyder : ankle high boots part of everyday attire anyway, 1jacket (has armor) of several to rotate through depending weather/clean or not, occasionally rarely gloves ( thin mechanic gloves prevent sunburn stay available in frunk) maybe thick winter gloves. Maybe chaps
Definitely helmet. Previous injury just about required even for walking.

[Raven]

I am a ATGATT.
All my gear is from my motorcycle days.
I have several leather jackets with armor to chose from.
A couple of full face helmets.
Leather riding pants ( cooler weather ) and gloves.
Since I went to three wheels I do wear normal jeans instead of kevlar and hiking/work boots.
The motorcycle boots and kevlar jeans were worn out.
Have seen to many people get hurt not wearing gear.

[Deanna777]

I pick Head and Hands, plus I wear jeans, leather riding boots ( above ankles) Jacket, full face Helmet( the Helmet is required in Vermont).

I also ride on the interstates, and 2nd class roads.

Deanna

[Woodswoman]

I am a ATGATT.
All my gear is from my motorcycle days.
I have several leather jackets with armor to chose from.
A couple of full face helmets.
Leather riding pants ( cooler weather ) and gloves.
Since I went to three wheels I do wear normal jeans instead of kevlar and hiking/work boots.
The motorcycle boots and kevlar jeans were worn out.
Have seen to many people get hurt not wearing gear.

+1.

I've had friends (and my husband) tell me that now I'm riding on 3, I can stop wearing so much safety gear.

But when I've done it, it just doesn't feel 'right' to me. I guess the ATGATT approach is too much ingrained in me to switch, except very occasionally.

[RayBJ]

+1.

I've had friends (and my husband) tell me that now I'm riding on 3, I can stop wearing so much safety gear.

But when I've done it, it just doesn't feel 'right' to me. I guess the ATGATT approach is too much ingrained in me to switch, except very occasionally.

It's a great habit NOT to break!

[PMK]

High end Shoei full coverage helmet, BRP non armored jacket, long jeans or cargos, MX gloves, Vans for shoes, never boots.

[BamaJohn]

Cruiser Spyder - Safety First. ATGATT.

For anyone: ATGATT is an acronym for All The Gear All The Time

[PJveetwin]

Wife and I always travel with ATGATT. Motoport Kevlar pants and a Aerostich Darien or leather. But will admit, at times I will run an errand not wearing a jacket, But always at least jeans, boots, gloves and a real helmet. I have been to several Spyder gatherings and see way too many riders with shorts and flip flops like a day on the beach. I don't get it.......

[ferrasr]

Having been a motorcycle instructor for many years with the Canada Safety Council it is safety first for me, ATGATT. Also having worked with the local traffic police putting together motorcycle accident statistics, after going to many accident scenes it really drives the point home about ATGATT.
I guess I can see riders thinking having 3 wheels under them would be safer, I believe would be a false assumption. Riding is the best thing in the world for me and many others but it does have a higher level of risk, protect yourself and ride as safely as possible are my thoughts.

[Northofthesix]

ATGATT. Having gone down once on my old Yamaha 1300 just a few blocks from my home, and seeing the mess my leather jacket and helmet were while still fracturing 4 ribs and a shoulder and a headache that lasted 6 months....I do not find it an inconvenience at all to up my odds in getting home in one piece. Yes the risks are less on 3, but the odds remain better when I dress for "success".

[NorwegianRT]

For anyone: ATGATT is an acronym for All The Gear All The Time

Thank you for clearing that out !

[NorwegianRT]

For wife and me: Shoei and HVC modular helmets - top end Rukka jackets and pants and Oxford boots. Halvarson leather gloves.

[CloverHillCrawler]

For those of all thinking you don't need as much gear on 3 wheels. I can tell you otherwise.

I debated about getting the seesoft level 2 spinal pad when I bought my summer mesh armour jacket.

I even debated about wearing the same armour the day I went to OC bikefest because it was a nice warm day in September and I wanted to enjoy the breeze at the beach as I was going down the coastal highway.

But I still put on all of my gear begrudgingly and went on my way to the beach. I never made it there.

I was rear ended while stopping at a light in Delaware and knocked off the Spyder and out into the intersection and landed on my back and head.

Thanks to my gear I was able to walk away with one hell of a headache that lasted for days and there was a bruise around where the spinal pad dug into me and my ass was black and blue from my corbin launching me hard enough that the bracket for the drivers back rest penetrated the leather of the seat and my jeans as it launched me.

I will never debate with myself if am going to wear my gear ever again. I have been lucky with the mishaps I have had so far and was able to walk away from them, I figure I shouldn't push my luck any harder by riding unprotected.

[rational]

Chose ATGATT based on habits from motorcycle days. Haven't yet ridden a Spyder (except the one day Trike course). The ink is still wet on my 2023 Spyder RTL purchase and expecting to take delivery in a few days. Before I saw this thread I was considering only helmet/gloves for summer riding on the Spyder. but, after reading through, guess I'll continue with ATGATT.

My helmet is 10+ years old, so I'll be updating it soon. General recommendation is to change helmet if it is dropped or 5+ years old, whichever happens first.

[RayBJ]

Chose ATGATT based on habits from motorcycle days. Haven't yet ridden a Spyder (except the one day Trike course). The ink is still wet on my 2023 Spyder RTL purchase and expecting to take delivery in a few days. Before I saw this thread I was considering only helmet/gloves for summer riding on the Spyder. but, after reading through, guess I'll continue with ATGATT.

My helmet is 10+ years old, so I'll be updating it soon. General recommendation is to change helmet if it is dropped or 5+ years old, whichever happens first.

DON'T CHANGE GOOD HABITS! (And check the age of the rest of your gear too).

[BamaJohn]

(I took the survey, so this post is just commentary)
Recalling the 60's when my ride was a beat up Cushman Scooter...no riding gear at all (lucky I survived)!
Over the past 40 or so years ATGATT kept getting more & more the standard.
Nowadays I really dislike extreme hot or cold, so added to the standard ATGATT I add an electric jacket liner, heated seat and grips in cold riding; & for hot riding it's a mesh armored jacket with a small cooler strapped on the back seat that pumps ice-water thru the vest. The pump is controlled via a timer on the dash and when the pump kicks on, it's almost orgasmic!
One final piece of safety gear is an inflatable vest worn outside the jacket, tethered to the bike. In case of a get-off it auto-inflates....hope I never have that happen! Ride like we're invisible...

[Vincef329]

A short errand I’ll wear just about anything. Otherwise it’s boots, aramid jeans, woven Kevlar no armor jacket, good helmet, gloves but maybe on the thin side.