2 wheeler sayings don't apply to Rykers - we need 3 wheeler sayings!

[Beginner]

I was at a bike shop getting my bike inspected and a guy commented on my shorts, saying "dress for the slide, not the ride". I told him, maybe on your bike, on my bike I would have to bundle for the tumble, so what do you advise I wear?

Before the safety police come and get me, I get the whole wear this or that to prevent this or that type of injury. However, most of those statistics come from 2 wheeled bikes that tend to get dumped and slide on the road. I haven't seen a Ryker "slide" on its side. I wear a helmet every time I ride, and I usually use a reflective coat and wear ankle covering footwear. When it is 80 degrees or higher, I'm wearing shorts. I know the risk, just like I do when I operate my tractor on any incline. Nothing you put on is going to "save" you from a tumble at 70 miles per hour, unless you're wearing some EOD suit. Mitigate, minimize, maybe.

I've been through the bike safety training, I read, and I know how to conduct research. Just saying, facts are that the stats are predominantly about 2-wheel operations. What we need are 3-wheeler sayings. Like waving 3 fingers instead of 2 when you see someone riding on a Ryker, a Spyder, or a trike.

 

[Peter Aawen]

I was at a bike shop getting my bike inspected and a guy commented on my shorts, saying "dress for the slide, not the ride". I told him, maybe on your bike, on my bike I would have to bundle for the tumble, so what do you advise I wear?

Before the safety police come and get me, I get the whole wear this or that to prevent this or that type of injury. However, most of those statistics come from 2 wheeled bikes that tend to get dumped and slide on the road. I haven't seen a ryker "slide" on it's side. I wear a helmet every time I ride, and I usually use a reflective coat and wear ankle covering footwear. When It is 80 degrees or higher, I'm wearing shorts. I know the risk, just like I do when I operate my tractor on any incline. Nothing you put on is going to "save" you from a tumble at 70 miles per hour, unless your wearing some EOD suit. Mitigate, minimize, maybe.

I've been through the bike safety training, I read, and I know how to conduct research. Just saying, facts are that the stats are predominantly about 2 wheel operations. What we need are 3 wheel sayings. Like waving 3 fingers instead of 2 when you see someone riding on a ryker, spyder, or trike.

It might not slide in its side, but YOU still can; and regardless of if you're on a Ryker or a Spyder or one of those lesser 2 wheeled machines, you still don't have any of the protective 'crumple zone' steel & plastic stuff around you that you do when you're driving in a cage!!

Still, while it's true there may not be as many instances recorded as there are from the 2-wheeler fraternity, there are still quite a few instances of Rykers & Spyders 'sliding' either on their sides or even upside down along the road, and there's more of their Riders &/or Pillions doing the same, cos often the machine remains upright while the rider parts company... (do you REALLY need to ask me how I know for a fact that this occurs?? pps: ) Some of the vids showing a few of these instances (not mine tho! ) are linked on this Forum if you go looking. Here's just a few of them that come to mind - there's one vid floating around of a fella riding a Ryker in a skateboard park that in one of the versions ends up showing how much skin he lost from the slide that ensued after he parted company with the Ryker; another where a fella gets pushed onto the kerbing in the middle of the road by a cage that 'didn't see him', flipping the Spyder and leaving him sliding quite a way before the abrasion slows him to a bloody stop; there's a vid of a fella reversing a Spyder at speed that doesn't show the resulting skin loss, but IIRC, the comments section detailed the extensive grafts he was going to need to repair that skin loss; and there was even a thread that outlined the 'loss of skin' injuries & the subsequent infections that sadly resulted in the eventual death of one of our members, a Lady who has been sorely missed! :lecturef_smilie:

So I'd say that the 'Dress for the Slide, not for the Ride' saying juuuust might still be quite applicable - possibly not quite to the same degree as it can be for those on a 2-wheeler, cos our Reverse Trikes truly ARE much more stable than them and the Nanny really is one of the best, but when you're riding one of these Spyder/Ryker things, you're still sitting out there in the open, and as at least some of us can attest, no matter how good the machine or the Nanny is, it can't always protect us from our own stupidity, and as a rider/pillion on a Spyder or Ryker, you CAN still end up sliding down the road, albeit hopefully with something between your skin and the rough stuff that'll rip it to shreds in seconds (or less :shocked: ) given half the chance!! And it doesn't matter HOW GOOD of a rider you might think you are, or HOW STABLE you might think your Spyder or Ryker is, there's still a risk that you'll end up on the road at some stage; and IMHO, if you DO ever get flicked off at any speed, let alone at 70 mph or faster, then ANYTHING between your skin and the road surface that doesn't wear thru in nano-seconds might just be the thing that saves your life!! nojoke

But it's your bike, and your skin, if you don't think it's worth protecting, then that's your call.... Me, I'm still wearing at least my kevlar jeans & other protective gear whenever I ride... And I've seen first hand (and felt! pps: ) what that sorta gear looks like after it's been sliding along the road for just a few seconds, so I'm extremely thankful that it wasn't my skin that was the only thing being ripped to shreds and worn away! :yikes:

Just Sayin'! :cheers:

 

[Jdr00ejr]

I think there is often a sense that Spyders/Rykers are MUCH safer than 2 wheels since you don't have to balance them. Shoot, even I get complacent on my Spyder and often say it's my safer, don't have to think as much, hooligan ride compared to my 2 wheeled bike. BUT, while you might not "lay your Ryker" down - it doesn't stop all the other idiots out there that can hit you and cause you to go sliding just the same. Do I jump on my Spyder without all the gear - yup - but I actually do my motorcycle from time to time also.

I get what you are trying to say - but I think those that are super safety conscious - can still say use "dress for the slide not the ride" whether you are on 2 wheels or 3. Don't fool yourself into thinking you are bullet proof - or as safe as in a car just because you don't have to balance you ride.

As for shorts - clearly you've not had rocks/bugs/debris hit you in the legs yet. Be thankful.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[RayBJ]

Everyone that rides knows there are risks. We each decide how lucky we think we are and gear up accordingly. Get-offs on 2 wheels is more likely than Spyders/Rykers BUT hitting/getting hit by cages is more common than high speed drops/slides and 3 wheels won't help against a 2 ton metal box.

Ride safe and keep your head on a swivel!

 

[blacklightning]

I see it, we all are taking a chance. But I do feel safer and dress differently when on 2 wheels vs 3. I have ridden the spyder with shorts on very short rides, like 2-3 miles to the store on a hot day. On the 2 wheeler, I would NEVER ride with shorts. I also always were at least a mesh jacket with armor on 2 wheels, and I will wear a long sleeve shirt for short rides on the 3 wheeler. The biggest safety difference that I have between the 2 is when it comes to shoes and helmet. I never ride my 2 wheeler without a full face modular helmet and ankle covering shoes. But on the spyder I will wear a 3/4 helmet and tennis shoes. But to each their own.

 

[Pirate]

Yes, you are probably not going to low side a Ryker/Spyder, but there have been several accidents where the rider has been thrown off sideways and even OVER the handlebars causing major injuries. I wear full gear all the time. You do you.

 

[ARtraveler]

It might not slide in its side, but YOU still can; and regardless of if you're on a Ryker or a Spyder or one of those lesser 2 wheeled machines, you still don't have any of the protective 'crumple zone' steel & plastic stuff around you that you do when you're driving in a cage!!

Still, while it's true there may not be as many instances recorded as there are from the 2-wheeler fraternity, there are still quite a few instances of Rykers & Spyders 'sliding' either on their sides or even upside down along the road, and there's more of their Riders &/or Pillions doing the same, cos often the machine remains upright while the rider parts company... (do you REALLY need to ask me how I know for a fact that this occurs?? pps: ) Some of the vids showing a few of these instances (not mine tho! ) are linked on this Forum if you go looking. Here's just a few of them that come to mind - there's one vid floating around of a fella riding a Ryker in a skateboard park that in one of the versions ends up showing how much skin he lost from the slide that ensued after he parted company with the Ryker; another where a fella gets pushed onto the kerbing in the middle of the road by a cage that 'didn't see him', flipping the Spyder and leaving him sliding quite a way before the abrasion slows him to a bloody stop; there's a vid of a fella reversing a Spyder at speed that doesn't show the resulting skin loss, but IIRC, the comments section detailed the extensive grafts he was going to need to repair that skin loss; and there was even a thread that outlined the 'loss of skin' injuries & the subsequent infections that sadly resulted in the eventual death of one of our members, a Lady who has been sorely missed! :lecturef_smilie:

So I'd say that the 'Dress for the Slide, not for the Ride' saying juuuust might still be quite applicable - possibly not quite to the same degree as it can be for those on a 2-wheeler, cos our Reverse Trikes truly ARE much more stable than them and the Nanny really is one of the best, but when you're riding one of these Spyder/Ryker things, you're still sitting out there in the open, and as at least some of us can attest, no matter how good the machine or the Nanny is, it can't always protect us from our own stupidity, and as a rider/pillion on a Spyder or Ryker, you CAN still end up sliding down the road, albeit hopefully with something between your skin and the rough stuff that'll rip it to shreds in seconds (or less :shocked: ) given half the chance!! And it doesn't matter HOW GOOD of a rider you might think you are, or HOW STABLE you might think your Spyder or Ryker is, there's still a risk that you'll end up on the road at some stage; and IMHO, if you DO ever get flicked off at any speed, let alone at 70 mph or faster, then ANYTHING between your skin and the road surface that doesn't wear thru in nano-seconds might just be the thing that saves your life!! nojoke

But it's your bike, and your skin, if you don't think it's worth protecting, then that's your call.... Me, I'm still wearing at least my kevlar jeans & other protective gear whenever I ride... And I've seen first hand (and felt! pps: ) what that sorta gear looks like after it's been sliding along the road for just a few seconds, so I'm extremely thankful that it wasn't my skin that was the only thing being ripped to shreds and worn away! :yikes:

Just Sayin'! :cheers:

:agree: also. ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) is a good motto to go by. We can choose to wear or what not to wear. I ALWAYS wear my helmet, and protective gloves. How much or how little of the other stuff may vary by the weather conditions. Now that the bikes are sold, I do not have to worry about that one anymore. :bowdown:

 

[Raven]

I figure any crash that is going to flip the Ryker is going to be a bad one, AGATT.
The only change I have made going from two wheels to three, is now I wear regular jeans instead of kevlar (THOR) ones.
The rest of the time, full face helmet, leather jacket, gloves and now steel toed hiking boots. My motorcycle boots wore out.

 

[BajaRon]

No one plans to crash. Certainly, the Spyer/Ryker are much safer that 2 wheels. But regardless of what you ride (as already mentioned), the raw truth is that you can still find yourself flying through the air. You may have time to reconsider your decision to wear shorts and flip-flops before you land. But you won't have time to change.

 

[Gwolf]

Best to keep this hush-hush or some well meaning pencil pusher on the NTSB will mandate seat belts on 3 wheelers.

 

[Danvirsse]

Probably a little late yo the show, but I'm firmly in the "all the gear, all the time" camp. While you'd be hard pressed to lay a Ryker down, the rest of the drivers on the road are no better, and possibly worse, than when I was on two wheels. I own the gear (riding pants, jacket, gloves and a good helmet) and will not ride without it. Everyone has the right to decide the level of risk they willing to assume, but reading all the old Motorcycle Consumer News will certainly make you at least think about the choice you make.

 

[GS1]

I agree wear the gear
this is from getting hit by a downed power line going to work at 4:30 am, my right leg and shoulders took most of the abuse

https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/album.php?albumid=4938&attachmentid=174108
https://www.spyderlovers.com/forums/album.php?albumid=4938&attachmentid=174105

 

[Two2Three]

It's funny, after about 18 years of two wheel riding, I switched to the spyder, and that's the first time I ever heard the idea that the the arm down/two finger wave to a passing biker meant "2 wheels". I always thought it was basically just a peace-sign/acknowlegement of a shared love of the open road.

3 fingers for three wheels? I'd never have made that connection. :dontknow: I'm sticking with the "peace brother" kinda sign. hyea:

 

[canamryder]

No comment, OH! my two friends wanted me to give a shout out..."HAPPY HALLOWEEN!"

 

[CloverHillCrawler]

As somebody that has had 2 major accidents in the last 3 years all I can say is if I was not wearing my gear I wouldn't be here right now. One of those accidents was less than a mile from my house.

The first one I was thrown over the handlebars and into the curb at about 20-30 mph when ran off the road by a cage.

The other was just a couple of weeks ago when I was rear ended at light where the seat hit me in the ass hard enough to leave it bruised as it launched me into the intersection with my spyder and I landed on my back and my head.

 

[Tslepebull]

Although I acknowledge the type of gear worn by any rider is personal choice I am in the ATGATT camp. That decision saved me when in February 2018 a careless left turn by an approaching driver launched me and my BMW GS over the roof of a Honda Accord (see what's left of the GS in my avatar). Fortunately, my gear limited my personal damage to an ugly compound fracture of my right wrist that resulted in nerve damage and loss of dexterity on my right hand; it could have been far worse. The loss of dexterity and subsequent concern about right hand braking led to my adoption of the Ryker with the foot brake only system and got me back on the road again in January of 2019.

I continue to wear full Aerostich or mesh gear and helmet, gloves, and boots every time; even in hot humid east Texas summers. When questioned about "isn't that hot?" (referring to my gear) my response is always "I'd rather sweat than bleed".

 

[EchoVictor]

I continue to wear full Aerostich or mesh gear and helmet, gloves, and boots every time; even in hot humid east Texas summers. When questioned about "isn't that hot?" (referring to my gear) my response is always "I'd rather sweat than bleed".

My variation on that answer has always been, "Sweat washes off. Road rash doesn't!"

Later,
EV