The Importance of Motorcycle Gear
Here I am again, writing about something that
I'm sure I've covered many, many times. There has to be a video,
audio or pictures on this topic somewhere on 2wheeltips.com, but
just not under this heading. So here goes......
Now that you have finished your motorcycle class and have a bike,
it's now time to hit the road. Before you do, you need to
understand how important it is to put on the right
clothing.
Now, some of you are probably thinking, "I'm not going to dress
up like a crossing guard. Part of riding a bike is looking good
and there is no freaking way I can look good dressed up like
Capt. Safety." I agree......some stuff that passes as motorcycle
gear looks like it belongs at a construction site and not on a
biker. But that doesn't mean you should ignore the need to
protect yourself from the dangers you will encounter when on the
road.
Take a step back and think of the many everyday activities that
are considered dangerous and how those who participate in them
handle the danger:
- Construction site? Hard hats, safety lines, steel toe boots
- Baseball? Batters helmet to protect you from a 100mph fast ball to the head
- Football? Helmets & pads to prevent concussions and broken bones after a tackle
- Soccer? Shinguards to protect your legs from cleats
- NASCAR? Helmets & harness to keep you from snapping your neck in a crash
- Airline luggage handler? Earplugs to keep you from going deaf
- Road worker? Gloves to protect your hands from cuts and abrasions
.......
-
Motorcycling???
Hmmmmmmm.......
Motorcycling is just as hazardous as any of
the above. If you fall off your bike at 55mph without the proper
gear, guarenteed you will get hurt worse (perhaps death) than
anything you could get from the above activities. But guess
what? Many people will go out riding dressed like this:
Instead of this:
Do you think the hot exhaust pipe can melt
her flip-flops? Or how about a piece of metal hitting her at
55mph? Do you think it will split her arm open? What if they
crash? Will that tight t-shirt and shorts protect her skin from
road rash? We all know the answer to each of those
questions.
I'm not deceiving myself here. I know that some people will never
wear anything but jeans, t-shirts and novelty helmets. That image
goes with a certain biker lifestyle and it will never change.
However, you do need to understand, just like a football helmet
or a safety line, how the right gear can prevent serious
injury.
In the upcoming articles, I'll discuss why you need to
wear:
- A helmet (a real one)
- Jacket & Pants
- Gloves
- Belt
- Boots
4 Comments
But, at the same time, I'm continuously aware that the only thing standing between me and the rest of the world (which I figure, while I'm actually riding, is actively trying to injure or kill me) are what I'm wearing. I don't have steel frames and aluminum and shatter-resistant glass nor even a seatbelt. [A friend, before I got my license, was musing about how everyone in a car is required to wear a seatbelt but motorcycles don't even have them.]
So - if all I've got to protect me is what I've got on me - I really don't want the only thing between me and the outside world to be... skin.
Very good points. I hate putting on all of that hot stuff too. Riding gear is not a "magic suit", but boots, jeans, a riding jacket and gloves can protect you from some very serious injuries if you go down.
One of our members, Carol, went down a few years ago on a ride and was able to literally "walk away" and ride home after hitting her head on the ground! Her jacket was scuffed up, her riding pants were scuffed up, but she was able to ride her bike home.
Without the proper gear, I think she would be a vegetable with some serious road rash. She thumped her head on the ground pretty hard.
Doesn't it all boil down to mitigating risk? Do you even acknowledge you are at risk? If I believe I'll never go down why wear the gear? If I think I'm so skilled I can handle any surprise and keep the rubber side down, then no need for a helmet. Or it's the "macho" look thing where if I ride a cool bike then I want to look cool too and a helmet and jacket aren't part of that look.
So, if you want to live in "fantasy land" and think you're invincible and believe it won't ever happen to you then logic and mitigating risk no longer applies. Riders like Ben are realist. They understand it can happen to them and are willing to forgo the "cool factor" and dress appropriately to reduce injury. Some people get it but others never get it. I can't help those don't get it, just hope they have good insurance.
I was chatting with someone today that told me some riders consider "crashing" a badge of honor!! I didn't want to believe it. Who in their right mind wants to go to the emergency room every month! But the more I interact with people, the less surprised I am about stuff people do.
To someone who thinks they are invincible, an emergency room visit is no big deal. Patch me up and send me on my way. No big deal. To someone who thinks like that, this column and these articles are the foolish ramblings of sick people from outer space. No matter what you say to them, they will not change.....and like you said.....I hope they have good insurance.
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