Motorcycles BS Thread 2.0

The absolute least amount of gear no matter the temp is . Jeans, hiking boots, leather jacket , leather gloves and a helmet. Usually it’s full leather with riding boots. It has nothing to do with how I am riding it’s all about the other jack asses on the road. It makes me cringe when I see guys in shorts, tee shirt and tennis shoes. Just about 90% of motorcycle accidents are someone else fault OR speed on the motorcyclist side.
Ride how you want and in what you want but the worst thing I have ever been through is a low side when I was 18 . Shorts, tanktop no helmet. Getting asphalt scrubbed out of your legs and arms will make you think twice about not being protected. Ok rant over. Carry on

 

Every single person I know who has been seriously injured or killed on a bike was riding carelessly (not defensive and alert) and/or exceedingly recklessly.

I’m NOT AT ALL saying people don’t die riding perfectly and someone else hits them.

I am however saying odds aren’t the same between a person who actually slows, covers, prepares, practices and keeps a cool head and those who are clueless nonchalant or careless.

Riding is a risk. We all deem it a risk worth taking. The reward outweighs the chance of harm or death.

I rarely see a helmet or gear of any kind here in the Midwest. Very rarely. 99% of bikes I see are just guys wearing work clothes headed to work. I don’t hate them for it. I just wave and ride on. Their choice. They’ve deemed the convenience worth the risk. Who am I to tell them to change their entire lifestyle to change their risk/reward ratio by an unknown amount.

I’m not advocating not wearing gear. It’s wise to do so. Obviously. But it’d also be wise to be in a cage with a top safety rating and riding at all is a higher jump in probability of death than wearing rated gear vs work clothes. Let people be and enjoy, I figure. Their life, their choice.

I don’t get upset when someone doesn’t see me and cuts me off. It’s my job to watch for that. I don’t get upset when someone doesn’t wear full leathers to ride to work every day for the few months we have good weather either. Not my job. Cheers.

 

Same. I learned that lesson after a low side in college wearing board shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. That shit hurt and I’ve had a fucked up looking eyebrow ever since. The half of it left on the pavement never grew back quite right.

 

I have to buy a new jacket. I guess after not really riding for a couple years ive put some weight on. Went to go put my Alpinestars jacket on it didn't quite fit. Couldn't even zip the damn thing up. I have one of those armored hoodies I like to wear. As far as riding boots I also have Alpinestars boots or I'll just wear my work boots

 

I always wear my alpinestar boots, because majority of ankle fractures my colleagues and I repair are all from wearing just normal boots with no ankle protection.

 

I'm pretty close to an ATGATT rider with the exception of riding pants. I will ride in jeans on my commute back and forth for work wearing just regular jeans when the weather gets hot. I bought a pair of mesh riding pants and tried them but just not all that comfortable in them for some reason. Now admittedly I bought some cheaper ones to try out so perhaps I just need to pony up the money for higher quality. I used to ride in hiking boots until one instance where a shoelace caught on something on the tail bag I had on the bike at that time and I damned near pulled the bike over. I went boot shopping shortly after and bought good riding boots with zippers and Velcro and no laces. I will never again throw a leg over a bike wearing a lace up shoe. Too easy to have that loop in your shoelace catch on a shifter peg or rear brake pedal or who knows what and you stumble just getting off the bike.

 

ATGATT for the win!

I'm currently in the market for a mesh jacket for summer riding and I am leaning toward the Rev'It Airwave 3. Does anyone have this jacket and can offer any feedback? What color should I go with -- Black or Anthracite/Grey?

 

I like my Klim Induction better than my Revit Eclipse. The mesh quality seems heavier duty on the Klim while still flowing the same or more air. It is definitely a heavier jacket overall. The Revit is also a tighter/sportier cut which was less comfortable than the more ADV style cut of the Klim.

 

Can’t speak to the Airwave, but I have the Eclipse and it’s my summer jacket for sure. Flows plenty of air! Fit is a little weird for me. While I’m a slimmer guy, I do have a long torso. Eclipse hits me right at the waist…borderline short of it in a size Large. But any bigger and I’d be swimming in the damn jacket. Been on the hunt for a different fitting jacket.

 

I have the Wind 2 which is more or less the previous model as far as I can tell. Very comfortable and flows a ton of air. Def a slimmer cut, but workable.

 

I debated on the Wind 2 but like the styling of the Airwave a little better, not $60 better but that is the price I pay for stalling and not buying it when it was $229 a few months back. What color is your Wind 2?

 

White. Same as my Sand4 jacket. Both have stayed pretty clean despite the color.

 

I'm about the same. I always wear riding jeans, but there aren't any pads in them, just the inner liner that is built for the slide. Everything else is top quality gear, and almost exclusively Dainese. I'm a bit of a fanboy, admittedly. But I do have some Merlin and Alpinestars equipment as well.

Regarding the laces, all of my boots have laces. However, they either have a side zip allowing me to tie it once and cut off all the excess lace, or they have some loop/velcro strap you can put the laces in so they don't get in the way.

 

Figured I'd throw this out there. If you're looking for a textile jacket, I've got a Alpinestars jacket that got lost when I moved. Brand new. If you're interested pm me.

 

Funny u mentioned that. When I was living in Florida went on a group ride at night we rode through downtown Orlando. And when I went to put my feet down at a red light my shoe lace caught the foot peg n me and the bike fell over. All the drunks coming out of the bars got a kick out of it. That was the last time I wore sneakers riding.

 

I was looking at the same jacket.

 

Hopefully tomorrow the weather is nice. Took the day off. Not for a good reason have a viewing to go to. But that's not till 2pm. Hoping to put some miles on the ktm

 

On a somewhat related note.....

Last weekend I was with a group of FJR1300 owners in Marietta, OH for an informal FJR forum event. Great weather, great riding, great camaraderie from Thursday afternoon right up until Saturday early evening when the forum owner got a phone call to let us all know that another forum member that everyone at the OH meet knew, had been killed in an accident in his home state of GA. You're now looking at a group of 25-30 grown men and women now sobbing over the loss of our friend. 51 years old, father of 4, grandfather of 12 with another on the way. Jason had just left his daughter's baby shower popping in as a surprise on his way home from a ride with 2 other FJR folks. 10 minutes from his home a Sprinter van driven by a 75 year old turned left into his path. Our friend was pronounced dead on the scene.

On Friday June 10 I will now be riding the 725 miles from my home in PA to his home in Woodstock, GA for a "celebration of life" to be held Saturday June 11 then riding immediately back home to be back at work on Monday. It seems I have dust in my eyes again just like last weekend as I type this.

Tell your friends and family you love them. You never know when that chance will be taken away from you.

 

I appreciate the kind words. And best of luck with your ride down to GA. Ride safe my friend.

 

Thank you. A safe ride for you as well sir!

When I first spoke with my girlfriend about going along, she was with me in OH, she had doubts about knocking out the 725 miles straight through like this trip is going to require. I was texting a friend last night from the FJR forum who lives near us and as soon as I mentioned attending his next reply was "I'm in, what time do we want to leave on Friday?" That made Dianne feel a lot better as she was going to be worried about me riding down and back alone which I get. I think as I'm getting older perhaps I'm getting softer. There were some times on our way home last Sunday after learning of Jason's passing that I teared up thinking of this as yet unborn grandchild that will never know him. I hadn't known him as long or as well as some of our friends but already I feel a sense of loss.