Some bikers, you must be nuts

[timwilky]

Well that was my thoughts this morning at 06:38 as I was getting into the car to go to work. The guy renting the house over the road was just leaving on his ZX9.

What a horrid sight, the nutter was wearing his walking boots and a pair of shorts. I know he has only 3 miles to work. But shorts on a bike! I ask you.

He is no kid. age about 55, been riding all his life. When his lad got his first bike he also had all the gear. Sooty **** is obviously such a good rider that he is immortal. I know from his last off that he knows the pain of gravel rash.

Why for the sake of 5 minutes.

[metalangel]

Because what are the odds of it happening again *shrug*

I don't understand the thinking behind such recklessness. Getting on a bike without gear on feels as wrong and uncomfortable to me as being in a car without my seatbelt on (and I always put my belt on, even in a taxi).

[tonyk]

He’s lost the fear of crashing/road rash/broken bones, I really hope he does not have to learn the lessons the hard way….
It’s the fear of the above that keeps me with full gear on no matter what the weather or distance I’m going to travel.

[missyburd]

Tis like a pillion I saw yesterday, lady in black heels, skinny jeans and an attempt to cover up some skin on her hands with thin fingerless gloves. Not even a bike jacket so the only protection she had on was the legal requirement of a lid. What's the point? Her fella was fully kitted up, he clearly can't think much of her poor lass.

I feel bad enough going on the bike in dragging jeans let alone normal jeans or otherwise. It's so sad to think an off on the bike is probably the only way for it to sink in how vital proper kit is. And yet clearly this fella on your street Tim has no fear :rolleyes:

[dizzyblonde]

Leggings and Ugg boots:smt120

Again, the pilot kitted up!

[megs]

meh its personal choice at the end of the day, nothing which would make me feel bad. Although i did see a local lad on his gsxr with shorts teashirt on, but the worst was he had his young son on the back with shorts and tee on also and he was giving it some showing off.

I have to admit though I've riden mopeds on holiday with only shorts and tshirts and it feels nice in the warm sun.

[metalangel]

I have to admit though I've riden mopeds on holiday with only shorts and tshirts and it feels nice in the warm sun.

Then you get back and realize just how much warm sun you've had, owwie owwie. :p

I saw a dude on a cruiser, he had a 'helmet' on but there can't have been much padding, it was more of a plastic yarmulke than a proper lid. Police car drove past and didn't care.

[timwilky]

Then you get back and realize just how much warm sun you've had, owwie owwie. :p



Cote d'azure 1980, Huge blisters on legs, shoulders. And teach me to not wear a helmet, ear lobes so huge I could not get a helmet on until the blisters burst. But different time/place. riding from camp site to the beach along a dirt road is far different dodging traffic on damp british tarmac.

[Quedos]

Ach let him do it he'll learn the hard way eventually (again) even if it a wasp or stone at 50mph.

got the kit always wear the kit - no if's and no buts. Had the unfortunately sighting of a guy go up the tarmac at 20 wearing nothing but shorts. and his screams will stay with me for my life as will the sight of grated bone!

[megs]

as will the sight of grated bone!

Ouch!

[metalangel]

Cote d'azure 1980, Huge blisters on legs, shoulders. And teach me to not wear a helmet, ear lobes so huge I could not get a helmet on until the blisters burst. But different time/place. riding from camp site to the beach along a dirt road is far different dodging traffic on damp british tarmac.

We rode all around the eastern side of Mallorca.

After three days of this (even with sunscreen) Mrs Metal could only sleep on her front due to burned shoulders, I could only sleep on one side. The wind just rushes over your skin and feels lovely and cool but you're still soaking up serious rays.

[Bri w]

When I see someone riding in shorts etc I think d!ck, then just forget about them.

Freedom of choice.

[timwilky]

Bri, Whilst I tend to agree with you. In this case it is somebody I know. A husband/father/grandfather with decades of riding experience, I would have expected different of him.

But then again as I know him to be more opinionated than my good self. A quiet word in his shell like is unlikely to provoke the response I would like. So I think in this case yours is probably the best attitude to the disgusting sight of short fat hairy white legs astride a motorcycle at an indecent time of the morning. Now if they had been on a young lady and went all the way up to her bum, who am I to complain about seeing them, but as this was not the case, it was a good thing I had not yet partaken of breakfast.

[-Ralph-]

Personal choice, he knows what the risks are, there are people who jump out of perfectly good planes for fun, or go climbing without any ropes.

I wonder if there were as many people doing these pastimes as there are riding motorbikes, which hobby would have the higher mortality rate?

I think cyclists are nuts personally

http://texastailwind.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/peloton-descent.jpg?w=500&h=333

Down hill sections on some of the races they reach 60-70 mph! But because Lycra is how everyone expects them to be dressed, nobody bats an eyelid!

[maviczap]

When I see someone riding in shorts etc I think d!ck, then just forget about them.Freedom of choice.

+1 but in my instructor role I do tell them the consequenses

Bri, Whilst I tend to agree with you. In this case it is somebody I know. A husband/father/grandfather with decades of riding experience, I would have expected different of him.

But then again as I know him to be more opinionated than my good self.

Tim, opionionated, never ;) But my BIL is fairly intelligent, and nobody could make him see any sense ever!

Personal choice, he knows what the risks are, there are people who jump out of perfectly good planes for fun, or go climbing without any ropes.


I think cyclists are nuts personally

http://texastailwind.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/peloton-descent.jpg?w=500&h=333

Down hill sections on some of the races they reach 60-70 mph! But because Lycra is how everyone expects them to be dressed, nobody bats an eyelid!

Yep, I'm one of those nuts. But until they invent something thats comfortable to ride in for 3 - 4 hours, that doesn't picnh or chaffe, that also protects you, then I'm afraid we're stuck with lyrca :D

Its down to personal choice and we seem to have this discussion every summer.

Worst I've seen this year was a guy on a BMW GS pass me on the M2 doing 80 - 90 mph, shorts, tee shirt, no gloves & flip flops. Crazy :confused:

[Lozzo]

When I see someone riding in shorts etc I think d!ck, then just forget about them.

Freedom of choice.

+1

I did ride around Malta in a T-shirt, but did at least wear armoured biking jeans and Daytona bike boots. It took a huge will of effort to remove the jacket and ride in just a shirt to be perfectly honest, and even after a week of doing it I still felt wrong.

[fizzwheel]

Down hill sections on some of the races they reach 60-70 mph! But because Lycra is how everyone expects them to be dressed, nobody bats an eyelid!

I dont even understand my own mentality where this is concerned.

I wont ride across town on my GSXR without my leathers on, yet I'll happily go down a steep hill on my pusher at 40mph or more and not bat an eyelid. Even on the flat I can push 20mph and thats going to leave some nasty gravel rash coming off the pusher at that speed.

I guess one is socially acceptable whereas the other is not. Theres a definate argument that you are more vulnerable on a push bike than on a motorbike IMHO.

As for other bikers, if you arent doing me any harm, then wear the hell what you like, I dont even bat an eye at those who choose to ride in shorts anymore.

[Stenno]

I saw a baggage handler at work arrives in shorts the other morning. And at ace cafe there are always people in shorts. Plus I never understand the fully cladded guys in leather with their girlfriends on the back in a mini skirt.

[maviczap]

, yet I'll happily go down a steep hill on my pusher at 40mph or more and not bat an eyelid. Even on the flat I can push 20mph and thats going to leave some nasty gravel rash coming off the pusher at that speed.

Yep, disengage brain, head down and go for it. :)

Was ridin (cycling :D) with a young lady, when we came to the top of one of our local descents. Its not long, but a blind corner at the bottom.

I know it so well, I just launched from the top, when she caught me up, she said ' how did you do that?' I just shrugged my shoulders, 'dunno' ? :p

[thulfi]

And there are probably threads in car forums about how stupid and suicidal you must be to get on a motorbike.

All relative.

[Davies]

FFS, these threads usually come up at the beginning of summer!

Live and let live, just because someone is wearing shorts doesn't mean they are going to crash. We had a lovely weekend riding around on the r1 in tshirts....was i a less safer rider? No! I was much safer than i was riding in town last week in full kit nearly fainting at every traffic light.

Stop passing judgement and get on with your own life.

[Red Herring]

I think it all depends on how you're planning on riding....
I took the SV down to the south of france last week in the back of the camper so we had something to run about on, especially when popping into town. I was quite happy to ride in just shorts, T shirt and trainers with an open face helmet under those circumstances, and I doubt I went over 30 mph once dressed like that.
On the other hand whne I took it for a scratch around the Alps on a couple of occassions it was full leathers, back protector...the lot.
It's just about risk management, and being sensible.

[-Ralph-]

We had a lovely weekend riding around on the r1 in tshirts....

Well, wouldn't do that myself, but respect for admitting to it on this forum. We seem to be getting more tolerant, but not so long ago you'd have got completely pasted for admitting that on here.

I just bought on of those airflow jackets and a pair of Kevlar jeans for a trip to Portugal next week, with full CE armour throughout, but not so convinced on abrasion resistance on either Jacket or Jeans. Not as good protection as what I would normally wear, but I'll be well aware of that when I'm riding, and that's about as low as I'll go in the protection stakes.

But look at the dress code of one of the guys I'll be riding with in Portugal, he'll be constantly taking the p1ss as I sweat in all my armoured gear...

I dare say I will be in shorts and t-shirt when using the bike to get from A to B in the evenings around the village, but not at any more than push bike speeds. The locals will be helmetless round the village, and won't be at all concerned about how much they've had to drink either! They wobble along pi$$ed, and sometimes fall off, but always seem to get there with no more than a grazed knee.

http://i227.photobucket.com/albums/dd82/colinbal4/Portugal/P1060091.jpg

[Specialone]

I went to Greece recently and everybody just had shorts and tee shirts at the most, some less, helmets were not always worn, a lot were not even fastened, just dangling, this suprised me tbh.

Personally i wouldnt ride like it, if i did i would massively adjust my riding to suit.
Simple thing i think about, it takes less time to put your gear on and off than it does to go to hospital and get your gravel rash scrubbed surgically and then for it to heal.

Dont really care what other people do tbh, ill probably make a comment if i see someone riding like a d1ck dressed in very little clothing, but its their choice at the end of the day.

[DarrenSV650S]

I wore my full leathers in the south of France and it wasn't that big a deal. It's only in town that it gets too hot. When I was moving I was fine. Felt a bit of a pillock walking around in full leathers though :lol:

[SoulKiss]

Tis like a pillion I saw yesterday, lady in black heels, skinny jeans and an attempt to cover up some skin on her hands with thin fingerless gloves. Not even a bike jacket so the only protection she had on was the legal requirement of a lid. What's the point? Her fella was fully kitted up, he clearly can't think much of her poor lass.

You should ALWAYS make a point of pointing this out to said poor lass.

The "domestics" caused can be quite humorous :)

[beabert]

Not this again, i don't see the issue, its up to him.

Im in the minority in that i rarely wear full gear, in fact next to never below the waste. Will i regret it if/when i fall off? yes, will i be wearing full leather tomorrow? no. Do i take exception to someone moaning at me about it? YES!

[littleoldman2]

To be fair we need to let people take responsiblity for their own actions. If he thinks its worth the risk let him get on with it, I'm fed up with the view that we need to over protect people. Personally I'm all the gear all the time, due to gravel rash at 16. Sooty **** is obviously such a good rider that he is immortal. I know from his last off that he knows the pain of gravel rash.
maybe another dose may teach him.

[Bibio]

don't care what the driver of the bike is wearing but they should always make sure that the pillion is well kitted out. take your own life if you have to but at least give your pillion a fighting chance.

fool them if they come off wearing only shirt and shorts. but could these people please take into consideration the clean up crew if they do come off. i expect its not nice having to clean the goo up. so spare a thought the next time.

i came off when i was younger only wearing a pair of jeans and a jumper at about 10mph. i got gravel rash all down one side and could not sleep for the pain. lesson learnt.

[beabert]

don't care what the driver of the bike is wearing but they should always make sure that the pillion is well kitted out. take your own life if you have to but at least give your pillion a fighting chance

I do try make them. and i explain why, but again if they are adults it is ultimately there choice. I may refuse to ride them any where depending on who it is.

[beabert]

I think it all depends on how you're planning on riding....A very valid point, if i were going to ride like 90% of those on here, i would then wear full leathers, but my riding is sedate.

[Bibio]

may be their choice but its you who is driving so its your rules, no gear no go. but i suppose at the end of the day if you can live with the consequence then by all means go ahead.

i have seen far to many friends/family in hospital and that's even with wearing the right gear.

[beabert]

may be their choice but its you who is driving so its your rules, no gear no go. but i suppose at the end of the day if you can live with the consequence then by all means go ahead.

Their own fault, i would have warned them before hand. I ride ridiculously slow with people on back. I know everyone says that, but they dont, not from what i see day to day.

[metalangel]

As I left work yesterday, I saw a young lady wobbling down the street on her bicycle, TALKING ON A HANDHELD PHONE.

While I'd have loved to shout at her, I didn't think of anything suitably vitriolic in time so I just blasted my horn angrily because she was getting in everyone's way.

I'm not going to say I hope she has a crash, but I blimmin' well hope she drops her phone down a sewer grate and her cat has piles.

[missyburd]

You should ALWAYS make a point of pointing this out to said poor lass.

The "domestics" caused can be quite humorous :)

I was sorely tempted but they didn't stop for long enough ;)

[maxinc]

During a police presentation on the causes of road fatalities, one particular incident made an impression. Was a biker involved in a 60mph skid on the motorway. Although he didn't hit anything, he died before the ambulance could get to the scene because of fluid loss cased by the severe rash he suffered from rinding in shorts + t-shirt.

The police said this would have been just a case of picking up the undamaged bike, dusting off and continuing the journey but only if he would have had at least a protective jacket.

Bikes are dangerous enough, but to die like that is just stupid.

[timwilky]

Like I said, they guy is renting the house over the road from me. Its owner is a paramedic and fellow bike nut.

Several years ago he returned from duty sick, and knocked on my door for beer and a head sorting chat. He had just done a job where a biker had slid down the road at speed in summer in his vest, the chest cavity had opened and deposited his major organs in the road. Nick had the pleasant job of bagging the bits.

Yes we all have anecdotal stories. and I guess most have us have at some time ridden with inappropriate gear. There is sod all protection in a pair of jeans. apart from protection from road muck and the odd wasp. But I guess with my wise old head on these days I found it so damm stupid of someone who should know better.

[Quedos]

Like Tim - that what annoys me about the those who don't wear the gear. YOU can ride as safe as you like but YOU can't stop the idiot who's going to pull out on you. and then its left to the poor souls to scrape you up and wash down the aftermath. I have the same thoughts for those who don't wear seatbelts or who carry pilions without the gear.
They maybe adults but I utlimately could end up responsible for them. NO gear/No seatbelt No go for me I'm afraid.

[-Ralph-]

Anyone who travels on a two wheeler or quad above 30mph without at least protective gear for your torso and head, is an idiot in my opinion.... still their choice.

There was a rider and pillion on a quad at the Hatton bike meet last week with no helmets, just hoodies and jeans!

[SoulKiss]

There was a rider and pillion on a quad at the Hatton bike meet last week with no helmets, just hoodies and jeans!

No legal requirement for a lid on anything with three wheels or more...

[myfirstsv]

True story:

Many years ago (1983) I parted company with my GS750 and went flying over the handlebars – the landing sucked. Two broken wrists and a compound fracture on the elbow as all my weight came down on them. Fortunately I had the right gear on so apart from some other bruises I was OK. *

I was taken to a “bikers” ward in Warminster where there were 6 or 7 other guys who had come off, but they had all done legs and so were stuck in bed. For the week or so I was there I use to change the TV with my teeth – no remotes then – and they use to light fags for me, honest you could smoke in hospitals back then.

At then end of the ward was a private room which had another biker in it – heavily sedated. He’d smashed himself pretty badly, legs, pelvis etc. but he also had no protection apart from a helmet and he’d slid on his back for some distance and was basically skinned. The sedation was to keep him quiet because of the pain from this – it didn’t work cos he had his dressings changed 3-4 times a day, and even with me turning the TV up to full volume, the noise he made will live with me….

Moral (for me) a 2 foot square piece of leather is easier and less painful to repair than a 2 foot square piece of skin.

* Funny bit – lying in the ditch afterwards I thought I’d find out which bits of me hurt so I started patting, legs, chest, head – everything hurt. Took a while to figure out that was because my arms were broken J

[-Ralph-]

When I was a teenager, I lost all the skin off my right hand side, from the outer ball of my foot, right up to my nipple, with a few exceptions on the less sticky out bits, courtesy of a SMIDSY from a middle aged woman in a Nissan Micra.

I didn't do any screaming, but there were a few shouts and swear words in the months that followed, and a lot of grunting and biting on a stick and then throwing up, when the gravel rash was getting cleaned. The pain just made your eyes close, your teeth gnaw, your throat growl, and your stomach turn. Makes me sick now thinking about it.

No legal requirement for a lid on anything with three wheels or more...

I know, wouldn't do it myself though, those things are far too tippy.

[Ed]

I came off in June 2004. Despite armoured leathers some roadstone got in and ground a hole through to my hipbone. My party trick was to touch it, painful but impressive. No wonder it got infected and oozed yellow stinking pus and took months of very painful daily dressing to heal up. By painful - read so painful that I dreaded 10am each day when the district nurse would call (as I had a busted pelvis) and had to bite my teeth so hard to avoid screaming.

[beabert]

Anyone who travels on a two wheeler or quad above 30mph without at least protective gear for your torso and head, is an idiot in my opinion.... still their choice.


Anyone who makes statements like that are idiot in my opinion :smt003


You could easily say anyone who rides a motorbike is an idiot, unessecarily increasing the risk of injury by not using a car! Its think its rather ironic.

[STRAMASHER]

I wear what I want when I want and ride accordingly.

You can always tell the daft Brits Abroad, cutting about Cannes or Tarragona on their redhot tupperware torpedoes in full leathers with their Ribena kid heads. All melting and angry in the traffic. :rolleyes:

I'm a bigger idiot on a bike when I have "all the gear" on.

[maxinc]

Anyone who makes statements like that are idiot in my opinion :smt003

You could easily say anyone who rides a motorbike is an idiot, unessecarily increasing the risk of injury by not using a car! Its think its rather ironic.

This has nothing to do with the probability of having an accident. You can be just as safe on a bike by riding in your underwear. This is about minimising the risk of injury should an accident happen. Almost every biker I talked to seem to agree that having an off is only a matter of time. Those that had an off while wearing their kit were thankful for wearing it when it happened while the others seem to think of themselves as idiots for riding in jeans or t-shirts. Never met someone proud of their injuries.

The riding gear is not going to make much difference in a major crash but thankfully their are not that many compared to the much more frequent lockups, skids, drops, panic reactions etc.

In the later (and more frequent cases) appropriate riding gear will make the difference between dusting off and a trip to the hospital for skin treatment.

No one should be arrogant enough to think it will never happen to them but if they do, fair enough, I wish them a safe ride and the best of luck. On the other hand as bikers we should strive to make the sport as enjoyable and safe as possible and that includes minimising risks by improving our skills and preparing for the worst.

[-Ralph-]

Anyone who makes statements like that are idiot in my opinion :smt003

My caveats on 30mph (because we've all done that on a push bike), and on torso and head (because injuries to the legs are unlikely to kill you inless you damage a major artery), make my thoughts on it very liberal compared to the majority.

Shall I start a poll? ;)

Out of interest, what experience of crashes do you have?

Almost every biker I talked to seem to agree that having an off is only a matter of time.

The riding gear is not going to make much difference in a major crash but thankfully their are not that many compared to the much more frequent lockups, skids, drops, panic reactions etc.

Yup, there's only two types of biker, those that have been down, and those that are going down! (and they are all going to go down again at some point!).

I'd say that proper leather does make a difference in a major crash, and I think there is little doubt about how much difference a helmet makes. Beabert thinks I'm an idiot for saying you should have protection on your head! I know what you mean in that in some circumstances no amount of riding gear is going to to save you, but those kind of crashes are thankfully quite rare.

Properly fitted leather suits are not just for abrasion resistance, the armour in them also obviously helps protect from bone damage, but what the emergency services and crash investigators know, that lots of riders overlook, is the unflexible nature of a properly fitting leather suit and riding boots, means that it actually holds you together in an accident. In a similar way to putting a cast or bandage on a wound, or wearing walkings boots helps stop you from getting a sprained ankle.

You have a much better chance in a major crash in leathers, than you do without, they help stop limbs getting ripped apart/off, and they help prevent internal heamoragging (sp) from killing you before an ambulance can get you to theatre.

My last big crash was about 55mph through a barbed wire fence, and into a field. And I wasn't riding ike an idiot, it was black ice. My textle trousers have a big rip right across the groin! I broke two ribs and was red wine coloured down one side from ribs to knee. I couldn't pee or sh!t without internal pain for a week. I also had various rips in my gear across my arms and legs from the barbed wire. The result of not wearing gear in that accident doesn't bear thinking about (especially the prospect of having my balls ripped off!).

For me even choosing textiles over leathers for high speed riding is a safety compromise driven by comfort.

When I was a teenager, I lost all the skin off my right hand side.

BTW, this was at 25-30 mph

[dizzyblonde]

As I can see where you are coming from on the textiles v leather thing, flinging yourself through a barb wired fence is a bit of an extremity for testing the toughness of your gear though!
I have seen leather gear rip just as bad from sliding, barbed wire is made to rip at things.
Personally I prefer textiles, I actually don't feel safe in a leather combo. I haven't worn them for years, and I decided to start wearing a PSX-R set I had altered to fit to me this year..........don't feel safe, don't feel comfortable at all, feeling sweaty actually started distracting concentration of riding. I doubt I'll wear them again.

I've always worn draggins in summer, I've worn them once this year, and gone straight back to textiles. I suppose dependant on mood, I prefer to feel pyschologically safe when I'm out these days, I prefer to have the comfort of knowing theres a decent barrier/buffer protecting me in the event of a woopsi.


Now then.....full leathers will not stop a car from taking half your leg with its bumper. Hard knee protection will dig in, and remove half the tissue attached to your knee. You will need a skin graft and several plastic surgery operations to make it look almost acceptable...well enough to stop kids from throwing up in a swimming pool at least. Leathers won't stop you feeling sick when someone touches your leg, and it won't stop people staring at it either.

Suppose it doesn't matter what you wear, if its gonna go wrong it will.

[-Ralph-]

flinging yourself through a barb wired fence is a bit of an extremity for testing the toughness of your gear though!

Perhaps it's an extremity for the gear, but it's not that unlikely for the rider, we have hundreds of thousands of miles of country roads that are lined with the damn stuff.

[dizzyblonde]

Thats what I was meaning, I imagine manufacturers test for slides on tarmac and brushes with vehicles than several hundreds of miles of wire shaped scissors.

[timwilky]

Back in the 70s, I was unfortunate enough to be first on scene as a lad who left the pub same time as me lost it on a bend. Slow speed and no real damage to his bike.

The barb wire fence made a right mess of him. It was still wrapped round him in the field. Levi jackets were sod all protection and his was soaked in blood from the mass of 1/2" deep tears to his body.

Worse was having to leave him in agony as I went to find a phone box.

[-Ralph-]

I was lucky in that I hit it at pretty much 45 degrees, and at the same time as the bike and luggage, so the combined 300kg at that angle did a good job of busting the wire, and the wire wrapped around the bike and not me.

Hitting it at a shallow angle and sliding down it, or breaking it but continuing into a field with it wrapped around you? Yuk, I feel nausious again! Now you know why I don't watch gory movies!