Always wear yer ferkin leathers. Graffic images.

Great job for getting the message out there, I am new to riding and have passed my test only a few months. Before i even took my CBT the first thing i did was go out and buy leathers. I didn't care how uncool i looked riding a little ER5 with full race leathers on my lessons. It was just as well because some little schoolgirl decided to run out right in front of me on a wet road on my very first lesson. The bike was worse for wear but I didn't have a scratch. Much respect for posting and if just one person listens it would be worth it, all my best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Sol

Originally Posted by ukrobuk

I got a Kevlar Jacket with pads ?300, and Kevlar jeans with pads ?110, they don?t zip together, is this ok or would you recommend getting a set that zip up at the waste? I don?t want to think I?m safe when I?m not.
What?s better Kevlar or leather???

If you intend on doing any track days, even if its from a training perspective, it you're wearing a 2 piece suit they must zip together. That kinda tells you something!! Bottom line is get the best you can afford with the money you have available to meet the riding and climate you will be out in. Personally I never leave home without being fully kitted out no matter what the weather....Great thread, have a safe 2009!

holy crap, its made me think, i used to wear jeans and ordinary boots!!
no more tho. . . .

Originally Posted by maidenfan

holy crap, its made me think, i used to wear jeans and ordinary boots!!
no more tho. . . .

I came off at less that 10mph wearing jeans and lost a lot of the skin on my leg unless im sitting on college for 11hours I always wear my pants as well as the rest, I should probably wear then considering there's a dual carriage way there that i get the bike flat out on without fail. Last time i came off it was at about 80 and i was incredibly lucky no breaks just a lot of bruising and sprains, wearing all of my gear. It really helps, Buy the best you can afford and wear it all the time

just in responce to the early post about the back protecters that come with jackets. they are more than good enough i had a accident broke my thigh in three places but my back landed on the kurb like top half of back on the street and bottom half of back on road and not even a bruise ambulence people wouldnt move me for ages . but it was the original back pad that saved me from being paralised. so dont feel you need to buy a stupidly priced back protecter when the ones in the jackets already saved me and i fell off the roof of a car onto the kerb. bad times

[KnightRider]

Originally Posted by GOZA

just in responce to the early post about the back protecters that come with jackets. they are more than good enough i had a accident broke my thigh in three places but my back landed on the kurb like top half of back on the street and bottom half of back on road and not even a bruise ambulence people wouldnt move me for ages . but it was the original back pad that saved me from being paralised. so dont feel you need to buy a stupidly priced back protecter when the ones in the jackets already saved me and i fell off the roof of a car onto the kerb. bad times

Are we talking about the flimsey piece of foam padding here or does your jacket have a proper ridged back protector? If your talking about the foam, then that is a rather sweeping statement you're making!

Yes you may have been fine in your accident, and we are all glad that you were, but have you considered that you may have just been lucky or that the particular type of accident that you had meant that you did not hit the kurb that hard? More to the point are you happy recommending to everyone that if they have an accident that the protector in the jacket is just as good as the seperate and more expensive back protector? What if their accident occurs at a faster speed and their back hits something a little more prominent than a kurb, ie a lamp post, and their bike sandwiches them into the lamp post?

Everyone has a different level of tolerance to risk and cost. Personally I would not trust the foam protector in my jacket for anything. Yes I may be lucky and not break my back but I dont want to take the risk and having analysed the two back protectors side by side there is no way I would just use the foam pad that came in my jacket.

The foam back protector that was in my jacket is of great use - as a mouse pad.
I took it out and always wear a separate back protector, an Icon Field Vest

I got a Knox in jacket back protector for about £10. Cheap as you like and once in the jacket you've never got to think about it again.

If your the type who wouldn't spend £70 on a back protector, and then wouldn't be bothered to wear it if you did, then the knox ones are certainly better than nothing and wont break the bank.

Originally Posted by BigApe

And I have never tried to get my knee down again. But that's besides the point. The point of this thread and the pictures is to point out that even when wearing all the correct gear, injuries as bad as the ones that I received are still quite possibly. The point of the thread was to hopefully encourage others to ride with as much protection as they can when out having fun on their motorcycle.

In part thats what startled me, I saw the pictures and expected to read this is what happens when you come off in shorts an t shirt doing 30mph to the shops an back. Carrying the message so make sure you dont do the same thing....
Then with the brief insite into how you spilled I have a massive respect for the life saving aspect of your gear.
When you think at 90mph your not expected to survice an armco crash as the passenger of a car let alone on a bike. Your a living example of why full PPE is essential to give us a chance in such an accident. I assume an hope that you've made a full recovery now? You have my respect for staying concoius long enough to be able to recall the spill mate.

[SoulKiss]

Originally Posted by urbane1

The foam back protector that was in my jacket is of great use - as a mouse pad.
I took it out and always wear a separate back protector, an Icon Field Vest

I have one of those - I think its probably better suited to Paintballing than Riding tho.

A lot of people seem to disregard the hard-shell type of armour that the Field Vest is.

I use my Forcefield on if I am not wearing my Icon TiMax with its built in foam protector.