squid?

[cOoTeR]

At a minimum I wear gloves, jeans, leather jacket with armor,regular leather boots and a helmet. If the ride is going to be more spirited I will wear riding boots, over the wrist gloves, my leather riding suit with shorts and a sweat wicking t-shirt, and my helmet. Even on a super hot day the full leathers aren't bad with the shorts and t-shirt underneath.

The first time I took my fiancee for a ride on my old cruiser. I showed up at her place with my spare helmet. She answered the door in a a tank top shorts and flip flops. She got pissy with me because I made her put on jeans + boots and my mesh jacket before I'd let her on the bike. Nowadays she's starting to ride her own bike and points people out that aren't wearing gear. She often say did you see that dumbass without a helmet? I've got to remind her that she used to try to ride in shorts, tank top and flip flops. Glad she learned something good from me.

If someone is riding with out gear to each his own, unless I know them then I'll express my concern. But I really hate seeing girls on the back of a guys bike in shorts, flip flops and tank top. It doesn't matter how good you ride there's a lot of vehicles driven by idiots. Those legs the chick on the back is showing off will not look as sexy with road rash scars.

With all that said I would like to point out that gear is not a superman cloak. You still can get hurt while wearing it. It helps with road rash but not hard impacts. The main benefit is it makes sure a minor accident doesn't have major injuries. The reason I bring this up is a friend of mine would throw on his full gear and ride way beyond his skill level. Riding in a reckless manner he normally wouldn't ride in wearing a helmet and jeans.

Off rant sorry!

The Harley question. I think it boils down to a false sense of security. They often have a mind set of I'm not going to crash I know what I'm doing. Or if I go down I'd rather die than wake up on the hospital. I ride with a lot of people and in my experience people on cruisers are more apt to drink and ride. I know not all cruiser riders are like this but its just been my experience with quite a few.

Edited May 12, 2011 by cOoTeR

[buildit]

I was just talking about this with my cruiser riding neighbor last night. He found a half face helmet along our road and wondered if it was mine because as he said, "I always see you with a helmet on". I told him it isn't mine because my helmets are always on my head when I ride.

ATGATT means when you say "OH SHIT" your ass is covered.

And as for gear: +1 mesh jacket, vented / flip face helmet and mesh gloves with built in pads. The photo of me in the lower left corner was taken in the bad lands on a 100+ degree day. I wasn't hot till we stopped moving. I really like my modular HJC helmet because when I have to stop I can lift the front open and get (more) air.

Edited May 12, 2011 by buildit

[cOoTeR]

I feel sad when pirates and squids point at me and laugh and scream "hey astronaut, are going into space, space man, helmet-wearer"

I often get called power ranger. To which I often reply yep Ill kick your ass using gymnastics. Then I point out the scuffs on it and explain that it was a wise investment since it has saved my skin already.

[Bad324]

im a selective squid. I always always always have my helmet, gloves, shift jeans and a* boots on. 90% of the time I'll wear either my textile, leather or mesh jacket depending on the weather. And sometimes like yesterday I went with no jacket because I was riding with slow people and wasn't doing anything crazy. Fun rides I always have a jacket though

[Cheech]

With all that said I would like to point out that gear is not a superman cloak. You still can get hurt while wearing it. It helps with road rash but not hard impacts. The main benefit is it makes sure a minor accident doesn't have major injuries. The reason I bring this up is a friend of mine would throw on his full gear and ride way beyond his skill level. Riding in a reckless manner he normally wouldn't ride in wearing a helmet and jeans.

Off rant sorry!

The Harley question. I think it boils down to a false sense of security. They often have a mind set of I'm not going to crash I know what I'm doing. Or if I go down I'd rather die than wake up on the hospital. I ride with a lot of people and in my experience people on cruisers are more apt to drink and ride. I know not all cruiser riders are like this but its just been my experience with quite a few.

Bears repeating. Gear's probably not going to stop that broken bone you just suffered while going down, but the lack of road rash you get will make the recovery that much more bearable.

Agreed on the drink and ride part. It's sad to go to QSL and see the Harley brummers pound beer after beer then ride home right past a sheriff, while Westerville PD pulls over every sportbike they can for temps/noise violations.

[Cheech]

I often get called power ranger. To which I often reply yep Ill kick your ass using gymnastics. Then I point out the scuffs on it and explain that it was a wise investment since it has saved my skin already.

"Listen asshole, don't make me get my giant-ass robot."

[blue03636]

Full face helmet, boots, gloves, and textile jacket. I also wear the underarmer shirts (the ones that look like a t-shirt, the tight ones would work too) under the jacket to help stay cool.

I have seen way too many pics and heard too many stories not to wear the stuff. I know some still wear the half helmets but they still don't protect your face. I know a couple that crashed that had the half helmets on and they had to go back about 15 feet to pick up his nose. Plus you never know when something may happen, hell I was hit by a car a few years ago and I'm damn glad I had my gear on.

[the_silverfox]

I often get called power ranger. To which I often reply yep Ill kick your ass using gymnastics. Then I point out the scuffs on it and explain that it was a wise investment since it has saved my skin already.

I got this remark from the manager at the Mobil station at Morse/Sunbury Rd.:

"Wearing a helmet on a motorcycle is like driving in a convertible with the top up. What's the point in doing that?"

I have yet to understand that reasoning.

[Jst2fst]

After QSL my buddy and I saw and heard some sport bikes ripping onto the high way and as usual no gear. My buddies a fire/medic and he's seen his fair share already. Yea gear cost money and some more than others but like I was told from Todd " How much is your skin worth" I ponied up and bought some textile pants for my jacket. So I now have what I need if I ever need it. Its hot and somewhat uncomfortable but you know what its a lifestyle choice we all chose and we ant to make the best out of it. Forbid that anyone of us gets hurt but knowing that we've got the right gear is a plus. I don't like the idea of no gear. Being on a motorcycle has its own hazards instead of the comfort of a cars cage. If you ride for style or status them it was never meant for you to ride in the first place.

[TheBrown57]

I always wear Leather jacket, Turtle shell helmet DOT (im gettin a windshield after last nite with all the bugs) Jeans, Boots and some times gloves always have em in my tail bag though an just unzip the jacket a little for better circulation but once the bike stops off it goes

[Uncle Punk]

I ride a sport bike and a scooter; I consider the scooter to be about the same as a cruiser without the stupid obnoxious loud fucking noise. I ride with gear when riding my sport bike and without gear when riding the scooter. I have been down on a sport bike with protective gear except jeans and had road rash everywhere on my legs. I now wear protection on my legs riding the sport bike but still wear nothing except sunglasses on the scooter. I have three sets of leathers, three sets of racing boots, four helmets, three pairs of gauntlet gloves, two sets of textile/mesh jacket/pants combos and an Alpinestars one piece Aerostich type riding suit and I use all of them depending on the weather or other varying factors. I ride the same pace on the scooter as most cruisers and have decided to assume the risks associated with no gear riding in that manner. I know there is a chance that someone might run into me but riding is dangerous no matter what and everyone accepts varying levels of risk, if mine is different than yours both of us are right.

If you are new to riding sport bikes and try to follow guys with more experience you are assuming more risk than the people who have learned how to control their bikes better even though both are wearing gear. Who has the superior moral safety stance in that situation? Trying to judge others choice about their level of risk assessment kind of stupid especially for people who ride motorcycles when there are people who think riding them is just stupid with or without gear. Mind your own business, wear and ride what and how you need to make you happy, leave others to do the same. I guarantee that the folks you see riding differently than you are enjoying their ride just as much as you are. Should people who can ride better than others think that those without the same skills shouldn’t be riding at all because they are being stupid not knowing how to handle a bike very well? Your opinion of me, what I wear, how I ride doesn’t affect you and my opinion of what you wear, how you ride shouldn’t affect you.

Leave the judging about riders to people in four wheeled vehicles.

Shut up and ride.

[blue03636]

I but still wear nothing except sunglasses on the scooter.

Nothing but sunglasses

[wht_scorpion]

Just drive fast it will cool you down No just get light riding gear

[ohdaho]

Youll see tons of ppl with no gear esp since its getting warmer and ppl have had the bikes locked up. Its not just harley riders, theres sportbike riders with backpacks wearing shorts, spaghetti straps and sandals also. They wanna look cool...

Not my cup of tea...and ill feel no remorse if they low/high side.

[Disclaimer]

im a selective squid. I always always always have my helmet, gloves, shift jeans and a* boots on. 90% of the time I'll wear either my textile, leather or mesh jacket depending on the weather. And sometimes like yesterday I went with no jacket because I was riding with slow people and wasn't doing anything crazy. Fun rides I always have a jacket though

You only wear gear because even strippers are observant enough to notice a helmet.

[Bad324]

You only wear gear because even strippers are observant enough to notice a helmet.

I've ridden a total of 3 miles without a helmet and those were the scariest 3 miles of my life

[redkow97]

I got this remark from the manager at the Mobil station at Morse/Sunbury Rd.:

"Wearing a helmet on a motorcycle is like driving in a convertible with the top up. What's the point in doing that?"

I have yet to understand that reasoning.

I'd just yell back, "my convertible is a lot harder to tip over."

as for half, or even those flip-up helmets, I have seen far too many people come back with their lid looking like this to ever wear anything but a full-face helmet.

My friend Ryan was wearing a full-face helmet and the medics still had to help him find some of his teeth. It was too large, and the chin bar hit him in the mouth. Still better than what would have happened if he'd had a half helmet on.

[Uncle Punk]

Nothing but sunglasses

It's how I get all my boyfriends! The gays love scooters.

[blue03636]

It's how I get all my boyfriends! The gays love scooters.

That's whay Jinu got a scooter

[04DayTri]

living in a college town and right off campus it is amazing to see how many kids go out and get a bike just for the looks or how many you see ridding there friends bike around wearing sandals cut offs and gym shorts. Last year i had some one ask me why i wear a helmet and my only response was why wouldnt you? his exact answer is i want the girls to be able to see my face when i ride by. I quickly shook my head and walked away

[JBWalker]

you can wear ATGATT and still be a squid. as in flying thru the air with legs and arms flapping.

[BonkerS]

you can wear ATGATT and still be a squid. as in flying thru the air with legs and arms flapping.

I'm surprised it took five pages...

[swingset]

you can wear ATGATT and still be a squid. as in flying thru the air with legs and arms flapping.

True enough, but you stand a better chance of living through it, might even learn something. Naked squids tend to end their education quickly.

I'm amazed how few people who say they wear gear neglect to wear any sort of leg protection. In every get-off I've ever had, dirt or street, my legs took a beating (or I should say the gear did). I don't consider jeans protection from anything but the sun....even if I wear draggin jeans (which isn't that often), I have knee-armor under them. That particular area has ALWAYS hit the ground hard when I've been off the bike.

[jblosser]

When it's 90+ out I still gear up; as someone else already said 'it just doesn't feel right' without it.

Yeah, it'll be hot when you first get on the bike, and when you're stopped, but once you're moving it's fine.

Sweat is moar comfortable than skin grafts.

[wht_scorpion]

Youll see tons of ppl with no gear esp since its getting warmer and ppl have had the bikes locked up. Its not just harley riders, theres sportbike riders with backpacks wearing shorts, spaghetti straps and sandals also. They wanna look cool...

Not my cup of tea...and ill feel no remorse if they low/high side.

Dam my backpack wont save me dammit I have a air bag in their that put me in a bubble