When friends ask advice to ignore it

AndrewDoesHair

Been Around the Block
I ask about this here because I'm new to having people ask me for bike advice, as I'm relatively new to bikes myself. Been on two wheels for the past 2 and a half years and watching friends pick it up now, too. But this one guy in particular worries me! On one hand, he's an adult and not my kid or anything, but on the other hand, he looked up to me for advice on the stuff up until I told him to get a safe helmet and jacket. The guy literally asked "why do people wear boots when they ride? I'm just gonna wear my vans..." And I just googled a picture of someone's foot without skin to show him. I even offered to pay for his MSF course because he was like "I'll probably do that eventually, after I'm riding for a while..."

I mostly ride with old guys, the ones who wear all the gear every time, and say things like "dress for the slide, not for the ride" and "I'd rather sweat than bleed!" When I got my first motorbike a few years ago I wanted to look cool, and didn't think about safety, but was lucky enough to have mentors pound that out of my head with these kinds of sayings, and then it really stuck after I laid the bike down the second time.

So this kid wants to buy a $25 spray painted 3/4 helmet off of Craig's list, and wear a denim vest with vans and sunglasses because he sees Instagram pics of guys on choppers doing that. If you were in my position would you continue to beat the dead safety horse, or just wait to hear about his first crash and say "I told you so" when he's the coolest looking guy in the hospital?
 
unfortunately you cant fix stupid :( good onya for caring,but i suggest you just let it go,
nature will take it's course
personally i would not ride with an fool like that
 
If someone asks me a question on safety type gear I give them an answer but could care less if they followed it. Its a personal choice what someone wears or doesn't wear, I wouldn't want someone nagging on me. Also, its all relative. You probably wear good gear but then there are people out there that wear much better stuff with more protection than yours and wonder why you are not wearing it. I wear a good full helmet with good armored jacket, gloves and boots but have yet to get a good pair of pants, so I'm sure there are guys that wonder what in the hell I'm doing riding with just jeans on. I wouldn't want anyone to continually preach this to me.
 
Please don't take this the wrong way as I don't know your story but I'm not sure I'd take riding advice period from someone who has layed a bike down twice in a few years. Just wouldnt as they havent really proven they have it figured out either...again dont know your story so not meant personally.

As far as safety gear goes I think a lot of it is relative...there are days I ride with full face helmet, armor and boots, but there are also days I cruise around in a tshirt and loafers. All depends on the type of riding I plan on doing. I'm aware a car can pull out in front of me at anytime but I would wager that every single rider on this forum who has rode more than two years has ridden there bike in the same manner. If your friend is embracing the "lifestyle" then maybe he really only needs basic cruising safety gear. I'd personally try to continue to be a good example and hope he picks up on it over time.
 
I think you're an idiot for riding in shirtsleeves, and my wife thinks I'm a moron because I wear jeans without over pants. Risk thresholds vary.
 
My mother thinks I'm an idiot no matter what I wear.


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There is absolutely no justification for riding in a t shirt and loafers.

try this, put on your "casual" riding gear. now sprint as hard as you can, get up to speed and do your impression of a guy sliding into home plate. try it face first, try it feet first.

how did that feel? Now try at least doubling the speed. Humans sprint at about 10-15mph. fastest sprint recorded is about 25mph.

oh yeah, throw in a nice sign post/parked car/moving car/bus stop just for accuracy sake.
 
i get a kick out of riders that won't wear gear when it is hot ,because it is too hot
now granted i am lucky and ride in a low humidity region but when it is 90+ out it is far cooler to ride with proper vented/mesh gear and some dampened underclothes
than to ride in tank top, shorts and flip flops(which is very common riding gear around here)
in fact is is darn chilly at times on a hot day
 
Proof it's all relative. Luckily we are all responsible for our own level of risk :) I personally think ppl who ride without a helmet or even those who just use a brain bucket are idiots. Yet those same guys wear full leathers with riding boots and gloves. Relative.
 
xb33bsa said:
i get a kick out of riders that won't wear gear when it is hot ,because it is too hot
now granted i am lucky and ride in a low humidity region but when it is 90+ out it is far cooler to ride with proper vented/mesh gear and some dampened underclothes
than to ride in tank top, shorts and flip flops(which is very common riding gear around here)
in fact is is darn chilly at times on a hot day

I would agree with this on extended rides at higher speeds....however if I'm just running down to the store for beer...tshirt it is...
 
gijoe13844 said:
if I'm just running down to the store for beer...tshirt it is...

I always feel profoundly vulnerable if I ride bare armed. I keep imagining a simple fall grating my flesh off to the bone. I have a goat skin leather shirt that I wear up to about 90 F.

The last time I went down on a bike, I was 17. I hope that it continues to be the last time. However, I still feel more comfortable with protection.
 
Riding bare skinned in hot weather also subjects you to rapid dehydration, as the sweat evaporates quickly, allows the sun to heat the skin more, causing more rapid perspiration. Same reason the Middle East wears all those robes. Proper gear protects you from direct heating by sun, as well as controls the rate of evaporation of your sweat.
 
deviant said:
My mother thinks I'm an idiot no matter what I wear.


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You could sell her the bike for $1850 and make a poignant short film about it
 
About four years ago I high sided my first GT1000. It was completely totaled and I broke some body parts on myself as well. I had on a Arai helmet, Scorpion mesh jacket with armor and riding gloves. I hit mostly on my right shoulder about four times. If I wouldn't have had the gear on I would seriously be fucked up or dead! I had on jeans and my knees got scraped pretty bad The mesh jacket was shredded but did okay. The Arai profile most likely saved my life! BTW I was having fun around a curve and a car was stopped in the road. Guard rails on the right, on coming traffic and no way out. I used the brakes the best I could and high sided. So yeah I wear my helmet. I dont like my eyes getting dried out anyway, so the shield is pretty nice too! My.02
 
its better to be dead and cool than alive and uncool ,that's why I only ever wear my white Elvis rine stone suit with the cape when I ride I never wear a helmet as I don't want my hair getting messed up .

I don't care what anybody else wears if the crash while rideing like an idiot showing off to people who couldn't care less its not my skull that's going to get caved in like a hard boiled egg that's being hit hard with a spoon cos they got no helmet on . its not my hips elbows shoulders ankles or hands that are going to get ripped up ground down and full of gravel and maybe need skin grafts and weeks in hospital and a big hospital bill . ;)
 
Just last night I saw a buddy who wrecked his bike. Went to another Mates Daughters Graduation party and John made it a point to get out of the Nursing Home to come... I helped his wife unload him from the SUV and into a wheel chair. Even though I had spoke to him on the phone a couple times, none of had seen him since he went down.
Two broken wrists and a broken ankle... but surprising NOT A BIT of road rash! John rides an Electra Glide but isn't consumed by the Harley "biker" stigma. He had on gear, full face helmet, gloves, boots, the works. He was in great spirit and glad to be there. Without the use of either hand, crutches for the bum leg are out of the question, so he is kinda screwed at the moment and needs help with even the most minor task. Monday it will have been 4 weeks and he goes to the Doc to see if he can bare weight on anything and might get to go home.
There were several other riders there last night including myself. He kept stressing all night how lucky he was and how his gear certainly saved him a lot longer recovery, more pain, and quite possibly his life. Two of them ride in T-sirts and Do-Rags and you could tell they weren't taking it to heart.
When the night was done, I helped his wife load him into the SUV and rode along to the nursing home where I unloaded him and wheeled him to his room. We talked about how some people will never get it.
John said quite pointedly "Fuck them, I did my part!". There you have it.
 
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