How to be safe/visible (and look cool doing it)?

So I'm new to riding and as I'm telling friends and family that I'm buying a bike (which is actually primarily for moral/environmental/energy consumption reasons) I'm getting DOUSED with conversations like this:

me: "Hey, I've found a bike I think I'm going to get. It's a 1974 CB450."
friend: "my friend's friend [DIED / WAS PARALYZED / FELL OFF / WRECKED] their motorcycle!"
me: "yes, I know they can be dangerous, but I'm not a thrill seeker, and I'll have my car for when it rains too hard, etc..."
friend: "yeah, but those things are DANGEROUS!"

And ad nauseum.

So, I've pretty much given up trying to convince my friends and family that I'm going to be safe, but at the same time, I do want to be safe - or as safe as I can be.

To that end, what do you guys do to be safe? Obviously not riding like an idiot is one thing, but it seems that the biggest threat is cars, not seeing/ignoring you. What do you do to make sure you're seen? And how do you do it without looking like a goon?

I've decided I want a full-face helmet; does anybody have suggestions for vintage-y styled full face?

I'm also looking at spinal protection - is there stuff out there that could fit under a jacket? Like maybe sewn in or something?

Also, hi - I'm new here.

welcome i have a 1972 cb450 and love it, even though i have not gotten to ride it yet, winter project and its not done yet, but does run ;D

be prepared to get the "motorcycles are dangerous" every time you talk to a Dr. or nurse too, and when you talk to someone who doesnt ride motorcycles, yes they are dangerous obviously but thats half the fun ;D

as for gear, for a full face helmet/lid i wear an icon helmet i got from newenough.com it doesnt look very cafe racer like but i dont care, it cost me less than $100 for old skool cafe full face helmets look into finding a simpson bandit helmet

as far as jackets, i wear a vintage bristol golden crown, that i bought from loco leon, it is dead sexy but has no armor
so i bought a dainese back protector that fits under a jacket, i bought a used one locally for $50 but new they are $100 + check out kneedraggers.com for dianese gear, an alpinestars back protector would have been my second choice, check out ebay too, just search for dainese back protector or alpinestars back protector

a motorcycle jacket should fit too, not too loose or too tight, just an fyi

gloves are a must for me, i wear a pair of icon gloves that i cant remember what they are called but they are like the timax gloves without the metal, i have had them for a couple of years and they have held up fine, i bought them at my local motorcycle shop, try them on at a motorcycle shop than check new enough for there price and ask if the local motorcycle shop will price match, the same thing goes for the helmet too

i am bad about not wearing boots whilst riding, i would need to put on socks and i hate socks, but i would suggest wearing leather boots that are at least ankle high, no i dont wear flip flops whilst riding, i wear shoes, i have 2 pair of leather boots one pair are 10 eye steel toe doc martens

i like to be heard whilst riding too, if people hear a loud bike they might look around and see you, but its no guarantee

does the cb450 your looking at run and have a title ?

most motorcycle shops will let you try on gear, helmets, gloves, jackets, but i like to ask before i try on the gear

welcome!
i like to assume every driver is an asshole or oblivious ... so i drive around them like they're going to always cut me off...etc..
and just check your bike is safe to ride.. not just lights and brakes.. but things lke your kickstand is up and loose parts...:

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=6965.0

i dont wear leather pants (yet) so i wouldn't be one to advise you on what you should wear that would look cool.... funny that there was just many recent posts on gear and safety.. just surf the board some more and you'll find tons of neat gear you can potentially get that will be safer than a tshirt and jeans with sneakers . (although it's fun to ride like that too.. bad me!)

http://dotheton.com/index.php?topic=6991.0

are you in toronto?

Right now i'm rockin the Momo Fighter helmet in matte yellow. definitely cool and definitely visible. Im thinking of getting one in black tho, so it might be up for grabs

For safety and Comfort, I went with the Shoei X-11 helmet and the Icon Motorhead Jacket. Both are black, so not very visible. For visibility, LED's in the turn signals, brake / tail light, and accent around the bike.

Visibility:
My bike is bright orange and very loud. I have led signals but I always use my hand signals too.

Protection:
Don't go for that retro style with your helmet. Get a snell approved full face helmet; there are plenty of cool looking ones. you can get a rocketjoe jacket with armor plates in it; this is the one I'm making my little bro' get.

tell your friends/family cars are dangerous too, and it's the cars that make it so dangerous to ride a bike. avoid heavy trafic, don't speed, always leave youself a way out, wheelies are cool endos are retarded and when it comes down to it never trust your brakes to keep you out of an acident: SWERVE!

I've been doing this for a long time...
I start every season like it was my first, a few shakedown rides 'white knuckled' focused on what scares me most ...DRIVERS in cages. after that, auto pilot... can't explain it, I'll call it 'passive'...except for the speeding.
Don't ride a bike with ANY bugs or problems... if you fiddle with that loose jacket in the bungee net, you WILL run off the road and hit a fence post just like my father in law. stay focused on DRIVERS, not bike 'fits and niggles.'

couple things I keep in mind.....
1. Wear all the equipment, all the time ...equip varies a lot, you can lighten up sometimes
2. Everyone wants to kill you.


Want to look cool?.... just ride your motorcycle, you will be cool. Your style will follow. Don't be a poser-- not cool.
Dangerous? I tell concerned friends... excitement and fear are the same thing, fear just pumps a tad more adrinline.

get that thing on the road ... enjoy it.

lovehertz said:

are you in toronto?

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Nope, Seattle. Are most people here from Toronto?

andrew embassy said:

Nope, Seattle. Are most people here from Toronto?

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Only the cold ones.

No - at this point we're the minority, although it was Noel and I who started the site up back a couple years ago to support the local scene and make it easier to arrange group rides etc.

It sort of took off from there. Funny how these things go.

Oh, to be seen I strap a naked blow-up doll to my back and ride around. I get plenty of attention.

Tim said:

No - at this point we're the minority, although it was Noel and I who started the site up back a couple years ago to support the local scene and make it easier to arrange group rides etc.

It sort of took off from there. Funny how these things go.

Oh, to be seen I strap a naked blow-up doll to my back and ride around. I get plenty of attention.

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i think this summer will be the best ever.

Here...
This is how you get seen...

[youtube=425,350]Xnt78zn5RGw[/youtube]

or... pulled over rather...

locO leoN said:

Here...
This is how you get seen...

[youtube=425,350]Xnt78zn5RGw[/youtube]

or... pulled over rather...

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or be considered a questionable individual....

I wear a full face Arai, Proper gloves (currently Joe-Rocket with proper leather and knuckle protection) and a full leather jacket with armor. I also wear synthetic pants when riding to work and such..

Considering I was down wearing this stuff and slammed into a truck (not what Saucer did to me). The only weakness was a set of crappy gloves i had on that split.

Buy a good helment, buy good gloves, by a good jacket. /story.

And yes, i would like to see LH in leather pants

When I was run over a few years ago, I was wearing a quarter helmet, shorts, t-shirt, and sambas. My skin and face showed it There gear is worth it.

ha ha ha that is nothing man! here is how we do it Lite Em Up Style! Hit me with any questions... i also have video
I do LED kits all the time... they are legal if they are done right (depending on your area as well)

http://www.g-max.com/gmax/gm68s.html#

If you like to have lots of air flow through your helmet, but still want full face protection, try the GMAX helmet. My matte black helmet is super comfortable, which is vital, as it encourages you to wear it all the time. And it's got leds that flash on the back of the vents!


http://shopping.scorpionusa.com/C55D9C025BA44D11A3713BF0D546303C.asp?cat_id=FBF05AC4DB8843C1B0FF76893F5540D5&pcs_key=8A4CDFC305E944D6BE255AFF582B04DF&retpage=%2FF4BD78EED51D4762989F1184B1165B96.asp&nm=Solid+200&spath=Home+%3E+Equipment+%3E+Street+Helmets&path=Home+%3E+Equipment+%3E+Street+Helmets&sc_id=950F370F6D60427A8B6DCF501152DD13

If you like a more open helmet, this is my first helmet, and I can't say enough great things about scorpion helmets. This helmet has a removable visor, and I popped on a dark smoke windscreen, and it was spot on. Try on as many different helmets as you can. You'll be suprised to find out that each manufacturer has a different shape. Not all heads are created equal.

Helmets are optional here in Ohio after your first full year of riding. Not for me, I'll wear one all the time thanks, as the cagers here are straight up RETARDED. Know the law in your area. I see rookies all the time with no helmet. That's an easy ticket for a bored cop.

Dress for the slide, not the ride. That means that flip flops are not suitable foot protection. Any jacket is better than no jacket. I can't tell you how much a grasshopper hurts when it smacks into your fingers at highway speeds, wear gloves. Statistics show that the jaw is VERY vulnerable in a crash. If you've ever slipped on the ice while walking and bonked your head, imagine what that's like at speed. With a big greasy metal thing falling over on your leg. With big metal things screaching tires to avoid you. Besides, do you really want your family feeding you through a tube?

Accidents happen. Bizarre circumstances happen. Pay attention, wear your gear, and ride as if every car is trying to kill you. You'll be suprised how much you see when you are concerned with what others could do to you. Think of some of the weird things that have happened in front of you in your cage and then visualize how you would have handled dodging that cement block that fell out of the back of a truck as it's going around the corner. And visit youtube and type in motorcycle accident. They have many films of what NOT to do on a motorcycle.... A great training tool, IMHO.

Good Luck. Stay safe.

loudest143

CaTacl1sm said:

Right now i'm rockin the Momo Fighter helmet in matte yellow. definitely cool and definitely visible. Im thinking of getting one in black tho, so it might be up for grabs

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how much will you let it go for??

figure about 225+shipping? 4 benjamins new. Its a Large (59-60cm), with a helmet bag and the original box.

Here is somehting no one said yet, Take the MSF course, it is the best start to biking you will ever get. Advice from other riders is good too, but the instruction in a closed course with people who have been riding and surviving for 20 + years is priceless. All gear all the time is important too. I have a freind who dumped at 20KM an hour and was wearing shorts, he was moving his bike from his place to his dads to change the oil and hit a sand pile, need a skin graph on his leg and it took for ever to heal. As for cost, Bikebandit.com has closeout sales on gear that are as much as 80% off. I scored an awsome Snell approved full face for my wife for 47.00 plus shipping, had to get blue cause it was the only color in her size but it was a 275+ helmet last year. It is way nicer than my lid. Also Ebay is great, I just scored a Joe Rocket jacket, full armour back shoulders elbows for 55.00 shipped, I tried on the exact same one at the local bike dealer and it was on sale for 250.00. My advice is the same as some others, try it on someplace to know what size fits you in what brand then shop online at some of the sites and get it for way less.

Cheers,

PS, I was told I would never ride a bike so long as my parents lived, but I went out and got one after moving out and maturing a bit and it is the best stress relief/fun I have ever had, wish I did it 10 years sooner. AS crazy as traffic etc. is and how alert you have to be, the feeling of riding still destresses me and gives me a high better than any drug.

+ 1 to everyone who has responded! Good advice on gear! 8)

One other thing about riding. Be REALLY careful approaching intersections!! Some time ago a study was done by Dr. Hurt (no joke!) and I believe his study found that around 80% of accidents involving cars and bikes, happened in intersections. For some reason, car and truck drivers have a difficult time seeing bikes. I try to position myself around other drivers/riders as I approach and ride through all intersections. If that's not possible, be on high alert!!

Cheers!