Motorcycle Riders?

[tv1217]

That was in a Shadow group. Sport bikes/makes/cafe racers of course have their subset of idiot riders who will go out in shorts and flip-flops, but I've noticed it's far more the norm to be geared up but cruisers are the exact opposite, it's normal to have a garbage or no helmet and zero or minimal protective gear

 

[melensdad]

That was in a Shadow group. Sport bikes/makes/cafe racers of course have their subset of idiot riders who will go out in shorts and flip-flops, but I've noticed it's far more the norm to be geared up but cruisers are the exact opposite, it's normal to have a garbage or no helmet and zero or minimal protective gear

Yup I notice the same thing.

800# bikes, often costing $20,000+, dressed out in lots of add-on chrome, but wear zero protective gear. My barber is one of those guys.

Told me helmets are hot, I told him to open the vents, he said he didn't have vents, didn't even have air channels on the inside of his helmet, turns out he has a $49 brain pot that is like wrapping his head in saran wrap, of course its hot!

Has a stereo that you can hear 2 blocks away over his loud pipes. My stereo is inside my helmet. Hmmm.

Was trying do decide on a new hot weather jacket. Getting my new KLIM Induction Pro mesh jacket today. Looks at Rev'it Tornado 3 and a couple others, ultimately the airflow and the protection of the new Induction Pro won me over.

The Induction Pro is a CE 'AA' certified garment. Most garments are not CE certified in the USA, but mislead consumers because they use CE pads. CE pads are great but if the garment tears you end up bloody.

 

[tv1217]

I was wearing the First Manufacturing Turbine jacket during my accident which is perforated leather and it's actually cooler than my riding jeans. I'd still have it if the EMTs hadn't cut it off, you could barely tell it was in a crash otherwise. I put level two elbow and shoulder armor in the new one I bought. Maybe I still would've broken my arm if I'd had them in the first but idk how I landed.

 

[melensdad]

I was wearing the First Manufacturing Turbine jacket during my accident which is perforated leather and it's actually cooler than my riding jeans. I'd still have it if the EMTs hadn't cut it off, you could barely tell it was in a crash otherwise. I put level two elbow and shoulder armor in the new one I bought. Maybe I still would've broken my arm if I'd had them in the first but idk how I landed.

That is the thing, you never really know! I am actually more worried about the SLIDE + TUMBLE than the IMPACT

Moto gear does a great job of protecting you in slides, rolls, tumbles.

Impact is always going to hurt and CE 1 or 2 level armor will help, may save a limb, may reduce damage, may eliminate injury. Impact the ground may hurt less than impacting a tree or a bridge

Of course impact with a car and all bets are off because there are so many variables, best hope is what you had, where you are thrown from the bike rather than crushed by the vehicle. I kinda figure that at age 60 if I get hit by a car then I'm not going to bounce back too quickly.

 

[tv1217]

From the police report, it sounds like the bike impacted the vehicle at which point I became a bird for a brief moment and then the planet tried to give me a hug and I'm thinking that's where the break came from.

 

[melensdad]

From the police report, it sounds like the bike impacted the vehicle at which point I became a bird for a brief moment and then the planet tried to give me a hug and I'm thinking that's where the break came from.

Maybe next time plan to land on a soft bush? Or perhaps launch through the window of a mattress store and land on a TempurPedic?

 

[KokomoDave]

That was in a Shadow group. Sport bikes/makes/cafe racers of course have their subset of idiot riders who will go out in shorts and flip-flops, but I've noticed it's far more the norm to be geared up but cruisers are the exact opposite, it's normal to have a garbage or no helmet and zero or minimal protective gear

That's me. No brain bucket or nuthin. I have a compacture in C5 thru T1. I am not allowed to wear a helmet. I figure I'm dead if I get in a wreck anyhoo so I may as well go out comfortably. Dad had closed casket funeral. I ain't even doing that! No visitation. No service.

 

[melensdad]

Rode out of the garage today in the FirstGear Rush AIR jacket. Rode home in the KLIM Induction Pro jacket.

I'm a fan of FirstGear, pretty good stuff, modest-priced, lots of features, decent materials. But 90 minutes wearing the FirstGear Rush AIR jacket and I was hot. It was comfortable at 40mph and above, but despite its light weight and large amounts of mesh, I was still riding in 90+(F) temps and high humidity.

Pulled into my buddy's house for about 15 minutes, but before I left I switched to the KLIM Induction Pro and immediately noticed a significantly greater amount of airflow! WOW. This was my first ride with it and I wanted to do a back-to-back comparison between the 2 jackets during one ride.

The arms on the KLIM are about 75% mesh with textile on the elbows and shoulders. The arms on the FG jacket are about 50% mesh/50% textile. 70+% body of the the KLIM Induction Pro is mesh. The FG is textile up the sides and across the shoulders, so probably about 60% mesh/40% textile. Basically the KLIM Induction Pro is mesh except around the waistband, the elbows & the shoulders and small reinforced areas on the sides.

When I bought the FirstGear Rush Air it had some of the best mesh coverage I could find, ICON's MESH AF jacket is more mesh but there is a video of a guy doing a low speed crash in the Icon MESH AF jacket and it shredded so I opted to avoid that jacket. Both the FirstGear and the ICON use a non-structural mesh. The KLIM uses a mesh that is abrasion resistant.

Quite a noticeable difference in the the airflow between the KLIM and the FirstGear.

Don't get me wrong, sunshine, 90(F) + humid is miserable unless you have air flowing so the KLIM is not magic in stop & go traffic, but on the road it has noticeably more airflow. I'm pretty happy.

 

[melensdad]

 

[tv1217]

ICON is just Joe Rocket with better seamstresses as far as I can tell.

 

[tv1217]

That's me. No brain bucket or nuthin. I have a compacture in C5 thru T1. I am not allowed to wear a helmet. I figure I'm dead if I get in a wreck anyhoo so I may as well go out comfortably. Dad had closed casket funeral. I ain't even doing that! No visitation. No service.

Don't get me wrong, I understand there are gonna be those like you where gear can be a hindrance but there's a lot of false bravado among cruiser riders thinking they're somehow better for not wearing it. They're the same guys who say sports bikes "ain't a real bike" despite being immensely more capable of doing bike things like being fast and leaning in a turn.

 

[KokomoDave]

I've had some fast bikes like my KZ700 with Yoshimura Pro exhaust, GPZ750 turbo and a great XT500 with White Brothers exhaust and K&N air cleaner. I ride a Harley Fat Bob cruiser. I'm just an old grandpop so no more white knuckle rides. I've had enough.

 

[JettaKnight]

Don't get me wrong, I understand there are gonna be those like you where gear can be a hindrance but there's a lot of false bravado among cruiser riders thinking they're somehow better for not wearing it. They're the same guys who say sports bikes "ain't a real bike" despite being immensely more capable of doing bike things like being fast and leaning in a turn.

I look at some sport bike riders and think, "I'd be on the ground if I did that on my bike."

There a bike for every rider; and that's really great. Capitalism FTW.


And while I can't look down on a different bike, I can't help but look at some riders and think, "you're riding that not because it's best for you, but because you want to fit in."

 

[KG1]

Kinda envy you guys. My motorcycle riding days are relegated to where my two wheel memories take me now.

Bad back, bad knee, left hip is pretty much bone on bone. I ain’t one to complain much though.

Used to ride HD’s from hard tails to soft tails. Triumph’s, Honda’s, Yamaha’s, Kawasaki’s Everything from dirt bikes to cruisers to sport bikes.

About the the only thing I’ll be riding in the foreseeable future is a little rascal scooter.

I’m gonna tear that bitch up though while I reminisce about the good old days.

Happy two wheel motoring fellas. Stay safe and enjoy it while you still can.

 

[cbhausen]

Some of the bikes I’ve owned:

Honda Interceptor 250
Honda Hurricane 1000
Yamaha FZR1000
Suzuki SV650
Kawasaki KLR650
Honda Valkyrie

I’ve been very fortunate. I’ve had a couple of anxious moments but the only time I’ve ever dropped a bike was in my driveway, taking the Hurricane off the center stand after washing it and slipping on wet blacktop.

That having been said, I’m on the verge of buying either a 2021 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport ES DCT or a Honda NC750 X DCT. This will be the first brand new bike I’ve owned in about 20 years. I’m 57 now, blessed with good health and beautiful 5 year old twins (son and daughter). I don’t need or want to go fast, I just want a comfortable, versatile bike that will scratch whatever itch (within reason) I might have at the moment. Something that will get me 15 to 20 miles each way back-and-forth to work comfortably on the interstate or alternate back road routes while still allowing me to explore a trail or take the occasional longer ride or do the occasional poker run. I’ve always been a Honda fan so I’m strongly leaning that way right now, especially with the DCT gearbox.

 

[melensdad]

Some of the bikes I’ve owned:

. . . I’m on the verge of buying either a 2021 Honda Africa Twin Adventure Sport ES DCT or a Honda NC750 X DCT. . . I’m strongly leaning that way right now, especially with the DCT gearbox.

You and I have had the bike discussion. And the DCT discussion.

I'll just add, one more time, DCT is magic.

 

[semperfi211]

Wait! You don't have a costume?

View attachment 142840

You can get the kit. I think it also comes with a get back whip for the bike.

 

[melensdad]

Even the Vikings wore helmets when they raped & pillaged England.

Funny helmet video from Denmark.

 

[Ark]

The other day I saw a dude riding a sport bike on I-69 wearing vans, sweatpants, a worn out hoodie, and no helmet. I think tipping over at a stoplight would have gotten him an ambulance ride.

 

[BugI02]

I look at some sport bike riders and think, "I'd be on the ground if I did that on my bike."

There a bike for every rider; and that's really great. Capitalism FTW.


And while I can't look down on a different bike, I can't help but look at some riders and think, "you're riding that not because it's best for you, but because you want to fit in."

Think of it as you and the laws of physics taking the point