NWI INGO General Post part 16

[tv1217]

It wasn't even that, this and actually most of the incidents that get me banned have been in a closed offensive memes group where you get kicked for reporting people. Pretty sure it was just Zuckerbots.

 

[tv1217]

Aaaaand I'm being sent home from riding class and I have to reschedule. Got impatient with the other student mixed with a bit of overconfidence. Dumped it on a turn and got a little road rash on my knee and elbow. At least I don't have to pay again when/if I come back.

 

[melensdad]

Aaaaand I'm being sent home from riding class and I have to reschedule...

Dumped it on a turn and got a little road rash on my knee and elbow...

Bummer

I typically wear reinforced riding jeans or riding cargo pants. Look like casual pants but have Kevlar (or similar) liners. Expensive at $200-$300 a pair but often on sale for 1/2 price or less. Compare the cost of a visit to the ER for road rash and the price of riding jeans is dirt cheap.

I also wear an armored riding jacket. Armored mesh on hot days, armored textile with closeable air vents for cooler days. And an Arai full face helmet with intake & exhaust vents, even on hot days it vents really well.

I did an “unplanned dismount” on gravel and bounced across the ground once when I was younger. Fortunately I had a helmet on because I smacked the back of my helmet pretty hard. Regular blue jeans shred on impact with asphalt but less so on gravel. Nice case of bleeding road rash on my back and shoulder despite a long sleeve wool shirt. I had motorcycle gloves on with palm skid protectors, apparently it’s next to impossible to do a skin graft on your palms and it’s instinctive to put your hands down to (attempt to) prevent your face from impacting.

So I’m the one guy in NW Indiana out riding with all the gear, all the time.

 

[1775usmarine]

My first bike an 85 Shadow only 2 weeks of owning. Went to the gas station to fill up and instead of just cutting through I went to make the turn to the pump like a normal person. Dumped the bike at about 5mph but was lucky to of walked off the bike as it went down. It happened in slow motion and couldn't believe I didn't fall with the bike.

 

[CTC B4Z]

Riding school?

 

[tv1217]

Yep. Happened in class, go figure. It was my fault obviously, I just got impatient. I road mine around last night on the roads and maneuvering around the old Ultra parking lot in Gary near Menards when I got home until it started getting dark without incident, then I get out on the class range this morning with theirs for not much longer than an hour and this happens. Lesson learned. I need to cede control of the pace to the slower person in class when I go back.

 

[CTC B4Z]

So you are learning to ride a bike?

 

[tv1217]

Relearning sort of. Only ever road dirt bikes before.

 

[tv1217]

And Bob yeah I stopped and bought a proper armored riding jacket and more robust gloves. Probably gonna get some knee pads or riding pants too.

 

[Ballstater98]

Feel free to put this wherever you want because of saturation: https://www.shootingillustrated.com/articles/2019/9/19/colt-will-make-ar-15s-if-you-want-them/

 

[melensdad]

And Bob yeah I stopped and bought a proper armored riding jacket and more robust gloves. Probably gonna get some knee pads or riding pants too.

Oh bear in mind that I support peoples choices to ride without gear, I'm just an all gear all the time guy.

Here are some good places for gear:
https://www.revzilla.com
https://www.motorcyclecloseouts.com

FWIW, my wife and I both have FirstGear jackets. I also have a KLIM jacket. She has KLIM gloves. I have Dianese gloves. We both have Bull-it/Oxford jeans and they are, at best, "ok" quality. I also have some Rev'it pants that are amazing quality, great airflow, great waterproof, but damn expensive. I can't recommend the Bull-it stuff at all, knee pads don't stay over the knees, etc.

We looked at and tried several other brands. FirstGear is a mid-priced brand but very good quality, generally comfortable, good materials. KLIM is a high priced American brand but amazingly good stuff. Rev'it is high priced European brand but amazing quality. I don't know anyone who has tried FirstGear that complains about it. It doesn't have all the features of some of the high end brands like KLIM, Dianese or Rev'it but its got a lot of value, pretty good design, and good armor. If you want great design with lots of thoughtful little features then its hard to beat KLIM, Dianese or Rev'it brands.

I prefer supporting local retail owners rather than buying from the internet but I have not found a decent selection of gear at any shop in NWI area. Most just have lower end gear that is pretty basic with minimal selections. There is a great Honda dealer (Thompsons) in Terre Haute. Nice people with a big selection of brands from cheap up to expensive. Lake Cycle has fantastic people but the store is tiny. Calumet HD has nice people but cater to people who want basic black leather HD logo stuff that is more fashion than function and there helmet selection is pathetic. Maxim has a modest selection of wearable gear but its mostly logo stuff with more fashion than function. I'd rather have function and comfort.

Helmets are tricky. DOT is the equivalent of milspec. It is the lowest acceptable standard for military use. I strongly prefer SNELL rated helmets, they have actually safety rating. I have an Arai. My wife has an upper end HJC. Both are SNELL and DOT rated.

 

[2A_Tom]

So, you are a Concealed Rider who supports Nekid Riding?

I am still afraid of schmodor cicles since I had a minor accident many many years ago.

 

[melensdad]

So, you are a Concealed Rider who supports Nekid Riding?

I support individual rights. Open or Concealed. Nekid or protected. I support your choice.

Heck my wife has open faced and full face helmets, I support whatever!!!

 

[2A_Tom]

Changed that to Grape so It wouldn't be taken seriously.

 

[chef larry]

Friday morning.

 

[Snapdragon]

Changed that to Grape so It wouldn't be taken seriously.

​That's OK, Tom, nobody takes you seriously anyway.

 

[tv1217]

Already been wearing a full face helmet. It's a Bell, it's obviously DOT rated I'll have to look and see if there's a SNELL rating but I don't feel like going to the car to get it right now. The jacket I picked up at the Honda dealer in MC is a Joe Rocket(as are the gloves)

 

[Ballstater98]

Beto will be in GI on Monday should anyone want to visit.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/beto-o-rourke-plans-gary-visit/article_8cd69390-ac4a-5d2a-b5b9-c7c9a8f6d688.html?utm_content=buffere5d2b&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC

 

[melensdad]

Already been wearing a full face helmet. It's a Bell, it's obviously DOT rated I'll have to look and see if there's a SNELL rating but I don't feel like going to the car to get it right now. The jacket I picked up at the Honda dealer in MC is a Joe Rocket(as are the gloves)

I don't think anything from Bell has a Snell rating, with the possible exception of their top of the line helmet. Last time I looked, which was about a month ago, I didn't see any of their main line helmets with Snell ratings. Understand that those little pot helmets that some HD riders wear, which have no actual protection, no padding, etc are DOT approved. So if those helmets have passed DOT approval you know that other helmets rated by DOT have little to no chance of protecting you. One of the impact protection tests the DOT does to pass helmets is fatal to humans, so there is that too!

Joe Rocket has some good basic stuff. Its mostly beginner gear with lower levels of protection but its a good place to start and its a huge advancement over not wearing anything. They keep costs down so you don't get fancy features but you typically still get Level 1 elbow and shoulder armor. Check your back pad, sometimes its just a pad, sometimes its impact armor. If its just a pad, you can upgrade it to armor (If you only have a 'pad' instead of 'armor' in the back of your jacket I think I may have an extra piece of back 'armor' laying around here somewhere I'd be happy to give to you) because they are inserted into a pocket and typically secured by velcro. As long as your back pad is not sewn into place and is in a pocket with a velcro closure then your pad is upgradeable. If you have armor, then you are already in great shape.

Armor is either Level 1 or Level 2. 2 takes more impact than 1. There are also foam pads, that have no rating. The deal with 'armor' is that it spreads an impact over a wide surface to minimize injury. Foam is just soft and squishy and makes you think you have some protection but does nothing. Some armor works at the molecular level and turns rigid upon impact, others is just really dense padding that absorbs impact. Either way, look for an impact rating.

 

[2A_Tom]

​That's OK, Tom, nobody takes you seriously anyway.

FTFY

Beto will be in GI on Monday should anyone want to visit.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/beto-...l&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=LEEDCC

If anyone is going to show up I could use a ride. I had to go to his site to find out it is on Monday the 23rd.