Idiots in T-shirts and shorts.

I'm obviously making my point badly as most people don't get it.

Right, I'll try from another angle.

Most of you are saying that only idiots dont wear protective clothing because in the event of an accident the injuries will be worse.

So whats your response when a mate or someone in your office, or a high profile politician, says that only idiots ride bikes, because in the event of an accident the injuries are far more serious than in a car.

ie. you thankfully have the right to accept that risk, and the further we go down the road of closing off rights, the sooner the day comes when bikes themselves are deemed to be an unacceptable risk.

It seems to be a british phenomenon of being all uptight about safety. Ride in europe and you'll see the locals in a whole mixture of clothing. Most wear leathers when going for a proper hoon, but 'dress down' for more social riding......probably all idiots though
 
MrLOL said:
Spare a thought for the poor paramedic that gets a call to your road rash incident, the car driver behind you who has to witness it and call the ambulance.

The A&E staff that have to treat you.

Should it be fatal, the poor police officer that has to make the call round to your mum / wife and tell them that your dead.

Dont be fooled into the typical biker way of thinking that killing yourself on a bike effects nobody but yourself.
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I would imagine an off'd biker in any state isnt a pretty site, nor is a 5 car pile up or a run over pedestrian or crushed in car where the driver is dead before the cars even stopped..

Its not just local to biking
 
Souleh said:
I would imagine an off'd biker in any state isnt a pretty site, nor is a 5 car pile up or a run over pedestrian or crushed in car where the driver is dead before the cars even stopped..

Its not just local to biking
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skid along the ground at 30mph with raw skin and it wont be a pretty sight.

do it with full leathers and you get up and curse that you scuffed your bike and leathers. thats the difference leathers can make.

Sagalout said:
I'm obviously making my point badly as most people don't get it.

Right, I'll try from another angle.

Most of you are saying that only idiots dont wear protective clothing because in the event of an accident the injuries will be worse.
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i get your point, i just disagree.

The state has a duty to protect its citizens, through the use of legislation. This is why its a legal requirement to wear a helmet, and a legal requirement to wear a seatbelt in car.

Clearly the line must be drawn somewhere, because the safest way to travel by car, would be at a max speed of 30mph, mandatory wearing of nomex firepoorf FIA spec suits, crash helmelts, full roll cages, FIA spec puncture proof fuel tanks etc..

You cant wrap everybody up in cotton wool, a line has to be drawn somewhere.

I just think that line should be drawn further up the "state controlled" river than you do :)
 
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Personally I disagree with legislation to force bikers to wear full equipment, but I do think riding in anything other than full equipment is retarded.

When I see people in shorts and t-shirts I couldn't care less, chances are they'll eventually come off for one reason or another and be in excruciating pain, that's their choice.

Oddly I find other things far more annoying, I used to see a girl riding a moped on my way home from work, she had proper boots, helmet, jacket and trousers but no gloves, just seemed really silly...
 
I’m not going to argue for or against wearing full protection on a bike, much as I detest those who don’t properly kit up (mainly because I feel they are being selfish in the event they were to crash – aforementioned impact to healthcare etc), you cannot change someone’s attitude; only them experiencing the pain of an accident will get them to change. My own experience though:

Last year I lost the front of the R1 at 60 on a right-hand bend, I low-sided off of the bike and slid on my chest for a few split seconds before instincts kicked in and I dragged my hands from underneath me and out in front – I slid for a couple of hundred yards.

When I came to a halt the only immediate pain I had was in both hands, specifically the pinkie fingers, after moving the bike out of the way and to the side of the road, I was able to take stock of my injuries – both fingers felt broken to me, but that was it; my leathers had taken the full brunt of the accident!

Unfortunately where instinct was to put my hands out, the leather had gripped resulting in a spiral break to the right pinkie finger and tendon damage to the left – the former was repaired in October last year with the aid of screws.

Just looking at the damage to my leathers makes me thankful I’m not in the minority who refuse to kit up (for whatever reason), as I would have been looking at some very nasty injuries if I hadn’t been wearing protection, and rather than getting up, dusting myself off and cursing that I had crashed, I’d probably have been laying in the road bleeding heavily from multiple wounds...
 
This thread seems to have gone way off track. I though the thread was about wearing proper biking gear, be it textiles or leathers, as oppose to T-shirts and Shorts.
 
Seeing people in shorts and tee shirts I get the same feeling as seeing someone smoking, it's their choice and eventually it'll catch up with you, maybe it will maybe it won't but neither are illegal and both cost 'the country' money when it all goes wrong.

Personally I put on leather trousers with armour, a waterproof wiesse jacket with armour, motocross boots, leather gloves with cf protection and a lid on every time I commute but if I need a drill bit from homebase or a loaf of bread it's easier to park the park, quicker and I don't put all that on only the lid and gloves, you weigh up the risk vs the reward
 
maccapacca said:
Seeing people in shorts and tee shirts I get the same feeling as seeing someone smoking, it's their choice and eventually it'll catch up with you, maybe it will maybe it won't but neither are illegal and both cost 'the country' money when it all goes wrong.

Personally I put on leather trousers with armour, a waterproof wiesse jacket with armour, motocross boots, leather gloves with cf protection and a lid on every time I commute but if I need a drill bit from homebase or a loaf of bread it's easier to park the park, quicker and I don't put all that on only the lid and gloves, you weigh up the risk vs the reward
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And DAMN that drill bit was a sweet reward :p

I saw some guy at t'petrol station the other day on a ZX9R and I notice sandles, shorts, t-shirt and just think "fool". Whilst I can see the benefits of making it mandatory to wear leather/textiles (the costs to tax payer are all I give a crap about, suffering and agony is up to the rider) I also agree that it's one more control being exerted over the population, which I think is a bad thing if it goes too far (what is too far?).

I don't know about you interneters but with people I know there is often despair at new legislation for health and safety, be it in the workplace or in that scary world we live in. In my office you get told off if you don't hold the hand rail on stairs, or have the audacity to walk across the car park.

Does anybody think that if you're stupid enough to eat that packet of peanuts because it doesn't state "warning: contains nuts", or ... damn I can't think of any more examples... then you deserve what you get (I suppose death is cheaper than fixing someone)?

NB: I didn't think too much about this post, it may or may not make sense and I bear no responsibility for its content, inferences, insults or winning lottery numbers.
 
Souleh said:
You mention leathers instead of protection equipment..

Is it your intention to make every rider get tailored up for a race suit?
have you seen the price of leathers? I ride in textiles which wont last as good as leathers, no doubt.

Does your legislation mean ill have to fork out 500-1000 on leathers?
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You need to re read the thread chap, either that or you are trolling, which is why I have reported your post.

Put in a decent argument, not spark fires.

ags
 
MrLOL said:
a similar precedent is set that you have spend a lot to have a properly approved bike helmet

Its like crying you cant afford the cost of insurance, tax and petrol.

Tough luck. Rules are rules.
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You wana hear an even more stupid law.

I ride a hayabusa trike and dont even have to wear a crash helmet :eek: to top it off unless you passed a bike test before 2001 you need a car licence.

And just to go 1 better it can be riden on a provisional car licence , yet if you have been riding bike's for the last 9 year's you cant ride it :confused:
 
agnes said:
At the end of the day, anyone wearing nothing does not get a nod from me, I will simply shake my head knowing that one day, they won't be going home in one piece.
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This. Time makes fools of us all, but I'll do all I can to stay safe as possible. Including as much advanced riding tuition as I can get my hands on.
 
I've only seen one or two in the past but recently I'm seeing a lot. I blame the popularity of vids from Americans online who hardly ever seem to wear their gear and aren't even required to wear a lid (dunno if its country wide or state specific mind you).

Anyway, I read a statistic a long time back. I'm not sure on its accuracy or if a I remember it right but I think it said that it takes 0.3 seconds to get from unprotected skin to bone for an average person and not in a joint area. Even if that was wrong and it's 3 seconds, that's still a scary thought and why I always wore all my gear in any weather despire having a piddly 125 for most of my riding time.
 
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