Our Gear vs. Harley Riders Gear ??

Got hit in the helmet by a bat in NJ, figured it oot a month later when I was driving down the same road and looked up at the street light and saw some of them dive bombing insects flying around. Hit a deer with my knee and stayed up and got home, deer was not so lucky. Had a broken turn signal, and deer hair in my throw over saddle bags. Deer was DOA :rip: you almost can't ride in NJ at night anymore. South FL is much better :thumbsup:

Enjoy the forum, you get a ton of useful information, be careful of some nasty people though. Even though they ride viffers, they can be sods'. :lol:

 

Once again:

[video=youtube;b4ZfaDjxDBs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4ZfaDjxDBs[/video]

 

That video is some funny stuff. I have never seen that one.

My girlfriend is from Russia and has only been here in the states for around 4 years now. She has never been into bikes until meeting me a couple of years ago and loves to ride now. She is slowly learning about the different types of bikes and riding styles. Even she made a comment yesterday about a group of Harley riders that showed up. She said something along the lines of, "Why are all those guys wearing the same thing?"

Funny how someone like her who knows very little about bikes and riding can make the same observations. Even she does not like the idea of riding without gear.

I never intended this to turn into a Harley bashing thing. Just thought I would post a little something that I know most all mature and responsible riders have thought and talked about too.

 

I would like a Harley for no other reason than it would make my urge to wear ass-less chaps a little less weird.

 

Possible responses:

- They're on their way to a Brokeback Mountain convention.

- They're all fans of the same member of The Village People.

- They're not real people, just Replicants.

Any of the above should cover it.

 

.....uke:.....

 

The Harley has it's place in society. Just like the short bus does.

 

I hear those assless, crotchless chaps are more popular in the Western States. The shrivel and pucker factors in places like Wisconsin and North Dakota have to be painful. Then again we are dealing with harleydoods who are really kinky most of the time.

 

How in the hell do you find this insulting??

It's a free county, peeps can wear or not what they want eh??

No skin off your ass literately

 

I don't really care what anyone wants to wear. None of my business. If one wants to go helmet-less or glove-less or whatever, it's not for me to say. Even though I live by "sweat wipes off, road rash doesn't", I can see the desire to wear more comfortable and less protective gear, especially when it's muggy and hot. As long as I don't have to see Toe in his chaps, then I'm ok.

 

I'm with Tink. I vote cute!

 

What a coincidence. I get emails all the time from Russian woman that want to meet me.

I am fascinated by a part of the cruiser uniform that you see worn by both Harley and metric cruiser riders, namely the leather vest. I can't think of any one item less protective than a leather vest attached at the front with loops of chain over an expansive belly. I tend to over dress. I have hit the ground a time or two and I want some real protection as apposed to a costume.

I wear my Olympia pants in the dead of summer because they offer armor and are also mesh. It"s like riding in shorts but with protection.

 

I wore a leather vest today while I drove a car, in one pocket I had a gun, the other I had a cell phone. Not making this up either, wtf, I can, so I do. I rode sport bikes localy with a full face skid lid and a vest a few times years ago. Vest comes in handy, just not on a bike really. The doodes that do ride in them cut down on their deoderant consumption as wind in the arm-pits is hygenically better than anti persperant. Nuff-Sed. They do tend to drink alot of bier. :drinkers:

 

Not long after moving to Calgary with my parents when I was 13, I met one of my brothers friends who happened to ride a motorcycle. Doug is his name and he has now been my best friend for over 30 years. Doug always showed up wearing full gear even when it was insanely warm outside and I asked one day, "Why not ride in a t-shirt and shorts and be comfortable?" His response was simply, "Cause asphalt hurts!!" Being 13, his answer made perfect sense and I never thought a huge amount about it after that. He took me for a couple rides on his bike, much to my mothers distaste, but I ALWAYS had to wear thick jeans, a thick jean jacket (at 13 I didn't have leathers and Doug didn't have anything that fit me) and hiking boots. Doug always made sure to ride as safely as possible and always looked out for my safety. Doug taught me how to ride many years later and signed me up for a motorcycle safety course before getting my license and helped me get my first bike. I always remembered what he said about gear and always wondered about someone who rode without the proper gear.

When I was 15, I was walking home from school one sunny afternoon in Calgary and a kid came roaring up behind me on his crotch rocket. As he passed on his Ninja I recognized the bike and rider as a senior in the high school I attended (Kyle was his name). Very popular, captain of the football team type and on the back of his bike was his cheer leader girl-friend Lindsay. It was a warm afternoon, in the mid 30's Celcius and both were wearing t-shirts, shorts, and sneakers. When he passed me (in a 60 km/h zone) he was likely doing about 140 or more. I'm no expert at judging velocity but he passed a couple cars as though they were parked on the road. As he neared the bottom of the hill in our sub-division I remember thinking to myself, "What a fool, riding like a twit and wearing no protective gear". As he got to the bottom of the hill an unsuspecting driver turned left in front of the car ahead of the Kyle. The car in front of Kyle slammed on his brakes to avoid a collision and Kyle swerved in to the adjacent lane and slammed the back of the turning car. Kyle apparently died on impact from what the officers said at the scene. His girlfriend Lindsay slid on her side for what must have been an excruciating 50-60 feet judging by the length of the blood smear on the asphalt. Honestly, I can still hear the blood curdling scream to this day when I think back about this accident. Since I was walking home at the time, I saw Lindsay ejected off the back of the seat like a slingshot when the bike hit the back of the car and spun violently. She came to rest against the meridian, in a bloodied and unnaturally twisted position. It was the most horrific thing I have EVER experienced. Lindsay survived, albeit with a LOT of time spent in the hospital for skin grafts and learning to walk again after the amputation of her leg. The damage done to her leg from sliding bare skin along the pavement was too badly damaged. She never returned to school and she and her family moved away not long after. I couldn't walk home the same way for months without hearing her screams.

Any time I leave the house and think, "Well, I'm only going to the corner store...........", I'm reminded of that day and what I saw, heard, smelled, and witnessed a gruesome and heart wrenching site that I will never forget. I have always ridden with full gear and always will. To those who wish to NOT wear full gear, that is your choice and I will not think poorly of that choice as it is your life. I would offer up this story though, and hope to GOD that the next time the doorbell rings, it is not the police with a story like this one, about your son or daughter. Our children look to us for examples and I would prefer to set one of safety for my kids. We can't prevent tragedy of all kinds, but hopefully we can teach them to respect their own safety, and the safety others they care about.

 

Once you witness the results of a fatal accident, it never leaves you. I was on my way from the far end of the Angeles Crest, just before Newcombs Ranch. A kid passed me, and when I went around the corner, he was sprawled across the other lane and a Fiat 128 was just stopping. He must have locked rear wheel and went down, then got hit by the Fiat.

 

We all take a risk every time we ride. It is the risk that makes riding what it is. Many try and mitigate the risk with protective gear. To many, the presence of protective gear only serves to remind them of the risks they are facing. To each his own. In the above crash scenario, the lack of proper protective gear was made vitally important only by the total failure of the rider's competence. This couple's decision to not wear protective clothing was only one in a string of stupid and deadly decisions.

 

Wow Zoom, you paint a pretty vivid picture with words (Pulitzer?) . Good(bad) story. Thanks.
John

 

Yep, I thought the man might make a living with a pen or in this day and age a keyboard. Definately an edmucated person regardless.

 

If only mere words could have described the carnage I witnessed I think a lot more people I have met in life would think twice about riding without the proper gear. As far as educated..........well, that is certainly up for debate. Actually I do Paintless Dent Repair for a living.

 

edmucation they can never take away from you. Only took 2 decades to have my diploma framed. What can I say, I am picky.

Got a friend in Germany, she was oot scooting around with a jacket/helmet/gloves. Her brother gave her grief becasue she did'nt have leather pants on. I used to commute down a road in the middle of nowhere-everglades. My gear was either one of my old road race suits, two piece leathers, or an Aerositch suit. They used to call me the "flying chicken" because the suit was hi-viz yellow. Anyway, you weigh the factors and do accordingly, I dont have to tell you levis dont offer much abrasion protection, unless they are those kevlar lined jeans. In the spirit of this here thread, if I do commute tomorrow on my bike, I will don some leather pants along with the other gear. Its never a problem as I leave stuff to wear, where I am work-ah-yoing.

Cheers...I heard they get $75.00 a panel to do paintless dent removal here. They come with a big fluerecent light with magnets on it and work that way, pretty cool...:thumbsup: