Our Gear vs. Harley Riders Gear ??

Once ya get to be on "People of Walmart" once, your life changes forever. One guy I know made it and got off booze, drugs, smokes and chews, religion and three Harleys.

 

Gear for a Harley can mean many things. Local harleydood here has no need for a truck or a trailer for his. Even harleydoods can be creative.

http://www.newportnewstimes.com/v2_news_articles.php?heading=0&story_id=42962&page=72

In another not so funny one, a dude on a Harley blew by a cage on the mid coast highway and assended a big Ford pickup. The pickup was about to turn into a "driveway" RIP

 

On the street I wear an Aerostich with leather boots, leather golves and a full face. I've been down twice, both without the 'stitch. First time was in a pretty slow right hand turn before I owned the stitch, but still in quality jacket and pants. The pavement gave way under my bike, the front caught, and I lowsided. I could actually see the dents in the road from where my knee and hands hit the pavement. No real injuries, just my pride. Second was after putting on a fresh set of tires. I jumped on the bike to get gas from the station to ride to work in the morning. I turned left on a green light and as I rolled on the throttle, the back tire slid on the crosswalk paint. When the tire caught, I highsided. It was totally my fault for not paying attention to what I was doing. I was also wearing shorts and a t-shirt. My brand new Aerostich was hanging in the closet at home. I had some road rash, but got away pretty lucky. I don't want to do that again, so I have 'stiched up ever since.

Where I am different than a lot of people I meet is with what I wear on the MX track. I wear boots, pants, jersey, helmet and gloves. I have full upper body armor and knee pads, but I stopped wearing them on the track because I haven't found any that doesn't restrict my movement and cause excessive fatigue. I sometimes wear the armor on the trails. I have had a few good crashes, but unlike my street crashes, they didn't change my mind about the gear. I guess I feel more in control on the dirt bike. I also feel like the types of injuries I am likely to sustain are not going to be prevented by a little padding. I still feel a little wrong trying to justify not wearing the gear, but the first time I took off my armor and did a lap of the track, I was more in control, more confident and carrying more speed. I never looked back.

I also tried riding my VFR without a helmet once. I was in Alaska. I strapped my helmet to the back of the bike and rode through Fairbanks with only a toque and sunglasses on my head. It was interesting, but in no way better than wearing a helmet.

 

So the doode gave up three HD's and doin "dip" sheesh. I have had many addictions and can tell you, that "snuff" was the devil. Used to flip flop between that and ciggies. Anyway, so; now that person has a Golden Lab and goes to quilting class on Friday nights? I am not a friend of "BOB" btw :lol: sometimes legal stuff is really bad for you.

Wore my "stich suit" today and felt titz riding :vtr2: Cheers

 

Usually wear the Leathers as preference and only wear the Draggins if I commute to work or on days Hotter than 86F, I find them very comfortable but like normal jeans they'd soak through pretty quick, Leather does offer some weather protection in light rain especially if waxed occasionally.

Really it's not about safe or not safe no motorcycle gear is gonna help in a head on with a Mack truck its all about damage minimisation.

I've had 3 accidents in 30 years of riding but being ATGATT and being lucky enough not hitting any significant object other than a road sign or my sliding bike have gotten away with a some only some breaks and bruising, even then the gear helped a lot in lessening the damage like in one I suffered a small ding near the top of my shin bone through quality 1.4mm Leather pants and its built in wrap around knee Armour I am sure my shin would have shattered had I been wearing Jeans or even my armourless Draggins.

Last accident was at mid corner 45mph due to recent road repair leaving tiny loose gravel on very sharp coarse chip bitumen. The coarse chip ripped deep cuts into the knees my leather pants though not through its armour, I still shudder when thinking at it what my knees may have looked had I wore normal jeans. The difference was dealing with friction burns and bruising vs no knee caps.

It's nothing to do with big brother more about using your own common sense as I'm not sure how anyone could be " fully aware of the risk " without experiencing it for yourself or perhaps seeing someone you know going through months of unnecessary rehabilitation ?

 

People like us? The people of Walmart and now McDonalds are people like us. We just don't like to acknowledge it.

The axiomatic "There are two types of riders." has a lot going for it.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEjo1OyY2eM



Hate McDonalds, never eat fast food, my father as of latey has been going to mickey Dees for some egg McMuffins for my mom. Unfreakinbelievable. Nuff Sed ; )

 

Last season I hit the "I'm tired of taking 10 minutes to gear up for a 10 minute trip, only to take 10 minutes to gear down when I get there" phase. I was getting cocky and overconfident but, since my first day riding I'd used full gear sans specific pants: it just doesn't feel right not to be wearing gloves for me now (controls etc). So I would wear gloves even while only wearing jeans & a t-shirt.

Lucky for me, I was cured after deciding to go ahead and gear up for a short trip... and then laid it down for the first time ever. It was an easy fall, slid a long way but all the armor did it's job and I ended up having to buy a new helmet and jacket. After feeling like I'd been beaten by 9 guys with clubs, it's an easy decision to gear up without exception from here on out.

 

You make a good point. It's easier for me (us) to gear up because of having gone down wearing gear and basically walking a way. People don't realize something until they have some experience with it. At times it's then to late. It's kind of sad to think society makes one do something stupid when logic tells just the opposite. Posers and squids alike.

But when I mention something like running in shorts and sliding like in to first base on asphalt I see some of them wince. Or mention the old "closed casket" send off because...... Who knows some may take heed.

 

Google up "People of McDonalds." This is a ground floor opp/app. Stuff on fuzzbook, titter, ect. What has not been touched is "People of Harley" in the harleydood botiques.

Back a few, HD wanted something like 6% for a royalty fee. Probalby more now. Might be fun to look for "stuff" that has the HD stamp on it. In another arena, HD sometimes whips out the big checkbook in the sky for a few things that they can call their own. HD heated gear is made by Gerbings.

 

Found this on the Chive website.

 

The only thing he's missing is a beer! :topsy_turvy:

 

OMG! Selfies.

 

jev, your avatar is captivating . . .

 

Harley Rider: Wow, your gear must be hot today!
Me: Yeah.











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