Gripes, pet peeves and riddles

[TriumPhil]

I dress for the fall every time out of the barn (upper and lower armored gear, boots, gloves and a full face lid), not for the ride (i.e, to look good, cool, bad boy-gangsterish, etc) and conspicuity is all important to me.

 

[hegels]

I always wear riding gloves, textile armored jacked, full face helmet, and riding boots. (still looking at different riding pants) even in 105* weather

 

[dirtbagbiker]

safety is for suckers.... lets see i buy on of the biggest fastest motorcycles on the market. them try to make it go even faster tune ecu trip aircleaners, pipes ect... to get more power.. now i am going to worry about crashing at 140mph so i going to put on my helment gloves and racing suite. i don't get it .. to many beers i guess

 

[dracul]

among the living

Too funny I'm in the middle I guess. Sometimes I dress appropriately and sometimes not. I DO use my battered chrome helmet just about always...virtually anyway. Sometimes I ride in light gear, sometimes in my heavy leather. This weekend my brother and I will be doing a peak to peak run way up in the mountains...I'll be wearing my leathers, chaps even! Not sure if it will be the VTX or R3; who cares?! The RIDE is what matters, the means is secondary. My bikes are conspicuous, to say the least...I trust it helps keep my ass among the living somewhat

 

[SculptedThought]

Yet another incentive for excessive and bright bling aplenty, loud jackets, chrome helmets (I use one), stebel/air horns, lots of LED accent lights for night's out, and perhaps that FORCE FIELD that's way overdue

I thought you'd wish she was "culled" from "the hurd".

 

[wingandaprayer]

What makes bikers think that a sidewalk is an acceptable place to park?

Hey Harley guy, why the heck do you blip your throttle at the stoplight?

Don't people know that revving your bike when you first start it up is bad for the engine?

Shorts on a sports bike - dumb, shorts on a cruiser with pipes two inches from your leg - dumber.

Black leather jacket, boots, full finger gloves, no helmet ?!?

Full face helmet, shorts, tank top and sandals ?!?

whatsa prob?
r u knew rider not knowing about idle issues and forcing 'blippin', who cares about a momentary start up blip?, riding without ATGTM (all the gear all the time) is not YOUR issue or concern including no helmet - try 110 F @ 15 mph with full face.
What is the problem? It is their style not yours, live with it!!!!!!!!

 

[HellFire]

I'm guilty of riding with no helmet, I'd rather be dead than wear a diaper (for now anyway). No kids and a wife that hates me helps alleviate any fear of death.

Shorts and sandals ... yep, that's me too. Never did it on any other bike but there is no risk of burning myself on the R3.

I rev downshifting, it's a gear mesh thing. I've also done it to get the attention of the kid on the sport bike to instigate a race. Doesn't work all the time since they look at me as an old man on a cruiser, but when I blow away from the light they tend to get the picture.

Sidewalk, yep do that too ... concrete is safer from sinking into the ground.

I guess I'm just a bad man.

 

[CanberraR3]

I cover up on a trip but otherwise dress for the weather. Shorts and t-shirt in summer - yep. Jacket and jeans when it's not hot. Love the freedom and the feeling. Helmets are not optional here so I don't really think about it. Full face reserved for really cold or wet only.

I park pretty much wherever suits me but I always do it in consideration of others - and I've never had a complaint or a ticket. I like to blip it sometimes just because I like the sound - and especially as I started up and rode off from work where it would set off the alarm on some wankers Suzuki ****** rocket.

Haven't had a 'race' with anyone - no point and most other riders won't take me on anyway. Stopped next to a Busa one time. Rider looked across and we both nodded in acknowledgement that it wouldn't prove a thing ie he knew that I knew he could woop me. Another time I pulled up next to 3 young twats on their 600s and 750s who'd been zipping in and out of traffic and racing each other. When they saw me they all took off so slowly. Happens all the time. That's what I like. Respect!

 

[GPMAZ]

Interesting opinions all. Since my first licensed two wheel, motorized cycle in 1960, I think I've moved through many of the opinions expressed herein.

I'm now at the point that its ATGATT. And its not really because I ride a motorcycle that produces over 140 horsepower at the rear wheel. Nor is it because, traffic conditions permitting, I will accept a challenge from any vehicle, two wheeled or four. Its because I've found over the years that the soccer mom with eight kids in the minivan and a cell phone stuck to her ear, the sixteen year old with four friends in the car, intently texting her latest boyfriend, the drunk who thinks that stop sign is merely a suggestion, or the deer and elk that seem intent on launching themselves into my path, could care less what type of motorcycle I ride, or how much horsepower it makes.

Yes, a serious accident can take your life regardless of the gear you're wearing. But, a lesser accident resulting in nothing more that bumping your head on the curb can leave you in the care of your loved ones for the rest of your (and maybe their) life. A low speed slide through that antifreeze puddle can result in some damage to the bike, or it can result in skin grafts.

The gear you wear can't be guaranteed to save your life or to prevent serious injury. Its just a matter odds. Everyone plays them as they see them.

Oh and yes, its over 110 degrees here today and will be so for the next 3-4 months. If its too hot for the proper gear, its too hot to ride.

Again, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

 

[Hellwalker]

Whatever floats your boat?

I ride with all types, from ****** rockets to Harley guys. Wear what you want to wear to make yourself feel comfortable and enjoy the bike. I may wear shorts and flip flops or leather jacket and a skid lid? I was a residential and industrial firefighter for several years as well as a Safety Manager in Chemical plants, so I know a little about safety and PPE. I rode EMT in a box a few times and between the fire truck and Ambulance I have been to a few bad motorcycle wrecks.... some with gear some with out, some made a difference some did not.
As for me and only for me, if I felt like I had to put on full face helmets, Kevlar armor and encapsulate my body in protective gear to get on for a ride, I would just stay home. I did not buy a 2300 cc motorcycle to not feel breeze at 30mph or the hurricane at 100mph? If I ride 2 up, more than likely we'll have skid lids, boots and jeans just because additional weight is squirrely to me at low speed putting around the neighborhood and in parking lots. That's how we ride, that's how I am comfortable and I respect however you feel the need to be comfortable on your 2 wheels. I rap my throttle because it seems to give me more balance while I am coasting to a light or in traffic and allows me to put my legs down less( bad knees), maybe it's in my head but the torque seems to balance the bike out?
I am not sayin don't raz folks, hell if it's all in good fun, I pick on my Harley only brother-in-law as much as my body armor ****** rocket buddy it's all good.