Friday, June 08, 2007
To gear or not to gear, that is the question
Motorcycle gear is a touchy subject in the riding community. Those who don't ride, or do not know someone who rides, might not know what "gear" is referring to. Basically, it's protective gear or clothing appropriate for protecting a rider's physical well being in the event of a crash. Specifically, the ideal most people recognize would include eye protection, a DOT helmet, leather jacket, denim/leather pants, and riding boots. Of course, there is no universally accepted standard for what constitutes adequate gear, so you have different camps in the community that make a variety of arguments for and against being fully, partially, or completely unprotected.
On one end of the spectrum, you have the no gear set. These are the riders who wear little or no protection when they saddle up. This group is the type you would see in a baseball cap, tank top, shorts, and flip-flops (seems insane, but I've actually seen it on the street). Their justifications range from the 'if something happens, I'm probably going to be dead anyway", to 'it won't happen to me'. Seems kind of ridiculous, if you ask me, but they are out there. At the opposing end you have the ATGATT(All The Gear All The Time) crowd. This group advocates wearing a full ensemble of protective gear every time a rider straddles the motorcycle. This means helmet, leather or textile jacket, gloves, denim or leather pants, and purpose-made riding boots, every time, no exceptions. Of course, no one in the ATGATT crowd can claim to truly practice the ATGATT dogma. Like most people, they fall somewhere in the middle, as circumstances, your comfort level, and the weather can have a huge influence on how much, or how little, gear you put on prior to a ride.
Personally, I would be best classified as a MOTGMOTT(Most Of The Gear Most Of The Time) guy. The one thing I most often ride without is my jacket. I've been shopping textile jackets, but have so far been unable to find one that fits my needs. I feel fairly comfortable riding around town in a t-shirt, so the textile is more for long rides, as there are often times when I will be over the average highway speed, and a few extra pockets for storage would be nice. That said, I wear my helmet every time I leave the neighborhood, and always ride in jeans and appropriate footwear. I am a total believer in helmets, and I am one of the few Harley riders I have encountered that wears a full-face. Some wear modulars, which feature fronts that flip up, but in my opinion, nothing provides the protection of a high-end, high tech, full helmet. The gloves do occasionally get forgotten, but I prefer the feel of the controls when wearing them, so I've usually got them on.
This ramble was inspired by something I read on a forum that shall remain nameless. The topic was a stunter who went down out of a wheely at around 90mph. She was at a stunt meet, and was wearing minimal gear at the time, which caused some people problems because this particular girl is anti-gear, apparently. Fortunately, she was wearing a helmet, but her tank top, jeans, and shoes did little when the pavement came up to meet her at a high rate of speed. Several breaks, a lot of bruising, and plenty of road rash were the result, but with that kind of accident, she's lucky to be alive. While stunting isn't something I am particularly enthusiastic about, it does make for decent viewing. That said, stunting without heavy gear seems a little nuts to me, particularly if the stunts you're pulling are at higher speeds, but to each their own. At least this incident was in a controlled environment, rather than on a public road within traffic. Two weeks ago, a 26-year old in shorts and a t-shirt splattered himself after losing control of an 80mph wheely through a Dunedin intersection, hitting a curb, and being thrown from his bike. No amount of ATGATT would have saved this particular incarnation of Evel Knievel. While I do not wish any rider ill, I do have to wonder WTF this particular rider was thinking.
Gear is a rider by rider thing. I have ridden with helmetless riders in t-shirts, jeans, boots, and sunglasses. It's their life and their call, as far as I'm concerned. There is no need to lecture, as they know the risk they are taking every time they throw a leg over the bike. Going lidless is tempting, as I've tried it within the confines of my neighborhood and found it to be very enjoyable, but can't see the risk being worth the gain. Whether or not one wears a helmet should be a choice, just as what level of gear one wears should be up to each individual. That said, we all have to be willing to accept the consequences of our choices, but then, that statement applies to every aspect of our lives, so it should not be anything new for any of us.
Update: Found a Vanson Leathers jacket I had been trying to track down for weeks! It's called the Vent Max 3 and looks a lot like this, except mine has red where the white is, and white where the silver is. This jacket has also given me an idea about paint work on the bike. Happy times! :)
Labels: motorcycles
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