Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation

See so many americans on youtube with no gear at all.

Depending on the state, you can get a daylight driving licence to ride any bike. Same one as Arnie has.

Also have you ever ridden helmet free? Have ridden almost naked, in shorts, and believe me I rode very slowy, carefully and didn't open my mouth.

You see all these guys doing wheelies with their ladies on the back, down the freeway at 90+.
You never see videos of the aftermath when once crashes.

It's completely mental.

Given the American healthcare system, you wouldn't catch me riding in anything less than the full gear.

You never see videos of the aftermath when once crashes.

You don't look hard enough. The videos are there. I laugh at them, probably shouldn't.

I used to think it was a weather thing but I was out on Monday, very warm up here so I rode in short boots, jeans, unpadded leather jacket and light leather gloves. Was riding on fast country A roads and felt pretty underdressed.

I'm riding the same roads this weekend to help marshal a road race and I think I'll be fully kitted up this time, just not worth it.

for a very short journey I've ridden a scooter in slacks and a blouson but feel wrong doing it on a motorcycle. Both similar speed. Always gloves of some kind though.

Yeah madness huh.
Having crashed my bicycle at 35mph and been lucky to live, I wear full 2 piece leathers all the time.
Still scares the shit out of me.

I don't know how people can do it, or why. It's not cool. Like smoking, doesn't make you look cool.

I'm not going search for the gore videos. It's horrible.

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/287881/

I grew up in Malaysia blasting around wearing shorts, t shirt and flip flops, and drivers over there are much worse than uk. Still feels natural for me to go out in a T shirt, which I used to do often in the summer.

Just been lucky that every time I've come off I've been wearing my jacket. You know it would have been bad when you melt your elbow through a jacket and a hoody...

i often ride to work in a suit with an old unpadded leather jacket on, but it takes me 10 minutes at very slow speeds. Its quicker on a bicycle.
Once rode my motorbike with a parka on, it was sooooo warm and cosy.

Yeah. I've got scars up and down both sides of me from bicycle crashes and road rash.
I can imagine how little would be left coming off a motorbike without leathers.

Yeah, less developed countries it is the norm. Sometimes saftey red tape is good. Look at the poor girl in Thailand, the olympic medalist.

Always gloves of some kind though.

Definitely. I do when I'm cycling now too. I came off my dad's Brompton at max of 5mph and was amazed how badly I grazed my hands.

That said I've been riding a scooter helmet-less with shorts / T in sunnier places... lower speeds etc. but not really sure why it's different.

That said I've been riding a scooter helmet-less with shorts / T in sunnier places... lower speeds etc. but not really sure why it's different.

A work colleague, about 9 years ago, went to Vietnam on holiday and crashed a scooter whilst not wearing a helmet. Took him nearly 9 months to learn to walk again and he was still suffering from extreme short term memory loss when I left the company about 18 months after that.

No thanks.

In the US (in Cali at least) the bike test is super easy and insurance is cheap. You can ride anything you like on a learners permit (I rode a ZX10r.) Makes for a much younger, much more vibrant bike scene than these days in the UK but also some questionable decision making in both riding and apparel. Frankly I'd take the CA system over the UK anyway as I think it's great to see more people on bikes.

I ride almost exclusively in an old leather jacket, jeans and skate shoes these days. Hardly ever wear my full leathers.

Totally agree. But for some reason you don't think about it when you're in those places. Plus I guess there aren't always helmets available.

I did always wear shoes though.

@jung - there are plenty of decent casual riding shoes about. I've got a pair of TCX Street Hi-tops and my mate has the TCX boots. I'd always worry that regular trainers would pop off, leaving your feet vulnerable.

I have some RST leather hi top boots that look normal, but with a bit of protection

Yes, young and vibrant is not the UK scene!

I saw two kids in Kuwait, driving GSX-Rs, who couldn't have been older than 15. No helmets or gloves, ordinary clothes and flip-flops.
It was as if someone had said "Here you go, lads, a blue one and a red one, so that you can have races..".

I'm in an 'all the gear, all the time' phase right now as I'm just back to 90% after my knee injury but I've been guilty of underestimating the risks for most of my biking life. If the dead could talk then we'd hear a lot more about riding without suitable protection.

My experience... without steel toecaps I'd be missing a toe. Knee protection, wear it because you can get some serious cuts around your knees and they don't fix easily. Half face helmets are fine if you like spending 2 hours chatting to your surgeon while they stitch your face up (in my case she was very pleasant).

Saw a guy riding helmetless* on the M25 'tother day. Kwak ZX6r.
Madness.

*Do they make armoured turbans?

Jacket and gloves always and as good a lid as you can get. Took the (heavy) gear over to India a few years ago and did 6 months on an Enfield. I might not have come back if I hadn't had decent gear ( even in the heat ). We're exposed enough on bikes and motorbikes after all.

Im in Athens right now: most people don't wear helmets and the driving is bloody awful. I had to get the taxi driver to slow down on the way into town from the airport. Lead foot, one-handed, no seatbelt, no mirrors, no fucks given. Mrs Sparky was almost in tears so I had to have a word.

I ride in trainers and jeans, normal jacket and no gloves on the Vespa in town. I know I shouldn't. But I'm rarely over 30mph. I know I shouldn't.

Good, full face helmets go without saying - at age 15, I was saving for my first Arai (a secondhand Kevin Schwantz rep that didn't really fit my shape of bonce, leading to a lifetime of Shoei ownership...) I also wear a back protector all the time.

Given most of my riding is sub-60mph these days anyway, I struggle with the cognitive dissonance on wearing loads of protective gear when I regularly do over 40 on my pushbike in lycra. That's with shit brakes, tyres, toy helmet and everything else that comes as standard on bikes by comparison.

On the rare occasions I do still go out for a thrash on the road, I wear my full, heavily armoured Crowtrees and sweat for victory.

I've never bothered with boots and trouser armour on the Vespa as there's no heavy engine to crush your legs.

Anyone interested in buying my steed?
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201605244251555