And so silly idiot sunshine season starts!!!!!!!!!

Well never takes long and just seen first eejit riding his R6 down road like a nut in............

Combat Shorts, Trainers & Helmet... nothing else!!!

When will some people ever learn, bampots!!

It started a while ago. Two weeks ago me and the wife saw a bloke on a twist and go, I know not a propoer bike but, wearing shorts, a tee and flipflops!

OOOhhh, the road rash if he came off.

Plus, on a different subject a collegue at Warton showed a photo of a car that had been collected a bike at a junction.

The driver, on her phone had pulled out at a junction and not seen the biker, doing an estimated 85 mph. Unfortunately all 3 perished and the bike ended up laying across the passenger and drivers seat of the car!

Everyone keep a weary eyes out for the numpties on 4 wheels. Especially in the hot (headed) weather.

yep seen a guy with shorts - vest - lid and sandals on some big twin (and i'm not talking about the walking/talking variety )

every biker i seen today was wearing a tshirt and jeans...

someone came off a scooter or something similar round here bit ago - obviously only doing about 30-40 - made a right mess of himself - it was someone christopher knows and he said the skin was right off all up his leg and arm

Not meaning to get too in-depth, but it raises a few questions when you see people riding a bike in shorts etc. I saw two learners set off the other day, both had full gear on but one, for some reason, chose not to wear gloves.
It's quite a while since I took my test but surely the need for protective clothing is taught so it's not like he'd not been informed of why gloves are important.
And if there were no helmet laws would we see a lot more bikers riding sans lid or are too many of us aware of the horrible possibilities?
And coming back to the shorts n t-shirt brigade, if they're on big bikes, at least a few of them must have been biking a while and come off at some point, as we all do, so they must be aware of the risks.
Or am I putting too much faith in the average human's common sense?
One last thing, there is always the factor of "acceptable risk" when it comes to clothing choice, riding style etc. What you may deem unacceptable is considered acceptable by others. I'm sure no-one can view arsing about on an R6 is shorts and trainers as anything other than foolish. But choosing to wear jeans as opposed to leathers.... well, that falls in the realms of acceptable risk. I wear jeans for the fifteen minute, low speed ride to my night classes once a week, at all other times leathers. I deem the risk acceptable for that journey (and feel a little exposed, actually). Some of you may NEVER wear anything other than full leathers and deem my risk unacceptable. But, I have the right to choose and I don't think I'm being foolish (maybe I am). You may pass two people in a car one day, they see you riding along perfectly sensibly, but one says to the other "I'd never ride a motorbike on the roads nowadays. Too many idiots about, it's so risky". To them, biking is an unacceptable risk, but we accept the risks involved. It's personal choice.
Sorry if I've waffled.

You had nobody to talk to today????????????????

Haha only messing some things need explaining in depth, and must admit i'm looking for some kevlar jeans at the moment, only takes me 15 minutes to get to work and always miss morning and evening traffic due to working long hours, so yes as you say acceptable risk indeed, just galls me seeing some eejits on the road, especially after guy i know got took out this week by a biddy in the countryside near us one of the 'SMIDSY' group unfortunately guy is now in very, very bad way on life support then i watch some tools x 2 on a VFR both about 18 riding without any lids, in t-shirts in bus lane going against traffic at about 60 in a 30??? Obviously they had been on run from police but unfortunately there never the ones to get hurt 9 out of 10!! Seriously gimme a licence to shoot the odd eejit, darwin seems to be slacking!!!!

JDM wrote:

Haha only messing some things need explaining in depth, and must admit i'm looking for some kevlar jeans!

I wear red route Kevlar jeans and I live them, and there a fraction cheaper than draggin jeans too

some mentalists about for sure.

i wear more protection and armor when im out on my mountain bike. full face helmet and dainese knee and shin armor with alpinestar gloves. Having a big crash on a MTB is enough to make me never ever consider getting onto a motorbike without proper gear. i was smoldering on my bike today full leather jacket and boots, gloves, helmet and jeans. only doin max of 35-40 about town too!!

if only everyone had had the same bad luck and fun as me on 2 wheeled stuffs.

maybe they should start planting bad drivers to crash into people on tests to reinforce the value of protection?!

JDM wrote:You had nobody to talk to today????????????????

I have no-one to talk to most days; riding along mumbling to myself in the privacy of my own helmet is the closest I get to conversation.

No, I'm kidding (or am I?)

Never fancied the Kevlar jeans route but having also sweated copiously over the weekend I'm considering it, along with another jacket to replace my old-school, lined, black, sun-absorbing leather.

And, yes, life's pretty funny (not) when it comes to dishing out accidents. Always seems to be the most reckless people who get away without a scratch (and hence never learn the hard way).

i'd love a pair of kevlar or dragging jeans but being a sturdy short arse what fits on the hip is far too long on the leg which isn't a problem unless they've got knees! whilst i can have legs shortened the knees are usually down by my shins! I never wear anything less than the full protective kit with it (seen the results of shortcuts far too many times through the job) even jeans buts having said that on my pay i can only afford cheap jeans so they are not really of the decent thick denim variety so would be no better than a pair of chinos or something.

I saw a learner out with what appeared to be a riding instructor and he (learner) was wearing 3 quarter length trousers/trainers.

I've got some kevlar jeans and yes they are cooler than the HG over trousers but I still wear the HG trousers to work.

I've yet to get the missus to sow on the spare zip on the jeans, so they can be attached to the HG jacket. Hopefully that will happen soon or at least before the nice weather is over. They also threw in some knee pads, which I've not used yet. Though I might not get them in with my tree trunk legs.

In weather like this, you can see the obvious attraction of not getting into leathers but for me the risk isn't worth it. The other day I rode about 3 miles in jeans and a proper jacket, with proper boots but I knew I wasn't going to leave the 30 limit all the way there and back. Anything more and I'm in full kit, often with a back protector too. On the same note I'll always wear a helmet on my (pedal) bike and when horse riding, although neither is required by law.

Usually I wear my leathers but in heat like this I've been wearing bike jeans (mine are cheapies with steel mesh rather than kevlar, so not ideal, but will be replaced with some Hood Jeans when I can afford them) with proper leather jacket, boots, gloves, etc.

(For those who doubt the effectiveness of the kevlar linings in these jeans, there's youtube video of a stuntman being dragged on his arse behind a drag bike at about 80, and getting up without a scratch )

Chris

Ezzy's Mum! wrote:i'd love a pair of kevlar or dragging jeans but being a sturdy short arse what fits on the hip is far too long on the leg which isn't a problem unless they've got knees! whilst i can have legs shortened the knees are usually down by my shins!

Suzie, Hood Jeans aren't cheap but you can state your inside leg when you order - might be a better fit than Draggins or Red Route?

Panzerbuilder wrote:I've yet to get the missus to sow on the spare zip on the jeans,

DO WHAT????? do it yourself

[quote="R2D2"]

Ezzy's Mum! wrote:
Suzie, Hood Jeans aren't cheap but you can state your inside leg when you order - might be a better fit than Draggins or Red Route?

cheers chris i'll start saving!

I have seen more people riding in shorts and trainers than I have migies in the past couple of days.

Yes, it sure has been a quite warm the last few days. I have been hot, but it's my own silly fault, I have a 'summer' textile jacket - has all the protectors in it and a few thousand holes. Today was the second time I have worn it without the inner liner.

Now I am supposed to be used to this weather, 30C is normal for me for at least 4 months of the year. Thing is I owned a helmet, gloves and a leather jacket - that was the grand total of my protective gear. Takkies (trainers) and jeans are still acceptable wear (mind you so is going for a ride and stopping for a few pints).

I have been on both sides of the fence - for me I'll rather boil in my leathers thanks, I just cannot seem to trust my textile ventilated jacket; so wearing only a T-shirt is abhorrent to me now.

Safety aside for a second, it can't be comfortable being exposed to all the flying debris.