Riding season is in full swing! Wear your gear!

[Guest Mattress]

I told this story to profwacko and he suggested posting it, and I guess it can't hurt. I edited a bit.

 

Jack, I am totally for wearing your gear all the time, especially if you are on open roads. I learned that lesson last summer the hard way. I'm pretty much a new rider. I've ridden before and have my liscense, but not a lot of miles in the saddle. I didn't start riding until I was in my late 20s. I wasn't allowed to have a dirt bike or road bike growing up so I don't have that experience.

 

I went to the MG rally in Iowa last summer. I had bought the goose the month before from a dealer in Georgia and road it back to Chicago. At the rally It was insanely hot. Most folks didn't even go riding around. People next to me tried to and had to come back because they started to feel sick from the heat.

 

It was brutally humid too. At night it would be almost like a fog as the water condensed from the air. In the morning everything was heavily soaked with dew. And as the sun got higher, you could just about see steam rising from everything wet, just to torture us another day.

 

To the point. Sunday leaving the rally, I was drenched in sweat just taking my tent down and packing up my camp gear. I had new synthetic Joe Rocket pants and a syn tourmaster jacket. Both had good EC padding. Just pulling my riding pants on required a sit down in the shade. I sat in the shade and literally debated wearing my jacket. I didn't want to. But then I decided to stick to my personal promise that I would wear my gear all the time because I knew I was unexperienced.

 

On with the jacket, gloves, helmet and I'm rolling. Sweat stinging my eyes. On the road the breeze felt good. I was hot but it was tolerable.

 

A few miles out of camp on the road, the rookie mistakes began. Some locals up on a hill waved at me. It was a gentle sweeping lefthander. I turned my head to wave back. When I turned around I realized I was right on the edge of the pavement. Target fixation...now I'm on the soft loose dirt and gravel shoulder. Panic. What to do? I was afraid to try and turn back onto the road with dirt under me. Probably couldn't have anyway cause I was fixated on the shoulder. I tried to slow down with the rear brake.

 

Well you can guess, the goose went out from under me, probably about 30 mph I'm just guessing was probably less cause the bike only slid 10 feet in the soft dirt. I greeted the pavement with authority. Landed face first like a pancake, left side of body touching down first. then a "pop" when my helmet hit. And I started rolling.

 

When I stopped, about 30 feet farther down the road, I jumped up and ran to shut off the bike. I wasn't hurt except from some rash where my Olympia left glove blew apart. A lady in a minivan behind me saw it all. She came over with a shocked look and asked if I needed an ambulance. I think she couldn't believe I wasn't hurt.

 

Damage: Nice gouge thru the paint on the chinbar of my helmet; pants torn up at the knee pad area on left leg. Left arm elbow down to wrist of the jacket was pretty toasted.

 

Without all my gear on it could have been:

 

Broken left knee or leg.

Broken left arm or shattered elbow.

Broken jaw or maybe broken face, shattered teeth, a head injury.

 

Even with the quality padding in my jacket I had some nice bruises from my elbow to wrist.

 

I'm so thankful I had a moment where I was prudent and wore my jacket!

 

The sport wasn't too banged up since it just slid on its side in the dirt. A pair of donated vice grips was my shift lever heading home. I felt pretty sheepish, since I knew what went wrong.

 

As a learning experience I guess I got out good. Important lessons: I need to work on target fixation. I need to check my state of mind and body before the ride. The heat likely played a role. It would have been better if I had stopped at the first gas station or restaurant and cooled off inside. I'm inexperienced and my priority should be on the ride - not waving to people, etc. Helmets just make sense - not arguing for it to be law. When you're going fast enough or hitting hard enough, you're not capable of preventing your skull from contacting the ground.

 

Weird thing learned: That event gave me the most incredible adrenalin rush I've ever experienced. It was something I never experienced, not even from drugs or sex or running from the police as a kid. Strange, I felt like I was super alive, almost a sense of power, hyper alertness but a bit disconnected from reality. Lasted for many miles after. I can only guess if it is similar to what you might feel like in combat.

[docc]

Was it Patton who said ( something like), "There's nothing quite as exhiliarating as being shot at and missed."

 

Glad you're OK and the Sport has only a little 'experience.'

 

Here's to good gear.

[jrt]

I second that.

 

And I'll add- sometimes you eat the bar, sometimes the bar eats you.

 

Unfortunately, the weather was extreme at the IA rally and it's difficult to convince one'self to wear the gear. I'm glad you did and it was (and always is) the right decision.

 

 

You should have come down for the Illinois rally this year- weather was great, for once!

[Guest ratchethack]

Mattress, I'm glad to know you weren't hurt any worse.

 

I'm also impressed with your take on this. You've expressed many lessons learned that IMHO will serve you well further down the road, and probably keep you from lots of potential danger. You could think of this as an experience that will contribute to a long, safe riding career, and your attitude suggests exactly this to me. . .

 

You probably won't spend any time "considering" whether or not to wear the gear again.

 

IMHO heat is a killer on the road. I'm particularly susceptible. Where you live, the humidity throws another dimension of danger into the mix. I lived in Michigan and rode many summers in that godawful heat & humidity. It literally saps your mental energy, not to mention physiological changes that lengthen reaction time and decrease agility, throw off balance, and play havoc with overall muscle tone necessary to deal with the ever-present potential of rapidly changing circumstances. Even in dry heat (anything 90F - 120F), I slow WAAAY down, and ride like it's a different planet, where all potential dangers are magnified.

 

Ride safely, live long & prosper, my friend.

[zen_kick]

I love this post. Glad to hear you walked away realatively physically unscathed and mentally better prepared for next time.

 

When I got married, my wife agreed that I wouldn't give up my bikes and that she would learn to ride her own bike. I had to concede no riding from Nov 1 - March 1 (Seattle rainy season) and that I would always wear good gear. We also agreed that expenses on riding safety gear upgrades are *always* justifiable without a debate.

 

I ride nearly all the time with overpants and coat of some kind. Summers I have vanson pants and a coat with zippable perforated panels and vents everywhere and just wear shorts and a t-shirt underneath. Sure it's warm but feels good when I get where I am going and can peel off the outer layer.

 

I have a good friend who would be dead if he wasn't wearing full-face and armor and have seen several other drops where the padding made the difference between riding away or being carried.

 

Sweat hurts way less than road rash, broken bones or head injuries.

[stormsedge]

I did a test ride after PCIII diddling the other day with just my Rocket jacket, gloves, helmet and boots...wearing blue jeans instead of my Rocket pants. Felt nekked and dumb, although nothing happened.

 

Target fixation happens...and is always exciting because we forget that it happens until it is upon us...had a near miss last week.

 

Glad you are okay. Revalidates my commitment to full gear. k

[Bbennett]

ATGATT!

 

all the gear, all the time

 

just don't even think about riding any other way

[gargoyle]

Sweat hurts way less than road rash, broken bones or head injuries.

 

That just sums it all up for me as we start entering the hotter season of riding. Actually sweat can be your friend if your gear is vented right. It creates a natural airconditioning system at speed. It's always easier to suit up in the cooler months. Now is when we are tempted by the dark side. I'm already seeing more people in shorts, tank tops and sandles. I don't see how they do it. A simple road stone hopping down the road can leave a nice divit in your car's windshield. What the hell is it going to do to your forehead. I've survived two bikes being taken away from me because of gear. I've also worked as a tech in an ER and none of those I had to clean up road rash on were very happy people when I got done with them because there is no easy way to clean up that mess.

The best thing I have found to fight the heat and humidity is frequent breaks and a bottle of Gatoraid.

[Guest oldtoolie]

I'm sad to say that I'll have to echo the experience of the OP.

 

Last month I was heading down for the Lemans GP on lovely french roads. Motoring peacefully through a deserted village at 30 mph, I took a look at an interesting war memorial. A little too interesting. After taking a second look, I returned attention to the road and discovered a 90 degree left turn approaching.

 

Downhill, very smooth road, too much brake and too much turn. Oh shit. ....

 

Jumped up swearing (as one does) My mate comes up and we heave the bike up. Oh double shit -- my collar bone didn't look like that before.

 

Your race ezz over, monseiur said the doctor.

 

Gear served well, except I had the Aerostich Roadcrafter jacket zip down a bit so the shoulder armour didn't come into play. Did that make a difference? Would I have been better off in my Hideout race suit which has really heavy armour? Who knows.

 

Lessons learned

 

Don't spend too much time admiring the scenery.

 

Keep it zipped up. (Which would have saved Bill Clinton some headache too)

 

So next time I watch the road and pour a bucket of water down my neck.

 

Oh the bike --- scratches, mirror, turn-signal, clutch lever, footpeg.

[Dr Gil]

I've been down this road...my gear has saved my bacon. I owe it.

 

I ride today because I wear "All The Gear, All The Time"...even when it's uncomfortable.

[Greg Field]

I am the poster child for ATGATT.

 

Do it.

 

Or not.

 

But even the best gear is cheap, on a surface-area basis, compared to human skin. . .

[stogieBill]

I am the poster child for ATGATT.

 

Do it.

 

Or not.

 

But even the best gear is cheap, on a surface-area basis, compared to human skin. . .

 

 

Amen!

[slug]

I am the poster child for ATGATT.

 

Do it.

 

Or not.

 

But even the best gear is cheap, on a surface-area basis, compared to human skin. . .

 

+10

[Guest slowpoke]

I ride every day to work and wear the appropriate gear except leather pants. But I'm thinking about it all the time because I have been down before and full leathers turn a tragedy into just a few bruises and abrasions. How so many motorcyclists can ride in shorts and flip-flops is beyond me. Even if it is extremely hot, spend your hard earned money on some perforated leathers they may save your life.

[Guest rosso mandello]

I Just banged my Rosso Mandello into a roadside protection devise on Italian backroad s 12, solo accident.

 

I was wearing all my gear, Frank Thomas full leather with protection, glowes with carbon good Lockwell boots and an a Premier carbon helmet. Damage on mee, a dislocated colorbone,nothing else severe.

 

I threw the helmet and the totally ripped up leather in the garbage can in Italy before I had a plane back to Denmark. Now I wait for the RM to arrive!!!

 

Shit happens

 

 

Remember your protection, ciao Mogens.