Squids and so on

[CBRHoonigan]

Do you instantly think different of someone riding in no gear? and what of those people who ride in gear that wouldnt protect them from a bee sting, i know they say any gear is better than no gear but i was talking to a trauama nurse who said a guy came off at a high speed and slid for so long the bike jacket he had on got soo warm and when it got through a top layer it melted the waterproof layer to his skin

So guys whats your thoughts on these

me personally i dont care what they ride in each to their own we all still ride motorbikes

 

[EN187]

I guess melted jacket to your skin, is better than no skin at all... lol

 

[CBRHoonigan]

the parts that where melted where deeper than the road rash he had

 

[sweatiingbullets]

I don't really think any different of them. Here in Hawaii no gear is the norm. Actually tank tops, board shorts and flip flops are the norm. I usually wear full gear, but sometimes I skip on the jacket. Just depends on the situation. I'm all for ATGATT, but it's all down to the rider.

 

[CBRHoonigan]

Well in warmer climates i can understand it, the idea of being so warm you lose concentration riding you would just be a danger

 

[johl]

if your sliding long enough to melt your gear, i still think you are better off than wearing o gear. its like saying seatbelts kill because in some cases the force of stopping so fast when you crash can cause injury. even though the injuries you would get from not wearing it would be worse.

i personally do think less of people that wear no gear. a few friends do it in summer and say its too hot for gear. i say to them imagine how hot the road is when your sliding on it with no gear.

then there is scooter riders. they rarely wear gear and i laugh at them when they are fully kitted up. you cant win on a scooter lol

 

[CBRHoonigan]

im not saying no gear at all mate, just those people who buy the 20 kid jackets that will not last up to anything, leather is the way forward but their is compromise in everything, being too cold or too hot, wet or dry ect and i know some gear can be expensive, i just think its their life their choice. not many people go round actively telling people to stop drinking or taking drugs or smoking. but everyone has opinions

 

[juicyjuice]

i honestly dont think of anyone wearing gear or not diffrently at all, if they fall and get hurt i still have no damage to me unless i mess up and fall in which i will appreciate having gear or or wish i had worn some, i also dont like such free use of the word squid most people go too far with it and are too harsh on people they think are squids, just my opinion

 

[CBRHoonigan]

i honestly dont think of anyone wearing gear or not diffrently at all, if they fall and get hurt i still have no damage to me unless i mess up and fall in which i will appreciate having gear or or wish i had worn some, i also dont like such free use of the word squid most people go too far with it and are too harsh on people they think are squids, just my opinion

yeh, i only used it in this context because i think its more australians and americans that ive heard say it so they would know what i mean by it

 

[IREV808]

I don't think of them any lower than some with gear but what I do think of is how shitty it will be if they ever get into a crash.

 

[IREV808]

Well in warmer climates i can understand it, the idea of being so warm you lose concentration riding you would just be a danger

Well here in Hawaii, it may be acceptable to squid a little but the way people suck at driving here, I personally rather sweat than bleed.

 

[CBRHoonigan]

its when people dont wear gloves that i notice first i just cringe and imagining something hitting their hand off a car infront at speed

 

[Shirou]

It depends on the rider. Most people here don't wear any gear and end up directly in the hospital after a crash. And I'm talking scooter riders in the city at less than 70km/h (40mi/h).
A few months ago a couple teenage girls borrowed a quad (ATV) and went around driving with not even a helmet on until they hit a wall, both were hospitalized and died later.
I think anyone who rides with no gear is an idiot and really I don't care what he does or not with his life, I care that if he fucks up, it's gonna stain the image of all riders. People don't remember or see good actions that bikers do, if there's an idiot spread on the pavement because he hit a car going high speed, it's going to be all over the news, that's what is going to be in the mind of the general population and that's what is going to be pushing laws to make everything more difficult for responsible riders.

Look at this idiot:

It's not like he's going 160km/h (100mi/h) on the highway... oh, wait, he IS GOING 160 on the f-- highway.
Imagine what will happen if that idiot hit a dog or a cow or whatever on the road.
And another reason he's an idiot, he and his buddy were riding side by side in front of me for a while, not staggered. They have no idea how to behave on the road. A few minutes later they took off speeding and overtaking cars on double yellow lines and with incoming traffic.

 

[juicyjuice]

i dont ride like that myself, i dont have people to ride with so i usually just ride to work ( 10 minutes on a straight road ) on mine but i always wear a helmet, gloves and cover my skin, and as far as the image of bikers go - ask around they hate it or love it either way like most people they wont notice anyone following rules just the ones who dont, if i was allowed to speed everywhere i would, maybe not 180mph but enough to be excited about going nowhere fast, i abide by the laws because i have no interest in going to jail, as far as traffic laws they try to childproof the roads. you see people getting tickets for a wheelie on a road in the woods with noone driving on it not because they are being unsafe but because people want to control you. i dont think badly of anyone speeding on a highway i also dont feel bad if they crash. point is just because its illegal that doesnt mean its bad or unsafe, and if something someone does doesnt affect other people ( someone wearing gear ) they shouldnt be condemned for it, remember there are ALOT of people who dont ride motorcycles and think that they should be banned for no other reason than they see it as unsafe and a needless risk, so imo people who throw the word "squid" around as an insult should be aware they are enabling the same kind of thinking that is turning this world into the bland mashed potatoes its on its way to being

 

[alchemy69]

Honestly, if you live in a hotter climate you can still get gear suited for it. Having moved to Germany from the UK it is easily double the temperature in the summer, I nearly died of dehydration until I bought myself a vented jacked/gloves. Still use my leather trousers at the moment though but may upgrade to vented also at some point.

I hear wearing white leather is also a good idea but cant comment on it from experience.

 

[steelfabric]

All this talk of gear and ATGATT and personal freedoms and stuff is like talking about religion and politics. There is no correct answer. We are talking about personal choice and, within that, degrees. You could be ATGATT'ed to the nines and still die, or you could be only wearing what mother nature provided and fall off and have no side effects. Does a helmet help save you, it depends on the crash. Does ATGATT save you, it depends on the crash. Do loud pipes save lives, it depends on the situation. Taking charge of your life means managing your risks through your actions, and we should encourage and support people doing this. However, if your actions risk other people, that's something we should put a lid on. Just my $0.02.

 

[johl]

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of the things you have said.

Wearing gear is like having insurance. Useless and a waste of money 99% of the time, but when you need it you will be glad you have it.

 

[steelfabric]

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of the things you have said.

Wearing gear is like having insurance. Useless and a waste of money 99% of the time, but when you need it you will be glad you have it.

Hey, mate, please explain why you disagree with this. If it's "insurance", then ... Insurance is a personal choice (except where it is mandated to cover the other party etc). If somebody deems insurance to be a waste of money and they don't need it, then they don't buy it. And if somebody deems insurance to be their greatest backstop then they will have lots of it. Personal choice. Don't dislike insurance simply because it makes you make a decision.

 

[alchemy69]

I would have to respectfully disagree with most of the things you have said.

Wearing gear is like having insurance. Useless and a waste of money 99% of the time, but when you need it you will be glad you have it.

Agreed but gear still wouldn't save you in certain circumstances (nor would insurance for that matter). For example you have a head on collision at speed, ATGATT or not, there's little chance of survival. gear protects you more from the smaller stuff, low to medium impact bumps and most types of slide. Anything high impact or involving poor quality surfaces is going to end badly. Honestly, the best chance of survival is not to put yourself unnecessarily at risk of a collision or spill, paying attention is above all the biggest safety decision you can make.

I personally wear gear all the time and feel slightly safer doing so, that's my choice and others may choose to do differently. Its all about risk and how much you are willing to accept. My opinion is that its better than nothing and that I hope to never truly have the need to test it out.

However, if your actions risk other people, that's something we should put a lid on.

This is where it gets difficult. To what point do you decide your actions are endangering others? If you drive, you could kill someone in an accident, should you not drive because of this? Clearly there is a common sense factor to take into account.

Bottom line/tl;dr: Wear what you want, as long as you are meeting the legal requirements then anything else is your choice to make. it helps if you dont make the rest of us look bad in doing so but thats your choice to make. I'm happy and comfortable in my gear and intend to keep using it.

 

[steelfabric]

This is where it gets difficult. To what point do you decide your actions are endangering others? If you drive, you could kill someone in an accident, should you not drive because of this? Clearly there is a common sense factor to take into account.

Agree, this is a sticking point. And this is why we have fines for exceeding the speed limit. No harm done. No accident. Everybody came out the other side alive and uninjured. But, you may have done nothing other than impinge on the rights of others. There are definitely sensibility limits in play here, and those sensibility limits rests with the authorities in charge.