For those dumping money into bike...

[Guth_imp]

Here's the thing: If you are a gear guy, a believer in wearing protective gear, then it shouldn't matter whether the bike costs thousands of dollars or hundreds of dollars. A crash/accident is just that, no matter how much you spend on the bike. You either place a priority on trying to protect yourself in case of such an event of you don't. That's an individual call.

If someone were to ask for gear recommendations, or about how much others spend on gear on average, then I could understand. Questioning the judgement of others when it comes to mods v.s. protective gear only seems destined to end poorly.