The Importance of Protective Gear

[redbirds_imp]

I read about this crash yesterday on the Motogp site but could not access the video. Hard to believe that a rider could walk away from this. Protective gear works.

http://www.cycleworld.com/2016/02/02/mot...eo-photos/

[Rocky_imp]

The video played OK for me.
He's a very lucky guy indeed, but they wear all that gear for a reason.
I can't even begin thinking about riding at that speed let alone falling off

[ClassicVW_imp]

I can recall responding to a single vehicle sportbike motorcycle crash on a 50 MPH highway in the middle of the night where the guy definitely wasn't doing only 50. He had been wearing a suit like that though and I determined that he slid along the pavement for more than 150 feet after leaving the bike and he was fine.

[Django]

The video played OK for me.
He's a very lucky guy indeed, but they wear all that gear for a reason.
I can't even begin thinking about riding at that speed let alone falling off

Yeah, there is this speed limiter...

[4 Paws_imp]

Can't figure out why people spend ten grand on a bike and farkle it out but won't spend a couple of hundred on some decent gear.
General comment.

[Cormanus]

Because, 4 Paws, it couldn't happen to me.

[Elipten_imp]

Couple of hundred? A grand plus with boots, gloves, helmet, jacket and pants.


2014 CB1100 DLX
2013 CB1100 Std
1990 BMW K75 RT

[the Ferret]

A helmet is the only piece of gear designed to actually save your life ( and even wearing the best on the market is no guarantee), but wearing a helmet is the best shot you got for survival if you are involved in a motorcycle crash.

The other items... boots, gloves, jacket, pants are not designed to save your life, but rather they are designed to prevent road rash and spread impact to help minimise bone breakage.

When buying gear, work from the top down imo. Helmet, jacket, gloves, pants, boots as you can afford it.

Cheap motorcycle gear beats no motorcycle gear, and last years colors/designs can often be bought at extreme bargains.

Personally I would buy mc gear before I would buy an exhaust system, or power commander, etc, but each must set their own priorities on their own safety.

[Elipten_imp]

Agreed, but I put gloves and boots after helmet, but then I bought a jacket with all four at the same time.


2014 CB1100 DLX
2013 CB1100 Std
1990 BMW K75 RT

[the Ferret]

Elipten, Funny you would place those items of importance first. I was in a wreck in 1968 or 69 when a lady in a 54 Dodge turned left in front of me on my 67 305 Scrambler Honda. I hit her passenger door and went over the car landing on the ground on the other side. Knocked unconscious for 45 mins.

But the 3 injuries that have plagued me for nearly 50 years happened to my head, 7 broken/chipped teeth and broken nose...(teeth are still chipped) ..broken right hand (it gets stiff) and broken right foot with damaged nail bed on big toe (toe nail used to fall off every year now it's just thick and crooked, but no longer falls off).

My hand was pinched between brake lever and handlebar and there are no gloves that would have prevented that being broken. A full face helmet would have prevented the nose and teeth damage but they were not in production yet, I was wearing a Buco open face helmet and High Point glasses. I think a good pair of mc specific boots would have prevented the broken foot, maybe not, but pretty sure it would have prevented the big toe injury. So your order of importance would certainly have helped me.

If we could only predict if we were going to have an impact or a low or high side we could then choose the approapriate gear to buy/ wear.

Guess the best advice is if you can afford it, buy it all at once.