Well I was humbled today. hit a patch of slick oil or tar and lost the handle on the bike on a big bend. I think thats called a low side i am not sure.

Moral of the post though is proper riding gear saved me from any major harm, unless pride counts of course. I am fairly seasoned in riding with 4 years alone since I bought the superhawk. Can happen to anyone i suppose.

Anyone that thinks they can skip the basic safety of helmet, jacket, jeans, and boots let this be another warning. I dont have very expensive equipment but it did the job 400 shoei helmet, jeans, 40 dollar SS textile jacket, and work boots.

My face and legs are glad I had a friends dad who forced to wear the gear when I first started! Be safe! And wear the right gear!

 

Good advice. Sorry to hear of your mishap, happy you weren't seriously injured.

 

Thank you. I feel bad for my bike but I am so happy i wore the right gear. I see so many riders without the basic necessities makes me nervous for them

 

Lucky man and way to go being prepared! Watch for sharp metal objects in the road too

 

That 400 Shoei IS SO WORTH IT. I cant stress to my buddies how important it is to have a really ssafe (and expensive) helmet. Just purchased an Arai Defiant helment and it rocks!

Im really happy you did not get injured my friend. Safe riding.

ps- Maybe you should grab some leathers? craigslist *

 

Not sure if this is the right sub-forum to post this. If not, moderators please feel free to move thread.

Okay, so let's talk protective gear.

ADV riding is new to me (rode/raced sportbikes), so I'm not all that familiar with ADV riding gear. I have so many questions so your input/experience with certain brands would be greatly appreciated.

I have been obsessed with protective gear ever since I learned (the hard way) that the terms "protective gear" didn't just stop at the head, hands, and upper torso. I have spent probably $12K, if not more protective gear, in search for the best "protective" gear the industry had to offer to riders/racers.

How many of you guys have lowsided on the streets wearing your ADV riding gear? How did your gear hold up? What was the extent of your injuries?

The reason I'm asking is that from my observation I can't help but think since ADV riding gear is not skin tight like that of sportbike riding gear the armor is more susceptible to shift in a crash. In addition, the absence of abrasive resistant materials incorporated onto the design like that of leather/kangaroo/stingray elevates my concerns. Although in my research I heard about a material used in ADV gear called "Superfabric" that's just as abrasive resistant, if not better, than cowhide/kangaroo. But that's just on small areas (i.e. elbows & shoulders).

I know I don't have to conform to wearing ADV gear if I'm concerned about their safety features...but I like to look the part. :grin2::wink2: Besides, I'm sensitive to the heat and wearing leathers in 90+F is not my idea of fun.:laugh:

Anyhow, which brands and model would you guys recommend for someone so concerned about safety features?

 

Wish I could give some input here. I've been down twice, once on track in full leathers and the 1st time was 1991ish. I didn't have much gear on at all, thankfully it was very low speed. For years I've been ATGATT. I don't offroad intentionally. Gear is all Alpinestars and I've been happy with it. Andes V2 jacket and a pair of AStar overpants. Both have upgraded armor. I'm pretty confident in the kit. I have a Viper V2 jacket for summer use, also w/ the back armor.

 

I'm all gear all the time whether on the street or if course the track.
On the street it's a leather jacket with full armor as are the pants. Boots are full race boots with no compromise.
Gloves full race gauntlet on the street and even as hot as it gets in South MS with the humidity it's not that hot as long as you're moving along.

Yeah it's not the 'Hawk I'm riding as it's still getting put back together while I ride the 400.
Proper gear may not save the embarrassment of going off the bike but sure will save your hide so you can get back up and do it again.

 

Being an old, diehard ATGATT motorcyclist (aka Shootist not Gunslinger; i.e., not a Biker) that doesn't bounce like I used to, I've gone very rad with my gear. I have always felt it best to invest in carefully selected quality stuff; much of which I bought prolly 30 years ago when it was relatively cheap. I chose makers like the original German Heine Gericke and English Fieldsheer for both their solid and perforated jackets and pants. When Aerostitch came out with their 2nd gen 2-piece Roadcrafter Classic (circa early 90s) I bit the bullet and bought in. They all are still in great shape because I took care of them. More recently, and I still have buyer remorse ONLY due to their cost, I got the Aerostitch Transit 2 suit but they fit me like custom-made and have formed to my shapely figure. I'm so hard core that I actually feel like I'm wearing pajamas when I wear my very good Kevlar lined jeans. Yes, I have my share ballistic nylon / polyester solid and mesh gear because they're available in red and Hiviz Dayglo Lime but I've upgraded the armor to CE 2 in ALL my gear when not, and even wear a thorax CE 2 trauma plate and under certain pants Velcro slip-up CE 2 knee - shin guards instead of in-the-pants knee pads. I also have a fully armored body shirt I wear on the track. I run CE 2 hip pads in all my pants as well. And last season bought a Hit-Air air vest (https://www.hit-air.com/en/motorcycl...01/mlv-yc.html). Boots are all armored, many with ankle and toe "hinges". Gloves likewise are all armored, most with hard palm sliders. I have a thing for flip-front (modular) helmets (5 at last count) because I wear eyeglasses but also have a couple real full face helmets. Also, good ear plugs (I like Howard Lieght Laser-Lites) keep you fresh, more alert, and stave off fatigue.

I've also worn for maybe 40 of my 50 years street riding Super See-Me vests (superseded not by the Hit-Air vest) but equally as important as what I wear are the conspicuity improvements I add to all my bikes. A headlight modulator is #1, followed by auxiliary brake lights, driving / position lights, rear turn-running lights, side marker lights (all now LED) and reflective wheel rim tape, along with dual 115 db horns, GPS with traffic alerts and doppler weather radar when appropriate.

But possibly most importantly is continued training and lots of practice, especially when spring finally arrives. From what I learned as a motorcycle courier on the mean streets of San Francisco in 1972 ~ 74 as well as the race tracks up and down the Golden State, plus 25 years of commuting to and from the Chicago Loop on the Kennedy, Edens and Lake Shore Drive, I know it is the 6th sense I've developed that without really being cognoscente of it, know what that cager is going to do before they do. Countless times I've avoid serious injury or worse because I was 10 moves ahead while still calculating the "what ifs" while subconsciously looking for another way past. Riding is deadly serious business but I make traffic a game by playing the "what if" game, not target fixating, and looking ahead for several ways through. Now out in the country and in the twisties I do find it hard to relax and can't let my guard down, which does somewhat diminish the pleasure level, you never know what could be just over that hill or around that bend.

Words to live by:

If you're not there, they can't kill you!

I'd rather break the law than bones.

Motorcyclists are like sharks (with inoperative gills), because if we ever stop moving, we die.

Smell the roses, feel the changes in temperature from holler to hill, become one with the tempo of the road but always keep an eye peeled for manure on the tarmac.

Split lanes even if it's illegal

If you can't see it, you could hit It (i.e., brake marker, turn-in point)

I'd rather get stopped by a cop than somebody's bumper

Being a great motorcyclist's is not about being fast, it's about staying alive

Riding in groups of more than three and strangers will get you killed

I always thought life began at a 140 miles an hour on 2 wheels but it also does when you park your bike and you and it are in better shape than when you left home

If people don't like it's too bad for them because when it comes down to it, it's either you or them, and it better be you that sleeps soundly in your bed that night