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[snake]

Ok. To lots of you that do not know me, I am one of the most liberal on the board. I notice all the time people posting how crazy it is that people ride without a helmet, leather or armored suits and jackets, loud pipes save lives vs quiet bikes etc. I will get this started off with my liberal views on the subjects, you take it where you believe it should go. Or.... liberaly inspired...don't post at all!
   I hate loud pipes! Yeah I know ... doesn't sound too liberal. I got this way after a slip on muffler slipped off between Temple and Waco and was immediately flattened by a 18 wheeler. I was riding back home to Texarkana in '73 from FT Hood when this happened, it took two weeks for the left ear to quit ringing. I now value my hearing a lot more since then. I can see how loud pipes make cagers aware of motorcycles, thus possibly keeping someone from pulling over on interstate into the lane you occupy  but in regular highway (two lane) conditions, it doesn't make the oncoming car any more aware of you. It does piss off and make the lawmakers you pass cringe with surprise and hatred when your 110 CI motor blasts past them and scares the pi$$ out of them. They remember it well when a bill comes through the system on restricting exhaust decibels in the township or state. Not good for those with those same loud pipes.
   It always seems like motorcycle riders would be of the same mind about helmets...wear them if you have to or want to. Yeah right! I think riders are more polarized about this than non riders. In 1972, luckily the last time I had the bad fortune to be run over on my bike (ford galaxy...hard a$$ car, lol) and slid enough to eat a hole through the bubble shield I had on my helmet, I realized exactly how lucky I was it wasn't my face and head! The busted artery in my leg and burns , road rash, etc had my immediate attention, but the face and head save is what I remember lovingly. That was in Grannis Ar., and Arkansas required helmets and crash bars (engine guards to all you youngsters). Thanks Arkansas, I rarely ride without one because of that fated day.
   To me riding gear is whatever clothing I have on before I get on my bike. If it's hot, t shirt and pants works. I have a pair of leather chaps, but I don't put them on above 32 degrees. I will admit that when its 99 degrees and I see riders in full suit with armor or leather jacket, chaps, and boots, I am amazed that they can handle the discomfort they must be experiencing. They will be clucking at all the non protected riders , calling them "donors" and the non protected riders will be calling them "power rangers" with the same amount of disdain.
   We have all given up a lot of personal safety just by riding and not caging. My own unscientific guess would be about 80-90 percent of your personal safety evaporates the minute you get on a donorcycle...errr ...motorcycle. I guesstimate you gain a few percentage points for riding skills above normal, quick wits and good reaction times. Lose a few more for sleepy, impaired, bad judgement and slow reaction times. Now factor in bike and weather conditions. Wet roads? slick tires, or bad brakes? The best of body armor and helmets doesn't make a lot of difference when your northern direction changes 180 degrees in the blink of an eye when you become the hood ornament on a southbound Mack truck. Your gear is just a partial insurance towards your longevity. You don't wreck, you don't need it...but you never know. We all ride within a few safety percentage points of the "other" riders with different gear on. Can't we all.......wait for it.....just get along???
SSSSSSSSsssssnake

Rant on!

[Rocket67]

  I hate loud pipes! Yeah I know ... doesn't sound too liberal. I got this way after a slip on muffler slipped off between Temple and Waco and was immediately flattened by a 18 wheeler. I was riding back home to Texarkana in '73 from FT Hood when this happened, it took two weeks for the left ear to quit ringing. I now value my hearing a lot more since then. I can see how loud pipes make cagers aware of motorcycles, thus possibly keeping someone from pulling over on interstate into the lane you occupy   but in regular highway (two lane) conditions, it doesn't make the oncoming car any more aware of you. It does piss off and make the lawmakers you pass cringe with surprise and hatred when your 110 CI motor blasts past them and scares the pi$$ out of them. They remember it well when a bill comes through the system on restricting exhaust decibels in the township or state. Not good for those with those same loud pipes.

My stock are fine, don't like the loud ones especially when they are in front of me.  Best to be a defensive rider than expect people to hear your pipes.  Cars now days are insulated and the drivers are either on the phone or have the radio blaring so they don't even hear the loud ones until you are next door to them.

  It always seems like motorcycle riders would be of the same mind about helmets...wear them if you have to or want to. Yeah right! I think riders are more polarized about this than non riders. In 1972, luckily the last time I had the bad fortune to be run over on my bike (ford galaxy...hard a$$ car, lol) and slid enough to eat a hole through the bubble shield I had on my helmet, I realized exactly how lucky I was it wasn't my face and head! The busted artery in my leg and burns , road rash, etc had my immediate attention, but the face and head save is what I remember lovingly. That was in Grannis Ar., and Arkansas required helmets and crash bars (engine guards to all you youngsters). Thanks Arkansas, I rarely ride without one because of that fated day.

I mostly ride with my full helmet for a few reasons.  One, I hate getting hit in the face with big bugs.  Two, sunburn on my head.  Three, what was that other one....hmmm...oh yeah, protection.  I guess the first two could also be considered protection but for the purposes of this statement they are seperate concerns.  That being said......I do like to tool around sans helmet from time to time so I am on both sides of this but any long rides (50+ miles) I will ALWAYS have it on.  No problem for my buds who wear bandanas...their choice.  If they go down and crack their skull open I will not say a word about it.  

  To me riding gear is whatever clothing I have on before I get on my bike. If it's hot, t shirt and pants works. I have a pair of leather chaps, but I don't put them on above 32 degrees. I will admit that when its 99 degrees and I see riders in full suit with armor or leather jacket, chaps, and boots, I am amazed that they can handle the discomfort they must be experiencing. They will be clucking at all the non protected riders , calling them "donors" and the non protected riders will be calling them "power rangers" with the same amount of disdain.

To each his own, I like the full leathers but would never wear them.  Of course, I am not trying to break a speed record on every corner and bend.  I wear Jeans most the time but would wear shorts if I hadn't already burned my leg twice on various hot things between my legs.  

  We have all given up a lot of personal safety just by riding and not caging. My own unscientific guess would be about 80-90 percent of your personal safety evaporates the minute you get on a donorcycle...errr ...motorcycle. I guesstimate you gain a few percentage points for riding skills above normal, quick wits and good reaction times. Lose a few more for sleepy, impaired, bad judgement and slow reaction times. Now factor in bike and weather conditions. Wet roads? slick tires, or bad brakes? The best of body armor and helmets doesn't make a lot of difference when your northern direction changes 180 degrees in the blink of an eye when you become the hood ornament on a southbound Mack truck. Your gear is just a partial insurance towards your longevity. You don't wreck, you don't need it...but you never know. We all ride within a few safety percentage points of the "other" riders with different gear on. Can't we all.......wait for it.....just get along???

Throw in a couple of beers from your local biker bar as well.  Guess you coverd that with "impared".  I just try and be the best rider I can, I study others accidents (YouTube and what not) and see what they did and try not to do it.  I wear a mesh jacket most of the time but mostly because it's cooler than not wearing it.  I don't think that riding is just rolling the dice, by being a study of technique and good skills I think I have at least house odds but sometimes the house loses too.  I have saw a woman on Woodlands Parkway riding a scooter in shorts, tank top and flip flops.....I feel my odds are much better than hers.  

[Isorg]

loud pipes, could take them or leave them.... just don't be that jerkwad redlining your 6" pipes because you can.      Oh, and the guy who leaves my neighborhood at 6:30am every morning.... I hate you for your damn loud Cranberries bike, and respect you for riding every day! 

helmets/gear...  your choice.  My choice is to wear the gear.  Fullface, gloves, boots, mesh jacket.  around town I will sport bluejeans, on longer trips I have a few pairs of riding pants that are a little bit stronger than denim.   a month or so ago, went to austin to lunch, when i came back to houston about 3pm, the temps was reading 106 on the dash.  It was hot.... so i opened the fullface, and it was like i had a blowdryer on high pointed at my face, it was more comfortable to ride with the helmet closed then open.

[hipshot]

They are personal decisions (except maybe for the pipes -- the loud pipes are illegal).  They should be up to the rider.  However, I believe that your decision should be based on facts and sound reasoning.  I respect your decision to ride without a helmet, as long as you make it for a valid reason.  But "It doesn't look cool", or "I read that they are unsafe because they restrict your vision and your hearing and they will break your neck in a wreck" are silly reasons, and the latter is unfounded, in spite of the number of people who buy into it. I don't know that "dress for the wreck" is necessarily for me; I like to be comfortable when I ride.  But I always wear a helmet.  I can live with a road rash, but not with a crushed skull.  However, as seldom as I wear the armor and the chaps, I would never ridicule someone who does always wear them, and I understand their reasoning.  I will laugh at the guy running down the road in shorts, teeshirt, flipflops, and no helmet or eye protection on a bike with no windshield.  That's just plain ignorant.

[Bobcat Biker]

always boots and jeans for me...chaps when it's below 40...and I agree with mesh during the summer because it is cooler and with a hyperkewl vest...it can be bearable even over 100...not a fan of loud pipes...
The big thing for me is to ride defensively and be fully engaged and focused on the task at hand.
Last November coming back from Arkansas...looked to the left to admire the view for just a second...turned back and there was a goober in a truck.  dead stopped in the middle of the road taking a picture of the same view.  No amount of protection would have protected me if I had looked left just a second longer.  fully engaged and expect the car to turn in front of you or stop in front of you...you can at least improve the odds.

[Lucky]

Would NEVER ride without a helmet (except from Pioneer RV park to Bricks, lol).  As others have said, I can live with road rash (and have) but I can't live with a crushed skull.

I am not a gear wearer during warm weather, I will bundle up when the temps get cold. 

I don't like loud pipes...personally know a LEO who convinced me that if the idjuts on the road don't seem to hear sirens, then what makes us think they will hear our pipes...therefore I don't see any need for them.

[xcaliber]

I don't back the bike out of the garage without a full face (modular helmet) I wear a mesh jacket 90% of the time and am convinced that I am cooler than exposing my skin to the sun and hot air. I also believe in personal choice and personal responsibility. Excellent response Rocket, Couldn't have said it better myself. I ride a Goldwing so you know what I think of loud pipes, LOL.

[Luckys Lover]

Full face helmet, pants always. Riding jacket below about 80°. Which came in handy when that guy tried to commit suicide by running in front of me. Scraped the back of my helmet off, my right elbow swelled up from hitting a shoulder thumper but the armor saved me from breaking a bone.

Sometimes I wear tennis shoes but mostly steel toe boots.

I don't mind if you drink but I limit myself to one at M&Gs so that I'm not totally impaired while driving.

I got one of those new fangled helmets and it plays music off my phone into my ears. So I can't hear my loud pipes either. LOL Although the pipes do spook the deer around here and make them run across the road between me and Connie. 

When I see those people riding in shorts and flip flops, I keep thinking I hope they signed their donor card.

[Rocket67]

I don't back the bike out of the garage without a full face (modular helmet) I wear a mesh jacket 90% of the time and am convinced that I am cooler than exposing my skin to the sun and hot air. I also believe in personal choice and personal responsibility. Excellent response Rocket, Couldn't have said it better myself. I ride a Goldwing so you know what I think of loud pipes, LOL.

I can confirm that mesh is cooler.  Coming back from Arkansas last year we were on black top and I think it was close or over 100F.  I had my jogging spandex on which is supposed to help keep me cooler but about 2 hours in I pulled out the jacket (black mind you) just to get the sun a bit further from the surface of my clothing and skin.  It was like night and day.  Every since then I always used the jacket on hot sunny days when I am riding any distance greater than down the street.  My jacket is a dual layer mesh which not only keeps the sun on the outer layer but also corculates air between layers and lets it get through to me as well.  Even in realy hot weather I can ride comfortably until I stop...then it's like being in an easy bake oven.   

[Isorg]

I don't back the bike out of the garage without a full face (modular helmet) I wear a mesh jacket 90% of the time and am convinced that I am cooler than exposing my skin to the sun and hot air. I also believe in personal choice and personal responsibility. Excellent response Rocket, Couldn't have said it better myself. I ride a Goldwing so you know what I think of loud pipes, LOL.

I can confirm that mesh is cooler.  Coming back from Arkansas last year we were on black top and I think it was close or over 100F.  I had my jogging spandex on which is supposed to help keep me cooler but about 2 hours in I pulled out the jacket (black mind you) just to get the sun a bit further from the surface of my clothing and skin.  It was like night and day.  Every since then I always used the jacket on hot sunny days when I am riding any distance greater than down the street.  My jacket is a dual layer mesh which not only keeps the sun on the outer layer but also corculates air between layers and lets it get through to me as well.  Even in realy hot weather I can ride comfortably until I stop...then it's like being in an easy bake oven.  

talk to the hardcore ironbutt dudes, and they will tell you to cover up... vented jackets, not mesh even when riding through the desert.


 from here.... http://www.ironbutt.com/ibmagazine/IronButt_1002_62-66_Hot.pdf

In Summary…
The magic number is 93. Below 93°F,
it’s fairly easy to stay cool on a motorcycle
as long as you are moving fast enough
to get some wind against your skin for
convective cooling. A mesh riding suit
feels great.
Above 93°F, it’s a different world. The
wind is no longer your friend.
For long distance riding in temperature
higher than 93°F, you need to (1)
minimize your body’s exposure to direct
wind blast; (2) wear wicking undergarments,
including a helmet liner; (3) carry
an adequate supply of cool water and
drink frequently; and (4) insulate any
parts of your body exposed to engine
heat or radiator discharge.
Dress right, drink right, and enjoy the
ride[/quote