There's no fool like an old fool
Discussion
Sitting in Coopers Tunbridge Wells this afternoon having a brew whilst waiting for my bike to be serviced. The silence was broken by the sound of a Harley pulling in along with a GS. Looked up and was shocked to see that the Harley rider was wearing a pisspot helmet and a pair of shorts with trainers. My thought was 'silly young sod'
Then he took the thing off his head and removed his shades to reveal a guy who was late 50s or early 60s
The guy sitting opposite me who had also looked up said 'I would have thought he would know kin better at his age'
I had to agree
Then he took the thing off his head and removed his shades to reveal a guy who was late 50s or early 60s
The guy sitting opposite me who had also looked up said 'I would have thought he would know kin better at his age'
I had to agree
I am curious. Has anyone on here (or know of anyone) who has had a bad crash whilst not wearing protective gear - such that they have lost significant amounts of skin, worn flesh down the bone or had severe facial injuries, who carried on riding without protective gear?
But is the above any worse than those on here (which must surely be a decent percentage) who have been badly injured with protective gear but still ride?
But is the above any worse than those on here (which must surely be a decent percentage) who have been badly injured with protective gear but still ride?
Esceptico said:
I am curious. Has anyone on here (or know of anyone) who has had a bad crash whilst not wearing protective gear - such that they have lost significant amounts of skin, worn flesh down the bone or had severe facial injuries, who carried on riding without protective gear?
But is the above any worse than those on here (which must surely be a decent percentage) who have been badly injured with protective gear but still ride?
Sorry, but I'm struggling with your logic.But is the above any worse than those on here (which must surely be a decent percentage) who have been badly injured with protective gear but still ride?
(eta, I'm probably struggling with my understanding of your logic.)
Charliecloud said:
Sitting in Coopers Tunbridge Wells this afternoon having a brew whilst waiting for my bike to be serviced. The silence was broken by the sound of a Harley pulling in along with a GS. Looked up and was shocked to see that the Harley rider was wearing a pisspot helmet and a pair of shorts with trainers. My thought was 'silly young sod'
Then he took the thing off his head and removed his shades to reveal a guy who was late 50s or early 60s
The guy sitting opposite me who had also looked up said 'I would have thought he would know kin better at his age'
I had to agree
I agree with the lack of attire...foolish.Then he took the thing off his head and removed his shades to reveal a guy who was late 50s or early 60s
The guy sitting opposite me who had also looked up said 'I would have thought he would know kin better at his age'
I had to agree
Personally. I think pisspot helmets are safer than full face due to the much better all round vision. Maybe not if you do crash though.
When I started riding in 1969, even on a high powered machine, there was no requirement to wear a helmet at all...until they changed the law in 1973.
trickywoo said:
What a load of crap.
Agreed, seems a very convoluted logic to get to that conclusion.Personally - I'd never wear anything but a full face; saw a bad accident when I was a kid with a guy's jaw hanging halfway down his chest - an image that has certainly stayed with me!
Even as a Harley rider myself (albeit one who sees the wrong side of triple figures too often... private roads/track of course...) - I always wear a full face lid. Usually I am in armoured textiles, however for really hot weather it's a decently armoured leather jacket and armoured kevlar jeans (and always gloves too!).- oh and not a tassle insight!
When I see people 'squiding' in shorts/tshirt it does make me think 'idiot' - however ultimately we are all riding a statistically high risk method of transport and our own individual risk thresholds are exactly that; individual.
I'm one of these high-horse kind of people who preaches about safety gear and the dangers of not wearing it.
I spent almost 30 years in the fire service and I have responded to countless road incidents, many involving motorcycles.
I also worked part time as a bike instructor for ten years and saw umpteen stupid low-speed tumbles.
Without doubt, protective gear does what it says on the tin, it protects you.
Even a pair of cheap jeans from Asda give more protection than bare legs, even a Lidl-special bike jacket is better than a nylon raincoat, even ski-gloves are better than a bar palm.
I have seen bikers come off at stupid speeds who have suffered broken bones, dislocations etc who would have been absolutely torn to shreds if they hadn't been wearing leathers and, likewise, the lucky ones who should have died but were saved by their helmet/jacket/back protector etc.
I struggle to understand why anyone would make a habit of not wearing decent kit.
I remember in particular one guy who had been clipped by a car changing lanes unexpectedly as he tore down the A1 at a-hundred-and-stupid mph; he slid down the road on his back for the best part of 100 meters, in his own words "like some kind of surf-god, controlling the slide with my boots and gloves" before grinding to a halt in lane 2.
The arse of his leathers was worn through and his right butt-cheek looked like a pound of mince, the palms of his gloves were gone and his hands looked like he had done a handstand on a belt-sander, but he was alive and kicking and able to laugh and joke about it all in the back of the ambulance.
Without decent leathers and a back protector? Personally, I think he would have been going home in a box...
I have also seen my fair share of fatalities, many of them where not even the best gear in the world would have made a difference, however I don't think I have even once seen a situation where someone's protective kit made matters worse.
I spent almost 30 years in the fire service and I have responded to countless road incidents, many involving motorcycles.
I also worked part time as a bike instructor for ten years and saw umpteen stupid low-speed tumbles.
Without doubt, protective gear does what it says on the tin, it protects you.
Even a pair of cheap jeans from Asda give more protection than bare legs, even a Lidl-special bike jacket is better than a nylon raincoat, even ski-gloves are better than a bar palm.
I have seen bikers come off at stupid speeds who have suffered broken bones, dislocations etc who would have been absolutely torn to shreds if they hadn't been wearing leathers and, likewise, the lucky ones who should have died but were saved by their helmet/jacket/back protector etc.
I struggle to understand why anyone would make a habit of not wearing decent kit.
I remember in particular one guy who had been clipped by a car changing lanes unexpectedly as he tore down the A1 at a-hundred-and-stupid mph; he slid down the road on his back for the best part of 100 meters, in his own words "like some kind of surf-god, controlling the slide with my boots and gloves" before grinding to a halt in lane 2.
The arse of his leathers was worn through and his right butt-cheek looked like a pound of mince, the palms of his gloves were gone and his hands looked like he had done a handstand on a belt-sander, but he was alive and kicking and able to laugh and joke about it all in the back of the ambulance.
Without decent leathers and a back protector? Personally, I think he would have been going home in a box...
I have also seen my fair share of fatalities, many of them where not even the best gear in the world would have made a difference, however I don't think I have even once seen a situation where someone's protective kit made matters worse.
keirik said:
He's riding a Harley, probably only ridden a couple of miles and walks it around corners.
Well that's been my experience riding with Harley owners
This.Well that's been my experience riding with Harley owners
He wasn't doing 100 approaching Scotch Corner, nor was he a drunk young hooligan showing off to mates. It's quite likely at the age he's got to he took a measured decision based on experience. OP needs to untwist his knickers.
Esceptico said:
I am curious. Has anyone on here (or know of anyone) who has had a bad crash whilst not wearing protective gear - such that they have lost significant amounts of skin, worn flesh down the bone or had severe facial injuries, who carried on riding without protective gear?
Not my face but I had a substantial crash and lost a lot of skin on my back. I still ride in whatever I want though.I’ve got everything from ‘open face and bike gear at all’ through to ‘full leathers’. I decide what to wear based on weather, the bike I’m taking out and most importantly, the type of riding I’ll be doing.
People need to not worry so much about what other people do.
Bob_Defly said:
I ride in the states sometimes, tons of riders there in just t-shirts and jeans. No gloves, or helmet.
I just consider it part of evolution.
Yeah and they wonder why their KSI stats have not improved since the 60s and yet ours are at an all time low..."motorcycles are dangerous" they say.....yeah no sh*t I just consider it part of evolution.
Every year I get hit in the face by some big bug and im thankful of a full face. Riding across the the US, some places its so hot there seem to be no bugs and many are sat behind huge windscreens on their bikes so I guess they dont notice the downsides of a piss pot until they fall off.
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