Itwonthappentome-itis

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Here's an interesting thread that might change your mind about wearing proper gear.

This is not about fear, it's about common sense. Riding can be dangerous and accidents do happen, almost always when you least expect them. Wearing good quality gear greatly minimizes these risks.

WARNING-There are pics in that thread that are quite graphic. There are no dead bodies though, just wounds caused by relatively unprotected skin meeting pavement.

Here's a great site with a lot of good tips on gear for new riders or those who just want to learn more about proper riding gear.
 

EightySix Four

Diamond Member
Jul 17, 2004
5,122
52
91
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Here's an interesting thread that might change your mind about wearing proper gear.

This is not about fear, it's about common sense. Riding can be dangerous and accidents do happen, almost always when you least expect them. Wearing good quality gear greatly minimizes these risks.

WARNING-There are pics in that thread that are quite graphic. There are no dead bodies though, just wounds caused by relatively unprotected skin meeting pavement.

Fuck man. That's brutal.
 

zerocool84

Lifer
Nov 11, 2004
36,041
472
126
That last hand one is pretty crazy but everyone suffers from it won't happen to me. Doesn't matter if it's a bike, car, or anything.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Originally posted by: zerocool84
That last hand one is pretty crazy but everyone suffers from it won't happen to me. Doesn't matter if it's a bike, car, or anything.

Well, it's no secret that riding a motorcycle is much more dangerous than driving a car.

I love driving fast and exploring the limits of a fast sports car but there is no way in hell I'd even drive my child to school without buckling up. Nor would I ride my motorcycle without wearing a full face helmet, quality motorcycle boots, leather motorcycle jacket, and gloves.

It's all about minimizing the risk. Accidents are not predictable...if they were, everyone would be buckled up or geared up when they happen.
 

DVad3r

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2005
5,340
3
81
Wow, I feel like a total moron riding around in a shirt a few times. Mind you it's a shirt with full face, gloves, boots, jeans, but still, I'd rather not risk it. Looks like I will sweat/boil from now on no matter what.

And wow the first pic was that guy wearing a half helmet? Is that what they mean by beanie helmet?
 

Ronstang

Lifer
Jul 8, 2000
12,493
18
81
There are two types of motorcycle drivers....ONLY TWO.....those that have been down, and those that are going down. If you own a bike for any length of time you will eventually be on the ground, it just depends how severe the accident is going to be. I have been down twice, once slowing down from about 30 mph and once leaving a country road at over 100 mph. I was more injured in the 30 mph incident with only a scraped elbow. Not even a mark at the 100+ mph one as I was wearing a leather jacket and ended up in a corn field.
 

BZeto

Platinum Member
Apr 28, 2002
2,428
0
76
I just bought a 2 piece leather suit and new gauntlet gloves. I'm still shopping around for real boots. I NEVER thought I would be investing this much money into protective gear. The scary thing is that it's actually really fun/exciting to get new gear, lol.
 

Turin39789

Lifer
Nov 21, 2000
12,218
8
81
Originally posted by: DVad3r
Wow, I feel like a total moron riding around in a shirt a few times. Mind you it's a shirt with full face, gloves, boots, jeans, but still, I'd rather not risk it. Looks like I will sweat/boil from now on no matter what.

And wow the first pic was that guy wearing a half helmet? Is that what they mean by beanie helmet?

Jeans won't help either. :(



Cruiser folk - Watch Neil's video
 

Mursilis

Diamond Member
Mar 11, 2001
7,756
11
81
This only goes to prove, you can't fix stupid (most of the time).

It's stuff like this which keeps me off a motorcycle. As much as I'd love to try it, I don't want to go down, and I'm fairly sure it would happen, esp. with all the negligent drivers on the road today.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Originally posted by: Mursilis
This only goes to prove, you can't fix stupid (most of the time).

It's stuff like this which keeps me off a motorcycle. As much as I'd love to try it, I don't want to go down, and I'm fairly sure it would happen, esp. with all the negligent drivers on the road today.

Dude, that's why you wear gear. It does an excellent job of protecting you in an accident. I was riding Palomar Mountain last summer and we came upon a guy who lowsided his Yamaha R1. He was wearing full leathers and the zipper had torn apart at the top of the suit as he was sliding along the pavement. He had a bit of rash on his shoulder but it wasn't bad actually, probably about the size of a tennis ball. He also tweaked his pinky finger (bent it back and broke it), he bent it back and it was swollen but he was just standing around waiting for his GF to come with the truck to load his bike into. If he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans there is no doubt that he would have been going to the hospital in an ambulance.
 

Zenmervolt

Elite member
Oct 22, 2000
24,512
22
81
Originally posted by: franksta
What does lowside mean? I saw it mentioned in the linked thread too.

A "lowside" is when the bike sort of slides out from underneath you and you end up sliding along the pavement. A "highside" is when the bike starts to slide, then catches and catapults you into the air as it whips back upright.

A more thorough explanation is here.

ZV
 
Dec 21, 2007
34
0
0
Originally posted by: Ronstang
There are two types of motorcycle drivers....ONLY TWO.....those that have been down, and those that are going down. If you own a bike for any length of time you will eventually be on the ground, it just depends how severe the accident is going to be. I have been down twice, once slowing down from about 30 mph and once leaving a country road at over 100 mph. I was more injured in the 30 mph incident with only a scraped elbow. Not even a mark at the 100+ mph one as I was wearing a leather jacket and ended up in a corn field.

Hear this alot and, while I agree it is a good mindset to have while riding, I do not believe it is true. Do you have any statistics/studies to back it up? I seem to recall one that said, of riders with ten+ years of experience, 70% have gone down. I also recall some indicating that accidents are much much more likely in the first two years of riding (intuitively obvious). Thus, I would imagine the percentage of experienced riders in the "will go down" category is notably lower.

If we're throwing around anecdotal evidence, in 10 years and 40000+ miles of riding, I have never been down. Almost all of those miles are on sportbikes and include some foolishly aggressive street riding in my earlier years.
 

Mursilis

Diamond Member
Mar 11, 2001
7,756
11
81
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: Mursilis
This only goes to prove, you can't fix stupid (most of the time).

It's stuff like this which keeps me off a motorcycle. As much as I'd love to try it, I don't want to go down, and I'm fairly sure it would happen, esp. with all the negligent drivers on the road today.

Dude, that's why you wear gear. It does an excellent job of protecting you in an accident. I was riding Palomar Mountain last summer and we came upon a guy who lowsided his Yamaha R1. He was wearing full leathers and the zipper had torn apart at the top of the suit as he was sliding along the pavement. He had a bit of rash on his shoulder but it wasn't bad actually, probably about the size of a tennis ball. He also tweaked his pinky finger (bent it back and broke it), he bent it back and it was swollen but he was just standing around waiting for his GF to come with the truck to load his bike into. If he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans there is no doubt that he would have been going to the hospital in an ambulance.

If I ever decided to try a cycle, I definitely go with full gear, no doubt. Still, having purchased a Mazdaspeed Miata in April, I'm good. Almost as fun as a cycle (OK, I'm just assuming that, but it's pretty darn fun), with much less risk (I hope).
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Originally posted by: Ornery Platypus
Originally posted by: Ronstang
There are two types of motorcycle drivers....ONLY TWO.....those that have been down, and those that are going down. If you own a bike for any length of time you will eventually be on the ground, it just depends how severe the accident is going to be. I have been down twice, once slowing down from about 30 mph and once leaving a country road at over 100 mph. I was more injured in the 30 mph incident with only a scraped elbow. Not even a mark at the 100+ mph one as I was wearing a leather jacket and ended up in a corn field.

Hear this alot and, while I agree it is a good mindset to have while riding, I do not believe it is true. Do you have any statistics/studies to back it up? I seem to recall one that said, of riders with ten+ years of experience, 70% have gone down. I also recall some indicating that accidents are much much more likely in the first two years of riding (intuitively obvious). Thus, I would imagine the percentage of experienced riders in the "will go down" category is notably lower.

If we're throwing around anecdotal evidence, in 10 years and 40000+ miles of riding, I have never been down. Almost all of those miles are on sportbikes and include some foolishly aggressive street riding in my earlier years.

Sure, it's possible, but not likely. Odds are that if you continue to ride motorcycles you will experience a crash at some point.
 

DVad3r

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2005
5,340
3
81
Originally posted by: Mursilis
Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
Originally posted by: Mursilis
This only goes to prove, you can't fix stupid (most of the time).

It's stuff like this which keeps me off a motorcycle. As much as I'd love to try it, I don't want to go down, and I'm fairly sure it would happen, esp. with all the negligent drivers on the road today.

Dude, that's why you wear gear. It does an excellent job of protecting you in an accident. I was riding Palomar Mountain last summer and we came upon a guy who lowsided his Yamaha R1. He was wearing full leathers and the zipper had torn apart at the top of the suit as he was sliding along the pavement. He had a bit of rash on his shoulder but it wasn't bad actually, probably about the size of a tennis ball. He also tweaked his pinky finger (bent it back and broke it), he bent it back and it was swollen but he was just standing around waiting for his GF to come with the truck to load his bike into. If he was wearing a t-shirt and jeans there is no doubt that he would have been going to the hospital in an ambulance.

If I ever decided to try a cycle, I definitely go with full gear, no doubt. Still, having purchased a Mazdaspeed Miata in April, I'm good. Almost as fun as a cycle (OK, I'm just assuming that, but it's pretty darn fun), with much less risk (I hope).

Hate to spoil your excitment but it's nothing remotely close to a motorcycle :) And I've been in some "fun" cars, believe me :p
 

JDub02

Diamond Member
Sep 27, 2002
6,209
1
0
Originally posted by: Ornery Platypus
Originally posted by: Ronstang
There are two types of motorcycle drivers....ONLY TWO.....those that have been down, and those that are going down. If you own a bike for any length of time you will eventually be on the ground, it just depends how severe the accident is going to be. I have been down twice, once slowing down from about 30 mph and once leaving a country road at over 100 mph. I was more injured in the 30 mph incident with only a scraped elbow. Not even a mark at the 100+ mph one as I was wearing a leather jacket and ended up in a corn field.

Hear this alot and, while I agree it is a good mindset to have while riding, I do not believe it is true. Do you have any statistics/studies to back it up? I seem to recall one that said, of riders with ten+ years of experience, 70% have gone down. I also recall some indicating that accidents are much much more likely in the first two years of riding (intuitively obvious). Thus, I would imagine the percentage of experienced riders in the "will go down" category is notably lower.

If we're throwing around anecdotal evidence, in 10 years and 40000+ miles of riding, I have never been down. Almost all of those miles are on sportbikes and include some foolishly aggressive street riding in my earlier years.

I've been riding for 13 years and have never put down a street bike. I've had a few close calls on the street and I've dumped dirt bikes and quads a number of times. I think it comes down to being a very defensive driver and keeping aware of the cars around, including behind.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Originally posted by: Zenmervolt
Originally posted by: franksta
What does lowside mean? I saw it mentioned in the linked thread too.

A "lowside" is when the bike sort of slides out from underneath you and you end up sliding along the pavement. A "highside" is when the bike starts to slide, then catches and catapults you into the air as it whips back upright.

A more thorough explanation is here.

ZV

This is correct. If given a choice I'd take a lowside any day of the week. Highsides usually end up with broken bones because you are pitched up into the air by the bike when the rear tire gains traction and the bike tries to straighten up. A lowside without hitting anything else before you come to a stop will just net you a rashed up bike and some scuffed up gear (assuming you are wearing your gear of course).

Most common mistakes that result in a highside are, locking the rear tire and then letting off the brakes while skidding sideways; and powering out of a corner and losing traction at the rear and then letting off the throttle, this will definitely cause a nasty highside. I've never done either but I've seen it happen and it is not something you ever want to experience.

Highside crash

Lowside crash
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Originally posted by: JDub02
Originally posted by: Ornery Platypus
Originally posted by: Ronstang
There are two types of motorcycle drivers....ONLY TWO.....those that have been down, and those that are going down. If you own a bike for any length of time you will eventually be on the ground, it just depends how severe the accident is going to be. I have been down twice, once slowing down from about 30 mph and once leaving a country road at over 100 mph. I was more injured in the 30 mph incident with only a scraped elbow. Not even a mark at the 100+ mph one as I was wearing a leather jacket and ended up in a corn field.

Hear this alot and, while I agree it is a good mindset to have while riding, I do not believe it is true. Do you have any statistics/studies to back it up? I seem to recall one that said, of riders with ten+ years of experience, 70% have gone down. I also recall some indicating that accidents are much much more likely in the first two years of riding (intuitively obvious). Thus, I would imagine the percentage of experienced riders in the "will go down" category is notably lower.

If we're throwing around anecdotal evidence, in 10 years and 40000+ miles of riding, I have never been down. Almost all of those miles are on sportbikes and include some foolishly aggressive street riding in my earlier years.

I've been riding for 13 years and have never put down a street bike. I've had a few close calls on the street and I've dumped dirt bikes and quads a number of times. I think it comes down to being a very defensive driver and keeping aware of the cars around, including behind.

Not riding beyond your abilities would go a long way toward making sure you don't end up sliding along the pavement at some point too.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
74,542
921
126
Since I've taken the time to shock you by showing you what can happen in a motorcycle accident I thought I'd give you some useful information to help you avoid the carnage I showed you.

Here's a great site with a lot of good tips on gear for new riders or those who just want to learn more about proper riding gear.
 

DVad3r

Diamond Member
Jan 3, 2005
5,340
3
81
Originally posted by: Ronstang
There are two types of motorcycle drivers....ONLY TWO.....those that have been down, and those that are going down. If you own a bike for any length of time you will eventually be on the ground, it just depends how severe the accident is going to be. I have been down twice, once slowing down from about 30 mph and once leaving a country road at over 100 mph. I was more injured in the 30 mph incident with only a scraped elbow. Not even a mark at the 100+ mph one as I was wearing a leather jacket and ended up in a corn field.

I don't believe that and from the forum research I've done there's a lot of people that haven't been down yet and have been riding a long time. Some people are just better than others and have luck on their side too. I've got 4000 km on my rod so far and it's my first bike ever, so far so good (knock on wood).

I did have one really close call on a riding road that was probably way beyond my level and a dumb lady driving into my lane on a turn. I got lucky and did the right thing, but I am pretty sure a lot of people would've went down in that situation. Even my dad who's been riding for decades and used to be a stunt rider back in the day gave me the thumbs up and says I ride well (he doesn't tell me that to my face though, tells my mom instead lol).

Never been down on a bicycle as a kid except the time when I was 19 and a Volvo ran a red and hit me, believe me I did a shitload of cycling, all my friends went down all the time. 8 years driving accident free so far.

I don't know if it's just me but I get a weird sense from all these people saying the "there are 2 types of riders....yadda yadda yadda" thing. It's almost as if they eagerly await you to join their club or something and have it ironed in their heads that others will go down, it's only a matter of time. Keep waiting :)