New riders: should we armour up? | Page 5 | GTAMotorcycle.com

New riders: should we armour up?

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Since I got involved in this thread I've learned a lot and done a bit of research and it does seem there are quite a few helmets out there with detachable chin bars. That's right down my alley I think as once I get comfortable, I might entertain the idea of short rides without using the chin.

anyone can recommend a fairly decent price one? I'd actually pay a little more
than average...because my other idea was to buy one chin and one open face, this way I'd only have to buy one total! :)
 
Imo, there seems to be more acceptance for full face helmets to be worn for all things two wheels. A lot of friends in Florida that ride cruisers or touring machines ride with them. And decent boots. If they lack anything, it's leg protection and or arm protection.

Many running with half helmets or open face have dealt with bees or other objects like a rock etc.

I have a modular. It's great for wind protection in the cold. But I'm not foolish enough to believe it does anything to protect me from impact.

I've got a Shoei from a member on the board here. It's light, great ventilation and looks just fine.

I still bop around in a tee and half helmet around town.

Do as I say, not as I do.

Get good quality gear right from the start.

Heat, gloves, jacket, boots etc. Suit up!'nn
 
cdav said:
You may as well go barefoot. High-top sneakers won't do a damn thing to protect your ankles.
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+1 to that.

These are SIDI and they did not do much to protect this rider. Warning... Graphic content below...

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I strongly recommend full length motorcycle boots. Something like the A* SMX-6 or better. I like my SMX-5 because they are easy to don on and off and yet offer a decent amount of protection. The SMX-6 are better with their integrated ankle brace on the lateral side. SMX-Plus are another level up but that is another price point and they are more involved to put on and off. Again, like I posted earlier you need gear that not only protects you but is comfortable and that you will actually wear.

These are my two pairs of boots.

The cruiser style ones were my first pair and they are better than hightop shoes. The SMX-5 are way better though. They flow more air when I am riding are actually more comfortable and I can actually get them on and off quicker than the cruiser boots. Best of all there are no laces which might come loose and wind around my shifter or something.

I also recommend a helmet with a chin guard. A modular is more protective than a half or three quarter but full face is your best option. You should go to a store and try some out. You might be pleasantly surprised by how comfortable a lot of the full faced ones are.
 
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Wow. All I can say is...
there must be some really bad car drivers out there hitting us; or,
some riders must take real big risks or go quite fast; or,
Even casual riding is way harder and a bigger health risk than it looks and i am getting in way over my head!
 
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marktwothousand said:
Wow. All I can say is...
there must be some really bad car drivers out there hitting us; or,
some riders must take real big risks or go quite fast; or,
Even casual riding is way harder and a bigger health risk than it looks and i am getting in way over my head!
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Assume that you are invisible when you are riding and that nobody sees you. Ride within your limits. Start on a smaller bike. Take a course to get your M2. Get some decent gear and wear it.

These steps will go a long way to help keep you safe. That foot posted up there would have been much less damaged if the rider were wearing full length, good quality motorcycle boots.

Life is full of hazards and dangers. I used to be a long haul trucker and that job has its hazards:


If you decide to proceed into this awesome hobby then taking some of the recommended steps and actions listed in this forum will go a long way to help keeping you safe.

Even cruisers can get you into trouble:


...And crappy gloves are not a good idea either:


So... Armor up as others have suggested.
 
It's a personal choice, but I always recommend buying as much gear as you can afford.
 
Bikerider said:
I actually toured around Vietnam on a 100cc Honda Win for 30 days this winter. I never saw a single person in riding gear, most people ride in flip flops as it rains a lot and you dont want your shoes getting soaked. The major difference is that 90% of the vehicles on the road are motorbikes so its a completely different style of riding than here. The top speed in the city is around 30km/h and in the country / hwy it is around 60 km/h so an off would not hurt as bad as it would going at hwy speeds in Canada...
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I agree with this. I have ridden sans gear in rural China, with just hiking boots. Then again speeds are sub 30kph, lots of motorcycles, and few car drivers. The car drivers in rural China roads are forced to go slow due to pot holes made by trucks. Car drivers are also pretty careful with motorcycles, because all of them also ride. Riding conditions cannot be compared with Toronto, where so many people drive distracted and at high speed and huge attitude.

Motorcycle helmets in rural China are similar to construction helmets here, so not very protective. Kids helmets are more like toys.

I've all ridden 4 up in China. It's not too bad and beats waiting for the bus, which comes 2 times a day.

As for gear, wear what you want, but know the risks. If you have a small off, gear will protect you from skin grafts. If you hit something hard enough, nothing will protect you.
 
Bikerider said:
I actually toured around Vietnam on a 100cc Honda Win for 30 days this winter. I never saw a single person in riding gear, most people ride in flip flops as it rains a lot and you dont want your shoes getting soaked. The major difference is that 90% of the vehicles on the road are motorbikes so its a completely different style of riding than here. The top speed in the city is around 30km/h and in the country / hwy it is around 60 km/h so an off would not hurt as bad as it would going at hwy speeds in Canada.
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But it's not like that system actually works though. In 2010 Vietnam's "road fatality rate per 100,000 vehicles" was 65.3 while Canada's was something like 9.3.

Just because we live here doesnt mean that we know everything and have the right to judge others in the world for their riding habits.
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Perhaps but what value is there in mentioning a dangerous, chaotic mess of a traffic safety situation like Vietnam in a discussion about whether we should gear up here, other than to possible buttress the case for ATGATT?

We may not know everything but we know more than them about road safety and order. :p
 
marktwothousand said:
Wow. All I can say is...
there must be some really bad car drivers out there hitting us; or,
some riders must take real big risks or go quite fast; or,
Even casual riding is way harder and a bigger health risk than it looks and i am getting in way over my head!
Click to expand...


Think about it............how much do motorcyclist pay for insurance? It's expensive for a reason. Motorcycles don't have bumpers or any protection. Something as simple as sitting in a parking lot can result in a serious injury. A lot of foot and knee injuries with tipping over. A cage? Scrape the paint. A human? It's skin and bone.
 
Thought the answer to this was real simple: ATGATT

All the gear all the time.
 
marktwothousand said:
That's right down my alley I think as once I get comfortable, I might entertain the idea of short rides without using the chin.
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I'll never understand the "short ride = not gonna wear much gear" mentality. You can get smeared all over the asphalt just as badly 20 metres from your house as 20 kilometres from your house.

But as others have said, it's your choice (your skin, your brain, your ***, etc).
 
cdav said:
I'll never understand the "short ride = not gonna wear much gear" mentality. You can get smeared all over the asphalt just as badly 20 metres from your house as 20 kilometres from your house.
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About 10 yrs ago I was riding in the middle of summer to grab some ice cream a few minutes away from my house near High Park. It was a beautiful clear day and about 30 degrees without humidex. There was no cars in front of me and no cars behind me in my direction of travel. There were a few cars coming towards me in the opposite direction. I was hit head on by a van which suddenly crossed the centre line. I was moving about 40km/hr and I think the other vehicle was doing about the same. I was in riding in blocking position, eyes up and looking around as I always do. There was absolutely no time to react and I went over the bars and smashed into the other vehicle and then onto the pavement.

Not trying to scare you or anyone else off riding, because I've ridden many miles since, but as the saying goes... life happens, suffering is optional. Wear your gear.
 
The only time I tend to go with less gear (and that is only minus the my Knox Shorts and A* Knee guards) is at work when I may pop down the road to get a sub or Tim's and then come back. Even then half the time I put on my knee guards as it is just habit now with the rest of my gear.

Oh, on a side note I just added almost another $300 in gear to the collection. Just ordered an Icon Stryker back protector for my Overlord Prime Jacket and got some new gloves (Scorpion SG3).

Dress for the slide, not the ride.
 
shanekingsley said:
About 10 yrs ago I was riding in the middle of summer to grab some ice cream a few minutes away from my house near High Park. It was a beautiful clear day and about 30 degrees without humidex. There was no cars in front of me and no cars behind me in my direction of travel. There were a few cars coming towards me in the opposite direction. I was hit head on by a van which suddenly crossed the centre line. I was moving about 40km/hr and I think the other vehicle was doing about the same. I was in riding in blocking position, eyes up and looking around as I always do. There was absolutely no time to react and I went over the bars and smashed into the other vehicle and then onto the pavement.

Not trying to scare you or anyone else off riding, because I've ridden many miles since, but as the saying goes... life happens, suffering is optional. Wear your gear.
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Awesome post! Glad you are okay and that you continued to ride after. I do not understand why people say they will armor up for highway rides but just wear a half helmet and shoes for city riding? With all of the distracted driving out there and the general erosion of driving skills I am seeing out there I want something between my flesh and the roadway and other vehicles.

Again, a one piece suit is ideal but my philosophy is that people need to find a compromise of gear that is comfortable and that they will actually wear. I love to ride on my days off in the dog days of summer. I just can't wear my leather jacket on these days and my kevlar jeans are too hot. So, on goes the Olympia Airglide jacket and pants without the water resistant and thermal layers. They flow lots of air and yet I have some CE rated armor and textile to keep my skin off of the tarmac should I have an off. Not nearly as good as leather and odds are that the gear will be toast after a significant crash. Just the same it is far better than nothing and at least it is comfortable enough and easy to don on and off that I wear it all the time.
 
been riding since 2008, first crash end of 2014. thank god i was wearing full gear. walked away with a sprain ankle. If i was wearing no gear my head would be cracked open and arms full of road rash and my foot would have been for sure broken.
 
Legend said:
The only time I tend to go with less gear (and that is only minus the my Knox Shorts and A* Knee guards) is at work when I may pop down the road to get a sub or Tim's and then come back. Even then half the time I put on my knee guards as it is just habit now with the rest of my gear.

Oh, on a side note I just added almost another $300 in gear to the collection. Just ordered an Icon Stryker back protector for my Overlord Prime Jacket and got some new gloves (Scorpion SG3).

Dress for the slide, not the ride.
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People love to rag on Icon stuff but they do have some decent stuff in their collection. I think some of their helmets are pretty decent and the Stryker back insert is pretty nice. I have the SB1 mesh jacket and the Stryker back insert is a nice piece of armor:





 
Zoodles95 said:
People love to rag on Icon stuff but they do have some decent stuff in their collection. I think some of their helmets are pretty decent and the Stryker back insert is pretty nice. I have the SB1 mesh jacket and the Stryker back insert is a nice piece of armor:
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I love my Icon Overlord products. My gloves have to be replaced after 3 seasons of riding as the stitching is coming out of one of the finger tips. I am sure I could fix it myself but thought they were due to be changed. Trying Scorpion SG3s this time. very similar to the new Icon Hypersport full glove but I like the SPS sliders of the SG3s. I hope to get another 1 or 2 seasons out of my Overlord Prime too but if I had to replace it today I would go Icon Hypersport Prime or another just go with the same jacket I have now. I like their elbow and knee pads but find they are just too bulking for a person like me.
 
Equipments never is too much, myself always invest in security, we never know when we will fall. rsrsrs...
 
OMG, that's scary. :shock:

spray____ said:
My advice would be to search online for some photos and videos of road rash. Whether you wear gear or not is your choice, but you should at least be making an informed decision.

My personal favourite is this one. Yes he's wearing nothing but shorts and a helmet, but normal jeans and t-shirt would have yielded the same result. It doesn't look like much when he goes down, but then he gives you the tour of his body...

RC 51 road rash: http://youtu.be/u0auYp0Xr9A
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as a beginner it may seem like a rhetorical question. But Its always the "budget" aspect or the "It doesnt look cool". Just keep in mind.. its very unforgiving when safety is ignored
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