revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Yorick wrote: Tue Jul 01, 2025 7:46 pm Some folk ride as though they're gonna crash every ride

I only wore gear on days I thought that I might crash.

Just do what you want. I certainly will.

I know I only ride a scooter now (90mph scooter though), but I'll wear a jacket, helmet and gloves, not proper biking gloves mind you. Normally the rest is just day to day clothes and shoes/ trainers. Helmet is open faced too.

Maybe it's a bit daft as coming off a scooter at 80, is the same as coming off a bike at 80, but I'll try not to do that if I can help it. I have previously dumped the jacket as well, just helmet and gloves.

I got more ATGATT with age.

I bought an Airflow 2-piece which was my summer gear and did some pretty scorchio long trips around mainland Europe in it. If you got hot you just had to go faster.

PS while I might take risks with my own skin I definitely wouldn't let the missus (or anyone else tbh) go pillion in t-shirt and shorts. Looking back though, some of the supposed motorbike gear in the past would probably have been about as much use.

KungFooBob wrote: Tue Jul 01, 2025 8:21 pm What you're wearing only becomes an issue if you fall off.

Regardless of what I'm wearing, I put a reasonable mount of effort into not falling off.

Me too...went in to work yesterday on the le...shorts as ever, work tee shirt and a gilet jaune....

Given my crash experiences: i won't ride without armour, boots and gloves on road. (And helmet natch).

The last few years I've transitioned back to jeans (Rokker) and leather jacket for most of my riding with a Textile jacket on hand for poorer weather.

What riding i now do though is just the occasional commute (not London) and odd ride around or a visit somewhere. Nowhere near the 20k+ per year i used to do.

Mostly full kit, BUT.........

I have some well vented kit for summer, and a cooling waistcoat.
Occasionally I do jacket and jeans for short distance.
I always wear boots, mainly because I bash my ankles on hard bits of the bike. I also always wear gloves.
In extreme conditions I have done short rides in the shirt, shorts and loafers. It was the south of France, it was near 40C, and I had just finished a long very hot ride.

Count Steer wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 7:03 am I bought an Airflow 2-piece which was my summer gear

Part of my reasoning for buying a one-piece suit was to force me to wear a 'complete' set rather than eg jacket and jeans (although Kevlar jeans weren't common then).

But ... It has a very good removable thermal liner and really effective venting.

And, because of the design, it's on and off really quickly (although not as quick as a 'Stich tho'). Which, again, makes wearing it (over normal clothes) an easy decision.

However, on days when I knew I wasn't going to crash, I went the full Rolly Free (although wearing slow-ohs, not speedos)

Rode home yesterday - 5 minute stint on the A12 with 5 minutes each end filtering though traffic which can sometimes be unpredictable and combative.
Textile summer jacket from Furygan/RST textile jean- I was too bloody hot and glad to get home.

Boots, lined jeans and gloves every ride.

On the 20 minute commute I might wear an unarmoured waxed cotton or leather jacket but any ride longer than that then an armoured textile goes on.

Once my hip is sorted and I start looking to do longer rides and bits of off-road then full length boots and maybe an armoured base layer with a well vented waterproof jacket over the top.

Yesterday I was leather jacket with vents open, gloves, and FT jeans. Even a slow off will take a few layers of skin off and with my beautiful complexion I just take that risk...

That said, it was a bit 'ot. Even bimbling along at 60 it felt like sitting in front of a hair dryer. Conversely, there ain't enough really hot days in this country to make me fork out for 'hot weather gear'. Get more use out of 'wet weather gear' in one week in this country.

Gloves, always proper gloves but happy enough to ride in jeans & ankle boots, christ I can hit 50mph on a bicycle wearing just shorts & tee shirt.
Was a bit hot riding through traffic in London yesterday, full panniers so couldn't even filter in some places & when the fan came on my plumbs we're cooking

Oh - I am pondering an open-face for riding the JAPton.... however I have a "long" head and most open face helmets make me look like Malcom...



So - maybe not.

Rockburner wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:59 pm Oh - I am pondering an open-face for riding the JAPton.... however I have a "long" head and most open face helmets make me look like Malcom...



So - maybe not.

To be fair, Paul Sample did say:

"Ogri is what every biker wants to be, Malcolm is what they actually are."

That has reassured me for decades ...

On the basis that airbag vests are now all the rage, I'll never be ATGATT, I mean come on statistically how many times do you actually crash...

Ogri is what every biker wants to be, Malcolm is what they actually are."

Love that quote, very reassuring, tempted to get that scribbled on my bike - anyone any good at faking Paul Samples handwriting?

Dickyboy wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 1:58 pm On the basis that airbag vests are now all the rage, I'll never be ATGATT, I mean come on statistically how many times do you actually crash...

... In the types of crash where it* will make a difference?

* The one you're wearing. They vary in coverage**

** It would be interesting if manufacturers provided info on actual injuries mitigated***

*** Australian research showed that armour doesn't really prevent broken bones, but can reduce abrasion injury****

**** Probably because it 'rounds' and 'softens' pointy bits like elbows, giving a bigger surface area

Ogri is what every biker wants to be, Malcolm is what they actually are."

Love that quote, very reassuring, tempted to get that scribbled on my bike - anyone any good at faking Paul Samples handwriting?

Probably very easy (ie "if you know how") to give an AI drawing system training examples and set it free.

I'm an airbag jacket wearer, so maybe not the right person to ask?
I guess there are situations where it's both so hot that wearing more than minimal kit could be unsafe, yet you have to ride. But usually one or the other factor doesn't arise.
Fwiw I was due to ride from Touraine (Loire) to Rouen yesterday. That would have meant riding in temperatures of up to 36 C. So I postponed until today. Wise move, as it turned out - 10 degrees cooler.

Scootabout wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 8:40 pm I'm an airbag jacket wearer, so maybe not the right person to ask?
I guess there are situations where it's both so hot that wearing more than minimal kit could be unsafe, yet you have to ride. But usually one or the other factor doesn't arise.
Fwiw I was due to ride from Touraine (Loire) to Rouen yesterday. That would have meant riding in temperatures of up to 36 C. So I postponed until today. Wise move, as it turned out - 10 degrees cooler.

Some of the Americans I knew talked about riding across desert areas. Typically, there would be a petrol station / diner every 20 miles or so.

They'd stop, fill their pockets with ice, carry on.

By the next stop, the ice would have evaporated

Rockburner wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:59 pm Oh - I am pondering an open-face for riding the JAPton.... however I have a "long" head and most open face helmets make me look like Malcom...

I bought an Arai SZ-R, open face but with a full face visor. For the hot weather here it's ideal.

Horse wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 11:37 pm

Scootabout wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 8:40 pm I'm an airbag jacket wearer, so maybe not the right person to ask?
I guess there are situations where it's both so hot that wearing more than minimal kit could be unsafe, yet you have to ride. But usually one or the other factor doesn't arise.
Fwiw I was due to ride from Touraine (Loire) to Rouen yesterday. That would have meant riding in temperatures of up to 36 C. So I postponed until today. Wise move, as it turned out - 10 degrees cooler.

Some of the Americans I knew talked about riding across desert areas. Typically, there would be a petrol station / diner every 20 miles or so.

They'd stop, fill their pockets with ice, carry on.

By the next stop, the ice would have evaporated

Good luck with that. Last desert I drove across (in Nevada) it was about 120 miles of nothing. Big sign as you left town "Next gas 120 miles" I think I saw 3 other vehicles in that 120 miles.

Pirahna wrote: Thu Jul 03, 2025 8:25 am

Rockburner wrote: Wed Jul 02, 2025 12:59 pm Oh - I am pondering an open-face for riding the JAPton.... however I have a "long" head and most open face helmets make me look like Malcom...

I bought an Arai SZ-R, open face but with a full face visor. For the hot weather here it's ideal.

TBH the issue (for me) is the chin-bar (or lack thereof).