GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

On April 5th of 2005, I crashed my GS500 two or three blocks from my house. I was wearing Olympia Digital Protector (http://www.olympiagloves.com/performance/734.htm) gloves. They have a leather palm with gel, carbon knuckle protector, and a mesh material between the fingers. When I crashed my hand drug along the asphalt, and the glove rotated around my finger, shredding the mesh material as well as my finger. Mesh is not a very durable material and is not suited to abrasive forces. Leather is much stronger and will resist tearing under much greater forces.

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/92crash/finger.jpg)
These are my fingers 10 days after the crash. I changed the bandages every day and applied copious amounts of anti-bacterial ointment at least twice a day.

I still have a very large chunk of scar tissue on that knuckle, impeding the movement in the last few degrees slightly. I also have a bit of nerve damage around the area that was rashed.  So please, I urge EVERYONE to  PLEASE get some all leather gloves. Olympia makes a pair similar to the Digital Protector, except they are all leather. They cost ~$50, and have a titanium (instead of carbon) knuckle protector. I forget their name, but the style number is 744. All the same, I think everyone should get all leather gloves. I am emphasizing ALL LEATHER.

Side note: Does anyone else see the irony in the glove "Digital Protector" not being able to protect my digits?

Those gloves claim to feature "textured spandex between the fingers".  Even most textile products are heavy cordura or kevlar.  I'd bet that there are many textile gloves which would do much better.  Maybe one thing to take home from this, is that if there are any bits of fabric on your gloves which can't take abrasion (even between the fingers), then there is a risk that those areas will rupture or wear-through.

Not to say that all leather isn't even better; with a good cinch strap at the wrist; and armor over the knuckles.

That's nasty looking.....ouch.

All leather gloves are not created equal.  My Icon SuperDuty gloves were all-leather.  But they sustained no damage and let me get a hefty laceration and two breaks in my accident.  So now I only wear track gloves.  Joe Rocket Speedmaster, currently.

Quote from: RoadstergalAll leather gloves are not created equal.  My Icon SuperDuty gloves were all-leather.  But they sustained no damage and let me get a hefty laceration and two breaks in my accident.  So now I only wear track gloves.  Joe Rocket Speedmaster, currently.

Good choice in gloves. I have 2 lowsides one pairs of the JR Speedmaster gloves that I have. Slid 30 feet or so on my hands and knees backwards both times. I probably hit around 60 mph. No damage to me and you cannot really tell there is any damage to the gloves.

OK, new gloves ordered... getting some Tourmaster Robomax (http://www.newenough.com/photogallery/photo00025118/yellow.jpg)

Speedmaster look good, too: those are real race gloves.

By the way, I keep Liquid Skin in my bike First Aid kit: you can use it to cover a minor abrasion or cut, and still get your gloves on and ride.  There's nothing more annoying than bleeding into your gloves because you have to ride an hour to get home.

seems to be exactly what happened with my teknic SMT gloves.  it tore at the spandex part and exposed my finger to the asphalt.

I was wearing a pair of $150 carbon fibre and 1.4mm leather race gloves when I crashed my FJ 1200 a little over a month ago.  My left palm tore through the leather almost immediately, leaving hefty chunks of asphalt in my palm and what is now a somewhat disfigured hand.  I was wearing full gear and I still spent 3 days in the hospital rebuilding my knee because of a 30 mph lowside.
          Truth be told, that accident made me realize that there is honestly no amount of protection we can wear to be even nominally safe.  Because of this realization I'm done riding for a few decades (or until Suzuki comes out with the G-Strider), I bought a Honda S2000 and that will be my toy.
          Ride Safe!

Quote from: SmartDrugI was wearing a pair of $150 carbon fibre and 1.4mm leather race gloves when I crashed my FJ 1200 a little over a month ago.  My left palm tore through the leather almost immediately, leaving hefty chunks of asphalt in my palm and what is now a somewhat disfigured hand.  I was wearing full gear and I still spent 3 days in the hospital rebuilding my knee because of a 30 mph lowside.

There are racers that go down much faster than that, highsiding too. That sounds like a workmanship defect. A 30mph lowside shouldn't do that, especially to race-quality gloves.

No matter what though, I still encourage people to get good protection for their hands. That means LEATHER. Just sharing my horror story so that others might not have to experience it for themselves.

funny you mention that but i hi-sided at 110 on 8/10 in full gear minus a back protector.  I was on a track so no flames please.  i walked out of the hospital 6 hours later with a concussion, bruised kidneys, mcl damage to left knee, dislocated pinkey, and massive bruising to my back (i will not ride without a back protector again)

proper gear makes all the difference.  my leathers are shot on the back BUT they saved my back and ass very well considering the bike landed on top of me and we slid like that for over 150 feet with my total slid distance about 250 feet.  I would not have walked out of there otherwise.  i had a prexport suit, alpine start boots, arai helmet and joe rocket gloves.  No gear will save you from impact but proper gear should save you from abrasions.  

BTW if you do fall try not to get up before you stop moving AND if you can slid on your back or side do it, the larger surface area will slow you faster and not wear out as quickly.  sliding on your hands and knees puts all that pressure on 2 small pieces of leather that will disintegrate very quickly under that kind of load.  look at it in a PSI sense.  your back has more surface area that the palms of you hands.  they told us not to fight the crash once your down you cannot do anything, just relax, go limp and pat the ground to make sure you stopped moving before you try to get up.

An excellent example, russomf. Your gear saved you from road rash, specifically. Your injuries were caused by impact damage. In the places where my gear didn't fail, I didn't have road rash. I did have some impact injuries though, including blackout/amnesia, collapsed lung, and a VERY tender shoulder.

Point is, good gear is ESSENTIAL for saving your ass (and various other parts) from extreme amounts of pain. Seriously. Dealing with road rash is one of the worst experiences I have ever had. Ever.

Good example of the need to wear gear.  

Where's that lady who's friend rides with no gear ... show her those pictures!  that could happen to her whole body ... yuck!

I have had road rash from cycling and playing sports and they were so painful I could not sleep at night.  I can't imagine what road rash at 60 miles an hour would feel like.

Yeah, that's one of the big reasons I show these pictures to people. I learned my lessons and I want other to people to learn from them as well. I'm one of the guys who thinks everyone should be covered in a minimum of a full faced helmet and jacket, preferably full face helmet, jacket, leather gloves, long pants, and closed shoes. Maybe I'm just an anal retentive freak, but all that gear saved my ass from more serious damage.

no not anal just practical.  most people live in a bubble and think it will never happen to them.  i show people these photos all the time to reinforce why i ride in full gear ALL the time.  you will never catch me in shorts, t-shirt, ect... not worth it to me.  i heard the best quote not long ago
"sweat wipes off, road rash doesn't"

I have a pair of leather touring gloves that I really like. Can't remember the name but they're about 40$ from Dennis Krook. They've got no lining so the "feel" is really good, it's not much different from my bare hands.

The fingers and palm are double thick, there is a thick pad of tucked leather over the knuckles, and they're gauntlet-style. I usually tuck the gauntlet part up under my sleeve before Velcro-ing the sleeve shut since I don't like them flapping loose.

They may be lacking a bit in the impact protection area, though.

LQ

Quote from: russomfno not anal just practical.  most people live in a bubble and think it will never happen to them.  i show people these photos all the time to reinforce why i ride in full gear ALL the time.  you will never catch me in shorts, t-shirt, ect... not worth it to me.  i heard the best quote not long ago
"sweat wipes off, road rash doesn't"

I'll post another one.

Hmm, that stuff looks like what we saw in my Emergency Responce/CPR class. Much of it was worse though. Leg bones comming out, etc. They even had back boards to carry people out when they had issues breathing. A few people had to be helped out of my class. The instructor said he has had people collapse before in class.   :o .. they don't surf the internet enough obviously.  :mrgreen:  :lol:

From what I remember, my finger looks a lot better in the picture than it did in real life. I can look at it fairly easily now, but that might because I had to look at it twice a day for over 3 weeks and touch it, too.

Good call on the gloves.  I have the held galaxies and won't go anywhere without 'em anymore.  Since this is a 'gear is good' thread, I'll post my experience and say that I'll NEVER wear jeans or non/lightly armoured pants.  

3 weeks ago a guy turned in front of me and I ran off the road to avoid an SUV-Motorcycle collision.  I hit the ground around 35 or so I'm guessing and only slid on asphalt for a few feet at most.  The only thing that happened to me was a strawberry on my shoulder... and a severly lacerated knee.  Which wouldn't have happened had I been wearing decent, armoured pants.

15 days after the accident, 4 days after they took out the stitches and the next day the wound decided it wanted to rip open.  I have a ton of pictures, so if you want to use my lack of judgement to better educate others please do so.  Heck, if someone wants to host 'em somewhere, I'll put a few up for all to see.  Or shoot me a message and I'll shoot you some pics... hey, I even have a pic from the ER... hamburger knee.  So far I've gotten a few ppl to buy knee protection and/or better pants.

2 months not being able to ride and 7k worth of doc bills is definitely worth a pair of 200 dollar pants with some armour.

Bun[/img]

Post em up! This thread already has a graphic warning. I know I SHOULD wear proper motorcycling jeans... but I've crashed the '92 and my dirt bike SO many times and the jeans have done me fine. I low sided that '92 twice (slipped in some diesel fuel in the middle of a turn once and slipped in a parking lot the other time) and the worst I got was a slight scrape on my hip.

Was your knee lacerated by a rock in the grass?

Quote from: BunbunGood call on the gloves.  I have the held galaxies and won't go anywhere without 'em anymore.  Since this is a 'gear is good' thread, I'll post my experience and say that I'll NEVER wear jeans or non/lightly armoured pants.  

3 weeks ago a guy turned in front of me and I ran off the road to avoid an SUV-Motorcycle collision.  I hit the ground around 35 or so I'm guessing and only slid on asphalt for a few feet at most.  The only thing that happened to me was a strawberry on my shoulder... and a severly lacerated knee.  Which wouldn't have happened had I been wearing decent, armoured pants.

15 days after the accident, 4 days after they took out the stitches and the next day the wound decided it wanted to rip open.  I have a ton of pictures, so if you want to use my lack of judgement to better educate others please do so.  Heck, if someone wants to host 'em somewhere, I'll put a few up for all to see.  Or shoot me a message and I'll shoot you some pics... hey, I even have a pic from the ER... hamburger knee.  So far I've gotten a few ppl to buy knee protection and/or better pants.

2 months not being able to ride and 7k worth of doc bills is definitely worth a pair of 200 dollar pants with some armour.

Bun[/img]

Here's a suggestion to all you Jeans wearers:

A* Bionic Knee Guard... Also can try the Icon Field Gear ones, and wear them under your jeans.
I picked up a pair of the Bionics and will be wearing them beneath my riding pants, since the knee armor never seems to stay ON my knee while riding  :o and I like how it protects the side of the knee and has a pivot.
And my back protector just arrived at the store... gotta pick it up!

Hmm. That's a good idea. Maybe I'll invest in some knee armor. I wonder how comfortable it is, though? I remember from back in my soccer days that having straps wrapped around your legs can get really uncomfortable really fast.

Quote from: AlphaFire X5Hmm. That's a good idea. Maybe I'll invest in some knee armor. I wonder how comfortable it is, though? I remember from back in my soccer days that having straps wrapped around your legs can get really uncomfortable really fast.

Irritating > Pain & Suffering? :?

The armor is more comfortable than the sliding pads I used to wear for paintball, but that's not saying much... Those things dug in!  :x The straps on the bionic armor are made from a more comfortable material

I knew a guy we called Mittens because he crashed wearing winter (non bike) gloves, raped his palms and wore bandages for several months.

He said he could literally feel his hand move closer to the pavement as he slid and skin came off.... :(

QuotePost em up! This thread already has a graphic warning.

Alrighty... here are 'the highlights'!  Enjoy!

ER Photo

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1104529/L0U999210-16-05ERPicture.jpg)



Next day -- notice the beautiful coloring on the left side!

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1104529/nextday.jpg)


Mmmmm, nice and oozy.

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1104529/5days.jpg)


3 days after it ripped open... bummer huh?  The day after is was nothing but muscle tissue visible.  Sadly I didn't get a pic :(

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1104529/15days.jpg)


18 days after the accident... finally the bruising is subsiding, the wound is filling in with scar tissue, swelling is way down and I can move it!  

(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-11/1104529/18.jpg)

Sooooo... I'll never be without some good ol' fashioned hard armour for the knees.


Bun

No dice on links or pictures, man. Photobucket?

well damn... where is a place to host photos?  Was using villagephoto... thought they'd link up.  Edited... well it appears the img tag isn't working the way it should :(  viewing the source shows it as [img] instead of <img src...>

Don't worry, I've made an .asp of myself before, too.

Oh, yeah, use tinypic.com.

My labmate crashed in jeans, and his road rash (very deep) turned gangrenous.  He almost lost his leg.  Wearing jeans is a gamble.  I had on Phoenix overpants when I crashed.  No damage to legs.

Quote from: RoadstergalDon't worry, I've made an .asp of myself before, too.

...

I just died a little inside.

You want good puns, call a professional...

If there is such a thing as a good pun.

The man addicted to brake fluid said he could stop any time.

Did you hear about the butcher who backed into the meat grinder?

He got a little behind in his work.

Yeah... its not the hosting site....  The forum isn't putting the correct html tags in for me for some reason.... can one of you guys take one of the links and see if it works for you?

Gawd... apparently I suck at teh internet.  I can't believe I was copying incorrect addresses....

Bun

GAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow. That's pretty nasty. Like, seriously. You were wearing jeans? Just jeans?

Dayum.

brb, vomit...


....

...


Okay, not really, but still.

Well it works for you.... you mind copy/pasting my comments and the pics and put in your post?

(See above post for edited response)

And...


Did you hit your knee on something? That looks like more than just asphalt abrasion. I don't think asphalt could cause that deep of a laceration. Could it?

I only slid on asphalt for a few feet.  The jeans wore down on the side where I slid (thank god for thick pockets) but I didn't get any rash except for below the laceration.  I either cut it on the gravel where I slid, on a rock in the grass or on my fairing at some point during the slide.  Had I been wearing my leather pants with armour, I wouldn't have sustained any of this crap.

Bun

When I crashed I slid on the asphalt for about 75 feet, and then 5 feet in the grass. Only damage to my leg was this:

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/92crash/leg_scuff_1.jpg)

My jeans barely sustained any damage except for where the paramedic cut through them (f%$king @$$hole  :x  :x !!) and from where my knife rubbed through.

That's why I'm wondering wtf you hit.

Well I'm thinking that maybe your asphalt was smooth, and Bun's was the old rough stuff. (maybe?)

Either way, ah,, Now I don't want to go riding till my gear gets here. (but I do want to go!)

Eh, I dunno.

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/92crash/road_pics01sm.jpg)
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/92crash/road_pics02sm.jpg)
You tell me.

Yeah, Would have to see the other road to really tell.. but your street sure looks newish. It still has the black color, hasn't turned gray.  :mrgreen:  :lol:

Plus maybe you didn't put alot of pressure on your legs, and Bun did.  :dunno:

Yeah, but even so. I've seen road rash before (BAD road rash). Road rash is just that, a big honkin' rash. He got a laceration, which means something big and sharp cut him deep. All the same, it has spawned my new quest for good knee armor to wear under my jeans.

The road was nice and flat however it had been chip-sealed a while back, like pretty much every other road in this state.  Much better condition than Alpha's road.  Like I said earlier, not much actual asphalt surfing, so it had to have been a rock or a broken fairing or something.  I think I'm gonna look into those A* thingies for over jeans... assuming I ever wear jeans again.

Bun

I figure some of the new users could stand to see this. I sent a letter to NewEnough.com about my experience with the Digital Protectors and Paul, the store owner, changed the description to better reflect the lack of safety those things have. I also sent a letter to Olympia expressing my concern at how crappy those gloves were, but I have yet to hear back from them.

I crashed on the track a few months back wearing some Teknic leather gauntlets. My hands ended up palm down as I slid yet I sustained no damage to my hands. All leather gloves, people. All leather gloves.

I just got some Olympia 340 Vented Kevlar Protector gloves ($55 shipped from eBay) and I already feel safer in them. Durable, thick leather, with good control feel, and they fit my hands correctly.
(http://www.newenough.com/product_pictures/o/olympia_340_vented_kevlar_gloves/front.jpg)

Anyways, the point is...

ALL LEATHER GLOVES! NO MESH!

well those that dont were gear and think that cheap stuff will do the trick are squids.   dont be Fing retarded
sandles dont protect you feat shorts come off and the t shirt wont last



were gear of get hurt far far far worse. i knew that sence day one. and the day i went down i had my gear one plus extra clothing under. the ony that that got hurt was the bike. and well my helment.

Those are the same gloves I got for Christmas. I love them but they do get a little cold in this whether (they are made for summer). they feel like I would be very protected in a crash but I still have a very good feel of the controls. :thumb:

Quote from: rangerbrown on February 13, 2006, 01:51:00 AM
well those that dont were gear and think that cheap stuff will do the trick are squids.   dont be Fing retarded
sandles dont protect you feat shorts come off and the t shirt wont last



were gear of get hurt far far far worse. i knew that sence day one. and the day i went down i had my gear one plus extra clothing under. the ony that that got hurt was the bike. and well my helment.

Yeah, cheap gear is bad, but all the major and reputable companies sell gloves with Mesh in them for a fair amount of cash. Not cheap, basically. The gloves I had felt like high quality gloves, it was just the mesh that sucked it hardcore.

Quote from: Bluebellylint on February 13, 2006, 02:25:45 AM
Those are the same gloves I got for Christmas. I love them but they do get a little cold in this whether (they are made for summer). they feel like I would be very protected in a crash but I still have a very good feel of the controls. :thumb:

Yeah. They do get cold. And by cold, I mean MY HANDS WERE FROZEN. Even with glove liners they didn't do that good of a job at keeping my hands warm. The temps were in the 40s and low 50s with speeds of 80mph or so. I figured glove liners would help some, but apparently not.

Doesn't matter what you buy, people, as long as it's all leather! I cannot stress this enough!

this is what you could get from wearing all leather gloves!

WARNING: GRAPHICAL CONTENT

http://www.gleamers.org/hand

Buy a glove that's made for protection, not just looking good or confortable.

Whoah, JetSwing. What's the story behind that? Fingerless all leather cruiser gloves?

And you're right, but I figured it was kinda implied what with the pictures: buy full fingered all leather motorcycle gloves designed with your safety in mind.

it was the icon pursuit, a full finger, all leather perforated glove. obviously it didn't provide the best protection.

not only was it ripped at the seams but it torned and mangled with flesh. bottomline? it had no chance with the concrete. if you think a $200 glove is not worth it, think again.

Hmm. I never trusted that Icon Pursuit glove. Looked cheap and more of a fashion statement than anything. The "armor" in it is paper thin and the leather looks and feels cheap and poorly made.

Get some GOOD gloves, people. My finger still bothers me.

(http://img416.imageshack.us/img416/4461/mehandohboy0027sq.jpg)
:nono:

This post got me thinking. I'm new rider and I'm very concerned with safety so I wanted to get some feedback on the type of gloves I wear. They're called Frank Thomas. 97%  Nylon on the outside. Double layered and double stitched with poly urethene covering the knuckles. They are very thick gloves. Here are pics.

(http://homepage.mac.com/the_macman/gstwin/glove.jpg)

(http://homepage.mac.com/the_macman/gstwin/glove2.jpg)

I dunno man. Textile is still textile. It doesn't have very good abrasion resistance, especially compared to quality leather. I thought the textile in my gloves would have been alright, but the asphalt proved me wrong. After my experience I'd rather not take the risk of not having good gloves, and I don't think other people want to go through the pain I did. I think it'd be best to invest in some good quality leather gloves.

Nice glove but it won't hold up to asphault.

I still dig my Icon T-max guantlets...or I would if someone hadn't stolen them.  Time to hit up ebay...

Alpha...that first pic of your finger...imagine you entire left forearm looking like that.  A nice litle louge mishap peeled the flesh off 65% of my left arm about 4 years ago...I actually dug a rock out of my elbow from that incident not too long ago.

omg!  I want these!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPSTAR-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves-sd-XS-icon_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50425QQitemZ8036868653QQrdZ1

item 8036868653

I'll let you guys know what kind of quality they are...probably not great but I gots to have them! lmao

Quote from: makenzie71 on February 16, 2006, 06:56:36 PM
omg!  I want these!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPSTAR-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves-sd-XS-icon_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50425QQitemZ8036868653QQrdZ1

item 8036868653

I'll let you guys know what kind of quality they are...probably not great but I gots to have them! lmao

Hahahhahaha, Mac, that's hilarious.

As for the louge accident... I'm jealous. I really want to get into street luge but can't find any place around here to do it. It looks like a freakin' blast though.

I had a pair of Dainese X-1 Pelle's, bought at about half off at Cycle Gear, around $85.  I never went down in those, but they wore out in the fingers, in about 6 months.  Not impressed.

Now I have a pair of Held Kryptons that I now wear everyday.  I bought them from some British vendor, for $140 shipped.  They're a lot more protective, gauntlet style, and were really stiff at first, but now they've broken in and feel great.  WAY higher quality.  I wish I had just bought these in the first place.

I personally would not get mesh gloves, or even perforated leather ones.  I live in Texas and the Held Kryptons aren't too hot for me.

we don't have a lot of places to run here but where we can it's a real blast.  I've been thinking about rebuilding my board and taking a couple of easy runs.  I really have done much since I peeled my arm up.

It's remarkable how fast 60mph is with a .75" clearance between the asphault and your back.

Quote from: makenzie71 on February 16, 2006, 06:56:36 PM
omg!  I want these!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPSTAR-Leather-Motorcycle-Gloves-sd-XS-icon_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQcategoryZ50425QQitemZ8036868653QQrdZ1

item 8036868653

I'll let you guys know what kind of quality they are...probably not great but I gots to have them! lmao

Why don't you buy the matching jacket too?   :laugh:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPSTAR-Stripper-White-Motorcycle-Jacket-Large-cbr600rr_W0QQitemZ8036868900QQcategoryZ6750QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I'd be afraid it's the one that ugly skank is wearing...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPSTAR-Fiend-Black-Motorcycle-Jacket-Small-zx6r-gsxr_W0QQitemZ8036868675QQcategoryZ6750QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

thought that might be interesting but damnit...same skank...

This looked pretty cool until they snuck that same skank in there...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GPSTAR-SM-Leather-Motorcycle-Jacket-Sm-cbr600rr-r6-r1_W0QQitemZ8038880444QQcategoryZ6750QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I really dig the angel/devil thing, though.

I just remembered the company that I bought my Held Krypton's from.

http://www.motobrio.com

They have some sizes on clearance for 65 british pounds, roughly $113 not including shipping.  At NewEnough, they are about $225.

Quote from: xtalman on February 17, 2006, 11:06:22 AM
I just remembered the company that I bought my Held Krypton's from.

http://www.motobrio.com

They have some sizes on clearance for 65 british pounds, roughly $113 not including shipping.  At NewEnough, they are about $225.

They;ve got more than just S,M,L, and XL, too! They actually have SIZES!

Just an update for people who (might) care. Finger has been fully healed for a while, but there is a big chunk of scar tissue remaining at the joint. It impedes my finger's movement in the final degrees of movement towards the palm. I can't touch the tip of my middle finger to my palm on my right hand without some serious pressure being put on my other joints in the finger. The left hand, on the other hand ( :laugh:), can do this task without a problem.

Adding to that is the nasty looking lump of discolored skin there, as well as the density difference there. It's a hard lump of scar tissue that is kinda whitish blue. It stands out noticeably on my finger.

Compounding all of that is the nerve damage I sustained. I can't feel parts on the last section of that finger, although I do still have feeling in the tip.

I wish there was some way I could go back and stick some high quality gloves on my hands before the crash so I could save myself from this bullshit damage I sustained. I only wear full leather gloves now.

Another note: I crashed at the track in December and ended up sliding along the ground at 50mph or so with my fingers dragging along the tarmac. When I got up I felt my fingers burning, but the gloves held up great. No rips in the stitching nor excessive wear to the leather. My fingers were fine, just warm from the heat transfer due to friction. I was wearing a pair of Teknic Violator Gloves similar to these:
(http://www.webbikeworld.com/Reviewed-motorcycle-products/teknic/gloves-top.JPG)

Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on April 03, 2006, 10:24:57 AM
I was wearing a pair of Teknic Violator Gloves similar to these:

Are the Violators comfortable?  I was considering them, but they look awfully hot.  I have cool-weather gloves, I need some for most of the year here in FL.

Quote from: Egaeus on April 03, 2006, 11:13:18 AM

Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on April 03, 2006, 10:24:57 AM
I was wearing a pair of Teknic Violator Gloves similar to these:

Are the Violators comfortable?  I was considering them, but they look awfully hot.  I have cool-weather gloves, I need some for most of the year here in FL.

They were sorta comfy. Mine were old (got them used for free, basically) and worn pretty badly when I got them. They were WAY too cold in the winter when I used them, even though I had a good feel for the controls. Mine didn't have any liner on the inside so it was just my hands to the leather. Good control feel though. If they didn't have holes in the fingers from being broken in about 3 dozen times I'd probably wear them in the summer without a problem. Check out the Olympia 340s (http://gstwins.com/gsboard/index.php?topic=20659.msg246784#msg246784). They have a big vent that is pretty good so far. They are a tad hot compared with the mesh ones I crashed in, but I'll live with that. Try getting some non-gauntlet style gloves that only go an inch or so past your cuff. Those will let air in from behind, giving you more cooling.

Doesn't seem that the Olympia 340s come in my size.  I'm an XXL.  I'm 6'0 with freakishly large extremities (size 15 feet too). :)  I didn't grow into my hands and feet. 

[65

Sounds good to me.  I have insulated leather gloves for the cold weather, but that's all but gone here.  I need something cool. 

My hands are long and proportionally thin.  According to the width, I need a large, but for my hand length, I need XXL.  Makes it hard to find good-fitting gloves....

Hmm... personally (IMO, mind you) I will not wear Joe Rocket stuff. They have issues with their stitching and I don't trust their quality of workmanship very much. Just my opinion though. They seem to sell enough products...

Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on April 03, 2006, 06:21:57 PM
Hmm... personally (IMO, mind you) I will not wear Joe Rocket stuff. They have issues with their stitching and I don't trust their quality of workmanship very much. Just my opinion though. They seem to sell enough products...

good call.  i had a buddy go down in JR phoenix gloves and his hands looked like a cheese grater had its way with them.

sorry bout your hands dude, i broke/cut my thumb really bad over spring break so you are not alone  :o

the icon super duty gloves worked great for me...deer skin leather! :thumb:

I'm seriously looking at the Alpinestars GP Plus, but they're a bit high.  It's not that I'm not willing to pay, but more unable. 

I am a newb about ready to enter my riding class.    I have never actually riden before so I am looking to the boards for feedback on certain items.   One of which is gloves.    I am curious, has anyone tried the Icon Merc gloves?    They are the full gauntlet type in all leather with carbon in the knuckles.    Just curious if this is a good set or not.     My first choice would be the Icon Super Duty, but am worried they won't be sturdy enough.   If anyone has any comments on either of these I am all ears.     Figure better to ask up front then find out later if I made the right choices.....

Thanks guys!

Quote from: waterpro on September 10, 2006, 10:10:02 PM
I am a newb about ready to enter my riding class.    I have never actually riden before so I am looking to the boards for feedback on certain items.   One of which is gloves.    I am curious, has anyone tried the Icon Merc gloves?    They are the full gauntlet type in all leather with carbon in the knuckles.    Just curious if this is a good set or not.     My first choice would be the Icon Super Duty, but am worried they won't be sturdy enough.   If anyone has any comments on either of these I am all ears.     Figure better to ask up front then find out later if I made the right choices.....

Thanks guys!

The Merc gloves don't look too bad. Good specs, but I don't know about their quality (stitching or leather quality). They are a bit flashy for my tastes, but the black ones aren't too bad (styling wise). They are market to the "stunt" and "bling" crowds though, so flashy may be good depending on what you want.

The Superduty gloves look alright, but I'd much rather trust my hands in a set of Olympia or Alpinestars gloves. Again, they are flashy for my personal tastes, but to each his own.

The main thing you need to look for is proper fit. Gloves should be snug, but not enough that they press into the tips of your fingers when you curl them around your throttle or pull your brake lever in. They shouldn't be so loose as to bunch in the palm or rotate around your fingers. The palms can't be too restricting or it will cut off the blood circulation (and that is bad, btw). No blood circulation means your hands go numb a lot faster which means loss of feel of the controls.

look for gauntlet style gloves that have double closure. this will insure they stay on and in place when its needed. usually theres a thin strap at the wrist and a large strap at the end of the glove...

the superduty look too short-not gauntlet style for full protection.

FARKING OUCH!!!
im now going to go and get a leather jacket and leather gloves

Quote from: pantablo on September 10, 2006, 11:02:32 PM
look for gauntlet style gloves that have double closure. this will insure they stay on and in place when its needed. usually theres a thin strap at the wrist and a large strap at the end of the glove...

the superduty look too short-not gauntlet style for full protection.

True. But in most situation a well made short-cuff glove can out perform a lesser quality gauntlet style. For example, Alpinestars SM-S gloves and Octane S-Moto gloves both have very secure wrist cosure systems that keep them on almost as tight as my gauntlet gloves.

Quote from: Egaeus on April 03, 2006, 01:18:38 PM
Doesn't seem that the Olympia 340s come in my size.  I'm an XXL.  I'm 6'0 with freakishly large extremities (size 15 feet too). :)  I didn't grow into my hands and feet. 

Olympia has some interesting sizing issues.  Like you, I have large hands / feet.  I had heard great things about Olympia gloves, but was concerned that the XL would be too small.  I visited the local bike shop and tried on every Olympia glove they had in an XL--and was surprised to learn that they all fit very comfortably! :o

So, I ordered the 450 Full Throttles http://www.newenough.com/olympia_model_450_full_throttle_gloves_page.htm (they did not have these at the local bike shop).  To my dismay, I can barely squeeze my hands in them. :mad:  They fit nothing like the other Olympia gloves I had tried on in the store.  Plus, the leather feels way too thin--like I'm wearing golf gloves.  The gel pad on the palm is very thin and does little for comfort on a ride (and I suspect would do little in a crash too).

In short, try to find the 340s in a local shop and try them on.  They may fit!--or they may not. :cry:

Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on September 10, 2006, 10:19:01 PM

The Merc gloves don't look too bad. Good specs, but I don't know about their quality (stitching or leather quality). They are a bit flashy for my tastes, but the black ones aren't too bad (styling wise). They are market to the "stunt" and "bling" crowds though, so flashy may be good depending on what you want.

Yah I was looking at getting the stealth ones (all black).....looking at some of the other pictures I can see there is double stiching on the seams.    It says cowhide chasis for whatever thats worth.....heres a link....

http://www.newenough.com/icon_merc_gloves_page.htm

Quote from: waterpro on September 11, 2006, 08:40:17 PM

Quote from: AlphaFire X5 on September 10, 2006, 10:19:01 PM

The Merc gloves don't look too bad. Good specs, but I don't know about their quality (stitching or leather quality). They are a bit flashy for my tastes, but the black ones aren't too bad (styling wise). They are market to the "stunt" and "bling" crowds though, so flashy may be good depending on what you want.

Yah I was looking at getting the stealth ones (all black).....looking at some of the other pictures I can see there is double stiching on the seams.    It says cowhide chasis for whatever thats worth.....heres a link....

http://www.newenough.com/icon_merc_gloves_page.htm

I was looking at the Icon Merc gloves (short cuff) when I made that comment. The double stitching is nice, but there is a dlip side to that. It might be double stitched but that double stitching may still be cheap or not well stitched. I'd have to look at them in person and feel everything out before I gave a true evaluation on them.

If they fit you, then definitely consider them. Fit is important.

one of my mate's came off another's ZX10R about 2 weeks ago....  he was pillion (whilst trying to wheelie) came off - draggin jeans were shredded but ass still in once piece, his left hand copped it hard.... they reckon he might be able to ride again in the next week or two... if i knew how to post a pic i would... but you'll all just have to imagine the state of his hand..

worst thing is he's left handed too....and keeps reminding me how frustrated he's getting without a girlfriend...haha!!

Just thought I'd bump this for some of the newbies. Get good gloves and wear them all the time.

This is what I'm sporting right now. They seem really well made and a good knuckle protector. Before these I had the Fox Bomber gloves but they were mesh on the top with leather palms. Never crash tested they were stolen from me at work! (yeah I work in security LOL)

Here are the new ones: (http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr264/Toogoofy317/P1010068.jpg)

(http://i490.photobucket.com/albums/rr264/Toogoofy317/P1010066.jpg)

What do you think? Honestly, It is too hot down here for gauntlet gloves!

Mary

Quote from: Toogoofy317 on July 25, 2009, 02:00:04 PM
What do you think? Honestly, It is too hot down here for gauntlet gloves!

Are those Icon Mercs? I've heard people being relatively happy with them.

I understand waht you mean about the heat thing, that's why I got perforated leather gloves from Alpinestars. The Octane S-Moto gloves. I've not heard anyone being dissatisfied with them.

Actually, these are the Bravo or Abrams (can't remember atm) gloves from Power Trip. I got them for a steal apparently nobody liked the Army Logo on them and they were small. Got the for $7 and $5 shipping so $12 total at NewEnough.com  :woohoo:

They really do seem well made and they do breathe really well. Example today was 97 and 72% humidity and my hands did well!

Mary

Alpha!  Good to see you on the board!

I used to wear gloves like the ones you were wearing during your crash. I recently bought some full leather gauntlet style and haven't looked back. They've been great this summer, although it has been relatively cool...

Quote from: oramac on July 25, 2009, 06:10:01 PM
Alpha!  Good to see you on the board!

Had to graduate. I was off ALL forums for quite a while, actually. Recently came back here to try and sell my DR-Z, and started posting again more regularly. Looking to get an SV650 for more practicality to tide me over through grad school. I've been offered some pretty crazy bikes for my DR-Z, including an RC51 and a TL1000S.

I'm wearing Shift Vertex these days. So far no complaints. Seem to be of good quality and are comfortable. Not heat issues either, but not really been over 90 here much yet. 

crap I have those gloves!!! :o

Quote from: GSJosh500f on July 26, 2009, 06:33:52 AM
crap I have those gloves!!! :o

Get a new pair ASAP and throw those away. They are useless.

Quote from: Toogoofy317 on July 25, 2009, 02:00:04 PM

What do you think? Honestly, It is too hot down here for gauntlet gloves!

Mary

shorties scare me. my wrists... oh my, there might be .012" of skin between the pavement and incredibly complicated tendons, blood vessels and nerves (that will -never- be right after a surgery) soooo, i'll just stand the heat.

i know the heat sucks mary... i know the heat sucks when traffic dies to nothing... then it rains at 4:30... then the sun comes out again and  BOILS off the rain... then you sweat like 1 gallon an hour in traffic... i know. man do i know. ;)

i'll stick with full gloves and stuff though. i'm pretty far from perfect and want all the leather/plastic/steel i can get between me n the road when i'm riding.

(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b123/AlphaFire_X5/GSTwin/92crash/finger.jpg)

Just a reminder to make sure that your gloves are made from nothing but tasty, tasty leather.

I've been thinking back on the accident a bit lately, and really really wish I could have avoided the road rash on my hand. I find myself constantly touching the big lump of scar tissue I have on my finger now, subconsciously. When I'm just sitting and doing nothing, I'll notice myself digging my thumbnail into that area a bit, and moving it around, which is weird because of the nerve damage, I can't feel it.

I was lucky. The lasting effects of my crash have been limited to stories and experience. My hands still work well, my fingers still bend, I can do all the things I did before, and yet I still find myself digging my nail into the part of my finger where I have no nerves, no feeling.

But I am reminded what could have happened. I could have lost feeling in a lot more than just a small section of one finger. I could have lost the ability to move my fingers, the ability to write with my right hand, the ability to sense.

But I didn't.

Look people, don't regret wearing cheap gear. Get some quality leather gloves. I don't WANT you to thank me later, but I don't want you to regret not doing so.

Alpha if that happened to all your fingers you could have become and awesome thief.  :thumb:

Quote from: joker79507 on November 04, 2009, 05:43:38 AM
Alpha if that happened to all your fingers you could have become and awesome thief.  :thumb:

Scar tissue is on the knuckle. I still have fingerprints. The scar tissue does show up during fingerprinting though (no, I did not get arrested!)