I was looking through some bmw forums and i saw this thread on gear.

http://www.f650.com/Forums/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=49180

No Tshirt and shorts guys here.

I personally wear full Vega helmet, Gericke Vento gloves, MX FLY 805 full out boots, Alpinstar leather jacket with elbow and shoulder rubber, and oneal apocylpse pants.

Ya know that's an interesting comment.  In NYC i've noticed....BMW riders are the best geared up ones i've seen.  Never riding in a pair of shorts and flip flops.  Sportbike riders seem kinda in the middle as in the summer you'll see riders in a helmet of course and a decent jacket about half the time but occationally in a pair of shorts.  Cruiser riders seem to wear the least protection if anything.  They rarely wear a full face around here....mostly a brain bucket. These guys seem allergic to clothing with sleeves in the summer.

Me..?? I wear a Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket in the summer, an Icon Super Duty jacket in the spring and fall and an AGV leather in the winter.  I've got 5 helmets for some reason and 4 of them are full face.  I've got gloves for every occasion and weather and i wear boots when i ride.  Nothin' fancy...just a pair of timberlands with steel shanks.  I was in full gear when i was t-boned on my GS nearly 3 years ago....my leather jacket took all of the road rash. my helmet saved me from being airborne 30' and landing on my back and my head.  I hopped away with a broken foot.

Gear is good.

it's kinda funny how yesterday i was out running errends in jeans/ t shirt, TLD dirt bike gloves and a brain bucket...  I pulled up to a stop sign in the right turn lane, and a cop was sitting there waitig to go straight, if I had been wearing a full face lid he whould have pulled me over. cause that's the way they do it here.

I think you are missing the REAL reason.  People who ride a BMW are generally older, wealthier, more mature, and conservative riders.  They have probably been riding for many years and have "moved up" to what some would consider the "pinnacle" of sport tourers.  These people are generally NOT first timers or young kids looking for something to blast around on.  They also have the money for the finest gear and are NOT embarrased to wear it.

Hey joerocker,
Thats very true, if they have the money to buy the expensive bike, then they probably have the money for 1 to 2 grand of gear. In my opinion though we all should be dressing up for Every ride.

IT will definately save a whole lot of motorcyclist pain and suffering because i see a whole lot of guys with just a tshirt and shorts.

Peace

I am in that mature category.  I do not get on the bike without full battle gear.  It takes me two minutes put them on so why go without them.  I just keep a pair of shoes and pants at work.  Takes another minute to change.  I've seen bike injuries and they sure look painful.

I'm a Chain Gang member.  Almost everyone there is ATGATT.  T-shirt and shorts is the exception.

I'm not rollin' in the wealth (the F650 will be paid off with the insurance settlement from the gal who hit me), but I don't go for a ride, not even a block, without gear from head to toe.

Quote from: davipuit's kinda funny how yesterday i was out running errends in jeans/ t shirt, TLD dirt bike gloves and a brain bucket...  I pulled up to a stop sign in the right turn lane, and a cop was sitting there waitig to go straight, if I had been wearing a full face lid he whould have pulled me over. cause that's the way they do it here.

i don't get it

I get all sorts of flack from the local riders about riding around with almost full gear on, just missing riding pants now...Even when it's >105 degrees, just seems stupid to go out in anything less.  Why risk it for a bit less sweat/discomfort?

Guy I park next to at work everyday has a ZZR1200 (whatever Kawi's big sport tourer is called now) has a Givi top case that he puts some zip-off riding pants in, and always wears full gear too, he seemed surprised when we finally met.  Figured I was a younger guy (which I am) with no gear...Ah well, he's a cool guy.

I went down 26 years ago with only a 3/4 helmet.  While the helmet saved my head, the rest of the injuries were not much fun.  Full gear would have helped alot.  I recently decided to start riding again.  I now only ride with full gear and a full face helmet.  I have also noticed that I am in a minority of riders in this area who use gear.  I see lots of tee shirts and jeans with very few helmets and some leather jackets on mostly cruisers.  The benefit of being age 53 is that I no longer care if I am in the minority.  I just want to be safe and enjoy the sport.

hey crash, in this town of 8000 about 1 in 10 has a bike in the garage, and i can count the guys on sport/ touring bikes on one hand.  so if your not wearing a brain bucket in town expect to get pulled over and harrased.

When I was "young, dumb and fulla c*m" I managed to come off a bike @130 mph. The only thing that saved me was leather and a full face. Before that wipeout I had tooled around with tee shirt and shorts from time to time. That  one spill has made it where I never go out of the house to get on that bike without a min of a leather jacket, heavy jeans or riding pants, gloves and a full face. BMW riders may be able to afford the good gear but I am often brought back to a statement I heard from another rider in 82' A 5 dollar head in a 5 dollar helmet. No one that respects thier skin should ride without gear and if you can afford a bike, you should spend good money on the rider as well.

hey Roadstergal...
Don't flame me for this...but what is  ATGATT

:dunno:

Jonah

all the gear all the time

Yep... and I was wearing that this evening.  

At times, I get odd looks wearing full leathers. If you ride with any of the groups I ride with, you may get some comments about not wearing proper gear. Sometimes I may wear just a jacket with jeans, if I am just going someplace local.

It does not matter about the heat, sweat washes off. I have scars from my early riding days of not wearing proper gear. Maturity plays a big role in your desire to wear gear. I know it works as I have tested it several times.

Gear is good.

Quote from: davipuit's kinda funny how yesterday i was out running errends in jeans/ t shirt, TLD dirt bike gloves and a brain bucket...  I pulled up to a stop sign in the right turn lane, and a cop was sitting there waitig to go straight, if I had been wearing a full face lid he whould have pulled me over. cause that's the way they do it here.

WHY?  :dunno:

see second post

i wear full gear all the time, got a pair of frank thomas armoured jeans that would not look out of place in the local pub, fully armoured sports jacket, and bright yellow AGV helmet, and they did not cost that much either, a good mate came off his thunderace at a super speed of 25 miles an hour, not sure waht that is in km, but its slow, he had his work clothes on, bearing in mind he is only a mechanic and not an astronaut, broken shoulder blade that has still got the nuts and bolts in, sever gravel rash to his side and back, broken thumb, and he was knocked out for a bit.

can anyone recommend a good pair of summer riding pants?  i've got a pair of joe rocket ballistic pants that are great for cold weather, but hot as hell for the summer.

back on topic: not only does full gear save your skin, but moms love it too!