It is said that there are two types of riders, and if you ask almost any motorcyclist what the two types of riders are, they will tell you; “There are the ones that have been down, and the ones that are going down.” Accidents cannot always be avoided, and the only certain thing about riding a motorcycle is that at one point or another, you will have to put it down.
"All the Gear, All the Time". This slogan, used frequently by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation and its Rider-coaches really sums it up. Every rider should be wearing all the gear, all the time. If you have the kind of luck I do, the one day you don’t wear the gear is the day you’ll be involved in an accident. Here in South Florida, nobody wants to hear that you should be wearing all the gear, all the time. The most frequent complaints are “It doesn’t look cool” and “It’s too hot out.” To which I reply “Scars don’t look cool either.” and “I’d rather sweat than bleed.”
Most motorcyclists know what gear they should be wearing. For those who don’t, let’s review:
1. A DOT approved full face helmet. Lots of cruiser riders forgo a full face helmet for a skullcap, or what sport bikers jokingly refer to as a ‘brain bowl’. This is not sufficient protection. It may or may not save your life, but it certainly won’t save your face. As a biker, you never know when your face will be going through a windshield or making friends with the pavement. You wouldn’t want to mar that money maker, would you? Riders who don’t wear a helmet at all often argue that they’d rather be dead than a vegetable. I argue that if there’s an opportunity to walk away from an accident unscathed, why not take the precaution? A full face helmet might keep you from being a vegetable, as well as keep you from being dead. Another good reason to wear a full face helmet is that if it starts to rain, or if there are a swarm of bugs, or if the truck in front of you kicks up some gravel, your helmet will prevent any of these things from getting in your eyes, nose, mouth and ears and will protect your skin from possible damage. Any motorcyclist who has ridden on the interstate in the rain without a helmet knows that rain can be pretty painful.
2. A motorcycle jacket. Jackets come in a few varieties. Leather ones provide the most protection from abrasive road surfaces, and many of them feature vents to help ease the heat that many riders complain about. If the heat is really too much, you may opt for a mesh jacket. These allow air to pass right through, and don’t trap heat. Many jackets come with armor in strategic places to cushion your fall and help prevent broken bones.
3. Pants. Several companies offer pants designed especially for riding. I have a pair by Joe Rocket, which are jeans reinforced with Kevlar to make them more resistant to abrasion, and they have removable shin pads to protect your knees and shins. Regular jeans will also help to protect your skin from road rash. Any rider who has had road rash knows that it is nothing to laugh at. Yes, it may be hot out, but do yourself a favor and wear full length pants. Bare skin is no match for the road.
4. Over the ankle boots. No, they are not as stylish as your flip flops or your sneakers, but they will stay put, and protect the skin on your foot and ankle as well as the 26 precious bones that are housed within. I have seen a regular sneaker flung hundreds of feet from the person to whom it belonged when he laid down his Ninja. He was lucky that all he got was a little road rash. Don’t think that just because your laces are tied, that your sneaker is secure. Invest in a pair of over the ankle boots. Foot and ankle injuries are some of the worst because they are slow to heal, and very painful. Foot and ankle injuries generally impair a person’s ability to work, and hinder them in their daily lives. They also almost always prevent you from riding, which is never a good thing!
5. Gloves. Gloves serve the same purpose as all the other gear you wear. They protect the skin from road rash. Some have armor to protect the knuckles from breaking. They keep rain and gravel from pelting your hands, and they provide the added benefit of giving you a better grip on the controls. The other good thing about gloves is that they prevent that awful hand-tan I seem to perpetually have because I wear my jacket every time, but don’t always wear my gloves.
I have been lucky in that I’ve only laid bikes down at slow speeds. I have a few scars to prove it. I’m guilty of wearing ‘most of the gear, most of the time’, even though I know better, but I never get on a bike without a full face helmet and my leather jacket, and neither should you.
This is what could happen if you don't wear your gear (this is not my video):
And this is how to choose the proper gear for you (also not my video):