How concerned are you about safety?

[yukaputz]

Hey, just was curious about everyone's thoughts. Out of all my friends who ride I seem to be the only one who has motorcycle saftey on his mind regularly. I'm not talking about just taking the beginner msf course, but going further than that. IE, the gear you wear, further education (books, classes) and regular practice of panic stops and other manuevers, mods that enhance saftey, perhaps curbing who you may or may not ride with because of their unsafe practices. I'm not one to go preaching and brow beating, but when I hear of someone bar hopping with their bike, I note that info so that I remember not to ride with them.

-Putz

[RampageRider]

As we said in the ARMY, safety safety, safety.

Stay Alert, Stay Alive!

[drgibson]

Some are geared toward being successful riders others are just squids. Practice on being a safe, successful rider and avoid the squids. It is always better to be reading about the other guy than to be the guy being read about.

[Clint]

Are any of your friends members of online communities such as Motorcycle-Journal? That says a lot right there. People who are genuinely interested in enrichening their motorcycling experience tend to find themselves online to learn and share.

[Shea]

When I first started riding, I didn't have the money for fancy gear and I thought that a leather jacket was enough for riding. I never gave it a second thought either. This time around, after not riding for a few years and jumping back on to one and being older now, safety is very important to me. I work on an ambulance, in the ER and my wife also works in the ER. I have worked too many traumas to not care. You work a couple dead ones, see bodies mangled or see someone paralyzed from an MVA/MCA, it suddenly becomes real to you.

[James_C50]

I think, like anything else, you need to have balance! You can't be so worried about safety that it takes away the enjoyment of it all and on the other hand you gotta be smart enough to take some precautions. My guess is that guys who don't seem to be concerned much with safety feel that their ability to ride and avoid problems is enough to keep them from getting hurt 8 out of 10 times. The rest is risk and that is the first thing they teach you in the safety course-"What level of risk are you willing to take?"
I guess my point is-- When I start slowing down to 5 MPH going over a hill because a squirrel may be running across the road, then I'll just sell the bike.

[Rockhead]

I have one good friend that that worries me when I ride with him. He’s unpredictable and only knows how to make left hand turns.(we wait up for him while he goes around the block) Towards the end of the riding season last year he would make a few rights but you would always just have to stay away. He wants to take the MSF to get his license this year, so that’s a step in the right direction.

As far as judging my own safety I like bringing back that throttle just like allot of people here do. I do wear the bare minimum of protection (jacket, pants, boot, gloves & helmet) in a state that does not require any protection except for sunglasses. But I think the best protection you can have is being able to identify a problem before it happens. I can guarantee every person in this forum that rides has been in many nasty situations that they had to react to. Do I feel any safer knowing I escaped dangers in the past, NO.? Driving a MC is risky business and I just accept the risk. I do think that most of the time I am a safe driver but I could be wrong.

[92Notch]

I ride drunk wearing nothing buy my boxers, through prayer, Jesus keeps me safe. I have nothing to worry about!



(J/K)

i agree w/ rockhead. Wear the gear all the time, and actually look ahead to avoid problems. use the SEE principal the MSF teaches you (that's what I do, i hope it works out for me )

[D_Klein]

I have the basics- Jacket, full-face helmet and gloves. I'm saving up for some pants and boots.

Phoenix gets awfully hot in the summer though.

[James_C50]

Originally Posted by 92Notch

I ride drunk wearing nothing buy my boxers, through prayer, Jesus keeps me safe. I have nothing to worry about!



(J/K)

i agree w/ rockhead. Wear the gear all the time, and actually look ahead to avoid problems. use the SEE principal the MSF teaches you (that's what I do, i hope it works out for me )

Thanks! I nearly wet myself!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PENJO]

Originally Posted by yukaputz

Hey, just was curious about everyone's thoughts. Out of all my friends who ride I seem to be the only one who has motorcycle saftey on his mind regularly. I'm not talking about just taking the beginner msf course, but going further than that. IE, the gear you wear, further education (books, classes) and regular practice of panic stops and other manuevers, mods that enhance saftey, perhaps curbing who you may or may not ride with because of their unsafe practices. I'm not one to go preaching and brow beating, but when I hear of someone bar hopping with their bike, I note that info so that I remember not to ride with them.

-Putz

Please may I borrow your words? This is one of my concerns with my friends riders. Right now I am the nerd. I am the guy with full face helmet, all these "leather S#!&", online all the time, etc. "Hey Pete what the heck are you gonna do in the summer? Are you going to wear all that c#@P? Man why don't you relax? Thing how nice it feels with the wind in your face, your nice glasses, etc....
There has been issues in the past about dressing. It seems that we are about to revisit the issues in reference to MC wear this time.
I feel better with my gear. I think it looks cool. And I am not 21 y/o anymore to follow the crowd. But they are friends, even from childhood. I keep thinking how to silk handle this not to create separation. Let's see in the end what happens.
Two of them even propose to ride down by the river (Delaware Ave) in short shirts or T shirts and dark glasses to look cool. LOL. I dismissed that one thinkinh they were drunk. LOL

[Clint]

Originally Posted by Night_Wolf

I think you find more "poseurs" than riders in most online forums....

I specifically said, "like Motorcycle-Journal". We have very few posers here, and they usually don't stick around long. Sportbike-only forums are another matter altogether.

[CManT1914]

I usually ride in shorts, flip-flops, and a wide beater. I want people to see who I am when I'm popping mad-tyte wheelies at 80mph through school-zones. Occasionally, when it's real hot out, I'll ride completely naked. That gets me a lot of attention.














lol, yea right. I wear my helmet, gloves, boots, and jacket 100% of the time (don't have any pants yet).

[drgibson]

Ok CT, Notch beat ya to it. It's only funny once. Wide Beater, dang I hope your S.O. doesn't see that.

Originally Posted by CManT1914

I usually ride in shorts, flip-flops, and a wide beater. I want people to see who I am when I'm popping mad-tyte wheelies at 80mph through school-zones. Occasionally, when it's real hot out, I'll ride completely naked. That gets me a lot of attention.














lol, yea right. I wear my helmet, gloves, boots, and jacket 100% of the time (don't have any pants yet).

[Trapper]

Originally Posted by PENJO

Please may I borrow your words? This is one of my concerns with my friends riders. Right now I am the nerd. I am the guy with full face helmet, all these "leather S#!&", online all the time, etc. "Hey Pete what the heck are you gonna do in the summer? Are you going to wear all that c#@P? Man why don't you relax? Thing how nice it feels with the wind in your face, your nice glasses, etc....
There has been issues in the past about dressing. It seems that we are about to revisit the issues in reference to MC wear this time.
I feel better with my gear. I think it looks cool. And I am not 21 y/o anymore to follow the crowd. But they are friends, even from childhood. I keep thinking how to silk handle this not to create separation. Let's see in the end what happens.
Two of them even propose to ride down by the river (Delaware Ave) in short shirts or T shirts and dark glasses to look cool. LOL. I dismissed that one thinkinh they were drunk. LOL

They'll get tired of hackin' on ya before you get tired of hearing it. And start hackin back!

[sunny]

i think lots about safety. my friends at work wear very little gear and it bothers me alot. especially since my boss was all "you must wear your gear all the time!" when i was first starting out. he actually got pissed when i bought my one set of fingerless gloves and told the salesman to never sell me a half helmet. (i never wanted one anyway)

so i'm starting to rag on him about it. he doesn't wear a helmet and in the summer he wears no jacket.

[CManT1914]

Originally Posted by drgibson

Ok CT, Notch beat ya to it. It's only funny once. Wide Beater, dang I hope your S.O. doesn't see that.

Yea I really didn't read all of the replies, so, uh, whatever. S.O.?

[inspiron]

Originally Posted by PENJO

Please may I borrow your words? This is one of my concerns with my friends riders. Right now I am the nerd. I am the guy with full face helmet, all these "leather S#!&", online all the time, etc. "Hey Pete what the heck are you gonna do in the summer? Are you going to wear all that c#@P? Man why don't you relax? Thing how nice it feels with the wind in your face, your nice glasses, etc....

The people I ride with all wear gear. Some of the cruiser riders wear brain caps instead of a full face (they say it's okay because they are behind a windscreen ), but I simply refuse to ride with anyone who doesn't have enough respect for himself to wear proper protection.

Wind in your face? Yup. And flys, bees, hornets, stones, other debris ... I can't even ride with the visor up - my eyes start to water, and it is very uncomfortable.

I would rather live a long healthy life as a nerd, then to be a cool dead guy.

[Trapper]

Originally Posted by inspiron

I would rather live a long healthy life as a nerd, then to be a cool dead guy.

Doin' a good job, Jim.

[Clint]

ROFL! Shazam!