DSXMachina
Member
My eyeball poll shows a big variation in the percentage of riders who are ATGATT (all the gear, all the time) depending on which marque they ride. I see the least compliance, in fact it's more of a defiance, among those who ride the Milwaukee heavyweights. Yet in my State (NH) they are among the most frequently killed or injured in accidents. Of course that could be because they comprise the single largest segment of riders, but I'm betting the "loud pipes save lives" crowd's accident rate exceeds their statistical quota.
I'm ATGATT, I wasn't for 13,000 miles of my youth and my first cycle. Not even a helmet. I was lucky. Never so much as a scratch. I think people are smarter now, and with the 'net we're certainly exposed to more of the dangers inherent in the sport and should be able to relate to the possibility. But apparently not everyone does.
Which brings me to my point: H-D riders seem to wear the least gear, and in my observation, BMW riders wear the most. One very rarely sees a BMW rider with less than full gear, or at least a jacket, and helmet and 'sensible' footwear. Kids on the Japanese rockets usually have a helmet, but they're the ones in a tank top, shorts and sneakers. When you're young you're invincible, and the only reason your helmet is on your head is because the State requires it until age 21. Here in NH you're free to go helmetless after that. and many do
So what is it about the average BMW owner vs. the average H-D (and clones) owner which makes one group more safety concerned than the other?
I'm ATGATT, I wasn't for 13,000 miles of my youth and my first cycle. Not even a helmet. I was lucky. Never so much as a scratch. I think people are smarter now, and with the 'net we're certainly exposed to more of the dangers inherent in the sport and should be able to relate to the possibility. But apparently not everyone does.
Which brings me to my point: H-D riders seem to wear the least gear, and in my observation, BMW riders wear the most. One very rarely sees a BMW rider with less than full gear, or at least a jacket, and helmet and 'sensible' footwear. Kids on the Japanese rockets usually have a helmet, but they're the ones in a tank top, shorts and sneakers. When you're young you're invincible, and the only reason your helmet is on your head is because the State requires it until age 21. Here in NH you're free to go helmetless after that. and many do
So what is it about the average BMW owner vs. the average H-D (and clones) owner which makes one group more safety concerned than the other?