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Helmet and protective gear

As far as I know 50% of motorcycle fatalities of riders involve the rider using alcohol and another 25% of fatalities have no motorcycle endorsement. There are several things that have good statistical data re: accident/fatality reduction ride with light on (the law), a white or bright helmet and a bright but not white jacket. A bike with ABS reduces the risk of fatality by another 33%. You can't eliminate risk but you sure can do a lot to reduce it to a very respectable level. I personally use a carbon fiber helmet as I like the way it deforms to protect your brain verses the fiberglass which does not spread out the impact nearly as well. I have no data on that. Also don't like the snell criteria as the helmet must be stiffer to survive 2 hits in the same spot which means more energy to brain (not good). Obviously ATGATT goes with the above. YMMV

I am with you on the snell program as well.
 
Hope that I never experience being rear ended. Your results gives hope to the rest of us that if such an incident should happen to us, we might also be as lucky as you.

I like your idea of an alternative location for the phone. I was actually thinking along those lines but I am not sure the phone would have survived in a jacket pocket however that is something I am considering in the future.

I used to always carry my phone in a chest pocket but since riding with a Helite vest, have gone to placing it in a pant pocket. I figured the phone would survive under the inflated Helite but thought that the combination might damage my ribs.

Hope that your recovery is quick. :thumb
 
... which is why blanket statements are generally not true.

How about this blanket statement: In 2017, the number of motorcycle fatalities per mile traveled was nearly 27 times the number of car fatalities per mile traveled. (Source: https://driving-tests.org/driving-statistics/). Very fortunately for those who partake in riding one can reduce the risk of a bad outcome dramatically by committing to smarter/safer riding practices and wearing ATGATT certainly helps, but will not trump smarter/safer riding practices.
 
As far as I know 50% of motorcycle fatalities of riders involve the rider using alcohol and another 25% of fatalities have no motorcycle endorsement.

And...more than a third of all MC crash fatalities were solo vehicle crashes. Outside of having a large critter jump into their path all of these solo crashes were largely avoidable and were caused by poor judgement on the part of the rider, with or w/o alcohol involved, may they rest in peace. Too many riders contributing to crash stats simply don't appreciate the risks they take, or understand them and don't care.
 
It sounds like this guy would advocate us all wrapping ourselves in layers of bubble wrap and sitting on the couch watching TV all day... not much is going to happen to you doing that, but its no way to live.

Why tiptoe thru life only to arrive safely at Death's Door? :dance This comment from another forum nudged me towards riding again after a 28y layoff post having twin daughters :)
 
Why tiptoe thru life only to arrive safely at Death's Door? :dance This comment from another forum nudged me towards riding again after a 28y layoff post having twin daughters :)

The older I got, the more ATTGAT I wore. If I crashed like I did at 38 wearing a T, dungarees and a helmet, I'd not recover fully if at all now at 68. The older I get the more I tiptoe into potentially dangerous arena's. Forethought goes a long way, :thumb
 
The older I got, the more ATTGAT I wore. If I crashed like I did at 38 wearing a T, dungarees and a helmet, I'd not recover fully if at all now at 68. The older I get the more I tiptoe into potentially dangerous arena's. Forethought goes a long way, :thumb

How right you are! Aging bodies are far more vulnerable to physical injury than that 38 y/o body generally is. I appreciate your modeling of the air-vest I've been on the fence on using one since I learned about them just a year or two ago. It doesn't look too intrusive on you either ;o)

Part of the 'Why tiptoe' edict for me comes from my own risk for a 'crash' at any moment: I've had diabetes for 35y, smoked tobacco for 30y, and have an extensive family history of stroke. I figure I'm already clearly living/riding on borrowed time :dunno
 
And...more than a third of all MC crash fatalities were solo vehicle crashes. Outside of having a large critter jump into their path all of these solo crashes were largely avoidable and were caused by poor judgement on the part of the rider, with or w/o alcohol involved, may they rest in peace. Too many riders contributing to crash stats simply don't appreciate the risks they take, or understand them and don't care.

"Failure to negotiate a turn" is my favorite. But, then again, you don't even need a motorcycle operators license to buy a motorcycle in my state.
 
....

Your comments were taken in the spirit they were given, and I would like to learn about your phone pouch for sure.:thumb

Glad to hear that. Things can come across the wrong way in print. But those comments were intended to be constructive. And I hasten to add that I’ve learned from your posts to this thread.

We all have different risk tolerances. Mine are definitely much lower than yours with respect to where, when, and under what conditions I feel comfortable operating a motorcycle. But I also do most of my riding in an urban environment, and there are plenty of riders who would consider that risky, too.

There’s really nothing special about my phone pocket. All I did was choose riding jackets (hi-vis) that have readily handy breast pockets. I added a long fob to the zipper so I can easily open it with either hand. The padding is just a little bit of extra material I keep in there. I turn the screen in towards my body when I put it in the pocket, so the phone is protected by its shell, a case, the padding, and the abrasion resistant material of the riding jacket.

I don’t use my phone for anything while riding. So I am not worried about being able to see or access it while on the bike. I just want it with me if I get “separated” from the machine. I would do the same with any other emergency transponders (i.e. PLBs, eg “Spot”).

I don’t have an airbag vest (yet), but I can see how wearing one of those would require some re-thinking.

Here’s hoping your recovery continues with steady improvement.
 
Glad to hear that. Things can come across the wrong way in print. But those comments were intended to be constructive. And I hasten to add that I’ve learned from your posts to this thread.

We all have different risk tolerances. Mine are definitely much lower than yours with respect to where, when, and under what conditions I feel comfortable operating a motorcycle. But I also do most of my riding in an urban environment, and there are plenty of riders who would consider that risky, too.

There’s really nothing special about my phone pocket. All I did was choose riding jackets (hi-vis) that have readily handy breast pockets. I added a long fob to the zipper so I can easily open it with either hand. The padding is just a little bit of extra material I keep in there. I turn the screen in towards my body when I put it in the pocket, so the phone is protected by its shell, a case, the padding, and the abrasion resistant material of the riding jacket.

I don’t use my phone for anything while riding. So I am not worried about being able to see or access it while on the bike. I just want it with me if I get “separated” from the machine. I would do the same with any other emergency transponders (i.e. PLBs, eg “Spot”).

I don’t have an airbag vest (yet), but I can see how wearing one of those would require some re-thinking.

Here’s hoping your recovery continues with steady improvement.

I keep my phone zipped in the inner pocket of the jacket. A little more protection in an "event". Little harder to get to, but if I'm able to call someone I'm able to get it out of the jacket. YES, I want the phone on me, not stored on the bike.

PM me if you decide to go with a Helite vest or jacket,
 
PM me if you decide to go with a Helite vest or jacket,

Thanks, will do. I’m probably a ways away yet from making that investment, but I definitely see the virtue in it. Your photo shows it’s relatively unobtrusive, too. I wear my seatbelt when driving, and an inflatable PFD while motorboating and sailing, so don’t see this as being any more cumbersome.
 
Thanks, will do. I’m probably a ways away yet from making that investment, but I definitely see the virtue in it. Your photo shows it’s relatively unobtrusive, too. I wear my seatbelt when driving, and an inflatable PFD while motorboating and sailing, so don’t see this as being any more cumbersome.

It's heavier than I expected but one gets used to it fairly quickly. Just becomes another part of the ATTGAT. :thumb
 
Glad to hear that. Things can come across the wrong way in print. But those comments were intended to be constructive. And I hasten to add that I’ve learned from your posts to this thread.

We all have different risk tolerances. Mine are definitely much lower than yours with respect to where, when, and under what conditions I feel comfortable operating a motorcycle. But I also do most of my riding in an urban environment, and there are plenty of riders who would consider that risky, too.

There’s really nothing special about my phone pocket. All I did was choose riding jackets (hi-vis) that have readily handy breast pockets. I added a long fob to the zipper so I can easily open it with either hand. The padding is just a little bit of extra material I keep in there. I turn the screen in towards my body when I put it in the pocket, so the phone is protected by its shell, a case, the padding, and the abrasion resistant material of the riding jacket.

I don’t use my phone for anything while riding. So I am not worried about being able to see or access it while on the bike. I just want it with me if I get “separated” from the machine. I would do the same with any other emergency transponders (i.e. PLBs, eg “Spot”).

I don’t have an airbag vest (yet), but I can see how wearing one of those would require some re-thinking.

Here’s hoping your recovery continues with steady improvement.

I considered putting my phone in one of the chest pockets and my wallet in the other. I have done this on different occasions but wondered how protected my phone would be in an accident and if it might contribute to an injury for me. Had I done this on my last ride I think I could have tested it out. As it was I put it inside my lunch box and stashed that inside the bike saddle bag. I do not want to do a repeat to test it out though much as it would add to our discussion.

As to experience Vark my normal commute was 117 miles each way from my same residence to DFW airport in all weather and all traffic conditions. I can attest to the challenges of traveling in an urban environment and can say that because of the greater performance of a motorcycle and the ability to escape out of control automobiles in crowded environments I have avoided more than a dozen accidents that I would have been in had I been in a car.

In addition to the deaths per highway mile traveled there are a great many other factors that contribute to death on a motorcycle. I suspect if you look at the majority of folks on this board you might just find that as a group we are at a greatly reduced risk compared to the general population of bike riders. Majority of us are highly experienced and skilled, wear lots of protective gear, do not engage in risky behavior, like riding beyond our abilities, drinking and driving, etc.

One other thing that came up and I really wanted to mention on here. Everyone tells me how lucky I am after the crash. I thought I was rather well prepared for it as that has always been my habit. If I had been really lucky that idiot with the truck would have missed me.

I also want to add I really appreciate everyone's comments on all aspects of the event. It is nice to find intelligent folks on the internet for a change!:thumb:wave
 
We have been wearing Helite vests since the SLC rally. I just sold mine to a Harley buddy and I’m going to upgrade to the Helite 2. It is not functionally better than the Turtle I sold but it is supposed to be more comfortable. I decided to go with the Hi-Viz version since all my gear is black, except a for a long silver helmet and my bike is a triple black.
 
protective gear

your xray is impressive. The fact you are walking and talking is impressive. I am glad you were able to successfully survive what for most is a devastating injury. I have treated some and no one came out the way they went in. I wish you continued success. It makes me rethink the air vest. While I do not own one it sure is on my list. The other device I have considered is a leatt brace. Does anyone have knowledge or experience how that compares to the air devices now on the market?
 
The thing I like about the vest is you get to remove the back pad of your riding jacket. This gave me a great deal more comfort.

Also the vest must have a fist width of space when on so that space gives you a lot of air in the summer in a mesh jacket because it catches air. And I dont mean billowing or flapping.

Shameless plug:I have a brand new Large listed in the classifieds for about 130 dollars cheaper then you could buy one anywhere.

Helite has redone the Turtle and now it is the Turtle II. It was cut for better fit and reflective materials were rearranged. As far as I know no operational changes were made. I will say the Turtle II is a better fit then the original in that it seems to be a bit slimmer in overall size.

And while I gave 660 bucks for mine I consider it as important as a helmet. Actually, more so now as it will isolate and contain you head, neck, back/spine, pelvic area and hips. There just is no other safety device out there that does what a vest will do. And they do burn your eyeballs out looking at them as they are really florescent yellow.

Since when this happened a vest was not available. So this happened in 2010 and I did not get to ride until 2012. If I would have had a vest I dont think it would have happened, and since it did this is the absolute best thing I can do to stabilize my neck and head in an accident. That is C1 and C2 your Atlas and Axis that are screwed together.

my+neck.jpg

What he said, I ride with my turtle 2 hi viz vest. The life I save may be my own. :thumb

Mine cost 600.00 delivered. If I wear it for 3 years, it's cost me .54 cents a day to own it. I spend 5.00 a day on coffee. The vest is actually cheap insurance when the numbers are run.
 
as long as this has morphed into injury protection via turtle from pure injury- any pointers on sizing? by their chart I'm XL but comments here and elsewhere indicate a Large is good for a 5'9' 180lb guy with a 42" chest (nekkid) wearing a roadcrafter (or foxcreek leather or Olympia or Rokker denim overshirt...thoughts? is the 2 cut differently enough I should go strictly by their chart
 
as long as this has morphed into injury protection via turtle from pure injury- any pointers on sizing? by their chart I'm XL but comments here and elsewhere indicate a Large is good for a 5'9' 180lb guy with a 42" chest (nekkid) wearing a roadcrafter (or foxcreek leather or Olympia or Rokker denim overshirt...thoughts? is the 2 cut differently enough I should go strictly by their chart

I was told a large would fit me by their rep. I'm also 5'9" 180#'s. I had to adjust the buckles to about 1/2" longer to get that "fist" room they want you to have on the vest. The xl would have been way too big, the rep called it correctly. PM for direct contact number to the rep in Ca. if you're decide one is in your future.
 
as long as this has morphed into injury protection via turtle from pure injury- any pointers on sizing? by their chart I'm XL but comments here and elsewhere indicate a Large is good for a 5'9' 180lb guy with a 42" chest (nekkid) wearing a roadcrafter (or foxcreek leather or Olympia or Rokker denim overshirt...thoughts? is the 2 cut differently enough I should go strictly by their chart

don't go by their chart..you will end up with one that is too big. when i did it said XL. way too big. traded back for L. perfect (6' 185lb, wear over rukka winter and summer jackets on street and leather suit with "hump" on track).

many moto shops and bike dealers carry them. find local supplier and try them on if you are uncertain on sizing.
 
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