The No Gear Good Old Days!

[cjack]

Anybody remember when you could just head out to the garage, put on the helmet and ride to the store or where ever? Now we have to spend 20 minutes putting on the boots, the riding pants with the armor and 20 zippers, the jacket with the back protector, shoulder armor, elbows to down the arms, and 22 zippers. All the latest D30 or whatever it's called that I upgraded to when my whatever armor was last year's armor.
Of course I don't have to wear all this, but I must, as a member of the BMW Armadillo species.
Anybody remember those carefree days? I feel naked now when I consider riding in Levis...

 

[akbeemer]

I remember; I have the road-rash scars to remind me. Ah, the blissful ignorance of youth.

 

[patm]

A friend of mine crashed this morning. He's ok, not a scratch because he was ATGATT. Only his pride was injured.
Damage is limited to his gear.

Yeah, I remember the old days.

 

[markaz]

Me too. And I have burn scars on my legs from touching the exhaust pipe while riding wearing shorts to remind me.

 

[saddleman]

I've been wearing full gear since I started riding in 1970. It takes me all of 4 minutes to put it all on.

 

[shakeybone]

Helmet? We do need no stinking helmet.
I remember riding from NH, no helmet law, to MA and pulling over at the border to remove or put on a helmet.

 

[BMARC153920]

When I think back to what I rode, how I rode and what I (didn't) wear back in my youth I am amazed that I'm still around. My first helmet was from K-Mart and it had a seam down the center....yeah I'm sure it was safe.

The luck and ignorance of youth. I remember when I purchased my first set of real riding gear for the purpose of crash protection and not just weather protection.

Gear, much like wearing a seatbelt in a car is an automatic for me now, and I just cannot ride without it. Even when dirt riding I need a minimum of gear on...different gear of course.

Of all the evils of the internet, for me, the development of forums like this changed my riding both in so far as people, destinations and quality as well as educating me on gear way back when.

I was gearing up to ride home from a meeting yesterday and a young kid came over to chat. He was picking up his first bike that evening, a small 600cc cruiser and was amazed over my gear.

He couldn't believe in the near 90 degree temps I was putting on pants, jacket, boots, gloves AND and airbag vest. Asked soooooo many questions about why, and I gladly took the time to explain the purpose of each bit.

As I stood there overheating, I began to question it myself!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

 

[greenwald]

Helmet? We do need no stinking helmet.
I remember riding from NH, no helmet law, to MA and pulling over at the border to remove or put on a helmet.

A temporary (I promise) hijacking of the thread, but your reference to "border" did not escape my attention.

Those from New Hampshire do not recognize a 'state line' between themselves and those "dang Puritans to the south (MA)" - Earl, a NH native. Instead, they are the only state with 'borders' rather than 'state lines,' as posted by their DOT, and proud of it.

An extensive touring article I authored (to be published later this year in WING WORLD, the Honda Gold Wing magazine) mentions my run-in with a proud NH native (Earl) who took time to educate me on this nuance.

Beautiful scenery - interesting people - ahh....., New Hampshire.

Back to ATGATT.

 

[greenwald]

When I think back to what I rode, how I rode and what I (didn't) wear back in my youth I am amazed that I'm still around. My first helmet was from K-Mart and it had a seam down the center....yeah I'm sure it was safe.

The luck and ignorance of youth. I remember when I purchased my first set of real riding gear for the purpose of crash protection and not just weather protection.

Gear, much like wearing a seatbelt in a car is an automatic for me now, and I just cannot ride without it. Even when dirt riding I need a minimum of gear on...different gear of course.

Of all the evils of the internet, for me, the development of forums like this changed my riding both in so far as people, destinations and quality as well as educating me on gear way back when.

I was gearing up to ride home from a meeting yesterday and a young kid came over to chat. He was picking up his first bike that evening, a small 600cc cruiser and was amazed over my gear.

He couldn't believe in the near 90 degree temps I was putting on pants, jacket, boots, gloves AND and airbag vest. Asked soooooo many questions about why, and I gladly took the time to explain the purpose of each bit.

As I stood there overheating, I began to question it myself!

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk

I wear a HELITE Air Bag vest myself - best safety investment I made, next to my full-face helmet!

While I do not over-relax behind all that personal protective gear, as if I'm now some invincible Road-Knight, I'd feel vulnerable without it. Don't miss the ignorance of my early riding years.

 

[mika]

Anybody remember when you could just head out to the garage, put on the helmet and ride to the store or where ever? Now we have to spend 20 minutes putting on the boots, the riding pants with the armor and 20 zippers, the jacket with the back protector, shoulder armor, elbows to down the arms, and 22 zippers. ...SNIPPED ...

Yes,yes I do. I am a MGATT guy. ..Often I wear jeans and just use the snaps on my ridding jacket. ..please don't tell anyone,

 

[patiodadio]

Ah yes, I remember it well. In 1972 when i was 16 and started street riding, I was the safety nut back then because I wore a helmet and jacket.
Just had a conversation / argument with a guy who rides that famous American brand. He insisted full face helmets are dangerous and will break your neck in a heartbeat. He also insisted loud pipes save lives. I finally told him its just a personal choice. I choose AGATT and he doesn't. Its all good....

 

[AKsuited]

If I'm only going to the grocery store, a mile away, I will always wear helmet, gloves, jacket. I'm full gear for trips more than a couple of miles.

These guys aren't ATGATT:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6tEPIcmtOO4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Harry

 

[akbeemer]

These guys aren't ATGATT:

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6tEPIcmtOO4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Harry

As my mom used to say, "And if they jumped off a bridge, would you do it too."

 

[gfspencer]

I started riding in the 70's. I had a 250cc Kawasaki 2-stroke. I had a good (for the time) helmet but the rest of the gear wasn't easy to get back in the 70's so I made do with telephone lineman boots, a leather (not motorcycle) jacket and a leather (not motorcycle) gloves. Gear is easy to get now. I still wear it.

 

[lmo1131]

If I'm only going to the grocery store, a mile away, I will always wear helmet, gloves, jacket. I'm full gear for trips more than a couple of miles.

So far ... the worst injuries I've suffered riding motorcycles since 1968, were sustained pulling away from a gas pump when the front tire slipped on an oil puddle. The bike went down and rotated about 90° with my left knuckle as the pivot point ... and since I was "only" going down the block to get gas, it not covered with a glove ... lesson learned, lesson remembered.

 

[98lee]

The No Gear Good Old Days!

Yeah, I remember when I was invinsible and would bounce like a beach ball. Not so much at 66.

I also remember a few years ago when I went down in the twisties doing about 50 when I hit some sand. The only thing salvageable from all my gear (helmet, visor, jacket, riding pants, gloves, and boots) was my left boot, and my body! I had 5 quarter sized abrasions through the skin with no bleeding and no dirt or grit in them. Two of the abrasions were like rug burns fron the INSIDE of the jacket and pants that never wore through.

I'm a true ATGATT believer!

 

[AKsuited]

As my mom used to say, "And if they jumped off a bridge, would you do it too."

And if you had to spend much of your time either sitting still, pointing a radar gun, or standing writing tickets, would you still wear ATGATT, even when it's 95F? I doubt it.

Like I said, I wear ATGATT at highway speeds and every trip more than a mile or two, but this subject is about risk management, and the best risk management is riding skill and defensive driving skills.

Harry

 

[AKsuited]

So far ... the worst injuries I've suffered riding motorcycles since 1968, were sustained pulling away from a gas pump when the front tire slipped on an oil puddle. The bike went down and rotated about 90° with my left knuckle as the pivot point ... and since I was "only" going down the block to get gas, it not covered with a glove ... lesson learned, lesson remembered.

As I said, I always wear helmet, jacket, gloves, no exceptions, and both my pairs of gloves have excellent knuckle protection.

Harry

 

[71243]

Just like most things it seems in the world of motorcycle(ing) . Something else to argue about !

I don't get it ?

I won't state what I wear / or don't for gear, because it doesn't matter anyway....Instead I'll state that I do wear an attitude of ride what & dress how you choose, and enjoy.

The biggest inch H/D or the smallest of scooters, wearing the latest in high-tech or leather gear, on the oldest vintage , or the most advanced - tech gadget-farkled ride. Anyone on two wheels,...I consider a kindred spirit and wish them well...........just not into telling folks what to do.......

 

[greenwald]

So far ... the worst injuries I've suffered riding motorcycles since 1968, were sustained pulling away from a gas pump when the front tire slipped on an oil puddle. The bike went down and rotated about 90° with my left knuckle as the pivot point ... and since I was "only" going down the block to get gas, it not covered with a glove ... lesson learned, lesson remembered.

Good points to have made.

I went down HARD once when I grabbed a Super-Moto bike, which I had never ridden (me bad), and tried to demo a "quick stop." Wearing ATGATT - no scrapes, concussion or bruises, other than my ego.

As for "when and where you're likely to crash," I had buddies from the police department where I worked who would tell me "Kevin - may not always wear a helmet in the city, but for sure when I'm out on the highway."

They had their perceived danger totally backwards. Safest place to operate a motorcycle is on a freeway. Multiple lanes, opportunities to pass, limited access and exits, 1/2 mile visibility, radius's set up for higher speeds, etc.

Most dangerous place to operate? Intersections (as well as curves for those who either over-perform the maneuver or under-perform the maneuver- most bikers are clueless how to properly negotiate curves!).

ATGATT to the mini-mart? Every time.