Riding in Shorts????

[Gcontroller]

So summer is here and it's hot. Now I have ridden dirt bikes for a long time before I hit the street. So I know what it's like to crash. Ride dirt and you will crash period. Dress for it. Sweating is easy, growing skin back sucks.

So what do I see now that it's hot. A bunch of dummys in shorts riding street bikes. WTF?? I guess they have no Idea what will happen when or if they crash. It drives me crazy to see these fools. Drop the bike at any speed and say goodby to a lot of skin. Hey Levis don't even do much good but it's better then YOUR SKIN!!...

Get a clue shorts riders. You may be in control of your bike but your not in control of the cell phone talking, teen texting, makeup putting on, etc other drivers that don't have a clue.

Gear up sweat and keep your skin.

 

[Motogiro]

Totally agree. It's a human learning process. A while ago there was a picture of a guy on this forum that was pretty chipped up. A lot of people seemed judgemental and I felt sorry for the person because all I could see was suffering in his face. In fact I was a little dismayed that so many jumped in to judge and seemed to have little compassion. It seemed people were quick to identify this person and all it was, was a picture. Humans take a while to understand certain things but in the interim sometimes pay terrible prices and suffer pain. All you can do is try and help them understand.

Thanks for this post because it shows you have compassion. I see that as a great human attribute.

Cliff

 

[Binks33]

it is cooler to ride with pants anyway u can't feel the heat from motor as much so all in all it is better.

 

[Gcontroller]

Totally agree. It's a human learning process. A while ago there was a picture of a guy on this forum that was pretty chipped up. A lot of people seemed judgemental and I felt sorry for the person because all I could see was suffering in his face. In fact I was a little dismayed that so many jumped in to judge and seemed to have little compassion. It seemed people were quick to identify this person and all it was, was a picture. Humans take a while to understand certain things but in the interim sometimes pay terrible prices and suffer pain. All you can do is try and help them understand.

Thanks for this post because it shows you have compassion. I see that as a great human attribute.

Cliff

Thanks for the reply.

 

[scottsst]

like I have always told riders that I see in shorts or people that do not have gear at all " whats cheaper a jacket and a pair of riding pants or a skin graft "

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Believe it or not, in hot weather, you need to wear your gear so it prevents all of your sweat from evaporating. And it's your sweat, combined with the flow of air against that sweat that will keep you cool, well at least kind of.

It's the riders who wear shorts and t-shirts are the people who need to be careful from getting heat stroke or head exhaustion. They don't realize how much their sweat is just evaporating into the air.

 

[GlockDoc]

I hear ya. I see people all the time in shorts and loafers. Even saw a guy wearing shorts, no shirt, and flip-flops.

(See the pic below) I saw this guy the other day on a Busa in 5 o'clock traffic who is at least wearing pants, but jebus! At least wear a freaking helmet.

The best one I saw last week was a guy, in 5 o'clock traffic, wearing slacks and a dress shirt and he's got his left hand with his cell phone to his left ear.......... while still moving. :spank: That boy won't be with us long. Wish I had got a pic of that one.

I've actually seen two different people talk on a cell while riding. Insane!

Hell, I missed riding today because all my jeans were in the wash and I was in shorts. And like yourself, I rode dirt for years and crashed bad once at just about top speed on my KX250. Even on dirt at that speed with full gear, besides the blown knee, I had some pretty good "Road Rash" on my arms. I don't even want to think about what asphalt would do to you.

 

[LittleRed]

The worst one I ever saw- I was on a ride towards Mt. Rainier on a hot day and was pulled over at one of the scenic view spots along the way to take a drink of water and stretch my legs a bit. Then I see these two sport bikes pull up and this girl hops off the back wearing nothing but flip flops, a helmet, a fake and bake tan (she was kinda orange...) and a bikini!!! I couldn't help but think about what would happen should one of the cars going around those tight corners drift wide and force the bikes to eat pavement...

I work in a store that sells motorcycle gear, so I constantly see all varieties of people- those that swear by ATGATT and those that show up in shorts and a t-shirt... That bikini was the worst, though... *shiver*

 

[Mark85]

Personally I wouldn't do it. The worst I've done is pop to the shops in a pair of 501s instead of my leather pants, but I never do that anymore.

It winds me up when I see the kids 50cc scooters whizzing around here wearing a track suit, or shorts and t-shirt. The road underneath them is just as hard as the road underneath me, but it looks like they're going to learn the hard way.

 

[CDE]

I'm an rn in a busy emerg department and I have seem some nasty bike related accidents. Cotton pants or even jens will do nothing if your travelling over 10 mph. Gear with armor is the only way to go. I just bought a teknic aqua vent jacket and it's great in the hot weather. Lots of air flow and great elbow, spine, and shoulder protection, and only cost $150! I am guilty of wearing jeans a faair bit though. I wear boots though all the time which will protect ankle and shin in the event of a fall. I need to buy some nicer pants...

 

[staticghost]

All the gear, all the time is how it supposed to be. But too many people still don't understand of what it is to have a bike and how dangerous it can be. Too many posers out on the road that are only trying to look cool and have no common sense....:spank:....:spank:....:spank:....

 

[Hellgate]

Many years ago when I was 18 I bought my first motorcycle, a 1973 Yamaha TX500. I paid $350 bucks for it and it was not worth that amount. Regardless...One fine day I washed my bike, because that was about the only thing it could do well and I fired her up with a succession of about 12 kicks or so. I zipped around the block to dry the motor off etc. I have no idea why. Well I was wearing shorts. Didn't crash. I save that for the track. Well as I came to a stop and lowered my feet from the footpegs my inner calf came to rest on the red hot "bat" of a chrome muffler. HOLY SH$T Bat Man! I fried my skin and to this day, about 25 years later, I still have a scar from that burn. Learned my lesson, no shorts!

 

[The Toecutter]

I was on a quick cigarette run in shorts and caught a bumble be up the leg at 60mph!!! I was standing on the pegs trying to shake it loose!! I did'nt lose my cool,but definitly learned a lesson!!!

 

[Hellgate]

I was on a quick cigarette run in shorts and caught a bumble be up the leg at 60mph!!! I was standing on the pegs trying to shake it loose!! I did'nt lose my cool,but definitly learned a lesson!!!

Ouch!

 

[jrevans]

Well, I see no problem riding wearing shorts



(as long as I'm wearing them under my Aerostich Roadcrafter suit...)



Seriously, it's crazy, but, in a land far ago back in 1985.... My dad on his goldwing and me on my 79 CB750F were down in Tennesee or some state around there on a multi-day motorcycle camping trip, and it was really hot. So, that day, I decided to wear shorts. Although I didn't wreck, I go the most wicked sunburn, but only on the outside of my legs. It was really freaky looking.

What was I thinking? My dad who is 80 now, still rides with a short sleeve shirt on. He thinks it's odd that I wear all of this gear all of the time now.

 

[ELIZABETH]

I was on a quick cigarette run in shorts and caught a bumble be up the leg at 60mph!!! I was standing on the pegs trying to shake it loose!! I did'nt lose my cool,but definitly learned a lesson!!!

What lesson...that smoking is hazardous to your health?? :rof::rof::rof:
Man, that would be a nasty bee sting!!! OUCH!

 

[REO Scorpio]

I agree with many of you that this is a lesson learned once and never needed again.

I had a buddy lowside riding the dragon's tail in Tenn. with shorts. He was probably cornering at 35 on a tight bend, nothing too crazy. He slid across the outside lane and completely through the gravel shoulder into the grass. Almost all of the skin on his right leg was absent. No broken bones or other injuries, sliders did a good job on the bike (gravel kicked some scratches here and there). Not saying Jeans or pants would have prevented any injuries, but it sure would have helped.

I learned my lesson on shorts with my first bike. One touch of the leg against the pipe as I was getting off guaranteed that I would never do it again.


I should probably get some gear for my lower half, as I am guilty of always riding in jeans. Have a joe rocket armored jacket which saved my shoulder in my accident five years ago. Any rec for leg gear/boots?

Scorp

 

[Boneman]

I just say "Skin grafts must be in this year". What's that saying; "you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink". Some people just have to learn and find things out the hard and painful way! (hence my signature quote about stupidity...for some it IS painful).

They truely funny thing is that 'they' think they look all cool and bad ass, but to anyone who knows anything about riding, they just look like idiots. Very amusing when you think about it.

For some reason seeing tard like this pisses me off and I don't really know why. I guess I just hate seeing people being so blatantly stupid I guess.

We discussed the clothing issue in our MSF class. Basically the instructor summed it up as "We will provide you with the information for you to make an imformative decision on what you want to wear. What some riders decide to wear is not what I would be comfortable wearing."

Still don't want to wear proper gear?, just ask Brittany Morrow....

Story here: Road Rash

 

[FZ1inNH]

ATGATT is the only way I ride. I don't care if it is to the store and back... MY wife is the same. She gears up to ride 1.5 miles to work every day. Some call her foolish, we call her smart.

I've been to the hospital with a rashed friend... where his helmet was scratched, they refused to give him pain killers of any type. Where his lack of gear alowed rashes, they took a nylon brush, much like you'd use to scrub a pot, and dipping it in antiseptic, proceeded to scrub his rashes clean. You want to hear a tough guy cry like a baby and scream in agony? This was it! I wore *most* gear before that day... after that day, it was ATGATT for life. I NEVER want to have to endure what he did in the ER.

My daughter even wears gear on her 49cc Yamaha C3 scooter. She likes her skin too!

 

[Soap]

Cheap gear in my eyes, is another example of "You get what you pay for" I won't buy gear with this so called CE approved armour which is just a bit of foam, proper armour is required i.e. Knox.

Yes it will protect you sliding down the road but I don't want to be the one with a shattered knee or pelvis from not having good armour.