Would you wear a yellow jacket?

[rjo3491]

OK, so it's time for a new jacket and I'm shopping around. Being 50 (and having teenagers at home.....all girls.... pray for me, I know I'm just a hopeless dork so I figure, "why not get a yellow jacket" - chances are, it HAS to reduce my odds of getting killed at least a little.

I offered up a picture of a prime candidate to my wife who commented, "I wouldn't wear that - you can if you want". Oh, and did I mention that I work in a power plant (just like Homer Simpson) with a bunch of big, fat, hairy, mean Harley guys (and all the bikes park in the same area, so I'm bound to cross paths with one of them on the way in or out in my yellow safety man suit).

The question at hand is, what does the FZ6 Forum Community think of pushing safety to the far end of the dork scale. Would anyone else consider this...

Your opinions will be greatly appreciated - especially you older guys with nothing to lose....or gain.

 

[Ghost Weim]

Heck yes! :rockon:

Actually - was thinking my next jacket was going to be yellow!!! Thumbs up for high vis!

 

[bcityroller]

My jackets and helmet are all mostly bright red - chosen for hopefully good visibility while still being aesthetically pleasing. I'm not willing to go for any of the specifically hi-viz jackets, they're just too much for me and any of the yellow I've seen is about the same. Just my 0.02 (but I wouldn't make fun of someone who did)

 

[bcityroller]

Sorry - double post

 

[Caladin]

A yellow jacket helps a lot. One of the best passive things you can do for safety. I wore a Icon yellow vest prior to this jacket. That is also a good way to go. But it only works if you wear it everyday.... so you may as well just get a yellow jacket.

My jacket is a Teknic Freeway. It actually gets many compliments. My only criticism is that it is lacking in reflective pieces. But you could always add some if wanted.

 

[Botch]

When I first started riding three years ago any Tall-size jackets came in many colors, as long as it was black, so I soon owned a heavy black winter and a light black-n-silver summer jacket.
The US Air Force bureaucracies being what they are, some *&$^% decided all motorcyclists on base had to wear brightly-colored stuff. I bought a 2" wide yellow belt that was sufficient (it even had batteries and lights up at night, I still use it for night riding), but a couple months later the bureaucrats decided that wasn't enough, I had to wear a full orange vest (which is actually less visible and also rides up over your head at highway speed).
I finally got fed up with the extra crap and popped for two more coats, both obnoxious nuclear yellow (about half the companies make them in Talls now, w00t!). I like them, and while I haven't kept conscious score it seems I've had a lot less near-misses, especially the left-hand turn folks. :thumbup:
I sometimes get a little crap, it's usually good-natured and I think half the guys are actually jealous that someone my age (I'm 50 also) is riding a sport bike. Plus, at 50 I don't much care what other people think anymore.

The first time you pull up behind a ginormous truck with a 2'-tall chrome bumper, you will see firsthand just how much that nuclear yellow makes you stand out! :thumbup:

 

[Dennis in NH]

Only if it looked cool with black on it. I've a Shift jacket with yellow/black -- I don't wear it much anymore as it's just a basic jacket.

I don't go for the dorky stuff even if it's super visible -- it just looks dorky and I like it when young hot chicks wave at me because I look cool (or because they think I'm someone else).

These days, you can get cool jackets with reflective piping to help on the visibility. Plus, there are other ways to make yourself more visible than dorky riding gear.

Either way, it's your jacket and if you're cool with it, that's all that really matters. It may look dorky but we all know why you wear it and respect your keen sense of safety.

Dennis

 

[RJ2112]

This is my perforated leather MotoGP jacket, with CE armor at the elbow, shoulders and padded spine. I'm 49. Bald, a bit of a middle age 'spread', and well past the point where I concern myself with what other people think of what I look like.

This is my 3 season jacket..... an 8 year old Teknics textile jacket.... when I bought that one, I was more concerned about looking too much like a power ranger, and it was the most subdued textile I could find.

 

[Botch]

Caladin: Tetons?

(I also think a yellow jacket looks great with both red and blue FZ's...)

 

[aussiejules]

yes deinately my textile jacket is a yellow r-jays, my helmet is yellow and my honda was yellow.

 

[Kazza]

Well, if yellow is a good enough colour for Rossi.........

 

[FZ1inNH]

I wear this one on my blue FZ1. FirstGear TPG Rainier which was on closeout. I had posted the sale here at that time.

 

[lytehouse]

Olympia makes some really nice gear....

Olympia Moto Sports - Home Page

and I would wear yellow! :rockon:

 

[Norbert]

Hi viz saves lives.

This study was done in New Zealand:

Conclusions: Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death.

Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury: case-control study -- Wells et al. 328 (7444): 857 -- BMJ

 

[buccs40oz]

i was thinking about this one. it's not a riding jacket but looks cool

ANSI Class 3 Racing Jacket - X-Large - Mfg# RJ53XL

 

[VEGASRIDER]

I'm leaning towards the Motoport Kevlar Shirt in yellow. They call it a shirt, but it's more like an air mesh jacket made out of Kevlar, comes with full quad armour. Very expensive, last I checked, it was going to run around $600!

Once again, one time purchase as it's guaranteed as long as you own it.

One of our Rider Coaches rides a BMW and she has a yellow jacket. Good grief, I can see her come miles away! I have to say it's deinately an attention getter which made me start to think yellow.

 

[Norbert]

Either way, it's your jacket and if you're cool with it, that's all that really matters. It may look dorky but we all know why you wear it and respect your keen sense of safety.

Dennis

Thx Dennis. You made me feel better about my super geeky hi viz vest. I even put some Reflexite SOLAS tape on my Arai helmet.
This is me:

Sometimes, on group rides, people ask wtf am I doing. They can't believe why I'd ruin the design on my helmet with highly reflective tape or wear such an ugly vest. I just make a joke about looking like Sponge Bob Squarepants. They think I'm a loser, but I don't care.

BTW, this is why I wear hi viz:

 

[craig007]

I've got the bright yellow Olympia AST and the grey and yellow Olympia GT air. I notice that people give me more room when I where yellow vs a black jacket that I also have. The way I look at it....the FZ6 is soooo cool, I can afford to lose some coolness so:

FZ6 +100
tall wind screen -10
givi top case -10
high vis jacket -20
white helmet -10

hey I'm still +50 on the coolness scale

 

[bcityroller]

Hi viz saves lives.

This study was done in New Zealand:

Conclusions: Low conspicuity may increase the risk of motorcycle crash related injury. Increasing the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing, white or light coloured helmets, and daytime headlights are simple, cheap interventions that could considerably reduce motorcycle crash related injury and death.

Motorcycle rider conspicuity and crash related injury: case-control study -- Wells et al. 328 (7444): 857 -- BMJ

Interesting article - I'm confused that the results listed the use of reflective or fluorescent clothing reducing risk but colo(u)r of clothing and motorcycle showed no correlation to rates. Seems to imply that a black jacket with reflective piping is equally as good as a yellow jacket with reflective piping which isn't intuitive.

 

[Andyjo]

I have a neon yellow vest with reflective stuff on it (just like the icon one), wear it every morning for my commute, it's great! people actually SEE you! It's crazy, sometimes they even move out of the way!