Dress for the fall, not for the ride...a compelling perspective

[scubasimon]

*** updated with follow up article, scroll down to read. go to my blog for video and photo links if they do not show up properly ***

 

Now I have read a lot about this topic in the many forums on the internet, including the many posts in SBF. I am reproducing a short article I had just written on my blog here as a new thread as I think this perspective is necessary for all riders...especially new ones.

 

I will leave it to the moderators to decide if this should be shifted into an existing post. I am hoping a fresh thread will make it more prominent and have more people read it...and hopefully make more informed decisions.

 

This is a reproduction of my blog as I am not allowed to post the link. For the original (plus links), please go to my blog.

 

*** Start of article ***

 

I wonder why it is taking me so long to complete this post. I mean, I am a firm believer in being well protected when riding a motorcycle, and I believe that every rider should be educated on why this is important so that they can make the right decision about protecting themselves while riding. Still, there is a certain amount of inertia in me that is causing this post to stall mid-stream. I started this on 12 February 2010 (that was six days ago), edited it numerous times but just never gotten pass the second paragraph! But I digress…so let me get back onto the topic on hand.

 

Take a good look around you the next time you are out on the streets and notice how the motorcycle riders are dressed. My bet is that you will see riders in open-face helmets, T-shirts, shorts, jeans, shirts, skirts, slippers, sandles, sneakers and basketball shoes. Now and then you will catch a glimpse of a rider in a full face helmet…and even more rarely, one in a riding jacket….and WAY more rarely (maybe after two blue moons)…a rider in full riding jacket, pants, boots and gloves.

 

When I was a younger lad…”several” years ago (hahaha!), I thought that riders who wore singlets, shorts and slippers while riding looked ridiculous…and I still do! I also thought that riders who wore full riding gear looked damn cool, although a little “yaya papaya” (see “yaya” for definition in the Dictionary of Singlish and Singapore English)…and frankly…I still (kinda) do. Ever since I started my riding classes and reading up about the different aspects of riding (including falling off the bike, getting hit by a moving vehicle, sliding on the road, hitting fixed obstacles on the roads at speed), I started to think differently about that second type of riders.

 

In my own research, I have found that when a rider falls off a motorcycle and dies, the biggest cause of death is a head injury…which explains the helmet. What most people miss is that even when wearing a helmet certified to the standards of the DOT, Snell, ECE and PSB, the riders face and jaw remains unprotected if the helmet was of the open-face design. I mean, I would not want to survive a motorcycle accident just so I can have somebody feed me a liquid diet the rest of my life because my jaw is completely smashed!

 

Now imagine yourself on a bike and falling because of a skid. What happens? The tires lose traction (normally in a corner) and the tires start to skid ahead of the bike. So if you were turning left, the bike would fall to the left side. Now a bike (even a really light one) weighs in at 100kg! Imagine that weight pressing on your left leg which is now sliding along the tarmac going at…a relatively slow speed of 50kph. Sure, you won’t be sliding a long distance…but that short slide is bound to cause some serious damage. Those of you who have fallen off a bicycle while wearing jeans will remember that even though you had your jeans on (and some jeans are pretty tough), you STILL had some serious abrasions or road rash! Now double that speed and quadruple the weight on your leg and I don’t have to tell you how much MORE pain you will be in.

 

Next, imagine you are falling…what would be your first reaction? Brace yourself? Exactly!!! You would be extending your arms and using your hands to brace your fall. I sure hope you are wearing some heavy duty gloves because even a paper cut on the fingers are damn painful. Imagine crushing your bare hands and knuckles onto the rough asphalt at 50kph with your weight PLUS the weight of the bike on your hands…YIKES!

 

And what happens when you try to brace yourself with all that weight on you? Your hands, elbows and shoulders get smashed onto the ground as you slide…and if you were wearing a hip looking T-shirt from Armani Express (substitute some other hip brands as you prefer)…you can look forward to some serious “bak kua” (or road rash)on your arms, probably your torso, back and chest too. While all this is happening, guess what is happening to your toes, feet and ankles if you were wearing slippers, or sandles, or sneakers? I seriously do not want to go there.

 

It is VERY clear that riding a motorcycle ISN’T the same as driving a car. It is many times more dangerous…especially because riders only have two wheels for traction…AND…are also at the mercy of almost all other road users…pedestrians and animals included…seriously! This picture is getting to be pretty grim and I was almost discouraged to the point of not wanting to ride a bike. However, a part of me wanted to find out if there was a way to ride a motorcycle and drastically improve my survival rate in the event of a fall. Thankfully, there was! The solution has two essential parts: Dress for the fall, not for the ride and to wear All the gear, all the time. Going with only one part is to envelope yourself into a false sense of security which will shatter eventually.

 

This begs the question: If the solution was so obvious (and it definitely is obvious), why do so many people choose not to protect themselves all the time? Well, riders all over the world have similar reasons (or excuses if you prefer). It is too hot, too tight, too flashy, too expensive, too inconvenient…or they say they have skill to prevent the situation in the first place, that they won’t skid, won’t be hit by a drink driver, won’t hit an animal, won’t have the bike seize up suddenly…or they say they are only riding to the shop across the street, down the block, just a short distance…and so on.

 

Now I cannot say these reasons are invalid because the best protection obviously cost extra and can be expensive. The best protection tends to be thick to prevent the material from tearing from friction, snug fitting to ensure the armour stays in place to protect the joints, restrictive to ensure your ankles and knucles are well protected from unnecessary twists and sprains…and obviously…inconvenient because all this adds bulk and storage is a problem that requires the powers of cloud computing to solve. Still, one needs to know that falling is not an option. It is not an “IF”…it is a “WHEN”. A rider needs to make the decision on personal protection based on the eventual and inevitable fall…and on whatever is “good enough” for that situation.

 

What is good enough for me and what is out there? How can we tackle the problem of storage, discomfort and heat? Well…that is the topic for another post.

 

My motorcycle personal protection choices

 

I wrote a few days ago to share my perspective on personal protection gear for motorcycle riding and I will start this article by reiterating that when you decide to ride a motorcycle, you are (intentionally or otherwise) subjecting yourself to the inevitable fall. It is not an “IF”, rather it is a “WHEN”. Somebody commented that “you do not plan an accident” and I cannot agree more. Sure, you can plan your riding route, maintain your bike so it is in tip top condition, hone your riding skills so you can execute every evasive maneuver known to man at a split second to mitigate many different accident scenarios. However, you can never cover all the bases and you never know when what scenario will play out. So why take that risk? Well…that is a question only you can answer.

 

This article is meant for people who want to take motorcycle safety seriously. So read on if you are interested to hear what I feel about the state of personal protection gear today (February 2010) and what some of the real world compromises are…and the choices that I made regarding my own gear…and why. Your choices will most likely differ from mine but hopefully you will give the same considerations before making your decision…thereby making your ride consciously safer.

 

The riding environment

 

Everybody has a different preference when it comes to riding. Some ride for the commute, others for the thrill of speed on a circuit, yet others on the rugged trails. Whichever way you swing, chances are you will ride on the public roads at some point above 50kph. It was clear to me that I would need protection mainly from street riding where accidents can involve being hit by another moving vehicle, sliding on tarmac or gravel or sand, impacting hard cement kerbs, steel barriers, trees, traffic light poles and other common items you see on the roads. This environment is very different from a race track. Just watch a few YouTube videos on MotoGP accidents and you will notice that the most common concerns are impact from a fellow racer’s motorcycle, sliding on tarmac or gravel, and impacting tire or plastic barriers setup around the track. I think this video puts it in perspective very succinctly.

 

 

 

Protection requirements

 

It was clear to me what my protection requirements should be even without any research. However, I was confused by the sheer number of riders who opt to go without protection and started to wonder if the problem was as dire as my mind made them out to be. So I did some research and read up all the accident reports that I could find. What I found confirmed my original, instinctive, conclusion on what is required.

 

My gear would need to have the following protection requirements:

 

Protect my head, neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, wrists, hands, chest, back, waist, hips, thighs, knees, calves, ankles, feet and organs

Prevent my skin from major road rash through contacting the rough ground, be it tarmac, gravel, sand or grass

Prevent my head, bones and organs from being crushed through impact with another vehicle, the ground, and other obstacles on the roads

Prevent any part of my body from being sprained, dislocated or crushed by the weight of the bike falling onto me

Prevent my feet (including my toes), ankle and heel from getting twisted (e.g. being stuck on the bike somehow when I fall off)

Prevent my hands (including my fingers) from being twisted or cut off (e.g. being wedged between the levers and handlebars)

Comfort requirements

 

The best gear would be useless if they were uncomfortable to the point where I avoid putting them on. So I needed my gear to have the following comfort requirements:

 

Be light enough so I do not need to lift weights just to have the strength to stand up when the gear is on

Be flexible enough so I can operate the controls and execute the maneuvers while riding my bike

Be cooling enough so I do not suffer from a heat stroke in the hot and sunny afternoons

Be breathable so that sweat will still evaporate on muggy and humid days

Be fitting so there are no bulges and creases that can irritate me

Be waterproof when I need it to so I don’t get wet from the rain storms

Now these requirements are pretty generic and straightforward. However, since I had never ridden a motorcycle, I had another important requirement for my gear: testimonies. I wanted to make sure that the gear I eventually settle on is something that is tried and tested by as many people as possible. I did not want to gamble with my life when I ride so this was to be the pivotal requirement for my decision.

 

So now that my requirements were clearer, I went about doing my search for gear. I was confounded by a plethora of gear, protection philosophy, research findings and testimonies. It was a good thing that I started my search in April when I enrolled for my motorcycle course as the process took a number of months! This is what I settled on in the end.

 

Helmet

 

This turned out to be the easiest choice for me. I always wanted a helmet from one of the top manufacturers so I quickly narrowed my search. Then it came to the different styles of helmets. I knew then that I would ride both on and off road…so after some searching and trying of helmets at the various shops, I settled on a Shoei Hornet Cluster DS.

 

Shoei is one of the most respected brands when it comes to helmets and has been in this business for a very long time. This gave me the confidence that they know what they are doing and that I cannot go wrong with ANY full face helmet offered by them. What I liked about this is that it is an enduro style helmet with the peak and the extended chin bar. At the same time, it comes with a visor to protect the face when riding on the roads. The best thing I like about this though is that it is light and comfortable to wear. I feel well protected AND comfortable in this helmet.

 

Boots

 

Having decided that I would go for motorcycle boots, I wanted to go all the way and get the best possible protection for the money I was willing to spend. While I originally decided on a pair of Sidi Strada Rain boots, I finally settled on a pair of Sidi B-2 racing boots instead.

 

I always liked the Sidi brand and felt that they knew how to make a good motorcycle boot. Still, I tried on many different brands at the shops. What sealed this for me were the level of protection, the look, and most importantly, the fit. The other boots were pretty nice too…however, this one fit the most snugly on my feet. Like a helmet, a pair of boots that are too tight would be extremely uncomfortable, and a pair that is too loose will render them useless as they will come off in the event of a tumble or a wedging. I also liked the fact that the sliders and ankle protection parts are replaceable.

 

Jacket and pants

 

By far the area of protection with the most considerations. This isn’t a surprise since the jacket and pants will protect the majority of the body. There are several ares to consider when choosing the jacket and pants.

 

The material is probably the area where the greatest contention lies. I was clear that I wanted the absolute best material for tear and puncture resistance for my jacket and pants. Conventional wisdom pointed to leather as having the highest tear and puncture resistance. While this is generally (and very loosely) true, the resistance of leather will degrade over time due to wear and tear. After all, leather is an organic material that is subject to the effects of aging. Furthermore, wearing leather in the heat is asking for trouble! Some manufacturers offer perforated leather to provide some (though very minimal) air flow. However, why go through the trouble to get the best material just to weaken it with holes? The only meaningful choice then would be a material that offers good tear resistance AND a reasonable amount of air flow. Enter Cordura and its many variants. Now I have read many articles about this material and how effective it can be when it comes to resisting tears and punctures. I chose to believe that only 500 denier Cordura will stand the test for the purpose of motorcycle riding. So I went about looking for a jacket with that spec…or better.

 

Then I read about how hot it would be if I was sliding on the roads after falling off a bike. Remember that road rash picture? Well, apparently the heat generated by the friction that causes the rash (even through jeans) is so high that it can melt some materials! I realized then that many jackets available today are coated on the inside with PolyUrethane. While the coating gives the material a nice feel and makes it wear better, it can (and will) melt in a slide. There were several accounts where bikers wearing such jackets had the PU coating melted onto their road rash…and those had to be vacuum sucked out before anyone can tend to their wounds. OUCH!!! So I narrowed my search to jackets and pants that are made with 500D Cordura (or similar) material without a PU coating.

 

Of course, any jacket will need to have armour in all the right places, that will STAY at these places in the event of a fall. This means the jacket and pants must fit me perfectly. I mean, I can imagine if I had sleeves that were too loose, my elbow armour (which should be on the outside of the elbow) could end up on the inside due to the forces on the sleeve when sliding…thereby rendering them pretty much useless. I was disappointed to find that many jackets available commercially did not fit me all that well. Maybe I am oddly sized but if the chest was just nice, the sleeve would be too long. If the sleeves were just right, the chest would be way too tight. Pants were even worse!

 

Now there is also much debate around hard versus soft armour. I read them all with interest and chose to go with armour that would absorb impact. So I chose to go with soft but very sturdy armour. What was more important to me were reports of people who had a fall with the particular make of jacket and pants. I felt this would give me the best evidence of the effectiveness of the product.

 

I stumbled upon a small company called Cycleport (also known previously as Motoport) that made jackets and pants to measure (ensuring good fit), with impact absorbing armour, a Kevlar/Cynatec (similar to Cordura) weave material. Sounded good to me. I went through their website extensively and read up ALL the accident reports I could find on the various motorcycle forums. And I realized that they paid attention even to how the stitching were made. Apparently, if you use the wrong type of stitch for your zips, then the zips, or the stitching would fail way before the material would tear…again rendering the jacket and pants useless for protection. I was sold!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These pictures are meant to give you an idea of how the jacket and pants look like. What I liked best about this combination is that they fit together perfectly on my body. The jacket zips onto the pants so they function like a full suit. There is no rise of the jacket rising up the torso…which means no protection! The rain liner is removable and takes just a few minutes to put on when it rains halfway during a ride. So all is good and dandy for me. The material is thick and tough…and most importantly…light and breezy.

 

 

 

Gloves

 

My choice of gloves was simplified because this same company offered a pair of gloves made from the same tough Kevlar material on top of the usual hard knuckle protective armour, additional thick padding on the palms and some fingers (top and bottom). I decided to go with a full glove so that I am completely protected in the event of a fall.

 

 

 

That is all…or is it?

 

So now you know what I chose for my personal protection gear and why I chose them. I am sure you will have a different set of priorities…and may choose to go with a different protection philosophy when it comes to choice of material and armour. Still…any protection is better than no protection. So go with what is right for you.

 

Many people also told me that wearing protection gear is great…but inconvenient. Where would you store all of this when you go shopping, dining or movies? Well…of course it is inconvenient. The REAL question is….would you rather have some inconvenience and be able to ride safely…or get into a situation where you can no longer ride due to an injury that could have been prevented by proper gear? Only you can answer that question. If you do choose to get gear…how do we deal with these everyday inconveniences? Now THAT is a topic for another post.

Edited February 20, 2010 by scubasimon

[xXxRatedxXx]

I fell once on a cub (not my bike)... was wearing trousers and heavy duty work boots.... Self skidded over a puddle of water.... Entire bike landed on my foot and ankle... escaped with a strained back only.... leg was completely fine!

[scubasimon]

@xXxRatedxXx: that is good fortune indeed

[xXxRatedxXx]

Good gear saved my leg! But the cub isn't very heavy either la...

[sibingai]

interesting write up.

 

well bro u've got all ur thoughts correct. i have to agree with u .

after countless of crashes and skids(which now i have world map all over my thigh and arms)

 

yes, i do bring in apparels frm SRS and yes i do have all the necessary protective mesh jacket ,chest protectors and race suits and full face helmet..

 

but sadly,i only use it during my track time or my time up north.

 

i believe, the way to go is to suit up. even thou it does not save u frm death, it will somehow minimize the risk when in a fall,skids or crash.

 

come lets try to make this Suit up,Ride up a culture!!

 

ride safe peeps!

[bernardk]

Just this festive season on saturday midnight. Went to a temple beside my flat for prayer. Then when we were leaving... my wife ask me. Aiyah so near only no need to wear glove la huh. I no need to say much and i just ask her, wat makes you so CONFIDENT that i wont fall with that distance? I myself also not sure wat might happen...

 

She lan lan wear the glove. Well its for her own good seriously.

 

I had a very bad fall with my brother and i regret i didnt wear glove that day cos i tot i was the pillion so wat can go wrong since my bro has more than 10 years riding experience. And i was wrong totally. One sentence for sure... YOU DUN PLAN AN ACCIDENT.....

 

As such i break my fall using my full palm to stop my spinning rolling. I skidded fully with my palm for a full 10 meters. Fantastic thing is that i escape without any broken bones. I had a very bad abrasion on my full palm and knees only...

 

I didnt wear any gear but just the minimun jeans and covered shoes and a flip face helmet. Funny thing is that my jeans and Polo tees and shoes and helmet are in great shape. But the road rash under the jeans on my knees is killing me and let alone the palm.

 

As for my brother, sandals and open face. End up helmet visor smashed up badly, sandals useless and toes all abrasions. Let alone the arms and palm. Worst thing is that he had crushed ribs into 7 pieces and back spacular (chicken wing, cos i dunno how to spell).

 

So end of the post i shall say. YOU CANT PLAN AN ACCIDENT... Be prepared at least the minimal. But falling more gives you more experience.

 

Like for me i guess i might be lucky to break my roll. As i knw once you start to roll you dunno where you are going, you might hit a lamp post or barrier or worst other cars. Thus knw where you are falling and try to minimize the injury if you were to go down. Every damn thing happens in split seconds but all these split seconds are worth every bones and skin you have. Thus dun be too relax when you fall. THINK where you wanna fall.

[ckoonyin]

i agree with you.

 

But seems at most riders will go for Full Face helmet, Armoured jackets and gloves with knuckle protectors.

 

As for the lower body, at most would be jeans.

 

I have yet to see anyone wear knee and shin protectors.

 

Would be a good alternative?

[xXxRatedxXx]

We must balance la.... practicality and protection. Can't be wearing every single thing to go for a ride to the coffeshop 100m away? Calculate risk in relation to location and length of journey and other factors...

[Constructicon]

Statistics do not lie.

Every year, bikers always made up the a vast part of the dead/ injured pie chart.

 

Well, for every reason to wear at least something that provides basic protection, there will be another excuse not to.

 

But 1 puzzling question is why some bikers wear full face and gear up while touring, and half face and shorts locally.

I mean, u dressed for the part when touring, which is like 5% of your biking time. Then 95% of the time in Sg, wear a crap helmet w/o gears. Baffling.

[darkhorse2009]

Just wish to ask if FF very uncomfortable as it always cover your mouth ? ( That the reason i wearing a OF helmet )

[JackOHJack]

just wanna say open face is very uncomfortable as it always does not cover my mouth. (that's the reason why i wearing ff)

 

 

paradigm shift.

[JackOHJack]

anyw, whilst we are at this topic, how many "open face riders" actually do come in here to view this AT ALL?

 

Are we reaching anyone except riders who ald think so?

 

one look at the title "OMG, another one of those 'come, join us in wearing ff!' threads...".. wonder if they'll come in...

 

 

 

 

 

if driving institutes do bring in safety gears at large quantity, will they be able to bring the safety gears' costs down considerably?

 

imagine upon getting license first thing is "u wanna buy safety gear? 70% off! go downstairs to buy NOW!"

 

wow. wun be too long to see sg filled with riders geared up in a better sense.

[bernardk]

i agree with you.

 

But seems at most riders will go for Full Face helmet, Armoured jackets and gloves with knuckle protectors.

 

As for the lower body, at most would be jeans.

 

I have yet to see anyone wear knee and shin protectors.

 

Would be a good alternative?

 

I bought a jeans with CE protection and also drag cavalar for riding. But in local riding i just wear it without the CE protection.

 

Just wish to ask if FF very uncomfortable as it always cover your mouth ? ( That the reason i wearing a OF helmet )

 

I wear Flip Face and you ask me to change to open face i will say NO NO... its a matter of getting used to. And now i can ride without a glove and also a buff. More to add.... Now i can leave my bike without a canvas... zzzzzzzzzzz

[scubasimon]

It would be cool if all new riders who come and surf SBF get to read about this and make informed decisions. The over time, the awareness will grow

[karmatrix]

Wasted that I did not have a photo of my past injury where I crash head on with a incoming vehicle turning right wearing a open face, lost 7 teeth on the spot and a huge chunk of my gums..cost me $20k to do the restoration and implants...it's a grimy thing but people tend not to think of the bad stuff..

 

Between the hot weather and or adequte protection, it's just a personal choice. Just like riding a bike itself is a choice, just don't have any regrets.

[scubasimon]

@karmatrix: ouch!! just reading what you wrote made me cringe. Hope its all in the past.

[prettymussel]

Just wish to ask if FF very uncomfortable as it always cover your mouth ? ( That the reason i wearing a OF helmet )

 

just wanna say open face is very uncomfortable as it always does not cover my mouth. (that's the reason why i wearing ff)

paradigm shift.

 

i used to wear OF for 4 yrs with my phantom n s4 back then.

recently switched to a FF when i got my new bike.

and whenever (once in a while) i wore the OF, i felt very naked, vulnerable and uncomfortable.

since then, have decided never to wear an OF again.

 

bought a FF for my gf as well.

both our OFs are condemned to collect dust in the storeroom already.

 

if driving institutes do bring in safety gears at large quantity, will they be able to bring the safety gears' costs down considerably?

 

imagine upon getting license first thing is "u wanna buy safety gear? 70% off! go downstairs to buy NOW!"

 

wow. wun be too long to see sg filled with riders geared up in a better sense.

 

GOOD IDEA! seriously, price is a super big consideration too, apart from the stifling weather.

[sh3rman]

my ff during my recent crash.

the dmg is 90% at jaw area.

even though nt very clear

and dmg seems to be on the visor.

[Silent Hunter]

Statistics do not lie.

Every year, bikers always made up the a vast part of the dead/ injured pie chart.

 

Well, for every reason to wear at least something that provides basic protection, there will be another excuse not to.

 

But 1 puzzling question is why some bikers wear full face and gear up while touring, and half face and shorts locally.

I mean, u dressed for the part when touring, which is like 5% of your biking time. Then 95% of the time in Sg, wear a crap helmet w/o gears. Baffling.

 

Because touring higher speed, and far from hospital in a foreign land.

Local is near home, anything happen, Singapore so small can quickly get to hospital.

 

So the brain automatically equal it to safer.

[darkhorse2009]

Well, i am one who is being influenced by the posts to consider to buy a FF. My consideration now is cost and comfort factors.

 

I do not know buying a FF can protect you so much more.

 

Becoz school never teach that as we all wear open face ma in school and most FF people i see ride sports bikes so i really thought that FF is only for racers.

 

Can anyone recommend which good FF helmet to get for below $200? Or should i go to JB to get a cheaper FF ?

 

anyw, whilst we are at this topic, how many "open face riders" actually do come in here to view this AT ALL?

 

Are we reaching anyone except riders who ald think so?

 

one look at the title "OMG, another one of those 'come, join us in wearing ff!' threads...".. wonder if they'll come in...

 

 

 

[prettymussel]

Well, i am one who is being influenced by the posts to consider to buy a FF. My consideration now is cost and comfort factors.

 

I do not know buying a FF can protect you so much more.

 

Becoz school never teach that as we all wear open face ma in school and most FF people i see ride sports bikes so i really thought that FF is only for racers.

 

Can anyone recommend which good FF helmet to get for below $200? Or should i go to JB to get a cheaper FF ?

 

i think motoworld got a promotion now, trade in any helmet to get $50 off their HJC FF helmet, selected models only.

 

go take a look, u might find one for $200 +/-..

[Stoned]

Well, i am one who is being influenced by the posts to consider to buy a FF. My consideration now is cost and comfort factors.

 

I do not know buying a FF can protect you so much more.

 

Becoz school never teach that as we all wear open face ma in school and most FF people i see ride sports bikes so i really thought that FF is only for racers.

 

Can anyone recommend which good FF helmet to get for below $200? Or should i go to JB to get a cheaper FF ?

 

Seems like JAD global has some models of a brand called Tanked. Personally I'm not familiar with it but they claim on their website jadglobal.com.sg that it's Snell and Dot approved.

 

The price is certainly cheap at less than $200.

[ephroman]

wow im glad to know theres quite a number of bikers who have the same level of safety mindset as i do!

but theres still much more to do to promote awareness of importance of riding gear.

 

personally I'm a firm believer of gearing up (minimum FF, jacket with pads, jeans and shoes). after interacting with aus bikers like my cousin, i've realised that they never ride with anything less than the above mentioned gear. in fact they never ride without full leathers but obviously thats not applicable to s'pore but theres always alternatives like mesh jackets with armour and also denim. So actually we have no excuse not to gear up! infact some of my friends commented that the komine riding jacket that i always wear looks good cause the shoulder and back armour makes your body more 'kong'! and personally it takes getting used to the feeling but its our mindset that needs changing.

 

its the same case like my army camp last time. previously when we training outfield, during meals or breaks we can put SBO and just carry our weapon around go eat or smoke but then suddenly CO ordered minimum must wear SBO and carry weapon. then everybody dam DL and whine why so lehceh but the unit want to wayang so LLST. initially everyone dam sian when want to go do business also must carry SBO along but after time just got used to it and it became 2nd nature so im sure it'll be the same for this.

 

and just to share with you guys..this link was in some thread before...so before you commit to a FF maybe you wanna check this website first for useful info..its some UK safety rating thing and it awards a certain number of stars in accordance to helmet safety. similar to the euro NCAP for cars. may not have all models but theres quite a range.

 

http://sharp.direct.gov.uk/search/

 

However I've yet to find the perfect gloves for everyday use though. offroad gloves provide minimal protection during a fall but its way more comfortable and easier to slip on/off. Full leather/thick gloves with knuckle protectors are a good safety measure but they cause a lack of feel of the throttle hence it may instead be detrimental to safety.

 

And lastly can someone enlighten me on why is arai ram3 or shoei jforce so popular? i honestly am curious as to how an open face helmet can cost in excess of $500? and if anything should occur that $500 bucks cant save your chin...or can it?

pls do share...

Edited February 18, 2010 by ephroman
due to typo

[CSV]

hmm, anyone here tried using airbag jackets?

 

in my opinion, the only helmet worthy of wearing are Full faced or flip ups, the other types just dont provide protection enough.

[kianSV]

However I've yet to find the perfect gloves for everyday use though. offroad gloves provide minimal protection during a fall but its way more comfortable and easier to slip on/off. Full leather/thick gloves with knuckle protectors are a good safety measure but they cause a lack of feel of the throttle hence it may instead be detrimental to safety.

 

And lastly can someone enlighten me on why is arai ram3 or shoei jforce so popular? i honestly am curious as to how an open face helmet can cost in excess of $500? and if anything should occur that $500 bucks cant save your chin...or can it?

pls do share...

 

re: gloves

try the mesh ones. they are thin enough to still feel the throttle, while still providing minimal protection.

 

re: shoei arai

u are buying it for the brand, material quality and the technology/testing that went into manufacturing the helmets. as you pointed out, open face still open face no matter how ex it is.