Adding fuel to the fire? ATGATT.

It's definitely a personal choice. I too think it's stupid to not wear it, but, that's my opinion and your choice. It might make me shudder a bit to see it, but I"ll still ride with "the unprotected". I guess after crashing a scooter while wearing only shorts, a tank top and flipflops, I've felt the loooong agony of being covered in road rash. I've also crashed wrapped in leather and armor. I'll definitely take the latter if I have a choice!

It's a free country and for now at least, it's free enough for us to still make choices.

 

Yup, after seeing a dude in shorts, flip flops and a tank top with no skin left...I've always worn da gear....that image was permanently etched into my brain.
Get shit all the time at work about suiting up in 80,90,100 degree weather. ..
Just dont listen to the uneducated gagers. Had a kid a few days ago at 11:30 at night, 62 degrees out doing 72, shorts, tshirts climbing up his back....had to pass me doin 80+....I'm just dumbfounded on the ignorance.

 

But it is your business. The difference in the cost to the taxpayer...you...for the total cost of investigating a fatal motor vehicle collision, vs and injury one is nothing to laugh at. Until the dead guys estate, family, best friend or whom ever, has to pay for the cost of investigating a fatal just because someone decided it was their right not to wear protective gear, it is your business.

 

Hey its a free world, you can wear a thong for all I care..just wish there was free love again....yah baby

 

yep, they don't even bat an eyelash anymore when I zip up and head out. Funny thing was the other day I had to "split" up to a point at the local traffic light, I stopped behind a Sportster that belongs to a doode across the street, no-helmet, no gloves, not jacket, wut ever. Had the viffer that day, got out on the highway and wicked my scooter up to around 135 maybe? Its a fine line between being overly aggressive and too passive. I try to behave, what can I say. Long story short, I am not a weaver when riding or driving, I may haul arse, but when it comes time to get into my turn lane, I get in there early and just deal with the other merging traffic, (there is not a set-recipe mind you.) So, here I am in the far right lane riding fairly slow (read safe) and I saw the HD rider go by in his un-helmeted glory in the i95 insanity; I was glad I was not him, he looked vulnarable and unsafe.

Today was a splendid ride to and from, hit some rain and had my "stich" suit washed by mother nature. My EX turned 30,000 miles a few days ago, kinda neat seeing all them zeros. :loco: Cheers

 

The facts are there to be sifted as to why ATGATTthink is popular in SoCal.. More bikes and riders there than anywhere in the US per capita. A comprehensive and through set of rules, great riding weather ect. The list is long.

Does everyone here "always" ride with the "right" gear all the time? I don't think so. Better to have that choice than not IMO.

Even the harleydoods are getting better.. Maybe not though rules, regs, common sense or safety for safety's sake but not many of them would not be caught dead without the latest fashion stuff from the nearest Harley boutique.

Nothin like the latest skidlid with the chrome "longhorns" conchos and swastikas imbedded in cat fur to make their day..

 

Yeh, CA is the motorcycle mecca huh. Some HD doodes are adorned in the latest "dirt-bag" garb. If you mention Cat Fur, a certain miscreant may get his/her dander up. What the hell am I talking about :loco:

 

Yeah, but would you ride with me if I was wearing a thong? lol

 

I've heard that one before -in my thirty years of riding I think I've heard them all- and while it is true, who am I to preach about atgatt? Let's just ride!

 

Well I'm pretty sure I never called anyone who wasn't ATGATT stupid and I don't think I'm better than them, smarter than them, I just believe I'm making a smarter choice than them, regardless of their intelligence level. Even the smartest people are prone to make poor choices. Hell, I know I made a few in my youth, but needless to say what works for some may not work for all!

Do I think everyone should ride ATGATT? I don't see why not, but I'm not going to demand that everyone should do it, not will I belittle or badger them to do it.

Maybe we should look at this from another angle. Let's create a pro/con list and see where ATGATT and Non-ATGATT leave us.

Non-ATGATT
Pro
1. Less money spent on gear.
2. You can just get on your bike and go, no need to spend time putting on gear.
3. The feeling of the wind in your hear.
4. Knowing that you had a choice in your own destiny.

Con
1. Tons of money spent on skin grafts and other body repairs.
2. Crashing in your favorite pair of Calvins could lessen your wardrobe.
3. The huge hole in your head from hitting the pavement.
4. Your family deciding if the should pull the plug on your destiny.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

ATGATT
Pro
1. The likelihood of skin grafts is greatly reduced.
2. The chicks dig guys decked out in leather.
3. The extra protection gear provides gives one confidence in their riding ability.
4. Riding with your ATGATT buddies makes you feel part of group.

Con
1. Using another animals skin can get real costly.
2. Most chicks don't dig Stormtroopers.
3. The extra protection gear provides makes you sweat like a SOW.
4. Getting a ticket because most cops can't tell your Dainese suit from your wheelie happy friend's Aplinestars suit.

 

Okay, I'm a firm believer in having good gear and wearing it. But...it seems to me that all of you figure that a crash/fall in inevitable, and it's not.

I always wear a helmet, a good one. I usually wear a jacket, either good leather or a mesh one. Always wear boots, and usually wear gloves. If I'm going out and feeling frisky I will put on some leather or reinforced jeans to go with the jacket and gloves. But changing into leathers to run to the store or down the road on errands just ain't gonna happen.

ATGATT is a wonderful philosophy and I would never, ever try to talk anyone out of it, and I may regret it, but I just can't convince myself to do it all the time.

 

To each their own. I do ATGATT, even if I am running around town. I wear a 2 piece stich, so it isn't that hard to take off. That is what I am comfortable riding in. I feel adequately protected and not overly encumbered. I see people that don't ride ATGATT and that is their choice. I don't preach to them. If someone asked me for advice I would recommend what I do, but I wouldn't demand it.

Side note, nearly daily in the summer when I leave work I hear people saying, "you're going to be sweating like crazy in that thing" when they see me walking out to the bike. My replay is always the same. Well, it's just sweat. It wipes right off. Road rash doesn't.

And to the people that say "I wear gear when I ride hard" you never know when you will go down. That's the point. Of we knew when and where we were going to crash we could all be wearing heavy leathers and leg braces and look like robo cop or something. Riding isn't that predictable. Most riders, eventually are going to have a get off. Maybe a couple. You just never know. I know a guy who wears helmet and jacket when he rides. That's it. He has put it down in the past. Broke an arm and a rib. Didn't change his gear because he says it wouldn't have made a difference. Weigh the risks for yourself and decide what you are comfortable with. I haven't crashed my bike, but I want the best odds when I do.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I started wearing full perforated leathers here in Fla after a few crashes as a teenager. We always wore jeans, helmet, minimal gloves and usually a T shirt. If you give up enough flesh to the asphalt gods you usually dress properly. As long as I keep moving I'm fine in summer. If its stop and go I do get hot. Oh well. I have been looking at Olympia Motoquest series gear. Excellent ventelation and very good protection. You also get a very good rain suite with it along with insulation for when its cold.
http://www.revzilla.com/motorcycle/olympia-motoquest-jacket

 

SOW might..

 

Ahhhhmmm, no thank you!

 

Never went much for the always and never sayers mself. Done all that stupid shit too.

Now I'm looking for leads on both solid and perfed thongs..

 

Lmao.
What you mean by "SOW"?

 

Never went much for the always and never sayers mself. Done all that stupid shit too.

Now I'm looking for leads on both solid and perfed thongs..

 

Atgatt is sometimes a hard choice to keep. Only going to the store or over to a buddies may only be a short ride but it can happen anytime. I know people that dropped it in parking lots because of sand/gravel and the amount of skin damage that was 100% preventable had they had on more than just jeans and a t-shirt.
I have a wife and a child to support and I want to grow old comfortably. I have to work every day and can't afford to take a few weeks off because I need skin grafts because " it was only a short ride".
I wear the gear because my daughter has seen what can happen and I don't want her to see it happen to me. I'm still going to ride even though the cage is the safer choice. I just have to do all I can to survive an incident and if that means taking a few more minutes at the start and end of a ride or sweating my ass off when I'm stuck in traffic then I can live with that. I would have trouble living with the knowledge that a simple jacket could have saved the skin on my back or the riding boots could have saved my ankle had I worn them.
I have never heard of people that stopped wearing gear after an accident but plenty of people that started to.
I did have a friend years ago that after we convinced him to wear gear (because of the amount of times he dropped) it slid across the parking lot and complained to us that he just wrecked a $500 leather jacket because the shoulder was almost worn through and the back was almost worn through. He didn't need to be convinced to replace it though.
Sometimes you just have to shake your head and not reply.

 

I have had friends at the track yelling at the paramedics "Do not cut my leathers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!". Even though getting that broken collar bone out of them was painful. lol