All the gear all the time

Igofar said:
Not for this clown, who was doing wheelies, burnouts, and locking up the rear wheel and sliding to a stop at intersections.
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Aw, he's young so his skin will grow back after a while - maybe but it won't be pretty ... ;)
Not to worry about the head as there is obvious not much going on up there.
 
We've got a guy like that at the local bike hangout... he's a "tough" biker wannabe & puts out tough biker vibes which doesn't come off very well since he weighs about 90 lbs. He originally had a mint Yamaha Vstar 650 which he promptly chopped & made it look like it had been left to rust for 20 years. He never wore a jacket... always in a Tshirt and wore an absolute minimalist skull cap helmet.

Last spring, he bought a mint Harley decker (it had a custom pneumatic rear suspension which was a surprise to him... he had no clue about it until I asked him where the pump was). A month later, he hit the side of a truck and wrote it off... with his GF on the back. They got off lucky with bumps and bruises.

A month after that, he ran into the back of a stopped car with the 650 and had the nerve to brag about losing a testicle (his GF fractured her foot).

A couple of months after that, he made an appearance with another Harley... every time he arrived, he would pull into a parking spot at speed and lock up the back wheel (with the GF on the back) for extra manly effect... still no gear.

I haven't yet been out this season (sprained ankle) to see if he could still get insurance but a few of us have considered a pool to see how long the second Harley lasts or if he survives this season.
 
I dont think the amount of gear you wear should determine whether you should have the right to ride a motorycyle or not. This is America. Freedom of choice and all. There are only 2 pieces of gear designed to save your life (there was only 1 until recently) the helmet and the air bag vest ( even with those, no guarantees). The rest is designed to save skin and prevent broken bones. People should have the right to decide how much protection they choose to wear, as long as they are properly licensed and insured. Some wearing no gear will return home at night, some geared up will not. Fate.
 
I usually wear full gear. Sometimes in the summer while riding my dual-sport bike, I'll skip the jacket and just wear a jersey.

In January, I was fully geared up and got hit. Five broken bones, a dislocated toe, and a few contusions. Almost six months later and I'm still working on recovery. My ortho doc said that if I hadn't been wearing boots, I probably would've lost a foot.
 
The problem is that when they do go down, people like him cause a drain on the medical system potentially using up scarce resources that could have assisted other people. While I would never suggest denying someone whatever medical care they require due to their stupidity, it does rankle a bit when it deprives, or delays, someone else's care. I guess I feel that having freedom isn't unlimited and also comes with the responsibility to exercise it judiciously.

I best step down off the soapbox before I twist an ankle......... :D
 
Weaselinsuit said:
The problem is that when they do go down, people like him cause a drain on the medical system potentially using up scarce resources that could have assisted other people. While I would never suggest denying someone whatever medical care they require due to their stupidity, it does rankle a bit when it deprives, or delays, someone else's care. I guess I feel that having freedom isn't unlimited and also comes with the responsibility to exercise it judiciously.

I best step down off the soapbox before I twist an ankle......... :D
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Sounds like a Lawsuit to me! :rofl1:
 
Uncle Phil said:
Aw, he's young so his skin will grow back after a while - maybe but it won't be pretty ... ;)
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Well, learned already as a kid... bicycle... massive gravel-rush on my entire right palm... picked tiny stones out the weeping wound for days... no scars left to show off though...

Over here the warm summer temperatures have finally lured out even the last individual of the flip-flop and shorts species...
They swarm everywhere like mosquitos, pushbikes, stand-on e/scoots, various 50cc mopeds, scoots up to 800cc, naked bikes with loud pipes...
What they all have in-common is the typical, casual stance: right hand on the handlebar, dumbphone in the left... :rolleyes:
And total ignorance to the fact that any impact over 30kph/18mph is potentially lethal...
 
bdalameda said:
NOTGAAT None of the gear at any time
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He is wearing a helmet.
the Ferret said:
I dont think the amount of gear you wear should determine whether you should have the right to ride a motorycyle or not. This is America. Freedom of choice and all.
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An argument has been made questioning if society should provide support for foolish choices. Do you mind paying higher insurance rates for life support for the guy who rides w/ NOTGAAT? We have collectively made the decision to limit smoking. We are now in the middle of a vaccine debate.
the Ferret said:
There are only 2 pieces of gear designed to save your life (there was only 1 until recently) the helmet and the air bag vest ( even with those, no guarantees). The rest is designed to save skin and prevent broken bones. People should have the right to decide how much protection they choose to wear, as long as they are properly licensed and insured. Some wearing no gear will return home at night, some geared up will not. Fate.
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Not true. People die from shock from road rash. Talk to any ER doc.

"as long as they are properly licensed and insured". Ahhh, but are they? Who bears the cost when the insurance runs out?
 
SMSW said:
Who bears the cost when the insurance runs out?
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Over here similar debates over any action sports/activities...
Skiing, hiking, climbing, paragliding, mountain biking (even worsening due the E-Bike hype...)...
People growing progressively ignorant, totally underequipped, ignoring weather reports and avalanche conditions...
Cost and efforts on mountain rescue search parties and dispatching helicopters are exploding...
Not to mention the hospital cost for treatment of increasingly severe injuries...
 
SMSW said:
An argument has been made questioning if society should provide support for foolish choices. Do you mind paying higher insurance rates for life support for the guy who rides w/ NOTGAAT? We have collectively made the decision to limit smoking. We are now in the middle of a vaccine debate.
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There are a zillion activities we humans indulge in that can leave one hospitalized beyond insurance limits. Zip lining, bungie jumping, bicycle riding, snow skiing, skateboarding, wing suit flying, heck driving a car with seatbelts and air bags (approx 40,000 people die in car accidents every year in the US ). Not to mention smoking, drinking, drug use, gun violence etc etc. Kids sports like football causes brain injuries. Where do you draw the line? Whose freedoms do you choose to crush? Who gets to decide?

Is someone foolish for not wearing good protective gear? You bet. But how do you mandate every activity safe? You can't, and no amount of safety gear will protect you in all instances or guarantee you won't be killed or left a paraplegic in an accident.

We humans do risky things
 
BTW I retired from 25 years in the Highway Traffic Safety field. Multiple studies have proven that wearing HI Viz gear makes one safer in traffic (it's mandated for street department workers and police directing traffic at accident scenes etc), yet every day I see motorcyclists, fully geared, but nearly invisible to other motorists, wearing all dark colors, black jackets, pants, gloves, boots helmets...all black or a dark color. Being visible is just as important as being armored. Preventing an accident by being seen is much better than testing your gear from not being seen.

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the Ferret said:
There are a zillion activities we humans indulge in that can leave one hospitalized beyond insurance limits. Zip lining, bungie jumping, bicycle riding, snow skiing, skateboarding, wing suit flying, heck driving a car with seatbelts and air bags (approx 40,000 people die in car accidents every year in the US ). Not to mention smoking, drinking, drug use, gun violence etc etc. Kids sports like football causes brain injuries. Where do you draw the line? Whose freedoms do you choose to crush? Who gets to decide?

Is someone foolish for not wearing good protective gear? You bet. But how do you mandate every activity safe? You can't, and no amount of safety gear will protect you in all instances or guarantee you won't be killed or left a paraplegic in an accident.

We humans do risky things
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I'm a believer in personal responsibility. I really don't care what others wear while they ride as they will bear the health consequences of their choices.

What frustrates me is the reality that from a cost perspective we all pay for the day-to-day poor decisions or choices of others through higher healthcare costs. A massive percentage of the costs the system bears comes from smoking, drinking and drug use, zero exercise, poor diet, untreated high blood pressure, etc. leading to huge increases in obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes etc. that are huge financial and resource drains on the system.

Non ATGATT riders are a literal drop in the bucket compared to the tens of millions who choose or live lifestyles that are not healthy.
 
ReSTored said:
What frustrates me is the reality that from a cost perspective we all pay for the day-to-day poor decisions or choices of others through higher healthcare costs.
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Poor decisions or choices of others is not the only cause of higher health care costs. My HMO plan shot up dramatically in costs going from 2025 to 2026. I can still "afford" it but increasing ramen in my diet to pay for it may be working at crossed purposes.
 
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