Gummiente wrote:Ryethil wrote:With my Big Twin Harleys, it was a relative no brainer. They all got respect from people aound them and if you drove safely, you could take chances without heavy gear.
You have GOT to be kidding me.
Accidents happen regardless of the make of motorcycle involved, the skill level of the rider, the speed of the bike and the amount of protective gear worn by the rider. That is why they are called accidents, they can happen to anyone at any time without warning. As a Paramedic you, of all people, should know this.
Yeah, I know all this. I pick up a lot of motorcycle accidents. However, the most of them happened because the rider was dumb or ignorant. They let themselves get into a space where they had no place to go when the cause of the accident fell into their lap. Yes, there is always that SUV that just pulls in front of you and if you didn't think ahead, you're trapped. "Sickening sounds of twisted metal" I also know that you can't be safe all the time because you can't control all the variables around you.
Spoiler: Newbies, stop listening.
However, how much can I substiute situational awareness for the sheer problem of not being able to ride because of the heat? How much of a chance can I accept to keep riding? I don't ride my Buell in the middle of the summer because I like to ride it fast and don't feel safe without serious armor. I'm not a squid on a sportbike. I know better but I also have a lot of experience in riding out of accidents.
So What I'm asking is what is enough? I'm fairly well protected from scrapes and abrasions. I have found an fairly good substitute for the regular full faced bucket. But a leather jacket is impossible esp. if it is as close fitting and with armored pieces to stop a heavy hit on a solid surface. My pullover is suppose to be able to protect me from minor/average impacts and abrasions. The fact is that I'm wearing as much gear as I can stand and not lose situational awareness because of heat problems.
Which comes down to the to a basic question. Is it safe to ride motorcycles at all? I'm not laughing. Even if you have the heaviest armor that they make for a motorcycle, you plough into a idiot in a cage with enough speed and it's all over. Of course, Texas dosen't require helmets so never mind the rest of your body. Most accidents are going to cause head trauma, massive or more massive.
But most accidents happen, in such a way that you're more at risk from sliding along the pavement than a serious impact. So if you're wearing a hemet that protects your face as well the rest of your head, the real danger is road rash and cuts and abrasions. As a matter of course, I keep abreast of all the safety features and studies of accidents for cars and motocycles. They're scary but it's good to know all that you can esp about your job. And an over riding factor is that no matter how good your gear is, you can't protect your extremities from a impact strong enough to break or seriously injure them.
I'm not rationalizing. I'm asking the question of safety before I compromise mine. But maybe to keep riding I have to accept more of a risk rather than smother in heavy leather. Right now I'm looking into a type of jacket or pullover that they wear in Europe that is a mix of weave and solid sections that allows the maximum air in and out. This might be better than my cotton/kevlar mix that I wear now.
No, I'm trying to ask a serious question about safety. Is there more to riding sane than just more armor? When does a person just stop and accept that riding a motorcycle is plain dangerous. I ride enough that I've come to accept that the odds are that an accident is going to kill me whether I wear the heaviest armor and leather or not. I'm not fatalistic or have a death wish. I would like to stay alive and not crippled for as long as possible. But do I give up riding to be safe. Or do I do the best I can and just accept the rest is beyond my abilities to change.
All I know is that I can't stop riding...
Mike 
