Great write up on helmets and safety gear
Posted: Fri Mar 16, 2007 2:45 am
A great article about why gear is a good idea and what gear does that I suggest you all read. Maybe a mod likes it enough to make it a sticky?
http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/motorcy ... -test.html
My favorite qoute about pants/jackets "It is reflective, and can be brightly colored to warn off predators (such as Chevy Suburbans)"
Even better is his mental sander test below, but this is just one gem in a treasure trove of good thoughts and advice. But the responsibility factor comes in as well "If you can't afford to get the safety gear, you can't afford to be riding a motorcycle right now. "
The Sander Test
When you've selected a set of gear, perform the following thought experiment:
Mentally, climb into all the gear you've selected. Gloves, jacket, boots, helmet, etc. Everything you will or do wear while riding your motorcycle. Now, imagine that I'm walking up to you, with my imaginary belt sander. It runs at around 30 MPH, which is a reasonable crash speed. It's loaded with 80 grit sandpaper, which is sharper than asphalt, but not as coarse. I switch on my sander, and apply it anywhere the fancy strikes me: your face, knees, ankles, butt, hands, belly, etc. Where do you recoil in pain? Where are you feeling red-hot sandpaper stripping away skin? That is where you need to improve your gear.
The purpose of this thought experiment is to demonstrate, in an easily imagined way, what happens when you're sliding along the pavement. If your gear isn't up to snuff, you will feel a great deal of pain in the places where it doesn't cover sufficiently. Think about your face, pavement grinding by 2 inches away: do you want a full-face helmet now? Think about how much actual control you'd have in a slide: will those leather chaps really help? How will you keep your butt off the pavement? If you have fingerless gloves, how will you move your hand when it's trapped under your chest as you slide? If you have any exposed skin, there's an excellent chance that you'll lose it in a crash. And remember, as we established earlier, a crash can happen at any time, and without your control. The gear you wear every time you ride will determine what happens in a crash.
http://www.obairlann.net/reaper/motorcy ... -test.html
My favorite qoute about pants/jackets "It is reflective, and can be brightly colored to warn off predators (such as Chevy Suburbans)"
Even better is his mental sander test below, but this is just one gem in a treasure trove of good thoughts and advice. But the responsibility factor comes in as well "If you can't afford to get the safety gear, you can't afford to be riding a motorcycle right now. "
The Sander Test
When you've selected a set of gear, perform the following thought experiment:
Mentally, climb into all the gear you've selected. Gloves, jacket, boots, helmet, etc. Everything you will or do wear while riding your motorcycle. Now, imagine that I'm walking up to you, with my imaginary belt sander. It runs at around 30 MPH, which is a reasonable crash speed. It's loaded with 80 grit sandpaper, which is sharper than asphalt, but not as coarse. I switch on my sander, and apply it anywhere the fancy strikes me: your face, knees, ankles, butt, hands, belly, etc. Where do you recoil in pain? Where are you feeling red-hot sandpaper stripping away skin? That is where you need to improve your gear.
The purpose of this thought experiment is to demonstrate, in an easily imagined way, what happens when you're sliding along the pavement. If your gear isn't up to snuff, you will feel a great deal of pain in the places where it doesn't cover sufficiently. Think about your face, pavement grinding by 2 inches away: do you want a full-face helmet now? Think about how much actual control you'd have in a slide: will those leather chaps really help? How will you keep your butt off the pavement? If you have fingerless gloves, how will you move your hand when it's trapped under your chest as you slide? If you have any exposed skin, there's an excellent chance that you'll lose it in a crash. And remember, as we established earlier, a crash can happen at any time, and without your control. The gear you wear every time you ride will determine what happens in a crash.
