[NevadaWolf]

You are right, all I see are a few forum posts and that's all I can respond to. Its those posts that are coming over, to me, as someone who disregards the advice of others in the quest of looking cool. From these posts, yes, you have changed your mind, but it seems to take a lot of arguing to at least get you to consider what we are saying. That is what I am answering because that is what you are showing through your posts here.

You are right, motorcycles are meant to be fun and we all do have fun on them, that's why we are here. We worry about folks starting out because we want them to have fun for a long time, and all it takes is once for things to go very very wrong, so we offer suggestions to help a new rider survive their first few months/years. I don't want it pounded into your head after every accident, I don't want you to have an accident in the first place! But I do want to make sure you survive that first one and you walk away with only a bruised ego.

All risky hobbies require equipment. Style only comes after making sure the gear does its job. If the safest piece of equipment is bright pink, I'll wear it knowing i look like an utter Hello Kitty but knowing that it will protect me. Function, then fashion. Since you point the finger back at me, ok, i will look at myself. I have a green helmet, ok, given it matched, but the color was only chosen after i was happy learning Sparx stands behind their product to replace it after a wreck. I have a gawdawful orange vest i have grown to love chosen not because i wanted it but because it was a requirement to ride my bike to work. I have a massively long tourmaster jacket chosen because the it was full textile and would protect my arms and back against abrasion, TM only offered black. I wear an Icon chest and back protector because my jacket is lame and the foam back pad was useless. The combination makes me look like the stay puff marshmallow man, but the combo has already held up to a lowside, so I don't care. I have tourmaster black pants (again, TM is lame on color choices) because it was layered so it could be worn year round and keep the armor against my knees and hips regardless of what layer i removed. I have sidi boots because I already wrecked wearing crap gear (jeans and hiking boots) and have the scars to prove it so i refused to leave my feet vulnerable when the rest of me was armored up.

I ride because i have an awesome time, love exploring every road possible, and going fast at the track. I ride for the freedom of feeling the wind against my chest and the stars over my head. I ride for the silence of my own thoughts. I ride for the beauty of this great country. To hell with anyone who thinks down on me looking like what i am, a fat short girl fully armored up on a tiny bike. I don't care, i am having the time of my life.