Quick!! Close the Barn Doors... the Horses (Donkeys) Have Gotten Out!!!

[Alex]

Please don't take this the wrong way Matt, I truly mean well.

If what you got from this thread is that it's now OK for someone with zero miles of actual motorcycling experience to ride with insufficient gear because they don't have the cash for it, please take the time to start at post 1 and give the thread another once-over.

That said, I have no idea if the jacket you're planning to wear is appropriate or not, and it very well may be. Is there padding & armor in the appropriate places? Is the leather thick and durable or thin and more decorative? Does it fit well?

[bogdanb]

Originally Posted by Snake

Spoken like a true Socialist.

Yes. Communism is a different thing. Communism is the next level. Never have been archived...so far.
I have been through this nightmare, and I don't recommend it.

Please notice : The situation here is much more worst. I read the same threads in our forums. Normally youths don't use helmets 'cause "they don't look cool" and girls can't see who is riding while the next Ghost Rider hits the limiter from traffic light to traffic light... In the city of course, no one can see you on a open road.
I thought that you gays are much more responsible. It is about your life and your health. You live in rich and governed country, you can take all the courses you need, you can see , try and buy all the gear you need.
I am sure that is not so easy, but is definitely not like riding with sleepers, common seeing view around. Gues why...

[Graphic Twist]

Originally Posted by Alex

... If what you got from this thread is that it's now OK for someone with zero miles of actual motorcycling experience to ride with insufficient gear because they don't have the cash for it, please take the time to start at post 1 and give the thread another once-over.

That said, I have no idea if the jacket you're planning to wear is appropriate or not, and it very well may be. Is there padding & armor in the appropriate places? Is the leather thick and durable or thin and more decorative? Does it fit well?

Not at all. I guess what I'm trying to determine is what more experienced riders consider to be appropriate safety gear. Clearly there are different levels of protection and you have to make a choice balancing protection/comfort/cost. Obviously different people will balance this different ways. Not everyone goes and buys an Arai Corsair V Helmet for its additional safety features, often because cost and or fit could be prohibitive...

The leather Jacket I have is thick tough leather, fits well, but has no armor built in. I by no means think riding without proper gear is a good choice, especially for a new rider like me. This is why I'm not riding yet, because I don't have all the gear...

I'm not asking these questions to be ignorant or anything, merely out of a desire to actually learn and make good choices...

[CC Cowboy]

Originally Posted by backinthesaddleagain

CC as I only have my 250R can you share some of your bike wealth with me. The gsxr will do fine comrade.

GSXR is government bike. Only for use to catch bad guys on 250 ninjas.

[Alex]

Understood. Sounds like you're far from ignorant. From your description of the jacket, it could go either way, depending on who you're talking to and their own individual opinion. Of course the one that matters in the end is your own. Sounds like the leather would hold up well against abrasion, if it fits well and doesn't ride up, and if the seams are durable. Also sounds like it might not provide much protection from banging your elbows or shoulders if certain types of accidents happened. But people continue to break collarbones, elbows, and arms with or without padding there, so it's a matter of lessening risk, certainly not eliminating it. It's up to you.

I know you must be awfully excited to get that bike on the road, I can still clearly remember my first few miles and how great it felt to be riding a bike home for the first time.

[bogdanb]

Remember - the most important thing is - drive carefully !

Gear probably will not help you in case of frontal impact.

[Graphic Twist]

Thanks for the info Alex.

I find the safety debate very interesting. As a motorcycle rider you (in general) have already expressed a willingness to sacrifice safety in exchange for excitement/coolness/thrill-seeking or whatever. I mean, if safety were truly the number one concern, you wouldn't be on a motorcycle. But if you are going to ride, there are more and less safe ways to do it as there are more and less exciting ways to do it. It's genuinely interesting to see where people draw their line and to hear their reasoning for it.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

It's communism comrad. We are all equal and should all have the same. Redistribute the wealth, everyone should have equal rights, land, income, and only the politicians should have more (they are above everyone else anyway). The government should own all the corporations, they should tel the CEOs how much they can make, and they should tax anyone who has more than anyone else. The rich should pay for the poor until the rich are just as poor. It's only fair.

Nah, if it's communism, the bike wouldn't belong to you, but to the state. And Chinese "communism" is nothing but top-controlled capitalism in disguise. Telling CEOs how much they can make may not altogether be a bad thing. The CEO of a leading DC-based "wildlife conservation society", supposedly non-profit and 501c, etc., makes over $600,000 per annum. The CEO of the top humane society makes $300,000. These are people's hard earned dollars donated for the animals, not to go towards some CEO's yacht. Anyway, we've gone waaaay off topic here, but I hope I've spoken like the true Canadian socialist that I am. - AM

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by bogdanb

Remember - the most important thing is - drive carefully !

Gear probably will not help you in case of frontal impact.

A point not to be taken lightly. All this talk about gear is to prevent road rash or at worst knee damage. There is no gear short of a suit of armor made of titanium that can prevent the shattering of an entire rib-cage in a heavy impact.

[Banzai]

Originally Posted by Anthony_marr

A point not to be taken lightly. All this talk about gear is to prevent road rash or at worst knee damage. There is no gear short of a suit of armor made of titanium that can prevent the shattering of an entire rib-cage in a heavy impact.

Nope, blunt force trauma through energy transfer would still pulp you. You'd be a very expensive suit filled with goo.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by Banzai

Nope, blunt force trauma through energy transfer would still pulp you. You'd be a very expensive suit filled with goo.

True enough. In a hard impact even a $10,000 helmet can only protect your skull, but cannot keep the brain inside from gooification.

[Banzai]

Originally Posted by Graphic Twist

I find the safety debate very interesting. As a motorcycle rider you (in general) have already expressed a willingness to sacrifice safety in exchange for excitement/coolness/thrill-seeking or whatever. I mean, if safety were truly the number one concern, you wouldn't be on a motorcycle. But if you are going to ride, there are more and less safe ways to do it as there are more and less exciting ways to do it. It's genuinely interesting to see where people draw their line and to hear their reasoning for it.

Not necessarily. Take this point of view into consideration, if you will.

As motorcycle riders, we still want to arrive alive, safe and sound, each and every time we sit in the saddle. If we didn't, we'd all be committing suicide the first (and last) time out and it would be a self limiting problem.

Our chosen vehicle simply allows a different type of thrill that cannot be achieved in a car. After all, if it could, everyone would be making motorcycles and who in their right mind would pay out for a Corvette or Ferrai other than for image?

Or to stay dry and warm. OK, so point proven, some cool cars are just cool.....and minivans let you get your wife and 5 kids (yes, I have 5 kids from newborn to 16) from place to place while preserving domestic tranquility.

Thankfully, we have the freedom to make that choice, even if it's to opt out of riding!

Safety is always #1. The moment it isn't, you get terribly hurt or die through your own negligence.

Sometimes, though, lightning strikes you on the way home from a charity ride. Acts of God notwithstanding, we own our own choices.

What we choose to accept, and shoulder, is the burden of greater RISK to our safety. You do the same thing in a car. You accept that government mandated safety standards are enough, you accept that you got a well made car, you hope that you will never have to test those assumptions! You even are willing to pay MORE for a vehicle that gets a 5 star crash rating(excellet performance) over a 1 star (minimal acceptable rating).

It's all about RISK MANAGEMENT. In a car, you accept many things as givens that if you don't take ownership of and actively manage when riding on a bike, you're dead.

That's where experience allows you to further mitigate and control risk on the road. The MSF class, both basic and experienced, are the same thing, risk mitigation through education and awareness. Gear is the same way, risk management through gear choice, even if that choice is NO GEAR.

Track days are the same thing, they allow experience to teach you in a safer, more controlled environment. You can get to the edge, and sometimes over it, a lot safer than you can on the street.

Simply having an awareness of that edge, and the humility to acknowledge and accept it without CHALLENGING it in an unsafe manner is a big leap that most never make. Those lacking that humility, well, you see their posts on other boards, and their videos all over youtube. Many call them squids. They rationalize the 'thrill' but truly have no justification for their actions.

[ninjabrewer]

Originally Posted by Anthony_marr

True enough. In a hard impact even a $10,000 helmet can only protect your skull, but cannot keep the brain inside from gooification.

OK, is this a word? Is it in commonly accepted usage and does it fit the standard of "is or is not" a word, ie listed in the dictionary? If not, then hot damn, ninjette.org is the first to use a brand new word. Contact websters. Thanks to Anthony_Marr.
OK my smart a** remark is over. You may return to the regularly scheduled thread.

nb

PS. gotta admit, that is a good word, and it pretty much describes what was being described.

[Flashmonkey]

Originally Posted by Graphic Twist

So this thread has given me a question...

Here's my situation: I just bought my bike. I have a helmet and boots for riding. But then due to a miss-communication with my bank, I lost some of my available credit and this wreaked all sorts of havoc with my cash flow (I'm getting it resolved, it just takes time). So I haven't had the funds available to get the gloves, pants, and a jacket for riding yet...

Since I couldn't get that gear, I haven't even picked up my bike yet. It's been at the dealers, fully paid for, for a week and a half now. I'm getting impatient though, so I was planning on buying the pants and gloves and using a motorcycle style (though not motorcycle specific) leather jacket I already have. Is this really unwise of me? Should I absolutely wait until I have a specific riding jacket as well?

BTW: Just completed the motorcycle course this past Sunday...

I'd say the best option would be to get an experienced friend or a family member to ride it home for you, or see if there's a local service around the area that would be willing to tow the bike back to your house (on a flat bed obviously).

Failing that, grabbing the pants and fully armored gloves, and using a non-specific yet thick and durable leather/work jacket isn't the worst thing you could do. If you're especially wary of falling, I say grab some elbow pads and strap 'em on. Also make sure to fully familiarize yourself with the brakes and basic bike controls before you get too far away from the dealership! Since the bike is new (and you yourself are a new rider), its important to get comfortable before you head out into traffic.

Again, I re-iterate that if you're not fully confident in your abilities to get the bike home safely, find a way to get it towed. Gear is important, but safety is all about attitude.

[KJohnson21]

Originally Posted by ninjabrewer

OK, is this a word? Is it in commonly accepted usage and does it fit the standard of "is or is not" a word, ie listed in the dictionary? If not, then hot damn, ninjette.org is the first to use a brand new word. Contact websters. Thanks to Anthony_Marr.
OK my smart a** remark is over. You may return to the regularly scheduled thread.

nb

PS. gotta admit, that is a good word, and it pretty much describes what was being described.

(goo - (n. Informal) A sticky wet viscous substance.) + (-fication - Suffix meaning "a making or causing.")

Let's see, a recognised informal noun, combined with a standard suffix, creating a word: gooification; with the definition of: Causing a sticky, wet, viscous substance.

That sounds legitimate to me!!

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by KJohnson21

(goo - (n. Informal) A sticky wet viscous substance.) + (-fication - Suffix meaning "a making or causing.")

Let's see, a recognised informal noun, combined with a standard suffix, creating a word: gooification; with the definition of: Causing a sticky, wet, viscous substance.

That sounds legitimate to me!!

Okay, let's make it official:

GOOIFICATION - copyrighted June 23 2009 AD by AM of Ninjette.com

[capt_bugaloo]

Speaking of gooification, I read somewhere recently that inside the skull, a human brain has the same consistency and hardness as a brick of room temperature butter.


Hmm... I would have thought it a bit more solid than that, but maybe not. Good thing the skull is a mighty hard sphere...

[CC Cowboy]

Just a quick thought for our members from far away (far away from me anyway). There are millions of motorcycles in the far east countries (due to the affordability of bikes over cars). Hardly ever do you see them with gear, once in a while a helmet of some kind. What is the accident ratio of riders to bikes owned?

I bet they don't crash very much. Since they use their bikes for transportation (not fun) I have a feeling they treasure having the mobility and don't take the chance of losing their ride.

[tjkamper]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Just a quick thought for our members from far away (far away from me anyway). There are millions of motorcycles in the far east countries (due to the affordability of bikes over cars). Hardly ever do you see them with gear, once in a while a helmet of some kind. What is the accident ratio of riders to bikes owned?

I bet they don't crash very much. Since they use their bikes for transportation (not fun) I have a feeling they treasure having the mobility and don't take the chance of losing their ride.

I don't know about Asia. But in Venezuela you very seldom see wrecks on bikes, and if there are they are at very low speeds. Most people don't use gear, and by my personal count, I would say there are about two bikes per every car on the road.

[Alex]

I've heard the injury & fatality rate in some of those same far east countries is off the charts, which is why some of them, like Vietnam, are starting to pass helmet and related safety laws that are a little closer to what we're used to over here.

[cwb48]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Just a quick thought for our members from far away (far away from me anyway). There are millions of motorcycles in the far east countries (due to the affordability of bikes over cars). Hardly ever do you see them with gear, once in a while a helmet of some kind. What is the accident ratio of riders to bikes owned?

I bet they don't crash very much. Since they use their bikes for transportation (not fun) I have a feeling they treasure having the mobility and don't take the chance of losing their ride.

To second what Alex said, in Vietnam, for instance, at least when I was there, the 50cc Honda was everywhere. In fact, my best buddy hit one with a jeep, and it really made a mess of the guy. The problems come when the mopeds mix with anything larger than a three wheeler.

Chris

[capt_bugaloo]

I lived in Indonesia for a year, and yes, you'd see Dad, Mom, and two or three kids all riding on a 100cc step-thru. Often with a couple of chickens or a pig lashed to the bike as well as they returned from market.

No one is wearing any sort of safety gear, not even cheap helmets. It's partly because it's hot and humid, but mostly I think cultural. It simply isn't ingrained into their daily thinking that putting on a helmet or a seatbelt is a good idea. Often folks take the attitude that it's all karma - "if I'm destined to live or die it's all in the hands of fate, and there's nothing I can do".

And yes, the accident rates are horrendous. I read an example of India: it has a tenth the number of vehicles that exist in the USA, yet has twice as many fatalities.

[demp]

Originally Posted by ironglory

Buy the complete gear first & then the bike. Thats how the bike industry should operate.
No gear no bike.

In my accurate yet humble opinion.

Good friend of mine wanted to get a bike, I've convinced him that this is the appropriate way to do things...(gear first, bike later) He will get his bike next year. My girlfriend has been wanting to get on the back of my bike... but that's so not happening unless she gets full gear (full leather, boots, gloves + a cf helmet)

It bothers me to see 250 riders wearing a t shirt, shorts, and running shoes (I see a red one like this once in a while), but hey, that's their call, they're the ones speeding down the roads between cars - giving us the bad name right? (generally anyways)

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

Just a quick thought for our members from far away (far away from me anyway). There are millions of motorcycles in the far east countries (due to the affordability of bikes over cars). Hardly ever do you see them with gear, once in a while a helmet of some kind. What is the accident ratio of riders to bikes owned?

I bet they don't crash very much. Since they use their bikes for transportation (not fun) I have a feeling they treasure having the mobility and don't take the chance of losing their ride.

In Canada, I'm classed as a "Road Star", meaning, no accidents for at least 20 years (and I drive 20,000 miles every year), and in BC's socialist system I automatically get a 40% auto insurance discount. But in India, where I've been 3 times working as a Bengal tiger preservationist, let me tell you, I do not believe that I could ride or drive in New Delhi or Calcutta for 3 days without having an accident, and get beaten up by a mob for it. And if I were riding a scooter with 2 kids in front and one more behind, plus a side-saddling wife bringing up the rear, I have little doubt I would wipe out my whole family sooner than later. To call the traffic "chaotic" is to call a Rolling Stone concert "nice". That's urban. Highways are death-traps. You see overloaded trucks lying on their sides every few miles. There are speed bumps on high-speed highways without warning. I've seen a truck parked in the passing lane of a highway WITH ROCKS PLACED AROUND IT, and skid marks right before it overlaying one another. The conditions of the vehicles were atrocious. I was once given to drive a Gypsy (Indian made jeep with a 600cc motor) the steering wheel of which had over 1 FOOT of free-play. I've been picked up by cross country taxis with tires running on their BELTs, all rubber having worn off. I can't vouch for this, but an Indian colleague told me that India has 4-figure traffic fatalies every DAY, and I see no reason to doubt it. To ride a Ninja 250 in India anywhere is a suicide waiting to happen. The Indian drivers and riders (lots of "cool chicks" riding scooters), on the other hand, seem to have been acclimatized to the chaos, and have a stoic and fatalist attitude - the "karma" mentioned elsewhere in this thread - and I've never seen any rider in gears. If I don't see them again, either they got pissed off at me for some reason, or they got killed in traffic. You never know.

[CC Cowboy]

That does it, I'm not going overseas ever again. Well,s not until next year and then only to Europe ( if I can learn that european language).

I will go to Canada but it has to be during the warm week.

Anthony, I'm glad you are working to preserve the Bengal Tigers (Cincinnati has little else). I went on a tiger hurt with my dad in India when I was young. It was on elephant but we didn't shoot any tigers, now it is illegal or too expensive (if you catch my drift). My dad loved India. He went 4 or 5 times a year. I've been there a few times. Didn't do anything for me. It was too hot and I was two young (I guess).

I have seen the masses of motorbikes and scooters in other countries. I guess I never paid attention to the accidents since I never saw any first hand.

I have learned a lot from you guys and decided not to ride any country that crashes more than we do.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I'm glad you are working to preserve the Bengal Tigers (Cincinnati has little else).

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

That does it, I'm not going overseas ever again. Well,s not until next year and then only to Europe ( if I can learn that european language).

I will go to Canada but it has to be during the warm week.

Anthony, I'm glad you are working to preserve the Bengal Tigers (Cincinnati has little else). I went on a tiger hurt with my dad in India when I was young. It was on elephant but we didn't shoot any tigers, now it is illegal or too expensive (if you catch my drift). My dad loved India. He went 4 or 5 times a year. I've been there a few times. Didn't do anything for me. It was too hot and I was two young (I guess).

I have seen the masses of motorbikes and scooters in other countries. I guess I never paid attention to the accidents since I never saw any first hand.

I have learned a lot from you guys and decided not to ride any country that crashes more than we do.

Another thing to watch out for while driving or riding in India is cows. There are about 500 million of them, and they are everywhere, wandering at will. It would be no fun to smack into one with a Ninja 250, or run over a street dog in the process of nursing 10 new born puppies.

Well, to be fair to India, it is VERY beautiful where it has not been spoiled, most of all inside the national parks and tiger reserves. I have a bunch of pics of my travels and work in India uploaded to www.myspace.com/AnthonyMarr - feel free to check it out.

[CC Cowboy]

Cows, the highest form of life. What a life they have.

There is a rider on here that doesn't feel the same way though. He came across one in the road and tried to give it a ride. They have thick leather but not really bike material.

[2WheelGuy]

Originally Posted by CRXTrek

There shouldn't be either .... why not just outlaw motorcycles ?

I agree! Ban them! The damn things are too dangerous! If you want to get somewhere take a car with crumple zones, seatbelts and airbags.

Seriously, you assume risk with everything you do. Riding a motorcycle assumes a great deal of risk. Wearing gear will reduce the risk but it is still very high when compared to driving a car.

I started riding motorcycles long before there was a helmet law in California. Most of the time I wore a helmet but some times I chose to accept the risk of not wearing a helmet. We used to cruise around and give girls rides. Good times! I miss the freedom of being able to not wear a helmet at times.

Remember when you are looking at someone riding without full gear saying they are an idiot, someone in a car is looking at you on your motorcycle saying YOU ARE AN IDIOT! Remember this when you want to propose laws to stop people from being idiots. Motorcycles are dangerous and you must be an idiot to ride one.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

I guess I never paid attention to the accidents since I never saw any first hand.

The car I was in had an accident with another car in New Delhi. Neither car was covered by insurance. It was just a fender bender, so after some heated exchanges, right in the center of the road with traffic zipping by on both sides, my driver finally dug out what I paid him and gave it to the other driver. Well, even with all the shouting, the parting was not unamicable.

But another time, I was on a highway, and traffic was block by an accident between a car and a bus. At the time I arrived, the driver of the car was in process was being roughed up by the bus driver AND some of the passengers. The guy was on his knees begging for mercy. He might consider it lucky that they only took his car.

On country roads, the vehicles roar by blaring their horns, missing pedestrians by inches. The vehicle I was in smacked a woman in the back of her head with its side-view mirror at about 40 mph. The driver did not stop to check, and I have no idea what happened to the woman. I did not know how to say "SLOW DOWN" in Hindi at that point.

[CC Cowboy]

To bring this thread full circle. I was on our local bike forum (yes, all bikes are welcome there) and I read this thread and thought everyone here would appreciate it.

Last year, before I purchased the Tuono, I was in love with a yellow 2007 GSXR-1000. Ended up getting the Aprilia instead as it was my "dream bike."
That same yellow 07 GSXR1k has sat at Cycle City here in Newnan since then. Every time Id go in the store, Id drool over it, still thinking it was one of the sexiest bikes Id seen.
Well, she sold last week. A 21yo kid bought her as his first bike.
I saw him at a local gas station on Saturday with the bike already scraped up along with some scrapes on his leg. ***Note that he was wearing a tank top, shorts and tennis shoes!!!***
He told me that he had dropped it twice already since buying it last week. I told him it was a shame that a bike that I lusted after for so long, was damaged in her first days on the road. Oh well..I thought to myself...not my bike. I did, however, advise the guy that he really should be wearing some gear..."not telling you what to do, but its the smart, prudent move." He explained that its way to hot for gear. I zipped up my suit and headed out on the Tuono.
Well this afternoon (Monday 22d) I get a call about a motorcycle accident here in Newnan. Guess who???? Same guy...same yellow GSXR1k. Only this time the bike is totally destroyed as was he. We found a white powdery substance on the ground (approx 2inches wide...6 inches long) that we later found out was where his knee cap scraped and ground down. Also found several bits of flesh on the rear passenger pegs and one attached to where the subframe broke in two.
Oh....he was wearing a tee shirt and a pair of shorts and tennis shoes.
Based on just that, you can imagine what the rest of him looked like.
He's alive (not quite sure how), but he aint doing so well.
Reason for the wreck (best educated guess), he was closing WAY fast on another vehicle, hit the front brakes and locked it up, tucked the front and the rest is history.
I mentioned in a post a week or so ago that yeah, the decision to wear gear is yours, but this is the kind of stuff I not only hate, but get tired of seeing.
Please be careful out there!!!!!

[Rayme]

Moral of the story is that guy's an idiot, and also why people that are smart enough will wear gears by themselves and take precaution the feel necessary...but at least you can say you did your part to help him.

[Anthony_marr]

Originally Posted by CC Cowboy

To bring this thread full circle. I was on our local bike forum (yes, all bikes are welcome there) and I read this thread and thought everyone here would appreciate it.

... A 21yo kid bought her as his first bike...

Well, this was about a 21 year old kid. I have a story about a mature couple - my first person account.

Last summer I went kayaking at Buntson Lake near Vancouver (the lake used in the movie Lake Placid) with my then gf, and we were just hauling the kayak out of the water when I noticed these two gorgeous bikes parked side by side, one a red sport bike and the other a Harley While strapping the kayak on the roof of my car, I saw a middle aged couple in full gear mounting the bikes, the MILF of a woman on the Harley, blasting away like an Amazon, and the man in red on red, roared away like a flame. It could have been this moment that rekindled my desire to get back on to a bike.

My gf and I went for dinner, and got back to her place to watch the late news. When we switched the TV on, the anchor was saying something about an accident involving motorcycles somewhere in Surrey, about 20 miles from Buntson Lake. Not being a rider at that point, I paid scant attention, until the bikes appeared. Black and red. The cam zoomed in. They looked damn familiar. It was a two vehicle accident - between the two bikes! Both riders died.

I don't know what the moral of this story is. But whatever it is, it had one hell of an impact on me. Strangely, my desire to get back on to a bike was undeterred. This I guess only bikers can understand.

[Alex]

Poor bike....

[backinthesaddleagain]

one other problem is the young kid in the post bought a literbike with most likely no experience. way more acceleration than he could handle, then he probably panicked while turning or stopping or high sided it.

[kkim]

...and that can't happen on a 250?

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by 2WheelGuy

Remember when you are looking at someone riding without full gear saying they are an idiot, someone in a car is looking at you on your motorcycle saying YOU ARE AN IDIOT!

Pretty much sums is up there, I think.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by kkim

...and that can't happen on a 250?

it can happen on a 50cc scooter, but when you have over 100 rear wheel hp you can get yourself into trouble all the quicker. i have seen many riders grab a handful of throttle on a faster bike, and panic stop or miss the turn that comes so much quicker than they thought it would, or they get tossed when the handful of throttle lofts the front wheel and the rear tire kicks out. i have done it on my dirtbikes. rode the cr125 for a while then hopped on the cr250 (the 2 stroker) a few minutes later and used same technique which looped me out.

The CR125 and the Ninja 250 oddly enough have something in common to me. Both are light, depend on revs to make speed, and require a busy left hand and foot. IMO this makes for some good fun.

[Ken]

Before I started riding I was lurking at all the popular motorcycle websites. What resonated with me the most was those post-crash pics with road rashes and the like. That is the reason why I wear a full compliment of gear and sweat it out. I thank those unfortunate guys for showing their pics.

You can only do so much to convince someone when they see a bunch of cruisers riding for decades in a t-shirt and half-helmet. If they're willing to take the risk, then you can only consult them. I'm not willing to take the risk, and my decision to ride full-gear or lack thereof will only impact me in the end.

You have to remember the people who post about their post-crash stories (and pics of their injuires) risk getting flamed, but their pictures will make a difference to a new rider who views it. Not all new riders, but at least one.

[backinthesaddleagain]

i would take a picture of my stomach scar but doubt anyone wants to see it. 13 yrs old at the time, flipped in the air and came down on handlbar. bar didnt cut me open, surgeon did to remove my ruptured spleen. minimal gear for kids back in 1977.

fast forward to 1985 flipped in the air by cr250 (or by the pair of double jumps) and came down on footpeg, luckily thor chest protector took the hit, punctured the plastic but somehow kept it from penetrating enough to injure me. Got back on and took a 5th place!

Maybe after a few drinks some night will take that pic! don't want to scare anyone with a weak stomach though . not because of the scar but because of the middleaged gut!