How much gear do you see OTHERS wearing?

[Kitdog]

So in my travels and going to a few bike nights in the Albuquerque area I have noticed a vast difference in levels of gear worn by others when riding. So as my question states I just wonder how much gear you see others wearing?

The most common is Clear glasses and maybe a chest protector. I see a few with helmets. I also see very few couples with gear on maybe a pair with helmets but that’s rare. Some have helmets but are locked on their bikes and not their heads. It seems that less than 15% gear at all, and it is usually gloves or the rare helmet.

[Jaymi]

I just came from Florida. People there rarely wear helmets let alone shoes, I really do not consider flips appropriate riding footware. I see tons of tank tops and shorts all the time. In MD though, I am pretty sure there is a helmet law, so I always see people with helmets. I live and work near a military installation so it is very common to see people all decked out from head to toe, especially in the morning.

[Guinss]

I'd say around half of the people i meet got full gear (jacket, pants, boots etc), the other half got only a helmet, maybe a pair gloves. Those who got only a helmet is often 125 cc or smaller. But there are a couple of big bikes, ridden by people in t-shirt and only a helmet. Makes me cringe.

Originally Posted by Kitdog

maybe a pair with helmets but that’s rare

Wait, what? If i saw anyone without a helmet i would be shocked. Everyone around here got it, because it's required by law, but i cant imagine not having that law.

[Kitdog]

Yea there is no helmet law here, so I don't see them that often, more often on the freeway but in town, thats kinda rare.

[backinthesaddleagain]

In RI cruiser riders have either no helmet or half helmet. Most of their gloves are fingerless. Don't forget bandana. Sport riders - shorts, sneaks, t shirt, maybe helmet. Guys I know - helmet, gloves, jacket, boots, and jeans or riding pants.
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[backinthesaddleagain]

RI law is only passenger needs a helmet.
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[kkim]

How much gear do you see OTHERS wearing?

...most times, not enough, but that's their problem. I wear what I need to be safe on the road.

[red_dragon]

I live in a small town but there are many people that ride motorcycles and I think I might possible be the only one that wear's a jacket, gloves, and helmet. All of them have a helmet on because its law but no other protective gear.

[Kitdog]

The one that buggs me to no end is seeing a guy with gear on, and his woman on the back with NOTHING And they are clearly a couple Does he not care about HER safety! I have had a girl ask me to take her for a ride around the block, I made her wear my helmet and jacket. I told her I am willing to risk my own safety but not yours! (side note my helmet smelled like her inside for a couple of days too )

[backinthesaddleagain]

Originally Posted by Kitdog

The one that buggs me to no end is seeing a guy with gear on, and his woman on the back with NOTHING And they are clearly a couple Does he not care about HER safety! I have had a girl ask me to take her for a ride around the block, I made her wear my helmet and jacket. I told her I am willing to risk my own safety but not yours! (side note my helmet smelled like her inside for a couple of days too )

I was going to mention the smell would be good. On my CBR the undertail exhaust makes my jacket smell like gas/exhaust. Grammatically speaking I guess the inside of your helmet smelled like her vs your helmet smelling like her insides. LOL.

[TenaciousD]

Around here I'd estimate that only about 20% of the riders I've seen lately are wearing any gear at all- usually just a helmet or even a half-helmet. I occasionally see a sportbike rider wearing full gear but even that is rare. I hear about motorcycle fatalities around here on at least a weekly basis, but I always wonder if they were wearing any gear or not. Most likely they are not.
I always wear boots, jacket, gloves, full-face helmet. I'd rather be hot than have to get road gravel scraped out of my skin at the emergency room.

[Cab305]

This is Miami, sometimes people wear socks.

[backinthesaddleagain]

My bike and a friends on a hot summer ride. Guess whose owner had gear and who didn't.

[Jaymi]

Originally Posted by Cab305

This is Miami, sometimes people wear socks.

Haha! If anything at all!!!

[Kitdog]

Originally Posted by Cab305

This is Miami, sometimes people wear socks.

Wow sounds like I need to move to Miami!!! I bet seeing the women ridding on the back of bikes is a experience!

[Talonne]

Helmets are required by law here, so that's a given.

Sportbikes: Most of the time, jacket + gloves + jeans. Some of the time, t-shirts! Very rarely do I see anyone wearing riding pants (aside from my boyfriend and I). I like having skin on my legs, thankyouverymuch.

Cruisers: LEATHER VESTS Y'ALL. With tank tops or t-shirts underneath. The more sensible ones wear jackets, and the stupider ones don't even bother with the leather vest (not that it would do much). I've seen so many girls riding on the backs of cruisers in tank tops recently...

[00NissanNinja]

A lot of the people on cruisers or harleys wear just regular clothes and occasionally I'll see some with a helmet, gloves and a vest. I see sportbikers with gear more often than cruiser riders but they will also be out with no protective gear. So I say maybe 10% of the people I see have at least a helmet and jacket kinda sad with sportbikers being the larger part of that populace.

[KJohnson21]

Here in California helmets are required so you see them all the time. There is the occasional very rare exception. I saw one the other day on a scooter. The guy had a helmet on, but he wasn't wearing it, it was hanging loosely by the strap behind his neck.

The two most noticeable types of riders in SoCal are cruisers and sportbikes. The cruisers typically have "skull cap" helmets, and the sportbikers usually have full face. The other types of riders tend to be a random assortment. In the heat of the summer most of them seem to loose their other safety gear. I'm pretty sure that if helmets were optional, they'd be gone too.

Recently there was a cruiser that went down on the freeway in this area. From the description I heard it sounded like traffic stopped, he got surprised and jammed on the brakes, locked up the rear wheel, lost control, did a face plant, DOA. He was wearing a skull cap helmet.

I'm not saying that the sportbikers are more safety conscious either. I think most of them wear the full face helmets as a style thing. "Stealth mode", or something like that. Because it's quite common to see them wearing nothing else but shorts and sneakers.

My wife and I use cool vests during the summer and stay ATGATT all year long.

[JeffM]

Sometimes I feel I am the only full ATGATT guy out here. Especially with the weather in the upper 90's.

Most of the folks I see riding are wearing little or no motorcycle specific gear. Some pudding bowl helmets with chaps and vests. There are no helmet laws for adults here.

Sportbike riders usually have only a helmet and ATGATT usually means helmet, jacket, gloves. It seems a month will go by before I see anyone full ATGATT.

Now, maybe I'm not seeing the whole picture. There is a sportbike association here in the Salt Lake area with a local racing series, so I assume that many are riding with full gear. If so, I'm not seeing them.

[backinthesaddleagain]

Any mention of miami and female riders/passengers is worthless without pics - haha.

[thurt88]

Im guilty of wearing just helmet and gloves I admit it. Its 105 here and I ride to work mostly, all highway, and full gear would be an extreme inconvienence going into work and leaving work. I know I know I know..........

[adouglas]

Originally Posted by thurt88

Im guilty of wearing just helmet and gloves I admit it. Its 105 here and I ride to work mostly, all highway, and full gear would be an extreme inconvienence going into work and leaving work. I know I know I know..........

Whether that's a wise choice is something I hope you never find out.

Inconvenience vs. picking bits of asphalt out of your butt?
Inconvenience vs. losing big patches of skin?

Hmm..... I know which I'd choose.

Your choice, your skin, your risk. Good luck.

Today's mesh gear is amazingly comfortable. Seriously, my jacket feels no different than wearing just a shirt.

[want1sobad]

[Kitdog]

Originally Posted by adouglas

Whether that's a wise choice is something I hope you never find out.

Inconvenience vs. picking bits of asphalt out of your butt?
Inconvenience vs. losing big patches of skin?

Hmm..... I know which I'd choose.

Your choice, your skin, your risk. Good luck.

Today's mesh gear is amazingly comfortable. Seriously, my jacket feels no different than wearing just a shirt.

I think its all a calculated risk, I know if I'm going to the clubs I only wear my helmet and gloves, but that's about 1 mile down roads with speedlimits of a whopping 25-30mph. On the highway i wear my Icon jacket and back protector. Its all what your willing to risk, I just see alot of people who don't even own gear (have talked to some) and was wondering if it's the sun that lowers IQ around here or all around.

[adouglas]

Agreed about the calculated risk.

For my commute I wear boots, helmet, gauntlets, overpants with CE knee/shin guards and a full CE Level 2 armor shirt (Velocity Juggernaut - chest, elbow, forearm, bicep, shoulder and full back and kidney protection) under my mesh jacket, which has had its armor removed to make room.

Overkill? Not when I think for a moment about what would happen to me if I hit the pavement on the highway at speed. Equipped as I am, I think I might actually survive such an accident.

And just this morning, an SUV driver decided to share my lane with me.

This level of gear goes no matter how hot it is outside. I have yet to find it actually intolerable (as in I simply cannot do it), and we've had heat indexes as high as 105 this summer (high 90s and very humid).

At lunch, though, I hop over to a diner one mile away, at about 30 mph. Still, for that I wear a jacket (my spare, kept at the office, which still has its armor), helmet and gauntlets.

I NEVER EVER EVER go without at least that much on.

But that's just my calculation of risk. If I need to go somewhere where it'd be too much of a hassle to deal with a jacket and helmet, I'll just drive.

[want1sobad]

X2

[capt_bugaloo]

The sportbikes riders here tend to wear little riding gear other than a fullface helmet, especially on a warm day.
The cruiser/tourer group tend to wear openface helmets with jacket, gloves, boots and jeans.
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[tapdiggy]

I see the spectrum of gear usage. Maine is free of laws that explicitly require gear for fully licensed motorcycle riders, so it is pretty wide open. The riders who most often wear helmets are folks on dual sport and adventure bikes. But, based on their choice in bike, it's obvious they make the best decisions.

[LazinCajun]

I'd say maybe 50-60% of the people I see around town have helmets (I don't count half-helmets as helmets, even if they are DOT approved).

5% or less have any other gear on whatsoever during the summer, much less everything. Hell, even the accessories sales rep at a local dealership was trying to discourage me from wearing anything during the summer.

I definitely get some strange looks out on the road around here, but I don't mind at all.

[Soujyu]

It varies in this area, like everyone is saying. I do see people on cruisers with reasonably full gear.

In this area, I'm a lot more likely to see the sportbikers and the scooter crowd not use any safety gear other than a helmet.

[Daeldren]

No helmet laws here so most of the cruiser guys wear nothing substantial, since when were khaki shorts considered hardcore? Sport bike guys are hit and miss, Ill see a few wearing at least a helmet, usually its plaid shorts flip flops and wife beater. (Dont forget the cool glasses and backwards baseball cap to finish off the LOOK).

[tinng321]

The other day I was on I287 heading home from work.
I was on my bike with helmet, jacket, gloves and boots.
Saw a girl in her late 20's on a cruiser. It looks like a honda, may be yamaha. IDK, I don't pay attention to cruisers. She was a little over weight and all she had on was short, pink wind breaker, pink low cut sneakers, pink half-helmet, a pink mini back pack (it was something that my niece would wear, one of those hello kitty with long straps).
This morning heading into work I saw a guy on his newgen 250 and a guy on a gixxer with just their helmets.

[Sailariel]

Originally Posted by kkim

How much gear do you see OTHERS wearing?

...most times, not enough, but that's their problem. I wear what I need to be safe on the road.

I have to agree with Kelly. Quite honestly, I never really cared what other people thought or what was in fashion. I wear full gear all the time because I like myself and because the gear is an investment in myself. The stuff they make today is incredible--certainly way ahead of what we had in 1958 when I started riding. I always wore a helmet even though it was not mandatory. MC helmets, in those days were not nearly as well made as those today. The state of the art helmet then was the Buco (as worn by MC Cops). In 1970 the helmet to have was a Bell Magnum. Armor in jackets and riding pants was unheard of. They make gear now that can be comfortably worn in temperatures of 100F and above. Sure the protection offered by a mesh jacket is less than that offered by a leather one, but it is protection nevertheless. I would rather be hot and alive than a "Road Hamburger", or worse yet, dead. I have crashed several times bicycle racing and suffered a lot of road rash. The only protection bicyclists have is helmet and gloves. I am on my third bicycle helmet. The two I trashed were definitely a wake up call.

[shortstuff]

Around Baltimore the sportbike "style" is a full face helmet, gloves and an armor vest. My favorite was a guy wearing just shorts and sneakers with a full-legnth spine protector and a helmet. I've lost my own share of skin thinking jeans would suffice (they disintegrate in a second or two) but I'll still only pull out the full leathers if its A) raining or B) I'll be dragging knee. Everything else is a calculated risk.

[Blackwidow]

In california, or at least southern California, it is the law to wear a helmet. As far as the rest of the gear, depends on the person and where they are. Around the beach cities, I see lots of people (guys and girls) wearing shorts, tank tops, usually they have some sort armor on...
But i have seen dumb a$$'s on the freeway going 75+ with a t-shirt on, jeans, and gloves wtih helmets. I worry about those guys.

i've seen girls in daisey dukes and tanks on with knee protectors, and elbow protectors. It looks sexy, but c'mon!

Riders on cruisers usually wear the skull helmet with leather jackets or leather vests...not much protection at all.

[Kitdog]

last night I was out with some friends and we were laughing because we saw a couple of guys were on gixxers wearing nothing but gloves and spine vests our statement was when they get to the hospital "well he died in a motorcycle crash severe head trauma... but oddly enough his torso was unharmed"

[onetruevibe]

This is my first season out, and I have to say that I have yet to see anyone wearing full-gear (except when looking in the mirror).

I found it pretty ridiculous to learn that one of the benefits of completing the MSP in PA was that you were no longer required to wear a helmet. Now that makes sense - take a course about safety so you don't have to deal with that pesky safety gear. Sheesh.

In my limited riding experience, here in western PA, helmets and jeans seem to be the extent of it.

[GeneJunkie]

Since there is a helmet law in CA, I see everyone with a helmet on, mostly just the helmet and regular clothes. I sometimes see helmet and gloves, sometimes spine vests. I did see a lady riding a chopper with a skid lid and flip flops the other day. Every now and then I'll see a rider with full gear.

When it hit triple digits it seemed that all the gear magically disappeared and people only owned helmets.

[Postiez]

In northern Utah I get a RIDICULOUS amount of squids on r1's with no gear who go the speed limit or under. They don't seem to handle their bikes well and they actually seem quite uncomfortable to be on a sport bike as noted by their straight arms trying to put them into more of a relaxed sitting position. The guys wearing gear usually seem like much better riders and for some reason usually aren't on r1s and now that I think about it are mainly on 600cc supersports.

As far as Harley riders we get a lot of religious guys who like to take their bike out and show off around their neighborhoods who are either wearing an open face or no helmet, id say about 30% 70% respectively. We also get the harleyed out guys who are usually wearing a bandanna or skull cap type helmet.

By the numbers:
Sport Bikes(25%)
No gear at all 60% (and don't get me started about guys w/ helmets in helmet holders while they ride -_-)
Full faced Helmet 20%
Full gear 20%

Harley style bikes(55%)
- The religious type guys(50% of the harley riders)
No Gear 70%
3/4 helmet 30%
Full Gear 0%
- Harlyed out guys
No Gear 10%
Just skull cap type helmet 10%
Harley Gear(little to no crash prot) 60%
Harley Gear w/ skull cap 20%

Tourers (10%)
I'd say 90% of these guys wear some sort of jacket, mainly with reflective stuff on it
3/4 Helmet 65%
Full Helmet 35%

Old School Bikes (10%)
Hipsters with no gear (80%)
Older guys w/ at least a helmet (20%)

Of course this is all just based on observation and me thinking about it now but I'd say its pretty accurate because I pay attention to it. The percents of bikes represent the percents of bikes I see on the road. I think the harley ratio would be much higher if it were % of bikes owned.

For me:
Jacket 98%
Helmet 100%
Gloves 99%

I have ridden once or twice without jacket and once without gloves.

[Postiez]

Originally Posted by shortstuff

Around Baltimore the sportbike "style" is a full face helmet, gloves and an armor vest. My favorite was a guy wearing just shorts and sneakers with a full-legnth spine protector and a helmet. I've lost my own share of skin thinking jeans would suffice (they disintegrate in a second or two) but I'll still only pull out the full leathers if its A) raining or B) I'll be dragging knee. Everything else is a calculated risk.

Lol maybe you should buy nicer jeans! I slid for a while on mine and they didnt even rip or anything just were starting to fray everywhere. I was doing 35-50(wasnt looking as speedo) and slid down the road for maybe 15 yards. To be fair though most of my weight was on my jacket arm. The icon leather took it like a champ, just a bit scuffed up.

Also, for all of you complaining about the heat there are some good options as far as decent protection w/ good cooling. The jacket I just mentioned is the only one I own and its the best of both worlds being a textile leather hybrid.

http://www.revzilla.com/product/icon-arc-textile-jacket

It has armor, lots of perf, and big wind scoops on zippers on the shoulders. It has a nice liner so I wear it year round as long as there isnt snow on the ground. You can also take the liner out loosen it up a bit and wear a hoodie under it ^_^. I crashed on it and I couldn't have asked for more. I lowsided and I slid for a while and stood up right before i came to a stop and was immediately running to check out the bike.

Theres also a mesh version which is probably a lot cooler but I don't think it would give as much protection but would be FAR better than nothing. If you shop around you can find them pretty cheap as well. Sorry if I sound preachy.. I just wanted to help =D