Help me make my mind up

Seriously - the likes of Burnt, Tog, me, and pretty much anyone else
who started biking in the 70s and 80s had all our early accidents in
jeans. Shit, I can still recall buying my first leather trews in
about 1985, and I was the first out of virtually all the bikers I knew
to have full leathers. It just wasn't done.

Everyone's so fucking soft nowadays.

 

Indeed. School uniform on the daily commute until I left VI form.

 

I started biking (properly rather than faffing around) in the late
90s. I had all my early accidents (including writing off my Bandit
1200) wearing non-leather trousers, though in that case I did have my
old Dainese leather jacket on. In fact, none of the times I've crashed
have been when I was wearing full leathers.

 

Champ wrote

By way of a very pleasant change Auvache finds himself sharing an
opinion with a /growing/ minority group.

 

you're saying you've *always* been fucking soft?

 

I think it's a case of 'take an umbrella and it won't rain'.

I've not crashed since about 1985. I used to wear a *very* cheap
leather jacket, gloves, boots etc. and crashed loads of times.
Since I got back into bikes in '92, and splashed out on full leathers
at the same time, I've not crashed at all.

 

So, you don't learn from experience as well then?

 

For convenience, my textile jacket is great, but I tend not to wear it
anymore. After a couple of crashes, I've come to the conclusion that, even
if the textile jacket doesn't wear through (it doesn't seem like it would),
it isn't going to hold me together as well as the leather jacket is.

Both jackets have similar armour, but I think the toughness of the leather
would hold my bones and joints better in a crash, and help prevent breaks
etc.

Though I may just be talking shit.

 

I have.

 

Over their leathers.

 

That's the answer, see? Drive - don't ride.

It may seem a bit gay wearing leather for driving, but you'll soon get
used to it - and acquire a whole new circle of friends into the
bargain.

 

In uk.rec.motorcycles, Champ said:

I started in the 80s in October 87. I didn't get any waterproofs until
Chriastmas that year. I also rode to work in jeans when there was ice
and snow

Heh. My first pair of leather jeans I got from a free-ads paper and they
cost me a fiver. They weren't proper bikers jeans but were a mouldy get
of "gays" ;-)

 

darsy wrote

It may sound that way but it was not what I meant.

Honest.

 

I swear by my Gericke waterproof, breathable, armoured jacket. Not
the cheapest solution, but it will last for years, give protection if
you need it and be easy to get on and off. I use mine in preference
to leather usually, unless serious hoonage is anticipated.

 

Sez the bloke who came out on Sunday in his custom made race one piece
leathers with a winter armoured jacket over the top

 

Well, yeah, but I would also expect that after a five year break,
that I might well be a bit rusty and could easily had had an 'off'
or two whilst I got back into it.

Actually, I suspect that a lot of this was to do with the ability
of modern bikes, too. I can remember a number of incidents where
I got out of trouble almost certainly in some part due to the
better handling, brakes, suspension etc. of a new bike compared
to some of the heaps I had ridden before, and on which I almost
certainly would have ended up in a ditch.

 

I'm pretty much of the same mind.

 

Looks like I need to try on some Gericke stuff then, thinks theres a shop in
Braintree... and it's a pleasant ride from here.

Ta, D

 

What if you were planning to have an accident. Which would you wear then?

 

No back protector?