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Wear Protective Gear - ATT

S

Silverado

Guest
Guest
Should you wear protective gear?  Take a look at this video clip.......great opportunity to reflect on the importance of being prepared for the ride.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kR7oSxhu1lw

Luckily the rider walked away with only some bruises, scraps and a sprained ankle.  And, of course, damaged pride.  He lives to ride again.

 
This guy need to learn how to ride a motorcycle first. He laid the bike down after using way too much rear braking as the sorry ass excuse of a deer ran past him! I didnt even see a hit. I did see a long rear tire skid, about 30 feet long though.  They make deer a lot larger out west. A lot larger!
 
THat looked a lot more like the road to Harper than the road to Fredricksburg... I nail a BIG buck on that road one night going home from work (church).  And yeah, he never touched the deer, it looked to me like he may have lost the front due to lock up.  If you watch it closely, you'll see the rear tire to the left of the mark and the front slide out to the right with the mark.
 
Rev Ryder said:
And yeah, he never touched the deer, it looked to me like he may have lost the front due to lock up.  If you watch it closely, you'll see the rear tire to the left of the mark and the front slide out to the right with the mark.
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+1 - gotta agree that it looked like a front tire lockup. The way it went down so quick seems to imply he may have tried to swerve while braking.

 
Rev Ryder said:
THat looked a lot more like the road to Harper than the road to Fredricksburg... I nail a BIG buck on that road one night going home from work (church).  And yeah, he never touched the deer, it looked to me like he may have lost the front due to lock up.  If you watch it closely, you'll see the rear tire to the left of the mark and the front slide out to the right with the mark.
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Rev, I think they were closer to Comfort.....Stoneleigh Rd or Center Point heading north up to Frederickburg.  I suspect there was a little panick and his braking technique surely contributed to lost of control.  Also, I think his mine was behind his travel speed for the road condition and environment.  Amazingly it happened so fast.....on dry, rough pavement.  I've rode with this guy on several occassions and he use to wear at least a protective jacket and gloves.  I don't think he will want to go though that again.  Complacency can be hazardous!! 

 
Silverado said:
Rev, I think they were closer to Comfort.....Stoneleigh Rd or Center Point heading north up to Frederickburg.  I suspect there was a little panick and his braking technique surely contributed to lost of control.  Also, I think his mine was behind his travel speed for the road condition and environment.  Amazingly it happened so fast.....on dry, rough pavement.  I've rode with this guy on several occassions and he use to wear at least a protective jacket and gloves.  I don't think he will want to go though that again.  Complacency can be hazardous!!
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Gotcha, yeah... that could be the road. In any case that's some mean chipseal in the entire area... it'd be like falling on a cheesegrater.  I figured that was why he seemed to try to keep himself rolling in the crash.  Man that's gotta hurt.  I can see the shiny skin in the video.  ANd yes, it was surely a panic stop that put him down.  After having struck several deer while living there myself, my motto is: "More power Scottie" and just drive through the deer.  Chances are you'll miss the deer and hitting the brakes will cause you reduced control no matter how good your technique is. If I don't go down from hitting the deer (and after three good deer impacts I have not yet gone down) THEN I can hit the brakes and empty my shorts.
 
2linby said:
They make deer a lot larger out west. A lot larger!
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Yes, but their size contributes to their element of surprise down in these parts......can't see the little F---k$$# until after they have  committed on the attack. :-\  We hear about them but seldom see them....so we really don't learn how to respect them.  In other parts of the US, their size makes you respect them so you look more often for them.
 
Nice discussion on deer distruction / avoidance technique.  I gotta go with Rev and the theory of the exploding deer as a good option.  However, the point was about ATGATT and the storal of the mory is that most experienced riders practice it, inexperienced riders are more likely not to.  Probably has something to do 'cause young folks tend to have spent their wad on the bike with nothing left over for the gear.  I particularly like the guy wearing (horse) riding boots.  In the interest of full disclosure, it wasn't too many years ago when the t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers get up (with helmet and gloves) was my street riding gear of choice (the expensive dirt gear wasn't cool on the street). :motonoises:
 
BJ_CT said:
However, the point was about ATGATT and the storal of the mory is that most experienced riders practice it, inexperienced riders are more likely not to.  Probably has something to do 'cause young folks tend to have spent their wad on the bike with nothing left over for the gear.  I particularly like the guy wearing (horse) riding boots. 
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Thanks BJ_CT, drifted off topic just a little bit.  However, your comment about "most experienced riders practice it......" can be subjective.  Sadly, the rider that went down considered himself an experienced rider.....25+ years of riding.  The other riders in the group where much younger but they all had on helmets, jackets, sliders, and gloves.  The key is being prepared for your ride....and that starts with preflight and continues through the ride til you park it.  All riders make mistakes......good habits and continuous practice helps reduce the consequencies of those mistakes.    :great:
 
I'm not trying to derail this topic, but I've watched the video a half dozen times.

Is that really a deer?  I've seen larger beagles. Bambis in Indiana are born at least twice that size.

I've never been a gear guy, but I'm acquiring it slowly. I always wear a helmet, boots and gloves. A jacket is next and then I'll give up my Levi's in favor of something more abrasion resistant.
 
First off. that wasn't a deer. Our fawns are bigger than that. I think it was a weasel!  :))


As far as Being prepared for your ride. You might be better off saying being prepared for the crash.  Wearing gear has nothing to do with being prepared for the ride. It's being prepared for the crash.  Being prepared for the ride would IMO, be more along the lines of a properly maintained motorcycle prepped to ride. Or being fit to ride both in physical and mental condition. And like Bruce said, prepared in keeping your skills sharp. They all have to do with preparing for the ride. Gear does nothing to prepare for the ride. It only has to do with the crash! And all the gear in the world is not going to make you a better rider. Nor would it have made him avoid the cat he almost hit. Or make him safer in any way. It only "might" protect him better in a crash. The inexperienced, guy with his skills not sharp are more likely to need the gear. I personally think that ABS would have saved this guy much better than any gear might have!

Now don't get me wrong. Gear is a good thing. Everyone is a grown up and must assess the risk of possible injuries when riding. Wearing gear is normally the smarter way to go. But it's the person's decision to make not ours. 
 
Hey, I spent twenty years living in that area, and yeah, even there that's a small Whitetail deer (fawn).  Now, if you run across some 300 lb Axis deer on the road in that area, you will find that when there's one, there's 50 of em and they all stay close enough together that you cannot miss them if they decide to parade in front of you. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKgRFK1HIFo&feature=related
 
Cap'n Bob said:
Now don't get me wrong. Gear is a good thing. Everyone.................must assess the risk of possible injuries when riding. Wearing gear is normally the smarter way to go. But it's the person's decision to make not ours.
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Bob, very well stated.  That's the emphasis in the original post.  Ride safe and live.......  :truce:
 
The thought of going out without full gear gives me the shivers.  I know I'm probably going to need it at some point in my riding career. Having seen Brittany's video (there's a post around here about it), I don't want that to be me.
 
Right, Cap'n!! Dress for the crash, not for the ride.

I used to be a helmet and street clothes guy, then I went down on a curve while wearing a borrowed jacket and gloves. After seeing the damage they took, I NEVER go for a ride without them now. Helmet and gloves if I'm going out of my driveway, jacket if I'm going farther than the end of the block, riding pants and boots if farther than the corner gas station.

A buddy lost a new Ducati Multistrada on a gravelled up curve last week (road repair guys' fault for the pebbles). He was wearing full gear and I can tell you that it would have been really ugly if he had been in jeans and/or without a jacket. As it turned out, two small raspberries and a sore knee was the only body damage he sustained. Worse for the Duc.
 
smithr-scad said:
Most accidents happen within 3 miles of home.  I am just saying.  :-*
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I used to never believe that.

However, i've woken up after two separate 'get-off's' and both were within 5 miles from my house.  Both of them, the fine paramedics offered to taxi me to the local hospital.

Both of them i know i wasn't on guard.  I know i was relaxed, just running errands.  both were 40-50mph get-offs, and involved cages invading my space.

Now adays i'm a lot older, and a little more mature.  I ride on guard ALL THE TIME.
 
smithr-scad said:
Most accidents happen within 3 miles of home.  I am just saying.  :-*
Click to expand...


I just thought back about every auto or motorcycle accident, ticket or anything else I've ever had over the years. None of them have taken place within three miles from home! But I guess I was within three miles of someones home on every one! So I guess it must be right!!!  :))
 
I am sure its been said already...but let me say it too

anyone notice that EVERYONE else who appeared on camera was geared up in jacket, gloves, boots, except the person who actually fell down? 

Not all the time, but usually, in my personal experience, the one who has the least amount of proper gear IS the one who has the least skill and is probably the newest rider of the bunch.

It reminds me of when i bought my first bike, and one of my buddies told me quite frankly
"there are two kinds of riders, those who have gone down, and those who will go down...so prepare yourself properly"
 
During my commute, Helmet, gloves, Jacket.

All other riding, add riding pants.

I have crashed with gear and without.  Much better with gear.
 
S Smith said:
Brittany's Story on ATTGAT
http://vimeo.com/user2245138/roadrashqueen
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Awesome girl, video and cause.  Just donated to her and LIKEd organization on facebook.
 
On 7-23-2005, I posted this on another forum.  It is worth repeating:

Protective gear is NUMBER ONE with me now and forever more. Just this afternoon, I was travelling north on a divided four-lane when a small pickup truck darts out in front like the driver wanted to cross over a median break to make a left turn. Only catch was, there was no median break. So the driver, being ever intelligent (NOT) just parks it, blocking two lanes of travel. Meanwhile, I'm using every brake available to slow down from 60 MPH. Spotting a clear accel lane to the right, I swerve to use that lane to pass the vehicle. Trouble is, the accel lane has lots of fine gravel pieces all over it. The result? A low side slide for over 125 feet.

There are six reasons why I am here right now. The first? Graduating from the MSF Basic Rider Course this past January. Why? Because of the training and it reinforced the need for the other five: full face helmet, mesh jacket, denim blue jeans, gloves and boots. I came away from the incident with only very very mild abrasions on my arms and a bruised thigh, torn jeans, ripped mesh jacket, lost helmet visor and messed up wallet. There were NO broken bones, NO head or spinal injuries, and very minimal skin abrasions.

I wore all the gear even with the searing heat this area is experiencing. Had I worn anything less, I'm certain I would not be here to write about it nine hours later...

RIDE SAFE!
 
Sorry to hear about that, and glad you are ok Vulcan.  I also ride with full protective gear.  Mesh jackets and pants leave few excuses not to wear protection even when it’s hot.  How was your ride after the slide?  Any serious damage?  Could you ride away?
 
Yes, I managed to ride myself to the emergency room and then to the dealership where, thanks to insurance, the bike received about $2500 in repairs and I got full replacement of my protective gear.  Again, there wasn't much luck involved, but instead LOTS of advance preparation in anticipation of the event.
 
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