Did a complete 180!!!

[aja1739]

... no... not on the road. In my riding gear. (OK, I know... that was cheap.)

Used to be a dedicated cruiser rider, with my last bike (before my current '04 R1150R) being a HD 1200 Custom. Had the black leather jacket, black workboots, black half-helmet - the whole deal. Wore a t-shirt & jeans most of the time, until I decided I might ought to get a (black) mesh/armored jacket "just in case". Only wore the leather for warmth occasionally. Visibility be damned! Besides, the loud pipes should let everyone know I'm here, right?! That all on a 5'-10" 175 lb accounting consultant - yeah, I'm a bad-a$$. Needless to say, I got to feel like I was "playing a part" after a while, and started to think about what I really wanted, rather than what I thought other people would think is "cool". A minor spill really triggered me to start thinking that way.

So... went from all that to my silver BMW, which is much more comfortable, easier to maneuver, and just more "me". I got me a decent silver/gray armored 3-season jacket, a pair of overpants for when I ride to my clients, some regular pants for pleasure rides, and - gasp! - a full-face helmet!!

Now, I'm actually contemplating getting a neon green/yellow helmet. With two school-age kids and a wife, I guess I'm just thinking that looking "cool" won't put them through college and pay the mortgage if I get caught in another unfortunate situation that could potentially either take me out completely, or incapacitate me to the point of not working. I only occasionally ride in jeans, and always wear my jacket, gloves, and FF helmet now, and feel naked as hell in just the jeans. Must be getting old, b/c I see these "kids" in shorts, wife-beaters, and even flip-flops on all sorts of bikes - rice-rockets & Harleys alike - and just think, "Man, there's someone who's never been down. Shame to waste all that money on the fancy helmet!"

Oh, well... to each his own, I guess. Any of you guys (or gals) out there go through the same process, or is this just part of "maturing"?

Best regards,
Andrew

[Buckster]

Always dress for the crash...not the ride!
Another wise person said, "Cover only the parts of your body that you don't want road rash on".

[rdsmith3]

My last helmet was a Scorpion EXO 700 helmet (great value, BTW). This comes in neon yellow, but it was not available in my size at the time. I was going to get it, though.

Instead, I bought a neon yellow construction worker vest. I wear that over my jacket now.

You can see it here

[aja1739]

That's the exact helmet I'm looking at. Glad to hear you had a positive experience with it! Thanks for the input.
Andrew

[iowabeakster]

I'm 36 now, and always wear my gear now. I would just feel ridiculous riding around without it. When I was 19... that wasn't the case. So there may be something to the maturity idea.

My next helmet is going to be...

[Ol' Jeffers]

Schuberth R1 & C3
These are quiet, comfortable , and reassuringly expensive. They have a built in sunvisor and the C3 helmet is a flip front
and both the main visor and the sunvisor are of optical quality. The peripheral vision is the best I've ever experienced.
Used by many European Motorcycle cops! C3 is available in Fluorescent Yellow. Some of the US BMW dealers stock them.
I wear a Schuberth R1 and it's fantastic, no, I mean it, really very good.
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcyc ... uberth-c3/
http://www.webbikeworld.com/r2/motorcyc ... uberth-r1/

[Xdot]

Right with you Andrew. I'm new to street riding and a fellow rider passed me on the way in to work a week or two ago (I was in my car at the time). He had a nice black, one piece riding suit with a neon green chest and back. The man stood out like Brittany Spears in the guys locker room. From observation it seems to me that the chest stands out much more than the helmet. I could be wrong. I've ordered a Diamond Gray Arai Profile and this Cortech leather and mesh jacket.



I'm a physicist so adding a big, yellow radiation symbol to the back of the helmet will help me get folks' attention while at the same time scratching that itch to be 'distinctive'.

I've also found that riding flimsy clothing at highway speed on a bike is just plain uncomfortable.

Good luck with the gear!

John

[D-Rider]

Amazing. I could have written most of that. I have all the same apparel in my closet.

I'm looking at getting a Darien in Hi-Viz, a full face helment in white or Hi-Viz.

It's funny how one's perspective can change. Sad how it took me until I was 54.

-Matt

[angellr]

Just took order of a Motoport Kevlar jacket http://www.motoport.com/_product_35442/ ... lar_Jacket in black with hi-res & hi-res highlights with quad armor. Also got the pants as well. Best $1.5K I EVER spent!! I feel like I stand a chance if I launch off going at higher speeds. BTW, it fits literally like a glove, as they take your measurements so that it fits *really* well.

[Mollygrubber]

Yep, I get lots of sceptical looks in my full riding gear on a hot summer day (and during the winter for that matter), but those folks don't know how good the modern armored gear is at dealing with heat and cold.

I just got a fully armored Rev'It Air jacket, man that thing disappears as soon as you start moving! It's like wearing a t-shirt... And a white Shoei RF1100, which I decided upon after following another rider with a white helmet and noticing how much more visible he was.

The day-glo colors still freak me out, but I'm coming around. I'm only 44.