Scooter riders and Gear

[Dizzi]

Yeah I completely agree that people should have a total right to what they want to wear when riding, mind you I have been told, even as a newbie that my leather riding jacket which I absolutely love with a lovely she devil on the back and widow spider on each arm is one of the hottest looking things a chick can wear along with the awsome funky helmets that are out there and my dragen jeans are byond comfi, (hear hear on the open face helmets ever seen what a smashed in face looks like and how much surgery it takes to reconstruct it not pretty I tell you) I guess my other point is also for the other people that either have to turn up to the accident as the ambos or the ones who witness it or are involved in it, there is nothing worse than hearing someone screaming in pain because all they have had on is nylon and they have slid down the road on their back, bum, side or whichever way and ripped their skin off to the bone, I don't know gear is a small price to pay for a huge one that you would be paying if you come off in anyway and since Sydney has the most patient, calm non-agressive drivers - NOT - I would think that the good ol scooter riders would want protection, I must admit saw the best one on the bridge this morning women hair flailing, open face helmet with handbag with very long strap dangling from one arm, that was tops wonder if she would stop suddenly if it came of or even better it got caught in the wheel, yes the strap was that long!!!!!

[corvus2606]

it got caught in the wheel, yes the strap was that long!!!!!

The stap was that long, but were the wheels on the scoot big enough?

a quote ive seen around is "Gear may be expensive, but is pain the low cost alternative?"

I have seen plenty of scooters cutting people off in peak minute traffic in canberra, only to then do 80 in a 100 zone, its just asking for a clobbering

[Ratmick]

It is rare for me to squid it anyway, but I want that choice.
I don’t think insurance companies will greatly reduce premiums if the law enforced "CE" style protection. IMO...

That's fine, how about they bump up theirs and lower mine?

Better still why don't they enforce it by stating:

1. Do you plan to always wear full protective dress, including approved boots, pants, jacket gloves and helmet?
>> Yes, then your premium is $XXX.
>> No, now your premium is $XXX + either a bloody large penalty amount or a huge excess.

2. If you answered Yes and are found post-accident to be actually compliant with No your payout will be the same as anyone else that defaults on their cover (i.e. zero).

The choice is always going to be the rider's, and they'll ride in whatever they like either through ignorance, a male 'I'll be right' attittude, or sheer bloody-minded stupidity.

My choice is that I don't go anywhere without the whole gamut of gear, why am I paying for the thong and sleeveless blouse brigade?

Mick

[Jonno]

That's fine, how about they bump up theirs and lower mine?

Better still why don't they enforce it by stating:

1. Do you plan to always wear full protective dress, including approved boots, pants, jacket gloves and helmet?
>> Yes, then your premium is $XXX.
>> No, now your premium is $XXX + either a bloody large penalty amount or a huge excess.

2. If you answered Yes and are found post-accident to be actually compliant with No your payout will be the same as anyone else that defaults on their cover (i.e. zero).

The choice is always going to be the rider's, and they'll ride in whatever they like either through ignorance, a male 'I'll be right' attittude, or sheer bloody-minded stupidity.

My choice is that I don't go anywhere without the whole gamut of gear, why am I paying for the thong and sleeveless blouse brigade?

Mick

I agree, but there is no standard here to say what gear is "approved" and "compliant" as far as I know.(other than helmets)

[zx-10r]

the downside is that a minor crash gets recorded as a major one due to lack of gear and then the 'statistics' show how much more dangerous we all are and that we all speed and a crazy, crazy bastards. Then we get targeted even more

[Jonno]

Hi vis vests are the go

[Dizzi]

Yeah that is the other thing that has annoyed the hell out of me because I am a new rider and I hear all these horror stories because you know as soon as you tell someone you are getting your bike licence they come out with how bad and dangerous it is, but alot of the horror stories are about people not knowing their limits or just being irresponsible and like you said the minority make it hard for the majority that do do it right and I swear it's made me a lil less confident on the bike which isn't making it any easier in getting up to being able to ride on main roads I am fine with steering and cornering it's the slowing down to take a corner or stopping and starting again agh, wish I was there already ahhh veel with time.

[tim]

Yeah that is the other thing that has annoyed the hell out of me because I am a new rider and I hear all these horror stories because you know as soon as you tell someone you are getting your bike licence they come out with how bad and dangerous it is, but alot of the horror stories are about people not knowing their limits or just being irresponsible and like you said the minority make it hard for the majority that do do it right and I swear it's made me a lil less confident on the bike which isn't making it any easier in getting up to being able to ride on main roads I am fine with steering and cornering it's the slowing down to take a corner or stopping and starting again agh, wish I was there already ahhh veel with time.

If being a little less confident means being a little safer then that's a good thing. Don't feel like there's a standard path to mastery, everyone gets different things at different times. Spend lots of times in quiet streets at quiet times of the day to get your confidence up and move to those main roads once you feel ready for it. That early learning stuff can be so exciting because you're pushing your limits and challenging yourself at a faster rate than you ever will again

[Stereo]

I like to wear jeans...

[Dizzi]

If being a little less confident means being a little safer then that's a good thing. Don't feel like there's a standard path to mastery, everyone gets different things at different times. Spend lots of times in quiet streets at quiet times of the day to get your confidence up and move to those main roads once you feel ready for it. That early learning stuff can be so exciting because you're pushing your limits and challenging yourself at a faster rate than you ever will again

Yeah I tell you the funny thing is at the moment the only time I get to practice is at night so I tell you I will be very experienced at riding at night, mind you I don't mind night riding just have to be more aware of things around you.

[Billz]

I have a shameful habit of wearing jeans around town. Ordinary, soft, tearable jeans. Okay, I have gloves, jacket, boots, helmet, but I fall short on the pants. Though I justify it by quoting a half-remembered study that found Draggins didn't actually help that much more than jeans above about 50kms an hour. Hope that's true... Suspect it's not, though.

Anyway. Got cut off on the way to work this morning, by Barbie on a scooter. Short skirt, cardie, heels. Got to give her respect for riding a scooter to work dressed like that on a 'fresh' Canberra morning, I suppose. Must have been bloody cold! Anyway, she weaved out in front of me in a 100km/h zone, doing about 90, with the poor bloody pastel-coloured (pink!) Piaggio burping and farting loud enough to be heard through my helmet and wind noise at 110. Clearly she's yet to discover that the mirrors have uses beyond makeup - I wondered how long it would be before she gets cleaned up by a half asleep morning commuter.

[Jonno]

I like to wear jeans...

Bloody squid

Do you put them on one leg at a time


I bought some RJ's over weather proof pants with some armour in them for $175 or sumfing, I don’t know how good they would be sliding down the road but at city speeds they would help for at least for a few seconds before being worn through. Maybe...False security really isn’t it. No standards in this country to refer too.