Riding gear - the best/worse and TRUTH!

Pssssst!

This way…over here. OK…what I’m about to tell you will be get me a lot of sideways looks, barbs, mean stares, etc. but you need to know the truth - LEATHER JACKETS (FOR THE MOST PART) AND CHAPS JUST DON’T WORK!

I’ll put it another way: tell me how something designed for riding an animal at 25 miles per hour (tops) will protect you at 70?

You’ll hear tales that riders “slide” and chaps help with that because they’re leather. You’ll hear leather protects better than ballistic nylon. Leather is “traditional” and it’s worked for 100 years so why do something different?

Here’s why…a hundred years ago, motorcycles and cars were few and far between (there was even a time that motorcycles outnumbered cars in America!). The average motorcycle was basically a bicycle with a motor and achieved speeds of 15 miles per hour! For low impact speeds like that the chaps and leather jackets used by the horse riding community were perfect as it did not require you to have anything that was not already on the market (or in many cases…already in your barn). Many motorcyclists of that era rode wearing welders goggle and gloves and wore full length dusters. Sound familiar there western novel/TV fans? It should.

So here we are a 100+ years later…motorcycles average 75 miles per hour on roadways, millions of cars (outnumbering motorcycles 130 to 1), car drivers who are not looking out for other cars much less a motorcycle, untrained motorists, UNTRAINED MOTORCYCLISTS. The list goes on….

And then there’s rain <GASP>!

Today’s motorcyclist is more prone to an impact injury (you know…that sudden stop when you hit something, then that amazing feeling of floating (or a zero-g sensation), followed by intense pain or worse waking up in an ambulance or hospital wondering what happened) so more flexible, lighter, and weather resistant nylon riding gear provides excellent coverage for impact and/or sliding injuries. Also as it’s virtually weather proof, no having to stop because of inclement weather. Did I mention it’s also warmer than leather?

As an aside you feel you must be in leathers (yeah, yeah…you need to look cool for the ladies - got ya dude/dudette!), then may I recommend First Gear (or FXRG for the “I must have Harley-Davidson gear” - though it’s important to note that First Gear is the contracted makers of the FXRG gear for HD) which has a nylon mesh inner lining, kevlar padding, etc. under the leather. Besides…you’ll look so much cooler weighing 20-30 pounds more while riding. To me it’s like wearing a wet suit all day at the city pool to go swimming: you can, but why would you?

Helmets…certainly. Not certain? Try this simple test for yourself. Put on your favorite bandanna/flydanna, cap, etc. on your head and ask that jerk you hate at work (or at the bar) to hit you on the head. Have him/her use a clenched fist and swing from the top down. After you’re done holding your head in pain, remember that you received a hit at roughly about 5 miles per hour with about 50 pounds of pressure.

Now think about the fact you’re on the road doing 40 miles per hour and an impact at that speed puts about 500 pounds of pressure to your head on impact.

Hopefully the math adds up.

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