End of week topic

[BrendanO]

One of the things that ticks me off about old bikes is when the riders wear modern riding gear. I saw a lot of this at Stafford last weekend.

A 50s Triumph demands a pudding basin lid

A 70s BMW demands a shiny Rukka jacket

An 80s XBR demands stonewashed jeans and white paddock boots.

I'm right aren't I?

Sorry, got to disagree

DID for a while wear open face/Bob Heath flip-up bubble with T140v, occasionally wore pudding basin with Guzzi V50, but should be no pressure to wear less safe gear on an old bike.

Now wear Shoei fullface on everything, might wear old leather jacket, but have back protector in it. Usually earplugs. So etimes w en hi-viz. kevlar jeans, or 60s Lewis leathers jeans. But it's wear what u want.

Saying that, I'm a MAG Life member.

[timbo]

Couldn't stretch to a Simpson Bandit for the Katana, so it was a nice matt black Kraft lookalike. As for now, its a £20 black open face from autojumble, (knew the seller), with Screwfix own safety glasses. All the rest is army surplus, topped off with my bright green Politzei gortex 

[Mark]

Wax cotton Jacket, cotton shorts or jeans or leather trousers the colder it gets, woolly hat under my old open face helmet cos the lining fell out a few years back, tinted safety glasses(just in case), german army leather gloves, british army boots, and I carry lightweight waterproof(showerproof) layer for the rain, all this regardless of bike.

[SteveC#222]

Being serious.  For years I was an Army boots, jeans and BLJ/Belstaff rider. I always poo pooed these fancy modern 'textile' jackets....until I got a job that involved a 40 mile commute all year round! I reluctantly bought one but am now a convert. They have their problems - on a hot summer day you have exactly 30 seconds to get them off when you stop or you hit meltdown point but they are waterproof unlike the BLJ and in the winter they keep you..er..uncold? I've found in really cold weather while they don't keep you exactly warm ( unless you have a heated layer) you don't get bone numbingly cold as you did with the old Belstaff. Overtrousers too are a Godsend on a cold/wet day.

These days it's still boots (kevlar) jeans and BLJ on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon blat around but anything longer distance or in bad/cold weather it's the textile suit every time.

I agree with GC it doesn't always look right on older bikes , but they are very practical...I may look like a prat but I'm a warm dry prat!

[Moto63]

Wear what you like is what I would say, if it's what you personally feel comfortable in. On the subject of helmets tho I now have a slightly different view, I was wearing my aria corsair when I had my accident. Still suffered a brain injury (bleeding brain) I was told by the neurosurgeon at the time that...1 it probably saved my life because of it's quality and 2 if I'd av been wearing a cheap helmet even if I'd survived I wouldn't be "able to talk to me now like you are doing" his very words to me at the time. Very sobering stuff when you're laid in a hospital bed I've gotta say. So sorry but it'll be an arai corsair for me regardless of what I'm riding.  On a much lighter note least I'll be riding again soon

[mthee]

Personally I just wear different things but they're all black....

Back In Black!  (sounds like a good name for a song!)

https://g.co/kgs/rPK1ep

[Moto63]

Defo a song in there somewhere  ...and by sheer coincidence I've got the cd in the player in my van at the moment 

[mthee]

Truly inspirational! With that song playing in your head, you'll be able to carry all those aches & pains a little easier. How soon are you planning the comeback?! ... in, err, black

[Moto63]

Morning Matt, I'm cracking back on with the "tracker" as we speak, so my aim is to get it completed by spring next year, hopefully March/April time. Then hopefully I'll be "back in the saddle again" (song in there somewhere too) it's my arm that I've got to give time, been out on a push iron a couple o times but very painful on my arm......I'm in no particular rush tho mate, want to be right before I jump back on a moto sickle again....cheers, Michael

[iansoady]

I was told by the neurosurgeon at the time that...1 it probably saved my life because of it's quality and 2 if I'd av been wearing a cheap helmet even if I'd survived I wouldn't be "able to talk to me now like you are doing" his very words to me at the time.

Although I have huge respect for neurosurgeons in their field of expertise I wonder how he knew all that?

[Moto63]

I assume thro the MRI scans I had and thro years of experience dealing with cases just like mine.

[mthee]

Probably the area of the brain controlling speech was the next most susceptible to the further rattling a cheaper lid would have induced. He's probably seen a few biker head injuries in his time. Main thing is, he was sufficiently expert in his field to know to apply a bit of instant gasket to sort the bleed and to not forget the copaslip during reassembly using the meccano 

[SteveC#222]

Wear what you like is what I would say, if it's what you personally feel comfortable in. On the subject of helmets tho I now have a slightly different view, I was wearing my aria corsair when I had my accident. Still suffered a brain injury (bleeding brain) I was told by the neurosurgeon at the time that...1 it probably saved my life because of it's quality and 2 if I'd av been wearing a cheap helmet even if I'd survived I wouldn't be "able to talk to me now like you are doing" his very words to me at the time. Very sobering stuff when you're laid in a hospital bed I've gotta say. So sorry but it'll be an arai corsair for me regardless of what I'm riding.  On a much lighter note least I'll be riding again soon

One thing I will never ever skimp on is a crash helmet - as you have proved they are worth every penny.  I think it was Bell helmets use to have a slogan saying something along the lines of " if you have a $5 head wear a $5 helmet"  Food for thought!

[Steve Lake]

If you ride a Bantam, then longjohns (with braces of course) a cloth cap, bedroom slippers (on a cold day) and a fag on the go...

always pulled the birds in my day   

pip pip

(ps, got really lucky with the wife ...   she had her own teeth..  snapped her up roit quick!..  teeth came out on honeymoon  )

[Moto63]

Yes indeedy, food for thought and luckily I can still think. PROBABLY because I had the arai on. don't suppose I/we'll never truly know but hey I wouldn't wanna try it with a cheaper lid on just to find out ....either way I'll be buying a new one come next spring. As the policeman that dealt with my accident said it's all odds, the odds are you WON'T be involved in a serious accident but if you are and you're wearing the correct gear you're likely hood of survival is greatly increased. Just so long as it's all black  ...cheers, Michael