[ATOMonkey]

Yeah, I saw that article a long time ago. Saw the pictures of the poor girl too.

It's amazing that she actually lived. It's more amazing that there is an entire forum of people who are anti-gear. Morons... If it didn't affect my insurance rates or taxes, I'd let 'em all eat pavement and the buzzards can pick their bones. I mean, that's basically what they're saying right? They know the choices, and if they go down, they're ok with whatever happens. Fine, if you don't want wear gear, you basically waive your right to medical treatment as far as I'm concerned.

So frustrating dealing with people like that...

[hockeyplayer]

I live in Orlando and I see people riding without full gear all the time. I can't count the number of old guys crusing down the road without helmets and young guys on their sport bikes hauling a$$ down the road wearning shorts, tank tops and flip flops.
I just started riding again, but even when I lived in Miami it was jean jacket, jeans, boots and full face. To be honest I rarely get hot, maybe I'm used to it after all these years, but you won't catch me riding anywhere without my gear on.
Maybe this is the wrong way to look at it, but in the military I was trained to prepare for the worst and if the best happens you'll be pleasantly surprised.

[s14kouki]

I am not one to really try and force my ways on someone else. If you want to ride without gear, cool. I'll visit you in the hospital in my gear to say hi and how I've missed you throughout the rest of the season. Or I'll mourn your death at your funeral. Reading this thread (and the many like it) though only strengthens my commitment to riding in my gear. I can handle heat a lot better than cleaning road rash daily while it heals or nursing broken bones. I hope that it's able to do the same for many others out there that might be on the fence about turning the key in shorts and a t-shirt.

[suzukifan]

people only change when they have to.

If you've been down, I bet you wear your gear.

If you haven't been down, you probably think it won't happen to you.

Odds are it'll take an accident before people will take their gear seriously.

[baddkat]

I wear my gear always, because I consider myself lucky that I have never gone down, or been taken down.

[LuxuryBrown]

unfortunately I had to learn the hard. The first time I laid my Bike over, thankfully I barely scraped the right fairing. I had on some pretty heavy denim jacket, jeans, but I didn't have on any gloves. I fractured my left wrist, the visit with the asphalt left hardly any skin on it, and I sprained and scraped up my right ankle. lolol I wear that jacket almost every time I ride now. I consider it my safety net. ( ha!)

[Nero]

people only change when they have to.

If you've been down, I bet you wear your gear.

If you haven't been down, you probably think it won't happen to you.

Odds are it'll take an accident before people will take their gear seriously.

I went down in 1991. At that time gear was a rarity for any rider and darned expensive (not as many options as today and you couldn't comparison-shop on the Internet in those days. Anyway, I was wearing jeans, a T-shirt and a helmet. I broke 9 bones and I had road-rash all over my arms and chest.

I wear my gear every time I ride these days. It may not save your life, but if you do live, it could mean the difference between 3 days in a hospital and 2 weeks in a hospital...

[uniquelyme]

As a passenger for over 20+ yrs I rarely wore gear, and with the exception of few mishaps, I never had any more than a pipe burn to mend. (which is bad enough and I still carry that scar) so I guess I was lucky. It wasn't until I met the "luv of my life" that I even owned a helment. ( full gear was my first X-mas gifts from him) We worked a race track in the safty crew for a few yrs and after seeing how these guys can slide on asphalt and get up walking/riding away from their "tumbles"@ high rates of speed, made a beliver out of me. I know we dont normally ride in conditions of a race track, but if it works there/for them.....??......Not to mention that my daughter works the ER as well, and the stories she has to tell will chill you to the bone. I may not be model material to begin with, but I plan to keep what I do have as best I can. No matter how hot or un-cool it may be I will always be in gear and recommend it to everyone/everytime!!