Modern Buddy

slusher5 wrote:I also sit with my feet back as if I was on a street bike, and occasionally I crouch to reduce wind drag. I probably look crazy, but who cares

I do this too, put my feet back on the "passenger footrests", and duck down... especially going up hills at 55+.

jasondavis48108 wrote: Last I read Honda was working on an airbag system that is built into the bike itself. So far the testing seems promising.

Goldwings have had airbags for a while now.

The air-cartridge-based systems in airbag jackets are hardly "explosive."

im impressed by that guy. i would shake his hand if i met him. i dont understand why people are all freaking out cuz he decides to wear more gear than them. more power to him. i wear waaaaay more gear than any motorcycle rider i know, and they give me crap for it (as well as all the crap for riding a scooter), but i dont care. im gonna be laughing all the way home when some moron in a car hits me cuz he was eating pizza and driving (almost happened to me today ).

and plus, i bet he is really good at getting it on and off. i can practically fall into my FF, jacket, gloves, boots and riding pants. and with a back rack and prima bag, as well as some sattlebags, you can easily store all the gear when you get to your destination.

but then again, im pretty much an engineer and i ride my scooter primarily to save money and get where i need to go, not to have fun. although fun is a byproduct

dshanson wrote:im impressed by that guy. i would shake his hand if i met him. i dont understand why people are all freaking out cuz he decides to wear more gear than them. more power to him. i wear waaaaay more gear than any motorcycle rider i know, and they give me crap for it (as well as all the crap for riding a scooter), but i dont care. im gonna be laughing all the way home when some moron in a car hits me cuz he was eating pizza and driving (almost happened to me today ).

and plus, i bet he is really good at getting it on and off. i can practically fall into my FF, jacket, gloves, boots and riding pants. and with a back rack and prima bag, as well as some sattlebags, you can easily store all the gear when you get to your destination.

but then again, im pretty much an engineer and i ride my scooter primarily to save money and get where i need to go, not to have fun. although fun is a byproduct

where in houston do you ride? i cruise round UH/downtown/herman park alot... for everyday riding i just wear a helmet, but on like 30min+ rides I bring my mesh jacket... houston weather and armor don't mix

ericalm wrote:The air-cartridge-based systems in airbag jackets are hardly "explosive."

I've been hit with enough of them at my old job to know just how "effective" they are. Two broken noses and the fender benders were under 25mph. Say what you will, but I will NOT wear one of these things. Good gear is one thing, but living in fear of simply riding is another.

And that's my choice.

(And for the record, neither were my fault: I drove a cab during my undergrad, and you cannot believe how stupid some people drive and think that because they hit a cab it's always the 'uneducated cab driver's ' fault)

neotrotsky wrote:

ericalm wrote:The air-cartridge-based systems in airbag jackets are hardly "explosive."

I've been hit with enough of them at my old job to know just how "effective" they are. Two broken noses and the fender benders were under 25mph. Say what you will, but I will NOT wear one of these things. Good gear is one thing, but living in fear of simply riding is another.

And that's my choice.

(And for the record, neither were my fault: I drove a cab during my undergrad, and you cannot believe how stupid some people drive and think that because they hit a cab it's always the 'uneducated cab driver's ' fault)

You've been hit with motorcycle airbag jackets? The deployment is totally different from car airbags!

slusher5 wrote:

dshanson wrote:im impressed by that guy. i would shake his hand if i met him. i dont understand why people are all freaking out cuz he decides to wear more gear than them. more power to him. i wear waaaaay more gear than any motorcycle rider i know, and they give me crap for it (as well as all the crap for riding a scooter), but i dont care. im gonna be laughing all the way home when some moron in a car hits me cuz he was eating pizza and driving (almost happened to me today ).

and plus, i bet he is really good at getting it on and off. i can practically fall into my FF, jacket, gloves, boots and riding pants. and with a back rack and prima bag, as well as some sattlebags, you can easily store all the gear when you get to your destination.

but then again, im pretty much an engineer and i ride my scooter primarily to save money and get where i need to go, not to have fun. although fun is a byproduct

where in houston do you ride? i cruise round UH/downtown/herman park alot... for everyday riding i just wear a helmet, but on like 30min+ rides I bring my mesh jacket... houston weather and armor don't mix

they mix if you love houston weather. call me crazy but anything under 75 is too cold. i like heat and humidity.

slusher5 wrote:

Lostmycage wrote: There's a saying "Ride your own ride" and that applies to all aspects of riding. The Buddy isn't a high horse, so don't ride it like one.

doesn't ride your own ride mean, don't criticize other people's rides?

I ride my buddy in ways it's not intended, and there is nothing wrong with it. I ride my scooter as if it's a motorcycle.I was working on improving my lean on corners over the summer and I managed to scrape the kickstand, one day I want to get knee down whether it's a scooter or motorcycle... I also sit with my feet back as if I was on a street bike, and occasionally I crouch to reduce wind drag. I probably look crazy, but who cares

I'm sorry if I misunderstand, but is that directed at me or are you agreeing with me? If you're agreeing with me, well... that's fine.

If you're disagreeing... well I'm stumped because you're basically arguing with yourself.

Lostmycage wrote:

slusher5 wrote:

Lostmycage wrote: There's a saying "Ride your own ride" and that applies to all aspects of riding. The Buddy isn't a high horse, so don't ride it like one.

doesn't ride your own ride mean, don't criticize other people's rides?

I ride my buddy in ways it's not intended, and there is nothing wrong with it. I ride my scooter as if it's a motorcycle.I was working on improving my lean on corners over the summer and I managed to scrape the kickstand, one day I want to get knee down whether it's a scooter or motorcycle... I also sit with my feet back as if I was on a street bike, and occasionally I crouch to reduce wind drag. I probably look crazy, but who cares

I'm sorry if I misunderstand, but is that directed at me or are you agreeing with me? If you're agreeing with me, well... that's fine.

If you're disagreeing... well I'm stumped because you're basically arguing with yourself.

i'm disagreeing, but how am i arguing with myself? you were saying don't ride a buddy like something it's not. I was responding by saying I ride my scooter like its a motorcycle.

ericalm wrote:

neotrotsky wrote:

ericalm wrote:The air-cartridge-based systems in airbag jackets are hardly "explosive."

I've been hit with enough of them at my old job to know just how "effective" they are. Two broken noses and the fender benders were under 25mph. Say what you will, but I will NOT wear one of these things. Good gear is one thing, but living in fear of simply riding is another.

And that's my choice.

(And for the record, neither were my fault: I drove a cab during my undergrad, and you cannot believe how stupid some people drive and think that because they hit a cab it's always the 'uneducated cab driver's ' fault)

You've been hit with motorcycle airbag jackets? The deployment is totally different from car airbags!

Look, I'm still not wearing that setup. I know it's not a popular statement but I'm sticking to it. Pointing out silly little grammatical slip ups in the process isn't endearing me to your point at all. If someone else wants to, sure! It's their money and in some parts it's still a free country. In short: If someone is that terrified of getting into a wreck, perhaps they should not be riding at all. It is called "assessed risk" after all...

slusher5 wrote:i'm disagreeing, but how am i arguing with myself? you were saying don't ride a buddy like something it's not.

No, you misunderstood him.

This is just kind of funny.

I thought I'd pop back in on this thread to mention that my views on gear have changed slightly. I'll be ordering a set of strap-on knee pads, and always wearing gloves. Not because I am scared, but because road rash hurts and is a pain in my ass.

I found that my jeans did not suffer at all in my fall, and did not protect me ONE BIT from road rash like one might think denim would. Which made me reevaluate my current riding wardrobe. Also, it makes me laugh at the sites that sell heavy denim jackets as motorcycle gear.

However I checked on this thread to find that it has imploded. I see why people shouldn't talk about gear now. I guess every kind of forum has that ONE topic that never goes well. It seems so silly...

LunaP wrote:

This is just kind of funny.

I thought I'd pop back in on this thread to mention that my views on gear have changed slightly. I'll be ordering a set of strap-on knee pads, and always wearing gloves. Not because I am scared, but because road rash hurts and is a pain in my ass.

I found that my jeans did not suffer at all in my fall, and did not protect me ONE BIT from road rash like one might think denim would. Which made me reevaluate my current riding wardrobe. Also, it makes me laugh at the sites that sell heavy denim jackets as motorcycle gear.

However I checked on this thread to find that it has imploded. I see why people shouldn't talk about gear now. I guess every kind of forum has that ONE topic that never goes well. It seems so silly...

I think you found out the hard way why leather is so popular for protection in motorcycling.

I wonder if those Kevlar/Denim jeans for motorcycling would still have given you road rash? I guess it would have since the Kevlar is sandwiched between layers of denim.

LunaP wrote:... road rash hurts and is a pain in my ass.

You got road rash on your ass?

While it may be unpopular or whatever, I would have to agree with Neotrotsky on this one. Maybe for some the air bag jackets are a good choice, but I wouldn't want one. While the CO2 might not be "explosive", I'm sure it still packs a pretty good punch when it inflates, and while it may save you from breaking ribs on the pavement, I'm sure if it inflated in a crash, you will still get some pretty nasty bruises, either from the crash, or the force of the CO2 tanks letting loose..or both.

I'll stick with my leather, or my textile with removable armor.

To each their own.

AWinn6889 wrote:While it may be unpopular or whatever, I would have to agree with Neotrotsky on this one. Maybe for some the air bag jackets are a good choice, but I wouldn't want one. While the CO2 might not be "explosive", I'm sure it still packs a pretty good punch when it inflates, and while it may save you from breaking ribs on the pavement, I'm sure if it inflated in a crash, you will still get some pretty nasty bruises, either from the crash, or the force of the CO2 tanks letting loose..or both.

I'll stick with my leather, or my textile with removable armor.

To each their own.

It's cool, but it's not something I would wear scooting around town. It's something I would wear if I were making a long trip at higher speeds- I can see why it's a good idea for moto riders. You're entirely right, I'm sure- but going 60 instead of 30 or 40, I'd be willing to take the bruises vs the broken ribs (thats pretending I have the money for the thing )

And no... no road rash on this ass haha. I think you're right about the kevlar, k1dude- kevlar is made to stay together and would have kept my skin from being exposed, but denim is still rough on the inside >.<

I could care less what someone else wears or how ridiculous they look, just as long as they're not in a cage and trying to turn out of Baby's R Us right in front of me while yelling at their kids, yapping on the phone, and trying to eat a slice of pizza all at the same time. To each his own, I don't nearly use AGATT, but I have my options and select appropriately for the riding conditions and weather. Whatever floats his/her boat.

LunaP wrote:However I checked on this thread to find that it has imploded. I see why people shouldn't talk about gear now. I guess every kind of forum has that ONE topic that never goes well. It seems so silly...

I'm with you on that one. I just skimmed through these posts and am standing by for someone to say the wrong thing and it get LOCKED. It's coming, wait for it!

You know what's one piece of gear I really lust after?
The motorcycle ac
http://www.gizmag.com/entrosys-motorcyc ... ner/14205/

I think folks should wear whatever they're comfortable riding in. If you're not comfortable riding without protective gear, wear it. If you're comfortable with the idea of not being protected, ride without it. Being uncomfortable, whether it be physically or mentally, will make you less focused on your ride. Just my point o' view.

Lokky wrote:You know what's one piece of gear I really lust after?
The motorcycle ac
http://www.gizmag.com/entrosys-motorcyc ... ner/14205/

Hmm. Where that hose is going could look mighty suspicious. We know you have a smile on your face because you're riding a scooter. Right?

mia_mali wrote:I think folks should wear whatever they're comfortable riding in. If you're not comfortable riding without protective gear, wear it. If you're comfortable with the idea of not being protected, ride without it. Being uncomfortable, whether it be physically or mentally, will make you less focused on your ride. Just my point o' view.

well spoken..

LunaP wrote:

This is just kind of funny.

I thought I'd pop back in on this thread to mention that my views on gear have changed slightly. I'll be ordering a set of strap-on knee pads, and always wearing gloves. Not because I am scared, but because road rash hurts and is a pain in my ass.

I found that my jeans did not suffer at all in my fall, and did not protect me ONE BIT from road rash like one might think denim would. Which made me reevaluate my current riding wardrobe.

I appreciate you sharing your point of view so openly- nothing like road rash to make you evaluate gear choices. I felt the same thing after my wreck. I had begun to rationalize not wearing my jacket because "road rash heals, brain injuries don't." Ater dealing with four weeks of oozing and then cracking burning skin, I wish I hadn't made that decision. I'm happy to send anyone the pics of my arm if you'd like. Just PM me.

I will say that I'm still all for each rider making gear choices based on their own risk tolerance and comfort, but we do encourage everyone here to give it some serious thought. In the end, my road rash was long healed before my broken thumb and my sprained shoulder so, in a sense, my previous risk tolerance decision was at least accurate. I'm still in physical therapy and wake up sore from the crash, which was three months ago. But I'd rather not go through the nastiness of road rash again (especially when it's avoidable) so I wear my jacket on every ride now.

Again, I'm glad your injuries weren't worse, Luna, and I hope the recovery is speedy!!

LunaP wrote:...I found that my jeans did not suffer at all in my fall, and did not protect me ONE BIT from road rash like one might think denim would...

I experienced the same; my jeans suffered no damage even though I got some rr on my knee. But I came to a slightly different conclusion. It's not that the jeans didn't protect me from road rash - the jeans were the cause of my road rash. High pressure on the knee from whatever it impacted combined with the somewhat textured nature of the denim fabric actually abraded the skin. Of course you could look at it differently and imagine just how bad the road rash might have been if it were not for the jeans.

And yes, road rash heals, but the abrasions I received in March are still easily visible today, more than seven months later.

i experienced the most pain from road rash when I left the gauze on and the scab hardened/attached to the gauze.. pulling that off is 100x worse than the pain i felt when i fell

After the fall, I still wear just a helmet. On long rides I have started to wear a mesh jacket. if I had a 125+ scooter/motorcycle I would definitely invest in more gear though, boots, gloves, FF helmet(i got 3/4).. probably wouldn't go for pants unless they were something I could wear throughout the day and not just for riding.