Quality kit and why you should wear it...

[chiz]

Having read a few topics recently regarding wearing too much protective kit on 125s, I have a story for you, hot off the press as it only happened today.

My girlfriend has just had a tumble on her NSR. She's okay, thanks to her kit.

It's been a year since she did her CBT and she hasn't ridden a bike since, so I took her down to a closed road near our house, there's a couple of roundabouts for practising cornering and a couple of straights for general stopping/going practice. I did a few laps with her to get her settled in then left her to it while I parked up and kept an eye on her. She was taking the roundabouts at 25-30mph which is about right for the size of them. As her confidence grew, she started getting more of a lean on and increasing her entry and exit speeds. Well, she took it too far and panic braked mid corner, straightening her up and sending her into the curb, she bounced off and straight across the road towards the central reservation where she mounted the curb and hit a small wire fence. This brought the bike to a halt and threw her over the fence, across the shrubs in the reservation and into the wire fence on the other side, she hit the second fence with such force that she snapped the fence post clean in half!! She continued sliding/rolling onto the other side of the road, coming to a halt in the middle of it.

This happened about six hours ago, she's out of hospital now with a bag full of pills and a sore back.

Her kit is ruined, both elbows, shoulders, knees, back panel, boots, gloves, one lower leg, upper arm and helmet all scuffed/chipped. The paramedics had to cut most of it off anyway.

Bearing in mind what happened is regarded as a low speed tumble, on 'just a 125', that kit prevented her form being much more seriously injured.

I wasn't in any doubt before as to the importance of wearing the right gear regardless of what you are riding, but seeing that today has certainly banged the message home.

WEAR THE RIGHT KIT. You can still make a mess of yourself whether it's a 125 doing 20-30mph or a thou doing 150+.

[Steve1988]

Hope she's all right mate, a shocking read is that Certainly convinced me (posted about whether wearing all my own leathers etc would be OTT for the CBT and to just go with some 'less serious' clothing).

[BBTBB]

Absolutely. I rode to work yesterday wearing jeans but with all the armour from my textile pants in those. I wouldn't feel comfortable in anything less. Glad she's ok

[Guest]

ABSOLUTELY ! chiz

I CAN, and do, agree completely. As me and my young lady,who "HATED BEING ON THE BLOODY THING", were going round a LEFT, ???, bend, NOT AT SPEED, somehow managed to hit a car coming the other way ????????????

I ! wasn't doing anything wrong. Like I say as my better half hated being on the Bike. Infact ironic really, as she only came out on it so she could keep an eye on me, , that is the reason why I ! KNOW I ! wasn't doing out wrong. Anyway another time, .

The purpose of my post is that my girlfriend was, as I insisted on it, wearing all THE RIGHT gear ! An Arai helmet and jacket AND trousers from Hein Gerick. She came out of the accident with a broken Leg, and somehow, ???, with a broken jaw. So I dread to think what a mess she would have been in if she wasn't kitted out RIGHT !

In short you should spend your hard earned on getting some proper kit, before spending it on your dream Bike or you might not get too long to actually enjoy it !

I don't want to sound like a boring old fart, but I don't want anyone to end up, I'm sorry to have to say it, but dead. I was a competent rider and had recently been on a, paid for, police training day. I have always worked around cars and driven up and down the country many times, so my road sense was good. I had an AGV lid which, I feel sure, saved my life, NO EXAGGERATION.

So please wait till your kitted out properly before you buy your dream Bike. Or you might not get long to enjoy it !

You've got all the time in the world to save up to get the seat of your dreams !

Sorry to go on, Simon.

[Aaron]

ABSOLUTELY ! chiz

I CAN, and do, agree completely. As me and my young lady,who "HATED BEING ON THE BLOODY THING", were going round a LEFT, ???, bend, NOT AT SPEED, somehow managed to hit a car coming the other way ????????????

I ! wasn't doing anything wrong. Like I say as my better half hated being on the Bike. Infact ironic really, as she only came out on it so she could keep an eye on me, , that is the reason why I ! KNOW I ! wasn't doing out wrong. Anyway another time, .

The purpose of my post is that my girlfriend was, as I insisted on it, wearing all THE RIGHT gear ! An Arai helmet and jacket AND trousers from Hein Gerick. She came out of the accident with a broken Leg, and somehow, ???, with a broken jaw. So I dread to think what a mess she would have been in if she wasn't kitted out RIGHT !

In short you should spend your hard earned on getting some proper kit, before spending it on your dream Bike or you might not get too long to actually enjoy it !

I don't want to sound like a boring old fart, but I don't want anyone to end up, I'm sorry to have to say it, but dead. I was a competent rider and had recently been on a, paid for, police training day. I have always worked around cars and driven up and down the country many times, so my road sense was good. I had an AGV lid which, I feel sure, saved my life, NO EXAGGERATION.

So please wait till your kitted out properly before you buy your dream Bike. Or you might not get long to enjoy it !

You've got all the time in the world to save up to get the seat of your dreams !

Sorry to go on, Simon.

 

How did you hit an oncoming car?

[Edgey]

Would it be over-the top for me to want to get a full back protector for road riding, probably just at ride outs, less commuting... Knox Aegis style...

I'm expecting to be told decent removable jacket back protectors are suffice, but things like the Aegis cover so much more area and look much more protective than what is usually posh foam with a techy layering.

As said in the back protector buying guide thread, what's the point in wearing a helmet to keep your brain working, if you have no means of telling your body what to do via spinal cord.

[techno]

If you want to wear one edgey you wear one.

We all hear of horror stories but people will wear what they want to wear at the end of the day.

I do ride too and from work in jeans as does my mate, all other gear on tho thats the lowest amount of protection i will wear.

Glad your girlfriends ok chiz.

[Guest]

"How did you hit an oncoming car?"

Exactly !

AND while going round a LEFT bend ffs !

Who knows ?, as I banged my head on her car roof, out cold. Spent 2 weeks in a comma, then a whole year in hospital.

The police STOPPED doing the accident investigation AS I LIVED !, can you believe that ??????

As Toyah once sung :- "It's a mystery". One which, sadly, I am going to have to take to my grave with me. Great init ? NOT !

[Edgey]

They stopped investigating because you were alive? that sounds a bit fail.

Glad you're ok now though.

[chiz]

Would it be over-the top for me to want to get a full back protector for road riding...

 

I wear a Forcefield Pro Sub4 every time I ride any motorbike, OTT? Not in my opinion.

[Steve1988]

Managed to pick up a back protector for £2 at the BMF. No idea what it is, looks a bit like a tortoise shell, with dense foam and solid bits in each section. Certainly be better than the thin layer of sponge the jacket had in the back before!

[Aaron]

Would it be over-the top for me to want to get a full back protector for road riding...

 

I wear a Forcefield Pro Sub4 every time I ride any motorbike, OTT? Not in my opinion.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JpoS5OUGdI

They interviewed this guy on tv and he reckons his back protector saved him.

[Guest]

"that sounds a bit fail."

how dyu mean fail ?

[Edgey]

As in I didn't think they would stop investigating just because the victim has survived, would have thought they would keep on going.

[Guest]

SO WOULD I, BUT .................

So just be careful out there, as the boys in blue just don't like us !

[Guest]

Always been boots n all on my 125. Judging by these stories its for the best! Do feel a bit of a pillock but its a good point... its not just your speed you have to worry about.

Glad your alright mate, sounds horrific.

[mitchyb]

Poor girl - here's to a speedy recovery.

It is sometimes very tempting to skimp a bit on what gear to wear today, expecially if it's hot and sunny.

But there's a perfect case in point. And tbh it wouldn't matter if you were doing 5mph when someone else goes into you at 35+.

My minimum (10 min journey to and from work)

Oxtar TCS boots

Arlen Ness jacket

Gloves

Shoei Raid 2

And either regular jeans, Draggins or padded textiles.

All The Gear, All The Time.

[chiz]

Quick update.

It's been just short of two weeks since my girlfriend came off her bike, most of the bruising has gone but her back is still very sore. Although the back pain seems to be fading pretty quickly now that her new YZF-R125 is ready!!

[Edgey]

Good to hear that mate, glad to see she is getting back on bikes. Many people decide not to get back on the steed after this kinda stuff.

[chiz]

She's bike daft, seems even worse now!!

We had to go collect the NSR the other day, it had been locked up outside an office block for a week so i thought we'd better move it!

I managed to get it started after removing all the smashed panels and 20 minutes of turning the air blue, it runs okay considering. Once I'd 'warmed it up' she was straight on it and nailing it home, bad back and all. She said she was shitting herself at first, well it didn't show.

[Guest]

She's bike daft, seems even worse now!!

We had to go collect the NSR the other day, it had been locked up outside an office block for a week so i thought we'd better move it!

I managed to get it started after removing all the smashed panels and 20 minutes of turning the air blue, it runs okay considering. Once I'd 'warmed it up' she was straight on it and nailing it home, bad back and all. She said she was shitting herself at first, well it didn't show.

 

Bloody good for her ! A real true biker !

I wish her well.