If there is one thing that absolutely rips my undies, it's seeing motorcyclists riding without proper gear.
True, in most places it's legal to ride with nothing but a helmet, and in some states in the US, the morons allow for riding without a helmet which is dumber than a box of snot. Here in New Zealand you only must wear a helmet by law but there is actually moves to change this to force all riding clothing to be used. Speaking from experience, I do hope this happens.
On the 29 August 2000 at around 5:30pm I was heading home. I had stayed a bit later because I was waiting for a CD of some software for my Mac to download (I only had dial-up at the time). As I was riding down the road, the big Ford Falcon AU in front of me slammed on his brakes right at the Henwood Road intersection. I misread what was going on. I thought he had missed his turn off and so I went to pull out and passed. It was then that I realised that he had slammed on his brakes for a car that had pulled out in front of him from the Henwood Road intersection.
You know how people say that when they've had a crash time slowed down? Not for me. Instead my brain showed me every possible scenario that could ever happen and then chose the correct one. Throw the bike to the ground and roll behind the car. This I did, however, during the course of rolling end over end, I was aiming for the gutter so rather than hit that I put my arm out to steer me. In doing so I ended up forcing my radius through my wrist bones, skittling them. I only realised that I had done something to myself when I went to pull the velcro on my jacket so I could get my arm out of my sleeve but couldn't get any grip to do so.
I've had proper riding gear ever since I bought my second bike. It's always been a Cordura weave and after that crash I refuse to ride without proper gear. This is because, had I not been aimed for the gutter, and had I not put my arm out to steer me, I would have literally walked away from that crash with nothing more than a friction burn to my knee.
You see, proper motorcycle gear is designed to protect you from the slide. It's designed to not tear when dragging along the road. It's designed to have padding on all places that would be raised if dragging along the road (hips, elbows, shoulders, back, etc). And good gear should be breathable. Riding without this type of gear will cause even more serious injuries if you come off. It won't stop breaks or the like but a break heals relatively quickly compared to being flayed.
My mate's dad had a serious crash and because he was wearing normal jeans, his kneecap was ripped open and gravel was shovelled into the wound. Had he been wearing proper riding gear, he would have broken his knee but it wouldn't have taken as long to heal as it ended up doing.
Australia and New Zealand have a really great site for testing motorcycle clothing. It's called MotoCAP. They test everything sent to them and it's a little disturbing to some to find that the gear they are wearing might not actually protect them in the event of a crash. That's why it's important to really understand what you are wearing and why.
In New Zealand, because of our varying weather, I find a good trade off is something like the MotoDry adventure gear. It is tough, it is breathable when you lift the flaps, and it has a degree of weather proofing. This is important because you can go from hot to cold in an instant around here, especially if you're going deep into the back roads. My last real big ride had me riding on a beautiful sunny day going past patches of snow because in the shade it was below freezing. I felt sick a good chunk of that ride because I didn't have my rain jacket on to act as a wind breaker to stop the wind chill driving into me. Keeping your core warm is one thing, but when it gets hot you need to cool it down, so having flaps that open up and can be hooked up to keep them open is a must. If I'm being honest, I prefer the RJays adventure jacket because the flaps are zipped up or zipped down and stored in their own pockets which make things tidier.
Pants are also a big one to factor in. Many riders will just ride with a pair of jeans but these aren't enough. If you want to ride in jeans then make them proper motorcycle jeans. These have padding where you need them and this is important because they have strengthened seems in these parts to stop them ripping easily. Very important when you come off. Once again you want a pair of pants that breath but are tough. Riding jeans are great but they won't keep you warm on the cold days. Cordura weaved pants will but they become hot on those sweltering days. Once again, an adventure pant kind of gives you the best of both worlds to varying degrees. They often have flaps that can be hooked out of the way to allow airflow. They also have a degree of weather proofing.
Boots are another one people overlook. I've seen people riding with jandals (flipflops) or sneakers, or steel-toed workboots, as well as proper riding boots. Footwear needs to protect your ankles and not come off if you go down. That's why you can't beat proper riding boots. They are designed to grip your feet, have gear shifter pads to protect the top of the boot from wear, and they have extra padding on ankles to protect them if you come off.
Gloves are more important than people give them credit for. I've seen so many people riding without them but this is a dumb move. Often, if you come off, you instinctively put your hands out. Long time riders train themselves to not do this but the urge is still there and depending how you crash you may just need to put your hands out. I did and broke my wrist as a result. But a broken wrist heals a lot better than having your skin torn from your hands and your knuckles busted as they slam into the road. A good pair of gloves will have knuckle protection, palm protection, and protection for your pisiform and triquetrum bones. These are the sticky outie bones that will take a hit if not protected.
I find the best types of gloves are gauntlet style gloves. These do have one drawback though in that they can fill up with water, but they go up into the forearm and give your wrist a lot more protection than a glove that just stops at the wrist. The other drawback is they tend to be quite thick and often on hot days can make it too hot for comfort.
Helmets are a must. Any rider who doesn't ride with a helmet is a Grade "A" Imbecile. Road surfaces are hard, heads are soft. Let's put it this way. If it's illegal for an American Football player to play without a helmet, it should be even less legal for a motorcyclist. Why does a gridiron player wear a helmet? Because of concussion. If your head smacks into the pavement after coming off, it's even worse. Not only will you get concussion but you'll have the skin ripped off your skull.
Please note, the image below is the result of a rider not wearing a helmet - it isn't pretty but it is required to show why we ride with proper gear. I'll give you a little bit to brace yourself.
That was one of the nicer images to be frank. This WILL happen to you if you choose not to ride without a helmet.
The good news is, that in NZ and Australia, the cheapest helmet available to you will fully protect you from harm. We have some of the most stringent requirements for helmets in the world in order to stop this very thing from happening to most riders.
Sure, there are occasions where the oddest thing happens that the helmet won't protect from, but they will be very few and far between and will not be a good reason to use for not wearing a helmet.
It is important to ride with proper gear. If not for protection from the road and elements, but maybe for the protection from government policies.
Here in New Zealand we have something called ACC. This is a government plan that we all pay into as a nation to help pay for medical bills as a result of an accident. However, they are making it untenable to ride because they make it far more expensive to pay levies on a motorcycle registration than a car. They quote "single rider/no other vehicle involved" as their reason for this increased cost, despite the fact that if you look at actual road injuries it's single "rider/other vehicle caused" is the biggest crash statistic for motorcyclists. If we can reduce the harm as a result of a crash, then maybe we can get ACC levies reduced on our registrations. And the best start for this is riding with correct gear. This is a plain and simple solution to a very difficult problem. The other solution is properly training motorcycle riders - something that ACC implements with the Ride Forever courses which I insist ALL riders should do no matter how many they've done or whatever their skill level.
The TLDR; version of all this is if you're spending $3000 on a bike, then spending $4000 on a bike and head to toe riding gear is a much better investment. That extra $1000 will save you a world of hurt later on. It works, I've proven it. It has saved many a rider from greater injuries the world over.
Yes it's uncomfortable, hot, and bulky, but not wearing it will cause greater discomfort and scarring.
People complained that seatbelts were uncomfortable and they actively fought against it and refused to wear them. But those have saved more lives than not having them. It's the same with motorcycle gear. There is some proper gear for you no matter what riding style you choose. What there isn't of is an excuse to not wear it. The benefits far outweigh the little discomfort you'll have when wearing it.