What Kind Of (protective) Gear Does Everyone Wear (if Any)?

[submaniac]

Hey, I'm just curious as to what kind of protective gear (if any) the people here use. It seems that shorts and T-shirts, are the Thai style. But then I happened to see the pics on the Ninja 250 thread, and low and behold I actually see someone with proper riding gloves and a riding jacket (maybe even armored!). Anyways, I do not want to limit this to Thailand, so I'll ask what people where when in Farangland as well as in LOS.

The reason I am asking is that a friend of mine just got his license in the state, and asked me to go shopping with him, and he's looking at the Alpinestars and Dainese leather jackets, and leather pants, like in the *starts* at $500 USD range, which has made me a little concerned about what kind of gear I am using. In the states I am using a Joe Rocket armored leather jacket, Kevlar Gloves, Arai helmet, and leather chaps (which I really don't wear that often). For Thailand I will be wearing Joe Rocket Mesh Jacket, Kevlar gloves, maybe leather chaps (doubt I would wear it cuz it's too hot), and bringing over a DOT spec Bieffe helmet. Definately don't think I could deal with a full set of leathers here.

So what do you guys (or girls if there are any here) wear for protection in Thailand? And what do you wear in Farangland? Another question, do you think that Dainese or Alpinestars will offer sufficiently more protection that I should shell out the dough for them? I like them, yeah. But they are <deleted> expensive, and I would like to think that my Joe Rocket armored leather jacket would be on par with the armored Dainese or A-stars, but would like other opinions. Thanks.

[mgjackson69]

Your categories are a bit limiting, but for the poll, ok.

In Thailand, I wear whatever I have on at the time...usually shorts, sandals/slides, t-shirt, plus half-helmet

In USA, jeans, boots, leather vest, denim or leather jacket, gloves (light or heavy depending upon weather), helmet if required by state law, eye protection (sunglasses in day, clear glasses at night)

[0Mix1up]

I specifically bought a mesh vented jacket with armor and kevlar re-enforced pants for Thailand.

Its got to be wearable otherwise it's easy to not wear it.

dont always use them on shorter trips:0

I do always use a good helmet, eye protection, mx gloves and leather shoes as a minimum.

Next step is have long pants and sleeves.

I feel im trying to save from a simple fall like a car pulling out and you can stop but end up on the deck, that will cause much pain and annoyance with no protection.

One trip i used a BMX helmet, way better than the plastic cups and very good for venting.

what is it for?

commuting

touring

shopping basket

Edited September 3, 2008 by 0Mix1up

[BigBikeBKK]

Hi Submaniac!

Good questions! It's true, the standard Thai riding 'gear' is a cheap plastic bucket on the head designed solely to protect the rider from the BiB (Boys in Brown) aka da Police Often the brain bucket is worn on the elbow for maximum elbow protection, and only donned on the head when a police check point is spotted in the distance.

Thais are apparently too tough to wear shoes, let alone boots. Real Thai men wear flip flops, and real Thai ladies always ride side saddle with one shoe hanging from their big toe- something about aerodynamics I think...

A polyester jacket does wonders at keeping the sun off, because all Thais know that white skin is far more important than road rash.

And who needs armor when you have a Jatukam Ramathep amulet-

the bullets and 18 wheel trucks just bounce right off!

Here's a good example of riding "Thai Style":

[Bard]

It's pretty usual for them to use a baby sized airbag in front though, like on the first photo for protection.

[Bard]

It's pretty usual for them to use a baby sized airbag in front though, like on the first photo for protection.

[dotcom]

Nippon 3/4 helmet & clear shield, armoured gloves Always wear long trousers & hiking boots.

I use a dust mask (cotton) that every hardware store sell. My helmet has a visor on it. Great.

I have an armoured jacket I bought at Red Baron. It's hot. I dropped my NSR150 one night. My backpack really helped out. It was rainy & a dump truck pulled out of a sidestreet. I was scared I was gonna get run over. The driver didn't even wave. Bent up my foot peg & shifter. Moto Taxi guys hepled me bend it good enough to get home.

The helmet I like at Red Baron is 18,000 baht. sukks.

Edited September 3, 2008 by dotcom

[goldfish]

Floppy hat, sunglasses and flip flops. No need for a helmet here, the police are too lazy to move away from their station when undertaking a helmet stop. Haven't seen for a couple of months. Would only wear a helmet in the uk and gloves if it was cold with a fleece. Wintertime I would wear a dainese cloth jacket. Even appeared on a tv program called 'police 999 frontline' when I was stopped for speeding, 70mph in a 30mph zone. I didn't make good tv, kept my back to the camera and wouldn't speak above a whisper. The voiceover said 'The police are now speaking to him about his skimpy clothing'.

I don't say that what I do is correct, it's just how I am. I learnt my skills, ridden the track many times, and now take my chances. I am known amongst biking riding friends at very good at staying upright and only posted to give an opposing view to the belt and braces brigade

[Pdaz]

Kinda depends where I'm going... I was always told to 'dress to crash, not dress ride' But I still vary my gear depending on length of trip and location.

If I'm just nipping down to Foodland or central Pattaya (Less than 5 - 10 mins) It would be regular or kevlar bike jeans (whichever was handy) T-shirt, Armoured MX style vented gloves and decent Arai or Iroh helmet (both full face) I wear textile low rise motorcycle boots as an absolute minimum and never ride in sneakers or regular shoes.

If I'm going further or planning to ride on a faster moving road like Sukhumvit it would be Kevlar Jeans (Draggin Jeans) either lowrise boots or my Alpinestars MX boots, Textile vented jacket with CE armour a seperate lightweight back protector and my Arai lid as its the quietest..

I know that many many accidents occur at low speed and within a couple of K's of home but getting fully togged up in my jacket/BP and high rise boots for a trip to Foodland seems daft (until I have an off ) The other prob is carrying the gear around when you get there and all the ''Stoopid farang'' looks you get from the locals.. Of course last time I got knocked off and survived without a scratch the Thai cop that arrived couldn't believe I wasn't a bloody mess..

Really I guess that I rationalise that if I'm involved in a really bad high speed impact nothing is gonna save me.. So I generally ride carefully and make do with gloves, boots and lid to prevent serious injury and if I do end up on my ass hope that the road rash ain't too bad..

[PeaceBlondie]

Your list did not mention helmets, where I would score fairly high. Otherwise, I score low. I live here and ride a bike many times a day, for almost everything. When I commuted 35 km each way each day, I wore leather gloves (fingerless, soccer goalee, XXXL). It took several weeks to get the first pair, and the others I got on a round-the world tour (even Julia Robert's ex-husband's shop had none). I have good raingear (again, Lyle Lovett's place was slap out of rainsuits). I wear flip flops, shorts, t-shirts (I do not dress to go to the swimming pool as if I were riding across northern Scotland in October). Even on long rides in south Texas in summer, shorts and t-shirts.

Yeah, it's great to wear clothing that cost more than a new CBR150.

[lazeeboy]

could only vote in the 1st in uk would not have dreamed of riding a bike..

[imaneggspurt]

Moto x flip flops and a tupperwear dish on the head !

[LivinLOS]

I am guilty of popping the 2 - 3 kms to town in shorts and T shirts often.. even with a slide on joke helmet !! But for that mission I am usually just puttering at zero speeds, could be doing more in a mountain bike in many cases..

If I am going out for a few miles I usually have at least a protective jacket with pad zones. If I am going on a ride then its jeans also and gloves..

Totally dependant on what I am up to.

[imaneggspurt]

Kinda depends where I'm going... I was always told to 'dress to crash, not dress ride' But I still vary my gear depending on length of trip and location.

If I'm just nipping down to Foodland or central Pattaya (Less than 5 - 10 mins) It would be regular or kevlar bike jeans (whichever was handy) T-shirt, Armoured MX style vented gloves and decent Arai or Iroh helmet (both full face) I wear textile low rise motorcycle boots as an absolute minimum and never ride in sneakers or regular shoes.

If I'm going further or planning to ride on a faster moving road like Sukhumvit it would be Kevlar Jeans (Draggin Jeans) either lowrise boots or my Alpinestars MX boots, Textile vented jacket with CE armour a seperate lightweight back protector and my Arai lid as its the quietest..

I know that many many accidents occur at low speed and within a couple of K's of home but getting fully togged up in my jacket/BP and high rise boots for a trip to Foodland seems daft (until I have an off ) The other prob is carrying the gear around when you get there and all the ''Stoopid farang'' looks you get from the locals.. Of course last time I got knocked off and survived without a scratch the Thai cop that arrived couldn't believe I wasn't a bloody mess..

Really I guess that I rationalise that if I'm involved in a really bad high speed impact nothing is gonna save me.. So I generally ride carefully and make do with gloves, boots and lid to prevent serious injury and if I do end up on my ass hope that the road rash ain't too bad..

I saw you and your bike in foodland earlier, sory about the pool of drool on the floor ! awesome bike, i has the original 900ss and the first mike hailwood replica in england, i love that retro model you have and as much as i dont ride a road bike anymore id have that in the living room !

[Pdaz]

Yeah, it's great to wear clothing that cost more than a new CBR150.

The price of the gear is nothing compared to the posible hospital bill..

and having a 25k baht scooter wouldn't make my head less precious.. If I couldn't afford a good quality helmet I would think seriously before riding a bike.. Only have to see a few of crushed/exploded/battered heads in the Thai Press to realise the plastic buckets they sell here are useless.. Same with boots.. cheap compared to limping for the rest of your life..

Not trying to admonish anyone.. as I ride in a Tshirt daily.. but just don't think anyone should ride in flip/flops, shorts and a 200 baht helmet..

[elkangorito]

As an absolute minimum;

Leather riding gloves (preferably pig skin with rubber inserts).

Belstaff "oil" jacket.

Bell or Shoei "full face" helmet.

Goggles.

Jeans (as a minimum) otherwise "leathers".

Motocross boots (Rossi).

Edited September 3, 2008 by elkangorito

[0Mix1up]

i asked my thai friend how come his countrymen/ladies ride without protection

his answer "they haven't crashed yet."

[Familyonthemove]

For longer jouneys I've been wearing a lightweight Texport mesh armoured jacket, lightweight gloves, kevlar lined Hood jeans, short boots and a vented open face lid.

For short trips; sandals, shirt and helmet.

You can guess what happened .... got knocked off by a pick-up truck 100m from home. Two black toes, gravel rash and a sprained finger ... not serious but fully avoidable. Doh!

[tubber]

 Kushitani mesh armoured jacket, Sidi boots and gloves, ballistic fibre armoured trousers and Arai helmet. Leather armoured jacket for the cold season. Still feel naked riding without 2 piece leathers but it is seriously unbearable with the heat in Thailand.

[12DrinkMore]

Fascinating curve developing.

In Farangland, where most consider the roads to be far far safer than Thailand, most people are wearing more protection than your average infantry man in the front line, and in Thailand flip flops, shorts and a 300 Baht helmet are the norm.

From memory, going back a decade or so, I spent about 18,000 (helmet), 10,000 (boots), 4,500 (gloves), 35,000 (leathers), so around 70,000 Baht!!!

Now we're looking at 1,200 helmet, the rest I use anyway

Hmm, and then I didn't drink and ride either :D

[elkangorito]

IMHO, this "Armour" is a waste of money.

I raced competition motocross for 5 years & also competed in 5 to 7 day "Enduros". During this period, I had many "crashes". My "protective gear" only protected me from minor injuries, excluding my feet (burns & abrasions). My footwear did protect me from loosing my toes in a chain (as I saw happen to a friend who was wearing thongs/sandals whilst riding).

In 1981, I remember arriving at my place of work & asking, "Where is Tony today?(one of the tradesmen)" The answer was, "He was killed on the way to work in a traffic accident."

Tony was a very experienced "road" rider. He had been riding BMW 750's for many years. He always wore the "full outfit"...leathers etc disregarding the season.

Strangely, Tony never had a scratch on his body. He died of internal injuries. He was on his way to work & an idiot driver was overtaking on double yellow lines. Tony avoided the impact with the car but failed to avoid the impact with a tree. Again, not a scratch on his body, thanks to leathers etc.

Armour won't save you. Defensive riding will.

[tubber]

IMHO, this "Armour" is a waste of money.

I raced competition motocross for 5 years & also competed in 5 to 7 day "Enduros". During this period, I had many "crashes". My "protective gear" only protected me from minor injuries, excluding my feet (burns & abrasions). My footwear did protect me from loosing my toes in a chain (as I saw happen to a friend who was wearing thongs/sandals whilst riding).

In 1981, I remember arriving at my place of work & asking, "Where is Tony today?(one of the tradesmen)" The answer was, "He was killed on the way to work in a traffic accident."

Tony was a very experienced "road" rider. He had been riding BMW 750's for many years. He always wore the "full outfit"...leathers etc disregarding the season.

Strangely, Tony never had a scratch on his body. He died of internal injuries. He was on his way to work & an idiot driver was overtaking on double yellow lines. Tony avoided the impact with the car but failed to avoid the impact with a tree. Again, not a scratch on his body, thanks to leathers etc.

Armour won't save you. Defensive riding will.

Agree about the defensive riding but the armour has to at least absorb some of the initial impact energy. I have had a couple of spills and would have been a lot worse off without the armour. Nothing is going to protect you against hitting a tree or a road sign that pretty much decapitates you like happened a mate.

[elkangorito]

Firstly, my mate was not decapitated.

A "spill" is nothing compared to an impact with another object, whether stationary or moving.

What I was trying to say is that "sensible" protection is adequate for most situations. For example, don't wear synthetic slacks (risk of fire & excessive abrasions). Wear thick cotton garments (jeans), which will afford you some "useful" protection. Of course, "leathers" are the best for avoidance of severe abrasions.

but the armour has to at least absorb some of the initial impact energy.

Whilst this may appear true, experience tells me that this is not ordinarily the case for high impact situations. For example, I've been "hit" numerous times by sticks, which have been flung up by the front wheel. These sticks partially pierced my jeans & drew a little bit of blood. Had I been wearing leathers, this would not have happened.

Again, all the "armour" in the world will not save your life in a situation whereby sticks & spills are not involved. Save your money & simply wear sturdy clothing. If you choose to wear motocross boots (recommended), you can almost guarantee that all possible foot & lower leg problems will not be experienced...but only for "spills". If you should happen to collide with another vehicle, stick your head between your legs & kiss your arse a possible goodbye.

[dave_boo]

I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with Elkangorito.

I'm one who always wears my HJC full face, AVG leather jacket, and padded gloves. I do usually just wear a pair of Levis though and tennis shoes. However, if I plan on riding like a mad man those tennis shoes get changed to jump boots.

My reasoning is this; I know that if I suffer internal injuries the odds, especially in Thailand are extremely bad. However, if I'm not going to suffer internal injuries, I want to continue looking as good as I currently look.

[Pdaz]

'imaneggspurt'

I saw you and your bike in foodland earlier, sory about the pool of drool on the floor ! awesome bike, i has the original 900ss and the first mike hailwood replica in england, i love that retro model you have and as much as i dont ride a road bike anymore id have that in the living room !

Just saw your post.. Thanks the Sport 1000 is great. I too had a 900ss.. Both pretty similar as based on same motor.. So far this one has be super reliable and pretty good in the traffic.. The MH900e has to be one of my all time fav's... A mate of mine has one Singapore..

Here's a pic for the deprived....

[Zzinged]

I usually wear a good full-face helmet, armoured mesh jacket, armoured gauntlet style gloves, jeans (I'm saving up for some Draggin jeans myself) and either hiking shoes or leather boots.

I' d have to agree with Elk though, all the available armour in the world won't help you if you impact with a tree at high speeds or get run over by a cement truck. However I'd also have to agree with dave, in that I'd still wear the armour to protect myself in the event I just come off and slide down the road several dozen meters.

[LivinLOS]

IMHO, this "Armour" is a waste of money.

I raced competition motocross for 5 years & also competed in 5 to 7 day "Enduros". During this period, I had many "crashes". My "protective gear" only protected me from minor injuries, excluding my feet (burns & abrasions). My footwear did protect me from loosing my toes in a chain (as I saw happen to a friend who was wearing thongs/sandals whilst riding).

In 1981, I remember arriving at my place of work & asking, "Where is Tony today?(one of the tradesmen)" The answer was, "He was killed on the way to work in a traffic accident."

Tony was a very experienced "road" rider. He had been riding BMW 750's for many years. He always wore the "full outfit"...leathers etc disregarding the season.

Strangely, Tony never had a scratch on his body. He died of internal injuries. He was on his way to work & an idiot driver was overtaking on double yellow lines. Tony avoided the impact with the car but failed to avoid the impact with a tree. Again, not a scratch on his body, thanks to leathers etc.

Armour won't save you. Defensive riding will.

You can always kill yourself, leathers or no leathers.. But all things being equal you will always do better with them then without them.

However the heat and inconvenience of full protection are a balance against the possible injuries you might sustain.. I can rarely suffer some injuries, if I have to, as a balance against the every day hassle factor. Simple as that.

Skin grafts aint fun, but as painful as that baby pink new skin is, its the bones that screw you up.. I am full of pins and bars, not all from bikes but a few, nearly had a leg amputated, 2 years on crutches and 7 ops to keep that, 2 plastic surgeries to make it look about leg shaped again. No leathers in the world are going to stop that in a high speed off so its all about regulating that right hand.

[Meridian007]

Here: Armoured jacket (I wish I could handle using leather, too hot!)

Full-faced helmet

Jeans, and runners

sometimes gloves

In the west: Heavy leather Jacket

sometimes leather chaps, usually jeans

boots or runners

gloves

full-faced helmet

So, about the same. If I could get over the heat and manage wearing a leather jacket I'd be much happier.

[PeaceBlondie]

I lost an eye in a car wreck many years ago, hitting an unpadded dashboard. My student lost his life from head injuries he suffered falling from a bike when stopped at a traffic light, without a helmet. I always wear a full face Nolan. My newest one has several scratches from my latest crash, above the forehead, on the faceshield, and on the jaw. Once again, I wish I had worn gloves and real shoes, but I cannot be doffing and donning gloves eight times every day.

[LivinLOS]

I am more likely to don gloves than I am a proper jacket..