Protective Jackets

[Fire-medic]

I have a Tourmaster Transition Series II which I absolutely love, best jacket I ever owned.

In the early 1970's the first quality jacket I ever owned was a Belstaff waxed-cotton & matching pants. I used it for racing enduros in MI & I had that until it rotted-apart after 20+ years. They have come a long way in biking-specific clothing. If you buy a name-brand, it's hard to go wrong. This is one place to splurge for features & utility as well as its primary function, protection.

Nothing makes me cringe like seeing some H-D rider on the road wearing sandals, a common sight here, and of-course, no helmet!

I mentioned before, last week in the E.R. my paramedic students saw two helmetless riders come-in within < 1 hr of another after two-wheeler accidents, both trauma alerts to the Level I facility at which the students were spending the day. The right gear & safe operating skills can minimize your exposure. Helmet, clothing, gloves, boots-yes; 'wife-beater,' shorts, no helmet, sandals, no gloves-here's the name of a plastic surgeon, is your health insurance up-to-date, & does your community have a Level I trauma facility?

A strong second to the idea of learning to ride in the dirt before getting onto pavement. The street is a piece of cake after a couple of years offroad. More is better, of course.

 

[dannymax]

I have a Tourmaster Transition Series II which I absolutely love, best jacket I ever owned.

In the early 1970's the first quality jacket I ever owned was a Belstaff waxed-cotton & matching pants. I used it for racing enduros in MI & I had that until it rotted-apart after 20+ years. They have come a long way in biking-specific clothing. If you buy a name-brand, it's hard to go wrong. This is one place to splurge for features & utility as well as its primary function, protection.

Nothing makes me cringe like seeing some H-D rider on the road wearing sandals, a common sight here, and of-course, no helmet!

I mentioned before, last week in the E.R. my paramedic students saw two helmetless riders come-in within < 1 hr of another after two-wheeler accidents, both trauma alerts to the Level I facility at which the students were spending the day. The right gear & safe operating skills can minimize your exposure. Helmet, clothing, gloves, boots-yes; 'wife-beater,' shorts, no helmet, sandals, no gloves-here's the name of a plastic surgeon, is your health insurance up-to-date, & does your community have a Level I trauma facility?

A strong second to the idea of learning to ride in the dirt before getting onto pavement. The street is a piece of cake after a couple of years offroad. More is better, of course.

Haha, haven't heard that name for a long time! :biglaugh:

Still have my Bellstaff jacket hanging downstairs, pretty ragged but can't bring myself to chuck it!

 

[Fire-medic]

Haha, haven't heard that name for a long time! :biglaugh:

Still have my Bellstaff jacket hanging downstairs, pretty ragged but can't bring myself to chuck it!

Yeah, I felt the same way until it literally disintegrated on the hanger. I wore that for many years also for other than motorcycling, and I was sad to see it go. I always thought I had a secret bond with those English trials guys like Martin Lampkin, or Preston Petty or Malcom Smith. Whenever I saw a pic of some king of competition in a Belstaff or a Barbour, I knew I made a good choice.

As they said, about the second summer you owned it, it carried a distinctive 'flavour' to its aroma. I quickly learned never to wear any white pants with it as the waxed cotton would leave a bit of 'colour' on the lighter stuff. I have pics from 39 years ago at MI enduros where I was campaigning my 360 Yamaha along with my riding partner on his Zundapp-engined Rickman, he used to place regularly & I used to be happy to finish & not DNF. I had some great times wearing that jacket, I bought it big so I could layer, and unless the snow was flying, that kept me warm-enough to ride.

 

[Fastatv]

I really appreciate all the suggestions you guys made and I was surprized about how many jackets were available. After reading all the posts several times and about 4 or 5 hours on-line, we decided to go with the Joe Rocket leather-mesh jacket...$149 on sale. It's ordered and on the way. In a week or two, we'll order pants and gloves. Also, yes, I definately plan on enrolling the son in a riders safety class....this summer. He's been riding dirt bikes and ATVs since he was four years old and I have also provided a wide range of training for him on my own, however, I've been told by many that the motorcycle safety course offered here in my area is well worth the cost and one really cannot be too prepared when it comes to riding on the street....people just don't pay enough attention to folks that ride bikes. Anyway, much thanks again for all the great suggestions/tips. unk: Rick

 

[schudaddie]

Haha, haven't heard that name for a long time! :biglaugh:

Still have my Bellstaff jacket hanging downstairs, pretty ragged but can't bring myself to chuck it!

here ya go just break out the card and flash back....... just scroll down the page
https://s-e-c-u-r-e.com/britishmotorcyclegear/Jackets.asp
later, bill

 

[bud7680]

iron pony .com would have anything you would ever need and they have great sales and a clearance section. Awesome store here in Columbus , Oh.

 

[RaWarrior]

Also, yes, I definately plan on enrolling the son in a riders safety class....this summer. He's been riding dirt bikes and ATVs since he was four years old and I have also provided a wide range of training for him on my own, however, I've been told by many that the motorcycle safety course offered here in my area is well worth the cost and one really cannot be too prepared when it comes to riding on the street....people just don't pay enough attention to folks that ride bikes. Anyway, much thanks again for all the great suggestions/tips. unk: Rick

The years of off-road riding will be much more useful to his skillset than a rider-ed class. From what I've heard/experienced, the "learn to ride" classes offered at community colleges and the like are essentially worthless. You spend a couple hours being lectured "how to ride", then they have you ride around in a circle at 2mph in a parking lot, and (at least in NY) you can march right to DMV and get a full unrestricted class M license, literally because you managed to ride a 250 bike a few dozen yards in a parking lot. I know someone who did just that, didn't understand lean/countersteer at all, and bounced his bike over a 4" curb because "the bike wouldn't turn" at speed.


Experience is the best teacher. Let your bike be your teacher, start out easy (I rode a 22hp GS450 at first), then move up as you get comfortable(bored) with it. Then I rode a 65hp Magna for a year and a half, then I bought my 115hp Vmax. While you're new, avoid heavy traffic, and just go out and practice riding. Practice countersteering and decreasing-radius turns(270* highway ramps). Practice panic stopping, get a feel for how hard you can get on the brakes without locking. Use the front to stop, the rear to "settle" the chassis. Practice rapid lane changes and other accident-avoiding maneuvers. You have to intentionally expose yourself to these skills. Put as many miles as possible. Have him ride the bike everywhere...I rode my GS450 to high school, to after school activities, to the mall, to the movies, to work. I would put 3-400 miles per week on it, when I had my class M less than a month.

In going on 5 years since I turned 16, I've ridden close to 30k miles between my 3 bikes(and paid for every drop of gas, lol). So far, I've never had an unexpected pavement encounter, but I'm not naive enough to think it'll never happen. Always wear a full helmet, armored jacket, over-ankle boots, which to me should be bare minimum riding attire....I don't care if it's hot outside. I also wear knee/shin guards, I wear a pair made for downhill MTB riding. Anything that hits your shin is guaranteed to hurt like hell, and your knees are kind of important if you enjoy being able to walk. To me it's a no brainer but to some people it's the weirdest thing on the planet. I know I ride aggressively and not always within what Johnny Law allows. But even if I was the most laid back guy on an 883 sportster that can barely muster 80, I'd still wear all of it. It doesn't take flying over the handlebars at 200mph to cause injuries...there's enough energy in your motion at 5mph to snap your neck. Bikes aren't dangerous...a hayabusa is no more hazardous than a Rebel. It's the rider's respect of the power, or lack thereof, is what creates accidents. Why some people buy gixxer 1000s as their first bike, never lay it down and go on to be proficient riders. Others buy 250 starter bikes and lay them down every other day. Respect for your machine...it's an important relationship. People have trouble respecting an inanimate chunk of steel with the notion that they're the "boss" of it. Which you are, but every machine has limits that need to be known and observed. You can try and make it stop faster, or lean farther, and it will, until there's no more traction and you slide it out. Bikes aren't moron-proof like modern cars. There's no seatbelts, 27 airbags, intelligent seats, collapsing steering columns, crumple zones to coddle you. Nope...your ride is just that...a seat with wheels, transportation in it's most basic form.

 

[Fastatv]

Quote from RaWarrior The years of off-road riding will be much more useful to his skillset than a rider-ed class. From what I've heard/experienced, the "learn to ride" classes offered at community colleges and the like are essentially worthless. You spend a couple hours being lectured "how to ride", then they have you ride around in a circle at 2mph in a parking lot, and (at least in NY) you can march right to DMV and get a full unrestricted class M license, literally because you managed to ride a 250 bike a few dozen yards in a parking lot. I know someone who did just that, didn't understand lean/countersteer at all, and bounced his bike over a 4" curb because "the bike wouldn't turn" at speed. Quote

You could be right about the classes as I would imagine most folks that attend don't want to admit that they wasted money. Chris just turned 17 and has been riding street for over three years...mostly back roads. He started off on a 76 Honda 550 four.....which we still have...he put so many hours in it polishing...adjusting this and that, painting that he really doesn't want me to sell it. Anyway, I'll take a look at the riding course agenda...then make my decision. Thanks, Rick

 

[Fire-medic]

The Experienced Rider Course MSF does teach panic braking & countersteering as well as evasive lane changing & decreasing-radius turns. I think he should try that instead.

'Rawarrior' has good observations, and we all agree riding time away from intense, dense traffic levels at first & building the skill set is the way to go, then increasing the traffic density. Recall that most drivers will not give you the space you need, nothing bugs me like a tailgater! I slow down & then use a few seconds of accelleration to gap the idiot, changing lanes to remove him from my 6 o'clock. Sometimes an aggressive driver thinks that is an invite to 'play,' and if the road doesn't allow rapid departure, sometimes I change lanes 2X or choose another route to leave the accident waiting to happen behind.

From your description, your son has some good basic skills, just assume that the car drivers are going to do syupid things constantly. I am especially apprehensive about intersections, and have slowed to first gear to proceed thru, lest some idiot should do the left turn in-front of me. It pays to make sure the guy behind you doesn't have a lapse of attention when you are slowing for the intersection & plow-into you from behind because they are texting, cell-taliking, applying makeup, etc. I usually just roo-out of the throttle & the gradual loss of speed usually causes the behind driver to get on the brakes, but occasionally I have had someone scream around me to the right & cut me off by changing lanes in the middle of the intersection, a move sure to draw the attention of the police, if one cares enough to do something.

Good luck w/the riding, use your gear!