Getting hit by a bird on a bike

[Big Duke Six]

Crowbar, first let me say, you have nice teets. Second, I too been riding since I was 6 years old - started a nice little Yamaha JT-1 Mini-Enduro. Just bought one recently for my little boy too!

But I have to call you on this:

The proper riding gear for riding my Magna is a brain bucket and jeans, if you plan on riding recklessly than maybe the proper gear is leathers and a helmet, but for everyday riding leather is too much.

Now, I'm not saying I wear a full set of leathers for a jaunt to the store. I don't even own a full set, and I can't even say I reccomend jaunts to the store on motorcycles. But I do have leather boots, leather gloves and a leather jacket, all of which I wear religiously along with my Arai full-face on every ride. Before visiting the crash website, I too thought jeans were OK for riding streetbikes. I can see where you could say "I still won't wear leathers on the street, no matter what that guy Chris says in his website", but you definitely cannot say with a straight face that "leather is too much". We all think we are cautious enough to stay out of trouble, but the fact is that IF you go down, leather is the only thing that will protect you. Just because you are cautious doesn't mean that bluejeans are enough to protect you if you go down. If you think you won't ever go down (and I'm like you - I never have) you need to re-read the website. All it takes is ONE TIME, and if you're not ready for it, it will change your life forever. Sorry, my .02.

 

[TurboS7]

When I was 16 I was going to Puerto Lleras along the Ari Ari river in Colombia. I was driving a C90 and going full out at 55MPH, I felt something hit me I thought I had been shot. I looked down and there was a hummingbird buried deep into my skin, its beak had gone all the way in. That hurt.

 

[DenverDude2002]

think it's funny you guys talking about proper body protection, I think proper body protection is determined by how proper you ride. I started riding when I was about 4 years old, when I was able to kick start that little 1968 Honda Z-50 and grew into a Yamaha 60 enduro when I was 6 and than a YZ 80 when I was 9 and a YZ 125 at 14 and later a YZ 250 and than a Honda 700 Magna at 19. The proper riding gear for riding my Magna is a brain bucket and jeans, if you plan on riding recklessly than maybe the proper gear is leathers and a helmet, but for everyday riding leather is too much.

I took the motorcycle saftey foundation class, which was a very excellent class for someone like me. I had ridden dirtbikes for 5 yrs prior and realized within 5 minutes of the class I knew nothing. The fact is though, you can ride as carefully as you want, but all its going to take is that patch of gravel you didnt see or that car that decides to run a red light to make one wish they had worn proper gear.