| I'll put my hands up and admit that I've often ridden in jeans and trainers.
I used to do it more often a few years back, when I used to take a 10 minute ride to my office on bright sunny mornings. Getting togged up in full leathers and out of them again when I arrived, plus carrying a back pack with jeans or trousers and shoes to change into was too much hassle, much easier to throw on my Belstaff leather jacket, gloves and lid and be ready for work as soon as I'd taken them off again at the other end.
I had a few ground rules in that I wouldn't go hooning about, just trundle along with the flow of traffic and use the bike just for the joy of riding it rather than using it to carve through traffic.
Was I taking an extra risk? Yes of course. If I had an accident I stood a bigger risk of injury, but that was only an incremental risk compared to riding the bike at all and it was a calculated risk...the type of calculated risk that we all take every time we sling a leg over a motorcycle. Yes, the risks are marginally bigger, but is that going to stop me? Clearly not.
I could also argue the other way. I don't know about anyone else, but when I climb into full leathers with all the built in armour, knee sliders, protective boots and everything else, of course I feel much more protected. It makes me feel more 'invincible' and I'm encouraged to ride much faster. Riding faster increases the risk greater injury if I have an accident and the type of injury I am likely to receive changes with greater speed from the abrasion injuries you are likely to receive in a 30mph spill to the broken bones and internal injuries in a 60mph spill.
It would be interesting to find out where the tipping point is between the risk of riding relatively slowly and relatively unprotected and the risk of being armour plated and riding faster (of course I could ride slower fully clad but not much point in having a motorcycle if you climb into one piece racing leathers to pootle around at 30-40mph).
So what risk do you want to take? The self inflicted injuries through not being protected or the self inflicted injuries through twisting the throttle harder? It's all a calculated risk, that we all take every time we throw a leg over a motorcycle |