why wear protective gear
#1
Posted 09 July 2006 - 06:32 pm
Sorry that this is a bit rough on the eyes. I've put these pics up on two other sites in hopes that at least a few riders might make the choice to wear some protective gear instead of zooming around in shorts and t-shirts.
I'm in the military, but for the past month I have been working as a ER doctor, treating motorcycle (and many other) injuries at the main trauma center in Seattle.
These are some of my patients. They have given me permission to post their pictures. There are no pictures of the riders that did not survive.
Patient #1 - thought it was cool to wear a little beanie type "helmet".
Low speed high side. The white you see is skull.
Multiple layer stitching to close him up. Head CT revealed skull fracture and a small inner brain bleed.
This gentleman came in pretty scuffed up As the pics show he had a complete, open dislocation of his tib/fib ankle joint after he went skidding along the road. He was stopped by some sort of wall/barrier while still road surfing at high speed -- ouch
He was wearing ankle high heavy hiking boots - just like mine
New boots arrive soon
We reduced his ankle in the ER - Pain pain pain!
Think of these pics when you wonder if the gear is really worth the money.
TL1000, hit a patch of something in a corner.<BR>Let's start from the head and work our way down....
Good thing he had a helmet -- he probably would have died without it.
Shoulders,
Well, they don't need skin now do they.
Too bad we couldn't peel him off the sheets to give you a pic of his back - <B>no skin left</B>
That dark spot on the shoulder, not dirt, just roadrash plus burn - I know it doesn't look it but it was some of the worst road rash out on him.
It just keeps going...
Both sides looked the same.
A little of his hip skid can be seen.
He went to the burn unit for cleaning up.
You think the accident hurts, wait till you have full body road rash scrubbed out.
Two brothers, one 18 and the other 16. Riding on the older brother's NEW 2002 R6 (2 days old - his 1st bike :roll: )
Lowside at 50-60mph.
This is a closeup of the above hand, knuckles are on the right side.
His elbow
Older brother's elbow
Older brother's arm.
Be careful out there!
And for those of you considering an R6 as a 1st bike, see above.
Dan
BTW - As you look at these, let this run through your mind, about an hour and a half per kid to get them scrubbed out - painful even under the influence of those good hospital drugs.
:shock: They will be back for a few more cleanings, suture removal and possible skin grafts.
Still not convinced?
And our next model is wearing designer jeans, haltertop, and almost new Pumas. And by the look of his head : a good helmet.
#2
Posted 09 July 2006 - 07:22 pm
Always tell the truth, it will gratify some of the people and astonish the rest. (Mark Twain)
£
Stebel Nautilus air-horn, Corbin seat, MRA Touring screen, single Delkevic silencer.
"I see by your outfit that you are a spaceman"(MkI (3VD) TDM Review)
Hints for using Carpe-TDM. (photo's, links, etc).
#3
Posted 09 July 2006 - 08:13 pm
I see all this and a lot more (as I'm sure the EMS Dr does too). Unfortunately I have lost count of the amount of dead and seriously injured bikers I have dealt with over the years.
If your post causes one person to think before riding without proper gear on then it was well worth it.
#4
Posted 10 July 2006 - 05:45 am
I know I always seem anti protection but in fact I'm not, it's just that the people who do not ride bikes and who want biking banned for whatever reasons, look through motorcycle media magazines and websites to see what's going on, and for them to see 'us' telling 'ourselves' what to wear for our own good and pointing out to 'ourselves' how dangerous riding a bike is, well it just gives them ammunition to use against us for their own biggotted ends, and yes it is also a very good point for people to see we are being a responsible bunch by encouraging other riders new or old to be safe, but that is ignored by the biggotted few who are able to make their voices heard, bikers on the other hand have to sit very high up on the list of apathy, doing nothing but moaning to each other each time someone or something threatens our freedom and choice.
I have come off a bike while wearing just t-shirt and jeans at 35mph, and yes it hurt like hell, I've also turned my left ankle joint inside out when off-roading while wearing only trainers, I only knew it was broken as I stood up and poked my exposed bone into some gravel which was quite puke inducing, I have now lost my left ankle joint for good but I still ride with my ankle high work boots, jeans and if it is very hot, a t-shirt.
I hope the message of wearing safety clothing gets through to people who do not realise how vulnerable they are but by the same sentence I hope it doesn't have an adverse affect on motorcycling.
Maybe we should all wear very stout clothing and hard hats when we go to shopping centres because they have been known to collapse on people.
Edited by laughin in a windstorm, 10 July 2006 - 06:03 am.
the last thing I want is for my family to cry
#5
Posted 10 July 2006 - 10:23 am
I hope the message of wearing safety clothing gets through to people who do not realise how vulnerable they are but by the same sentence I hope it doesn't have an adverse affect on motorcycling.
would you go ride without a helmet if it werent compulsory?
i sense some bitterness... understandably, the only time i get REALLY pissed off if something goes wrong is when its my own fault and i should have know better.
yamaha : xv535/92-92 | red TDM850/92-05 | silver TDM900A/05-
get them here
#6
Posted 10 July 2006 - 10:27 am
Bottom line, we are exposed... dress accordingly. Most injuries in street riding come from having your forwrd motion stopped by something hard (look for soft armour or other padding), on the track it's sliding, look for leather (goatskin is the most durable I hear.)
I have seen guys on sportbikes in no shirt, shorts, and freakin flip-flops!
Always tell the truth, it will gratify some of the people and astonish the rest. (Mark Twain)
£
Stebel Nautilus air-horn, Corbin seat, MRA Touring screen, single Delkevic silencer.
"I see by your outfit that you are a spaceman"(MkI (3VD) TDM Review)
Hints for using Carpe-TDM. (photo's, links, etc).
#7
Posted 10 July 2006 - 10:53 am
would you go ride without a helmet if it werent compulsory?
yes in certain conditions, ie. it's very warm and I'm only doing a shortish journey, my riding is more sedate when I feel vulnerable and I take more in of what is around me.
the last thing I want is for my family to cry
#8
Posted 10 July 2006 - 10:59 am
i cringe everytime i see that.
i would like to see this kind of thing on the CBT days and as part of the test as i dont believe a significant number of riders appreciate the dangers.
obviously liaw has seen and experienced the consequences, so if he chooses to ride unprotected i see no problem, its his choice.
however, its the kids on scooters who ride like nutters who i have the problem with, they havent yet come off so they dont know the consequences or dont believe it will happen to them.
i would fight any compulsory requirement to wear protective gear as its the person riding who is responsible for their own safety.
besides the legal requirements i always wear jacket, gloves. if i'm on the motorway then full leathers is a must to me. if i'm out about in town then draggin jeans is my normal attire.
i also frequently wear a hiviz (as those on RTT saw), but again, thats personal preference, i would fight any legal requirement.
</rant>
</2centworth>
"Never argue with an idiot. They just bring you down to their level and beat you with experience"
My TDM :
Black 1991 850 MK1, 160k+ miles(ish, best guess really, gave up trying to keep count after 3rd set of clocks and 3rd engine), PilotRoad2 tyres, custom stubby exhaust system, bluespot calipers & goodridge braided hoses with dunlopads, maxton forks, Ohlins shock, kedo handguards, stainless TDM grill, Scottoiler with lubetube & dual nozzle thingy, Givi Wingrack2 with E45 & 2xE36s, renntec crash bars, Autocom with blueteeth & PMR radio, TomTom Rider2, Optimate IIIsp, Bagster tank cover, anti-dazzle coating
to fit : led spotlights, heated grips, new braided lines and rear caliper that actually has bleed nipples
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to fit : led brake light strip, replacement heated grips
current rides : TDM850 3vd/mk1=tourer&scratcher, TRX850=weekend twisty toy, 2003 TDM900=commuter, 2005 TDM900=unmolested. Gone but not forgotton : XTZ750=overland touring toy, GS500e, GS125
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#9
Posted 10 July 2006 - 11:19 am
The brains that govern the commonwealth of pennsylvania actually repealed our mandatory helmet law.
caveat: with 2 years experience or passing an approved safety course....
But how does the police officer tell who has 2 years and who doesn't? hmmmm?
The only time I have ridden without a helmet is taking the bike around the block to the garage.
Besides I look like a bad mo-fo in a black leather jacket with a dark visor.
"Hide the kids Maw! Here comes That Damn Motorcycle!"
Always tell the truth, it will gratify some of the people and astonish the rest. (Mark Twain)
£
Stebel Nautilus air-horn, Corbin seat, MRA Touring screen, single Delkevic silencer.
"I see by your outfit that you are a spaceman"(MkI (3VD) TDM Review)
Hints for using Carpe-TDM. (photo's, links, etc).
#10
Posted 20 July 2006 - 09:43 pm
Back on to the topic of carnage - I'm glad I had chosen a full-face helmet for my biking attire when I threw my TDM down the road a while back (40 mph or so I think, low-side). If it weren't for my ARAI, I reckon the side of my face and my chin would have been messy.
I would not relish a compulsory, big-brother style law dictating to us a specific type of protective gear. I want the freedom to choose, but crosser boots, leather jeans (armoured), leather jacket (armoured) and a metallic black Arai do give me an air of intimidation. Alright, go on, I reckon they make me look like a reet hard bastard! Just need to convince the missus about me getting a black visor... (another can of worms I know..)
Diff.
#11
Posted 20 July 2006 - 10:35 pm
"It's a TDM, Jim, but not as we know it"
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAHmEWim3to
Diamond black TDM 900A TRIKE, 2006 ABS model converted by Trike Design (Caerphilly, South Wales) prior to first registration in March 2007.
#12
Posted 21 July 2006 - 02:32 am
The kit I've got now is much better than any I've had in the past. I still don't wear armored leather or textile pants with any regularity. Jeans won't hold up in a high speed crash, I know, but both of my previous crashes they did ok. Not to endorse them, just to point out it's not always necessary to fork out a lot of cash just to ride. One of the reasons a lot of us do ride is because it's more economical than a car (I didn't even own a car until I was 28).
So, am I taking a risk? Yeah, but it's also a calculated risk. I can't always control what the other guy is doing, but I can control what I'm doing and ride well within my skill level, and ride defensively. Someone said ride up to 9/10ths of your ability -- fark that. That may be ok on the track where conditions are controlled, but out in the real world it leaves only 1/10th to any number of unexpected hazards to challenge only 1/10th of what you've got left as a margin of error. Ride to survive.
I've also had a very serious (2nd and 3rd) degree burn, and I kid you not, it is the most painful, searing pain you've ever felt and it keeps hurting not for hours but for days.
Corbin seat, Kerker pipes, Givi top case.
DMPHOTOSD.com
#13
Posted 21 July 2006 - 08:29 am
being thrown over the front of the car, i believe it was the armour in the jacket and trousers that saved me from even more serious injury.
this accident was only at 20mph
i always wear the right clothing on the bike. ok i may get hot from time to time, but the alternative if something goes wrong........
but it did help me that none of the people at the scene tried to move me or remove my helmet. they left me alone until the paramedics arrived.
#14
Posted 21 July 2006 - 09:24 am
I am all for personal responsibility, but I'm old enough to know better. In the 70's surgeons used to do lots of amputations on bikers. This was not because the bones couldn't get pinned (look at Barry Sheene), it was because an open fracture (ie the bone is sticking out al-fresco like) easily got infected by soil, road debris etc and once infection gets into bone its nearly impossible to fix. Leathers hold you together quite literally, the abrasion resistance is a bonus. I'll happily sweat in summer!
#15
Posted 21 July 2006 - 10:13 am
The kit I've got now is much better than any I've had in the past. I still don't wear armored leather or textile pants with any regularity. Jeans won't hold up in a high speed crash, I know, but both of my previous crashes they did ok. Not to endorse them, just to point out it's not always necessary to fork out a lot of cash just to ride. One of the reasons a lot of us do ride is because it's more economical than a car (I didn't even own a car until I was 28).
So, am I taking a risk? Yeah, but it's also a calculated risk. I can't always control what the other guy is doing, but I can control what I'm doing and ride well within my skill level, and ride defensively. Someone said ride up to 9/10ths of your ability -- fark that. That may be ok on the track where conditions are controlled, but out in the real world it leaves only 1/10th to any number of unexpected hazards to challenge only 1/10th of what you've got left as a margin of error. Ride to survive.
I've also had a very serious (2nd and 3rd) degree burn, and I kid you not, it is the most painful, searing pain you've ever felt and it keeps hurting not for hours but for days.
yuk !!! isn't a 3rd degree burn literally where all the surrounding flesh is burnt away to the bone ??
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#16
Posted 21 July 2006 - 03:56 pm
Bit loike the food on me BBQ then
#17
Posted 21 July 2006 - 05:39 pm
Blackened is cajun style burns.
Corbin seat, Kerker pipes, Givi top case.
DMPHOTOSD.com
#18
Posted 22 July 2006 - 10:53 am
when its been very warm and dry for a while the roads get slippery
even at 50kmh hard braking on a less then perfect road can cause a drop
when its very warm drivers and riders get more careless, just wanna get moving or get home to get out of that hot car.
when its very warm they'll have more then "the one" beer before heading home.
good that YOU adapt YOUR riding style when you are wearing less protective gear.
but the twat in the cage might still cut you off / back out of the driveway / forget to turn on indicators / or generally do whatever stupidity that generates "i didnt see him"
when injured/handicapped/dead its not just your life that gets messed up.
yamaha : xv535/92-92 | red TDM850/92-05 | silver TDM900A/05-
get them here
#19
Posted 22 July 2006 - 08:36 pm
Sat 22nd G reminds us that the twat in the cage may still get us even if we ride more safely with less protective gear.
Conscience getting the better of you, G?
The twat in the cage may still get us if we ride like a twat whatever we wear
Sorry..
Maybe I'll give the keys away before I get caught or die....
Bikes make people do bad stuff...
Diff. on a guilt trip.
on the way home from RTT, bondy (see a pattern starting) & me did the same on the way to bondys place ...
nice to know UK plod arent allowed to setup hidden speedcams in unmarked vehicles ...
even at 50kmh hard braking on a less then perfect road can cause a drop
when its very warm drivers and riders get more careless, just wanna get moving or get home to get out of that hot car.
when its very warm they'll have more then "the one" beer before heading home.
good that YOU adapt YOUR riding style when you are wearing less protective gear.
but the twat in the cage might still cut you off / back out of the driveway / forget to turn on indicators / or generally do whatever stupidity that generates "i didnt see him"
when injured/handicapped/dead its not just your life that gets messed up.
Stu
#20
Posted 12 August 2006 - 03:02 pm
"twat" as in 140kmh on open dualcarriage ... anything faster and i got bit of a wobble (2up with 3panniers)
and still we got overtaken
confession : didnt get a backprotector till AFTER the RTT06
its actually cooler then the thin foam "shield" that came with the jacket.
yamaha : xv535/92-92 | red TDM850/92-05 | silver TDM900A/05-
get them here
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