ATGNFI

[rideserotta]

sac +1 +2 +3. The Aussie... What a jerk. He probably has deserted roads to ride because no on wants to be around him.

[Justo]

he's wrong about 1 thing. well in my opinion anyway. I like fake boobs. I'd rather have fake boobs in my hands than no boobs at all. As decieving as they maybe.

[koko64]

he's wrong about 1 thing. well in my opinion anyway. I like fake boobs. I'd rather have fake boobs in my hands than no boobs at all. As decieving as they maybe.

An honest man

[RichD]

I think he is spot on.

99.99998% of accidents are preventable and he lays that out well.

mitt

Yup.

[bigiain]

I've crashed with and without gear.

Gear wins.

I've crashed and I've not crashed.

Not crashing wins.

big

[Cloner]

I've crashed and I've not crashed.

Not crashing wins.

big

Yeah....what Big said. 

I'd ride with the Aussie Asshole.  (Not you, Big....you're the Aussie Nice Fuggin' Guy, right?)  I've been accused of being abrasive occasionally, too, but that doesn't stop me from spouting drivel.

BTW....did Ryan tell you that he got a new 999?  Well, he did!!

[Spidey]

big, both you and your buddy seem bugged by a particular type or rider:  new/crap riders who jump on the AGATT bandwagon, get all preachy and evangelical about it and then fail to realize that they'd be better served spending that same energy trying not to run into stationary objects.  Sure, I get how that sort of preachiness could be annoying.

Here's the part I don't quite get---  Of all the subsets of motorcyclists to rant about, why choose those guys?!?  Aren't they a teensy minority of riders?  If I'm gonna get my rant on, I can think of a billion different groups of moto-riding asshats more deserving of scorn.  How often do these guys come up to you and talk shit about how you're wearing a T-shirt?  Maybe its more prevalent in Australia, but around here I don't see a lot of newbies lecturing seasoned riders about AGATT.  As for them spouting off on the interwebz, <shrug>.  

As for your most recent comment, there's a good discussion to be had about whether crashing is ok and how to view riders who crash (or crash a lot).  But that's not what your buddy was talkin' about.

[Spidey]

I'll add that I'm also getting more lax about AGATT than I used to be.  I regularly squid around town on The Blonde's scooter in sandals and a T-shirt.  I also regularly go AGATT for short trips, both on motos and on the scooter.  And as you've personally witnessed, I'm not averse taking AGATT to an extreme by tossing on a full race suit to bop around town.  There's not really any rhyme or reason to it, other than that I've failed to develop the ability you have to tailor your riding to your level of protective gear.  

But I'll tell ya, even if an experienced rider/friend makes a well-informed, reasoned choice not to wear gear, if I think it's stupid, I'm gonna say sumptin' to 'em.  I might be less emphatic and preachy about it as compared to if their choice was no well-informed, but that doesn't mean I'm gonna shut up about it.  Mostly cuz I like the sound of my own voice.  

[duccarlos]

Most preaching about AGATT I've seen has been on TOB and here. Like Spidey, I will tailor my gear to the type of riding, weather and destination. I will not wear a full suit if I'm riding down the block. I will also not wear shorts and a t-shirt if I'm braving I-95 going down to Miami.

I do suggest full face helmet and gloves to pretty much every friend, especially to those with less experience. I might even go as far as suggesting an armored jacket. But I am more likely to see a squid riding like an idiot down here than a person going AGATT.

[jim_0068]

I hope one day, mid corner, with no gear on, he comes across a patch of gravel he didn't see. All the skill in the world can't make up for crap on the road that can cause a get off: gravel, oil, animals, whatever.

I'm not the best rider in the world but i am better than most my friends and i wear my gear for 1 reason: when i do fall for whatever reason (my fault or not) i am hedging my risk to avoid as much injury as possible.

[zooom]

I do suggest full face helmet and gloves to pretty much every friend rider/squid that I don't know that tries to strike up a conversation with me, especially to those with obviously less experience.

modified it it for ya...as that is what I suggest with the stated reasoning that it makes it easier to identify the corpse when the EMT's are responding and cleaning up the mess...

[Spidey]

I hope one day, mid corner, with no gear on, he comes across a patch of gravel he didn't see. All the skill in the world can't make up for crap on the road that can cause a get off: gravel, oil, animals, whatever.

I'm not sure that hoping that dude crashes is the coolest thing.  That said, I'd be happy to see him get smacked in the face with a horse dick.  Hell, I'd be happy to see that happen to anyone.    

Also, he's likely point out that if you're wearing a T-shirt and shorts and riding accordingly, you have a lot of time to see/avoid/deal with crap in the road than if you're riding balls-out because you naively think your gear makes you invincible.  

[Cloner]

... I'd be happy to see him get smacked in the face with a horse dick.  Hell, I'd be happy to see that happen to anyone.  

Got a mirror?    

Also, he's likely point out that if you're wearing a T-shirt and shorts and riding accordingly, you have a lot of time to see/avoid/deal with crap in the road than if you're riding balls-out because you naively think your gear makes you invincible.  

That's my experience, Spidey.  I often ride with less than full leathers, even when I ride with my normal riding companions.  It's a comfort thing to me.  If I know I'm going riding balls-out, I wear balls-out gear.  If I'm wearing jeans I go a bit slower in order to avoid the aforementioned hazards.  My slow and other folks' slow might be considerably different.  I've discovered that my 50% pace is untenable for lots of other riders, but it gives me plenty of time to react to adverse conditions.

Case in point.  Two weeks ago Ryan and Carl (did Ryan tell you he got a new 999?  'Cause he did!!) came out to the ABQ.  We rode up Sandia Crest.  Between the previous time I had ridden the Crest road and this one it has snowed a couple of times and the road had been sanded and salted, and there was still some ice in the road from melt refreezing.  At my 50% pace I encountered said sand/salt/ice and still had enough reserve to recover the slide and avoid further entanglements.  I couldn't see anyone behind me when I encountered it even though we had all left our origination point simultaneously.  (In fairness, the guy immediately behind me was two-up....but still) 

My only point is, that if you have a depth of experience and know your level of skill you can tailor your ride to your gear, somewhat.  I ALWAYS wear gloves, helmet, boots, and a jacket at a minimum, because you really never know when something outside of your depth of experience will sneak up and bite you.  I don't always wear full leathers....but I often do.  I figure that even with thirty years of riding experience there's still something out there I haven't seen before, so why take unnecessary risks?  If that makes me an ATGATT twat, then so be it.  I'd still rather not crash than test my gear.  I've tested my gear several times, both on the street and on the racetrack, over the years, but it has never been intentional.  I'm sure I'll test it again....unintentionally.

I always encourage the people I ride with and around to ride within their skill levels and to seek further training.  I don't know everything and I regularly seek further training and advice.  It's part of what keeps our shared avocation fresh to me.

You don't approve of the way I dress for my ride?  Thanks.  I appreciate your concern.  Now, go for a ride.

Since I haven't given my personal opinion of the original article in this thread, let me say that I thought it sucked.  That opinion and a two Dollar bill will get you a cup of coffee.   

[RBX QB]

Nobody's taking issue with the fact that Boris and his mates felt it necessary to actually RACE from the light. To me, that just kinda nullified any of his judgments of ANY rider or ANY gear setup he had laid out before it.

Sac and Iain, well stated thoughts. Thanks for balancing Boris' article with your insights.

[zooom]

 That opinion and a two Dollar bill will get you a cup of coffee.  

not at Starbucks...LOL

while most of the painting here is with that broad brush of overgeneralization, I must say, some great illustrative points have been made. My only major point I am going to rebut anything with is this, as long as I don't hurt you when I ride, what the make the beast with two backs does it matter what I am wearing while I ride. We make the choices we make for ourselves, unlike the choices we made for what to wear when we were being influenced by the clicks in high school. At least, I certainly hope so, because we are adults responsible for ourselves and no one else can assume the blame for our actions.