It seems to me (I could be, wrong) that the ones who protest/complain the most about having to wear helmets out here (CA) are the worst riders... It always seems to be the type that rides a few miles to the bar on a large, overweight, underpowered bike covered in chrome. Then drink beers all day, then ride home.
Of course, I had someone on an extended swingarm Hayabusa caution me once that "It's gonna be hot this weekend. If you're gonna ride, you might wanna leave your jacket at home." He had one of those "Penis-Head" helmets with the spike on the top.
My take is, you should have the freedom to choose whether or not to be safe. We don't have that choice here in Kalifornia, but it doesn't affect me, because I wear full gear 99% of the time. Occasionally I'll commute the 12 miles to work in jeans, but still armored leather jacket, full face helmet, armored gloves, and moto boots.
Now, if I'm organizing a group ride, I require the people I ride with the have full gear. Feel free to flame me if you wish, but here's my reasoning. If by chance you have a mishap and go down, chances are likely you'll be way better off wearing full gear than a t-shirt and shorts. I don't want to be the guy who has to scrape you off the road with a spatula.
Hey, I'm a selfish prick...
My insistence on this point has been reinforced three times in the last few years.
Ride 1: Friend who had been leading pulled over to take pics of us coming by. As she was catching up to us, she took a curve slightly faster than normal, and dragged her DP low-mounts. This caused her to straighten up a bit, but she ended up in a ditch. She went over the bars and landed squarely on her head. Helmet saved her life. She ended up with a separated shoulder, and an upgrade from a 620Dark to an M800...
Ride 2: Fellow rider here on the DMF. On a previous ride (not mine) he showed up in jeans and Doc Marten's. He said he was a new rider and didn't have much gear. I lent him my spare pair of moto boots until he could get his own. I invited him along on another ride, and he showed up with brand new boots and pants.
On the way back down the mountain, he lowsided in some gravel that had been strewn across the roadway by construction trucks. His only injury? A skinned knuckle where a seam on his glove failed.
Ride 3: A couple of weeks ago a buddy (fellow DMF'r) and I took a 200 mile ride to break in his new (old Ducati) bike. On the way home he had a slow speed get-off. His entire left leg would have been hamburger if not for his gear. He ended up with a small scrape on his leg where the pants got pinned under the bike and tore.
In each of these instances, if not for helmets and leathers, they would have gotten seriously make the beast with two backsed up.
Okay, I jacked the thread a bit... But my point is, if you have a choice, make it a smart one. Wear your gear and more than likely you'll be able to walk away. If you're really lucky, you'll be able to pick your bike up and ride home.
Please be safe, people... [moto]
