And horseback riders only wear what I would call a 'Salad Bowl' aka half helmet.
Who Knew?
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001626.htm
http://www.hughston.com/hha/a.horse.htm
http://www.nature.com/sc/journal/v40/n6/full/3101280a.html
And, if you have a few minutes to spare:
NHTSA on Motorcycles
Me on my first ride, a 2003 Kawasaki Ninja 250. Woo woo!
Before the Ninja there was me and my 50cc Aprilia Scarabeo for 3,599 miles in 1 year
Maybe you've decided to move up from your 50cc scooter like I did. Or maybe you're going to take the class on one? Congratulations!! You've made a smart decision on your lifelong learning adventure in motorcycling. One thing you'll hear over and over again from seasoned riders is that you always learn something new every time you go out for a ride.
Once you sign up for the class you might be asking yourself "What Should I Wear ?" Well, here are my recommendations, based on what I've seen students wear that can make a real difference in the outcome of the class. On your first day of class you're going to be nervous, maybe a little scared and anxious. Adding to that by not wearing the right gear can really hamper your ability to learn and keep up with what we're trying to show you. When small details like the wrong footwear and improperly fitting gloves get in the way, it can slow down the rate at which you are learning and achieving the objectives we're putting in front of you. We want 100% of your focus to be on learning the skills, the bike and having fun.
Here's a really great quote from a student that emailed me after she shopped for gear with me:
"Having real, protective gear during the class gave me a lot more confidence, and I don't know if I would have leaned that motorcycle over nearly as far if I hadn't had it."
A couple of general rules to remember when gearing up for your class.
Anything you'd wear to an office job will NOT be suitable for riding. Neither will your workout clothes, sweatpants or shorts. You're going to ride a motorcycle! Not sit down at a desk and work on a computer or go to the gym. Everything you wear is going to affect your ability to ride. Your intention is to be comfortable riding, given the weather conditions and everything we're going to ask you to do. That means no slacks, dress clothes, wing tips, loafers, high heeled boots, basketball sneakers or Uggs (Yes, I had someone show up in those once. She said her feet were cold. I had to send her home). You get the idea. A coach will not hesitate to send you home if you haven't followed the requirements that you were given.
Read the confirmation letter and/or the guidelines that the school gives you. It's YOUR responsibility to be proactive and make sure you know what they expect of you before you get there. If you have any questions on what you should be wearing, bring it up to your teacher in the classroom portion and even bring some items to class for them to look at if you're not sure your gear is suitable.
If you're interested in a sport like Motorcycling, it's time to take it serious as a sport and be prepared to risk everything from injuries to failing to meet the objectives. If you were going to go skiing, would you wear sweats, flip flops and a tshirt? Probably not. You'd go out and get snow pants, an insulated, waterproof jacket, ski gloves (not mittens) and a beanie to keep your head warm. Why does a sport like motorcycling demand any less?
My first time ever, riding my Ninja in the parking lot (before I swapped the fairings for yellow)
Now it's most likely that the school will have a full face (yes!) or 3/4 helmet for you to use. What they probably won't have are leather, full fingered gloves, eye protection or a footwear. If you can, I'd highly recommend buying a helmet for the class if you have any fit issues (ie you have a very small or very large head measurement). The school will probably have average sizes between Small and XLarge. But if you have any issues that might affect the possibility of the school having a helmet that fits you, you may want to get one beforehand. Otherwise, it's perfectly fine to just use the helmets that the school supplies. If you have your own already, make sure it's Full Face or 3/4, and DOT Certified. You cannot use a half helmet in the class (nor should you ride with one. Yes, even if you're *just* buying a scooter).
At the school I work in, here are the items that we require students to wear for the range portion of the class:
Over-the-ankle sturdy footwear. A couple of examples:
Notice that all of these boots have a substantial rubber sole and really good traction! You're going to be putting your feet up and down over and over again, to hold up a 200lb+ bike. If you don't feel stable when your feet are down, how's that going to affect your ability to maneuver it? Especially if you're vertically challenged like me. They also cover your ankle bone. There's a chance you may drop the bike or tip over and if your ankles are caught between, you need something in between to minimize any injury.
And contrary to what you might think, steel toe boots are NOT a good idea for riding. The steel toe can actually make it harder for you to feel the shift lever. You'll need to get your toe in and under the lever so you can shift. Having a steel toe can get in the way of your ability to feel that. Some riding boots do have reinforced toes so that you don't wear down that part of the boot, but steel toes make it harder to feel the lever. The other thing you don't want is a high heel. The heel of your boot needs to rest on the foot peg when you're riding. Having more than 3/4" heel will make it difficult to rest your foot comfortably and go back and forth between shifting or braking. Don't worry, there will be bikes of varied seat heights so if you're worried about the bikes fitting you, the school should have plenty of options. Feel free to call the school and see what kind of bikes they have in their fleet and then go online and check their seat heights.
Long non-flare denim pants or material of equivalent durability. Denim jeans, or heavy cargo pants would be a good option. Make sure the legs are long enough for your legs to be fully covered when in a seated position. Remember to check your backside as well, as we shouldn't see any skin while you're on that bike. Ladies, this means you can't wear your low hip slung jeans which will probably expose your lower back while riding. Gentlemen, it might be time to throw away the pair of 10 year old jeans you have that have shrunk so much they're too short to cover your legs anymore. Leathers are not necessary for this class. But if you can go to your local motorcycle apparel shop and get some overpants or riding jeans, of course those will work well.
Long-sleeved shirt or jacket to below the waist. You need to be long sleeved when on the bike. It's best to at least wear a jacket or something non abrasive. A cotton long sleeve shirt really isn't the best thing to wear. Bring a jacket (waist length only, No trenchcoats) something sturdy. And again, sit in a chair or assumed a seated position and make sure your sleeves are long enough and the length is adequate to cover your back too. A couple of good examples would be a ski jacket, leather or denim jacket.
Full-fingered gloves, preferably leather, but at least with leather palms. Street motorcycle gloves range in price from $25 - $300. Your hands are going to be manipulating the clutch, the front brake and the throttle. You want decent gloves that are going to help you manipulate everything without any problems. If you can get some real motorcycle gloves for your class, they will help tremendously. Being able to grip the throttle and the front brake will make such a big difference in your performance. There are hundreds of styles, types and brands to choose from, so if you can purchase at least one new thing for the class, buy good gloves. Especially if you're going to be riding in wet or cold weather. Keeping your hands dry and warm are really go to make a difference.
Your eyes must be protected at all times. This means that when you're on the bike, you must have your visor down or if you have an open face helmet, you need to wear eye protection. Preferably with shatterproof lenses, such as safety glasses. Most schools will accept regular sunglasses or eyeglasses. Visors are shatterproof, so that's why they're considered eye protection. Here’s a pair of cool photochromic sunglasses that would work well.
So now that you know what to wear for the class, get a GOOD night's sleep, have a solid breakfast and bring some water/snacks to the range! Try not to 'study' for the class, as all you need to know is what you were taught in the classroom.
These gear preparations are simply my opinions as to what will really help you on the range and set you up for success in the future. More often than not, people put less thought into their gear and too much thought into studying more than they're taught in classroom. Everything you need to know is in the Rider Handbook. If you're going to study anything, just stick to that and you're golden.
Remember, the MSF Basic Rider Course is only your FIRST step into the world of motorcycling! You have your whole life ahead of you to keep learning. Why overload yourself with more information than you need? Keep it simple and remember that this class is designed for the true novice in mind (never seen, sat on or ridden a motorcycle).
And most importantly, Have FUN!
This just occurred to me so I felt I had to put it in writing!
After getting my new bike, I've realized how unhappy I was on my previous bike. She was certainly beautiful and definitely cool to look at. However, it didn't fit me right. I managed to ride it for a couple years and I even took it to LA a couple times. I think I was forcing myself to like it, even though deep down I really didn't.
It was a little too top heavy, a little wider/fatter around the engine, and the suspension was horrible. I didn't enjoy riding nearly as much as I do now. Going on rides was something I theoretically wanted to do, but never did because I knew that I'd have to put 20lbs of weights in my tailbag to stabilize the rear suspension. How fun is that? NOT fun at all! To me, it really felt more like work than fun.
Riding the SV feels right to me, everything works for me and my body, and my riding style. It just fits me. Now I actually want to ride, any excuse to ride and I'll do it.
I think the same goes for your gear. If you buy something that doesn't fit you quite right or isn't the right type of gear for your riding style, you probably won't appreciate it for what is, and you might not even wear it all the time. Why would you? If your gear isn't working for you, or doing what you need it to do, it'll make it really hard for you to justify spending the money on a better piece of gear next time. I think it changes the way you look at gear and why it's worth spending so much $$ on.
I meant to post this in December. I still need to write a couple more paragraphs but I wanted to get this up here!
Happy New Year Everyone! It's taken me awhile to finally post an update on how the IMS show in San Mateo went. It was AMAZING! Simply amazing. I met the coolest people who also happen to ride motorcycles (although, riding a motorcycle does automatically give you cool points) and get to do it for a living. I think that's my dream. To work in the world of motorcycling full time and get paid for it.
I want to introduce you to a friend named Melody Kho. She's one of the founders of Plush Racing. Not only is she hot, but she also races! I think that's the trifecta, sexy woman+motorcycles+racing! Any woman who has all that has me saying I'm not worthy. She's a member of the NHRA (Nat'l Hot Rod Association) and drag races her custom Gsxr. (I was never a Gixxer fan but look at those custom rotors and exhaust!) And she wears gear. Real gear, a full one piece suit, and Alpinestars race boots. Doesn't she look amazing?
The pic on the left is from the motorcycle show. The blurry person in the background on the right side of the manequin is Melody. Silly me, I forgot to take any pics of us together. I hope to be seeing more of her in the summer so stay tuned for more updates on Melody!
Onto the motorcycle show. Hopefully you can read the little description I posted above. I'm going to post what I talked about at the show, so if you weren't able to make it to San Mateo, it'll give you an idea of what I talked about. Oh, I almost forgot. I'm going to Chicago!! The IMS people asked me to go to the Chicago show (Feb 6-8, 2009) and give my talk again in the Hub. My other job is going to be at the Scooter Pavilion, telling people all about Scooters and why riding one is fun! And of course, that being properly protected, trained and licensed is key as well. If you're going to be in Chicago, come see me. I'd love to meet you and say hello.
So here's my talk, more or less on how to 'Dress for the Ride'. Enjoy!
First off, I'd like to introduce myself and tell you everything I think you should be wearing before you go for a ride on your motorcycle. For those of you who are going shopping or have gone shopping for gear, the first priority is probably budget. I guess that tends to be the norm for anything you shop for. How much do I have to spend? And especially right now, money's tight. So it's hard to ignore the lack of cash in your wallet. But I want you to step back from that while shopping for gear and try to put Fit at the top of your list. That's right, fit. As you shop for gear, I want you to make your #1 goal finding something that fits you like a glove. Remember that we're shopping for Protective motorcycle gear with a capital P. Real gear as I like to call it has a very specific purpose. Riding a Motorcycle and being that essential barrier between you and whatever you *might* hit. When gear fits you properly, you learn very quickly how useful it can be to you. When you wear gear that doesn't fit you, then it's not really doing its job. It's not close to the body, keeping the air from going down your chest, keeping you warm and dry, ensuring that the armor is protecting your vital impact points (shoulders/back/elbows). You get the idea. Once you find a piece of gear that fits you, you'll never go back!
Here are a couple things I'd like you to keep in mind when shopping for gear.
- try on everything while seated on a motorcycle. I mean everything, gloves, jacket, pants, even a helmet! What's the point of gear again? Oh yeah, protecting you while on a Motorcycle. Remember that gear is designed, fitted and created for riding position. How can you truly judge fit if you don't sit on a bike? Trying on gear is different than trying on tshirts or jeans. Most likely you'll be at a dealership where brand new, shiny motorcycles await. So sit on one every time you try on a different piece of gear. It's amazing how a change in size can make a huge difference in riding position. You also need to check your armor, and make sure that everything is sitting in the right place when you're on that bike. That's the fit you want and need!
So try on everything you can get your hands on. Try to find the gear that fits you perfectly. Then if you still can't justify the cost of that amazing jacket or pants, shop in the lower price ranges and try to find something that fits you almost as well as the $400-$600 piece of gear. If you don't know what fits you, how can you truly find something that works?
- look for protective qualities: armor, cordura, abrasion resistance, double stitching, reinforced impact points, back protectors! In 2008, armor has come a long way. So have materials like Leather, Cordura, SuperFabric (by Rev'it). You'll be surprised how technology has played a part in the way gear manufacturers have incorporated armor into the garments. Being lighter and stronger and protective is a prominent feature that you'll see when it comes to armor. There are so many different types, brands and styles of removable armor. Just because your jacket comes with crappy (non CE rated) armor, doesn't mean that you have to use it. TPro is a favorite of mine because it's strong and light and comfortable to wear. It also comes in a few different forms: limb tubes, removable inserts, shirts/shorts/pants, etc.
-Breaking it in. This applies helmets and leather jackets/pants. Keep in mind that everything you buy will be brand new, unworn and will need time to break in. Helmets are going to be very snug around the cheeks, but in a week or two should noticeably loosen up. Leather will take longer to break in. This can depend on the kind of leather the garment is made of (1.3mm+ cowhide leather or kangaroo leather, etc.) and how the leather has been treated. Vanson is one of the stiffest leathers I've ever encountered (with a couple of their series, not all of them though). I always tell people that they'll have to commit to breaking in this jacket, otherwise it'll never get to the gorgeous, soft, vintage look that is signature Vanson.
So let's start from the head and work our way down, in terms of what exactly should you be wearing before you get seated and comfortable on that motorcycle.
1. Full face helmet.
It doesn't matter what you're riding, whether it's a 50cc scooter, a 49cc moped, or a 1,000cc sportbike. You need full coverage to protect your head! You need that helmet to protect your beautiful chin and mouth too. I always hear people tell me that they're 'just' riding a scooter, therefore they only need a half or full face helmet. So not true! I know it doesn't seem true, but when you ride a scooter you are taking the same risks that someone on a motorcycle is taking. 20mph is still 20mph, no matter how many wheels you have.
There are hundreds of full face helmets out there. You might hear a couple of names like Arai, Shoei and HJC more often than others, but keep in mind that there are many many to choose from. And trying on only one helmet and deciding that you don't want one can really limit you in terms of protecting yourself. Again, beyond budget you really need to be shopping for fit. The differences between $100 helmets and $600 helmets can be fit and/or protection. Helmets brands have different interior shapes, not just 'round'. There's oval, intermediate oval and several oval too. So you have totry on as many different helmets as you can to find that shape that matches the shape of your head. Again, it really comes down to fit.
And if you need a little more flexibility, there's the option of a Modular or Flip Up helmet that goes from 3/4 to full face by flipping up the front of the helmet. It's just as safe as a standard full face helmet. But for those of you who may need some more time to get used to going from an open face, this may be a nice option for you.
2. A protective jacket.
Snowboard gear just won't cut it for riding your motorcycle. I know it's warm and comfortable, but let's try something a little more protective. The one thing it can't do for you in a crash is protect you. It won't hold up to any road abrasion, resist or absorb impact. Again, there are hundreds of options out there when it comes to gear. And it all comes down to fit. I know I keep saying that, but it's true!
Real protective gear is designed and engineered to protect you comfortably while seated on your motorcycle. The arms are already bent, the space across your chest from shoulder to shoulder is going to be shorter. It won't be as comfortable when you're standing up straight, with your arms at your sides. Of course, with textile gear it's going to fit similarly to your regular clothes when you're walking around, simply because it's textile. But the fit that you really care about is while comfortably seated. That is what the garment has been designed to do for you. To seal off the air pockets at your neck, back and wrists. To fit as closely to the body as possible so there's no extra gathering of material.
Some other features to look for are velcro or snap closures at the wrists/neck, vents on the front and/or back, up the arms and on the shoulders (for a 4 season jacket), tapered shape to the waist (especially for women's jackets), easy access pockets (so you don't have to take your gloves off), and sealed zippers (especially for a winter waterproof jacket).
3. Overpants / Leathers
To Be Continued
