I use to see a guy ride in a FULL LEATHERS and no helmet, I since got a different job and work from home but I would see him 2-3 times a week and it was always full leathers and no helmet...To me the helmet is the most important part, if your not going to wear gear at the very least wear a helmet....no helmet and full leathers just never made any sense to me....I should have got a pic of the guy but every time I saw him i was also on my bike.

If someone doesnt wear gear thats their problem and they will normally learn, I use to ride with a group that some of the riders didnt wear gear and after they saw road rash they all geared up, and the guy that went down quite riding all together, which is not uncommon seeing how alot of people tell me how they use to ride until they wrecked...

 

Non of the answers really work for me. I don't exactly think its 'cool' to have matching gear or wear name brand stuff. If I was riding a 10' GSXR and had all matching gear It would actually look cool but on a 17 year old F2 it is kinda pointless to try and look real cool with gear.

I havent hit pavement yet and really dont want to so this answer doesnt apply to me

I am not an older rider....I am 18 and started riding 2 weeks ago.

I think any new rider should watch 20 or 30 crash videos and then decide on whether or not to buy gear. It may seem like its no big deal to wear gear or not. But when I am going around a corner at just 30 MPH I think 'wow this wont be fun if I fall' and I have full gear on...I wonder what I would be thinking if I was going around that corner with no gear at all.

 

I agree watch a few crash videos and most of them the rider has gear on. Just kinda imagine what it would be like if that was you and no gear. I mean haven't we all fallen from a bicycle ?! Remember that little itty bitty road rash ... no just remember that was on a little bike that you were only going about 4-10 mph . Just yea if your going 35mph and the bike falls on top of you and your leg gets caught under you bike, i think that wont be too much fun.

 

"The only thing that differentiates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

 

Wow nice to see she's still going strong over here. Apparently now that its gotten warmer in colorado i am seeing less gear being worn. Although in a strange twist of fate i'm actually seeing more harley guys in helmets and jackets

I do see a guy everyday making a left onto the main street from his apt. complex, started seeing him few weeks back brand new Gsxr-600, still has temp tag, wearing shorts, sandals, short sleeve shirts, backpack and i-pod, Everyday i give him a wave while he's messin with his ipod waiting for a chance to make his left and he never waves back. Must be to good for me i suppose, saw him split a lane between me and a harley few days ago, i was doing 30 in a 45 in the truck with super super heavy rain and he blew between us at i'd say around 65 or so. I figure he has to be a brand spanking new rider, or a plain idiot since today he caught up with me and asked me at the next stoplight if i wanted to run him to the next light...

Hey buddy this bike has 1300cc's with alot of work done, you have a bone stock 600

 

I am pretty sure that I'm one of the only people in my entire area that actually wears full gear, and I'm only in textile! Every single rider that I pass is in shorts and a t-shirt it seems. If I average seeing 50 riders in a month, 3 are wearing full gear and maybe 6 are wearing a leather jacket. I don't know how anyone can ride like that... I mean when I start riding to school I'm not going to be able to wear my boots or pants and THAT bothers me. I can't imagine these guys riding around with only a helmet.

Best part though, I get so many weird looks when I walk into like a Walmart or something in all of my attire. I have people literally stop me and ask why I'm wearing a jacket and heavy pants when it's 85*F out. I show them my helmet and say I'm riding a motorcycle and almost every time I get a "so?" Seriously!?

I hate PA!

 

I'm with this guy.

Bike is was red and is now yellow. Suit is blue. Helmet is gray/silver. None are same brand and I'm not old, at least I dont think I am. I started wearing gear before I was riding aggressively on the canyons. Went down on the track once so far and doin just fine.

I think it has a lot to do with how you think and who you associate and ride with. I dont ride with stunters or people that do unnecessary dangerous things on the street. Most the guys I ride with are geared to the teeth and that somewhat pushed me into it as well. Not just to fit in, but it is also a better option than no gear.