Bikers in Australia
 

I think they are nuts!

Clearly, they've never been in an accident (yet) as most are out with helmet, shorts, t-shirt and trainers on - flying down the freeway at 100. It scares me.

But most of all today, we were in Leederville watching the world go by when a guy came past on his bike with possibly his daughter on the back (may be 8-9 years old) in swimmers and thongs.

I just don't get how bikers here are so careless when it comes to their own safety. Hubby says they've never had a skin scrub before as if they had they'd be dressed the way he is everyday in full kit!

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

yes its amazing
I know some wear draggin jeans but most have so much exposed flesh its scary

having ridden a motorcycle myself and seen bikers arrive in casualty with shoe, skin and bone all rubbed away in a crash I think they are just stupid egotists who think they are such good bikers it wont happen to them!!
of course it doesn't occur to them to add other road users into the equation :blink:

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

It scares the hell out of me and I don't ride bikes. The Husband was working incredibly long hours in a job when he was 18, riding his bike home, fell asleep and piled the bike into the back of a stationary car. Wearing full leathers, and (thankfully) full mask helmet. He still had bits of grit popping out of his thighs and chest 15 years later. Boardies and thongs have no place anywhere close to a bike :(

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

My husband rides bikes, most Recently a Honda CBR 600 RR, he Never wore less than leather jacket, gloves, helmet and full length jeans or leather trousers. Thankfully he's never come off but I cringe to my core when I see the lads in boardies and thongs. Why don't they at least wear gloves?? Your hands are the first thing you put out when you fall.

I saw a lad a couple of months back riding a GSXR 1000 in shorts, thongs and balancing a carton of 4x Gold on the tank it took all my self restraint to not bundle him in the car and drive him safely home.

When will they learn? After the accident, maybe?

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Dont you have to wear a helmet over there?

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I think there's a very rich vein of 'you can't tell me what to do' running through some strands of Australian society, which unfortunately translates into 'shit for brains' when written on a headstone . . .

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

We have two teenagers nearby us who ride bikes, with no kit, never mind helmets, gloves or leathers. They ride in thongs and shorts, no shirts.

Accident waiting to happen.

I even saw them today riding their motorbikes in the rain, they STILL had no shirts on. In the friking rain!!

Definite accident waiting to happen.

But what do you do. The parents allow it so errr, its their fault for the consequences.


JTL

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Or maybe it's modern day natural selection? :unsure:

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Yes you do by law!

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Doesn't bear thinking about!

OH had a bike accident and it was his leathers with armour in them that prevented him from having a smashed forearm when a car coming the other way crashed into him, the wing mirror broke his hand on impact and then tore his leathers all the way up to his elbow. Fortunately he didn't come off but he was in sling for 9 weeks.

Mind you you should see the way some of the bikers ride in Asia as well! There they ride around with boxes of chickens etc on the back of their bikes. The girls make me laugh all poshed-up with heels perched on the back!

OH says with the restrictive speed limits in Mellie he's not sure what he would get over here as he is sure he'd loose his licence pretty quickly!

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I remember as a teenager coming off a bike and not having the correct gear on.......not nice picking grit and dirt out of knees / hips / ass with tweezers..

Bloody hell the memories are flooding back now.....need to sit down.

They will learn the hard way:(

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Isn't this the same the world over? In every country I've been to, I've seen people riding bikes without appropriate clothing.


As for the reason. It's the same as speeding. Most of the times people break speed limits nothing untoward happens. Therefore people continue to break speed limits. Same with bikes. Most of the time you drive without protection you won't have an accident.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

You do see the odd squid riding around - but *most* bikers I see are at least close to appropriately dressed. (I never go out without gear on - and if its too hot to wear it - then its too hot to ride)

Scooter riders on the other hand are almost all ASKING to lose their skin. Far too many pretty young things on scooters buzzing around in traffic in t-shirts, thongs or short skirts and high heels. It may look nice now but wont look so good with a large case of road-rash....

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

I agree. A majority of motorcyclists I've seen here are appropriately dressed.

Re: Bikers in Australia
 

Both hubby & myself are bikers (although not owned a bike in a couple of years :() & even here in the UK it does my head in what some people wear or rather the lack of gear they wear.

I've been bought up with bikes. Had my first one when I was 2 & a half :) & safety has always been drummed in to me over what to wear. I worked in a motorcycle shop for a while & use to fit crash helmets,etc so I'm really fussy that gear fits properly & is worn correctly. What is the point in wearing a lid & not doing the strap up????? Hubby had a bad accident before I met him & my sister got knocked off on the M1. Both of them wear properly kitted out but still had injuries. I've also seen the injuries that occur when I've done track days & you have no choice but to be properly kitted out & there are no other road users about either so anything less on the road is complete madness.

My 16 year old is on the road now & I hate the fact my ex (who he lives with) has given him a load of second hand stuff to wear. The first thing I did was check his crash helmet fitted properly & I'm giving him one of my jackets as well.

I do think even here that just like it's a legal requirement to wear a crash helmet the same should apply to jacket, boots & gloves.

Alison x