Well... after watching about a billion movies on crashes and accidents, low sides, high sides... ect. ect. I think it is time for me to get some gear. Up until now, It has been jeans and a jeans jacket (and some low level mesh Tourmaster stuff), but that is going to change when I get home in December.
Do you guys attempt to match your gear or, do you prefer to mix and match to kind of clash? Do you think that would be a tad extreme in the "Looks like a Clown" catagory?
I own the 07 RWB and thought the red would compliment the bike as well as keep me safe.
I'm pretty OCD about matching gear with not only the same brand, but same color as well. I run a silver helmet, silver/white/black jacket and silver/black pants. Having good gear and increaseing visability is a wonderful goal, but it's not nearly as effective as riding defensively and expecting that every car out there is looking to kill you.
Once you've made the right decision to get gear, why not make it match? I ride a yellow bike and have yellow on my Honda leathers. It looks cool (kids point like you're a superhero or something) and it's doing its job. And kudos for making the decision!
Hey I have OCD too! I try to kinda match, but I also have two neon hi-liter yellow jackets and a mil-spec reflective vest for over the leather. I want to be SEEN so I reduce my chance of getting run over.
Go to a shop and try on everything you can. To me, fit is the most important. I'll wear what is comfortable.
Ok sweet... I was hoping I didn't look like a wanna be "Torque" dude or something. I figured the Red would give me pretty good visability. The jacket has the add on back and chest protector which I like.
HI-VIS , just try it and you have people pulling up next to you in cagers, "I sure cant miss you" or " I can see that helmet a mile away" ....I bought my scorpion helmet at $120 and my vest at k-mart/sears at $10 , this $130 has saved me on 3 seperate occaisions this year alone. I avoided getting run over by a giant red Dodge Ram truck.
I really believe this works, thanks Doug
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/DougFromIndy/colorado072.jpg
look at this pic on your computer from 15 feet away to test, you only see the hi-vis, 5-star rating and I will never ride again without it.
[image: View Post]skuuter trash, on Oct 9 2009, 04:44 PM, said:
Hmmmmm....I need to add a Fresh, New Pic........... :491:
I know that Skuuter is the coolest guy in the US so I follow his style in riding gear....that makes me the 2nd coolest guy on a bike nationwide regardless of what you squids :squid: wear be that camo or black. It takes awhile but you may realize getting stuck underneath a bus does NOT look cool, like this farmer that rode over me at a stoplight yesterday .... :laugh:
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/DougFromIndy/colorado211.jpg
[image: View Post]DougFromIndy, on Oct 9 2009, 03:55 PM, said:
[image: View Post]skuuter trash, on Oct 9 2009, 04:44 PM, said:
Hmmmmm....I need to add a Fresh, New Pic........... :491:
I know that Skuuter is the coolest guy in the US so I follow his style in riding gear....that makes me the 2nd coolest guy on a bike nationwide regardless of what you squids :squid: wear be that camo or black. It takes awhile but you may realize getting stuck underneath a bus does NOT look cool, like this farmer that rode over me at a stoplight yesterday .... :laugh:
http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q138/DougFromIndy/colorado211.jpg
HA Buddy.........Great Pic.......... :fing02: :beer: ....now, about that "cool skuuter" thingie......... :goofy:
On my previous bike (R6), I wore basic black with a matching silver/flames helmet. Just before trading up to the VFR, I got a TourMaster jacket in hi-vis and upgraded the helmet to a Suomy. The Suomy's a little dark (esp. compared to the jacket), but it's not too dark. And I like it!
I try to match too, but not carried away. I'm getting an all white helmet next and it kinda matches my bike and jackets. I have thought about the high -vis jacket, but it's not gonna work out with the Repsol colors on my bike. I think white and yellow helmets are the most visible and it'll probably be a little cooler in the summer.
For a while, I had a yellow bike, a purple/grey Aerostich, and fuschia hair. I wanted to get a green helmet, I figured it would be perfect with the ensemble; if their eyes were bleeding they couldn't say they didn't see me. But I ended up with a red one. :)
More recently I was buying custom leathers, which I needed because I'm too tall for a proper woman, but too curvy to wear men's stuff. Since you can have any color you like, and I had a yellow bike and two red bikes, I ordered the leathers with yellow shoulders and a red stripe. There were two yellows in the swatch set so I ordered the one that matched my yellow bike. They sent me the other yellow. I decided not to make an issue of it, since it's not really that important.
My old red helmet looked great with those leathers, but when I replaced it I got a white one, and more recently I replaced the white with a yellow - and the yellow doesn't match the leathers, though it looked great with the bike. (That I sold two weeks after I got the helmet, LOL!)
When I got a textile suit I picked the hi-vis. Looks AWFUL with a yellow bike and a red helmet, but it's not bad with a red bike and a white helmet. :-)
The more I ride, the more I like hi-vis, yellow, and white as colors for my helmets and jackets. I'm partial to black for pants and boots because it doesn't show dirt.
Buy what feels good on, has good armor, and is what you can afford. Color is less important. But given a choice of colors I like lighter/brighter colors, especially up top, for traffic safety. Who cares if it clashes?
If they bring us the new VFR1200F in fuschia I will buy it, and color my hair to match, even though it will look awful with my yellow and red leathers. :laugh:
My jackets are black which kinda makes me feel like a dumbass compared to the smart, safe crowd here but when we get caught in a snowstorm who will be the smart one then?
In all seriousness, I always feel a little more visible when my wife is on the back of my bike in her red and white Alpinestars jacket.
I only felt like a dork with the hi-vis vest the first few rides, now I'm glad I have it.
I also read somewhere on a safety site that motorcyclists with white helmets are considerably less likely to get run over than those with black helmets.
That link only gave running high beams in the daytime "one quarter" of a point..... YEA ..... Now if we could get all these pip's that run high-beams to read this..... There was a study done back in the 70's (Ill. State U., the folks that brought us the skills test;IE cs & fw braking) that said hi-beams work against us, because it makes us look further away than what we are .
I use reflective tape that can only be seen with lights on it , you can't see it in the day light (3-M).
This is a link of a riding suit I wear. Although I think I look better than him.... RIGHT!
The 2nd link is some hi-vis riding gear that's a little more fashion foward, if you want to go that direction.
Price drives many of my choices unfortunantly, but I try to stay somewhat clost to coordinating. My old helmet was red mostly, which matched my bike and leather jacket. Textile Jacket and Overpants and Boots are black. New helmet is silver, and new jacket is wine/silver. I won't match the bike but it was a sweet deal on a great jacket and helmet, and I don't see myself when riding.
Common sense dictates that the hi-viz gear would be the best way to be seen. However, if you don't want the "glow-worm" look then opt for a white helmet and some bright colored gear like white, yellow, etc. Who cares about matching brands? Well not me that's for sure----Shoei helmet, Teknic jacket (Also TM jacket), Teknic gloves, TM pants, Astars boots. I buy what is on sale and fits me best..
And for the funny replies that might be fourthcoming; there is plenty of data about conspicuous clothing and crashes.... :happy:
I still coordinate helmet, gloves, etc to bikes color, but have decided that with all the cage drivers talking / texting, I need to as visible as possible. Hence my HI-VIS Olympia jacket.
It doesn't look as cool as the other jackets I had bought, but every little bit of safety additive helps!!!!!!
Just my 2 cents.
ki-speed (Mark)
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1222371882/gallery_2084_112_22846.jpg Deals Gap Sept 2008
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/uploads/1222371882/gallery_2084_112_69866.jpg Deals Gap Sept. 2008
Everything I got has the color Red, Black Silver and Grey, starting from the helmet down to my leathers, boots and gloves. My tank bags are also either red or black with my Boblebee hard backpacks in red and another in grey.
The whole coordination Red/Black/Silver/Grey theme started with my Silver and Red System two BMW helmet that I bought in 1989 and got more intense with the next helmet, yes, a Red/ Grey/ Silver and Black Rainey Replica X8 I got in 1990 and it went from there to all these.....
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y44/BeckVFR/Picture285.jpg
I dunno if the coordinated look really hepls with safety, but I guess I feel good in them.
One thing that I can't seem to do is wear anything with Honda logos/patches on it. I think Honda branded stuff goes a bit too far for my tastes.
I am partial to red as well, both for visibility and I agree- it seems to match my RWB well.
I roll with a Shoei x11 Kiyonari and red alpinestar gloves. (cheapos I'm afraid)
I have a Vanson leather...but am thinking about a textile with armor in some sort of red theme.
This is one reason i kwwp wanting to paint my vfr the blinging yellow... More visable thanthe silver which blends in and is not real high viz at all...
If I painit yellow I plan to have some pretty bright gear to ride in
I've got those boots with the buckle on the top. I like them, but try boots on first, walk around if you can. Maybe find somewhere to try them on in a brick and mortar store and then buy them online later, same with the rest of the gear really.
When I had my RWB 86 VF500 I had a A* jacket that was red on the sleeves/shoulders and the rest was white. I got it just because I liked how it looked with the bike. I've got a black and silver/grey Dainese jacket now because it fit me better.
I actually went a different route and color coordinated, but went with more visible reflective material. The boots and gloves I kept simple (but color coordinated) because I wasn't going to be on the track, so didn't do anything too aggressive there. All in all I love my combo. Textile so I am aware it isn't the best in the world. BUT, I do feel confident that the way I drive and where / how I drive, I am sure it will keep me somewhat safe.
IMHO visibility is important -and the most important part of the ensemble is the helmet. A bright helmet sticks out more than a bright anything else. You want something that stands out from the surrounding scenery. Bright orange would be good, white is good, Reds and whites are good.
The upper body is important too. I like my red 'stich. It's VISIBILE -and it has a lot of retro-reflective portions which is the only thing that will stand out at night. I've got retro-reflective tape all over my bike -but especially in the rear.
If I were to buy another 'stich new I'd get the firefighter screaming green color. Too bad there are so many good, cheap, like-new 'stiches on ebay that make buying a new one silly for me. The economy is bad and people are dumping toys and gear. It's a buyer's market for used moto gear (as well as good camping gear used) I've already bought my next suit on ebay a couple of years ago and right now it is my spare. Cost 25% of new from the factory, and was barely broke in. It's blue -not red. So I'm going backwards. Maybe someday I'll get my firefighter eye-bleeding screaming radioactive green-yellow 'stich. But it will be 10 more years before my second-string suit wears out (and that's after I start using it as it is hanging in the closet waiting for my first-string unit to fail).
As far as gear "matching" I really don't care. I can't see myself in the motorcycle mirrors. It doesn't matter what other people think of me. I just want the best gear at the most bang for the buck.
I like names like Areostich because nobody else sells a one-piece that is as simple to get in and out of. If it is too hard to wear then I'm not going to wear it.
I like Sidi Boots -the most comfort and the best protection. Perhaps the fact that I got my lower leg crushed back in '99 (and it's never been right since) because I wasn't wearing proper boots drove home the fact that the lower leg is a fragile and NECESSARY part of the body and is easily damaged in a motorcycle crash. People who wear non moto boots (or those hi-top motorcycle in only name boots) are nuts IMHO.
I like a good full-faced helmet that is quiet, light, and has a good faceshield system. I'm glad the Shoei fits my head. It's great.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE Held gloves. They kick ass. They cost a lot of money -they are worth every penny. One pair of gloves does not work in all situations. I can get by with 3 pairs and a set of 'Stich triple-digit rain covers. Something in that suite will work for almost all occasions short of arctic expeditions and there is enough overlap between them that if one pair is wet I can wear another pair.
NewEnough.com is your friend. I tend to like high-priced gear. I've got caviar tastes and a beer budget -so I wait until NewEnough has it on close-out before I buy. I'm always on the lookout for gear deals.
One other thing that works well for underlayers and such is hiking/camping gear. Not expressly designed for riding -but most of it is designed to be warm, water/moisture friendly, lightweight, and non-bulky. Wool & silk work great as do some of the new "smart" fibers for keeping you warm when it is cold outside even if it gets wet, or the wind is blowing like it's the basecamp below the K2 final summit. There is a place called Geartrade.com that is a SUPER bargain for camping/hiking gear. Some of the bicycle & snowboard clothing works well for motorcycling in more extreme climates as well.
But do I care if it matches? Nope. Maybe if I were Bill Gates rich I'd worry about it. As it is now, I have the beer budget and I'm going to worry about function before I worry about form. I like for it to be of caviar quality -but who cares if it color-coordinates? It's not a fashion show out there! I just don't get people who think it is.
[image: View Post]timmythecop, on 21 February 2010 - 03:53 PM, said:
all my helmets are white. I think that is safe enough.
http://i299.photobucket.com/albums/mm313/timmythecop/003-3.jpg
You have three heads? Wow! You must be very smart!
Wow, I should really update my pic in this thread. My previous one was before I got the VFR. But I don't have one with my current helmet, so I'll wait. But I still have the hi-viz jacket which I wear with black overpants and a RWB Arai helmet.
White is the most visible color during uniform lighting.
Black is the least visible color (regardless of lighting conditions).
Lime-green has been shown to provide excellent visibility in all color conditions. Hence safety vests, and fire trucks being painted in this new color in recent years.
Colors that blend in with the surrounds make a vehicle less visible.
Bright colors closest to the center of the color spectrum are generally easier to see than darker colors. (pictured below)
http://www.alivetoride.com/images/color_chart.jpg
Interesting that according to this study, RED is at the extreme end of the visibility scale.
[image: View Post]Knife, on 10 April 2010 - 08:01 AM, said:
Found this info which may be helpful:
White is the most visible color during uniform lighting.
Black is the least visible color (regardless of lighting conditions).
Lime-green has been shown to provide excellent visibility in all color conditions. Hence safety vests, and fire trucks being painted in this new color in recent years.
Colors that blend in with the surrounds make a vehicle less visible.
Bright colors closest to the center of the color spectrum are generally easier to see than darker colors. (pictured below)
http://www.alivetoride.com/images/color_chart.jpg
Interesting that according to this study, RED is at the extreme end of the visibility scale.
I bought something similar to that safety vest that was posted earlier. I just went into Northern Tooland picked up pretty much the same thing but with a zipper on the front. The bright green. I love it. When I'm in town I notice people looking at me, which I love. THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF IT.. And I've had people that didn't know I rode say they saw me from a ways away. At night, I can be seen from probably 1/4 mile away. Works perfect and it's cheap.
I think solid color helmets are more visible. Busy artwork and patterns make the helmet blend in with the background more, especially since helmets with bright colors tend to also have a lot of black. Solid color helmets are also cheaper, and white is often cheaper than other solids. Safety win!
http://www.vfrdiscussion.com/forum/public/style_images/light/snapback.png' alt='View Post' />Knife, on 10 April 2010 - 11:01 PM, said:
Interesting that according to this study, RED is at the extreme end of the visibility scale.
Yes but I wonder if our brains a tuned to pick out (blood) red in a background anyway - you know as some kinda ancestoral defensive mechanism? I always find myself noticing the red cars/bikes in traffic.
[image: View Post]elizilla, on 10 April 2010 - 06:25 PM, said:
I think solid color helmets are more visible. Busy artwork and patterns make the helmet blend in with the background more, especially since helmets with bright colors tend to also have a lot of black. Solid color helmets are also cheaper, and white is often cheaper than other solids. Safety win!
I agree that a solid white is one of the best stand-out colors. Not only is it visible but many drivers subconsciously think "cop" when they see it -further subduing aggressive behavior that might put your life at risk. A white helmet, back when I had my last one, tended to have this effect much more than the multi-color white/red/black one I have now.
One other thing is night visibility. Retro-reflective elements are a must. I have it on mine. In the front of my helmet I have two "eyes" of retro-reflective coloration just above the visor. Nothing grabs the human subconcious like EYES!
..
In the back I have a little face as well in retro-reflective tape. During the day it just blends into the helmet paint scheme. At night it BLAZES whenever a light hits it.
