I have just returned from a 2 week stint in Queensland (holidays). And I couldn't believe the number of motorcyclists over there who ride in singlets, tee shirts, jeans and shorts. A good +80%. And about 99.9% of the pillions (all women btw) were in similar gear or less

I naturally assume it's a climate related thing - the temp was always between 35 - 42 deg, dropping to a chilly 28 deg at nite.

So maybe living in NZ with it's slightly cooler climate has some advantages, like ensuring we mostly don on the protective stuff...