Thoughts on Australian riding...

[_intense_]

Kiaora KB'ers,
I know im REALLY going to apprecaite riding when i come home and get the bike out of storage... man NZ riding is sweet. Moved over to Melbourne for a bit, then some wandering further afield, and i wish i had a bike over here, (can work on that). One thing that strikes me here is the PHENOMINAL number of riders cruising round with little or NO gear on at all. Im living in a beachy part of town which is obviously a strip for posers, and on the weekends all the bling tturns out, mostly in shorts, sneakers, t-shirts... no gloves, the odd jacket here and there. WTF? A few riders seem to have a clue, full leathers/touring gear. Note, its mostly the sports bike croud, all the hog riders have a bit more sense. Is this an aussie thing? or just a random element in this corner of the city? Take care out there, and see you all upon the homecomming!
Chur... _intense_

[Eddieb]

So you must be in St Kilda?

[Hazza]

So you must be in St Kilda?

St Kilda is a wicked place loved it.... Also the center of underbelly. sorry completely

I was over there a couple of weeks ago. i know what your saying man posers on sports bikes everywhere with no gear on they don't have a clue... have you seen the gruesome TV add's they have over there. With this guy who comes of wearing only jeans and the mess the road make of him at 50km. You think they would learn form that but obviously not.

[DVS 69]

I noticed the same thing when i was there in melbourne and also up in queensland .......... Dunno maybe they think theyre such awesum riders nothing will ever go wrong, lots of posers there for sure. I used to laugh when they tell ya i can do 280kph on my bike (gsxr1000's and the likes) esp up queensland. I said fair enough look at the roads alota them were straight roads i laughed cos i thought it didnt take a awesum rider to go in a straight line ........ Love to see what they'd be like on nz roads. Anyway let em wipe themselves out lol.

PS: I did wonder while up in queensland what id be wearing .... Mega hot up there, but i wouldnt be wearing shorts and a tshirt and sand shoes i dont think.

[Dropped]

Yep ive seen it all the way up through queensland people riding in jandels and shorts and singlets they may as well be riding nude! and they are riding beside big trucks as well all i could think of was SPLAT! under the truck wheel. ( well not much gear is going to save you from that but you will come out better than the aussie in shorts and singlet)

[vtec]

Yes, I lived in Melbourne last year, and noticed the same thing, also noticed that nobody gave a crap. And that's what we need to start doing more of here in NZ, personal responsibility FTW. It's too hot to wear the gear, so when you get on the bike with less gear you ride appropriately. If you don't like paying ACC for them, then change ACC.

I love living in freedom.

[James Deuce]

Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

[Clockwork]

... have you seen the gruesome TV add's they have over there. With this guy who comes of wearing only jeans and the mess the road make of him at 50km. You think they would learn form that but obviously not.

Must admit I'm a little puzzled by this beacuse you often see cyclists (on the box) wearing less than jeans and t-shirt, racing faster than 50kph, falling off and not needing skin grafts.

[Hazza]

Must admit I'm a little puzzled by this beacuse you often see cyclists (on the box) wearing less than jeans and t-shirt, racing faster than 50kph, falling off and not needing skin grafts.

I guess it depends on how you hit the ground and what you hit or what hits you... Im not sure of the exact speed in the add. Either way the guy got f**ked up needing surgery to remove bit's of his jeans from his flesh...

[Laxi]

PS: I did wonder while up in queensland what id be wearing .... Mega hot up there, but i wouldnt be wearing shorts and a tshirt and sand shoes i dont think.

even the motorbike cops in FNQ wear shorts and short sleeve shirts
I guess a few companys probably make them, but I know shift & R-jays make kevlar mesh jackets with removable armour, not great abrasion protection but better than nothing, they're still uncomfortable to wear when its constantly above 30c, wouldn't be caught out of town without 1

[MDR2]

I guess it depends on how you hit the ground and what you hit or what hits you... Im not sure of the exact speed in the add. Either way the guy got f**ked up needing surgery to remove bit's of his jeans from his flesh...

The one where they bust out the wire brush to clean gravel out of the wound is my favorite!

[JohnC]

I lived in Sydney for 5 years and most riders wore reasonable gear,,,,,,,shorts an such is just a mexican thing I think.

[george formby]

The one where they bust out the wire brush to clean gravel out of the wound is my favorite!

I suffered from a touch of gravel rash as a newbie. The nurse took a wooden scrubbing brush & neat dettol to me leg. Soo, regardless of the temperature I wear my gear. Ohhhhhh, it hurt & the nurse said " I hope that will keep you off bloody bikes!" Mingin, wart ridden, old harridan.