Gear for a scooter rider

[Dave Lobster]

It'd be faster on your pushbike.

[davereid]

FFM Flip helmet : About $160.

Full face helmets are a pain around town, but they do modestly increase facial protection. A Flip helmet is a a good compromise.

Best investments ... in order

1. Buy a car.
You are 26 to 35 times more likely to die on a bike than in a car depending on whos study you read.

2. Helmet. 1.5-2 x improvement in your odds. Snell etc NOT associated with improved survival rates. Buy a Cheap NZ Standard helmet, and use the change for...

3. Gloves. No effect on survival. But hands are useful, and hard to patch.

4. Jacket. Keeps rain off. Minimises road rash, which is seldom fatal, but hurts like hell.

5. Pants. As for jacket.

6. Motorcycle Boots.
Not really much better than a pair of second hand work boots, so don't spend much. Just wear a pair of old steel caps until Mum says what do you want for Xmas.

[Dave Lobster]

Full face helmets are a pain around town

In what way? My Arai isn't a pain around town. It's excellent.

A Flip helmet is a a good compromise.

It's also the easiest way to make you look like a grade A dork.

[Nagash]

It's also the easiest way to make you look like a grade A dork.

I think riding a scooter did that in the first place..

[ZK-Awesome]

FFM Flip helmet : About $160.

Full face helmets are a pain around town, but they do modestly increase facial protection. A Flip helmet is a a good compromise.

Best investments ... in order

1. Buy a car.
You are 26 to 35 times more likely to die on a bike than in a car depending on whos study you read.

2. Helmet. 1.5-2 x improvement in your odds. Snell etc NOT associated with improved survival rates. Buy a Cheap NZ Standard helmet, and use the change for...

3. Gloves. No effect on survival. But hands are useful, and hard to patch.

4. Jacket. Keeps rain off. Minimises road rash, which is seldom fatal, but hurts like hell.

5. Pants. As for jacket.

6. Motorcycle Boots.
Not really much better than a pair of second hand work boots, so don't spend much. Just wear a pair of old steel caps until Mum says what do you want for Xmas.

26-35 times more likely? Really? Does anyone have figures on the actual amount of people who died on 2-wheelers in a year in NZ? What about just scooters?

Can someone explain to me the purpose of a flip-up helmet? Is it so you can eat and drink or something? Then why not just take it off!

Got some big ole leather motorbike gloves from Dad, haven't been used in 10 years.

As for jacket and pants, I don't think I'll go any further than getting a pair of Draggin Jeans and a Draggin Jacket, it's a scooter after all.

Boots - probably not.

As for being faster to go crusing on my pushbike - doubt it, but anyway, scooters are much less tiring

[UberRhys]

It's also the easiest way to make you look like a grade A dork.

I think riding a scooter did that in the first place..

No your getting confused, that would be riding a Honda...

[Flatcap]

It's also the easiest way to make you look like a grade A dork.

Only if you ride around with the face flipped up, which is contrary to the manufacturers operating instructions.

[Badjelly]

Can someone explain to me the purpose of a flip-up helmet? Is it so you can eat and drink or something? Then why not just take it off!

You can walk up to people, flip up the face thingy, and say "Do you know how fast you were going back there?"

Seriously, I find the helmet the most awkward piece of bike gear to carry around, because it's big and round and you don't want to drop it or scratch the visor. So the simplest thing is to put it on your head(*). But if you walk into a dairy or a bank with a full-face on, you're liable to generate a reaction you didn't intend. Also, a flipped-up flip-face helmet is cooler than a full-face with an open visor. So basically, you can stroll around the shops looking like a dork, but in relative comfort.

(*)However if you have a scooter with somewhere to stow your helmet, perhaps all this doesn't matter as much. The helmet storage on my bike is awkward and insecure so I never use it.

[Flatcap]

Can someone explain to me the purpose of a flip-up helmet? Is it so you can eat and drink or something? Then why not just take it off!

For me one of the best things about a flip face is that it doesn't rip your ears off when you put it on and remove it with the face flipped up.

Once the face is pulled down it is a good snug fit.

Plus when you have a bad snotty cold, you can flip the face up before sneezing

[Romeo]

So now you wear full motorbike gear on the BMX?

I think you'll find I was trying to point out that hitting the tarmac at even the slowest speeds can cause some pretty nasty injuries. And no, I don't ride the BMX anymore, it's up for sale if anyone's keen!

Visit Ride2Die if you want to see some horrific pictures of people who have crashed their motorbikes when they weren't wearing the proper gear :]. That'll put the fear of God into you!

[Badjelly]

I think you'll find I was trying to point out that hitting the tarmac at even the slowest speeds can cause some pretty nasty injuries.

Yes. I was just leading to the point (in an idle, nothing-better-to-do-right-now way) that people who ride bicycles, BMXs, whatever on the road don't wear all the protective gear necessary to avoid these nasty injuries because it just wouldn't be practical. And doubtless I could draw a conclusion from that, but the tropical heat in Wellington has sapped my energy.

Have a nice day.

[Badjelly]

Visit Ride2Die if you want to see some horrific pictures of people who have crashed their motorbikes when they weren't wearing the proper gear :]. That'll put the fear of God into you!

Not right now, thanks.

I imagine you could come up with some horrific pictures of people who have crashed their motorbikes when they *were* wearing the proper gear.

[Dodger]

Can someone explain to me the purpose of a flip-up helmet? Is it so you can eat and drink or something? Then why not just take it off!

Main use I find with mine is going into the store to pay for petrol, and having a quick chat to people on the side of the road etc.

I have a Nolan N102 N-Com, which retail for around $600 in the stores, but cost me NZ$330 delivered from http://stores.ebay.com/iMotorcycle-Store I've got my cellphone attached to it via the basic speakers and mic kit, and is great for receiving calls when I'm out and about.

Downside to the Nolan (and most flip helmets) is the wind noise, but that is only at speeds above 70kph and not a problem when wearing earplugs like I do.

[Dodger]

I imagine you could come up with some horrific pictures of people who have crashed their motorbikes when they *were* wearing the proper gear.

Same goes for Cars, Boats, Horses, Skateboards, and Walking.