Making sure your pillion's wearing full gear.

[irishlad]

I came off my bike on Northern motorway last night. Bike lost power whilst going along. I pulled over to hard shoulder to stop. Unfortunately I ran out of tarmac. As soon as brakeing bike went on red chips it skidded out from under me. The damage shown happen through leather & kevlar gloves, a cordura jacket & Dragin jeans.

I'm very lucky. Apart from some scrapes & being seriously out of pocket I'm walking & talking. Not sure if I'll trust dragins again. In future would put knee pads under kevlar jeans.

Best wishes to unfortunate pillion.
Everyone be safe out there.

[Owl]

I think overall, that the standard of dress in NZ is pretty good. A few weeks ago, I was travelling at 110kph on the M1 between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, when I was overtaken by a YZF??? easily doing 160kph. I was horrified to see the pillion (small female) wearing a singlet, shorts and NO footwear. I hope she’s still alive!

[MGST]

Glad you're not too bad Irishlad, shame about your bike though.

Anyway, you wouldn't believe how many times a week I see people ( usually guys ) wearing all the kit ( expensive leather jackets and pants ( or cordura ), boots, the works, and along comes their little hottie Mrs in a nice short skirt, heels, blouse, etc jump on the back and off they roar. I work at the University of Auckland, and this is a daily occurance, how many times per day only depends on how long you have got to sit and watch the bike stand. Sad, but true.

I would never let anyone pillion on my bike without decent gear because I have a conscience and I feel responsible for them because I am in control of my machine. What happens to them when on my bike is my responsibility. ATGALT - for me AND my pillion.

[El Dopa]

No awareness of the concequences of a crash or even a minor oops without propper stuff on.

Correct.

People don't stop and think "um, what would it be like to be towed behind a car on tarmac doing 50K+ if I was wearing just jeans". They just go 'cool bike, looks fast', and hop on the back.

No doubt there'll be more than one person reading this who goes 'yeah, so what, Darwin, stupidity, not my problem, etc'. But in general, people don't think these things things through. I think about stuff like that more than most, and I didn't really think about gear until I joined this forum.

If people know the potential consequenses, and then CHOOSE not to wear the gear, that's one thing. Not having the options pointed out to them is another.

[McJim]

My first experience of a big bike was in 1984 sitting on the back of a Honda CB750 Four I think it was. Travelling from San Gimignano to a little place called Ciuciano in the Tuscan Hills.

Loved it - was wearing a T shirt, shorts and a pair of trainers. No gloves, no helmet just 42 degrees of summer sun and Italian hills and tarmac. Different times. Seems like a world and a whole lifetime ago.

I currently wear all the gear all the time on the road and would fully kit any pillion before taking them for a spin.

[Livvy]

I'm always seeing people around at the Wintec jumping on their scooters in tees and shorts and jandels and it drives me nuts because I know if they crash they'll probably be scared for life; but why would they listen to me if I warned them to get gear? I'm younger than them and a stranger.

I was told once that for every three metres you slide on the tarmac after coming off at 60kms, you loose a centimetre of flesh - whether it's right or wrong (and it sounds believable to me) it has stuck in my head.

[deathstar]

well to be honest i don't go anywhere without my sports falco boots some very expensive cordura pants and a race thick leather jacket and a shoei helmet ... my pillion has to meet the minimums as kitty said she had some back showing but other then that had teknic boots on some spyke gloves and a hjc helmet and even had a nice new macna jacket so apart from trousers we are very prepared

[Edbear]

I came off my bike on Northern motorway last night. Bike lost power whilst going along. I pulled over to hard shoulder to stop. Unfortunately I ran out of tarmac. As soon as brakeing bike went on red chips it skidded out from under me. The damage shown happen through leather & kevlar gloves, a cordura jacket & Dragin jeans.

I'm very lucky. Apart from some scrapes & being seriously out of pocket I'm walking & talking. Not sure if I'll trust dragins again. In future would put knee pads under kevlar jeans.

Best wishes to unfortunate pillion.
Everyone be safe out there.

Mmmm! While it is always good to have "real world" test results, and your observations are appreciated, you didn't really HAVE to go to this extent...

Glad you weren't hurt worse! Yours is a very good case for WEARING THE GEAR, people!

[EJK]

walking & talking

and typing

Oooh! That blood stain on the Draggin Jeans is nasty!

Thanks for sharing the photos

I would never let anyone pillion on my bike without decent gear because I have a conscience and I feel responsible for them because I am in control of my machine. What happens to them when on my bike is my responsibility.

Exactly...

When I was pillioning people, I gave my jacket to them if they didn't have one. Its better for me to get hurt than them to get injured. The guiltyness IF we come off etc etc

[Disco Dan]

well to be honest i don't go anywhere without my sports falco boots some very expensive cordura pants and a race thick leather jacket and a shoei helmet ... my pillion has to meet the minimums as kitty said she had some back showing but other then that had teknic boots on some spyke gloves and a hjc helmet and even had a nice new macna jacket so apart from trousers we are very prepared

Thats because your a pussy.

[deathstar]

yes dan that is because i am a pussy ... hit the nail right on the head there .... OR .... is it that i like to be safe and have the money to keep myself that way

[Kittyhawk]

well to be honest i don't go anywhere without my sports falco boots some very expensive cordura pants and a race thick leather jacket and a shoei helmet ... my pillion has to meet the minimums as kitty said she had some back showing but other then that had teknic boots on some spyke gloves and a hjc helmet and even had a nice new macna jacket so apart from trousers we are very prepared

Glad to hear she has the right gear now. I was worried for her back in those early days!!!

Who is responsible for the pillion's gear - the rider or the pillion?

I would have to say the rider - why? because The rider is the one who knows best, knows what its like to crash, and knows the consequences involved with not wearing gear etc.
Sometimes a pillion will not be aware that a bike can fall down and slide etc. It may just be a "wow Im on a bike" and forget risks involved.

Me personally I like my rule, no gear no ride. Simple, I dont want a pillion coming back to me saying why did you crash look at my body now, ruined for life. At least if they are wearing the right gear, I did everything I could to prevent it in the long run.

[jrandom]

For what it's worth, Betty and I hit the deck at about 120kph coming out of turn 7 at Taupo last Friday.

I was wearing my zip-together Quasimoto leather jacket and pants, Sidi boots, cheapie four-year-old 'Neo' brand armoured leather gloves (they're still proper-length ones that don't ride up over my wrists, though) and Shoei XR-1000.

I slid, bounced and rolled for some ways and ended up off the track.

I was completely unmarked.

Had a bit of a sore leg for a few days where I landed on it, but I didn't get the bruising I thought I would.

So long as you don't slide into a car or a power pole, it's amazing how fast you can head down the tarmac on your arse and still avoid getting hurt if you're wearing the proper gear.

I noted the significant distance I bounced along for, though. If I'd had the same bin on the road, I would undoubtedly have run into something before I came to rest. It bears thinking about.

Highsides are another matter entirely, of course. Stay on the gas, boys and girls!

[Bonez]

I'm surprised no Rego or address details of the dreaded offender have been put up yet.

Fell off the GB in jeans. Grazing on the knees. End overed on the CX, bit of bruising.
Guess the idea is not to come off in the first place.

[90s]

I think overall, that the standard of dress in NZ is pretty good. A few weeks ago, I was travelling at 110kph on the M1 between the Gold Coast and Brisbane, when I was overtaken by a YZF??? easily doing 160kph. I was horrified to see the pillion (small female) wearing a singlet, shorts and NO footwear. I hope she’s still alive!

When I was in HongKong last year there were bikes of all sorts all over the shop. 90% of the riders in shorts & flip flops. Now it was damn hot, and the safest dressed people were the police, and even they were in short sleeve shirts with no jackets. Amazing. Because the crash rate aint no lower.

In the situation of an inexperienced pillion the responsibility for making sure they have propper gear has to be on the rider.

My opinion is that novice pillions are less knowledgable about gear than a newbee rider. No awareness of the concequences of a crash or even a minor oops without propper stuff on. .
In this case a rider with a concience (sic) should make sure they have propper gear on.

+1 on this.
I've had an off as a young man - hit by a cage. I still have some minor roadrash on one leg after 20+ yrs. I feel its my responsibility to point this out to young newbs who may not have thought it out. And if they decide to carry on anyway, their choice.

I'd rather look like an idiot dressed in boyish leathers, than be on the back of a bike making a fashion statement.

A newbie friend of mine is so fashion conscious he rode for 4 months without a jacket bacause he couldn't find one that had a certain retro-60s look he was after. And in that time he had several close shaves that scared him ...

Ultimately what can you do? (Mr Darwin? ... )