Riding a motorcycle with a kilt

[kilted firefighter]

Avid motorcyclist for 24 years. I ride all gear all the time. I also change into my kilt when arriving at my destination

[Father Bill]

Ya' know, even if you do choose to dress for the ride and not the slide....

It's a lot easier to replace a pair of jeans than your beloved kilt!

[CDNSushi]

Fair warning to the ATGATT folks... The following will likely infuriate you, so you may wish to skip reading it and move on with your day.

I'm not part of the ATGATT crowd. Never have been. Afraid I'm a bit too libertarian in that sense. (Feel the same way about helmet laws, although I'd still choose to wear one even if it were legal not to, in my neck of the woods). Still... My body, my choice. And I've never been a fan of responding to a "HOW do you..." question with: "Don't." So here's a bit more on the "how"... even though it's not advisable to do. Make your own life choices.

So unsurprisingly, yes, I've also ridden kilted... And there ARE a few people who do it, but it's not talked about here, as it tends to evoke very strong, negative reactions. I exchanged some good PMs and emails with a couple of like-minded people a few years ago; we talked about techniques to keep the kilt from flipping up while riding, and other relevant info. I would generally tuck the pleats tight, and another recommended technique was to use a powerful magnet to stick the apron to the tank. Either way, that's going to be your main challenge -- stopping the loose fabric from exposing your private bits... And even if that weren't your main concern, it gets pretty chilly in a hurry. Even in the summer I usually ride with some kind of clothing that covers me, if for no other reason but comfort.

Yes, underwear would be recommended, lest you run afoul of any public decency laws, should your methods to secure said kilt fail, and you end up flashing the world. In fact, Utilikilts ran a commercial contest years ago, and one of the submissions involved just that: a nerdy guy on a scooter, wearing a UK, unsecured, and flapping up in the breeze.

For more info, you can Google: motorcycle ride kilted. The Image Search also provides some good photos of guys in action doing it. And as a postscript, there's even someone who has been doing it just as a charity project. Link to news article about him: http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/te...-whole-8993146

As a final note on this, I generally do not ride kilted anymore. Actually, haven't for years. Why not? Just way too much of a pain in the butt. For simplicity, I'd rather just throw on a pair of riding jeans or chaps and go -- (and yes, I've even tried kilt with chaps, but it's just way too hot, bulky, and the fabric gets all bunched up and crinkled).

Hope that helps... Nowadays, I would rather go with what others here have said, and just take the kilt with me to change into, after I've arrived. Occasionally I would wear my kilt at work, and since the bike was my only way to get there, I would just wear some trousers, roll/fold the kilt, and then change upon arrival. Then do the reverse to go home. Still a pain in the butt, but less than the trouble it takes worrying about it while riding.

[O'Callaghan]

IMHO you should keep everything covered when riding a motorcycle, in case you find yourself sliding down the road, which I've done many a time. You should wear a helmet, jacket, gloves, trousers and at least shoes that cover your feet, not sandals. Some take that further, insisting on always wearing actual motorcycle riding gear. I simply take the view that there should always be at least one sacrificial layer that isn't your skin.

Long time since I last rode a motorbike, but I see no reason to change my opinion.

[crash]

I too have to agree with the "all the gear all the time" folks here. After all I didn't give myself this handle I earned it.