kilted motorcycle?

[RK-REX]

Another vote for (m/c quality) leather kilts!

If Vanson made one, I'd wear it. God knows they've gotten enough of my money over the last few decades. You think kilts are expensive....

[Don Patrick]

Okay, I know when I've been whooped up on.

I should have known better. Texas is one of those States that does not require protective gear. They tried once in the mid seventies and we beat the law down. They managed to resurrect it again a while back, but only to the extent that you had to wear a helmet if you hadn't taken the motorcycle safetly course or didn't have sufficent medical coverage.

Only Fort Hood requires me to wear gloves, boots, helmet, and orange vest. Which makes you wonder about the other articles of clothing?

[morrison]

Orange vest? ***?

[sputnik]

yup- every military base in the country has instituted a safety vest rule. can't have our soldiers go and kill them selves before they go off to war, now can we.

[NewKilt]

Just to echo what many others have said, I never wear a kilt when riding. For summer I wear a white open-faced helmet with face shield, a Shift textile jacket with body armor, Shift textile gloves with leather palms and extra padding in the knuckles, blue jeans and boots.

Even what I wear is pushing it. Jeans will rip through easily, and certainly an open-face helmet does not have the protection afforded by a full-faced helmet. No matter how hot it gets, I always ride with what I've stated above for summer. In winter, it's a leather jacket, full leather gloves, and long johns under the jeans.

When I ride to the park for my daily walks, I have my kilt, sporran, and shoes in the trunk. I go to the men's room and change - kind of a pain to do so, but if you've ever laid one down at 30 mph or more (I did in 1985 when a car turned left in front of me) you'll be sold on protective attire. You should have seen my helmet after I crashed - it did it's job - escaped with just a broken collar bone.

Darrell

[Kiltedfirepiper]

ok I'll admit I HAVE ridden wearing a kilt( one time ...just for S's and G's )

I have an 89 Honda shadow 1100

I basicly let the back fly to an extent....I made it so i was sitting on about 2" of fabric and used my knees against the tank to hold the front over the knees
didnt flash anyone...and it was really alot of fun! nothing like a cool breeze while riding in the night! the only thing that was a bother was trying to hold the apron with my right knee, while at the same time keeping my right calf off the exaust pipe......

ride paranoid..... like the world is trying to get you .....cause they are
KFP

[flyv65]

Although I have, from time to time, tempted fate with a less than full complement of gear for a quick hop to the store or around the block on a friend's bike, I typically ride with a full face helmet, gauntlet gloves, Sidi boots, a Cordura riding jacket (w/ armor), and either jeans or Cordura riding pants. I've shopped ( and owned) both leathers and Cordura/mesh riding clothes and I suspect my next major purchase will be an Aerostich one-piece: I find the leather to be too prone to extreme temperatures in both summer and winter without being appreciably more protective in a street situation. Further, it's more expensive, heavier, and has (usually) less storage...I doubt I'd consider a full set of leathers unless I was going to the track and looking for my MRA certification.

Bryan...bear in mind that this is how I choose to manage risk: your mileage may vary...

[RK-REX]

Although I have, from time to time, tempted fate with a less than full complement of gear for a quick hop to the store or around the block on a friend's bike, I typically ride with a full face helmet, gauntlet gloves, Sidi boots, a Cordura riding jacket (w/ armor), and either jeans or Cordura riding pants. I've shopped ( and owned) both leathers and Cordura/mesh riding clothes and I suspect my next major purchase will be an Aerostich one-piece: I find the leather to be too prone to extreme temperatures in both summer and winter without being appreciably more protective in a street situation. Further, it's more expensive, heavier, and has (usually) less storage...I doubt I'd consider a full set of leathers unless I was going to the track and looking for my MRA certification.

Bryan...bear in mind that this is how I choose to manage risk: your mileage may vary...

Go on their website and subscribe to their printed catalog, it's full of really cool stuff and some great photos. I too dream of a 2 piece roadcrafter cut and sewn to fit my fire hydrant shaped body. I also hear their Combat Touring boots are second to none. www.aerostich.com

For a full leather, keep an eye on Ebay, or set up an auto search. I run vintage roadracers in the AHRMA circuit and I got a set of two piece Vanson's that were a few years old, but not even broke in yet for $234 and I drove two hours to pick them up. I checked with vanson for a cleaning and she told me they were about $1500-$1800 when new depending on the options. The guy was just a tad lighter then me in the waist, so I have to keep an eye on my Guinness intake before race season. Other then that it was made for me.

[flyv65]

Go on their website and subscribe to their printed catalog, it's full of really cool stuff and some great photos. I too dream of a 2 piece roadcrafter cut and sewn to fit my fire hydrant shaped body. I also hear their Combat Touring boots are second to none. www.aerostich.com

Yup, I'm already signed up for the catalog, and I *still* haunt the website-go figure. I'd consider the CT boots, but I've been so happy with my 5 year old Sidi OnRoads that I can't bring myself to retire them (if it ain't broke...).

For a full leather, keep an eye on Ebay, or set up an auto search. I run vintage roadracers in the AHRMA circuit and I got a set of two piece Vanson's that were a few years old, but not even broke in yet for $234 and I drove two hours to pick them up. I checked with vanson for a cleaning and she told me they were about $1500-$1800 when new depending on the options. The guy was just a tad lighter then me in the waist, so I have to keep an eye on my Guinness intake before race season. Other then that it was made for me.

I don't think its a question of affording leathers (well, not entirely, anyways), but just that they're so bloody hot in the summer, even perf'ed leathers. And I don't find leather (even non-perf'ed) to be as warm as Cordura come winter, so I'll probably just continue my plan to enrich the folk in Duluth this year.

Bryan I wish I was light enough/fast enough/young enough/single enough to race...

[corbinj]

I need to add my two cents. Why I would not ride a motorcycle in a kilt 101.
All of the things that are wrong with my body ie trick knees, shoulders, mashed up feet, fingers with arthritis on and on and on, is from crashing dirt bikes in full gear.( I confuse motorcycles with airplanes ALOT) But the most painful memory I have from motorcycles, is the day I rode in shorts. remember jams? those knee length loud shorts from the eighties? I was wearing a pair of those out to the track one summer day. A cute girl was there. She needed to be impressed, I stuck on my lid and went flying up the dirt road that went along the track to greet her. When I went to shift into fifth gear, a large grasshopper jumped into the air, down the left leg of my jams , and smack into my left testicle.This though very painful, was just the first in a chain of painful events that transpired in the next few seconds. When the dust settled and I came to my senses I was laying in the ditch in a very torn up pair of jams with broken fingers and sand, yes sand, in my rectum, lotsa sand. So to make a long story short I spent a week nursing hurt pride, a testicle the size of a large peach and a very sore bottom. But my head was fine... so to end the lesson kilts don't go on the bike, see ya.