No amount of leather will stop you from getting hurt.
Helmet, leather jacket/full leather suit - one piece or two piece, leather motorcycle gloves, boots are the minimum level of protection when you ride a bike.
Board shorts and flippy flops are not! We know riding is risky.
That's why we do it.
Managing and enjoying the risk is the key to a long fulfilled life as a motorcyclist.
Yes, we know that motorcycling is dangerous, but we're in it for the long haul, so let's minimize the risks.
Anti-Lock Braking Systems are said to minimize the risk of motorcycle accidents.
An increasing number of new motorbikes are coming out with the little ABS button on the handlebar controls that you flip on with your motorbike gloves.
But the key is using your senses.
Keep your eyes open! Stop looking at your new padded leather & mesh motorbike racing gloves with hard knuckle protector.
Stay Alert and Stay Alive! Watch out for things out of the ordinary.
For you to be able to do this, eye protection is paramount, even if it's a pair of your favourite wrap-arounds! Eye protection also reduces the chances of accidents from dirt, bugs and even the wind can cause vision impairment for that split second that it takes to find that telegraph pole.
Listen! That doesn't mean cupping your motorbike glove up to your ear.
Please! Be Alert! Keep your ears peeled for sirens, cops or the high decibel noise coming from the boy racer's WRX four inch pipe, as he barrels toward you at the lights while texting.
Break the law! Run the red light just to get out of his way, so you don't end up as his hood ornament.
Be aware of your total presence on the bike.
Remember the last few corners and look just as far ahead as you can see, because the present consists of you, the motorcycle and the road.
You look down at your motorcycle gloves caressing the bars, you taste the wind, you're calm and you're focused! You're alert to all the stuff around you before it becomes a problem.
That is what experience teaches you.
And that is the difference between a learner and a seasoned rider.
Too many times I have heard "Yeh, I used to ride until...
" Make yourself be seen or heard! Flash your lights and beep you horn.
Move around in your lane so drivers can see you.
Don't be a victim of the age old reason "Golly Gee I didn't see you!" If the cowboy in the pickup is tailgating, then tap your rear brake pedal.
Remember, you are on a motorbike and you have the ability to get where you want to go quicker than a car.
If your reflexes are sharp and alert and your leather motorbike gloves are in control of the handlebars then you are not stuck in the brain-numbing gridlock that gives car drivers that vacant, bored look of disdain.
You are in control of the space around you!