Was wondering how many others wear a full one piece racing suit out on the road. You can't argue with the protection value but some see racing leathers as "over the top" for the road.

In the end it was proven in some tests that a Full one piece racing suit is the SAFEST way to get out of an accident.

However, I for example, don't wear leathers because im a long guy and i'd have to make one customized which costs a LOADDDD.....

Mweh, it's just important you DO wear this gear with the safety stuff... Sometimes i see guys in t-shirts making wheelies and such.... Fucking retards...

If the ride is going to take me out several hours with high speeds & twisties, then I gear up with my leather 2-piece. IMO, its all about being able to get up after a dip in the ashpalt without getting a rash..........

My gear is textile which I like better. I don't know how well it works in a go down and since I have never been down I hope to stay that way. It may help that I am a cruiser and not a hot dogger.

Never wore my one-piece race suit, back when I could actually make use of one, for just normal riding. Wore it going up into the Santa Cruz Mountains to run the twisties on the way to Alice's Restaraunt. We all parked the rice rockets on the east side of the road, in the strip mall parking lot. The Harleys jealously guarded the parking lot at Alice's.

We would do stoppies after coming down the last hill to the restaraunt, and sometimes folks brought number placards and would hold up a 1 for weak sauce and a 10 for omfg-that-was-awesome. There were some wrecks every weekend, right out in front of a couple hundred people. All us sportbike guys and girls milled about drinking beer from the Short Stop with our one-piece suits down around our waists, the arms tied in front. It was fun.

Also wore it for track days (which is why I purchased it to start with). Thats it.

When you are going to work, going to the non-motorcycle hang out spot, going to the club meeting, riding 400 miles to a COG event, racing leathers are a) uncomfortable, b) outlandish, c) overkill.

My road trip gear consists of waterproof ballistic nylon jacket and pants and gloves with the armor installed, either Sidi Air boots or Sidi Mega Way Rain boots (or I take both if the weather will change).

This way I don't have to carry a rainsuit on trips.

If its just bombing around canyons and mountain roads on the weekend, I'd wear the one-piece race suit if I could still use it.

If its just to work, I'm in jeans, riding boots, and either a leather jacket or my nylon air jacket, depending on temps and wind.

I know I'm old school. I don't see things the way a lot of younger folk do. Showing off your race suit just to be cool is actually very uncool.

* Last updated by: privateer on 10/14/2011 @ 11:41 AM *

I prefer the types that have a flashy race suit just to look cool than the ones with shorts and a t-shirt.

I prefer the types that have a flashy race suit just to look cool than the ones with shorts and a t-shirt.

Ditto...I'm a form-follows-function type and the race suits are, hands down, the best protection you can wear on the street. They are a bit over-the-top on color graphics but that's just part of the look. I'm amazed by the general acceptance and level of the gear worn in Europe compared to here where it's considered "cool" to wear a T-shirt, jeans, flip-flops, and an $800 Arai. Over there, riding is taken seriously and a Sunday afternoon ride on a mountain road looks like a MotoGP starting grid. I'll take the full suit route on longer rides on the sportbikes from now on with everything but leather pants on the shorter rides.

* Last updated by: Kruz on 10/14/2011 @ 12:04 PM *

I remember a few years back before getting my bike I laughed at this guy suited up in a one piece riding in the city; who knows he was probably coming back from the mountains but at the time I never thought about the safety side of things and only thought how uncool he looked. You know having a fresh pair of sneakers on with jeans & a tee was much cooler...I stopped that thinking quickly after seeing how bad road rash can be.... IDK, up north I'm seeing more acceptance of protection gear, some leathers while others textile which may have do with the fact the hot summer riding months are short.

It would be much harder for me to gear up in 100 degree weather days especially in Dallas, TX...How many consective days this summer over 100?

I wear my race leathers when Im going out to specifically tear it up. For my sport touring thing, i wear a textile jacket and leather pants, both with good boots and gloves. Which is kind of stupid since in both cases the chances of crashing is the same.....Leathers can be too hot for some of our longer rides, and mine are 1 piece.

Mad

72 days over 100 here in Dallas this summer and I rode every one of those days! Up to 111 F with my Taichi Motion Pro vented leather jacket, Sidi boots, gauntlet gloves and bluejeans on. Yea, I was hot and sweathy but I won't ride without maximum protection anymore after crashing my 10R on the way home from the gym back in May. It would habe been mucho ugly without the gear on. As it was, the helmet, jacket, boots and gloves got trashed but I had not a scratch anywhere except where my jeans tore open and it skinned my knee. There' pics on a thread somewhere on this forum that show the crash results.

I don't mind people if want to look cool riding around. Heck, i want too.

But Safety -> Coolness.

I want a erm... "Motor-Pants" , u know, the one that looks like a normal pants. I think it looks hella dope. But i do want the protection innit!

Ditto...I'm a form-follows-function type and the race suits are, hands down, the best protection you can wear on the street. They are a bit over-the-top on color graphics but that's just part of the look. I'm amazed by the general acceptance and level of the gear worn in Europe compared to here where it's considered "cool" to wear a T-shirt, jeans, flip-flops, and an $800 Arai. Over there, riding is taken seriously and a Sunday afternoon ride on a mountain road looks like a MotoGP starting grid. I'll take the full suit route on longer rides on the sportbikes from now on with everything but leather pants on the shorter rides.

I'm not surprised at all about Europe. The culture is way different there and motorcyclists are respected. First, they don't have as many cars as we do, second to get your license in France for instance you have to pay about $2000 and take classes for three weeks (I think) at least. Look at any speed run in Europe and you see cars getting out of the way. Try doing this here, if LE doesn't put you in jail, grand-ma is going to kill you for sure. I'm actually planning a trip to France within the next two years, I'm going to land in Nice and probably go to Germany, Italy and Switzerland.

The main thing with Europe is that those 1 piece suit riders didn't wait for somebody approval, so just put it on Kruz. If I can wear mine in Nebraska, you can definitely pull it off in Dallas. I bought mine some time after I got rear-ended by an off duty sheriff. My Alpinestar gloves and textile jacket held great. I was lucky though I wasn't wearing a back protector and fell on my right shoulder. Thank God for shoulder armor! The only part that hurt is my right hip which wasn't protected. A couple of weeks later, I came to Austin to visit my wife and saw a guy on a Busa wearing one and I told myself why not. I see at least 1 guy every week wearing a 1 piece suit. Also the thread you (Kruz) had about choosing the right suit influenced me too. I just didn't want to wear a two piece because I knew I was still going to get a 1 piece for track.

Just like you Maddevil I wear it when I'm going to be really aggressive whether it is top speed run or twisty inferno. A 1 piece it's great protection and gives more confidence, I guess it's a little bit like a super hero costume, it brings about your bigger, stronger alter ego. I am not complexed by it though if I am out there having fun and the wife want me to pick something up at the grocery store I won't be going home to change! I go to this little bar to watch moto gp on sundays and if I decide to ride the twisties before that I'm going to the bar in my 1 piece. I rode to Fredericksburg (a small German town 2 hrs from Austin) I thought about my suit and decided to stop at the dairy queen then told myself I didn't come to this town to eat that. I remembered you (Kruz) being afraid of going to a dairy queen in a 1 piece! I re-routed and went to a restaurant and nobody paid me no mind. This cute girl actually winked at me. You don't have to be built like a greek god or ride like Stoner to justify a 1 piece. The ZX 14 look so menacing people just understand! Being complexed to wear 1 is like being complexed to be a motorcyclist.

* Last updated by: dragking on 10/14/2011 @ 5:21 PM *

By the way the restaurant in Fredericksburg I was talking about is in my avatar background. Great place to chow. loool
Also: The only people who looked at me funny are the renegade who you see pulling wheelies in sandals and the do-ragers so who cares?!

* Last updated by: dragking on 10/14/2011 @ 5:23 PM *

OK, that settles it, going on a breakfast run I'n the morning on the 10R with my new power ranger outfit. Kinda pumped as I've never ridden I'n a racing suit before...should be cool.If I get laughed at you guys will be the first to know.

aplinestars body armor underneath a textile jacket with the body armor taken out. Body armor on knees and shins underneath my kevlar motorcycle jeans. When its hot I wear a mesh jacket with leather patches over all the armor.

I've worn my old 2 piece on 200 mile trips or when it was an afternoon of twisties. The jacket and pants are all black but of course everyone gives you more than just a casual look on a 14. The fact that you are covered head to toe in leather conveys the message that you are playing race track. More colorful only emphasizes the idea. If you are going really fast, I think most people will think that you need that level of protection. There will be mixed feelings about you if you are going really fast but that won't have anything to do with the suit.

I'll wear my new black and white jacket and pants for long road trips, intense sport riding and track riding and I'll even wear my white boots.

The kind of person who would say anything would probably be the same kind of person who wants to see you do a wheelie. I don't think you will hear any negative comments. If you get off the bike and walk around say an urban shopping district, a few people are going to wonder.

Harley leather pants in Summer for me.Scorpion AWE pants for colder riding.Reima Cycloak jacket as much as possible.Boots?TCX's.Gloves?...normally...Shift(ya,okay...they're MX gloves...not much protection there...but....)OR Cortech Scarabs.All my colder weather stuff is pretty beefy.I'm really not trying to kid myself...almost any 'real crash' is gonna tear stuff up...including flesh and bone.

The race suit...ya...why not.Least it'll keep all yer parts together most likely.Hopefully,you'll never find out.I hope NONE of us ever have to find out...though some have already.Afterall...who's ridin yer rocket...some critic who'll never know what the fun of riding is?You have to do what's good for you.It IS a dangerous sport.Wrecks are no joke.There is no 'reset button' in this game.Best to be ready....I don't have a suit because....it would only encourage me to ride faster.I don't need that.Just being honest here.But if I really wanted to ride full out here...I wouldn't hesitate to get a full suit...regardless of what ANYONE thought about it.I believe my riding 'outfit(s)' are enough for me.I've already crashed my past bikes at least once(not the zx12 though).My gear held up excellently.I truly didn't get damaged TOO much.

I think yer race suit Kruz is really the shizit.You should wear it proudly!

I think anyone who thinks it's somehow 'over the top' hasn't had a serious get off(yet).OR, been nailed by someone else.I think the Bohn Body protection deals are pretty nice.Wear street clothes over em.Ya....that's an option.Looks to me like they'd work pretty well on the street.There are crashes where breaking bones is gonna happen.God forbid...but anything else,fully suited is the way to go for sure.

* Last updated by: blue07 on 10/14/2011 @ 10:36 PM *

I wear my leather jacket, helmet, gauntlet gloves, either my sidi boots or astar riding shoes around town and commuting. If I'm going to be playing at ALL then on goes the leather pants zipped to my jacket and my spine protector. Almost everytime I come back from a ride I'll cut through town and meet some buddies at Starbucks for a cup of coffee. My gear is all black except my new helmet and I get looks, but, nobody makes comments out loud anyway. And I really couldn't care less what anyone thinks, I'd rather be protected then to try look cool(like a squid). We have a bunch of squids around here, but, we also have a lot of serious gear nazi's too! Most all the squids stick to town, while the twisty lovers are almost always the ones in full gear.

* Last updated by: Jeff01ss on 10/15/2011 @ 7:47 AM *

Depends on what I am doing. If I know I am headed into the mountains to "play", I wear the dead cows. Usually wear them on a long trip. Too impractical for every day use, so textiles come out then. Jacket, boots, gloves, and jeans usually the norm. Helmet too. I used to ride in shorts, but wised up. Car hitting me was wonderful for educating me.

Buy it and wear it. If I had been wearing even a riding jacket and jeans, I would have been much better off.

It's funny how you guys think of Europe. haha =p

Let me clear some things up as an "European/Dutch guy" ..

Europe is BIG .. And there's a big difference between every country in Europe of what they think of Motorcyclists for example: Italy respects motorcycles and LOTS of people have one because of the Traffic in some parts of Italy, and ofcourse there's some nice roads to ride.

Germany used to be the place to test out the MAX. speed/Horsepower of ur Bike/car because there used to be NO speed limit at some roads. But this has been taken away.

Motorcycle lessons cost around ... 1500-2000 euro's .. Which is like .. 30-35 hours + exams (There's 3 exams: The test with a bunch of questions (50 to be exact, max. of 6 wrong or you fail), second is the test to show your SKILL .. as in riding around Pawns, stopping hard, riding 8's ... etc etc.
Then the LAST test is the actual riding around town etc. and having someone come with you to see if you're good enough.

France is also a nice Country for riding, but the police are fuckers over there. LOL

.. But yeah, Europe is big. and it's hard to put a stamp on Europe because every country is a whole lot different.

I do not have a full set of leathers but I do wear gloves always. If I am going to tear it up I will put on slider jeans (Kevlar re-enforced), heavy jacket with padding and Shift boots with heavy gloves. Many times I have thought about purchasing a full leather suit and talked myself out of it. This year I will be taking the bike to the track and plan on buying one.

France is also a nice Country for riding, but the police are fuckers over there. LOL

As a French American I have gotta clear something 2

I Grew up in France. I have been to several countries in Europe. Motorcycling is better out there as far as having fun. They've got a lot of radars but you'll definitely have to mess up for them to launch an all out police chase on you, and that's for most countries. In England some riders put girls panties over their license plates. In the South of France as long as you don't blast through villages you can blast all you want when there is no traffic. Don't try that in Paris though! Why do all the british testers go there? The Netherlands I can speak about but I guess it's like in Sweden those type of countries tend to be a little up tight. A buddy of mine had the police called on him because he threw an empty can of pop in the street!!!!

Cops in France can be assholes definitely, but if you don't test them they live you alone. They used to be more lenient in the 80's and 90's. Have you seen the Fast Bikes Match videos. Most of them where in France. Frostie 1 of the tester said the cops in France made him frog walk when they caught him. Those guys average speed was like 150 mph. Do that in America you're going to jail. Licenses and gas are expensive in France because they want you to ride the subway and buses but none of my friends have motorcycles license and when they get caught they get minor fines that they never pay. There is this guy from Germany on this forum I forgot his username. In a thread he was almost making fun of us because in Germany, he and his friend constantly max out. I understand the autobahn is not what it used to be but from what I have read as long as some cars are keeping up with you, they'll say you were going with the traffic flow. Believe you can max out there cause the Porches want to race you and there is plenty there. Corvette has even a factory there where they test their machines: corvette on the autobahn

Last summer in the middle of Paris my cousin saw a guy ride on the sidewalk to cut through traffic. I don't condone it but for sure Germany, Italy, France, Switzerland and some parts of England are great for motorcyclists. Like I said I can't speak for the Netherlands, and you right Europe is big, but those are the only countries I'll ride through when I go back home!

* Last updated by: dragking on 10/15/2011 @ 7:34 PM *

After this morning it's full racing leathers for me if I'm going to ride hard. A guy followed me into the bike shop this morning and said I looked like a MotoGp guy coming through the round about, I guess Ai had my 10r leaned way over. He wants to buy my Dainese two piece suit, I just called him back to arrange a meeting, think I will sell it to him, looks boring next to the new Taichi one piece.

looks boring next to the new Taichi one piece.