Shorts,Muscle shirt, and a Full face helmet.....on a hot summer day in Florida.

[Floridamtbiker99]

Just wonder, If am a nut or just trying not to be over heated in the Florida heat.

Does anyone else rides Shorts,Muscle shirt, and a Full face helmet.....on a hot summer day in Florida.

I know it is not safe but cool, not cool looking.

My past experience in 1990.  I laid down a GS550L at 25 mph on fresh paved asphalt.

Brush burns on my left side from my left ankle to my arm and shoulder.  Yes, I had full face helmet on.

I had to ride 35 miles back home with the wind directly hitting my brush burns.

Just wondering if anyone else rides in shorts, flip flops (I not do, but seen others do), muscle shirts on thier motorcycle.

Post you experiences or what you have seen.

[JordanA]

Nope.  I wear a blaze orange armored Olympia Patton Jacket, armored riding pants (admittedly I sometimes will just wear jeans if running to the store), over-the-ankle boots, and a full face helmet everytime I ride, with few exceptions.

I feel naked and exposed if I go without my jacket (which I never do).  I judge myself when riding down the street, and I find that taking turns makes me nervous without the proper gear.

[LOKi]

Come on you know this is an ATGATT crowd.

The most I do is forgo the armored paints in the heat of summer. Long paints, FF helmet, gloves, jacket, boots. Just regular paints for commuting. I have some Kevlar lined jeans for weekend rides.

[mattrowe19]

Full gear most of the time. I just picked up a mesh jacket for the hot days. Armored pants most of the time. Sometimes jeans… FF helmet and gloves all the time. I've never ridden without my jacket.

[jerjohn]

I have been known to ride with cargo shorts, t-shirt, alpinestar riding shoes (with ankle protection), gloves, and a full face helmet.   Ive laid my bike down at 35 like that, a little road rash no big deal. If I even might go over 40 miles an hour then Im in full gear.
Basically if im in town in stop and go traffic than Im in cool clothes. riding pants and a jacket aren't going to protect me any more than a t shirt and shorts if a car runs a light and slams me so I might as well be comfy. I dont like the idea of sliding across pavement on my arms and legs at 40 mph but ya know, my risk, my responsibility.

That being said, no one rides on the pillion without full gear.

[LOKi]

I might go cargo shorts in town but they sure do look goofy with boots. Rode the scooter all the time in shorts and t-shirt. Scooters are less likely to pin your foot under them as they go down though.

[Bumblebee]

I know it is not safe but cool, not cool looking.

Try air mesh gear sometime. I'm cooler wearing ATGATT air mesh than in a tshirt because the gear keeps the sun off my skin by about an inch or two. It's just like an awning in your back yard keeping the sun off. If it's really hot, dump water on yourself through the gear to soak your clothes underneath and it's an instant swamp cooler. You can get downright cold even when it's 90F. I thought I was going to get hypothermia last summer when I rode through a big rainstorm and got soaked before getting out in the sun again. I was in TX last year at 105F 100% humidity and it was much cooler at 35mph in full gear than standing outside in hiking pants and a tshirt. Seriously.

ATGATT is the only way to go until the day that someone figures out how to make the ground soft and abrasion proof to fall on at 50mph.

The ONLY exception for me is in national and state parks as long as I'm not leaving the park itself and on decent roads. It's all slow traffic in the 25mph range and I'm often at 15mph. My biggest risk in that environment is to myself, not other traffic or hazards. It's totally impractical to wear gear in that environment with the type of work I do. Minimal risk on my own terms.

I don't carry passengers. If I did, ATGATT would be unconditionally mandatory. No gear, no ride.

[JB1290]

The only piece of gear I don't ride with right now is armored pants. And that is only because I haven't gotten a pair yet. I missed the boat a few times on some great deals. Otherwise, I always ride FF helmet, gloves, armored jacket, jeans and riding boots regardless of outside temps. Luckily, I have a couple of jackets. One of which is mesh and ventilated very well.

[Poligrafovich]

IMHO anyone unwilling to ever trade risk against enjoyment would be well advised to avoid motorcycling.

[Option13]

I crashed a while back wearing a jacket, jeans, tennis shoes (normally I wear boots), and gloves. I got some road rash on my ankle and knee, and hit my hip pretty hard. The skin is all healed up, but my hip feels funky. I can feel things kind of "clicking" in there with my hand, but no pain even during a game of soccer.

That said, I still ride with only jeans for leg protection. I know I should get riding pants, but never get around to it.

[gammer]

Mesh is the way to go for summer heat...pants and jacket. I'd say its as cool (temp) as riding in shorts and a t-shirt. FF helmet, gloves and boots to top it off.
Thats how I role 

[Bumblebee]

IMHO anyone unwilling to ever trade risk against enjoyment would be well advised to avoid life.

Fixed.

Trust me on this; there's not much enjoyment at all when sliding on your nose on the 4-grit belt sander even ATGATT. The only enjoyment is when time slows down and you're calmly thinking it's so nice to be inside your gear instead of outside with that belt sander grinding away on the other side of your full face helmet visor while it's pounding on your armored body. BTDT - uninjured.

[ariwhiteboy]

I love my mesh...you won't catch me in anything less when I'm on the bike.

[JB1290]

Ari, for some reason, I have a hard time picturing you in one of those mesh shirts from the 1980's. But, to each his own. I won't judge you.   

[jerjohn]

No more Harley bashing!  

[hockeyhawk]

http://www.jafrum.com/Motorcycle-Gear/Mens-Textile-Motorcycle-Pants/LP2832Black

Hppants posted this link up a couple time before. I since picked up a pair and will never ride with just jeans again. I bought mine 1 size larger and wear them over my shorts. They breath very well a slip on and off over your boots with the zip up legs.

[ariwhiteboy]

JerJohn...I told you that picture was for personal use only! 


 

[Messorius]

http://www.jafrum.com/Motorcycle-Gear/Mens-Textile-Motorcycle-Pants/LP2832Black

Hppants posted this link up a couple time before. I since picked up a pair and will never ride with just jeans again. I bought mine 1 size larger and wear them over my shorts. They breath very well a slip on and off over your boots with the zip up legs.

Holy crap, they're selling Cortech pants that would actually fit me.
ETA: No, no they're not. No XLs left. *sigh*

[Floridamtbiker99]

I like what  Bumblebee stated.  Funny but true.

One that note.  I only a have thin leather jacket that is 20 years old.   That I ride with.

Soon I will have extra money after I pay for college in Septemer. 

What is a good jacket, pants, gloves  for all seasons of Florida (29 to 99 degrees) and rain?

Please remember, I am a college stundent that can not afford top of the line. 

Cortech has a nice jacket for $145 at the dealership.

[Burgi]

Bohn makes something called an Airtex Shirt it has CE armor and they advertise it for those that don't want to go the T-shirt route. At least you get armor.

My temp range is somewhat similar to yours (not quite as cold) and I can get by with mesh jacket and pants as long as I layer up underneath. Look at Tour Master Intake Air or Cortech GX Air.

[Bumblebee]

What is a good jacket, pants, gloves  for all seasons of Florida (29 to 99 degrees) and rain?

IMO: Air mesh with liners for cold and a rain suit. A little layering as needed and it's good from 18F to 115F.

You do want a rain suit of some kind that goes OVER your gear. The stuff that goes under your gear is all cutsie sales tactics and polite society stuff and everything however in reality, the outer gear gets completely soaked and takes forever to dry. It also allows water to get into all sorts of places that gets to you eventually. The liners are insulated so if it's 90F and raining if you put it on, when you get to where you're going, you're done and all the people there need to do is bring a fork and knife, salt and pepper and dinner plates and their dinner is ready even though it's cannibalism but you're already cooked so who will know.
If you're riding in good weather then it starts to rain, it's time consuming and a big hassle to take everything off, put the liners in then put it all back on. It's much easier to put a rain suit on over the gear. I found that all the liner stuff is so annoying that I'll just keep riding and get wet before I'll stop and put the liners in unless there is a major sustained temperature drop.

[muttstang]

I wear my mesh jacket without the liner.  I use a rain jacket for either/both cold and rain.  The rain jacket acts as a wind breaker as well while the mesh jacket becomes an insulating layer.  I ride in weather down to around 35 degrees F and up to 100ish

[Poligrafovich]

What is a good jacket, pants, gloves  for all seasons of Florida (29 to 99 degrees) and rain?

I have a GX Air that I like very well. With both liners and a sweatshirt beneath it's fine to about 40F, with another layer or two 30F should be no problem. Over a thin shirt with the liners out it's quite comfortable at 100F, as long as you don't spend much time stopped.

The middle liner supposedly stops rain, but I would rather add a rain suit than count on that.

[jerjohn]

I have a fieldsheer mesh jacket with the rain liner. It gets pretty cold here and the rain liner keeps me really warm in the winter. I would ride to campus in 40 degree weather and I was always fine. I paid 80 bucks at bikebandit.

[JB1290]

I wear this during colder weather. Got it on closeout for dirt cheap. I believe there are a few members here that bought this jacket. It was too good to pass up. It is the Joe Rocket CBR edition.



I wear this in the warmer days. Its ventilation is great and has the zip out liner. I have worn this on days exceeding 95 degrees and still felt comfortable. This is a Technic that I believe is still available on Motorcycle Gear.com