Presuming your leathers have got good quality linings, simply wetting them should keep them reasonably clean, especially if you can do it when you get home before any sweat has time to dry. (Not that I've felt the need over winter lol)
Also, good quality linings should help with keeping you cool inside the leathers as well.
However, you are right LC, stopping the linings of leathers from become smelly over time can be difficult. I know I for one need to make more of a conscious effort to clean the insides as well as the outsides of my leathers more often.
But then again, I'd rather have leathers that aren't the freshest (shall we say!) than severe gravel rash and/or broken bones.
Remember also that if you do manage to break a bone whilst wearing leathers, then presuming they are good fitting and not loose, they will at least limit the severity of the break by at least keeping the bones reasonably in place. When I had my big accident, the bods in A&E were surprised given the severity of my injuries that none of the breaks were "complicated" (damage to surrounding soft tissue, puncture of skin etc) and they put this down to the fact that my leather trousers were a good fit.
The same accident in jeans and I'd have had bones sticking out all over the place lol!
I know the safety thing.. of course is of paramount importance!!!, But I have had recent experience of sweaty leathers which has.... quite frankly... tipped me over the edge I am ... in the main... a tolerant person!!! but some things draw a person over the edge.. to the extent that a ride out becomes unpleasant and not worth the excursion because of the offensive aromas... sniff
Cannot believe that I have just had someone when I commented on the fact they were on an SV1000 in trainers & jeans (they were taking the rip outta someone for being in full gear) say how dare I pass comment on what he was wearing to ride in... all I said was ... well at least **** has more of a chance of keeping his legs & feet intact as he is not only in jeans & trainers if he is in an accident.
I think we get more sensible with time. I dont go out now without decent kit . . . . . Unlike in 1986!!
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and its more than just the safety gear thats changed with time!!
Ahhh youth....when I was a young un my b/f came round my house every morning and took me to school on the back of his bike...school uniform; blazer, very short skirt & silly shoes and of course no gloves. I did however wear a helmet which I was allowed to store in the stationary cupboard lol
Incidentally the most damage I ever did to myself was cos my bike instructor made me wear all my gear doing slow speed stuff in 75+ temps and beating sun....I just got so totally overheated & exhausted that I got careless...and bump
My ex husband got prosecuted for riding without a helmet. He'd just re-built the bike and had gone, oooh all of 200 metres up the road so he could listen to the engine....what a ridiculous mis-use of legislation
But the better weather brings out the worst in bikers. Wear what ya like guys but I've been hurt worse in a 30mph spill than a massive crash on Nurburgring at 130. You bounce down the road at 30 wearing nowt then if you survive you'll need skin grafts or months healing.
In regards to not wearing a lid to hear your bike then do it on private land or have a mate ride it while u stand at side of road SIMPLES
"when I was a young un my b/f came round my house every morning and took me to school on the back of his bike...school uniform; blazer, very short skirt & silly shoes"
"Wear what ya like guys but I've been hurt worse in a 30mph spill than a massive crash on Nurburgring at 130."
Good point.
My big accident that I mentioned above was at less than 30mph. If I hadn't been wearing leathers then shredded skin and gravel rash would have been added to the list of injuries. And I'd much rather have a broken bone than skin grafts anyday!
I then came off in Wales at over 95mph and got up and walked away. (Shame about the bike lol)
Our bike club are usually dressed pretty sensibly apart from the odd jean wearer, but hey their choice.
Our club doesn't differentiate between scooters and bike riders neither.
We watch plenty of young kids riding past our local on small scooters that try and overtake any car on the road, but don't really comment, as we were teens once too.
A few years back we were all parked up in a pub in the countryside and a bunch of scooter boys pulled up.
We all walked towards each other menacingly, with the locals looking on expecting trouble. our pres walked towards the scooter pres and they shook hands
We know the scooter boys from Nuneaton
Two wheels good, four bad!
I remember, many moons ago, my first spill. Was dressed in leather jacket, very short skirt, knee length boots with obligatory white socks tucked over top of em. Coming out of Wakefield in convoy, bike ran into back of the one i was pillioning on and splat. Skated face down for more yards than i care to remember. Very, very badly grazed left knee. Must have taken several layers of skin off. Hobbled into house, trying to avoid mam (who hated me going on the "dangerous things"!) and spent the night crying my head off and trying to keep sheets from sticking to my skinless knee. Till next day i had to confess all. Spent a few months with large bandage, needed changing regularly, and they were brutal in the hospital!! Good lesson to learn but hey, those were the days
Most of the dead bikers they pull out of hedges or the front of oncoming vehicles or scrape off the armco are wearing enough leather and armour to bring a tear to the eye of the most hardened safety nazi.
Just remember, all leathers will do will protect you from minor impacts and abrasion injuries. The best safety equipment you have is the grey bit between your ears. Now I've found that overheating will seriously comprise my mental faculties - i.e. my riding goes to pot if I get all hot and bothered. Therefore my hackles start to raise when people get all self righteous about what to wear on a bike.... I'd rather not have my own safety comprised thanks very much.
There are certain situations when nothing will save you, all you can do is wear the best you can and hope your not going to go through a metal sign like my 6ft 4 mate did four years ago... we all take a chance getting on a bike and doing what we love, I wear the best I can because I want to come home and be mum to my 2 kids for as long as fate decides
Well said axomoxia. This subject comes up like a hardy annual every spring when there's a period of better weather in the letters pages of the motorcycle press and forums and it's this which is likely to bring unwanted attention to it and provoke legislation rather than people being treated for abrasion related injuries.
Mind you, with the nanny society in which we live, I'm increasingly seeing BM as a microcosm of it. By all means advise riders to wear protective clothing but bear in mind that if you get too hot while riding, primary safety will be adversely affected. So please drop the hand wringing - until next time when it will all start again...
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