I feel way to naked with my gear on.If you had ever gone down it is not pretty what Road Rash will do to your bare skin.A few people I know have the scars to remind them.It really all depends on your comfort level.

 

Last time I tried shorts I was only going from the street to the garage and managed to burn myself a good one....so I don't even think of riding out that way.

I am always in full gear while commuting...Otherwise I do have my slack days of just Jeans and T-shirt.
Live in CA so always a Dot Helmet.

Sawa guy on a Deluxe the other day...Skull face mask, 1/2 helmet, wife beater shirt, shorts, and tennis shoes...Didn't get it...but to each thier own.

 

Let me try again,I feel way too naked without my gear on.

 

I've ridden once in shorts, didn't like the feeling at all. I've also just worn tennis shoes once or twice, usually after I did something to my bike (new pipes, hardware I put on, etc.), just a few miles to make sure everything is on right. Even the tennis shoes felt weird to me while on the bike.

One of my good friends though rides his Dyna SuperGlide all the time in shorts and tennis shoes. He's a crazy man, but it certainly makes him stand out from most other Harley riders!

 

After sliding across the pavement one time @65 I wear all my gear unless it's over 100 outside. Then I take off the leathers but still wear helmet, jeans and boots. Road Rash sucks.

 

Very interesting .. my Bud who bought a NightTrain got his Harley Show Strings caught in the Spokes and went down (no engine guard). My girl & I were out one night, hit a dig in the road and my rightside forward control just snapped off. I'm thinking had I been wearing a flip flop, I wwould have lost it along the way because in order to get the Bike home, I had to keep my leg resting up on the freakin tank as best I could. It was a challenging experience. I've never worn Chaps in my life btu I do wear long johns in the cold weather.

 

Last summer a guy I know showed up to our high school reunion on his 1800 Gold Wingwearing shorts, a Hawaiian shirt, and Jesus sandals with no socks. He'd ridden it up from Seattle (70 miles) onInterstate-5dressed like that. [:'(]

I tortured him the whole night about it.

 

Just don't get it, seems like seeing a good case of roadrash on someone else would be enough to make everyone gear up. Make no mistake it's your life and skin do with it what you will but there is no justifiable reason not to wear safe gear from the toes up.

 

i don't always wear full protective gear, but i can't imagine having one of my toes cut off or the skin ripped off during an accident. ouch!

 

Flipflops?? I can almost guarantee that if you ever go down, you wont wear flipflops or shorts anymore. When thewife and I went down, I got up up looking for both of my 8 inch lace up steel toe boots. Highway burnt through both laces and took them right off my feet.

A lot of peeps say "only for short rides to the store will I wear shorts or flipflops". Remember, accidents usually happen a short distance from home. Hell, we were only 2 miles from my drive way when we went down at 60mph.
So, flipflops or shorts?? No thanks. I like my toes and trust me, road rash really, really, really sucks.

Just my .02