Me too. Been riding since I was about 8. Always had to have a helmet, boots, and jeans. You just get use to it.

 

I've been stung through a pair of jeans while on the bike. Just saying.

I normally wear jeans, boots, t-shirt, helmet, and mesh gloves. In cold weather I break out the leather.

But.. here in Georgia it stays in the 90s at a minimum in summer, and the humidity is high. I don't think twice about riding in shorts and running shoes. Road rash is a maybe, heat exhaustion and dehydration are a definite. Some days you just have to choose which devil you fear the most.

 

These that are wearing shorts are mostly your poser crowd. They want to ride and think they are too cool to worry about dress. Ones that have never went down and had to have road rash scraped with a wire brush in the er to get all of the gravel out. I wear jeans and t-shirt and even make my passengers wear jeans. I wear fingerless gloves because it is one more layer between me and the road in case I go down. The leather only comes out when it gets cold.

 

fewer accidents occur on the highway than in the city, so you should change your routine around.

just sayin....

otherwise, don't care what others wear, but for me, jeans, long sleeves, gloves, and a helmet (most times..... anyway)

 

Probably not more of an issue then a non DOT helmet. When I was a kid, stood up in the back of my dads 52 Studebaker as he tooled around town, road for a few years with no helmet and still alive. Saw my son and his girl friend after wrecking on a moped he got from cutting grass and you won't catch me on my bike with flip flops and shorts. However I have herd that jeans only gets you 2 seconds of slide protection, the rest is on you. What ever you wear don't wreck is the best advice or do it at 120, then you probably won't fill it.? Wow that's scary, now won't be able to ride for a week. what the heck, put my bike up in summer, waiting for fall.

 

Shorts, running shoes and a helmet? That must be a great look!

On my recent trip down to Florida, I passed through two helmet law states, Georgia being one of them. It was May, and it was already very hot and humid in GA. On the way down, I couldn't wait to hit the FL state line so I could take my helmet off!!

 

I wrecked at over 100 mph back in 1988, wearing Navy dress blues & shoes, leather jacket, leather gloves, FF helmet. I walked away from it. Didn't do much sliding at all - mostly flying just off the road, then I rolled and tumbled. Didn't really get any road rash - just banged and bruised. Walked away from it with a slightly broken right foot (from the bike going down on it), and 13 stitches in my left knee (from when the bike flipped from the ride side to left and threw me off - my knee slammed into the ground).

In that instance, helmet definitely made a big difference. Two good sized gouges in it - one on the back, one on the chin guard. Would have been gouges in my head and face. Not sure what the outcome of that might have been.

Having had that experience... I still pretty much never wear a helmet now.

 

Countless threads on this. It's individual choice. Worst case, the choice results in a bad end and a slight thinning of the herd. You place your bets and take your chances.

 

I support your right to be a dum@ss and ride in shorts and flip flops. It's your choice.

I wear boots, kevlar lined jeans and a armor mesh jacket no matter how hot the ride. Always wear a DOT helmet...from 1/2 to full face depending on my trip.

 

I always wear heavier gear when riding because I have (in the very distant past) slid down the pavement. The memory lasts forever. For those of you who have been there...you know what I am saying. Every time I don't wear my leather jacket I just think to myself "I hope today aint the day...again"

Then when I see guys & girls scantily clad riding along I just hope they don't find out the hard way. Especially those really pretty young girls...boy if they knew what road rash looked like on them they would be wearing something different.

But, to each his own I guess.