OT: Bob LaLonde and/or Bob Campbell

Completely off-topic stuff follows.

In relatively short order I got used to driving a little Yamaha in Brazil. Back in Florida I just picked up a 2006 Burgman 650. The Burger is capable of highway speeds and then some. For now I'm just riding around town and to the beach but I plan to travel with it as well.

Now comes the quandary. I need protective gear but I'm not familiar with the various brands. Some folks swear by Joe Rocket jackets; some say First Gear and still others say any leather jacket is fine. I already have a Snell / DOT rated full face helmet and steel-toed, over-the-ankle boots.

What do you guys use for torso protection? Do you consider denim pants sufficient for the legs and butt or should I get "armored" stuff? The weather here is usually quite hot so I'll be looking for a vented or mesh jacket. What about the slacks?

I've already signed up for the MSF course and added the Burger to my auto policy. I know you guys have been riding a long time. Any advice will be appreciated.

One last question. I notice some riders drop their left hand and point two fingers to the pavement as they pass. Any idea where that came from?

Reply to
Robert L Bass
Loading thread data ...

Completely off topic reply....:))

For myself, after 50 years of riding, I currently have two jackets. One is a Joe Rocket, which is mesh and armour, and is somewhat lighter than the other TourMaster 3/4 length jacket. That one is made of ballistic nylon, armoured in all the right places, and has a zipout liner for warm weather riding. For pants, I have a full set of heavy, leather Bristol leathers (not chaps), and this combined with the Tourmaster jacket, makes me feel reasonably secure on the bike. First Gear apparel is excellent stuff as well btw. Most quality jackets have zip up openings to let air circulate when in very hot weather. Also handy is a special vest which you can soak in water, and which will keep your torso cool when crossing the desert on those 110 degree days. Another essential is a full set of bad weather riding gear (rain suit).

For lighter wear, or when I just am out for a quick ride, I wear Draggin jeans. These have Kevlar surrounding the butt area and the knee area, but look just like conventional jeans. I bought these in Florida last year at $80 a pair.

I would suggest you go and try on anything you plan to buy since sizing can be a bit different than conventional clothing. Most large motorcycle stores have a good selection of gear to try on. Get two pair of gloves; a short pair for warmer wear, and one with cuffs for chilly days, which will keep the wind from going up your jacket. Never ride without good boots either. Motorcycle specific boots usually have padding over the ankle area to prevent abrasion should some idiot in a car cause an accident.

Above all, watch out for 1- rednecks in trucks...2- women with cell phones plugged into their ears and their brains in neutral...and 3- grey beards or pink haired old dolls driving Cadillacs (many with Canadian plates...). Never drive either beside or behind a large transport...if a tire blows you are toast. And a lot of these guys drive exhausted, which does nothing for your survival if they fall asleep at the wrong time...

A good motorcycle safety course may save your life, but above all, it will help you learn to "read" the road properly, which will also make you a far better auto driver.

A good helmet is an essential part of motorcycling. If you have a $10 head, then buy a $10 helmet. Otherwise, buy the best you can afford. And don't ever ride without it, even if the law allows it. Those stupid enough to ride without one will eventually end up deleting the gene pool....

BTW, the 650 Bergman is a fine machine, quite suitable for long distance highway driving. I have an experienced friend who is currently considering buying one to ride with me to Custer, South Dakota for a bike rally in the latter part of June....

Two fingers down generally means "pegs down"....ie: be careful and ride safe, coupled with a greeting

R.H.Campbell Home Security Metal Products Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

formatting link

Reply to
R.H.Campbell

Any reputable mesh jacket will do. Fit is more important that style. First Gear, Fieldsheer, Joe Rocket, Olympia and others all make good gear. Get to a bike shop and try it on. Size tend ti run small. Most have a liner which will be more than enough for you in FL.

In FL look at flip front helmets or 3/4 helmets for cooling. Any major brand will do as long as it fits correctly.

Lose the utility boots, the laces are more dnagerous than you think. Wellington/Engineer boots, western boots, or made for purpose M/C boots. The latter can be had for ~$100. Try

formatting link

Mesh gear from the vendor or your choice THAT FITS. Fieldsheer runs a little larger than others. I have mesh pants I wear on serious rides, around town its jeans and MC boots.

Good call on MSF. I personally thing the Burgie is over rated and that a used PC800 is a better deal, your money, your call

Its called waving to fellow riders. Its a polite greeting, so wave back. Not all of us point to the ground.

Reply to
Copernicus

Many thanks, Bob. Also enjoyed the phone chat today. I'm heading over to the cycle shop in the morning to try on Draggin Jeans and some jackets. As I mentioned earlier, I already have some stiff, over-the-ankle boots so I won't need to buy more yet (I think).

I got out again tonight for an hour or so on the road... didn't realize how chilly it still is at night here. Tomorrow night I'll be wearing better gear, presumably with the liner in place too. :^)

Reply to
Robert L Bass

Thanks, C. I'll be trying on stuff at the cycle shop around the corner tomorrow morning.

The one I have is a good one -- full face with flip up. It keeps the face warm at night but strangely enough wind noise is greater with the shield down than up. Some genius added a couple of operable vents on top and another in front of the chin. They work rather well. The fit is snug all around but not *too* tight anywhere. I like it so much I'll probably buy another and bring it to Brazil to replace the one I use there.

My ride is actually a scooter (a somewhat large one but it's still a scooter). My feet are nowhere near any moving parts. In that light, is there yet a danger to the laces? If so, I don't mind buying new riding boots.

I found those guys on a Google search for jackets. Looks like a decent operation. Thanks for the referral.

Your comments echo those of Bob C and a couple of other folks. I'll definitely make sure the fit is right. Unfortunately, since I'm still losing weight (down to 200 lbs now and heading for 180), I might end up having to buy jeans all over again in a month or two. :( Do you agree with Bob on the Draggin Jeans? I've heard from others as well that those are good. Any experience with the line?

That may very well be true. I like the look and feel of the Burgman though. It wasn't too expensive either.

I usually wave back if I see it before they're past me. I also nod to riders at lights. I had some fun with one guy though. A sport bike (make unknown) and a HD with it's front wheel way out in front were stopped at a light when I pulled up. I nodded and the sport bike rider responded. HD rider sort of sneered at the scooter.... so I dusted him when the light changed. :^)

Reply to
Robert L Bass

Normal jean material on pavement will last about two tenths of a second before it disappears, after which your hide is being abraded on the pavement. The kevlar in the jeans won't abrade; however, it will heat up with friction, so while your butt will remain intact, you will likely suffer signifant heat burns. However, this is far better than the alternative ! I really don't know how the thick, leather Bristol leather pants will work (and I don't want to find out), but on serious rides, I wear both the leathers and the Kevlar jeans.

RHC

Reply to
R.H.Campbell

Glad to see you are doing the MSF course. That is the best protection you can have. A SNELL/DOT helmet also makes sense.

Dragon or Dragin (don't recall which name is correct) are a very good knee and ass protector. A reenforced ridding suit with kevlar armor plates is better. Probably not necessary unless you become one of those knee dragging speed junkies that refer to us cruiser riders as rolling speed bumps. I mostly wear heavy jeans, but...

Joe Rocket jackets have a very good reputation, but when I tried one on that was "my size" I had to scream at the sales rep for help to get the damned thing off.

Leather is a decent protector for the price, but it does not breath at all.

Boots are always a very wise choice. Some counties in Neveada prohibit stupid choices like sandals, but for the most part any foot wear is legal in the states. I don't look for a motorcycle boot. I look for a waterproof steel toe walking boot that is as comfortable to wear and walk in as possible. I have found that Wal-Mart carries some cheap lines that I like very much and wear everyday to work. They only last about 6-10 months, but they are the most comfortable to wear over my smashed foot.

I know absolutley nothing about the bike you picked. I know a little bit about Harley's (currently have 1), Hondas (3 right now), and Kawasakis (looking at a new 1), having owned a number of all of the above.

Remember that alcohol (or other recreational drugs) and motorcycles do not mix well. I know some local bars I used to hang out in (during my mispent youth) would let me park my bike inside the bar and take a cab home so I wouldn't drink and ride.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

That may be fun, and I admit to having done some silly things like that in the past, but don't do it. Screwing around like that can get you very dead from other vehicles on the road. My first long term bike was a little Honda VT500C that would do really incredible things with its 40HP power plant if you leaned into it and floated the front wheel about an inch off the pavement. I'm probably also lucky to still be here after the way I raced that thing.

Reply to
Bob La Londe

I doubt it was the scooter he was sneering at

Doug L

Reply to
Doug L

Many Harley drivers seem to consider themselves or their machines a notch above the rest of the crowd. Many of them have bought into the Harley marketing message that you don't drive a real motorcycle unless you drive a Harley. Nonsense of course, but it IS a real marketing success story by Willy G Davidson. It originally helped keep them out of bankruptcy court when their machines were clearly inferior to the new wave of Japanese bikes hitting the market back in the '70's and '80's. Now that Harley's quality control is finally up to Japanese standards, it continues to help make Harley distinct within the crowded motorcycle market. Kinda like a "Coke among soft drinks...

I often get people stopping at a light, opening their window and asking me if the 2004 1500 cc Kawasaki Nomad I drive is a Harley. I nonchalantly tell them..."no, it's twice the bike at half the money"...

RHC

Reply to
R.H.Campbell

Indeed good helmets do. None of the flip fronts are Snell approved. One of the mainstream MC mags took on Snell recently as overkill and possible less safe for certain head types and accident conditions.. They may well have a point.

Draggin. You pay a lot for them, not sure they will help that much. I think Motoport and Fieldsheer have mesh suits. Then there is always a 'stich

formatting link
The real issue with protective gear is the willingness to wear it. If its too hot, it will get left behind at times.

Thus my comment about they run small. Fieldsheer runs larger.

Leather without armor is not as good choice as ballistc with armor, but its better than a t-shirt

Boots with laces are not a good thing. They can get tangled in the foot controls. As I recall the Bergman is a super scooter that has no foot controls so that may be less of an issue. They are really a bad idea on sport bikes. Ive settled on the ~$120 street boots (Oxtar and others) as a decent compromise. These

formatting link
are also a good choice, esp for a scooter.

Enjoy the riding Robert and be careful. A Bergman is still scooter with short wheel base and small wheels. Stay off the Interstate when you have a choice and watch for potholes or bad pavement. Scooters don't so as well as a MC with larger wheels and better suspensions. Finaly remember that on the street everyone is really out to get you, not just Mike.

Reply to
Copernicus

I can second that.....

RHC

Finaly remember that on the

Reply to
R.H.Campbell

I doubt he dusted the HD

Reply to
Mark Leuck

Doug L wrote: I doubt it was the scooter he was sneering at.

Mark wrote: I doubt he dusted the HD.

I doubt most everything he says. js

Reply to
alarman

The Bergie is a 650 with a CVT (no shifting)

formatting link
I would expect a decent hole shot out of it. They are also more expensive than many MCs that leave a Bergman and any HD in the dust. Its still got small wheels and real limited suspension travel compared to a SV650.
formatting link
or the Vstrom

650
formatting link
Same maker, same displacement, decent choices for a starter bikes.
Reply to
Copernicus

There's more to a good motorcycle than the ability to leave everything in its path. The Burgman is a balanced, fun to drive, reasonably powerful machine that offers superb weather protection and is lots of fun to drive. I have driven it and it's more like the bike I'll get one day when I no longer have the physical strength to muscle my Nomad around.

Both the bikes below are crotch rockets, good mainly for stop light to stop light driving and geared towards the squib crowd. Driving that style of bike forces you to assume the driving postion of an elephant trying to screw a golfball !! Both would run circles around the Burgman (and my 1500 cc Nomad) but neither would allow the driver to handle a 1000 mile day in comfort.

You gotta choose the best bike for your riding style. Most motorcycle drivers scoff at the current crowd of scooters, but ones like the Burgman and the Honda Silverwing are a definate breed of their own. Their only limitations as you say are the smaller wheels and limited suspension compared to most any motorcycle.....

PS: My bet is he DID dust the Harley...

RHC

Reply to
R.H.Campbell

The V-strom is an adventure touring machine, almost a dual sport and the SV is considered a "std motorcycle", closest thing left to a UJM in production. Neither are crotch rockets. The position is reasonably comfortable, esp on the V-Strom. Ninjas (except the 250), R1, R6, now those are crotch rockets, and the position is indeed that of a monkey humping a football. Granted neither the SV or the VStrom are cruisers like your Nomad.

I like the Bergie too. It and the Silverwing are the successors to the Honda Pacific Coast, a bike before its time. However, they are very expensive for what you get. Any mid range rice cruiser could be had for less.

I don't doubt he dusted the HD either, but lets see if Robert rides the Dragon and makes it on Killboy

formatting link
formatting link

Reply to
Copernicus

The "I like cats I just can't eat a whole one by myself" poster on this page was worth the visit!! :-)

The long winding road through "Hell's Gate" to the interior of BC sounds very similar to "The Dragon's Tail".

Reply to
Frank Olson

I'm fully aware of the capabilities of that bike, the style has been around in one form or another by both Suzuki and Honda. It's a moped on steroids and the only way it will beat a Harley or any other large displacement motorcycle is if the the other bike wasn't running

Only a fool compares the Vstrom with a Bergman

Reply to
Mark Leuck

Nope, but I have chopper sunglasses and I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.

*** Posted via a free Usenet account from
formatting link
***
Reply to
mikey

Cabling-Design.com Forums website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.