Full kit and good gloves everytime. I’ve been off and gloves saved my hands. Split the seams and very bad rash across thick leather, so very glad I wear them!
to be fair, i commute in full two peice leathers and its pretty rare i’ve at least not been in a jacket and gloves.
actually picked myself up a mesh jacket which should be awesome when we see our three days of english summer 
just think of all the dudes in the states - they think a harley t-shirt, jeans and a pair of shades is ‘fully kitted’ let alone the no-lid issue… then 
so then the Consensus is then full kit, unless you want to dare it.
And if your American do what you like and who gives a sh*t 
Nicely summed up.
I always where gloves, lid, boots and jacket. Have gone out in jeans a few times and have come off in them, doing about 10mph they wore straight though as did the skin and flesh on me knee 
Still have gone out wearing them since (only twice though!)
A mate of mine (i used to live with) was showing another mate of mine a xb12s we had outside whilst I was getting ready. He started it up and went to ride it around the (private) estate. All he had on was a leather jacket and jeans. He highsided it on some gravel after 5 yards doing only 5-10mph, fell on his hand breaking his wrist and slide along feet first - the jacket rode up and got some nasty gravel rash up his back 
My other mate bought a city x a couple of weeks later, maybe that says somthing about my friends
'bout this can o worms I am holding the lid down on. If I were pulled by a police officer and over a pair of golves not being worn I would be appoplectic wih rage. It would be just like a police officer pulling me over to say isn’t it a nice day or like your bike, to my way of thinking its an abuse of powers and it it happened to me I would be kicking up a right fuss.
I know that your intentions are well meant and I like you would only ever ride in full kit (inculding gloves), but the law only requires that you wear “protected head gear of an approved type” other then that its your look out.
I know what you mean Dan, I’d prob cack myself at the blue lights due my guilty conscience ('zorst and plate being constant transgressions) only to find it is bit of advice, well, yes I’d prob be a bit narked.
Truth is tho that I suspect that a fair number of people who can’t be bothered with protective gear may not have also bothered with other matters of safety like MOT, tyres etc.
Moral might be that as long as we behave, wear the right stuff and don’t be plonkers then we should have no bother from Darryl and his cohorts.
And getting shirty with the PC will probably not endear you to them, and make more problems for you that it solves. But you knew that anyway 
I always get togged-up proper for self-protection. Yes, it’s a bleedin hassle sometimes, especially when it’s a bit warm, but I do value the protection. I found out on the BikeSafe course that when sliding down the road at 30mph, skin is worn down to the bone in just 3ft! I’d rather squelch round in my own sweat than suffer that.
I got waved over by two nice lady coppers on fulham road yesterday on the moto with the question “Why were you weaving?”
(I had been tooling along in second gear weaving the front around as i was a bit bored and just feeling the front)
Up goes my black visor “I havent ridden it in a while and was just checking out the front tyre” and my new favourite line when applicable “Sorry its really weird but you are the spitting image of my girlfriend, thats really amazing”. HAhahahahah Works a treat though!
“oh ok then” PCN check off my small plate. Lots of thanks from them.
Thankfully there had been a car in front of me, hence the weaving, or they might have actualy pulled me for not having the front on the ground…
Quality line, must remember that.
At least the line wasn’t you look like my new girlfriend.
Oh, that wouldn’t have been good.
Okay I’m gonna be the twat here and admit I dont have gear, the only gear I own is a full face lid and a pair of gloves. Yes I know road rash isnt nice, but tbh in the height of Spanish summer I like to enjoy riding my bike, and that means riding in a t-shirt(dont do shorts though, always jeans) because if I ride in something thick i find myself thinking “please let this ride end” instead of"this is great" If i come off, at least I’ll have come off enjoying myself. Oh and also considering no one here has any leathers I would look a plonker aswell. As for those who say they managed to destroy jeans at 10mph or your skin goes down to the bone in 3ft, utter bollocks, I’ve come off at 25mph and all I got was a fairly nasty graze in my hip, and a few others on my knees and elbow, jeans perfectly intact without a rip on them. My belt took the worst of it, and that was only a “character” scrape.
Coming off at 25mph with only a few little nicks, your very lucky my man.
At the mo I only have a full race lid (actually them fuc_ing pricks took that) and a nice pair of summer gloves with inner gloves for extra thickness and warmth which I always wear, I went up my road gloveless once but didn’t like the feeling, once i’m back riding I intend to invest in a few pairs of dragging jeans, back protector and some nice leathers.
…I like the way I look and tattoos are the only scars I want added to my body.
its 2 peice leathers for me fella…come rain or shine…
yea i may be hot…and yea security at work get the hump becouse i set the metal detector off all the time due too my slidders…but at least im safe…and when i feel safe i feel it makes me a better rider…gives me one less think to think about …
so what…i havent got the named brand of leathers or helmet…(spada leathers and hjc helmet) but i feel ive made an effort to my safty and thats what counts…
no gloves?..chuaaaa…no way!!!
smiled.
Good on you for admitting it. It’s your hide mano, but you’ve made a decision which I think is better than simply being ignorant of the consquences as Darryl said at the start.
Many a time I’ve been in my leathers and felt real uncomfy (like Italy last yr when it was 30+ degrees) and it could be argued that it was affecting my concentration and it was certainly dehydrating me which will ultimately have the same effect.
Take it easy tho mate 'cause I’m sure you don’t ride around at 25mph everywhere and even your jeans are gonna peel off at 50+
Gloves on…no matter what the weather !!!
Yeah I’m not gonna go around saying “well i dont wear leathers because i dont intend to crash…” that is stupid, I know fully well it will hurt alot if i come off, but as i said riding in a t-shirt is a much more pleasent experience than sweating my bollocks off, and I probably wouldnt ride half as much because I simply wouldnt enjoy it. Also, another main factor of why I dont have leathers is the hassle of finding somewhere to put them all the time. I can stop whenever, and walk around comfortably, instead of wasting 15 minutes taking off my leathers and boots. The only hassle I have is changing from jeans into shorts when I stop. When I get a car and get a bike for fun, then of course all year round i will be fully geared up.
I never go out on the bike without full kit on no matter what…
Here is a picture from my experience whilst in Florida…the car I was in is travelling at 120 mph 
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Have you thought about getting textiles for summer? I know some peeps in Italy where it does get very hot in the summer, and they wear them in the summer, as they have vents so are nice and cool.