Currently, Down Under  two women are having a heated discussion on what each should wear whilst riding their motorcycles. One whom i don't know wears all the "sexy gear" that apparel  makers love to flaunt..and aim it at the wannabe biker chicks. The other I know personally is a hard core type and has been down the road big time. She knows her capabilities..and has lost a big toe and some of her foot as a direct result of her mishap...her opinion is that one should rug up...when riding. As skin grafts are not a pretty sight. The other totally disagrees to the point where a huge cyber argument has blown up..
It's summer down under at this present time...helmets are compulsory, but thats about all that is...eye protection as well. Although that isn't manditory and should be. 

My question is what would you advise....either of these ladies. Remember there are no wrong answers here, its your opinion. 

Myself I'm not a big fan of gloves...any gloves and i like T shirts and jeans and hard shoes....yet i have ridden down the street in japanese safety boots a time or too in my life as well as ridden in shorts on those occasions..(# jap safety boots are rubber thongs)...

So have at it......I can't wait to hear? 

I'm a big fan of chaps, light unlined, gloves,leather footwear, helmet, and sunglasses. I have had two skin grafts (2 to many) and I never want another, they're hell healing and don't always take.

Well I got to say I (and Laura too) are probably guilty of not wearing 100% of the recommended safety gear... especially in the summer. We always wear helmets (even when not required), long pants and boots. However we typically wear only tank tops or t-shirts in the summer time. As for gloves I usually have on fingerless gloves just to pad my palms on the grips.

The only time you will ever see either one of us in shorts on the bike is riding through a campground at a rally. I NEVER EVER wear open toe shoes, even if I am just moving my bike from the street to the garage!

But that is what we choose to wear. Just like helmets... I always wear one but support everyone else right to choose what they wear when they ride.

Same here. Always wear were helmet, eye protection, long pants and boots. When the weather is nice I normally wear a long sleeve t-shit mostly for sun protection and I find it to keep me cooler than having the sun beat on my arms.

I agree with lucky that what I wear is to make me feel both comfortable and safe, but I'm not going to get upset at soeone for making their own choice.

Can't help myself on this one. It is your personal choice to wear gear or not. It is your personal risk as well. If she has spare body parts, fine, ride naked. If not, don't expect me to give you mine when yours are scattered all over the road. Good test - takes rough sandpaper nail or glue it on a 2X4 then smack your hand across it. Now imagine that at 70 Mph. If that does not answer the question, she has already nothing left to lose.

Do I take my own advise 100% of the time? Hell no.

As you can pretty much see in my profile picture I wear leather from my boots up along with my helmet. Yes some will say that is overkill and others will agree but I choose to wear what makes me feel safe.
Oh,it was 110degrees outside when this was taken just west of Winthrop WA. Hwy 20(North Cascade Hwy) on

Unfortunately most riders have to learn the hard way when it comes to riding with the proper riding gear. Just my opinion but anyone riding anything other than a barstool with flipflops is a dumbass. Lets all be safe this year ok.

 X 10 Thought I don't advocate mandatory anything, personal choice be damed!!! It's the dumbest thing ever.  Ranks right up there with no headlamp, no shirt, and pants.

Like wheels said..........I'd rather be sweaty than a piece of road pizza.

All The Gear All The Time - Slid out on a gravel road in 1967 and still have the gravell in my hand.

Well not actually all the gear, tried chaps one time and attracted attention I never wanted. - Until I can afford leather pants regular pants will have to do.

I wear helmet, gloves, eye protection, long pants and boots all the time. I also wear a vest when its hot and a jacket when the temps allow. But the summers in Florida are brutal and you've gotta be careful not to overheat or dehydrate. Still, even in the summer I will wear long sleeved shirts to protect my arms (skin) from baking in the sun.

I live in South Arkansas, so in the humid and sweltering summer I wear a full face helmet with vents, mesh jacket with pads, and jeans with kevlar, and mesh gloves that offer some protection should a person go down. As long as you keep things moving you don't get hot. In the winter I put a liner in the mesh jacket, have winter riding pants, cold weather gloves, and close off the vents on the helmet. However, I realize that I'm a minority, and most don't wish to put on all of this stuff, especially in the hot summer. Now I'm a bit older I want to have some protection on just in case. It only takes one mishap!

I agree it’s all personal choice. What comes to mind is an accident I came upon a few years ago I stopped at to assist with. There was a group of sport bikes gathered around one bike. It seems the rider was wearing sneakers and due to the angle of the foot it caught it on something in the road. The foot got caught between the road and the foot pegs and due to the sneaker snapped the ankle.

As for myself I’m as guilty as the next person. Mostly wearing the helmet a few times not, Leather Boots always, jeans minimum (chap when it cold), leather gloves or fingerless ones, and Leather jacket when it cool and at minimum a leather vest in the summer heat.

And you can't even say "but its a dry heat", cause it ain't!!!

I am probably a 90%'er. Always gloves of some sort, although I don't really care for fingerless as a rule. Long sleeves, sometimes rolled once or twice. Helmet most all the time. Chaps and jacket on the road and/or when it's cool. Texas seldom gets real cold and the only days I won't ride are during and immediately after a winter storm.

the battle is still raging, its become personal..yet if you comment you're bound to get likes by both parties if your comment makes sense. I love that these girls are going head to head on this issue. My last down the road incident happened in 2010 in Perham Mn..hit the front brake on gravel to avoid a cage..and down i went...no gloves I climbed over the bike and slid along on top...burnt my leg...of the pipe..I should have made Americas funniest home videos ..lucky no one had a camera...

If it isn't comfortable or takes too long to dress and undress the protection can find more time in the closet than on your back and bottom on your bike. Check out a New Technology denim pant from http://resurgencegearusa.com "Jeans that look like regular jeans" but protect better than any fabric currently available and they "breath"
I am the US Distributor for these pants and have posted some EBAY listings as well that save money over ordering from the corp site at http://resurgencegear.com Let me know what you think... Just now available in the US

I wear exactly what I want(except for certain states)..and absolutely could care less whether you agree..plus don't really care to be scolded. Been doing what I do since 1964 and perfectly pleased with that.

Boxers......

^ LOL...
I say it is a personal choice. Sort of like who wears what type of undies...

I use gear all the time, but I also have been down before and glad I had my gear. I herd a friend say," if you don't want to lose it cover it" (meaning skin). Here in southern Georgia it gets hot and humid, but it was worse in Panama.

hey y'all thanks for taking the time its interesting toi look at what you have written...if anyone was interested those 2 girls..well they agreed to disagree..go figure!