Could someone explain this to me, please?

Compliance With The Letter Of The Law

Rather Than The Reason Behind It

Why would a person dress like this?

July.

@Munkstump: Fashion sense cannot prevent any accident that I know of. Oh, by "safety-conscious" you must mean after you already let the mistake happen. I see, you think of safety retrospectively rather than taking the proactive approach that all riders AND drivers should. You see, helmets do not possess magical abilities that seep into the wearer's brain to protect them from having an accident. If you ride around thinking like that, then I'll tell you what, wearing your skin tight-kevlar-ballistic- nylon-kangaroo-leather suit will only end up making the difference between an open casket or a picture of what you used to look like.

@Firecracker: I have narrowed it down to two answers. It's July, and they weren't thinking. Or it's July, and they're always thinking, statistically justifying their choice in apparel, or lack thereof, since no amount of gear can do your riding, thinking, nor avoid an accident for you anyway. Now most will say the former, that they must not have been thinking, accompanied by various comments of course. However, they appeared to have made it to their destination in okay shape, we're halfway through another summer and they're still walking so they could be doing something right that the others haven't, and you saw them coming and didn't call them idiots otherwise. So my best educated guess is the latter, that they were thinking considerably.

As for the helmets, I have a theory. Optimally, I would ride with a full-size windscreen or a pair of goggles at least, lest a reduction in visibility runs afoul the mental processes. Personally, I prefer a face-shield, and what better way to wear a full face-shield than a full-face helmet. I also wear polycarbonate (shatter-resistant) glasses, but even on the hottest of days, I still find myself pulling down my sun-visor because I would rather be stuffy than riding with the sun in my eyes. Also, I have had the occasional bug up the nose, which, depending on the type of insect, can be quite unpleasant. So in that sense, wearing a full-face helmet would actually be adding to the level of their comfort if that is what they were going for dressing as they did. But I don't even know if they had a windscreen or tinting, so if I'm wrong then just throw out those theories. Or maybe it's just as simple as them choosing helmets and no clothes in much the same way as we chose bikes over cages. This comes within a week of our Independence Day, come on, you got to live!

*/End of Line.

Not every motorcycle rider is safety-conscious. Many riders wear only a helmet as a means of protection. Legal and proper are not the same thing.

I don't know if you have a helmet law where you live. If you do, then that is why they wear it. If you don't, then it makes even less sense, unless they were from another state.

Most people wear seat belts because they have to. Most people don't think much about cause and effect. They just "follow the rules". That's why everything that doesn't make sense, is the way it is.

I usually wont ride if it is too hot to wear proper gear, because I've not yet invested in hot-weather riding gear. Or a good bike. One thing you don't want to do is break down in the hot sun with full leathers on.

Some lessons just gotta be learned the hard way because most people don't take advice from others. Thus they reap what they sow. They have probably not tasted asphalt just yet, but it only takes once to reinforce that lesson. It hurts like hell. There is a reason riders wear jackets, long pants, boots, gloves, and a brain bucket. Skin takes a long time to grow back.

Assuming no mandatory helmet laws in your area, the only guess I can make is that they're Ghost Rider wannabes who ride at high speeds, and the full-face helmets make that more comfortable by providing wind protection.

At very high speeds, sunglasses or goggles don't work very well and can blow off, cheeks can flap if you don't keep your lips tightly shut (like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaWoo82zNUA#t=3m0s ), and the wind noise is deafening. Wearing a full-face is more comfortable than not at 150 mph +.

If that's the case, they're mind-bogglingly stupid and an extreme danger to themselves and others.

Getting a tan maybe?

But they probably just didnt figure theyd crash.

I wear my helmet pretty much at all times, but as much for keeping the wind from blurring my vision as for head damage mitigation.

Howdy Boom-Boom,

You already know the answer to that question. We talked about it a bit when I went by "Rifleman". I can't really see the excuse up by you, unless global warming is kicking in up there. Not only that, but I long ago learned that a public school education up north, where I got mine before being exile to durance vile here in Florida, (Depending on your age, that is.) beat the heck out of what they learn down here. (I know you heard about the "Hey y'all, watch this" joke.)

And let me guess. Both of them were on rice. Am I correct? Or perhaps, with the advent of all the other strange motorcycle brands, I should say neither was on a Hog. I'm tempted to say "Idiot Savant". You know, the person that has a great skill in one area, but forgets to put their pants on before they leave the house. Same thing if you ride without the gear. You know this. I know this. We both ride with the gear. Not only a matter of safety, but of pride.

And I'm sorry to say this, but the hammering the job market has taken down here has put quite a few H-D on the market cheap. Just because they have money don't necessarily mean they have a brain for that helmet to protect. And I'm seeing more and more middle aged farts, on an H-D, with little or no protective equipment. Oh, maybe a head-wrap and a leather vest. And most of them don't wear sneakers. (Probably orthopedic footwear at their age.) But the occasional one in shorts.

I have come to the conclusion that people in the US are getting stupid at a progressive rate. Kind of like Moore's law of semiconductors. It's the crap on TV, the pap people are fed in the papers that passes as news, and just a general lack of education. There are quite a few more single bike accidents down here now than there were back when I started riding here. And most of them are just Darwin in action.

Look at the posts! How many people say "driving" a motorcycle? (Or scoot, or sled, or whatever you care to call it.) You don't drive a motorcycle, you and I know this. You RIDE the damn thing. Yeah, you can go for a "ride" in a car, but you can't "drive" a bike. Most people riding today don't have a clue about the extra dimension you don't have to worry about in a car. Leaning. I'll bet that neither one of them two bike people had ever rode in anything but good weather, on good roads.

Now where you or I would have no problem with pea gravel or wet grass, to avoid hitting something, I'll bet dollars to donuts that either one of them would be heading down the road face first, either getting unneeded dental work done, or mowing a small swath of the county grass for free. I see quite a bit of foot dragging today, And that is a big no-no, as both of us know. So how can they be expected to realize that most times you get only the one chance?

Helmet, fine. Nothing else, look to have lots of bleeding, torn skin and meat, and a painful stay in the hospital. (Mostly at our "taxpayer" expense.) If they live. Good thing is we can hope they bleed out before help can arrive. But to actually answer you question, I have two theories. One is the "Machismo" thing. "Hey, look at me! I'm not afraid to sand myself down to the bone on the pavement". Then there is just the Darwin thing. Lack of intelligence means the species gets better as a whole by removing the stupid buggers.

Too long winded, but I'm sending it anyway. Preaching to the choir, I know. Hope you are enjoying the good weather up there. Have a good one, ride safe. Ciao!

Dick

P.S. To you people other than Firecracker, who has seen e-mail pics of me in full fig, heat is no excuse. I live in SW Florida, and all the stuff I'm wearing in my avatar pic I wear year round. Yes, even in 90 degree weather. I may sweat, but I probably won't bleed much. By the way, I'm an old fart also, my definition of that being anyone over 50 years old.

P.P.S. Florida does not require a helmet if you carry an extra $10,000 insurance policy. I had the policy. I still wore the brain bucket. It's not compliance people, it's common sense.

They were robbing the bank and that was their disguise. You didn't mention them taking off their helmets, so two t-shirted guys wearing shorts pull a heist, so what?

They'd rather be in the hospital with severe road rash, than a cracked skull?

The level of stupidity never ceases to amaze me.

Already had the helmet so they decided to wear it.