When local statutes (on the state level) require it, i wear the following style of helmet:
"half lid". My lid has a custom paint job on the back that reads "helmet laws suck". All my helmets (mine & my spares) are equiped with
quick release latches because I don't want somebody to break my fucking neck should I survive an accident. Given the options - I'd rather die than be a vegetable.
For eyewear, I'm typically sporting very sturdy protective gear similar to
these bad boys. These aren't the exact ones I have, but I've had mine for about 20 years now and can't find 'em online. You get the idea.
As stated previously, if I roll into a state where I can take the lid off, the bike stops and the lid comes off. So that my bald and very non-Fabio head doesn't get burned, I'll toss on a bandana.
Along those lines - kind of an amusing story about bandanas - I used to have several oversized-bandanas that were the typical dark blue color. One night I pulled up to a red light in a less-than desireable So.Cal area. A low-rider pulled up next to me on my right and I glanced over and noticed some bros - didn't think much of it and was checking out the rest of the intersection when I heard the sound of a shotgun pump coming from the low rider. Looked right and from the back seat behind the driver about 6" of barrel was pointed right at me through a half-open window. The driver advised me that he and his colleagues were of the opinion that my dew-rag was an unacceptable color. I shifted the bike into neutral so that my left hand was free and slowly removed the bandana and tossed it while saying something to the effect of "just a head-cover man, not a statement". The light turned green and I rolled. Some of you will say that's a bullshit story but that's exactly how it went down. That was a Saturday night - the next day I and some bros ran Trabuco Canyon. Made a bar stop and when one asked where my bandana was (this was a few years before CA passed the helmet law) I told the story. My boy Tommy laughed and said "now you know why I always wear pastel bandanas man" (which he did - never had asked him about it before). Moral of story - if you wear a bandana while riding - get over-sized ones and make sure they are not common gang colors.
Last piece of gear - leathers. I love it when some fag goes down the freeway on a rice-burner at 100+ in flip-flops, shorts, muscle shirt, and a $400 helmet. It's even better when the fag is white-lining and bites it. I always wear leather. I have a cold-weather set (thicker leather, insulated) and a warm-weather set (thin leather, non-insulated). Chaps + gloves + jacket = good.
Anyway, I'm not saying that all protective gear is a bad thing. Not true at all. I just find it amusing that most people just assume that motorcycle helmets save lives. To my best knowledge, there is no statistic that bears that out.
Moose
