How much protective clothing do you wear?

[XSPastor]

Ear plugs? That's a good idea - especially on long trips. The turbulant air behind my windshield bothers my ears sometimes. I've tried many windshield height/angle adjustments.

Full face helmet, leather jacket, always long pants.

[Toolmaker Tim]

Gear

Full face Quantum II, jeans, jacket if its cool enough, leather gloves. Otherwise t-shirt or sweatshirt. Co-worker is a ATGATT, fortunately, cause he hit a deer back in June. Ended up with a broken ankle cause he didn't put on his boots. Just going to the store down the road. I am going to have to rethink my riding gear. Local shop has Icon Timax jackets for $225 on clearance. Hhhhhmmmmmm.

[REFFI]

Pritective Gear

Because I mostly wear jeans for the majority of my riding, I've added knee / shin armor to my list of gear. My chaps are armored, but I normally only wear them in winter.

Ralph

[strippedFJ]

Full face helmet, leather jacket, gloves, jeans and boots.

I've put bikes down at up to 200K/h and never suffered a real injury (touch wood).

I've been riding for so long that no gloves, helmet or boots just feels wrong.

Wish I'd worn earplugs when I was younger though, as I now have some 'industrial deafness' from ill-fitting noisy helmets at speed (along with rock concerts and listening to my own drivel too much).

[Toolmaker Tim]

Skin grafts

I realize it isn't the same, but locally we had a young man decide it would be fun to jump on the hood of his cousins truck after a high school football game. Long story short, he ended up under the truck and was ONLY drug about 60 feet. He has about 70-80 percent abrasions (road rash) all over his body and faces a very long series of skin grafts and rehab. The driver is the boyfriend of my daughters friend and to say the least he is having a tough time. We understand the injured kid has to be moved constaintly or he sticks to the bedding. It has been very traumatic for friends and relatives to see him going thru this. Thoughts of that when I am running down the road 50-70 mph make me rethink the riding gear issue. It only takes one fall and it could be you in that kids shoes.

[Axel]

Semper Gumby

At home or on the bike ?

[LoHo]

Oh, and did I mention full briefs rather than my usual thong, for the added protection...

[Bohn Frazer]

Gear

My most prized gear purchase has been a mesh jacket. Since I sunburn easily, that solved my problem as I always wear gloves. (except for my face) I have found with a waterproof liner made by Joe Rocket I can wear this mesh jacket comfortably down to the high 40"s as long as I have several layers under the liner. With a T Shirt underneath, I can wear this mesh jacket in the most severe heat without much discomfort, especially when at speed. I would never ride my bike without the mesh jacket.

I wear leather chaps unless it is simply too hot. I recently bought a pair of Tourmaster Solution waterproof boots and they are highly recommended as they are also comfortable to wear walking around. The helmet is a given. . .

[Pat Kelly]

Just bougt a new pair of (Frank Thomas) gloves. A new feature since my last glove purchase is the little and ring finger are sewn together. I assume this is to protect the little finger from breaking in case of unintended dismounting of the motorcycle and a salesperson confirmed this.
What other 'innovations' are out there?

[79XS11F]

I wear everything i have ... Full face helmet, heavy jeans, biking jacket when it fits LOL LOL, gloves & riding boots. I don't need to be stylish .. The bike itself takes care of that part of the equation.
Rob

[LoHo]

Pat wrote: assume this is to protect the little finger from breaking

Yeah, those are the new Tony Romo model...

[Geezer]

What other 'innovations' are out there?

I had a pair of gloves made for me by North Star Glove in Seattle with the seams on the outside so I can wear them all day without the seams wearing sores in my hands.

Geezer

[xs650mike]

Leather and more leather

Pretty much leather all year round except when it's so hot it's more dangerous to suit up. Just got armored leathers and last year a full face helmet. Armored gloves too. Gettin' too old (66) to recover easily from road rash. Better the cow's hide than your hide (don't ask me how I know). Jeans will shred in a spill. Of course the best thing is not to crash in the first place. I'm getting better at this all the time. I should be after 50 years of street riding!

[ManagerMike]

Half helmet due to presciption glasses, full face is a pita with glasses.
Leather full calf riding boots (lost flesh down to the bone on right foot to road rash and tennishoes during a laydown 30 years ago)
Full leather jacket if it is less than about 80 F, leather vest if warmer.
Have never worn shorts, learned to ride off road/brush as a kid.
Keep two pair of gloves on board, fingerless with thick leather palm heels and cold weather insulated jobs

[XSive Okie]

If riding to work, required uniform (slacks and button up shirt), on the weekend and such, heavy jeans, Army issued combat boots, t-shirt, and if cold enough, heavy leather OK State jacket. My helmet use is not as frequent as it should be, full face race helmet from my dirt track days, only when on the highway. I know it's ignorant that I would wear it in a race car with a full roll cage around me, and not on the cycle, but I am trying to force myself to change.