Most important piece of kit?

[Trip]

What would you say is the most important piece of kit other than your lid?

Rate them in order if you like

Rich
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Bike: Yamaha XJ600N Mileage: 28500 Miles Rider Mileage: Many Miles
CBT: PASSED Theory: PASSED Test: PASSED
Past-CG125 Present - Yamaha XJ600N Future - WHO KNOWS?

[NSR Mick]

Gloves as your hands are the 1st thing you stick out if you fall.
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If you dont like the way that I ride.......Stop trying to keep up!!!

[bazza]

Ignition key.
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"That's it. You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college."
'98 Ducati 750SS, '08 Suzuki GSX650F ©2004-2014, Bazza's Harmless Banter

[Marah]

I would say Jacket to protect the remaining vital organs.
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Someone complimented me on my driving. They left a note on my windscreen, it said "Parking Fine"
Old Bikes -1990 Yamaha DT50MX > 1988 Kawasaki KMX125 > 1991 Kawasaki KMX125 > 1981 Yamaha XS250SE > 2000 Suzuki Bandit 600 > 1999 Kawasaki ZX7R Ninja
Bike - 1999 Suzuki Bandit 1200

[strag]

Can't see how you could discriminate between them to be honest. All equally important.
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carbon bling

[TheShaggyDA]

If I had to put them in order, then gloves, jacket, boots, trousers, sliders.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[Dark]

[Mr.Everready]

Knee sliders ?
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the undemocratically unelected mod of the Scottish section

[FreshAL]

None of the above

• Brain -> Use to avoid coming off in the first place.


If you are going to have a crash, the most important bits of kit depend on if it's a biggie or not.

I remember reading somewhere that the majority of crashes are low speed tumbles. Personal experience and the 2006 and 2005 spill counters back it up:

In a low speed off, injuries tend* to be most serious at the extremeties - feet, knees and hands, so boots and gloves rate pretty high in increasing your chances of walking away.

Higher speed offs, more serious injuries tend to be chest (internal), head and spine and pelvis, and to be honest, as long as you've got a good helmet and back protector there's not a lot you can do about them. The crash energy has got to go somewhere, and that's going to cause damage. What you can do is minimise the damage to the rest of you with good abrasion resistant jacket, trousers, boots and gloves. Minimising other (comparitvely minor) will give you a better chance of surviving the more serious injuries.


So what's the conclusion?

Well, unless you know exactly what type of crash you're going to have, best wear all your kit. Or none of it, and put extra effort in to not having the smash in the first place.


*exceptions if any part of you hits something solid, that's obviously going to be the most damaged.

[jonboy22]

[craig123]

i came off my bike today n i span aroud n around fast,i grazed my legs n arms n hurt my hands ,im realy fankfull 4 my gloves they was riped n the right glove is in shreads .my hands are saw but not 1 scrach thanx 2 my gloves.my bikes fine apart from theres not 1 bit unscrached.

[Whosthedaddy]

Gloves.

The only real thing that bothers me is the thought of scraping my bare flesh of my hands along the tarmac .
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Current : MSX 125 Past : CBR 900RR Monkeybike : c50 LAC : ZXR750 H2 : FZR600 : ZX7R P3 : YW100 : TRX850: Trophy 900 T309 : GSXR 600 L0: Monkeybike : XJ6S Whosthedaddy

[NSR Mick]

[Villers]

When I crashed I landed on my shoulder/back, then my head, then I rolled two or three times before going over the curb and ending up on my back starfished in the field.

During this time I banged my knees, ankles, hands, elbows, head, back, shoulders and toes.

Its difficult to pick a single one factor but I think the items I had spent most on did me the best. I was wearing a cheap textile suit so I had burns on my legs and sore knees but nothing major. I was wearing a shoei XR1000 which I cant say a bad word about (I bought another one anyway!!) a Knox back protector, a pair of sidi vertigo corsa's and some HG pathans. If you look at it that way the bits on the extremeties were V important but the best two I feel were the back protector and the XR1000, obviously without the lid I would have been dead.....

https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c186/villersCBR/helmet1.jpg

https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c186/villersCBR/braced.jpg

https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c186/villersCBR/soreknee.jpg

https://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c186/villersCBR/DSC00464.jpg

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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Pte1643]

That's a hell of a crack in your lid mate.

I'm assuming your all mended now.

[mad4it028]

my tools are most important bit of kit
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always looking to buy bikes crashed ,unfinished projects,none runners pm me
currently riding kawasaki z1000 only bike ive ever loved

[MRX Steve]

I voted jacket, but gloves are probably equally important.
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Rieju MRX 50 Castrol Edition

[Villers]

Im fine, the bike wasnt but hats another story. I got another XR1000 before I started riding again and threw the old one away. Good lid!
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RS125 > CBR6 > SV650S > ZX636R > GSX1300RZ Hayabusa > 06 RSVR Mille > SV1000S > Street Triple 765 RS

[Bendy]

Gloves.

That skin on the palms of your hands is extra-sensitive and super-flexible. Scar tissue isn't.

It's easier to cope with sustaining some damage to other bits, in my opinon. Mess up your hands and even simple stuff can become a pain in the butt.

[bazza]

[Misc]

Jacket, Gloves, trousers, boots.