Rider Saved By ATGATT

Nobody gets on their bike thinking, "Today I will have an accident, better wear my gear." Because accidents are never expected, many riders use All The Gear All The Time (ATGATT) as a personal rule for safe riding. You only ride when wearing a full set of safety gear. 

My friend Vic is an experienced rider on the street, trail, and track. He is also an ATGATT rider who high-sided on the pavement and walked away with minor injuries thanks to his safety gear. Here is his story...

"I just had a mini high side and tested out my spanking new jacket at about 35 mph or so.  Around Las Colinas City Hall, there is a area right around a curve where the inside lane has sunk down about 6 inches from the lane running beside it.  I did not notice this as I was changing from the inside to the outside lane.  I guess my tires hit the edge perfectly wrong with both tires and the bike suddenly pitched me over the bars sliding on my face and right side. One second I was riding along, the next second I was crashing into the pavement."

He compared this accident to hitting a curb sideways. As the bike fell away to the left, he flew over the handlebars and landed on his right thigh, then right elbow, and right front of his Shoei RF-1100 helmet. 

"My face slide jacked up my visor a bit but my helmet will be OK except for some minor scratching.  Right arm of the new jacket is chewed up a bit but not all the way through. Not a scratch on my legs thanks to Bull-It  jeans. My chest area is as if nothing happened thanks my Forcefield Body Armor." 

"If I was not wearing my gear, it could have been so much worse; cracked ribs, shoulder, smashed up face/jaw. Road rash on legs, shoulder, thigh, face, and arms would have been a reality."

This is a great testimony to the effectiveness of wearing quality gear. It will save you a lot of pain and injury and very possibly save your life when the unexpected happens.  Below is a more detailed breakdown of the damage to Vic's gear:

- Triumph branded jacket: (heavy leather with armored elbows and shoulders) scuffed, but no tears or asphalt burn through. 

- Gerbings T5 heated gloves: scuffing and tears on right hand fingers; repairable.

- Alpinestars MX5 boots: a few scrapes on the upper sliders, but otherwise fine.

- Bull-It Jeans: tear through of the jean material, but the Covec did not allow the asphalt to get to his legs. 

As for personal injuries:

"A 1/2 dollar sized asphalt burn on my right elbow area. A quarter sized bruise on my right thumb and swelling of my right thigh. Some minor bumps and bruises. All should be fine."  

"I am in decent shape these days so I was able to easily get up, right the bike, and get back to work."

His trusty KLR returned him to work, but it also had some injuries.

"The KLR suffered some twisted forks (can fix, I think) and road rash on the ice-cream scoop protectors. Gotta love the old girl, she really came through like a champ. My S3 or Ninja would have been coming home on a truck."

It's easy to see that without his gear, Vic would have been a bloody mess laying along the road, while the bike was still good enough to ride. Only by wearing ATGATT, was he able to get up again with relatively minor injuries and ride away from this accident. That is something to remember the next time you get on your bike.

This is Vic's story and I hope this post will spare other riders from injury or death.  Being an ATGATT rider requires commitment. Putting on everything takes time, and on hot summer rides it can be uncomfortable. If one rider changes their mind and wears their gear after reading this, then our job here is done.

Thanks Vic and ride safe!

Wolfman E-12 Enduro Saddlebags Review

I bought the Wolfman E-12 Saddlebags to use on day trips with my Green DRZ. These are smaller saddlebags for enduro bikes, and they fit the KLX perfectly. They are quality bags, made of heavy duty material and zippers, and liked them right away. Just what I needed for overnighters on the KLX 400.

Yet, they have migrated over to the KLR and stayed there for several months. I don't plan on removing them anytime soon. These are great bags and I am amazed at how much they can hold. They will carry several plastic shopping bags of stuff, but are small and low profile enough to stay out of the way when not needed. Between errands and weekend rides, they have found a home on the KLR.

The above picture comes from Wolfman's installation sheet and shows why the E-12 bags don't require mounting racks. They lay across the seat with two adjustable 2 inch straps and the lower mounting straps fasten wherever needed. The "Tension-O-Matic Rear Mounting" strap was a pain and I removed it from the bags. Even without this rear harness the bags stay secure and ride just fine.

The bags are not waterproof, so I simply sprayed waterproofing on them. After several short trips through "normal" rain showers, nothing in them has ever been wet. Try riding long distance through heavy downpours or crossing a deep river, and your results may vary. A dry bag would be very useful in this situation. I did not buy them for that sort of riding so that's never been a problem for me. While I bought them for the smaller bike, they work great and look good on the KLR and I would buy them again. These bags are a quality solution for extra carrying capacity.

Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route Trailer

Less than one month remains until the new Idaho Backcountry Discovery Route will be revealed in Boise. I don't mind saying that I am excited and this video only adds to it. The trailer shows the great potential of the Idaho BDR and provides a glimpse of the awesome riding the new route will open for all dual sport and adventure riders. Regardless of your skill level, the challenge of the Idaho backcountry awaits!

Gaerne G-Adventure Boot Waterproof Test

Following my last post on the Gaerne boots, I received several questions about the "waterproof" claim that comes with these boots.

I have rode through water while wearing these boots and was happy with their performance. For a more serious test, I put on my boots and stepped into the my bath tub. Watch the video to see is what happened. 

Gaerne G-Adventure Boot Review

I've worn these Italian, leather, Gaerne G-Adventure boots for several months and it's time for a review. I spent the summer scraping and kicking through dirt, water, mud, and rocks with these boots and they are still in great shape. These are some tough, dependable, riding boots and I like them a lot.

The G-Adventure boots are full height, crossover style boots that give solid foot protection for on or off-road riding. They have a solid build that feels good on your foot, but are lightweight and comfortable enough for all day wear. They have some features that work well on the road or trail. Notice the shift pad over the toes, and the three individually adjustable buckles. The upper shin protector has saved me a couple of times when my foot has slipped from the peg.

Inside the boot is comfortably padded, with a built-in, one piece, waterproof membrane that keeps out water, and insulates in cold weather. This membrane is also breathable to wick moisture and sweat away from your feet during warmer weather rides. The membrane folds inside the the front of the boot when it is latched closed and the front flap has a velcro tab on top for a snug fit around your leg.

On the bottom, the G-Adventure boots have lugged soles for solid footing while standing on the pegs. They are also flexible enough to allow for shifting or for walking. The bottoms appear similar to many hiking or other outdoor boots, and are perfect for off road riding. The soles on my pair look good after a lot of time standing on my pointy and very grippy SW Motech foot pegs. These pegs are pointy enough to cut into the soles of some other boots.

There are no surprises on the back sides. The ribbed area lets your ankle bend when needed, but still maintains the boots' overall support and protection. These are quality boots that are rugged enough for enduro riding, adventure touring and going anywhere off of the tarmac. They also lightweight and comfortable enough for a cross country road tour, and claim to be waterproof.

Click here to see my waterproofing test on these boots.

The New Backcountry Discovery Route

The latest installment of the terrific Backcountry Discovery Route series will add Idaho to the growing list of BDR states. The Idaho BDR will premiere February 4 in Boise. The BDR series has already charted off-road, adventure routes across Arizona, Utah, and Washington with several additional state routes in development.

The Idaho BDR has been in development for some time and it is exciting news that Idaho will soon be joining the list of BDR ride states. The route will open new challenges for off road and adventure riders in the Gem State region. For now, the only details available on the new route are from the BDR website:

The IDBDR is the fifth route developed by the Backcountry Discovery Routes organization for dual-sport and adventure motorcycle travel.  The IDBDR is a south-to-north route across the state of Idaho covering over 1,400 miles of mostly non-paved track.  The route begins in the old western town of Jarbidge Nevada and meanders through the west side of the Idaho Rocky Mountains on the way to the Canadian Border at the Idaho Panhandle. Two stunning and historic backroads are part of the IDBDR - the Magruder Corridor and the Lolo Motorway.  Several small mountain towns in Idaho are visited along the way including Yellow Pine, Burgdorf Hot Springs, Elk City, Avery, Wallace, and Clark Fork.

For more info on the currently available BDR routes and those in development, click here: Backcountry Discovery Routes.

Pelican Case Warranty Rocks!

I don't know when or how the right side latch of my Pelican 1450 case broke. One day it just would not latch down. Bummer! I was pretty disappointed, since this case has been behind me for many, many, miles and did not want to lose it over a broken latch.

The problem was easy to see and I called Pelican's customer service line. The Pelican rep was totally cool. He apologised for the broken latch, and immediately promised replacement latches. I told him only one side was broken, but he offered two latches anyway. He took down my info and few days later I had new latches - no cost to me and with free shipping!

I am really pleased with Pelican's customer service. These days few companies are so quick to take care of their customers or stand behind their products. Thanks Pelican!