What is AGATT

[scooterbob]

AGATT stands for "All the Gear All The Time".

But we ride Scooters.... Super Scooters.

The smaller Super Scooters can reach 80 Miles per hour, the larger ones can reach over 100 miles per hour. It does not matter what you were riding, as you are sliding down the pavement. Hitting the ground at even 30 miles an hour can really be painful. I know for a fact, that slamming your head into the pavement at 2 miles per hour even while wearing a helmet will cause you to see stars (I hate to think "what if" I was not wearing a helmet).

AGATT is a choice you must decide on. You alone must weigh the possibilities and concequences.

What does AGATT consist of?

Starting from the top down....

A "D.O.T." approved Helmet (required by law in some areas.)
Eye protection (required by law in most areas.)
Long sleeved shirt or jacket (Riding jacket with protective pads preferred.)
Full fingered riding gloves (leather preferred.)
Heavy duty long legged pants (Riding pants with protective pads preferred.)
High over the ankle leather boots or shoes (boots preferred.)

You will see some people only ride with the law required gear, some with full gear, and some, somewhere in-between. The choice is yours. Let "You" make the decision on what safety gear to wear, not the criticism or snide comments from others.

Wearing AGATT does not make you a safer rider, it makes your ride safer.

PS: I ride with full AGATT (my choice.)

[didiki]

Totally agree.

But even with full riding gear, injuries can happen.

After my accident in 2009, three Doctors have told me that if I hadn't had ATGATT I wouldn't be here to write about it.

_________
Dick

[momontheloose]

Totally agree.
After my accident in 2009, three Doctors have told me that if I hadn't had ATGATT I wouldn't be here to write about it.

_________
Dick

And we are all glad you are here to tell the tale! (and share your jokes).

[IronRanger]

A trama doc that also rides did some studies on bike injuries. He said the closest comparison to falling at 30 mph without gear is like getting a pan full of hot grease thrown on you. He said in a lot of ways the grease burns aren't near as bad.

Where you hindge usually gets the brunt of the road burns. He said it's not uncommon to get secondary infections that cause permenant damage to the joint.

A guy I worked with was harassing me about wearing gear. He was insistant that gear gives you a false sense of security, it did nothing to protect you, and IF you crash you're getting hurt regardless. We were getting on our bikes to head home. Told him he could prove his theory. Told him we'd run down the sidewalk as fast as we could go, then when he called it, we'd both dive down on the sidewalk, head first, kinda like in a very slow speed crash. It was my turn to keep harrassing him. Called him every woos name I could think of. He did start wearing a leather vest and chaps.

[Daboo]

I had a friend who parked next to me with his BMW each day at work. He commuted about 40 miles each way daily. One day he began wearing a safety vest over his black riding gear. I asked him why he started wearing it since I'd been wearing one for all the time I'd known him and he hadn't seemed inclined to wear one till then. He said he watched a black Labrador get hit on the freeway at night. Again, and again, and again...about nine times. The drivers couldn't see the big black dog in their headlights till it was too late. He kept thinking that could be him.

Chris

[alice]

What does AGATT consist of?

I would add a dedicated back protector to this list.
The usual "foam armor" in simple mc jackets isn't really an armor.
We have only 1 head and 1 spinal column, both are mandatory for live. Arm or leg are not.

And of course a full face or flip helmet.
The chin is an exposed part and always sucking slurry through a tubular a little bit boring.

[Daboo]

Back protection like what PhacocoeruS on his TMax is wearing here?



Just for grins, here's another picture of him so you can see the knee protection he and the other riders wear.



Chris

[alice]

Your 1. picture doesn't really show what I mean, although there is propably a back protector included.
Here you can see some back protectors:
http://www.motorradonline.de/de/bekleid ... oren/87956

[winginman]

This is all good advice, please take heed. Last week I had a wake up call. A friend who rides with us was hit at an intersection by a girl who thought the light changed and took off... It was a low speed collision and he was thrown off his trike. What should have been a minor accident (as motorcycle accidents go) and him receiving only some bruises and a cracked rib turned tragic when he died an hour later at the hospital from head trauma. He chose not to wear his helmet that day (I'm just gonna run down to pick up my glasses and then stop at Sam's Club...) and it cost him his life. We will miss him on future rides.