Dale's Motorcycle Blog

Archive for the ‘Apparel’ Category

I yield to no man in my advocacy of the philosophy of “All the gear, all the time” (ATGATT).  When I went down after being hit by a driver who ran a stop sign, back in December, I ended up in much better shape than I otherwise would have because I was in full gear.  As badly as I got worked, not wearing all the gear would have ended up worse.

But still, there are limits, and I think Universal Pictures has transgressed those limits with this:

Dark Knight Motorcycle Suit

Yes, it’s a replica of the Batman motorcycle suit that Christian Bale wore in “The Dark Knight”.  And it apparently isn’t just a pretty piece of clothing. According to Universal, the suit is a real, functional set of leathers.

• Strong Cordura Mesh Base with Heavy-duty 4 way stretch Spandex inserts.
• Removable CE Approved Body Armor in both Jacket and Pants
• Highly detailed, removable lightweight interior lining.
• Form Molded Leather and Kevlar Armor Sectons [sic].
• Made from Quality Tanned Cow Hides

It looks like it even has knee pucks for racing. So, granted, it’s functional, and with CE armor, provides appropriate protection.

But if you buy and wear a Batman motorcycle suit, I can’t really decide if it’s just super-geeky, or…teh ghey.

I’m one of those people that needs to wear a modular (flip-up) helmet.  I have two of them, a Harley-Davidson Stealth, which is OK, and an HJC Sy-Max II, which I like a bit better for the lower wind noise.  Unfortunately, I have to wear glasses or contact lenses, and, even with my contacts, I’m kind of light-sensitive, so I need to wear sunglasses.  A full-face helmet makes that a bit difficult.

But there’s always been some controversy as to how well modular helmets poerform in a crash.  This is kind of important, since about a fifth of crashes involve the biker taking one to the chin.  I’d kind of like that bit protected,  since chicks dig guys with chins.

So, I am interested to learn that, over in the UK, SHARP is testing modular helmets for crashworthiness, and rating them.  They’ve already started putting ratings up, so you may want to amble over and see if your helmet appears, and how it did in testing.

If you are wearing a KBC FFR, or a Duchinni D601…well…you may want to go to the dealership and see how much a BMW System 5 helmet or a Caberg Trip will set you back.

I’m just saying…