Mike Sales wrote:pete75 wrote:No. It's a bit of a fool who takes a risk on a motorbike in the knowledge that he'll crash but will be protected by his body armour and helmet. Regardless of clothing you don't do things which will lead to you coming off but ride in a way to prevent it.
You assume perfect knowledge of the future! This is not available. The thing about risk is that it is a judgement of future events, with less than perfect knowledge. That is what makes it risk, which is what we all have to deal with in life, in all sorts of areas. [If you knew you were going to crash presumably you would take the necessary steps to avoid it. Like not kicking the engine into life. If you carried on knowing you were going to crash, it would not be called taking a risk.]
We have to make these judgements with imperfect knowledge or not go forward.
You say that people ride in the way which would avert a crash, but nevertheless they still come off.
If you could be sure of not crashing, you could indeed ride naked, but most people cannot see the future with such certainty, and take precautions which they hope will minimise consequences.
Would you really ride as fast nude as in full protective gear? Perhaps any motorcyclists here could comment? Mattsccm's behaviour is affected by the protective gear he is wearing, he tell us.
Judging a risk when riding a motorbike is not about trying to guess the future but about what is happening in real time. You don't think "Oh I'll do this even though I'm likely to come off because my helmet and leathers will protect me". You write as if you think people will deliberately take stupid risks because they've got protective equipment.
As for riding fast nude Rollie Free set a speed record of over 150 mph dressed like this. I suspect his head gear was for streamlining rather than protective purposes and the trunks - well the aluminium rear mudguard on that Vincent would be bloody hot in the burning heat of Bonneville salt flats.