I tested a motorcycle crash for you !

[Fred]

Hey all, thanks for the comments and sorry for the delay to answer !

No problem at all to "mine" the most info from this crash, if it can help.

As I wrote elsewhere, I purchased from France and had it delivered here (without VAT, hehe !) :
- Spidi Zeta leather gloves : http://www.icasque.com/Equipement-mo...eta-NoirBlanc/ : they withstood the landing perfectly but I didn't slide on them, so cannot attest for their durability. I very very seldom bruise, and this time I have a bruise on my left wrist (I hit the concrete mainly with my left hand and left side), nothing bad, already disappearing. What is absolutely sure is that without leather gloves, I would have a very bad road rash on my left hand from the landing, so of course it's a no-brainer to always wear them.
- Spidi Snug Knee protection that you put above your trousers/riding pants : http://www.icasque.com/Equipement-mo...nug-Knee-Noir/ : I didn't bang the knees, so.... Only problem with them is I ordered one size too big, and they tend to rotate a bit after awhile so I need to reposition them correctly on my knees to have the CE protections where I need them.
- Spidi Back Warrior Evo : http://www.icasque.com/Equipement-mo...Evo-NoirJaune/ : landed on the left side, then on the back : the back protection did its job perfectly, I didn't feel a thing and absolutely no pain in the back. When riding you don't even feel it (very light) and is comfortable in hot weather (breathable). I highly recommend it, you can find it in Shanghai too : http://www.qiyi.cc/product.asp?s_sor...0&s_brandid=77
- Helmet : Bell MX5 Daytona, 5 stars on SHARP test, 3.2mm lexan visor (F1 standard), very very light (1,100g) : http://www.icasque.com/Casque-moto/I...X-Daytona-DYB/ : didn't bang the head fortunately, but it's a great helmet anyway.

I bought in Shanghai the riding boots : http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=3575355524&frm= which saved my right leg I'm quite convinced now. They don't even have a scratch on them but took very well the blow to my lower leg, near the ankle. The boots have leg and ankle protection and are in thick leather. I'm very happy with them comfort wise and obviously even happier with them now !

Bought also the mesh jacket in Shanghai, Dainese Barcellona, at the QiYi shop (link above). Contrary to my first post, it appears there are small tears in the fabric at the left shoulder and left elbow, just where the protections are. And I didn't slide a lot... So not sure how they would stand a 10-15m slide, not in a hurry to test...

I don't have yet riding pants, was riding in jeans with the Spidi Snug knees protection on top. Didn't scrap the jeans, I was lucky that I landed "heavily", I didn't slide much, maybe 3-4 meters at most. I will purchase riding pants soon, maybe those ones : http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=9060160458&frm= . I'm not too much into leather pants...

One very important thing : this gear allowed me to walk off without a scratch. Without it I would have weeks or months of pain/inconvenience and maybe hospital bills to pay, much more expensive than the gear itself.
And I have nothing at all ! Compared to severe road rash on left hand, broken right leg, maybe left shoulder/elbow damages, etc., it is priceless.
Wearing the full gear is a NO BRAINER !

About the attitude, we're all the same. No way we will let a stupid crash get in the way of finishing what looked like a nice ride. I was itching to go back and mostly worried about the bike condition. And also cursing myself for being so bloody stupid of course !

Don't hesitate to ask more questions if you want/need, at least this incident could help others, like it already helped me riding better.


Oooh and about the rear pegs question: no, they were up so the impact on the leg was not from hitting one. I hit the inside of the right leg, just above the ankle, I had a minor bruise. I do believe I hit the leg with the right handle bar as the front brake lever and mirror were skewed even though there's absolutely no skid mark on the right side of the bike...

[Nuhaus]

Thank you very much for the detailed information regarding your safety gear. You make it plainly obvious that it is what saved you from serious injury. This thread is an excellent example for why All The Gear All The Time.