Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126400
Even a king must falll Dick Burleson crosses the railroad the hard way. Championship Enduro Riding gear What you don't wear may hurt you 18. If you think about th is old maxini in relation to the bumps and scrapes and worse injuries of your pas t riding experience you'lI rea lize ho,,! true it often is. When you fail to protect you rself with proper riding gea r (t he re' s great disagreement about what is proper) you're sure to pay the consequences. We!lr sneakers and you're sure to drop your bike on your foot. . . shed your jacket on a warm da y and you'Il likely get slashed by a dead tree branch . .. Go for a short ride without your helmet and you can expect to high-side in a sticky turn and la nd on your head . So by the time you 're ready to tak e up enduro riding you 've already learned a lot about what protectiv e gear you need or want. At least you think you do. The trouble is an endurance run goes on no matter wha t the weather or terrain conditions, and it's tough riding. What you need to wear is what gives you the protection and security you want , which along with some amount of comfort when it's wet -a nd cold or dusty and hot, will permit you to ride you r best when everything's a mess. Helmet and visor There are many good brands, bu t Bell is still the standard of quality. They're bu ilt with a fiberglass she ll with foam rubber padding and a cru shable styrofoam liner inside the top to absorb realIy hard impacts. AlI can be repaired or rebuilt by th e fac tory. Experienced trailand enduro riders usually av oid the cheaper polycarbonate-shell helmets because even though they won't crack as easily as fiberglass, this very quality causes them to twang your head and rattle you r brains even in a minor fall. We proved th is twice in a very short time in our own family when I wiped out on a hill and slammed down on the back of my head , and my two dirt-riding sons met head-on on a blind corner in a trail. The only one of the three of us From helmet to boots. former Team Honda member Don Sanford is protected. ' u nfazed was Charlie, who was wearing a fiberglass helmet. George a nd I wore polycarbonate helmets at that time (we've since changed) ; and he go t up feeling sla p happy, and I didn't get up for a few minutes. I was unconsc ious . Seve~~1 manufacturers sell helmets with shells la m ina ted of both m aterials to get the best qualifities of ea ch in on e piece of protective headgear. They claim they're better than pla in fiberglass . but until comparative tests are made available to buyers , each riders will have to decide for himself. Almos t as important as the constru ct ion is the fit. It should feel pleasantly snug. not wobble around . yet shouldn't sq ueeze you r skull. Be 'su re to fasten it securely with the chin strap so it stays in place even when you fall . What about full coverage? Some enduro riders wear them ; others like Jack Penton feel they are not only warm and heavy, but restrict downward vision at your enduro instruments. You don't want to have to tilt your head every time you check your odometer or computer. You probably already have a visor, .bu t if you ' don't, snap one on your helmet right away. A visor is not worn for style; it's worn for protection. protection mainly from rain and flying mud and the glare of the sun when it's low. You'll enjoy enduro riding more if you have one, Duckbills are the most common , and , there's one ' that's lou vered to let air pass through at high speed so th e wind won't try to pull you r helmet off. Another, is a transparent sm oke-tinted visor . .with flip -up eye shield underneath to keep your goggles clean or to use in place of th em if th ey get muddy or a re broken. If you can't find a visor that su its you exactly, get a plain duckbill and tr im it to the size and sha pe you wan t. Eye protection You need eye protection every tim e you ride , but especially when you rid e on trails. Although th er e are m any ways you can go (i ncl udi ng the visor with the flip -up shield mentioned above), the weath er and r iding conditions where you ride will ac tua lly determine you r best choice. Lots of enduro riders like th e inexpensive Hi- Point Six Days glasses Penton imports from Italy. They're so lightyou hardly know you have them . on , they give 'good vision (clea r and tinted lenses are available) , and if they get badly scratched or broken you just throw them away and get a new pair. But if it's dusty you need full goggles. Among the best are the non-fogging Scott goggles many top ISDT riders wear. With them you have no trouble with steaming up if it rains. Other goggles can be treated with anti fogging chemical by the rider, himself. What if you wear prescription glasses all the time? Enduro . charnp ,