wannabe
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posted April 14, 2003 01:10 PM
Leathers inside or outside boots?
OK, here's a question that's been bugging me for a while now. Do you wear your leathers inside or outside your boots? I come from a roadrace background, so I wear mine tucked into my boots. But, I see a lot of the guys at the dragstrip wear their leathers outside their boots.
Is this just a fashion statement, or is there a real reason in dragracing for wearing your leathers outside of your boots?
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Zhooligan
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posted April 14, 2003 01:22 PM
Call it what you want. But if you are wearing road racing boots and leathers your max protection is the leathers tucked in the boots. Less possibility of rocks and crap getting up inside of the pant leg as you slide.
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MadMike
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posted April 14, 2003 01:37 PM
Outside, boots, and if there are rocks and crap getting into my leathers after I crash on the dragstrip, I have more serious things to worry about... LOL...
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wannabe
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posted April 14, 2003 01:45 PM
Zhooligan = road racer = inside boots
MadMike = dragracer = outside boots
I know Z's side because that's what I do. I still want to know why dragracers wear the leathers outside the boots. Right now I'm the odd man out at the dragstrip with my 1-piece leathers (with all the armor still in place) tucked into my boots.
I understand the two-piece thing at the dragstrip, but I still don't understand the outside the boots thing.
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Dan Sanders
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posted April 14, 2003 01:56 PM
A lot of drag racers, espeicially the pros wear those Simpson dragrace shoes. No way to put your leathers inside of them. I wear mine inside. Road racing background for me also.
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wannabe
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posted April 14, 2003 02:25 PM
Yeah, Dan. I thought about the Simpson dragrace shoes too, but I see folks wearing full roadracing boots at the strip but still wear the leathers outside the boots.
I'm starting to think it's a fashion thing....kinda like the length of your pants in baseball, or wearing your shinguards inside your socks in socker, or just not wearing any protective gear in rugby.
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MadMike
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posted April 14, 2003 02:29 PM
I wear the Bates, drag racing boot and no way my leathers will fit inside...
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wannabe
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posted April 14, 2003 02:33 PM
OK, Mike. Let's talk hypothetically. If you wore full boots that would allow you to tuck in your leathers, would you still wear the leathers on the outside?
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TurboBlew
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posted April 14, 2003 02:56 PM
Always have my leathers on the inside. Dragracing mostly for me.
I can wear them either way, but its easier to get in and out of the boots.
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posted April 14, 2003 03:18 PM
always wore them on the outside....the zipper on the inside was annoying...only did that once.
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VincentHill
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posted April 14, 2003 04:25 PM
I wear mine inside, but (Of course) I have a different take on the subject. Drag racers use the extra space for Advertising and the "Look" and their legs are not "Usually" Bent at some wired angle. also, their race is over in a few seconds and the Flapping will not wear them out.
Road Racing on the other hand substained high speeds and the air would beat your legs up with all of that Flapping the Boots are made to restrict that!
Question and answer fot the day. Why to Cruiser operators (Usually HD People) have all of the Fringe hanging everywhere?? "To give the Illusion of speed"!
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MadMike
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posted April 14, 2003 05:48 PM
yes I would still have them on the outside. just looks better also in my eyes....
and mine are tight enough I dont see any flapping... unless I forget to pull the zipper down... LOL
Mad Mike
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Zhooligan
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posted April 14, 2003 08:27 PM
 Edited By: Zhooligan on 14 Apr 2003 21:52
Time for my rant!!!!
I have to laugh frankly about the local drag racing rules. If your bike does under 125 miles an hour you only have to have leather shoes, a jacket, gloves and a helmet. If your bike does over 125 you have to have leather pants. Now I don't know about anyone else but a hundred and twenty five mile an hour get off in jeans!!!!! Ooooucccchhhh!!!!!!!
The other funny thing is that the drag racing guys wear the simpson race boots or shall I say slippers! What in the heck is with that shit? The guys typically have a hole in the toe from the couple of times the boot has touched on launch or the first 60 feet.
The drag racing safety people would be far better off and frankly real about safety if they enforced full leathers, real riding boots, and gloves. Instead they focus on kill switches / tethers. And at the three tracks I have visited locally the tethers are a joke because most of the guys who have them have fakes. The wiring goes no where. Tech doesn't check to see if they work. Only that they exist.
And last for the record while the leathers might be snug, the boots tight etc., when a high speed crash happens and you get turned around sliding feet first that is the moment that you find out how good the zippers work etc. In road racing it is the two piece suits that the zippers come apart in the middle of a crash and the jacket peels up around a guys head. This works really well protecting the helmet finish but tends to really make a mess out of skin.
Real safety is a 1 piece suit, tucked inside of the real road racing style boots. I have personally crash at speed. A 160 mile an hour plus get off. I slid and pinged off the concrete jersey barriers. I got up and walked away. No broken bones, no broken ankles, no road rash. Couple of very red spots (even leather gets hot eventually). And yes my leathers were tucked in my boots! Every guy I have seen with a zip together 2 piece suit that has crashed at speed ended up with serious road rash.
My 2 cents worth! And now I feel better!!!!! 
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posted April 14, 2003 08:49 PM
quote:
I slid and pinged off the concrete jersey barriers
Yea but were your pants tucked in yer boots or out? 
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MadMike
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posted April 14, 2003 08:50 PM
Well karen stoufer got off at 178 across the finish line and she had on Bates 2 piece(like mine) and she had bumps and bruses but her leathers stayed together.. and I tell you what if I lost it at say 150 or so and went down and my high dollar leathers split and I got road rash from hell, My lawer would be ring, ringing someone! I have seen some of the other suits and there is no way in hell I would race in them every day! maybe I would make a pass in them but not race in them time after time.... like a helmet buy what you fell is the best for yourself! if you have a $5 body and head then buy a $5 set of leathers and helemet... and this is my 2 cents worth also, so we have 4 can we get 6!
Mad Mike
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wannabe
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posted April 14, 2003 08:52 PM
Z,
That because you have a road race background where you expect to fall off the bike. You know that all it takes is being a bit too aggressive in a corner, or just getting on the gas too early, then you're sliding on your ass. It just happens, and you prepare for it.
But, in dragracing, nobody really ever thinks they're gonna fall off the bike. Sure, you see people fall off at the strip, but, unless you've fallen off too, in the back of your mind you think that if you're careful, it's never going to happen to you. Different mindset & different priorities. Lighter leathers & lighter gear in general means quicker ET's. There isn't that same direct correlation in road racing.
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entropy
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posted April 14, 2003 10:02 PM
quote:
... I dont see any flapping... unless I forget to pull the zipper down ...
Mad Mike
just the opposite with me...
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TurboBlew
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posted April 15, 2003 02:39 AM
Zhooligan...if you think the tracks by you are a joke..you should see the one by us in Jacksonville...hehe. Talk about a circus.
The only real thing they get pissed about is "non waviered" riders. (the ones that dont sign the tech card)
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posted April 15, 2003 06:36 AM
haha..yes...I admit it...I made a pass at jax in only jeans and a thick shirt (gloves and helmet too though).
absolutely zero safety inspection there.
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Zhooligan
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posted April 15, 2003 10:09 AM
Sometimes I get the impression that the track officials look at us motorcycle riders as nutcases and kind of a circus! The other interesting thing I have noticed is what I call the "contraptions phenomenon". Especially the monster bore Harley things that show up and they let run on the track. Large engines and questionable chasis etc. Bailing wire holding things on the bike, with very little in the way of brakes yada yada yada. As a former tech inspector I am amazed at what people bring and what is allowed to race. I would assume the bigger events like MadMike, Muzzys etc.is involved with (AHRA and NHRA) have better controls. But it is crazy at the local levels.
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MadMike
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posted April 15, 2003 11:27 AM
lol.. yea you should see my chain guard right now, it has a crumple zone. LOL.... I am building a metal one right now, but I know what you mean, shoot at some of the local events I have seen guys go down the track and it is crazy!! one time this buddy sold his turbo busa, mid to high 8 second bike. well they guy shows up at our local track in jeans with loose gloves and a leather button together jacket???? oh did I mention that this guy has never rode anything other then an old 650 honda or something like that.. well he went down the track (street tire) spinning the whole 1/8th mile and the guys at tech and who ran the track said to me well If he is crazy enough to ride that thing we dont care about him because he dosent have anything upstairs anyway....... I said a few nice words to him and left , tell you what I did not line up agenst that guy all day! No Way...
Mad Mike
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posted April 15, 2003 11:33 AM
Best thing Jax is known for is running the bikes against some of the TopGas cars during a few of their events (when there werent enough bikes to make their own class).
Some of those cars are so squirrly down the track..i wouldnt even want to WALK next to them much less race.
We also wont mention the dirt road (mudpit if its rained that week) you have to ride through just to get to the track....and the sand covered staging lanes 
That place is a gem I tell ya!
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CrotchRocket
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posted April 15, 2003 05:48 PM
I wear my Vansons on the outside of the boot because its more comfortable...Thats why DragRacers wear the leathers over the boot, less restrictive is best!!!...Besides Motorcycle DragRacing is the safest/least accidents of all the motorsports!!!
CrotchRocket
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VincentHill
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posted April 16, 2003 02:29 AM
I forgot to add that Dirt Trackers also wear their leathers :Outside where they really get dirty!
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Zhooligan
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posted April 16, 2003 08:09 AM
I think the real reason for the drag bike guys and dirt track riders wearing their leathers outside of their boots is because for years they have worn work boots and other laced up and slip on leather type boots. Not armored roadracing boots. The Moto-cross guys have been moving towards over the boots pants in some cases. The reason for that being the grunge look style boys and in general the impact of the skate board boyz. The result of the over the boot motocross pants has been an increase in sales of pants that are trashed sooner because the area formaly protected by the boots is being destroyed.
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