“Dress for the fall, not for the ride” (motorcycle adage)

“Dress for the fall, not for the ride” is a motorcyclist adage. A cyclist must be prepared in case he or she falls off the motorcycle. Authorship of the saying is unknown.
 
“‘Dress for the fall, not for the ride,’ he (Tom Ernest, owner of The Shop in Maple Park—ed.) said. Fiberglass helmets, gloves, heavy pants and boots are a must in all weather conditions, he added” was printed in the Daily Chronicle (DeKalb/Sycamore, IL) on April 24, 1983. “Dress for the fall, not for the ride” was printed in the Chicago (IL) Sun-Times on September 13, 1987.
   
       
24 April 1983, Daily Chronicle (DeKalb/Sycamore, IL), “Tom Ernest works on ‘bikes’” by Ingrid Gabnay, pg. 9E, col. 1:
“Dress for the fall, not for the ride,” he (Tom Ernest, owner of The Shop in Maple Park—ed.) said. Fiberglass helmets, gloves, heavy pants and boots are a must in all weather conditions, he added.
 
13 September 1987, Chicago (IL) Sun-Times, “Wheels of fortune Scooters make the riding easy for the upwardly mobile” by Neil Steinberg, pg. 13:
Dress for the fall, not for the ride.
         
Google Groups: rec.motorcycles.harley
Night Driving      
Chris BeHanna
6/21/93
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I think what John was trying to say is “Fuck the it-can’t-happen-to-me attitude.  Dress for the fall, not for the ride.”  Good abrasion protection, be it leather or cordura nylon (Aerostitch) is every bit as important as a good helmet, perhaps even more so. Omitting the helmet or the leathers is done at your peril.  Make the informed decision as to the type and presence of the helmet, the boots, the gloves, the jacket, and the pants.  Don’t hide your eyes and say “It can’t happen to me,” because it can and it WILL.
   
8 August 1996, Detroit (MI) Free Press, “Course teaches novice bikers the skills to become easy riders” by Cara Catallo, pg. 3C, cols. 1-2:
“You wouldn’t scuba dive without having an air tank. You wouldn’t drive a race car without having a proper helmet. You wouldn’t skydive without a parachute,” (instructor Steve—ed.) Brook says. “The key thing about dress is you always dress for the fall, not for the ride.”
 
Google Groups: rec.motorcycles
denim for abrasion resistance
Emore
12/9/00
(...)
I don’t know who said it first, but it bears repeating;  “Dress for the fall, not for the ride.”
 
Twitter
Carl McCary
@wolverine63
Motorcycle tip: Always remember to dress for the fall and not the ride.
3:14 PM - 9 Jul 2009
     
Living life…finally?
Dress for the fall…not for the ride!
Posted by Simon Nunis on 18 February 2010
I wonder why it is taking me so long to complete this post. I mean, I am a firm believer in being well protected when riding a motorcycle, and I believe that every rider should be educated on why this is important so that they can make the right decision about protecting themselves while riding.
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This begs the question: If the solution was so obvious (and it definitely is obvious), why do so many people choose not to protect themselves all the time?
 
Wheels24
December 29, 2014
Juvenile pillion riders? Play safe…
Captain Blindspot
(...)
DEVICES
The “belt” or child strap: This device attaches the child to the rider so that he/she is not at risk offalling off while riding. Sounds pretty simple and useful. However I do however have a few concerns with this device, in Think Bike! circles they banter around this: phrase: “Dress for the fall, not for the ride.”
     
Jalopnik
How To Buy Your First Motorcycle
Jerry Smith
5/13/16 1:36pm
(...)
Gear Up
Motorcycling Cliché That’s True #47: Dress for the fall, not for the ride. As mentioned already, motorcycles can be hazardous to your health. Hedge your bets by wearing, at the very least, a DOT- or ECE-approved helmet ...
 
Twitter
Andrea Dupont
@AndreaD01158727
You surely have heard of the very famous saying amongst motorcycles rider “dress for the fall not the ride”. .
This is an example of calculated risk you are fully suited or not we all know the rider is at risk like us traders are.
Make investment to create a second source.
8:24 PM - 6 May 2019
   
Gear Patrol
STAY PROTECTED BUT STAY COOL
Motorcycle Jackets Made for Summer Riding
MAY 22, 2019 CARS : MOTORCYCLES By BRYAN CAMPBELL
Now that summer is almost upon us, the temptation to go riding in jeans and a T-shirt rises with the temperature. But doing so risks serious injury; as the old adage goes, “Dress for the fall, not for the ride.” Yet while it’s in your best interest to keep your skin off the pavement, dressing for the elements is essential too; if temps are in the upper 80-degree range and humidity is reaching Turkish-bath levels, keeping layers to a minimum without sacrificing safety (or style) is key. In that case, you need to consider summer motorcycle jackets.