MAG rep's warning not to shed protective gear in heat

RIDERS are being urged not to shed protective clothing during the heatwave by a representative of the Motorcycle Action Group.

John Baker, deputy representative of the Southern region of MAG, said riders should resist the temptation to wear normal clothing.

He told the local press: ‘Recently I have seen quite a number of people wearing shorts and T-shirts. They are people taking their own choices but they are increasing their risk of having an accident.

‘If they come off their bike and make contact with the ground, the road will act like a cheese grater and their skin will come off.

‘It may take a few minutes to put on protective clothing but it saves a huge amount of pain and suffering.’

Baker spoke following two motorcycle accidents in Portsmouth, both resulting in minor injuries.

He said riders should always wear gloves, boots and abrasion resistant clothing, and ensure helmets are properly fastened, according to a local press report.

But his view seems in contrast to MAG President Ian Mutch's, who recently wrote a column for Visordown arguing protective gear is less important than attitude.

Mutch admitted: ‘If I was going to take a bike round the Nurburgring, I’d wear all that protective kit. But if I am bimbling about in London, I wouldn’t, and I don’t and I didn’t even as a courier for five years in the 1980s. I dressed to be comfortable and I put my faith in what was inside my head, not what I wrapped it in. In the summer, I wore no gloves because the greater sensitivity gave me more control. The hotter it was, the more I loved it and the less I wore.’

So has Mutch been visiting the Portsmouth area?

Baker's comments also seem at odds with MAG's opposition to the helmet law.

Last summer police issued road rash pictures as a warning against riding without protective clothing.