so i just bought a pair of boots from Triumph...

[justinrhenry]

...and this is the warning that came with them. A bit much?

Motorcycling is an inherently dangerous activity and an ultra-hazardous sport, which may result in serious injury including death. Each individual motorcycle rider must be familiar with the sport of motorcycling, recognize the wide range of foreseeable hazards and decide whether to assume the risks inherent in such an activity with the knowledge of the dangers involved and accept any and all risks of injury, including death.

While all motorcycle riders should utilize appropriate protective equipment, each rider should exercise absolute care for safety while riding and understand that no product can offer complete protection from injury or damage to individuals and property in case of fall, collision, impact, loss of control or otherwise.

it goes on, but you get the picture...

[Diego]

A bit much? No, just total realistic honesty, IMO.

Motorcycle riding is a dangerous activity. No way around it. Protective gear can help reduce the danger, but it's no substitute for safe riding. And even then, with the best gear and the safest riding practices you can manage, no one can guarantee your safety. There are too many variables with two wheel travel to ever think that...but a lot of young people believe they're indestructible to begin with, so if they're wearing "safety gear" then nothing can ever happen to them. Of course, it can.

You see that same warning in motorcycle helmets and lots of other safety gear these days. It's a way of saying "go into this with your eyes open and don't assume anything can make you absolutely safe."

Or in a lighter vein, think of it as a variant of the warning on superhero costimes for kids: "This cape will not enable you to fly."

Which brings up the question...you do know why Superman wears a cape when he flies, don't you?

[justinrhenry]

i always assumed he was a little ashamed of his rear in tight spandex.

[tbsrider2000]

It also covers legal issues so when some yahoo drops his bike and breaks his ankle while wearing these boots decides to sue Triumph for selling him boots that didn't protect his ankle, Triumph can say this warning was inside..

Kind of like the woman that sued McDonalds because she spilled her coffee on her lap..

[TallRocket]

I'll play, tell me why does Superman wear a cap when he flies?

[justinrhenry]

ya, i figured it was to cover their butts against lawsuits, but it seems they're trying to discourage us from riding in the first place... we could all diiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. aayyyyeeeee!

[Diego]

Originally Posted by TallRocket

I'll play, tell me why does Superman wear a cap when he flies?

Because anyone would look awfully silly flying around town in only tights.

Or, justinrhenry's answer may be the real reason.

[BeHereNow]

Superman’s cape was made from fabric in his rocket (his baby blanket, I believe), from his home planet, Krypton, so it too had ‘super powers’.
He could wrap it around a bomb, and contain the explosion, for example.
So it was functional, but not for flight.

Jim Croce has a line in his song ‘ Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown’, advising against tugging on Superman’s cape, not that that has anything to do with the discussion, just useless trivia.

adding:
He also used it to wrap Lois Lane when he took her to the Fortress of solitude, to protect her from the elements.

I suppose you can tell how I spent my lawn mowing money.