| Author |
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Mesafirebolt
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 04:47 pm: | 
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Well, having JUST wrecked my 12r, I think I can comment. On the traveled roads, I'm cautious, I even adjusted my work hours so I wouldn't be in traffic MOST of the time. Now when its me and the road, thats different, I'll push myself to get better, thats how I snow ski too. If I never road like that, I BET me and the bike would be fine right now but i CHOSE to ride hard and now we're paying! I'll do it again but I learned a lot Saturday. Learn, Take an MSF and use it. |
Superdave
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 05:30 pm: |
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Midknyte - Sorry, no link. The info was in a brochure I picked up at an event. TBI (traumatic brain injury) was no. 1 cause, getting caught in the stirrup and being dragged (to death) was no. 2. It was also stated that equine related death and serious injury were more common than in motorcycle riding and automobile racing. No figures were given that I remember anyway. The brochure was from a university, maybe Univ. of Fla. Not sure, it's been a while... |
Grimel
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 06:47 pm: |
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Now when its me and the road, thats different
The question being how do you KNOW it's just you and the road and nobody will be coming through while you are pushing it? |
Kdan
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 08:45 pm: |
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Motorcycles aren't dangerous. Hitting shit with a motorcycle is. I have never been attacked by a motorcycle.
(Message edited by kdan on August 21, 2006) |
Slaughter
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 08:52 pm: |
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I have never been attacked by a motorcycle.
Wait til your first high-side! |
Steve899
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 09:44 pm: |
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All and all good advice. Take the Course and get the gear. As for the Family, well that takes time, lots of people get hurt on bikes that's true, but that says alot more about the riders than it does about motorcycle. I have ridden on the street for 27yrs and never had a problem ,I have raced on the track for the last 5yrs and had few incidents in that time, but the protective gear always did the job. Riding motorcycles is alot fun , just be smart about it. |
Kdan
| | Posted on Monday, August 21, 2006 - 11:18 pm: |
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I have never been attacked by a motorcycle.
Wait til your first high-side!
Good point, but the bike claimed self defense and I probably had it coming. |
Cruisin
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 09:23 am: |
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I saw a quote that became my favorite a few weeks ago...
"If you love your bike, let it go...if it comes back to you, you probably highsided!" |
Chellem
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 10:24 am: |
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I have a link to a study with some statistics for "single vehicle motorcycle accidents". It comes accross as pretty harsh, with high percentages APPEARING to be caused by driver silliness. Keep in mind that this is only a percentage of the motorcycles that crashed ALONE. It does not offer statistics on motorcycles involved with other vehicles, which I imagine would be a slightly higher number. Frankly, number for number, when you think of the number as a percentage of the riding population, it's not that bad.
But when it is bad, it's just horrendous. That's probably why it SEEMS so unsafe.
Anyway, here it is. http://www.webbikeworld.com/Motorcycle-Safety/809-360.pdf
A LOT of these statistics pages are horribly slanted, biased, esp. the ones in the lawyer sites. Jeez. It's hard to get unbiased information out there these days when it's so easy to put up your own web site and say whatever you want! |
Chellem
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 10:26 am: |
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Also, this is a FAQ on the MSF site. Here's how they answer:
"3b. Are motorcycles safe?…or…I keep hearing scary statistics on motorcycle safety.…or…How can I convince my spouse/parents/etc. that I'd be a safe motorcyclist?
Pure statistics do not tell the whole story of motorcycle safety. Generally speaking, motorcyclists - as well as bicyclists and pedestrians -- are more vulnerable than other roadway users to injury in traffic collisions since they don't have the advantage of being cocooned within 3,000 pounds of steel. That's why the Motorcycle Safety Foundation strongly encourages motorcyclists to minimize the risk by riding responsibly, wearing protective gear, taking a hands-on rider training course, getting licensed, riding within your personal limits, and riding free of alcohol or other drugs (note that 31 percent of motorcyclists who died in crashes were impaired).In our RiderCourses and in our safety publications, we stress the need to learn and use effective mental strategies such as SEE: Search, Evaluate, Execute. This strategy helps riders manage risk by detecting and avoiding potentially hazardous traffic situations. Some riders also use the strategy of assuming they're invisible to other motorists, because other motorists may not be on the lookout for motorcycles. Wearing brightly colored protective apparel helps increase visibility, and frequent inspection of the motorcycle helps decrease the likelihood of a crash due to mechanical failure. The maneuverability and small size of a motorcycle can be used in some situations to avoid crashes. While there are many steps a motorcyclist can take to reduce risk, it can never be eliminated.More than 9,000,000 American motorcyclists enjoy the sport, and the trend is that more and more people are turning to motorcycles as a practical, efficient and enjoyable form of personal transportation.
If you haven't ridden before, we suggest that you and your spouse/parent/whoever take our Basic RiderCourse and use that as a basis for discussion of the risks and rewards of motorcycling, before making a decision to purchase a motorcycle." |
Midknyte
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 22, 2006 - 12:02 pm: |
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...If you haven't ridden before, we suggest that you and your spouse/parent/whoever take our Basic RiderCourse...
Signed the Miss'es up for BRC this summer just to give her a taste of what I enjoy (no goal of her actually getting a license). She quit half way thru, but, she's gotten a renewed interest in riding as a passenger 
(Message edited by midknyte on August 22, 2006) |
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