I saw that video yesterday on ride2die.com
that a site that post alot of motorcycle related accidents...
Cycle accidents are on the rise at a very rapid pace...Cycle riding makes up about 2% of auto riding and about 10% of auto related deaths...
28% of cycle deaths involve alcohol (rider drunk) so odds are not so good .... alot of the accident are caused from car drivers either not seeing the bike or changing the radio or talking on cell phones...
I dont believe Loud pipes save lives anymore than quiet pipes... as you would have to have forward facing pipes to aleart the car in front of you...And, if they have the windows up and the radio on they wouldnt hear them anyhow...may make some disagree on this but you can argue with logic...
only way they might hear loud pipes is went you're already passed them...I have a loud pipe on my bike and I still get people pulling in fron of me... most of it is because they know in an accident they are 80 times more like to survive than you are...which is 20% on a car/bike accident...
Just this summer alone so far there has been 25 motorcycle related deaths.... and 95% of them cafe' bikes....
Statistic say most riders killed are 40+....here all of them have been 18-25 years of age...
anywhere from sitting still and some reported going 4 times the posted speed limit....
Most say on a bike you have less than 2 seconds to try to avoid and accident...(as shown on the video) after that you bought the farm....
Hardest thing is getting thru someones head how and what to do in a sistuation...Even if you take a safety class that doesnt mean your chances of survival are any higher...
I have been riding for 15+ years and just got my cycle licence 2 years ago (I just got a permit every year) and I got my older friend to ride as I had 2 bikes.... so we took the class together... I have been a avid rider and he hadnt ridin in 10+ years...
who do you think got the better grade in the class...? he did. They tell you the worst riders are self taught and the only ones worse than that are dirt bike riders...true as I have done both...
Now last year I talked my wife and his wife into taking the class just to see if they could do it..and they did (I am not a good teacher)....Also her son decided to take the class also and he passed pretty good...they alll used the supplied 250cc bikes..
Now my friends wife wanted a bike of her own since my friend bought a new 1500cc kawasaki cruiser... So she found a very fitting 800cc Kawasaki cruiser as she seems a little more responsible than others... Now the boy instantly want a 1300cc bike and at a shy 5'-2" I told my friend that would be a good Idea... and the arguement has begun...
My reason for arguement is 1: he a young kid (16) 2: to big a bike for lack of riding experience...
My thing is when you are young get a bike that is easier to handle like a 250-400cc than way you arent over powered went you get into trouble....
My arguement was they cant teach you experience and I argued the fact that sooner or later he will be going to fast and if he hits some wet road and slides the bike he's going to freak and maybe leave a streak in his shorts...
Well back from a trip from Indy they let him drive his moms bike for a few miles and the same thing I argued happened...and guess what...he almost lost it from the bike being bigger and harder to control than he was ready for...luckily he wasnt going that fast and he didnt lose it but he knows he could have... no more arguement on buying a big bike...
I always say start out small for a beginner...I did..kawasaki 100 went I was 12 then to a 200 twin when I was 15 and a my still now KZ-650-4 when I was 19..
I still have the bike and I use it for city driving...too small for any kind of trip but not a real need to get anything else... it will do a 100+mph but the posted limit is only 65mph so it's more than enough...
Rant done...