Motorcycles

[mbossman2]

Want one? pay attention to the 2nd segment - you don't want to see that as your last sight.

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if you don't and drive a car, please pay specific attention to the 2nd segment. You don't want to have to live with that image for the rest of your life.

damn, why can't the USA DOT put out something like these?

[Freakitchen]

Gotta say that our public information films like that are very good. The first clip is a very recent and frequently run advert, and it certainly gets the message home. Shock tactics are fine, but I'm not sure I totally agree with that particular one - the first time the driver of the car looks right, we - the viewer - cannot physically see the motorbike. Perhaps that's the idea.

There's a VERY harrowing drink-drive advert that I'll post if I can find it.

[mbossman2]

yes but a second, harmless and instantaneous head check would have made the rider more than obvious..motorcycles are out of the normal driver's regular experience and as such, people have a really difficult time in not just seeing but registering a bike and interpret its speed

I am not saying that 2nd segment should be shown constantly, it loses it's impact...just a quick and/or infrequent run would have the desired effect.

the 3rd segment should be required viewing by all riders.

[TwoRails]

Seeing a rider is hard. My sister's husband died from someone pulling out on him, just like in the vid above.

[doubledragon5]

I've seen a driver once on a bike with bald tires.. I told my wife that was a accident waiting to happen..

[Brad the best]

thats a good one , i ride a motorcycle most of the time . i wear a florescent orange technic leather jacket and my two-smoker is so loud you can hear me from two miles away i think it helps a little bit , but you really have to drive differently on a bike , be more aware and watch out for those people that just look right then left .

i was always taught to look right , left ,right i thought you were supposed to do that .

[David M]

The first collision made me jump. Effective video. I'm selling my bike because I don't want to end up in a wheel chair or dead. Yes I took the MSF course...but still. Anyone want a Honda PCH 800 for a few thousand?

[arix]

Something simillar happened to me last tuesday, some jackass was riding in the night with the front headlamp off (bike). i was going to do a U-turn... Didt saw any bike, went and did the u-turn and banggg ( i was driving my moms Odyssey) my drivers side slidyng door is smacked and the window is broken... the jackA$$ didnt broke nothing but got some deep scratches... Thanks god he didnt broke nothing.

[mbossman2]

The first collision made me jump. Effective video. I'm selling my bike because I don't want to end up in a wheel chair or dead. Yes I took the MSF course...but still. Anyone want a Honda PCH 800 for a few thousand?

I can give you some insight on what the rider should have done: assume that the cage was going to pull out in front of him (happens a lot) and slow down. Planning and preparing for the worst case scenario can help. Its called the "what if" method.

what if:

he pulls out in front of me?
that flying piece of debris hits me?

what do I do?

that type of mindset and planning can make a huge difference.

David, you are in a tough area: high population metro area where there is tons of traffic. I prefer to ride suburban to rural, lot fewer idiots to contend with.

[mbossman2]

some jackass was riding in the night with the front headlamp off (bike).

bicycle or motorcycle?

[EzyStvy]

I rode motor bikes from age 13 to 22....Have always said that's why I'm such a good automobile driver...Learning how to watch out for the other guy is a way of life.....

I've come close to pulling out in front of motor bikes a few times.....There's just not enough to get a good focus on....Then there's the idiots that are doing 90mph on a 30mph service road...You look left and see em but notice they are 3/4 a mile away so you pull out...Then as they fly past you showing you that you're number one in their hearts you think that we're both lucky to be alive.

[mbossman2]

you can control your own actions but the stupidity of others is beyond your control.

[Brad the best]

most motorcycles have there headlights on all the time .

your not going to sell your bike just because of that video are you david ?

i would rather die doing something i love then go to sleep one day and not wake up .

[mbossman2]

US federal DOT regulations and every state requires that motorcycle headlights are burning at all anytime the engine is running and from what I have seen that is the case in every country I have visited.

in NC no headlight = $50 plus it can be a moving violation which jacks your insurance rates (so it's a no-no)

[MaxRat]

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...

[Brad the best]

i can't stand new riders who hop on big bikes , i started on a 200 four stroke ( on the road i have ridden since i was 5) and then got my rd 350 twin two-stroke ,it will pull cat walks in 4th gear like i really don't need anything more then it , i suppose i did modify the crap out of the engine but still . a modern 600 crotch rocket has 150 hp + my jeep doesn't even put that on the ground with its 4.0L ( it will soon but we don't speak of that ) .

big cruisers are probably worse then a crotch rocket , mostly because they weigh 800lbs and you can do burn out's when it rains in 4 gear going down the road ( i know i rode my buddys harley )

you can go faster on a little bike then a big one anyway if you know how to actually drive it , its just a peeing contest everyone seems to be in .

lessons are a good idea i totally agree with you , i would take a course but for 1000$ i will take a track course instead . the worst thing is when bikes ride beside people .

i hate to say it but that idiot speeding through all the cars just wants to get out of the stew of idiots brewing that aren't paying attention i know because thats what i try and do , but of course only when its safe .

another rant is those silly kids with those silly bikes who wear t-shirts and shorts , like come on people what is wrong with you . it might be hot now but just you wait to see how hot the pavement is when you slide across it for a 1/4 of a mile , when i crashed my bike i could feel the heat off the elbow that i slid on (racing leathers)

[Greedo]

I live in a college town and see squids riding around unprotected all the time, flip flops and a sleeveless t-shirt apparently pass for riding gear on warm days. There's also the frequent "helmet and jacket rider with female passenger in tank top and shorts on the back" syndrome, which to me is just as bad.

I feel a little silly riding a 250cc with helmet jacket and gauntlet gloves, but silly is ten times better than road rashed.

[mbossman2]

I feel a little silly riding a 250cc with helmet jacket and gauntlet gloves, but silly is ten times better than road rashed.

or dead.

Your shouldn't feel silly...you ride and that is what matters.

Non-riders have no right to tease you...only other bikers have that right (and it's usually good natured joshing) but you ride.

Riding is, at its core, about individualism - we all get to march to our drummers - and your drummer is a 250cc (what kind BTW?) - so what? it gets your yaya's out.

[HAL9000]

We had two kids learn a nasty lesson on their crotch rockets last weekend... racing away when one lost control hitting the other and forcing him into a parked car... both had serious but non critical injuries, several charges, a court date and wrecked bikes.... it was announced that the insurance companies aren't going to cover either of them.

[mbossman2]

i wonder why? No licenses? (in the USA ~40% of accidents are like that for bikes)

[TwoRails]

It's easy to do. I let a friend try my Honda 500-4 and he took off, almost flew off the back of the bike, his hands coming off the handle bar, and slammed right into a parked car denting the heck out of the door.

[HAL9000]

i wonder why? No licenses? (in the USA ~40% of accidents are like that for bikes)

Too many witnesses and complaints about stunting. I'm actually surprized the number is ONLY 40%... but I would expect the numbers here in Canada to be very similar.

It's easy to do. I let a friend try my Honda 500-4 and he took off, almost flew off the back of the bike, his hands coming off the handle bar, and slammed right into a parked car denting the heck out of the door.

I knew a guy that was a crotch rocket rider for many years.. he saved his money to get a new Harley... I was there when he picked it up. The guy warned him that it has a lot more torque than the crotch rockets he's used to... he wound the motor up in the same manner and let out the clutch and wheelied into a pole... $4000 damage to the bike and a broken ankle.

[David M]

most motorcycles have there headlights on all the time .

your not going to sell your bike just because of that video are you david ?

i would rather die doing something i love then go to sleep one day and not wake up .

I'm selling it for a few reasons, but not that reason.

1. Most importantly, I have a son and a wife who need me.

2. I bought a convertible roadster that is essentially a motorcycle with four wheels. 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and almost 1G cornering. (yes, I know there are bikes that are much faster)

3. My wife has never cared much for me riding a motorcycle.

4. Motorcycles have no protection in case you get in a wreck..even with a helmet and leathers you can still or receive serious injury, permanent debilitations or die.

5. Although I love riding a motorcycle, I just don't feel safe enough and I keep seeing myself getting in a serous wreck eventually. For me, the risk is not worth the reward. I have no criticism for those who do ride...just ride safely. There is not much that is more fun than riding a motorcycle.

6. If the average IQ is 100 then that means that half the drivers on the road have double digit IQ's. That alone scares the hell out of me. I just feel better with some frame rails, sheet metal and airbags protecting me from these people.

I think the most important factor in keeping a rider safe is the riders attitude. If you do things on a motorcycle for big thrills and the adrenaline rush, then you are eventually going to get into big trouble. Yes, you can get away with it hundreds of times, but eventually the "thrill riding" is going to catch up to you. All it takes is one simple mistake to kill yourself. I am just as guilty of thrill riding as anyone else who gets on a bike. The temptation to make things more exciting is always there.

The other factor is that drivers of cars are looking for other cars and not motorcycles. There are probably at least 20 cars on the road for every one motorcycle therefore drivers are just not looking for motorcycles. In a sense, you are lucky when they see you. I have a bright yellow helmet and a bright yellow motorcycle jacket and still, there were dozens of incidents where I was not seen and had to make a defensive maneuver in order to avoid a collision. There is absolutely nothing a rider can do about drivers who are not looking for motorcycles other than wearing bright clothes and positioning ourselves for maximum visibility.

In my twenties I certainly felt more immortal than I do now in my mid 40's. On one hand I like the thrills and the experience of riding and on the other hand I don't want to risk losing what I have health wise. It's hard to sell my bike but I do want to keep my health...life is precious and I need to be there for those who need me.

One last thing...for those who don't ride. DON'T TAILGATE A MOTORCYCLE. You won't get there any faster by tailgating! That probably pissed me off more than anything. I could just see myself getting squished like a bug between two cars from some dork who is on his cellphone one car length behind me. Observe the "Two Second Rule"...you should be no closer than 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. 3 seconds is even better. (Yes, I did move over to the side as a way out in case the clown behind me was late on the brake pedal.)

[TwoRails]

Sounds like very wise thinking, David M... perhaps even a premonition buster...

[David M]

Yeah, it's a premonition and although I am not superstitious, sometimes premonitions have a lot of validity.

[TwoRails]

Oh yes they do! :eek: :)

[Brad the best]

i suppose im still young and silly . and all the protective gear in the world can't save you , last crash i still broke my elbow , never has been quite the same .

im just a better rider then driver , so i feel safer on the bike .

[mbossman2]

numbers 1, 3 and 4 are in the top 10 reasons folks hang up their helmets.

#1 is #1 - riding is about risk minimization, and when you have defenseless people depending upon you, you can never minimize the risk sufficiently to offset that responsibility.

#3 If your partner is not supportive of your riding, then don't do it - rides become a battle and God forbid you are killed, you saddle your partner with an immense amount of guilt: perhaps there was something else they could have done or more forcefully told you to stop riding.

#4 this is a basic fact - you can't ignore it or work around it. If that fact and realization are impacting your ability to focus and concentrate even the slightest bit, that fear will flash to the absolute forefront of your mind at the time you need your concentration and skills the most - when confronted with real danger.

I would be sorry to see you hang up your helmet, jacket and gloves my friend, but, like starting to ride, it is ultimately your decision and no one would or should try to sway you otherwise.

If I can suggest: take it off road. dirt biking and trail riding can be a very safe and enjoyable pursuit and the kids might like it (and I bet you would too).

[Greedo]

Riding is, at its core, about individualism - we all get to march to our drummers - and your drummer is a 250cc (what kind BTW?) - so what? it gets your yaya's out.

Right now I'm relegated to daily commuting on a Rebel, Duck 900ssie is almost roadworthy, and an 82 Vision and 67 CL175 are waiting for attention. I also have a bunch of PC work to get to, but it's hard to prioritize sitting inside reformatting hard drives over outside working or riding:D

[mbossman2]

I am thinking about doing a lightweight restoration (no internal engine work)....just looking around for a good project bike.