Excellent points, all. The physical act of inspecting the tires, lights, cables, etc before one rides involves the rider and lots of other small problems (oil or coolant leaks, loose fasteners, etc.) can come to light. With the power our bikes have now, this is mandatory for a safe and enjoyable ride.
The motorcycle cyle industry, slowly but surely, seems to be moving in the direction of the car and truck industry: airbags, door crash beams, TVs, call phones and cup holders all theoretically make the drive more comfortable, but they also distract the driver and make he or she less attentive to the job at hand. At the insistence of legislators, they've now made it possible for anyone with a heart beat to get on the highway, cause an accident at 100 mph, and actually survive. The responsibility has, to a large extent, been removed from the driver to improve his or her skills, because the consequences have also been reduced.
(With apologies to Jonathan Swift),I say that all automakers should be legislated to install a large, hardened steel, 6 inch spike in the middle of their vehicles steering wheels. The number of accidents will be reduced, those that get into accidents won't plug up the health care system, and we motorcycle riders will have some well-deserved comic relief on those long tours we take.
What do you think, MOrons?????