[seruzawa]

JS Online: Seat swap: New motorcycle means more risk

.... then nothing will.

So, what is the safest type of bike again?

 

[newagetwotone]

"CruiZas are safe! Sports Bikerz are dangerous, buy a Harley!" what a bunch of crap

 

[Buzglyd]

First an earthquake in Illinois and now Mt. St. Helen is going to blow again.

 

[ejis]

Wow - they needed a study to determine that using something unfamiliar increases the likelihood of mistakes.

Best quote: '...If you twist the throttle that much on a sport bike, crazy things can happen," he said.'

 

[The_AirHawk]

Even riders who successfully complete motorcycle safety classes are likely to crash if the bike they buy is much different than the one they learned on, said Rick Breuer, owner of Learning Curves Racing, a Milwaukee riding school.

"They take classes and do really well on a 250-cc (small) street bike and then go out and buy the biggest Harley they can possibly find. I expect them to almost fall down immediately just because of the differences in weight and because they don't have the respect for those giant bikes," Breuer said.

"There's nothing inherently more dangerous about large motorcycles. It's the rider that makes the difference," said Mary Donovan-Popa, owner of Motorcycling Enterprises Inc., a Milwaukee riding school.

"Every bike has its own personality. Unless you familiarize yourself with that, you are looking for trouble," she said.

Yet the article insinuates that there IS something inherently dangerous about sportbikes.

Cruisers and Sportbikes are BOTH Dangerous - just in slightly-different ways. That "Respect for the Motorcycle" thing goes all the way around, regardless of moto-type.

 

[sarnali2]

That's why you need a Harley and a sporty bike, To keep your skills sharp. The obvious solution is to ride everyday and switch off, ride the sport bike during the week where it's acceleration braking and handling, better tires etc are of value and ride the Harley in the evenings or weekends when you can relax and enjoy the scenery.

Works for me anyway.......

 

[seruzawa]

Yeah.

That's why you need a Harley and a sporty bike, To keep your skills sharp. The obvious solution is to ride everyday and switch off, ride the sport bike during the week where it's acceleration braking and handling, better tires etc are of value and ride the Harley in the evenings or weekends when you can relax and enjoy the scenery.

Works for me anyway.......

Damm straight. And you need a DP bike too for when you see interesting dirt roads. And come to think of it you need a touring bike for those extra long weekends. Oh yeah and you also need a.......

 

[seruzawa]

"CruiZas are safe! Sports Bikerz are dangerous, buy a Harley!" what a bunch of crap

I'm just trying to give you the facts and data.

 

[sarnali2]

No DP bike I'm afraid, the Bandit does OK on logging roads though!

Maybe I can trade it in on a Vstrom...

 

[mscuddy]

...there he goes again....

Yes, I have to agree with my shipmates that you should own ALL TYPES OF MOTORCYCLES. Good ones, bad ones, slow ones, ones with rotten brakes, inherent strange handling issues (hear that Eric?)quick ones and blindingly fast ones.

Then you can sort it all out for youself and see what keeps you sharp.

The perferct motorcycle in my jaundiced noggin would be a street legal ported CR500R Honda with a 17 tooth countershaft sprocket, a 38 tooth rear sprocket, and a 5 gallon gas tank.

That would be the complete opposite of my other perfect motorcycle, a 1953 Salsbury Auto-Scooter.

Then there's the Chang Jiang...and the moto mofoonie, Alstate twingle...GoDevil....etc..etc..

 

[The_AirHawk]

Damm straight. And you need a DP bike too for when you see interesting dirt roads. And come to think of it you need a touring bike for those extra long weekends. Oh yeah and you also need a.......

I'm workin' on it!

Bloody Hell, give a moment to write this all down!

Race Bike (in pieces) - Check and Check (twice!)
Moto-Parts-as-Moto-Art in Living Room/Office - Check
Naked Hoon Bike - Check
Partly-faired, All-Purpose, Commuter/daily Bike - Check
Tiny, Two-Fiddy Ride-it-like-a-racebike-on-the-street Bike - Check
Big-honkin' Old-Man's Touring bike - Check
Cruiser - MIA
D/P with bent to offroad - MIA
Small Dirtbike - MIA

Am I missing anything else?

 

[Kenneth_Moore]

Best quote: '...If you twist the throttle that much on a sport bike, crazy things can happen," he said.'

That was my favorite gem too. It really highlights the author's thinking process.

 

[sarnali2]

Thar I wuz.......

That was my favorite gem too. It really highlights the author's thinking process.

Wit' Jethro on his brand new motorsikkle...he twisted the throttle on that thing an' WHAM that motorsikkle done reared up on it's hind wheel a shakkin' like a cat sh*ttin' razor blades and then off it went a spinnin' the wheel and clawin' at the sky till it finally throwed poor Jethro inta' yonder sticker bushes .......he come outta' there all scratched up a staggerin' an' a cussin' like a shanghi sailor...

Thet motorsikkles CRAZY I tell ya !!!

 

[acecycleins]

This is all a result of a sudy that Progressive did over a 3 yr period. The article (that you linked to) was presented in a manner that make sportbikes sound inheritly more dangerous, but Progessive released the data to certain "special lines" agents to look at and it's clear that the problem is similar when advancing cc size alone.

When changing from Cruiser to Sportbike is an issue but the percentage points between the data made all the categories quite similar when looking at it as a whole. In the end, Progressive determined that those people that went from cruiser to sportbike and attended training (riding schools like Star or Schwantz) they were less likely to crash within the first 120 days of ownership.

 

[pushrod]

You'd think the Insurance folks would pay for us to go to those ridership schools...

AFA cruisers vs. Sport-bikes, I'll say it again: It ain't the speed that gets you, it's the inability to stop (or turn) when you need to.

And apparently, you do not get bonus points when you get airborne (with or without the bike) by making the Goofy yell, "Wah-ha-ha-hoooeee"

 

[ejis]

You'd think the Insurance folks would pay for us to go to those ridership schools...

Most do give a discount for completing an MSF course. Certainly not the be all, end all of rider training, but at least it's something...

 

[acecycleins]

Most do give a discount for completing an MSF course. Certainly not the be all, end all of rider training, but at least it's something...

In Georgia, before Sonny became Governor, a portion of every motorcycle endorsement fee would go into the "partially" state funded MSF program. Now the money goes to the DMVS and the rider's are left cold. It's about $300 for your average MSF course in GA- used to be $75. You may save between 10%-15% on premiums if you take the course- not bad but could be better. What's the trade-off for encouragement to go throught the course when your average rider saves less than $70 on the premiums? If states would tell motorcyclist that the fee for the M class endorsement would be an extra $5 and for that you would pay between $75-$100 for that very course it would seem like a decent rate of return for your time and investment. Right now, in this state at least, it's a hassle and expensive to take the course. It doesn't have to be that way.
If it were accessible and reasonably priced encouragement would simply be easier.

 

[longride]

In Illinois we pay extra license fees for our bikes that pays for free rider instruction. Good idea. Now Gov Rod sees all that cash just sitting there, and wants to take it for state money and screw the riders. Nice guy that Rod.

 

[The_AirHawk]

In Illinois we pay extra license fees for our bikes that pays for free rider instruction. Good idea. Now Gov Rod sees all that cash just sitting there, and wants to take it for state money and screw the riders. Nice guy that Rod.

If only you lived in a BLUE STATE, that wouldn't happen..............

 

[seruzawa]

If only you lived in a BLUE STATE, that wouldn't happen..............

Which modern political party had this as it national policy?

1) Almost complete nationalization of business, with the government, controlling everything.
2) Had massive regulatory agencies policing every aspect of life.
3) Government was allowed to takeover any business in violation of rules and or for the good of the state.
4) Forced profit sharing with employees (set wages, maximum amount business owners or manager could make.
5) Outlawed all profits during wartime on war materials.
6) Abolished all income not earned directly from work. (99% capital gains tax, 90% inheritance tax)
7) Created a extremely progressive tax structure with 99% taxes for the rich.
8) Provided "livelihood for all citizens, this was encompassed by cruises and resorts that although not free
were funded by the government and allowed the poor to have the same vacations as the rich.
9) Insurance funded by the government
10) Price Caps
11) Price Controls
12) Rent controls
13) Laws against speculation for profit.
14) Communal rent free living areas, free housing for the poor
15) Free higher education
16) Strict labor laws in favor of the workers
17) The manta chanted in school of "Common Good/Common interest" before individual interest. "SOCIAL JUSTICE
TO THE POOR AND MIDDLE CLASS."