[crg]

I thought it was a pretty well done article. The theme certainly seems to be a call for a deeper look into the safety of this sport. I don't know how it could be regulated, though. As you quoted, it seems to be a matter of how you choose to ride vs. unsafe equipment. Besides accidents caused in sanctioned events, there is a lot of peer-pressure on the weekend rider to keep up in speed and jumps.



On an side note: How does the salary of pro MX and SX racers stack up to road racing (SS, SB and GP)?

 

[ArtOfTheMotorcycle]

Look Both Ways

While statements like "Off road motorcycling has never been more popular. Or more dangerous." are stupid (the author makes no distinction between SX or free-style riding and trail riding) and inaccurate (he apparently wasn't around in the 1970s), there is room for some criticism on our side of the equation too. Do we really need triple jumps to make MX interesting?

Promoters like SFX don't care about motorcycling, they just want a lot of people through the gate. If rigging races or requiring at least one inverted move during a race would sell more tickets, they'd do it.

 

[CyberJonesy]

Dirt biking is a way of life

I think it's sad when you read about those peoples who ruined their lives doing what they loved, but hey, you can't do anything about it. If you want to jump hills nobody's gunna make you feel it's stupid ,because in general they don't care. For a dirt biker you've got only one life to live and it's either up high the sky or back down to earth decaying in a wheelchair...

My sympathies to the deceased.

 

[stevegrab]

Was that supposed to be an answer Anonymous Squid? They guy was asking about dirt vs. road racing for motorcycles.



I don't know the figures, and I'm not sure they're readily available. Somehow I have the feeling that the top MX & SX riders in America make more than the top road racers in America. I'm guessing that based on the popularity and amount of money involved in MX/SX vs. road racing.

 

[bimota]

These guys are young...

I wholeheartedly support people's right to chose what they want to do. God knows we don't need more government anything. I have the most libertairian view imaginable. That being said, a lot of these people are teenagers. I know my judgement about what I wanted to do and the consequences of it was terrible at 16. Parents have to look out for decisions that could affect their children years down the road. Even if they accept the consequences themselves. For example: I think tatoos are great, but I wouldn't let my kid get one untill they're mature enough to realize how permanent they are. That guy in the wheelchair is happy with his injury... now. Ask him in ten years.

Me, I'll be running a tatoo removal business...

 

[3522]

Isn't Michael Schumacher a Formula-1 driver? How does that relate to anything motorcycle related? Apples and Oranges, dude. Sheesh.



FWIW, I don't think you can look at just the top stars of the sport to see where the salaries line up against each other. However, I would guess that comparitively, MX pays overall better, what with the Supercross, Arenacross, and other televised events.



v2-90

 

[fwalters]

Wow! Who would have thought motorcycles could be dangerous!

Really now, think about it.......take the bikes from the kids and let them wander the streets and try crack........or maybe let them set in front of a TV and weight 300 lbs?

Some good folks would probobly like the goverment to step in and save these fine young men, because we need to keep them healthy so that they can be slaughtered in a war somewhere in a third world country.........

Tell those reporters to be careful with those sharp pencils, or we will have to be writing about them next.

 

[lesb]

We need no more govenment in our lives. Look what they have done already. The world is a mess because our government thinks that people can not think for themselves. People need to be responsible for themselves. I do not need someone to hold my hand through my life. I just get p%&&#d off starting on this subject. I am responsible for my own actions. I have lost friends to motorcycle racing and I know the risk involved.I am willing to accept them.

 

[FLSTF]

The article was well written and didn't lean to far to the left as most jounarlism does. I have the same concerns that they are highlighting. I have been riding motorcycles of one type or another since I was six years old. I'm 40 now, my right shoulder hurts a lot of times and I walk with a slight limp all of the time. I have days when my hips ache,and so on. But I sustained all of "those" injuries in the 60's and 70's when dirt bikes were vastly more dangerous than they are today. They may have been lighter, but that was because they weren't made of anything really. I have a 98 KX250 that I ride today and it is a weapon!! I also know that it vastly improves my riding skills for those long afternoons on my Harley. The bottom line here is that the bikes today are safer, the riders are no more irresponsible than we were but there is just more of them! I have a 5 year old son who is "my life" and I am wrestling with all of these fears. I do not want my son hurt, but he wants to ride like his dad. I will eventually cave and get him a bike, but I will also strive to show him where the dangers are and why he should always ride with all of the saftey gear. I believe that is my job as a parent and I damned sure do not want the government raising my child! I can't help but wonder though, if this what my dad meant when he used to tell me that it would all come back to haunt "me"......

 

[dirtybmxr]

The person who surprised me with the most common sense, thankfully, was the one representing those I trust the least (the govt).



Ms. Francis, from the CPSC said, "The issue is behavior, not product design, Francis said.



Let's leave it at that. Why should the promoters rethink what they are doing? Should they flatten all the jumps? Dirttrack is pretty damn dangerous too. What's more, I would bet that most of the injuries are not happening at sanctioned events, but while freeriding or practicing. What are we to do about that? Close down the riding spots and bulldoze all the jumps? That is BS. I like to jump and it's none of anyone's business that I do. I take my time learning and don't ride over my head, but you still just never know. I also like to road race and having witnessed three fatalities at DIS, I know that I am taking a calculated risk.



I actually think the article was fairly well balanced, but I take exception at people like the doctor who said, The chance "of a debilitating injury is so high, the consequences so dramatic that it's just not worth it." And then shot down his own argument with, "No one has tracked the number of spinal injuries in off-road motorcycling." While the consequences are dramatic, it doesn't sound like he knows what the chances are. And how high a chance is too high, anyway?



Nobody WANTS to be injured, but it can happen. The only way to stop motorcycle injuries is to get rid of motorcycles and that is a trade-off that I think is "just not worth it."

 

[drwarr]

I agree with the article. Here in Great Falls, there are a couple young guys in wheelchairs after crashes at the local supercross track. Too dangerous - why tempt fate?



As far as the rest of the public is concerned (like noise and helmet laws), motorcyclists are not going to win the public debate when they flaunt danger and sacrifice their health.



Tom Warr

 

[zamboni]

Re: Racer X on LA Times Article on Moto Injuries

I came across this article that shows another angle on the article:

http://www.racerxill.com/racerhead.cfm

Personally, I think the LA Times article was fair. I continue to ride bikes (dirt and street) despite injuries and the risk of more injuries.

God bless America.

 

[oldjapbikes]

Government role in danger?

Those who have been injured in dirt-bike racing were aware of the risks (it doesn't take an Einstein to recognize the danger) but these people were also actively engaged in the pursuit of happiness. Some win, some lose. Is it the government's responsibility to make sure they are able to continue to pursue happiness for their whole lives, so therefore should ban 'dangerous' activities like dirtbiking?

The government's role should NOT be to prevent pain and suffering brought about by an individual's decision to engage in dangerous behavior. I fully believe that the government should be an advocate for safety where safety is appropriate, needed, and/or feasible, but freedom of choice should be left up to the individual. People who choose not to wear seatbelts or (in the case of motorcyclists) helmet? Let them accept the consequences of their actions, be it good or bad. There needs to be more individual responsibility.

The choices are clear; let each individual deal with the consequences of his/her actions.

 

[streetlegal]

What about the people who attend m/c events to see crashes? What about the people who promote events as daredevil exhibitions of death-defying acts?



I race motorcycles myself and I am fully aware of the risk and danger. I don't think motorcycling is about the risk. As far as I'm concerned, the more security I can have, the better -- but I'm not willing to quit.



I certainly wouldn't want anyone to tell me that it must stop. I also don't like the way that the danger, risk, and the gruesome results of mistakes are shamelessly promoted and sought after by fans.



I'm writing about the people who sit next to the triple jumps in SX to watch the wipe-outs. I'm writing about the promoters of the recent Sears Point AMA race who's plug was something like "come see guys go 150mph with nothing between them and the road but a helmet and leather."



That sh!t has to stop.