[Yeah_right]

Re: Motorcycle accidents, fatalities on the rise in WA: Blame on SUVs, HOGs, Older R

>They say riders drive while drunk, and indeed alcohol was involved in 109 of the 365 accidents<

It's amazing how riding while drunk, will make those older Harley riders become statistics, when a-hole SUV drivers are slightly distracted while staring at their GPS screens, talking on the phone, changing diapers, eating breakfast and reading the newspaper. At least one of two people has to be straight, paying attention and skilled enough to take the actions needed to avoid occupying the same piece of real estate at the same time. Since motorcycles are going to lose 10 out of 10 accidents, that falls squarely on our shoulders. The right of way and who's at fault don't mean sh*t when you're dead.

 

[kaber0111]

Drive like your invisible, NO MATTER WHAT you see and never trust anyone on the road.

and 'learn' to drive agressivly, tis the safest way.

you can't be defensive when everyone around you is a tank.

cheers.



a.) never let them see you bleed.

b.) always have an escape plan.

 

[kaber0111]

Re: Motorcycle accidents, fatalities on the rise in WA: Blame on SUVs, HOGs, Older R

Amen.

get flicked off by whoever behind you, and get cussed off, etc..

but your the one that is alive.

I hate motorcycler's that get pissed of cause agressive drivers give them "bad names".

a.) be safe

b.) drive like your invisible.

"we had the right of way"

lol

 

[2001]

I figure I need to stay with in my boundries while out and about, not saying I don't drink at all when I go for a putt, friday nights, 2 beers, per hour, no more than 24 hours, ya get the meaning. I would rather be seen than viewed, I had a close one the other day, Glad I was clear and covering my brakes, I figure everyone is pointing at me, someone will pull the trigger now and then..

Glad to be riding in Oregon....

Let it rain, Let it rain



Don B

Corvallis

r1150rt

xr650r

 

[Joe_Momma]

I hate to do it because I shouldn't have to, but I ride with my throttle hand index and middle finger on the brakes at all times. Sometimes you have to drive like everyone is out to get you.





Story:



I met this beautiful woman a few years back. It was my buddies sister that just came into town from Kentucky. She saw my R6 and wanted me to take her for a ride because she had never been on a bike. She asked was it safe and I told her how "safe and defensive" I drive, so she agreed to overcome her fear and take a ride with me. AS SOON AS WE PULLED OUT OF THE SUB DIVISION and had just about passed the next neighborhood, a lady in a Lincoln town car had pulled out right in front of me. Luckily, as always, I was ready with my hand riding the front brake and did a 40-0mph in what seemed like 1 second. She ended up smacking her helmet into mine so violently she nearly fell of the bike and had a light headache. Needless to say she never wanted to ride again. Had to take her out in the Civic but I am glad to have survived.



I have seen riders I was riding with, in front of my own eyes, T-bone cars that "didn't see them". It's sad that cage drivers don't pay more attention.



When I drive my car, I give motorcycle riders more space than they deserve. I see them.

 

[5227]

I'm an MSF instructor in WA, and I always tell my students two rules:



1) Ride like everyone else is out to get you, because THEY ARE!!!



2) You can be right, or you can be "dead" right.



I see more and more distracted drivers *not* see other *cars*. Is it any wonder that drivers are *not* seeing bikes?

 

[TheBob]

I haven't been riding for very long (~2 months), and as such I really don't have enough experience to shame others, but I thought I'd point out one thing that I've noticed...



Drivers that hit motorcyclists always say they didn't see the biker. I doubt that's totally true. I almost saw I guy bite the big one the other day, and even though the guy in the SUV *SHOULD* have seen him coming, the motorcyclist wasn't stacking the deck in his favor:



Motorcycles are harder to see, but even with a modulator (or geeky orange vest, neon sign, whatever) the one thing you have to remember is that it is extremly difficult for the average car driver to estimate your approach speed. It has to do with the fact that they only have your single (or closely spaced double) headlight to judge your distance. If you compound that difficulty with the fact that you ARE NOT riding at the speed limit, it's no wonder that some distracted fool in a cage will turn right in front of you.



Back to the dude I almost watch die...

We were both at a red light, each having split lanes of a 3-lane street. The light turned green and the other guy SMOKED me off the line. He didn't let off either. Just kept going, maybe hit 60+mph on a 30mph road... Some guy in an SUV was trying to turn left into a parking lot to our right. He thought he had the space and time, and made his turn. El Squiddo hit the brakes so hard I could see the bike dive and the back wheel slide.



So yeah, buddy SUV driver shouldn't have gone, but think about it: If he saw the bike, and figured he had plenty of distance before the bike reached him, why not try and turn before the traffic arrived? You can't expect someone who's never ridden a bike to really understand how fast they can accelerate and get up to speed.



Just food for thought,



~TheBob

 

[jmeyn]

Thanks, KPaul! You're my man!

 

[33992]

Unfortunately many American drivers view driving as a completely passive activity. Their fashion accessory cage is a rolling phone booth complete with dual make-up mirrors, DVD video screens, and enough cup holders for a soccer team. Worse yet, they are preoccupied with their very important lives, late for an appointment or to pick up the kids. Do you really think they are going to SEE a motorcyclist? Be seen brother, loud pipes save lives. Don't forget the protective clothing including boots and gloves.

 

[tgo63]

many riders die because of their poor skills and lack of imagination. Two week ago in my south texas town the 23 year old run the red light, hit the grand am that rotated 180 degree upon the impact. The rider died instantly. The driver and the passanger of the car, little girl, were in critical condition. There are more and more motorcycle clubs in my area, who ride on city street in big groups way to fast, often unorganized, attracting attention of local PD. I went to ride once with one of these 'extreme sport bikes' group and it was first and the last time. We all blame the drivers of the cars but sometime we have to look at the mirror...

 

[4940]

No wonder that 40 + year olds are leadind the way in fatalities as they are most likely the fastest growning group in motorcycling. I'm going to go out on a limb here and bet that the majority of those over 40 fatalities are riders of Harleys or Harley clones, and that they have less than five years of riding experience. I've seen plenty of their ilk here in California. BTW I'm 52 and have been riding for 37 years and have owned a couple of Harleys during that time. VWW

 

[10231]

BABs and Unscrupulous Dealers

Over the summer, I was outside of work, gearing up for the ride home. I turned around to the street, and there was a guy standing in the 'Hey, nice bike' posture. We started chatting - he was fiftyish, I'm twentyish - and he was talking about getting back into motorcycling. He rode in the dirt 35 years ago, and he thought he'd like to get something that he and the wife could take on vacation.

Nice, I thought. A little disposable income, take a nice ling trip everynowandthen, good for you. Another biker in the ranks is never a bad thing.

I asked him what his biking style was, even though I knew the answer - in a small town in Missouri, 'motorcycle' has, unfortunately, only one meaning. But, this guy turned out to have no brand loyalty, he just wanted a cruiser.

He'd been doing the entirety of his prepurchase research at the dealerships, too. They asked what he planned on using the bike for, and when the reply came that he'd be doing some two-up touring, the helpful dealerman told this brand new rider, 'well, you'll need at least a 1200 for that.'

I appreciate that the salesman probably has mouths to feed and kids to clothe and all that, and a bigger bike means a bigger comission. Fine. But, how could this sleazeball sleep at night knowing he put a new rider on a 1200 (at least) with zero street experience? This is probably not an uncommon occurance, either.

I was so dumbfounded by this turn in the conversation that I didn't get a chance to tell this guy 'Screw the dealer. Of course he's going to try to put you on the biggest bike he can. Take the MSF. Buy a smaller bike. Wear gear,' or any of that.

Fortunately, I'm back in Chicago now, so I don't have to read of this poor guy's untimely demise in the local papers.

 

[wfowade]

Never Ever Drink and Ride

I saw the comment earlier from one poster who commented that he might have a beer or two "at most" and putt around. That is DEADLY.

Motorcycles and alcohol just don't go together at all. It is tough enough for bikers with the four wheel plus crowd out there and the other hazards that make up the streets of any community. Alcohol is a dangerous ingredient if added into the equation.

Alcohol clouds your judgement and really, really slows down your reaction time. I just attended the funeral of one of my colleagues that did have a little bit to drink and was killed after he bounced off a utility pole and into a sign post. 37 years old, an only child he was on his second bike (a 2002 Harley Fat Boy). A slight bump going through a turn bounced Rob Greisham off his line and into a curb. He left behind his parents who were devestated by his death and a big hole in a small company that really benefited from his contributions. It simply should not have happened.

The FAA requires that pilots go eight hours bottle to throttle. Ask yourself, would you be willing to fly with Southwest, American, Delta et al if the flight crew were limited to two beers before take off? Would you fly yourself after having something to drink? Eight hours is not enough as most aviators will concede. Just don't drink and drive nor ride! It will kill you.

 

[10231]

I second this post. Mostly. Don't know about that loud pipes thing...



Anyway, I see the growing trend of cell phones, nav systems, DVD, etc, etc as a real problem. The real question is, where does it stop?



We have cell phone legislation in some states, does anyone else think that perhaps there need to be indutry-wide standards for driver distraction?

 

[20874]

Work them stats!!

Larger-engine motorcycles are more common. "People used to buy motorcycles with 350cc (cubic centimeters) or less," Wendell said. "But this is America and everybody now wants a big motorcycle with up to 1500cc." Weighing as much as 700 pounds, these motorcycles are capable of going 150 miles an hour but can be tough for the inexperienced to turn or stop safely. They're not starter bikes, and yet many newcomers are buying them — particularly older riders, because they're the ones who can afford them. In Washington state, the majority of 30- to 50-year-olds killed on motorcycles died when riding 750cc or more.

What weighs 700 pounds and goes 150 mph? Most bikes weighing that much are not geared anywhere close to that.

Tough for the inexperience rider to turn or brake? Doesn't sound like anything of modern manufacture.

 

[desertbilly]

We all know the risks

We know many drivers won't see us, what will happen to us if we slide in gravel or on asphalt, what will happen if a car turns in front of us, we blow a tire, lose a bearing, hit a fixed object, or any of a hundred other things going wrong.

We all make our own decisions on whether to wear a lid, a jacket, pants, gloves, boots, whether to have a beer, or two, or three, whether to push it going through a blind corner, watch for deer at dusk, or try to keep up with a faster buddy.

Around here, I never see hot squids, but I see hundreds of cruisers with riders in tee-shirts (guess what color?), shorts, sandals, and, of course, designer sunglasses. It's their life, I wish them luck.

Jett, Arizona

 

[10231]

Re: Never Ever Drink and Ride

Maybe I'm just reiterating the previous post in a more inelegant manner. Maybe I'm just blowing off steam. Maybe this just needs to be said.

You drink and ride, you crash, you die: you get what you deserve. Period.

 

[red916]

What's a Honda GS750 look like any way?

 

[39220]

Re: Motorcycle accidents, fatalities on the rise in WA: Blame on SUVs, HOGs, Older R

I'm hearing some good stuff here about being safe and recognizing why the riders in these stories are dead. I imagine that is why we are here to write about it and not be written about.

I rode a motorcycle in college for two years and was involved in three spills. In each instance I was "legally" in the right. However, two times it was my speed and inexperience that contributed to the accident as well. Had I been doing what many of you have stated here I seriously doubt two of the accidents would have occured and possibly the third. Young and dumb.

Some rules to ride by?

1. Ride defensively. Think of the worse that could happen in a situation and plan on it happening.

2. Take an MSF course and other training courses. They are fun and educational.

3. Ride within your limits and ride a bike within your limits.

4. Wear good quality gear- ALWAYS. What you choose to wear now is what you will slide across tha asphalt in later.

5. Don't drink- period.

6. Use your bike to pick-up chicks. If you follow rules 1 - 5 you can get them back to your place safe and in good shape for the only other thing as fun as riding.

 

[Hair_Helmet]

Sorry to say I have driven while intoxicated to the legal limit on a motorcycle... The one per hour thing might be safe for a 4 wheeled machine.... But on a motorcycle it scared the hell out of me.