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Darwinism in action?
New breed of bikers rides into danger zone
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When I was a kid, I rode like an idiot, wheelies, burn-outs, doughnuts on lawns, up stairs, through buildings, etc.
The only reason I survived, was because I was riding a Jawa 90.
Any parent who allows their inexperienced teenager to buy a 150 mph bike, or buys one for them, ought to be charged with gross neglegence.
It would be akin to teaching your kid how to shoot with an M-60, or SAW.
The only reason I survived, was because I was riding a Jawa 90.
Any parent who allows their inexperienced teenager to buy a 150 mph bike, or buys one for them, ought to be charged with gross neglegence.
It would be akin to teaching your kid how to shoot with an M-60, or SAW.
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"We're still riding like idiots," Thompson said. "I know that, but I just get a high from it."
According to the story, Sumler was 39 and Storino was 35. As the quote above illustrates, the story has nothing to do with youth or inexperience, but about idiocy. There will be those, including some within the ranks of motorcyclists, that will maintain sportbikes are to blame and must be restricted. However, there are plenty of idiots splattering themselves on cruisers. It has nothing to do with the type of bike.
According to the story, Sumler was 39 and Storino was 35. As the quote above illustrates, the story has nothing to do with youth or inexperience, but about idiocy. There will be those, including some within the ranks of motorcyclists, that will maintain sportbikes are to blame and must be restricted. However, there are plenty of idiots splattering themselves on cruisers. It has nothing to do with the type of bike.
The Great Motorcycle Prophet does it again
"From 1995 to 2003, national sales of sport bikes grew 139 percent, part of the rapid increase in motorcycle sales overall, Mount said, putting that category of bikes third behind traditionally popular cruisers and touring bikes."
Just as KPaul predicted in 2001.
One possible answer to this problem is to have more track days. Some communities which have had problems with street racing with cars have started track days programs at airstrips etc.
Another is just to enforce and stregthen the laws for speeding. e.g Over 20 mph you get your license suspended and your bike gets locked up. In WA state this plus possible jail time and fines does the trick. I have never seen the behavior described in this article here in Seattle. I am sure it occurs but I have never seen it personally down at the Burger barn.
"From 1995 to 2003, national sales of sport bikes grew 139 percent, part of the rapid increase in motorcycle sales overall, Mount said, putting that category of bikes third behind traditionally popular cruisers and touring bikes."
Just as KPaul predicted in 2001.
One possible answer to this problem is to have more track days. Some communities which have had problems with street racing with cars have started track days programs at airstrips etc.
Another is just to enforce and stregthen the laws for speeding. e.g Over 20 mph you get your license suspended and your bike gets locked up. In WA state this plus possible jail time and fines does the trick. I have never seen the behavior described in this article here in Seattle. I am sure it occurs but I have never seen it personally down at the Burger barn.
Of course the Gray Pony Tailed Brotherhood will say....
"Don't legislate my choice to speed and not wear a helmet away" says longride." I could die going to the Dunken Donuts in my 67 El Camino." longride continues... "You gotta go sometime.... I would rather die on my bike..."
"Don't tell me what is good for me, you big brother do-gooders" says seruzawa. "The government has no business making seat belt laws, helmet laws or speeding laws for bikes, It's my right dammit " rants seruzawa."
"Don't legislate my choice to speed and not wear a helmet away" says longride." I could die going to the Dunken Donuts in my 67 El Camino." longride continues... "You gotta go sometime.... I would rather die on my bike..."
"Don't tell me what is good for me, you big brother do-gooders" says seruzawa. "The government has no business making seat belt laws, helmet laws or speeding laws for bikes, It's my right dammit " rants seruzawa."
Good point. Of the three bike accidents I have seen all three were Baby Boomers on cruisers. I have been getting google alerts for motorcycle accidents. I haven't kept track but the majority of accidents seem so far involve cruisers which makes sense... there are more cruisers than anything else.
Many of my conversations around the office the past two or three weeks have been about the rash of motorcycle deaths on our three main interstates. I also have witnessed more stunts in the past few weeks than I typically see on the roads. I don't know what it is that has caused the increase in all this in the past few weeks. Maybe it's the end of the riding season is approaching and the squid are getting out as much squidliness as they can before it's over. September is the last good month- for the squids anyway. After that they will actually have put on shoes and socks and wear long pants to deal with the cold.
I personally would not be upset if a bike could not be sold with more than 110 bhp, which is plenty for the streets. I say 110 because that seems to be a number where good riders say it has enough to thrill you but they still wouldn't mind a little more (very scientific I know). Riders who are average or worse would still have more power than they know what to do with. I would still want bikes produced like the current sport 1000's but available for the racetrack only, no street legal models. I know there are a million counter arguments to the latter statement but the bottom line is that there is not a sport bike produced today making between 80 and 110 bhp that doesn't exceed the riding skills of 90% of the street motorcycle riding population. And those are scientifically proven and backed numbers...okay, that's a lie and I'm totally speculating but I'm ready for the backlash. At 110 bhp limit riders could concentrate on handling and learning how to ride instead of worrying how the new zzrcbrgsxyzf1000cc has more hp then their bike and how they are going to fix that horrible embarrassment. No more d**k measuring contests at the burger barns and corner gas stations because we can all go buy the same size d**k (for the record though, mine is bigger).
I will also speculate that the riders described in the article probably died in a part of the power band well below the 150 bhp output. What really killed these guys was a lack of skill, stupidity, and recklessness that could easily have been achieved on a bike making 80, 90, or 100 bhp.
I personally would not be upset if a bike could not be sold with more than 110 bhp, which is plenty for the streets. I say 110 because that seems to be a number where good riders say it has enough to thrill you but they still wouldn't mind a little more (very scientific I know). Riders who are average or worse would still have more power than they know what to do with. I would still want bikes produced like the current sport 1000's but available for the racetrack only, no street legal models. I know there are a million counter arguments to the latter statement but the bottom line is that there is not a sport bike produced today making between 80 and 110 bhp that doesn't exceed the riding skills of 90% of the street motorcycle riding population. And those are scientifically proven and backed numbers...okay, that's a lie and I'm totally speculating but I'm ready for the backlash. At 110 bhp limit riders could concentrate on handling and learning how to ride instead of worrying how the new zzrcbrgsxyzf1000cc has more hp then their bike and how they are going to fix that horrible embarrassment. No more d**k measuring contests at the burger barns and corner gas stations because we can all go buy the same size d**k (for the record though, mine is bigger).
I will also speculate that the riders described in the article probably died in a part of the power band well below the 150 bhp output. What really killed these guys was a lack of skill, stupidity, and recklessness that could easily have been achieved on a bike making 80, 90, or 100 bhp.
Sensational stories sell newspapers, but there isn't any inherent value.
This article isn't about the vast majority of motorcyclists and there's no basis for taking it seriously in that regard. I especially loved the non sequitur about full-faced helmets. Safety and fast riding go hand-in-hand. This article deals with another subject altogether -- alleged speed feaks who happen to use bikes to satisfy their urges. The nitwits who write this junk wll just as happily report on urban drag racing deaths, gang shootings, airline crashes, and teenage prenancy. There's no percentage in reporting on the humdrum activities that keep the wheels of civilization from falling off. Reacting to it is specious emotionalism.
This article isn't about the vast majority of motorcyclists and there's no basis for taking it seriously in that regard. I especially loved the non sequitur about full-faced helmets. Safety and fast riding go hand-in-hand. This article deals with another subject altogether -- alleged speed feaks who happen to use bikes to satisfy their urges. The nitwits who write this junk wll just as happily report on urban drag racing deaths, gang shootings, airline crashes, and teenage prenancy. There's no percentage in reporting on the humdrum activities that keep the wheels of civilization from falling off. Reacting to it is specious emotionalism.
You know I wrote a post asking Yamaha for a powerful "naked bike " . After reading this article - and many more like it - they can forget about . It would just be more ammo
for " Idiots " . A 750 Triumph triple sounds much better ! Not to many " Idiots" will want one of those . (Not the latest greatest 9 sec. 1/4 mile racing bike ) . When they finally do make those reports on motorcycle accidents & motorcycle deaths . You can just about be sure insurance rates will skyrocket .
for " Idiots " . A 750 Triumph triple sounds much better ! Not to many " Idiots" will want one of those . (Not the latest greatest 9 sec. 1/4 mile racing bike ) . When they finally do make those reports on motorcycle accidents & motorcycle deaths . You can just about be sure insurance rates will skyrocket .
"I will also speculate that the riders described in the article probably died in a part of the power band well below the 150 bhp output. What really killed these guys was a lack of skill, stupidity, and recklessness that could easily have been achieved on a bike making 80, 90, or 100 bhp."
You're probably right on that, and that's also why squids will still crash with a 110bhp limit. Don't forget that, and let people who drives with their brain have 160bhp liter bike! Just my .02$ !
You're probably right on that, and that's also why squids will still crash with a 110bhp limit. Don't forget that, and let people who drives with their brain have 160bhp liter bike! Just my .02$ !
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How about solar powered bikes with no more than 35 h.p.? That should stop the problem... Oh wait, the semi- truck doing 90 in a 70 would run over us. Come on! If it bleeds, it leads. If you do mindless stunts on public roads, you put yourself on the endangered species list.
Re: Stupidity in Minnesota, too.
In related news there is a newspaper article from Minnesota about a unlicensed 20-year-old kid (who is the son of a police officer) that took an RC51 for a ride and was clocked by a state patrol plane at 205 mph. The alleged speed is dubious (205 on an RC51?) but the media here in MN are having a field day with this one.
It seems there is a growing emphasis on sensationalizing how fast and dangerous motorcycles can be in the wrong hands. And there seem to be plenty of stupid, arrogant, self-centered riders out there more than willing to provide the fodder the media need to start convincing everyone else we are a threat.
In the 80s there was a strong push at one point to ban large-displacement sportbikes that got squashed only thru statistics showing most accidents happend on smaller machines. But in an era of CBR600RRs, ZX6Rs and Ducati 749s along with Hayabusas, ZX12Rs, CBR900RRs and GSX-R1000 hypermachines, I really worry that big brother is going to get involoved with this again.
In related news there is a newspaper article from Minnesota about a unlicensed 20-year-old kid (who is the son of a police officer) that took an RC51 for a ride and was clocked by a state patrol plane at 205 mph. The alleged speed is dubious (205 on an RC51?) but the media here in MN are having a field day with this one.
It seems there is a growing emphasis on sensationalizing how fast and dangerous motorcycles can be in the wrong hands. And there seem to be plenty of stupid, arrogant, self-centered riders out there more than willing to provide the fodder the media need to start convincing everyone else we are a threat.
In the 80s there was a strong push at one point to ban large-displacement sportbikes that got squashed only thru statistics showing most accidents happend on smaller machines. But in an era of CBR600RRs, ZX6Rs and Ducati 749s along with Hayabusas, ZX12Rs, CBR900RRs and GSX-R1000 hypermachines, I really worry that big brother is going to get involoved with this again.
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"Industry observers say there has not been a comprehensive study on motorcycle accidents in almost two decades, making it difficult to determine what is fueling the national increase in fatalities.
But some experts point to the combination of faster bikes, younger riders and growing popularity."
How about old guys with no experience in shorts, openfaced helmets, and beige Rockport shoes riding 1300+cc cruisers? I guess those experts weren't polled.
But some experts point to the combination of faster bikes, younger riders and growing popularity."
How about old guys with no experience in shorts, openfaced helmets, and beige Rockport shoes riding 1300+cc cruisers? I guess those experts weren't polled.
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Can you say... sensationalism?
I knew ya could.
I knew ya could.
Of course it is. I say let anyone over the age of consent have the highest horse power motorcycle that they desire. With all of the advancements in medicine, our overly litigious society necessitating warning lables on every product we buy, and the ever growing nanny state legislating away most any pleasurable activity, how else will our species cleanse itself of the mentally deficient? VWW
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