Taking risks...

[Camaro Dom]

Re: Taking risks...

obviously motorcycles are more dangerous.. but here's a nice little statistic:
Motorcycles are 0.3 percent of all vehicle miles traveled (VMT) but account for over 8 percent of total fatalities on the road.

the thing is look at the other statistics in that site you posted:

"Forty percent of fatally injured operators tested positive for alcohol, and 32 percent had a BAC of 0.08 or higher.

Twenty-five percent of operators involved in fatal crashes had an invalid license.

In 2003, fifty two percent of fatally injured motorcycle riders were unhelmeted. In 2002, helmets saved an estimated 1,005 lives. At 100 percent use, an additional 579 lives could have been saved in 2002 alone.

Almost half (about 46 percent) of fatal motorcycle crashes are single vehicle.

More fatalities occur on rural than urban roads, reversing a trend that existed from 1990 through 1997.

Mean engine size involved in a fatal crash has steadily increased from 820 cc in 1993 to 999 cc in 2002. "

All that is just SCREAMING to me that the majority of motorcycle accidents has much more to do with being a jacka$$ and treating it like a game than the inherant danger in a riding a bike. Half of all fatally injured people didnt wear helmets. Half are single vehicle. 40% test positive for alcohol. Bikes are fast and fun and people are irresponsible with them. Dont be that way and you are drastically cutting your chances of being a statistic.

[DAS BOOT]

Re: Taking risks...

I don't like bikes either... I have screwed around and just pushed my car a teeny little too far and spun out and ended up on a sidwalk before. That doesn't happen with a bike, you fall and then you are picking pebbles out of your flesh for years.

Friend of my family's father died on a motorcycle(left a wife and 3 children)

Friend got rearended at a stoplight on a motorcycle, was in the hospital for a week

Friend hit a pothole while doing a wheelie, picking pebble out of his leg for awhile

Friend from highschool got run off the road, wiped out and whacked his head on a tree trunk and split his helmet

i have seen 3 motorcycle accidents and 2 of them the rider was dead.

[StrtRacer98]

Re: Taking risks...

Bikes are fast and fun and people are irresponsible with them. .

Some people act like a$$holes on motorcycles.

Beleive it or not, but motorcycles were not made to:

*stand / and or sit on the tank
*ride on one wheel
*put your legs over the handlebars
*use the front brake to endo
*etc, etc...

Stunters are idiots, they are a huge problem, all im out to do it ride, and have a blast, on two wheels. ( occasionaly 1 but not on purpose )

-
A few years back i was driving home from work pretty late at night, and a kid on a bike flew past me riding a 12 o clock wheelie passing me, im doing 75-80 mph

Thats risking ur life

Good thread so far , thanks for all your inputs so far

[camaroman1181]

Re: Taking risks...

1. just be sure to always wear a helmet!!! DOT approved are legal, but if you can, a Snell approved helmet protects better...

2. Take as many safety courses as you can... they teach you a lot of little tricks to avoid accidents and ride more responsibly.

"there are two kinds of bike riders.... those that have been in an accident and those that will be in an accident"

I ride.. i realize that its more of a risk than a car. but thats part of the fun. If she's a big part of your life, then her opinion matters.. so just dont blow her off but rather, respect her opinions and her thoughts...

[V6Bob]

Re: Taking risks...

& when i ride, i always wear a helmet, sometimes a jacket.

I can see why she might be concerned. Here's my idea of good riding gear:

Serious leather or synthetic jacket, not fashion weight leather. Good full face helmet (will cost >$200, Arai and Shoei are good, don't mail order, proper fit is very important). Riding pants like the jacket, jeans evaporate instantly in a fall. Gloves and over the ankle boots.

I know, it's a lot of stuff. Practice saying to yourself "All the gear, all the time." Practice saying to others "I'd rather sweat than bleed."

[Skapimp]

Re: Taking risks...

the thing is look at the other statistics in that site you posted:

"Forty percent of fatally injured operators tested positive for alcohol, and 32 percent had a BAC of 0.08 or higher.

Twenty-five percent of operators involved in fatal crashes had an invalid license.

In 2003, fifty two percent of fatally injured motorcycle riders were unhelmeted. In 2002, helmets saved an estimated 1,005 lives. At 100 percent use, an additional 579 lives could have been saved in 2002 alone.

Almost half (about 46 percent) of fatal motorcycle crashes are single vehicle.

More fatalities occur on rural than urban roads, reversing a trend that existed from 1990 through 1997.

Mean engine size involved in a fatal crash has steadily increased from 820 cc in 1993 to 999 cc in 2002. "

All that is just SCREAMING to me that the majority of motorcycle accidents has much more to do with being a jacka$$ and treating it like a game than the inherant danger in a riding a bike. Half of all fatally injured people didnt wear helmets. Half are single vehicle. 40% test positive for alcohol. Bikes are fast and fun and people are irresponsible with them. Dont be that way and you are drastically cutting your chances of being a statistic.

Unless you live in Miami or another big city where no one gives a sh!t about you, and it really doesn't matter how well you ride.

[JusFlyinBy]

Re: Taking risks...

Good find Camaro Dom. Seem's obvious to me too that your chances of getting hurt are greatley reduced if you actually respect the bike and ride responsibly. You control the amount of risk you want to take to a point.

[SilverRS96]

Re: Taking risks...

it really doesnt matter how well u can ride out there anymore...people r *******s...i had to jack up on my brakes on the highway cuz a 18 wheeler cut into my lane...i was only doin about 70 so u cant say that i flue out of nowhere...i even up learnin how to do my stoppies that way haha

[DAS BOOT]

Re: Taking risks...

Its true... half the stories I listed, were not people screwing around, they were people hit by other guys that didn't see them.

so even if you are perfect, a little "fenderbender" can end up horrible.

[JusFlyinBy]

Re: Taking risks...

Its true... half the stories I listed, were not people screwing around, they were people hit by other guys that didn't see them.

so even if you are perfect, a little "fenderbender" can end up horrible.

Right, but don't tell me an experienced / alert rider doesn't have a better chance of avoiding the situation all together. There's no room for day dreaming on a bike.

[stevethepirate]

Re: Taking risks...

yeah, when i got in my accident it was because some jackass swerved across lanes and hit us, and didnt stop.
i was wearing a full face helmet, and when i stood up, there was asphalt embedded in the visor....

i would NEVER ride without one of them now.