Why ride street bikes?

[MossRoad]

My brother was a fireman in Albuquerque, and he was on the rescue team. His stories about cycle wrecks were very graphic, and not pretty...and often the fault of the rider...like the guy who was going too fast, tried to pass a car and clipped the rear bumper. To each his own; if you like the bikes, go for it. I'll try to look out for you best I can, but I would not allow my girls to get on a bike and they passed that philosophy down to their own kids. A Harley 165 with a rider on the back is not match for a Freightliner...as two of my co-workers found out.

Unfortunately a teenager does not have the physical and cognitive skills of a 40 year old.

Go read that article I posted a link to... 40 and up were the majority of motorcycle fatalities. I wouldn't have thought that at all, but I learn things every day.

 

[jaydee325]

It's the demographics. I started riding when I was 12 (I'm now 61). I'm still riding.

I've 3 kids ranging in age from 26 to 34. I know of none of their friends who are riders. My son had a motorcycle for a while, but riding lost out to other interests.

The motorcycle manufactures are concerned about this in a huge way. They are desperately trying to figure out a way to bring these younger generations into the sport. I can't see where any of them are significantly successful up to this point.

Less riders = less accidents/fatalities.

There were some comments about the age of those dying probably being young guys on crotch rockets. So I got to thinking, what's the average age of those dying on motorcycles.

Only thing I've found so far is this article. Some very interesting statistics. Give it a read. There's a lot of other stuff in there, too, that's of interest.

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812148

From the article:

"The 40-and-older age group made up 46 percent of motorcyclist killed in 2004 as compared to 55 percent of the motorcyclist killed in 2013. Over the 10-year period from 2004?013, fatalities among the 40-and-older age group increased by 39 percent (from 1,854 to 2,580). In 2004, the average age of motorcycle riders killed in motor vehicle traffic crashes was 38, whereas in 2013 the average age was 42."

That means the older guys, 40 and up, make up 55 percent of the fatalities as of 2013.

Go figure.

Looking for updated data.

 

[MossRoad]

More interesting statistics....

12 Motorcycle Statistics That'll Floor You -- The Motley Fool

 

[3930dave]

Unfortunately a teenager does not have the physical and cognitive skills of a 40 year old.

And...many 40 y/o's don't have the physical strength/reaction times of a teenager... I'll get back to Moss's link shortly....

None of us will rationalize each other on or off a bike (I defer to The Big Chill.... Rationalization is more important than Sex.....)

I've come across 18 y/o folk who make plenty of wise life-choices, and I've also seen plenty of 40 y/o's+ making risky choices continually...

I'm actually not surprised at the study Moss just posted.....many weekend accidents around here are with 40+ y/o riders. While you can get into an accident at any stage of a riding career, I think some of the biggest risk is with riders who used to ride a long time ago, get the bug again decades later, and now have the cash to buy something big and fast.

They forget....... they don't have the physical strength, endurance, and reaction times they did back then..... they forget..... bikes have always been quick, but today they are all pretty much rockets.

Great Power = Great Responsibility, at least in my book. Imagine turning all car drivers loose, in Hellcats with the traction control turned off..... not far off what modern bikes can do. If someone doesn't understand and respect that in today's street bikes, they have no business being on one.

Not much is a match for a Freighliner. Various people have injured or killed near here in vehicles that ended up where they shouldn't have been, in a crossroad intersection.

One recent horrific example up here

Humboldt Broncos bus crash - Wikipedia

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Man, there's all kinds of good stats in that article.

bike sizes
blood alcohol content
helmet useage...
"Helmets are estimated to be 37-percent effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle riders and 41 percent for motorcycle passengers. In other words, for every 100 motorcycle riders killed in crashes while not wearing helmets, 37 of them could have been saved had all 100 worn helmets."

Remember the Bell ad on the back of motorcycle magazines in the 70's ?

"Wear a $10 helmet if you have a $10 head".

Risk mitigation.... choose wisely.... you can often get away with ignoring many aspects of driving a cage... all factors matter on 2 wheels.

Rgds, D.

 

[goeduck]

What about all these Vespa (and less) scooters, motorized bicycles, motorized whatever that decide to get in traffic and can not keep up. I do not see them getting cited but they are a candidate to win a Darwin Award.

 

[the old grind]

As for the age(s) of crashing riders ... there's a 24 year age span of folks under 40, so we riders older than 64 could weight the "over" group somewhat, depending on how one looks at it. I'm all of four years out of my hypothetic group and adding to that bunch.

There are a lot of careless young drivers who can't afford as big or as fast a bike as those of us who have worked and saved up. That said, I'm sure there as many overconfident seniors (carelss as often, I'm sure) who think we have the skills and strength we used to, and perhaps overplay experience we gained when drivers only had the road to pay attention to, not 'boomthumper' radios (my term) and cel phone social media.

I've owned and ridden for over 50 years, so have driven defensively for a long time. Whether driving or riding, I often see someone coming the opposite way veer over the centerline. Far more often than not, they are looking down as they pass me, my presence taking little precedence over their gadget.

Reasons I no longer ride at night include that so many kids go for those blue light covers and drive with their 'brights' on. Also, there are many who don't give a rip if oncoming traffic can see as long as they can with their brights on as well. Lastly, it seems like one of ten cars or trucks have a wildly mis-aimed headlight. If I were a LEO I'd be famous for ticketing them.

I live on a two lane road that is a 1 1/2 mi shortcut for many who don't live on it. You know the type, shaking fists and dirty looks that you didn't turn into your driveway at whatever speed they're all but pushing you from right behind your bumper.

It seems that nine of ten riders don't wear helmets, tho' the ones I notice wearing them are old guys on H-D's with quiet, OEM exhaust .. like myself. I'd just as soon preserve my hearing and not mop the atmosphere with what hair the barber leaves me with. Risk assessment indeed. Some of us consider that every time we 'saddle up'. Good ridin', guys. t o g

 

[Jstpssng]

What about all these Vespa (and less) scooters, motorized bicycles, motorized whatever that decide to get in traffic and can not keep up. I do not see them getting cited but they are a candidate to win a Darwin Award.

I just read an article about how many people are getting hurt on those little scooters. Scooter use is rising in major cities. So are trips to the emergency room. - The Washington Post

I had read reports about older people similar to what MossRoad posted; as others have suggested we just don't have the reflexes that we used to, and a lot of those older riders had never been on a bike until they were middle aged.

 

[Garandman]

Why ride street bike?

This is a if you gotta ask, you aint ever gonna know Question, isnt it? You are free to decide to ride or not, and no one will argue the low state of driver skill in the US.

Because iits fun, because it teaches skills and responsibilities, because its an exciting family sport in a nation where 70% of Americans are overweight or obese and most die from cancer or heart disease. Because with the appropriate riding gear and rider training, the risk is much lower than the overall death rate for motorcyclists, most of whom do not have any rider training, are not wearing a helmet, and half of whom are impaired.

My wife got her motorcycle license two years ago, my 18yo daughter last summer. 16yo daughter will be up next summer, 15yo son 2020.

 

[3930dave]

I just read an article about how many people are getting hurt on those little scooters. Scooter use is rising in major cities. So are trips to the emergency room. - The Washington Post

I had read reports about older people similar to what MossRoad posted; as others have suggested we just don't have the reflexes that we used to, and a lot of those older riders had never been on a bike until they were middle aged.

One of the worst cases of road-rash I've seen personally, was the wife of a friend's older brother, years ago. They had gone on vacation in Bermuda, and she wiped out riding a moped - sliding down the road (crushed coral surface) wearing a halter top, one shoulder blade got a nasty shredding.

Play smart - 2 wheels = ATGATT. One of the Cycle Canada writers a few years ago wrote about "just going around the block" on a small (sub 200cc) bike that he just finished tuning up, w/o wearing all his usual gear. Managed to wipe out (rider error + something like a grabby front brake....), ended up breaking an ankle.

Amongst other things, bikes remind us of vigilance and humility - even what experienced riders think of as toys can hurt us all....

Rgds, D.