Motorcycle deaths rise sharply

[RandyO]

the majority of new riders and rentry riders are NOT buying sportbikes

[Maui]

The report is deceptive. While number of deaths has risen, so has the number of motorcycles. Going from stats I have seen/or extrapoled, there were around 2120 motorcycle fatalities in 1997 and 4008 last year. Ownership has risen from 230,000 in 1995 to over 736,000 in 2004. Roughtly you can work it out that in 1997, there were 6.2 deaths per 1000 motorcycles. In 2004, there were 5.46.

Deaths per 1000 motorcycles has actually gone down. Would be interesting to also see the amount compared to SUV ownership...

i.e. when a Corolla does a lefty in front of you, you fly over the hood or roof... When an Expedition does the same, it is like slamming into a wall.

[mzdagrl]

Originally posted by Maui
Deaths per 1000 motorcycles has actually gone down. Would be interesting to also see the amount compared to SUV ownership...

i.e. when a Corolla does a lefty in front of you, you fly over the hood or roof... When an Expedition does the same, it is like slamming into a wall. [/B]

I even notice it in my car (Mazda MX-3...about 4.5 feet tall and 8 feet long). I sometimes feel like I have "cut me off" stamped on whatever I drive, then I remember that most vehicles out there are about 4 times the size of me (7 on the bike) and they probably just don't look for anything smaller than a frickin' mack truck anymore.

Not to say that cagers are the only reason bikes crash, but I'm pretty damn sure it plays a part.

[TC]

Been reading all of your replies and your time does mean something to me. Agreed, we have many more motorcycles on the road and on ratio it is proportional. However, the problem ,which affects and applies to us all, is still there.

To stray alittle in despair,

If i was to tell somebody just one thing, about life:

Life is about change, and without your life, this is not possible. Bikes are just one love and you'll have many more over time by staying alive.

Best way I could put it.

Now enough, back to the topic
This reports more of what happened last night:

http://www.projo.com/news/content/pr....131939fe.html

Do you think his/her life could have been saved?

I do.

Todd

[bentbryan]

Originally posted by beet
is the only time ive been crashed in 30 years of riding
speak for your self not for me
*you* (the rider) is more often than not, *your* own worst enemy

You're right beet! Lane-splitting and highspeed wheelies on public highways is perfectly safe! Motorcyclist are free to do whatever they please! It's the cars that getcha everytime!

Oh btw, bikes have become ALOT faster since 'your day'. Name one 600cc bike back 15 years ago that was @400lbs out of the box, put 105hp to the rear wheel and can easily surpass 150mph. Answer=none.

[beet]

ya dumb fucking leming
what ever you say 2 know it all
dont mess with me i'll take ya on a canoe trip

[katana0215]

Originally posted by skiierx
Also I believe everyone who goes for a motorcycle endorsed license should be required to take MSF classes.

Jamie

In RI you have to take the MSF class to get your license.

And on the news last night they had one of the MSF instructors on there because of all the deaths in RI this weekend. He said that no helmet laws in RI have VERY LITTLE to do with all the motorcycle deaths (which flies in the face of the numbers) and that its all attitude, its these kids who buy ultra powerfull motorcycles and ride like morons and get killed (also not supported by the numbers)

I couldnt believe that this clown was saying this on TV when he is the one responsible for educating RI'ers that want their motorcycle license. I didnt like him as a instructor, and now I know he is full of crap.

He aksed us during the class if any of us had bikes, and I mentioned at the time that I owned a Katana. He said in front of the whole class "you are gonna kill yourself on that rice rocket"

I couldnt friggin believe it

[Honclfibr]

http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pdf/nrd...ESV-000247.pdf

That should bring a few facts into this speculation-fest.

As some have noted, the study shows that the percentage of rider deaths in the over 40 crowd is increasing, even after taking into account the increase in the percentage of riders who are over 40. This means that more older riders are getting into the sport, and that they are less safe than the previous crop of over-40 riders.

HOWEVER, the increased percentage of motorcycle fatalities attributed to older riders overshadows the fact that the percentage of motorcycle accident fatalities attributed to younger riders is still much higher than their percentage representation of total riders. Take 1998 for example, you can see that the number of riders aged 20-29 is approximately 20% of the total rider pool, however they accounted for approximately 30% of the total motorcycle fatalities. If you look back to 1985 I think there is an indication that the younger market segment is doing better in relation to it's representation, but it's still overrepresented in the fatality statistics as of the latest available data.

Now the study doesn't break things down into sportbike/cruiser segments, mostly because the NHTSA probably has no real clue of how to do so, but the statistics on younger riders can to a point be taken to represent statistics on sportbikes, since by and large that segment of the market prefers them over any other motorcycle type.

So if you want to take something from accident statistics with regards to sportbiking, I would say this: Sport bikes, despite being more powerful today than in the mid 80s, are actually less likely to land you in an early grave than they were 20 years ago (probably due to an increase in rider training and helmet wearing in this market segment). But there are still more kids dying on sportbikes than their should be given the our numbers, and that means we're still doing something wrong.

[ducatiboy]

Motorcycles by themselves are safe, I've stood next to them for days and they didn't even try to hurt me I worked at a ricer dealership for 13 years in the 70s and 80s. I would try and dissuade people from buying GSX1000s for thier first bike.
After we sold the hormonely imbalanced fuctard a hot ride, We would sometimes take bets on when the bike would be coming back on a hook/wrecker for repair. One guy I sold a 6 cyl Honda to, threw it away leaving the lot His pistol fell out of his boot too, ran out and grabbed the gun and the bike to clear the street. Didn't want bad impressions




Live hard, ride fast, maybe die young, ya just never know

[benVFR]

Originally posted by RandyO
the majority of new riders and rentry riders are NOT buying sportbikes

Sorry didn't mean to imply they were, I thought I said ALL bikes were way more powerful then they used to be, especially cruisers.

Sportbikes have gotten more powerful, but have the braking, handling, and ground clearance improvements to go along with the increased power.

Cruisers AFAICT have had a higher % increase in power then sportbikes, at the same time they have been slammed (loss of ground clearance & suspension travel), given new ergos that give the rider less control, etc... I mean look at the crazy cruisers now, VTX, V-Rod, Rocket 3, etc..

The Vmax was around way back when but AFAIK the Vmax is more capable of handling the power then a lot of these new bikes.

Call me anti-cruiser but everytime I get a chance to ride a cruiser they seem unsafe compared to a sportbike, and I haven't even ridden any of the new monster cruisers.

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by benVFR
I mean look at the crazy cruisers now, VTX, V-Rod, Rocket 3, etc..

What??? The Rocket III is powerful?

[SprintPoser]

The Rocket 3 is only powerful if you add the turbo kit now available for it. With a 8.5:1 compression ratio out of the box, it was ripe for such a mod. Delivers just over 200HP at the rear wheel. Almost enough!

[bigred875]

Originally posted by SprintPoser
The Rocket 3 is only powerful if you add the turbo kit now available for it. With a 8.5:1 compression ratio out of the box, it was ripe for such a mod. Delivers just over 200HP at the rear wheel. Almost enough!

you read Motorcyclist to eh?

[Maui]

I agree that helmets can help... But of the 3 riders I know who have died in the last year, all were wearing helmets, and all had many years riding experience... one close to 30 years of safe riding.

SUVs have a lot to do with it I believe... You have an accord cut you off, you fly over the hood... Have teh same with an Expedition, you might as well have road into a wall.

A lot of young reckless riders on litre bikes, but a lot of unaware or distracted cagers and SUVers out there as well.

The later is where I would like to see the focus, since the best way to reduce fatalities is to reduce the accidents.

The reckless youth will always be there... That is Darwinism at play.

[LordZero]

I've seen first hand exactly what you guys are talking about. 3 Summers ago (i was 19) myself, and 4 buddies all decided to go get bikes.

1 was an older guy, getting back into the bike scene, he bought an old Kawi LTD 750 crusier. He's been in at least 3 accidents i know of, in the past 3 years. Only one involved another car.

The second was, at the time, 21. He bought a 2001 r6, which he flipped doing a wheelie infront of dunks. Repaired it himself, and is now trying to sell it.

The thrid was 18 at the time, bought a 2000 r6, no accidents, but sold the bike after only 1 season, stating the bike just wasnt fast enough for him...

The fourth, who is 25 now, didnt end up with a bike until 2 seasons later. He bought a yzf 600, dumped it 2-3 times, before deciding it wasnt fast enough for him. This season he went out and bought a BRAND NEW Ducati, which hes also dumped, at least once, that ive seen personally.

Then theres me, i went the conservative route, and bought a 1999 fzr 600 for my first bike. 3 seasons later the thing still keeps me entertained. Plenty of power, but not too much that i cant realize im getting into trouble and slow my as down. But even still, i dumped once on a sandy cross walk.

I guess my whole point is, out of 5 new riders, over 3 seasons, the only one that didnt dump AT ALL, was the one that sold the bike after 1 season...and i consider myself a VERY responsable rider.

[ducatiboy]

Dumped his Ducati?

[LordZero]

Yup, at really low speeds, pulling into a gas station, in Boston.

4 of us were out riding around the bars watching all the drunk girls come out at about 2am, we decided we had enough of that and went to get gas for the ride home.

Well we missed the first turn in to the gas station, which happened to be on a divided road, thats meant to pull in one way and get gas, and leave from the other exit.

The second exit was kind of a sharp turn... we all rolled in...but he rolled in a little too slow, or too hard, or both, and as i was taking my gas cap off i hear this aweful bike-hitting-the-ground crunch. Turn around and there he is swearing his head off looking at his dumped bike.

Cost him about $500 for a new mirror and a few other small parts.. .

I myself still havent fixed my dump damage. I crashed at about 10-15mph litterally 15 seconds from my house.. i think it was a combo of me not giving it enough gas, leaning to hard for the low speed, and there being a frosty/sandy/whatever crosswalk in my way.

Thing that pissed me off the most is that about 20 cars drove AROUND me and my bike laying in the street before my neighbors down the street finnaly came and helped me get it off to the side of the road.

[ZX-12R]

Originally posted by LordZero
Thing that pissed me off the most is that about 20 cars drove AROUND me and my bike laying in the street before my neighbors down the street finnaly came and helped me get it off to the side of the road.

People are dick's that's why. I was first on scene to a handful of accidents that I did not witness because people have better things to do than help another human being. One guy I stopped for was covered in road rash, had several broken bones, and was lying unconscious on the side of the road. Three cars in front of me drove right around him before I realized it was a bad accident.

I lose faith in humanity more and more every day.

[LordZero]

Yup, I always stop and ask if a solo rider thats stopped needs help, even if it looks like they're just pulled over for a smoke break.

It's exactly what I'd want people to do for me, so i extend the offer for help to them.

[richw]

Speeds of everything are higher I will have trouble passing in the twisties cause Mama in her caravan is already doing seventy

Cagers are more isolated. Plush seats, 1000 watt stereos, cruise control, A/C, sun glasses isolated from their surroundings.

Drivers are more distracted reading the paper while putting on make up eating a donut with the hot coffee between their legs talking on the phone changing the DVD for the kid

Drugs or alchohol are more BOTH CAGERS AND OUR OWN ASSHOLES. I cringe when I hear of riders meeting a bars etc.

Modern kids grew up with modern orthopediac. They know many people recovered from all sorts of accidents. Funny they almost never meet the ones that are already dead.

Don't advocate a legal change of any kind because the f*cktards will make laws that stop you from having any fun but the irresponsible will still kill themselves.

If you guys and girls want to do the right thing just explain to the newbie the likely hood of his/her demise. If they are interested then explain how to lessen the chance. If the are not then wish them well and have a guilt free ride yourself.

[MissTwisties]

I do the same...they might think I'm weird to do so if they're just taking a break, but "you never know" is what I'm thinking when I stop for them.

Originally posted by LordZero
Yup, I always stop and ask if a solo rider thats stopped needs help, even if it looks like they're just pulled over for a smoke break.

It's exactly what I'd want people to do for me, so i extend the offer for help to them.

[ancosta]

The average vehicle is bigger and blocks more visibility of people behind it.

Electronic gagetry including cell phones, mp3 players, PDAs, laptops, video displays, etc. all are distracting more drivers.

More new riders are starting their MC career at a higher age.

The most popular configuration for new riders appears to be a large cruiser with minimal safety gear, if any.

Road rage is more prevelant in terms of frequency and intensity.

More vehicles of all types are on the road than ever before.

The average motorist is losing their faculties as the population continues to age.


I think it will get a LOT worse before it gets better.


If I were The Man, I would:

Raise the driving age from 16 to 18

Implement random re-testing of motorists over the age of 60, and mandatory testing for any that are involved in more than 2 infractions/accidents in 2 years or less

Institute tiered licensing for motorcycles

Require advanced training and certification for operating vehicles over 6000# curb weight

Prohibit usage of cell phones, PDAs, or most non-attached electronics devices in a moving vehicle

Require all drivers to pass driving tests in english, written and practical

Set usability standards for automobile designers that require them to ensure vehicle controls are designed so that the car can be operated without resonable distraction from the task at hand (e.g. touch screen radio/HVAC, BMW iDrive, other nonsense)

Maybe I should just sell my MC and take public transportation, since none of the above will happen in my lifetime.

[bentbryan]

Originally posted by beet
ya dumb fucking leming
what ever you say 2 know it all
dont mess with me i'll take ya on a canoe trip

Whoa! Looks like I got NESR's resident fossil all worked up!

[richw]

sounded better in the original German