just how dangerous are motorcycles ? anyone ever get hurt?

I rode a 650cc Norton a few times back in the 1960s and it was enough to convince me that golok and mycroftt need a reality check. People in automobiles simply do not see motorcycles on the highways and on the streets. I cannot explain why this should be, but it seems to be so. The extent of this is that I have friends who used to ride competitively on tracks who will not ride on a public highway. If you do ride a bike on the public roads, it gives new meaning to the words, "defensive driving."

BTW, what got me off of that Norton, with which I had had some fun in the Fall, was commuting to work on it in January in 15 or so degree weather. I had a set of the sheepskin leathers used by the Army Air Corps in WWII, pants, jacket, and helmet, but I still froze my butt off. The Norton had no wind fairings on it at all.
 
I ride and have not had any close calls yet, but wonder how I'll react when the time comes. Will I keep riding, or give it up as too dangerous? Each time I go out I think about my kids and wife. I wear all the gear and study and practice riding skills, but there are times when even the best skills won't save the day.

Riding is good (mental) therapy for me. Hopefully I'll know when the time to give up the sport comes. I wouldn't bet that I'll still be riding in 10 years for example (I'm 49 years old now).

The biggest risks seem to be unlicensed/ untrained riders and alcohol. Those risks are easily avoidable.

Jeff
 
I rode a bike for 4 years. I crossed the US on a Yamaha 600cc FZR, 9,000 miles in 4 weeks, sleeping bag strapped to the gaz tank and all. I haven't ridden in 8 years - not very convenient in Seattle.

A bike is inherently more dangerous than a car for 5 reasons:
1) The rider isn't protected.
2) A bike is unstable - most small bumps that would barely dent a car will send you sliding.
3) A bike is smaller and more likely not to be seen by others on the road.
4) Your sense of vision is impeded by the helmet and small, shaky mirrors.
5) The acceleration *can* make one quite aggressive / less careful.

It's not a reason not to ride, but you should know that.

I believe that Golok is fooling himself, with all due respect, when he says it's not more dangerous than crossing a street. It is so, it's also more dangerous than a car. The only way in which a bike is less dangerous than a car is that in most circumstances a bike out of control will not do as much damage as a car out of control.

I agree with everyone here that riding a bike makes one a *much* better car driver.

JD
 
A friend of mine was riding along the Woodrow Wilson bridge in DC (notoriously bad bridge for bikers). It was his daily commute.

2 cars got in a wreck up ahead of him and the cars in front were going around the wreck. The driver of one of the cars decided he wanted to move his car off the road to help alleviate traffic problems. Only problem, the "gap" in traffic this driver thought he had was actually occupied by my friend on his moto. The driver guns it, in reverse, and nails my friend with the rear of his car. Knocks the bike over, and throws him on the trunk.

He ends up going to work and then coming home. Bike still runs, but it's rough.

Comes over to my house all excited because the other guy's insurance company is offering to pay $5000 for the bike and $5000 for medical coverage. He's thinking "Woohoo! I get a new bike!". I told him he was on an adrenaline rush and when he woke up in the morning, he'd be lucky to get out of bed.

The next day he was in the hospital wearing a neck brace, in traction and on heavy pain medication. :(

He ended up racking up about $25,000 in medical bills and could not even sit on a bike for a few months without pain (in his spine). Fortunately, it ended up being completely (or most of it) covered. And he did get a new bike.

He still rides (and so do I)....but I don't think either one of us will ever forget it.



another stat - across the board, the majority of bad motorcycle accidents involve a left turn.....either the biker, or the car.....keep that under your hat when you ride and Be Alert at those left turn situations.
 
Here's my take on the motorcycle thing. I love to ride motorcycles, and have owned several over my lifetime. It's almost impossible to ride a motorcycle, and get up to 60 mph and NOT have a silly ass grin on your face. They can be that much fun.

Having said this, however, I probably will not get another. As much fun as motorcycles are, the dangers are real. And, not just dangers due to the motorcycle operator's skill(or lack of) either. The worst thing about motorcycle riding is all the people who either don't care or forget to look for motorcycles. While I've not had any serious accidents or close calls, I know people who have. I also have lost friends to accidents too. Things happen faster and with much more dramatic results while riding motorcycles. One time, I was on my Suzuki Bandit 1200(one badass bike), I was doing about 140 mph on an open stretch of highway, and I still had 3000 rpm on the tach left before redline. On the Bandit 1200, that's where all the real power comes in, and I hadn't even tapped into that yet. All of a sudden, reality hit me. WTF would happen if I hit a rock or pothole, or if a little animal runs out in front of me? I would be road pizza. What about if you have a flat tire? On a car, if you have a flat tire, you simply pull over and change the tire. On a motorcycle, depending on your speed or which tire blows, you might not survive. And, at the very least, you are stranded somewhere without a spare, since you don't have one with you.

I'm not trying to be a stick in the mud, or discourage anybody. You can make your own minds up about motorcycles. If you decide to get one, make sure you take riding classes and wear the proper safety gear. Be ever aware of your surroundings while riding. Expect the unexpected. As for myself, I'm sure glad I had my fun, and got out without maiming or killing myself.
 
If you want to ride a motorcycle, I have one word for you: Motocross.

You're on a soft dirt track designed to be fun and challenging to ride on and yet also designed with safety in mind. Your riding with other motorcycle riders who are aware of you and have safety in mind. And, you're dressed in essentially body armour.
 
Gollnick said:
I didn't say safe, just way safer than riding on the streets.
Click to expand...


I was just usin' your comment to link the backflip video, actually I agree with you about dirtbikes on a closed course, and I leaned to ride, fall, and crash in the dirt first which all helped me in riding on the street.
 
golok said:
The motorcycle is not dangerous, neither is riding one. The danger lies with the rider and his attitude. Those who ride recklessly, endangers not only their own life but others as well.

If you ride carefully, and take all the necessary precautions, it should be as safe as crossing the street. It's much more pleasurable too. I have riding a bike for about 30 years. Love every minute of it.
Click to expand...

That's simply untrue. Those stats that otter posted weren't just made up. There's a reason motorcyles are called "donor cycles" in ERs everywhere. The fact is that you can be the safest motorcyle rider in the world and it won't matter at all when that car up ahead pulls out in front of you because they don't see you, or the one beside you decides to occupy the space that you are in.

There are two types of motorcyle riders, those that have had accidents and those that will. If you are lucky you will walk away from yours.
 
79mongoose said:
...How dangerous are bikes and does anyone know someone who wiped out...
Click to expand...

Of course riding motorcycles on the street is dangerous, but there are ways to minimis the danger.

First, take the motorcycle safety course; I can't say enough good about it; even if you THINK you can ride.

Second, ride like you're invisible and all the cars ARE going to make a mistake.

Thirds, loud pipes do save lives.

I have riden close to 120,000 miles and have NEVER came close to an accident.

This is not to say accidents can't happen.

My friend hit a deer on his 2 month old 2004 Harley Fat Boy. :(
 
One thing a skilled rider learns is how to minimize damage, sometimes ya gotta let the bike go, the last thing ya want, is the be the meat in a cage motorcycle sandwich.

Too many riders hang on because they feel like it's safer to hold onto something solid, I've seen friends jump off the bike to get away, of course if you don't watch where you land you could wind up in the path of oncomming traffic.

Bottom line, you could get hurt or killed on a bike or in a car, if your in an auto accident do you stop driving cars?

It's a personal choice and when you make it you have to deal with the consequences if your seriously hurt then those left behind have to deal with it, but ya know the same applies to cars.

Short of driving a tank on the local streets are ya really safe in any mode of transportation?

People get killed on horses for ****sake.
 
Have a look at the crashes.

it's an italian site but there are loads of crash videos. not really nasty but some are quite funny.

Motorcycle Crash

Just go to video and then click on crash

Here's a funny one. Crash
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Bottom line, you could get hurt or killed on a bike or in a car, if your in an auto accident do you stop driving cars?

It's a personal choice and when you make it you have to deal with the consequences if your seriously hurt then those left behind have to deal with it, but ya know the same applies to cars.

Short of driving a tank on the local streets are ya really safe in any mode of transportation?

People get killed on horses for ****sake.
Click to expand...

He asked for an opinion and he has received several. I do not see anyone here telling him that he can not make the choice not to ride, only that he perhaps should not make that choice. There is a difference.
 
I would never advise anyone to start riding, but if you already ride, then I'll encourage you to ride to your hearts content...
 
Point44 said:
Have a look at the crashes.

it's an italian site but there are loads of crash videos. not really nasty but some are quite funny.
Click to expand...

Interesting. The non-race videos are Darwin Awards just waiting to happen.
 
Driving motorbikes is dangerous!
I'm driving my bike daily in the Netherlands where traffic is hell.
IMHO you can't be carefull enough, especially pay attention to the ignorant 'oh, i did not see you' car drivers (about 90% of them)

I once was laughed at by a car driver, the man stepped out of his car and made funny comments about the fact that my motorbike-outfit looked like I was a fireman (with al the reflecting materials on it)....that illustrates the ignorance perfectly.
 
maximus otter said:
"The motorcycle fatality rate per 100 million vehicle miles traveled is about 20 times that of passenger cars. Motorcycle operator error was identified as a contributing factor in 76 percent of fatal crashes involving motorcycles in 1994."
Click to expand...

In other words, if you make no mistakes ever, you're still 5 times more likely to get killed on a motorcycle than in a car, for the same distance travelled.
I bet dirt biking is fun. Kind of like mountain biking with more power?
 
I rode for 20 years. 7-8 thousand a year (thats good for NYS).I have been hit and I lost controll once on a turn (oil in road).

I stopped riding a couple years ago,I already have a risky job and after seeing people crushed and killed on bikes,some of them STANDING STILL at lights well I realized its not how well I drive but how well THEY drive.

Toss in things like the oil patch in the road at night,deer,black ice and a hundred other things that I've encountered on/in both car and bike and the choice is easy for me.

As a young single childless man I loved to go triple digits,race though the twisties,scape my foot pegs and make a shower of sparks,hell I broke a center stand right off because the metal was worn so thin from scaping in on the pavement.

Today I went to work in a mini van and thats fine.In the summer when the bikes scream by the firehouse I just smile and say,"job security".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top