For the love of God, watch for motorcycles.

[Gravitycollapse]

I'm nearly smooshed by a car at least once a week. My neighbor, who is married to a motorcycle rider, just blew through a stop sign and nearly ran me over. One would think she would naturally be more aware of motorcyclists but apparently that isn't true.

Just because you don't see a car sized object doesn't mean the space isn't occupied. We are small but if you take a second to actually look, if you follow the kind of road etiquette espoused by driving instructors, you will see us.

Most of the fatal motorcycle accidents near my house involve an unaware car driver. They very often pull out in front of a motorcycle because they don't see it or assume it can stop in time.

Despite the compactness of motorcycles, they cannot stop on a dime. The physics of braking on a motorcycle are slightly more complex than a car. Most of the braking power is utilized in the front wheel. In order for this to be effective, the weight of the motorcycle must first be transferred to the front wheel which takes time. The suspension must be compressed and loaded to gain the level of traction necessary for the front brakes to bite tightly without causing the wheel to lock up. If the front wheel locks up, the motorcycle will very likely fall over. I've personally experienced this problem on more than one occasion. I've stood my bike up on the front wheel trying to avoid careless drivers multiple times and it is not a position I enjoy being in.

Because of physical limitations, motorcycles are not particularly good with split second emergency braking. Please remember this when you are out and about.

Love

Gravitycollapse



(Sorry this is cross posted because I accidentally submitted it to the lounge first)

[Duckhunter935]

1. Vert true

Thank you from another rider. PUT DOWN the phones.

[GP6971]

2. K&R

Close calls for the couple of years I rode were the norm. Finally got tired of it and can honestly say I don't miss it. But in all honesty, if one is not comfortable on a bike (like me after a few close calls), one doesn't belong on one.

[KatyMan]

31. That's me as well

Had a bike for several years but it was so nerve wracking especially with my wife on the back that I gave it up. It's one thing if you crash and hurt yourself, it's a whole other thing if you both get hurt. I found that and the demand for extreme attention to make it a not fun thing to do.

Funny thing, I had a Honda VTX-1300R and we traded it in for Honda fit...with a 1500cc engine...

[1000words]

3. I don't doubt you are a safe rider ...

but there are far too many that are not. What's worse is the culture has always been one of rebellion, so it will always attract the idiots.

[IDemo]

4. There is no singular motorcycle culture

While there certainly may be those who gravitate toward cycles with a rebellious nature, I and many, many others do so because it's fun and energy efficient.

I've been riding street bikes off and on since '79.

[TlalocW]

5. That is my beef as well

I'm sure the original poster is a safe rider, and a lot of others are too, but the ONLY times I almost don't see a motorcycle is when the driver is doing something stupid like going way over the speed limit. Some motorcyclists are (presumably) still alive today because I had good enough reflexes to dodge them by sharply cutting the wheel to get back in my lane when I had started to pass another car, and they came buzzing out of nowhere at 110 mph.

So that slogan should be amended to Drivers: Start Seeing Motorcycles; Motorcyclists: Don't Be Idiots.

TlalocW

[Gravitycollapse]

6. Most motorcycle accidents are caused by cars.

I've done my fair share of incredibly stupid shit on a motorcycle, most of it occurring within the first year, but that isn't what kills most riders.

[Hoppy]

24. --- last bike accident I saw was at Bike Week in N.H.

Woman was on Kukamonga trail and lost control of her bike. Went into the guard fencing.

I go on two or three rides each year with my friends. They are on their Harleys or rice burners. I follow with my car.

Bikes are doner machines.

[Earth_First]

7. I personally know nearly a dozen riders...

...of which this doesn't apply to a single one.

Methinks your Hollywood view of motorcyclists is heavily biased.

You'd have a far better argument with bicycle cyclists...

[1000words]

14. I suppose my perspective is coming from that of youthful riders.

I grew up riding dirt bikes, and confess to doing some risky shit. Stupid risky, sometimes. I could rationalize and say trail play is different, (and it is with regards to whom I'm putting at risk,) but I rode with many guys who couldn't quite completely shed that mentality when they took to their street bikes.

[LAGC]

21. ...

[awoke_in_2003]

19. Victim blaming...

I am no rebel, my motorcycle gets 45 MPG. Europe doesn't have the problem that we do with dead motorcyclists. What we have is a bunch of assholes in cars who cannot be bothered to pay attention, because talking on the phone, applying makeup, or shaving is much more important than some asshole on two wheels.

[whopis01]

30. Actually Europe is not too different when it comes to motorcycle deaths.

They run a bit higher than the US in raw numbers (roughly 6500/year in the EU compared to 4500-5000/year here). Per capita the US has somewhat higher numbers, but not by a large percentage.

[awoke_in_2003]

32. How does the percentage of motorcyclists...

compare to us? I am willing to bet the percentage is higher than ours, mainly due to gas prices.

[whopis01]

34. That's probably a good point -

I looked for a bit but couldn't find the statistics on that.

When I read your other posting I had a bit of a reaction to it - having ridden in parts of Europe I definitely would say from my own (personal, anecdotal) experience that the streets were not any safer for bikers there than they are here. At least in areas - I am remembering Italy as being the scariest. Certainly I wouldn't say that drivers there are any more concerned with the safety of others than they are here.

[LadyHawkAZ]

22. Those types are called 1%ers for a reason

Reason being, it's a small percentage of riders who do that.

[Ohio Joe]

8. I gave up riding years ago...

Far to dangerous exactly because far too many people in cars don't pay enough attention.

[bluestate10]

9. I drive a car. I watch for everything around me and am prepared for any situation.

Motorcycle riders should do the same. Believe me, if I was on a motorcycle, I would be constantly checking my flank, in front and paying particular attention to intersections and on ramps.

[lumberjack_jeff]

12. I have had multiple drivers (always turning left) pull out in front of me while I'm on a bike.

It never happens when I'm driving a car.

You do have to be alert to the point of clairvoyance while riding a bike but there's often a degree of cage driver negligence that no amount of rider awareness will ever be able to mitigate.

My rule of thumb is that every cage in my vicinity who might turn left is trying to kill me.

[awoke_in_2003]

20. What do you think we do?

Yes, we watch what is going on in a circle around us, unlike those in cars who don't give a fuck.

[Scout]

35. is that what those riders are doing on the expressway,

when i see them in my rear view mirror, weaving in and out of cars, lane changing without signals, and then speeding by me and the other traffic? watched one do this, too close to the car in front of me, who clipped his back wheel and sent him flying...

yes, i know most motorcyclists don't do this, but most auto drivers aren't putting on makeup or talking on their cell phones either.

everybody has to be more careful.

[awoke_in_2003]

36. "everybody has to be more careful."

Very true.

[benld74]

10. Here in STL, 2 of 3 riders,

died after hitting the side of a school bus, 600AM last Thursday morning. The bus was pulling out of its yard, driver looked both ways. The 3rd rider barely missed the wreckage and survived.

[rurallib]

11. When I see a motorcycle rider, I back way off

and let them get by and far away from me. I am so afraid of hitting one.

[Jenoch]

13. I agree with everything in you OP.

I sold my motorcycle when my first child was born, it was a deal I willingly made with my wife. My two older brothers have motorcycles. My oldest brother got his first bike, a Harley, at age 50. Most of the miles he has put on have been as a member of the Patriot Guard. My other brother has had at least one mototcycle since he was 16 but he went a good 15 years where it just sat in the garage. He recently bought a vintage Goldwing. I have no desire to get another one.

I agree that most, ut not all, motorcycle accidents are the fault of people driving autos. The link below is about an idiot who proves the exception.

http://m.startribune.com/?id=249682451

[madville]

15. Riding a motorcycle around here

Is a pretty good indication someone is suicidal, it's dangerous enough in a car.

I quit riding in 2005, a few people I knew are dead, one spent years rehabilitating a destroyed hip and shoulder, another is in a wheelchair, etc, etc. All from impacts with automobiles.

There are plenty of idiots on bikes here also, illegal lane splitting and weaving through traffic at high speeds, wheelies from stop light to stop light, etc.

[bobhuntsman]

16. that's why. . .

Harley riders have loud pipes!!

[rppper]

17. Contrary to popular belief....

Loud pipes do not save lives, but good high quality riding gear...a riding jacket, boots, gloves and a Snell approved helmet will definetly increase your chances of surviving a crash...talking as a 30+ year rider, living in an area with two huge bike rally's and good riding weather all year long. Bike week and biketoberfest bring in a million and quarter million riders respectively to Daytona....there are a quite a few weekend rider/power drinking attorneys dressed in there Halloween Harley leathers that give a bad name to daily riders, but nearly all the wrecks I've seen were caused by cars...

[PumpkinAle]

18. Thank you.

I totally agree with rppper - the loud pipes is akin to someone thinking driving a Volvo makes them invincible - sadly they don't. People drive with windows up and music up - they don't hear those pipes anymore. Much better to be dressed appropriately. Wearing good leathers saved my bacon once and I was able to get up and walk away - btw it was gravel that got me.

All riders and drivers should drive defensively and be on the look out for those that don't.

[awoke_in_2003]

23. I have loud pipes

and good gear. Can't be too safe.

[Fumesucker]

26. Harley riders have loud pipes because they like the way it sounds

I used to like loud motorcycles back in the day and I wasn't all that particular about what kind of engine even, V twin, inline four, two stroke triple or what have you, nowadays I'm working on taking my e-bike from a soft hum to completely silent. It's really kind of neat to hear only the sound of the tires on the pavement and the air rushing by.

[rppper]

28. Ok, I admit it....

My 1100 shadow and my 1200 goldwing had straight pipes and stage 1 carb kits! The shadow was louder than a similarly equipped Harley, but the engine rumble is different. The Wing sounded like a tricked out VW bug, but somewhat more throaty with the 4 into 4 set up. It never mattered how loud they were....I've been side by side with a lot of cars and drivers who still swerved into my lane and never looked back.

I'm glad to see smart riders advocating riding gear....during my only wreck I remember the yellow line scrapping the left side of my helmet and face mask as I skidded nearly 20 yards with the bike. I was lucky to be wearing a full face, steel toed flight deck boots, hard denim jeans, a teknik jacket and fingerless gloves...I went down doing about 65mph....my gear saved my life.

Chrome don't getcha' home!

[undeterred]

25. It helps for motorcycle riders to enlighten people.

I've never ridden a motorcycle or been close to anyone who did. There was a bad accident I heard about where a couple in their fifties were killed when a car made a left hand turn in front of them. The auto driver didn't see the motorcycle coming.

I was talking about this at work and a couple of motorcycle riders told me that this is the most common kind of accident. I don't remember hearing this when I learned to drive - and the only person I've known who was in a motorcycle accident was hit from behind.

So - it does help to tell people - I really never knew until I heard about a bad accident.

[Initech]

27. I bought a new car last year that has blind spot monitoring as a feature.

This should be mandatory on all new vehicles from here on out. It's a truly important feature to have and has saved my ass on multiple occasions. This feature is especially important because it will save countless lives especially for bike and motorcycle riders.

[DreamGypsy]

29. It's just a song about a fast motorcycle, I guess...

...or it could be a song about addiction...this thing we call addiction is just the visible part of the spectrum of something that has another name - just human nature.

Tell the truth, explain to me
How you got this need for speed
She laughed and said, "Might just be
The next best thing to love"

Hope is gone and she confessed
When you lay your dream to rest
You can get what's second best
But it's hard to get enough

She wants to run away
There's nowhere that she can go
Nowhere the pain won't come again
But she can hide, hide in the pouring rain
She rides the eye of the hurricane

[kwassa]

33. Motorcycles are inherently hard to see.

Blame cars all you want, but to see a motorcycle from the front is to see a small, narrow profile, one that easily disappears in car blind spots.

Motorcycles are dangerous because they are hard to see and offer little protection to the driver. What would be a minor fender bender in a car will cause compound fractures or fatalities on a bike.

You can plead with car drivers all you want, but if you choose to ride a bike, you are assuming a risk. Even if the car driver is the one at fault, it is your life that is on the line. Think about that.

[Gravitycollapse]

37. You honestly think I haven't considered the risk after clocking over 60,000 miles riding?

I'm stating an actuality, not simply blaming drivers. Drivers cause most motorcycle accidents. That is a truth.

Motorcycles are not hard to see. They are easy to see if you pay attention. Just because they aren't as big as a car does not mean drivers are justified in ignoring them. Which seems to be your argument here. All of the responsibility for maintaining safe conditions is set upon the rider. That's ridiculous. With just a few simple steps, drivers can make the roads much, much safer for motorcyclists.

We have every right in the world to be on the road. And we are no less important than anyone else. Which means your argument that it's somehow our fault for stupid drivers is absurd.

[kwassa]

38. Think what you want. Motorcycles really are hard to see.

That is not the fault of car drivers, attentive or otherwise.

[Gravitycollapse]

39. They aren't as imposing a presence as a gigantic SUV. Neither are subcompacts...

Motorcycles are still large objects. They average about 500 pounds and the rider generally sits higher than most car passengers. They are not difficult to spot as long as you are aware of your surroundings. They become difficult to see when you aren't paying close enough attention and when you rely on giant imposing vehicles to become visible in your peripheral vision.

The only way to explain a poor ability to spot motorcycles is that the person has vision problems.