CNN:
Death rate on the rise for older motorcyclists. For most state driving tests, you can’t even get a cruiser-style bike to navigate the course. The turning circles are too wide, with long forks or fancy handlebar setups the balance is often all wrong for tight maneuvering. I took my test on a 250 motocross bike, and had a great time scaring the instructor to death. In traffic is where you feel the lack of maneuverability with a cruiser. In town, a small bike is a treat; I used to love winging around on a borrowed v-twin Honda Hawk [though I was a bit big for the little beast]. There’s a distinct trade-off in highway smoothness with a smaller engine (anything less than a 750 on our 75 mph interstates around these parts). Big-engine cruisers are built for long open roads.
Defensive driving is a must. People just don’t see motorcycles, and you cannot count on eye contact as being proof that you’re in someone’s sightline. There are very specific driving skills that need to be taught to motorcycle riders. Practice those panic stops, avoidance maneuvers. Watch for edge traps. SIPDE ... Scan, Identify, Predict, Decide, Execute. Burned on my forehead. You go where you’re looking, so don’t look at the obstruction ... look at your path for avoidance.
The Motorcycle Safety Foundation is an excellent investment for beginners to advanced riders. A refresher after a couple of years off, is never a bad thing.
And no matter how ‘uncool’ it might currently be, a helmet, always.
Comments:
Yes, ‘donorcycle’ is well-known to anyone with a bike. It’s just that some respect the original nature of a motorcyle, and some don’t. I always pause before sallying forth, recognizing that my life sits in the balance, mostly guarded by my own skill, awareness and reflexes. When riding, I will not imbibe of any alcohol; I have low tolerance, and it’s not worth the risk.
Along with helmets, you can point out to your kids that those who are not wearing jackets or long sturdy pants will get severe road rash, and those without boots or proper sturdy shoes will slip on oil patches or worse. There was a video, which I downloaded and could send to you, of a young lady as motorcycle passenger who lost her grip as her driver/boyfriend did a small wheelie at speed. You don’t see the graphic results, but you do see her hit the ground arms first in a sleeveless top, and you are left wondering how much skin grafting she needed. I find it very effective when demonstrating the need for helmets and proper clothing.
I do wonder what rate they’re talking about in that article. Nowhere do they mention deaths per 1000 riders or anything like that. The only ‘rate’ that I see increasing is the percentage of older rider deaths out of all rider deaths.
Motorcycle ridership has been increasing steadily. Is the number of deaths rising in proportion to the number of riders? This article doesn’t speak to that. That is a misleading headline and not a well-written article.
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I’m with you on propper attire. How many times have I seen someone on a busy bypass riding in shorts? Or, worse yet, shorts and flip-flops? Anyone who’s ever turned a bicycle over (much less a motorcycle) knows what’s going to happen when your unprotected skin hits the asphalt.
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Here in Florida, thanks to Jeb Bush, we don’t have a helmet law. I’ve taught my kids that they should call the people they see riding motorcycles without helmets “organ donors.” A friend who used to be an EMT said they call the overpowered sport bikes (Ninjas, etc.) “donorcycles.”
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