Motorcycle Riding. How Safe?

[High Plains Drifter]

have kind of a general question that I guess there really is no answer for, just looking for some general thoughts/feedback.

The question is this: Just how safe is riding a motorcyle?

I know there are a lot of variables on how and where you ride, ie. City vs country etc.
I would mainly be riding it back and forth to work, 3miles one way. I would also like to ride some in the country.

If I bought one I would take all the motorcycle safety course offerd.

Probably would buy something like a Harley so I could get my money back if I needed to get rid of it.

Seems like everytime I think about buying one, someone I know gets hurt on one.

What do you guys think?

 

[Ray Garlington]

Its probably just a wierd coincidence, but everyone I know who has ridden a mc for more than a couple of years has 'crash' stories.

Several of these have quit riding after multiple crashes. Automobile drivers just don't seem to see you.

 

[XS650]

Something I noticed during a few decades of riding was that there were two types of riders. Those who had a lot of close calls and crashes and those who didn't.

People who expect car and truck drivers to notice them, and insist on the right of way have a lot of crashes and close calls. Those who are realistic enough to realize that they are resonsible for their own survival generally don't have the same problems.

How enthuisiastically a person rides doen't have much to do with it. It's more a matter of alertness, reading traffic and road conditions right and taking responsibility for your actions instead of depending on others to avoid you.

 

[LateArrivalforLSU]

That's the thing....there are too many careless people out there that don't pay attention to what they are doing and never see a motorcycle before it's too late.

Something else that I have noticed is that most motorcycle drivers have no clue what the term "Speed Limit" means, which doesn't help their cause in protecting themselves.

 

[msparks]

How safe is eating too much fat, or being overweight. How safe is getting in and out of the bathtub or crossing the street?

There are dangers all around us, if you take the right precautions I personally feel that motorcycling can be quite safe and enjoyable.

First off before you get started taking a coarse or buying a bike. Go out and buy these 2 books.

"Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well"

and
"Street Strategies: A Survival Guide for Motorcyclists"

both are by David L. Hough.

You can buy them as a combo at amazon clicky

Anyhow after reading these two, you can make a more informed decision if you think motorcycling is safe or not..

I would also advise to take the basic motorcycle coarse and buy a nice used bike. You can usually find a used one with low miles for about 1/2 the cost of a new one.

For instance I'm not trying to sell my wifes bike, we bought new for around $6000. I'm asking $4995 and it only has 1500 miles.

 

[keith]

It's a little bit of catch 22. Riding is safer when you have experience, but you need to ride to get that experience. Rider training will help you along the learning curve, but you can't totally short circuit the process.

I rode bikes for a couple of decades. It must be in the blood, because my dad rode bikes and my older brother still rides a bike to work. Basic bike control is learnt quickly, learning how much grip the tires have on different road surfaces and weather conditions and appropriate braking technique takes a while, and anticipating the sheer stupidity of some car and truck drivers takes a lifetime.

Jsut as with cars, a lot of the accidents are due to young drivers and impaired drivers (e.g. drunk). Always drive as if you will have an accident and dress accordingly (helmet, skin protection, ...).

The real key to a long life of biking is to expect the worst. Expect that car to pull out from the side road without seeing you. Expect the car behind to not see the red traffic light ahead as you slow down for it. After a while, it becomes instinct and it's your necessary survival instinct.

Good luck with it. My bike is gathering dust in the garage but I'll get back to it some time.

 

[arkainzeye]

ive been riding for 12 years. No crashes. my g/f has been riding for 3 years. 1 crash. her crash was from someone pulling out in front of her while it was raining. ive had 2 friends crash over the summer. everyone i have known who might have had a accident is still alive. and about 75% of the accidents i seen was a mixture of both drivers fault. 1) cyclist not fulling paying attention 2) cager (person in a car-cage)not looking for anything other than his/her cell phone,radio dials makeup newpaper etc. Needless to say if a cager causes me to wreck or i get hit. better believe i will sue until i cant sue anymore! i also believe this. when you learn to ride a bike. you become much more aware of your cager mistakes when you in your cage. its almost as if your (radar) has become 360 degrees instead of the horse blinders that most people have when driving. I will also say this. riding a bike to me is one of the greatest things i have even enjoyed. i am now sitting waiting for spring to come. last year i visited 13 states. and i cant wait to do it all over again.! btw the motorcycle safety class is always a good idea. they claim it gives you 2 years experience from what you learn in a small amount of time. being a motorcycle rider has made me a all around better driver... and the whole brotherhood of riders is just a whole other story!!

 

[LateArrivalforLSU]

quote:

---

Needless to say if a cager causes me to wreck or i get hit. better believe i will sue until i cant sue anymore!

---

The great american way

 

[47HO]

quote:

---

Probably would buy something like a Harley so I could get my money back if I needed to get rid of it.

---

Don't count on it! Unless you initially buy one at a 'steal', then expect to lose some money.

 

[Shaman]

It all depends on who you are

Riding a motorcycle has been compared to flying a plane.

If you ride with the mindset that no one sees you, and everyone is trying to kill you, you will be alright

At stoplights, watch your mirrors, and watch two cars behind you. If you don't, this will happen sometime.

http://www.notworksafe.com/redir.php?r=16266

As a 4 month rider, all i can suggest is take the MSF course and decide if it is right for you. If it is, buy a bike and spend 5 hours in a parking lot, then try the residentials, then when you are comfortable, wait a few days, then step onto the highway.

I feel the safest on the highway, because all the cars around me are going the same direction, and I a roll away from out of the way, and no one is really trying to make drastic turns

Avoid being near trucks.
They will throw rocks that hurt. They break a lot of wind, which makes riding near them rougher.
You weigh 800 lbs, on teh bike. Their tires weigh 800 lbs, and they have way to many blind spots.

 

[Shannow]

keith has a great point with regard to experience.

There are a lot of motorcyclists in this area, nearly all who have been riding since they were single digit ages, and grew up trail riding/motocrossing/trialling. They rarely have incidents.

It seems every second or third weekend the helicopter ambulances are up here to scrape up someone from the city who has taken himself out with a hyabusa rounding a blind corner at three times the posted speed on the wrong side of the road. (we are at one end of one of the great biking roads in the country).

These same visitors are the ones that pass in the breakdown lane at mach 2 and wonder why the old gentleman who was "holding them up" suddenly turns across their path.

We see similar differences in behaviour in the rifle clubs. Those who have been brought up around firearms, and those who turn 18 and try it as a hobby.

 

[Al]

You got a whole lot of good information..consider taking all of it. Like it or not..there are two kinds of riders..those who crashed and those who will. Thats the statistice. The older and more experienced with driving the better off you will be. Someone in his twenties will be a greater statistic that someone in his forties.

I'm probably like Keith. I started riding in 1980 then stopped for 15 years and have been riding again for 4 years. I crashed twice.

Don't get anything bigger than a 650cc

Can't emphasize thie enough..Assume no one sees you. Oh yea..don't ride on a freshly wet road

 

[tom slick]

you are probably less likely to get into an accident on a motorcycle, BUT, you are more likely to be seriously injured on a motorcycle in an accident.
you (usually) don't a radio, food, coffee, passengers talking to you etc so you are forced to concentrate on what you are doing.
I ride dirt bikes, a ride on one of those is one long controlled crash.

one thing i think it neat about the MC culture is anyone that is involved in MCs is an enthusist. the kid at the parts counter, bike mechanic, the bike salesmen, the guy filling up his bike at the gas station, they are all enthusists. I doubt your local car salesman, auto parts guy, mechanic, etc is really much of an car enthusist. they are usually just there as a job.

 

[Curious Kid]

I don't think there's much I can add. I loved to ride, just the machine and I. I use to take my first bike, a used xt125 down the street to a parking lot, where I would do figure-eights, circles, braking...kind of mimicing the riding test one takes to get their license.

Unlike the open road, you could just concentrate on controlling the bike, and the feel of it all. I also didn't have to deal with the heat that one get's while wearing a leather jacket. I recall the morning rides on my cx500 to school, the cool air blowing up my pant legs...I'd be shivering as I walked into the building, to then be sweating at a stop light that afternoon.

Aside from keeping tabs on my helmat and jacket, I would use a backpack to hold my rain gear, some bungie cords incase I need to hold some cargo in place, and a 4x4 plate of aluminum to put under the sidestand, so it doesn't sink into the hot pavement or soil, possibly tipping over.

It sure was fun...until the deposit of sand left in the turn by a street sweeper at a four-way. I was already committed before I noticed. Nothing really serious happened, but having spun around while down on the asphalt with the bike to see the on-coming traffic...well I got to thinking.

I'd still ride today, but the parking lot is just too small for the honda which I still own...and I guess a bit spoiled by the long rides and near-by rallies.

I'll keep an eye out for you as well should you decide, and safe riding to all.

 

[tweeker43]

take the msf course.

get good gear. joe rocket or something. pants, jackets, gloves, boots, helmet. i'm not atgatt, but i'm getting that way. you may think all that body armor is expensive, but it's cheaper than a skin graft and an extended hospital stay.

it's a pain, but start with a beginner's bike. i'd buy an old beater... something you don't mind dropping, either because of greasy pavement or your own inattention.

respect, but don't fear, your bike. even an old honda cb360 can do quite a bit. street riding isn't competitive; if you ride with other people don't let them press you into being foolish.

pay attention. everyone is out to get you.

get a bike and ride, ride, ride.

 

[sully]

You are only as safe as the people around you. Think about it.

 

[andrews]

Motorcycling can be a very enjoyable thing, until you wreck. I used to ride quite a bit. I've had everything from an old '82 Honda 450, all the way up to a v-twin VTX 1800cc monster. The main thing I gained from it all is that life is very fragile....especially on a street bike! Nearly every hazard that exists on the highway can kill you like a bug. Pot holes, dogs, deer, gravel, tar, oil, paint, rain, road debris (retread tire pieces,etc.), and the biggest risk of all.....other cars!!! Thankfully I never did spill, but I had several very close calls and came to realize that it was only going to be a matter of time before I get seriously hurt. Although I do still recall some of the great rides I had when conditions had been just right, it was a big risk. I remember the night before a planned ride that I was going to take, with my wife riding in back of me. All night long I had this terrible thought of what could happen if I wrecked with my wife on the back. Nearly broke out in a sweat! The next morning I got out on with the ride, and after about ten minutes my wife seemed to be nervous and jumpy for some odd reason. I had made a left turn onto a highway and slipped a couple inches on some loose gravel. It wasn't a big deal now that I think about it, but when my wife had grabbed my waist and acted very freaked out from the gravel, I said "no way, we are going home". I sold it a few weeks later and have never had any regret. Besides, seeing all the Harley "tough guy" wanna be's, in all that silly black leather, turned me off, especially when they would snub anybody on anything other than a "Hog" (a lot had ego issues). Almost every friend I've had, that rode bikes, has done the same....gotten rid of it.
Do what you want, of course, but just remember that it is a higher risk activity than some want to admit.

 

[sully]

[ March 04, 2005, 10:00 PM: Message edited by: sully ]

 

[Shannow]

I came really close about 20 months back, after hearing workmates and whatnot going out on fine summer nights and weekends.

Had a "rally experience" up north, and drove home along the putty road (apparently the greatest bike road in the country.

Realised that I had three blokes on bikes waiting to get past, and pulled into a turning bay to let them through. Two corners (literally) later, and there's a bloke lying in the middle of my path with an additional joint upo near his shoulder...thought he was dead, but fortunately he wasn't.

It was amazing how many riders and ricers blow theie horn and swear abuse at a guy standing at the side of the road trying to flag them down, only to lock wheels when they round a corner to find chaos in front of them.

I decided that bikes weren't for me then.

 

[k1xv]

I have 200,000 miles total riding experience, and still ride a little in perfect weather conditions.

To ride safely, you must have experience, and be a super defensive rider.

In my experience, the danger is directly proportional to the traffic density and the number of cross roads/driveways, etc. that you encounter (opportunities for inattentive four wheelers to cut in front of you).

Always be aware of pavement surface conditions. Some dampness on the oily spot results in little traction. Watch out for sand or other debris.

Up to about 80 mph, at least to me, a motorcycle seems to be going slower than a car. So, there is a tendency to speed. Keep it under control.

Because there is no hood to look over, there is also a tendency of new riders to tailgate.

You need proper clothing. Because of wind chill effects, hypothermia is a real risk, even when it seems to be only "cool" out. And if you do fall off, you want something that will withstand abrasion, and offer some padding, between the pavement and your skin.

Wear the quality helmet you can get. Your head and brain are in it. Riders who do not want to wear helmets, in my opinion, do not need them, because they have no brains to protect.

And you would be surprised how many "fall overs" are caused by lack of attention in slow speed maneuvers.

Good luck!!