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Motorcycle safety -or- Am I tempting death?
CangoFett
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Cars: safer and safer every day. Side curtain air bags. Some other safety features I know nothing about, but are listed off in commercials. You can be hit by another vehicle going 50mph, and very likely survive it.
Motorcycles: HOLY CRAP, DUCK! *swerve, hit motorcyclist doing 20mph, launching him off his bike to his fiery death that doesnt actually involve fire*
So my father used to ride motorcycles alot, sold his a long time back, but just bought a new one. I expressed some interest in getting a Motorcycle operator license, and he mentioned a class being run just down the road. 13.5 hours, 9 of it on a range, counts torwards the state license, and means an insurance discount.
I'm interested, might do it, but then scenes like the one above enter my head. I've been a passenger in 2 car minor car accidents, my sisters been in 3, my brother in law has been in 2-3, a friend of mine has been in 2 in 6 months. Its like instead of gravity surrounding me, I have vehicle accidents. Even though all of these incidents were minor, and survivable, things like, "Man, if I/the other person was on a motorcycle instead, I/they'd likely not be alive"
I guess my question is- is this unneccesarry worry? Assuming I took all the proper precautions- lights on even during the day, light colored and proper clothing/helmet, etc etc, do I have any reasonable worry of horrible disfiguring injury?
Motorcycles: HOLY CRAP, DUCK! *swerve, hit motorcyclist doing 20mph, launching him off his bike to his fiery death that doesnt actually involve fire*
So my father used to ride motorcycles alot, sold his a long time back, but just bought a new one. I expressed some interest in getting a Motorcycle operator license, and he mentioned a class being run just down the road. 13.5 hours, 9 of it on a range, counts torwards the state license, and means an insurance discount.
I'm interested, might do it, but then scenes like the one above enter my head. I've been a passenger in 2 car minor car accidents, my sisters been in 3, my brother in law has been in 2-3, a friend of mine has been in 2 in 6 months. Its like instead of gravity surrounding me, I have vehicle accidents. Even though all of these incidents were minor, and survivable, things like, "Man, if I/the other person was on a motorcycle instead, I/they'd likely not be alive"
I guess my question is- is this unneccesarry worry? Assuming I took all the proper precautions- lights on even during the day, light colored and proper clothing/helmet, etc etc, do I have any reasonable worry of horrible disfiguring injury?
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Then pretty much have fun avoiding other cars.
Also, safety can depend on the kind of riding you're doing.
A year later I couldn't be happier that I went through with it.
As Reckless said, riding motorcycles are a risk, just as driving a car is a risk, albeit a larger one. You can minimize that risk, to some extent, by learning how to ride properly(which you are doing with the MSF course), riding safely, riding within your limits, riding smart, and making yourself more visible to other drivers. I realize some of those are redundant, but each stand on their own.
The best advice I can give is to be visible and be vigilant, both things they'll talk about at your class. I've avoided 3 accidents because I anticipated what was going to happen and was able to react proactively. I also like to think it's made me a better driver.
Don't skimp on the gear, either. If you do go down, that's the stuff that'll save you. I've spent well over a grand on stuff so far, and consider it worth every penny.
Good luck and ride safe.
It's like saying "well, I'm gonna get a car, but I don't really need seat belts, air bags, or crumple zones."
I was in a motorcycle accident while fucking around on a friend's bike. Not fun.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_armor
That shit's half the reason I want a motorcycle. 8-)
I'd love to get a bike, but no offense, I've never seen a human being that didn't look like a total moron by wearing clothes made from leather.
Also, what's a decent price range to look at to get into the land of motorcycles? Like, what would I need to have put away, on average, for a starter bike, appropriate gear, school, and a license? And how's insurance work on a bike?
It means full leather gear.
A leather jacket to protect you from when you fall, leather gloves for good grip, leather pants. Leather interior Helmet, motorcycle boots. etc.
O_o
Seriously. Most everyone seems to think "Hey, I'm gonna be that guy that can pull off a leather jacket" but more often than not, I think "This guy is trying way too hard to look like a badass, and it isn't working."
There ARE non-leather alternatives for bike riding, they usually look something like what the protagonist had at the end of Kill Bill Vol. 1.
I'm currently saving up for a motorcycle and gear so I've done some of this math already.
You can save a lot of money by doing any repair work yourself. I don't know a serious motorcyclist who doesn't do their own work.
Most people recommend a 250cc Japanese import, like a Honda Nighthawk or Rebel, for newbies. You can find used ones on Craigslist for anywhere from $500 to $3000 (they go for $3000-3500 new MSRP). This is also the class of bike the Motorcycle Safety Foundation courses use.
Speaking of MSF courses, they're about $200-250.
You don't want to skimp on a helmet. They need to be replaced every few years, so buying used is not recommended. A good helmet could set you back $300-500.
Insurance can cost anywhere from $100 to $1000 a year depending on your age, bike, driving record, and level of coverage.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I dunno, leather + armor seems like a pretty good idea to me considering the sort of damage one would expect to take from a spill. Someone riding around on a sportbike in jeans and a t-shirt looks a lot stupider to me than someone wearing full leathers. It's an incredibly practical material and I don't really see how selecting a practical material qualifies as "trying way too hard to look like a badass". There are alternative materials, sure, but now you're basing the decision on trying to look cool, which is exactly what you said is so awful about people who wear leather.
Essentially, your comments were boggling.
Good thing there's no one like that here. You see how I simply expressed confusion rather than coming out and yelling at him like leather was the only thing in the world? That's called being civil. Work on that.
I knew a guy in college who only owned a motorcycle, and his motorcycle gear was kevlar-reinforced military surplus. He bought kevlar plates and sewed them into the jacket and pants. So yes, you can absolutely not do leather
Most motorcycle accidents, to my knowledge, come from motorcyclists doing stupid things (such as going way too fast or accelerating quickly on poor conditions) or simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. the first happens far more than the second, though, due to the thing I mention in the first paragraph. if you take the time and respect the bike, you're really no worse off.
Ex: My jacket is a tough nylon polymer, and my pants are basically triple reinforced jeans.
A guy recently got rear-ended in Nebraska on his bicycle by a dump truck, and was killed.
He had like, 30 reflectors on the back of the bike.
People really don't watch out for motorcycles/bikes here. This is why I ride my bike on the sidewalk, because I prefer living.
Otherwise I'm pretty much a Tourmaster spokesman. Most of their shit is warm, waterproof, and has armor. I probably look like I'm ready to ride a light cycle from Tron when I'm all decked out depending on the weather, but that's not something I'm really concerned with.
Buy some useless stuff at my Cafepress site!
my friend who rode a motorcycle for quite some time said that denim will last about two feet sliding along asphalt, whereas leather will last something like 20.
Triple-thick jeans aren't really gonna compare.
Oh, and to be fair most of the accidents were because the drivers had been drinking/were on painkillers. Don't do that.
Most single vehicle accidents are the rider's fault, or stupid shit like gravel or spilt antifreeze that the DMV should really clean up. Multiple vehicle accidents, on the other hand, are overwhelmingly the fault of the other driver (according to the HURT report).
In a perfect world we'd all be wearing full leathers, but they're so hot and uncomfortable even I don't bother when I'm not at PIR. You can't wear the pants over anything but boxers because they're so tight (so the armor doesn't shift). Textile gear is perfectly fine, and much more convenient. The main difference is that your Vanson leather suit will be no worse for wear after you slide 400 feet, but your nylon/kevlar/whatever suit is good for one off.
Absolutely right. Jeans, no matter how thick, won't do squat against pavement. It's just cotton. There are some kevlar lined jeans you can get that may be better, though I've never tried them. Leather will last much longer than 20 feet (watch a MotoGP rider lowside and slide down a straight, his suit will just be scuffed), as long as you avoid cheapo thin leather.
Road rash is 100% preventable with gear. You'd think after 100 years of motorcycles people would figure that out, but it still seems like the majority of riders are out there in a half helmet and t-shirt. Fucking moronic.
I think Thanatos' friend was talking about fashion leather, the type you might buy at Wilson's.
(This is not directed at you, Fats.) Use a little common sense. The chemicals used to tan & cure a piece of leather can have a huge effect on durability, and two pieces of leather that came from the same animal can have hugely different material properties depending on how it was treated at the factory. Some types of leather (like, say, sheepskin) are going to turn to pulp almost immediately on contact with hot asphalt, others (like cowhide) will last a longer distance, but nothing you buy in a clothing shop is going to last as long or give as much protection as real riding leather. Riding leather is a completely different class of garment from any leather you might find at a department store.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
Very much true. The scale of protection seems to go skin -> denim -> synthetics -> leather. Don't read synthetics and think "polyester", either; you're better off not wearing anything than wearing clothing that will melt like that. I'm more referring to the leather alternatives, or the body armor. Everything I've read thus far seems to state that a good pair of leathers will outperform almost everything else, for a given price range anyway. I was always told the reason to move to synthetic motorcycle clothing is if you're getting overheated (since it can be made thinner and lighter), or if you're simply against the idea of leather.
Which brings me to another important point I remember learning: all leather is not created equal. Buy leather clothing designed for motorcycle riders. Typical "designer" leather used to make regular jackets and other clothing isn't nearly as strong.
Edit: Beated! Read above.
Almost every biker I know has fallen off their bike, either in very serious or mild accidents.
A friend of mine in high school lost his life while riding...I think it's the only time I've heard of a helmet killing someone. Was riding on the high way, someone changing lanes and didn't check his blind spot...sent my friend sliding and when he slipped under the road barrier on the side, his helmet got caught and well, you can imagine.
I think bikes are really unsafe and advise against them...but if you want to ride, just realize that more often than not you're going to have to keep an eye out for morons on the road. Hate people in SUV? Well think of that x 10.
Anyway, best of luck...cause it is a lot of fun.
I work Saturday afternoons. The guys I see have mostly just had a few beers and gone out for a leisurely ride around the neighborhood without any gear except a helmet. Mostly they weren't going fast enough to do anymore damage than road rash. I guarantee they wish they had been wearing something after we scrape the gravel out of their legs.
There was one kid who went over his handlebars. He caught himself with his hands, the radius bone of both of his arms were sticking straight out of his forearms. We also thought he had knocked his three front teeth out but when he went in for a CT they found them fully intact...JAMMED COMPLETELY UP INTO HIS GUMS. What a waste of remarkably strong teeth.
I have, and these are.
They work pretty well (:(), but obviously they aren't going to protect like full on armor.
Edit: What "pretty good" means to me:
High sided at ~35 after a hard brake into an attempted dodge around a blind old man in a giant old (steel) car; Florida's main import. Landed on my left hand and left knee (in that order) then slid on my thigh/elbow. The only injury I sustained was 2"² of flesh missing from my palm because I hadn't worn my gloves that day. The pants have a scuff mark on the knee with an almost-hole the size of a dime, and the skid mark on the thigh shows more scuffing but less actual damage to the outer layer. I wasn't going that fast, but I am far more confident in them now than when I bought them. I wouldn't wear them to a track, but for day to day wear I feel secure enough.
My lady is talking about getting a bike after her Dad gets her a riding course and all that.
She hits things with cars kind of commonly. Situational awareness? Man...I'm gonna be dating a hamburger.
I feel sick
When Buying a Bike add the cost of Helmet and at the very Least a good jacket. Having good saftey gear will help out. I have ridden a motorcyle for a number of years and thankfully I have never wrecked but I have had freinds wreck and all of them have walked away. I was riding with a freind and he wrecked in front of me; it was a really bad wreck, and i thought he was dead when I walked up to him; but he had saftey gear and was not even hurt.
If you look at motocross, those riders go down at like 200 mph when they do wreck and most of the time they walk away, so dont skimp on saftey
For the helmet: you will want a rating of at least DOT but ideally SNELL is better. The way I look at a helmet and justify buying a little bit more expensive helmet, is how much do you value your life. Helmets do save you if you wreck and spending 300 dollars to protect yourself is worth it.
Jacket: Jacket is going to stop the skin from being ripped off of your body if you fall, I use this jacket http://www.kneedraggers.com/image_storage/c/1e/c1e6b11360b52bac4629776b57a69dcd_rough.jpg
its a great leather jacket with kevlar inserts to protect when you fall. I had a vinyl jacket when i first got my bike and it worked but I like leather a little better. A lot of it will be personal preference. I think I spent 300 on that jacket with is worth it IMO.
Also while riding dont be stupid, most of the wrecks that I have seen are from people being dumb like going 80 through town. When riding just always be aware of what is going on around you and be prepared for the worst. I have a sport bike, and is is tons of fun to lean around corners. But at the same time while im doing it I am thinking about what I need to do if my bike starts to slip out.
If you ever do wreck it is always best to low side. i.e tip the bike over and slide along the ground; rather than flip off of the bike and land. That is where most of your injurys come from, and that is why it is good to wear leather.
When riding a Bike you also have to be more aware of what other drivers are doing, beacuase a lot of them are distracted so always be paying attention to that.
The bottom line is that riding a motorcycle is a lot of fun. It just takes more work than driving a car. Wear all of your saftey gear and always be vigilant. And if you have never ridden before then taking that saftey class is a good investment, it will teach you what to do if you wreck and teach you some defensive riding techniques that you might not have thought about.
If you have any questions PM me I am always up for talking about motorcycles.
Most biker I've known was a 32 year-old IT department-head. She was riding home one day and two cars both decided to merge into her lane from opposite sides, squishing her between them and crushing one of her legs. After sorting out the accident-shit, she rode home on it. That's pretty hot.