"2 types of riders, those who've crash, and those who will crash..."

[bikernoj]

[quote=SoarAndEnvision]I was talking to a coworker today who is a rider of 2 years and into some heavy stuff as far as I'm concerned - wheelies, going VERY fast and other GSXR/R1 related stuff. [quote]

I read somewhere when I was first starting out that you are most likely to crash in your first six months and in your third year. The former because you don't know what you're doing, and the latter from getting too cocky and not paying attention.

Hopefully, if your co-worker actually UNDERSTANDS that statement, he/she always wears full gear. However, lowsiding into a long gravel trap is VERY different than impacting a concrete barrier at 100+! Newbs and Squids aren't necessarily the same people.

[drgibson]

I rode street bikes for about 30 years before I ate it. Man I don't bounce like I used to. I've dumped so many dirt bikes I lost count after the first 50 or so times.

Always be prepaired to fall (wear your gear) so when you do you can minimize the damage. I hit the pavement doing 60 and thanks to the gear (and the fact that no one ran over me) I came out of it relatively unscathed. Sure I need more gear but it's cheaper then flesh. One day in the hospital ER cost over $15,000 (I just got the bill).

[DrBob]

Originally Posted by TechJD

well I dont like to dispute anyone who has been riding longer than me but
the statics say sence 1990 motorcycle accident have grown consitable (well over double compared to the late 1980's)
enough that the Gov has ordered a new study to try and figure out why

Yes and no. The NUMBERS of motorcycle accidents have gone up. The raw number of accidents is due to the increase in motorcycle sales. In the USA as a whole only 250,000 motorcycles were sold in 1992, while nearly 5 times that many were sold last year. In some states the grouth has been even greater: for example, Florida saw an 87% increase in the number of motorcycles registered in that state just between the year 2000 and 2004! So of course there was an increase in the number of accidents.

In the last year or so there has been a spike in the accident rate across the country also, as high gas prices have attracted many new riders, and new riders are more likely to have an accident.

However, as a general trend over the last 15-20 years, the accident rate per mile riden has gone steadily down. That's why the sudden upturn has caused such concern (hopefully it is a temporary blip and not a new trend). But even with the recent increase, accident rates per mile are still well below what they were back in the days before manditory motorcycle training in most states, manditory headlight use in all states, and a skills test to get your MC endorcement. When I first bought a motorcycle I just paid $5 extra for a motorcycle endorcement and that was the end of it: no skills test, no written test, nothing. The Harley Sportster I rode back then came from the factory with no turn signals, the headlight did not come on automatically, it didn't have a horn, and it didn't even have a speedo. Safety has come a long way.