Deadly Dozen, the motorcycle safety myths and urban legends.

[Nal]

Originally Posted by Davecm203

She probably had her windows up, radio up, and cell phone on her ear. With you sitting at idle your bike still would not be loud enough for her to hear you. Especially if there is a lot of traffic with other noises.

probably, it was 7:50 a.m. so my guess was that she was running late for work and kept looking at the light when it flashed green she just took off, I've let off the brakes before, when I seen the turn arrow for the next lane turn green, but always catch myself and brake again , cause I always pull out with ease just in case some idiot decides to run the red which happens a lot around Albuquerque

[Davecm203]

^You can't be too careful. It always makes me cringe when I see motorcycles jump a light. It is an accident waiting to happen. When I am in Raleigh, people will run the red light until it turns green again. So, when you are on a secondary road, your light will turn red while you are sitting there hoping they will stop. In my car I will go and hope they don't hit me.

[cosmicbiker]

thanks for sharing the informations

[oldfart750]

Anything that will help riders be noticed is better than no effort at all. Noise, lights, chains, whips, knives. Whatever it takes to make the idiots know you're there is worth the effort. Protecting the brain pan is also a good idea. All the statistics and good intentios will not save you from the curb hitting your head. I would rather take the safe way to rode tomorrow than test the statistics today.

[kd5ob]

Originally Posted by Uncle B

Myth 4: Helmets Block Your Ability to See or Hear Danger



The thing you learn when you dig into the research is that motorcycle riders who use helmets crash less frequently than those who don't.
Maybe that happens because motorcyclists who decide to wear helmets have a better or more realistic attitude about riding.
Maybe it's because putting on a helmet is a reminder that what you are about to do can be dangerous and the act of accepting protection puts you in the right mindset.
Maybe it's because a helmet provides eye protection and cuts down wind noise so you can actually see and hear better.
Maybe its because, by cutting wind pressure and noise, a helmet reduces fatigue.



Whatever the reasons, wearing a helmet clearly does not increase a motorcyclist's risk of having an accident and wearing one correlates to reduced likelihood of an accident.

Sorry but a full facial helmet does cut down your visibility and forces you to move your head up and down to see your mirror and speedo then refocus on the road ahead of you. So, certain helmets really do cut down on your visability.

Charlie

[kd5ob]

Originally Posted by Uncle B

Myth 8: If You Are Going to Crash, Lay It Down

I suspect this line was developed by riders to explain why they ended up flat-side-down while trying to avoid a crash.

They over-braked or otherwise lost control, then tried to explain the crash away as intentional and tried to make it sound like it wasn't a crash at all.

Maybe motorcycle brakes once were so bad that you could stop better off your bike while sliding or tumbling. If so, that hasn't been true for decades. You can scrub off much more speed before and there be going slower at impact with effective braking than you will sliding down the road on your butt. And if you are still on the bike, you might get thrown over the car you collide with, avoiding an impact with your body. If you slide into a car while you are on the ground, you either have a hard stop against it or end up wedged under it. Remember that the phrase "I laid 'er down to avoid a crash" is an oxymoron, often repeated by some other kind of moron.

The only events where being on the ground might leave you better off are:
1) on an elevated roadway where going over the guardrail will cause you to fall a long way,
or 2) in that situation you see occasionally in movies, where the motorcyclist slides under a semi trailer without touching it.
That's a good trick if the truck is moving.

If your going to hit some fixed object like a car or concrete barrier or barb wire fence, telephone pole, something hard,,, and you know that you don't have enough space to break and theirs no ESCAPE AVENUE for you to steer your way to safety and avoid the collision then by all means, lay the bike down in such a way that puts the bike between you and the object your going to hit, stay with the bike in the saddle when you do this and allow the suspension of the bike to take the impact for you.

At 80,000 lbs up, in my semi, I can run over a 4 X 4 piece of pine and turn it into splinters.
Once, while crossing New Mexico, I ran over a 3 cushion leather couch which fell out of the back of this hispanic couples pickup truck.
There was no damage to the Semi, but there wasn't two pieces of that couch left which measured greater than 6 inches across, leather included. And the look on that cute lady's face, priceless!!!! Next time use some rope lady.

If you slide underneath my trailer while it's moving, they'll have to vacuum you up for burial. Depending on the community of course.
Some cities will just firehose you down the drain and forget about it. Yet others will apply this sawdust like stuff which will soak you
up then they scoop that into the dump truck for a more environmentally friendly send off.

Even if your in a full sized 4 door sedan, we'll see the transmission and engine in the ditch and little else. The rest will be in these
little tiny small chunks. And I mean that! You don't even find the trunk, doors, glove box, NOTHING...

Charlie

[pastorgumby]

Keep it real! What works best for you - that should be gospel.

[kerrtapp]

Couldn't it also be a more risk-taking rider would rather have a modified bike? Thus the exhaust to show off? Thus the fatality rate increasing? Not saying that all modified bike owners are negligent on the road though.

[inspiron]

Oh, I doubt that. What does one consider "modifications"? Is my bike "modified" because I've got a K&N air filter, iridium spark plugs and bar-end mirrors?

There are lots of reasons to "mod" a bike - cosmetics, better sound, improved performance, etc. My neighbor is the most conservative person you could ever meet - he always drives the speed limit, etc. When he bought his new bike (A Kawasaki GTR 1400), he had an after-market can installed, because the original was just too "tinny". The new exhaust is not any louder, but sounds "deeper". And he still keeps it under the speed limit ...

[womper]

Originally Posted by kd5ob

Sorry but a full facial helmet does cut down your visibility and forces you to move your head up and down to see your mirror and speedo then refocus on the road ahead of you. So, certain helmets really do cut down on your visability.

Charlie

no offense but bull%%%%.

i always have a full face. i see my speedo and mirrors without moving my head.

either get a better full face, or move the mirrors/speedo where you can see them