Gas prices drive increase in motorcycle injuries - Motorcycle-Journal Forums

nativenyerintexas · 08-23-2008, 08:05 PM

I just read this article on the Star telegram's website.

Gas prices drive increase in motorcycle injuries | Fort Worth | Star-Telegram.com

So here are the questions:

1) How much experience do you have riding motorcycles?

2) Do you wear any kind of protective gear and if so, in what weather?

3) Did you take an MSF Course?

4) Have you ever had an incident while riding where it caused an injury severe enough for you to not be able to perform your daily routine.

5) Why do you ride? List all reasons.

Here are my answers"

1) I've been riding regularly since June 2004, a which point I bought a Honda Reflex 250cc scooter. I learned to ride about 15 years ago on a Honda Shadow 1,100 but haven't gotten on a 'real' motorcycle until Jine 5th 2008, where I bought my M50.

2) I always ride with a helmet, jeans, gloves and over-the-ankle boots but here in Texas during the summer months it's too hot to wear any kind of armor. In the cooler months I wear anything from a denim jacket to a mesh armored jacket to two different thick leather riding jackets. In extreme cold weather I substitute the leather for multiple layers ending in a down jacket.

3) No. When I started riding my 250cc scooter I lived in NYC and the only place that offered the course didn't allow me to take it since I'm disabled. I did take lessons though.

4) Yes, I had two. The first one I was making a left turn where on-coming traffic was halted due to rush hour and someone decided he didn't want to wait and passed vehicles in a parking lane. It's against the law to pass on the right according to NYS traffic law but since I was the one making the left turn the judge ruled half against me. No injuries to speak of except for the bike. It cost over $3,300 to repair it mostly because of all the plastics. The second happened due to a traffic light that was changing too quick. The temperature was about 38 degrees and I just got on the bike so the tires were cold meaning I didn't have full traction. I had a split second to decide to either try to stop or run the light but when I saw cars waiting at the intersection I decided better to stop so i did what I was taught; I hit both front and rear brakes hard but the front one a little harder. While I was doing that I didn't know that those painted arrows on the ground could be so slippery so I hit that and it was like hitting a sheet of ice. The scooter went to the right and I went to the left. I couldn't get off the ground due to two broken ribs in my upper back and a broken collar bone. I was laid up for two to three weeks but as soon as I repaired my Reflex I got right back on.

5) Insurance prices in NYC would have caused me to pay about $3,000 a year for basic liability insurance for any car even though I have not had any accident or moving violation on my record for over 10 years at that point in 2004. My Honda Reflex cost $280 a year through progressive and that dropped to $186 when I went to Geico. MY gas mileage was about 55 mpg in NYC. Here that same Honda would get closer to 60 mpg but the little 250cc engine was too under-powered for Texas highways so back in June I upgraded to the 800cc M50. It's the only vehicle I own.

I also like to ride. I drove everything from motorcycles to tractor trailers and motorcycles are my favorite to operate, tractor trailers coming up second. Then comes fast cars in third place.