Swampnuts Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 I could tell stories for two hours that would make a man never climb on a motorcycle again. The main point to remember when you ride is that you are totally defenseless. The two things I always hear car drivers ( who hit cyclists ) say is either " I never saw him", or " I thought he was farther away". I'd love to ride myself, but I won't take the risk with a family at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted June 13, 2006 Author Share Posted June 13, 2006 When we were kids growing up we had several motorcycles. When the older ones in the family were old enough, they all chipped in and got a Honda 50. It was built like a street legal bike not a mini scooter. Top speed was 60 mph, but going downhill. Then my older brother got a Honda 305. For the size of it, it could really move. I remember once when my two brothers plus a neighbor kid were racing down our driveway and I was riding towards them with my bike, I couldn't do anything but close my eyes and hoped that one of them would move away in time. They didn't. When I opened my eyes, (about 8 at the time I suppose) I was at the bottom of a steep bank and the neighbor kid was down the bank as well. He ran over me and was trying to keep his bike from tipping. It didn't hurt at all, but it was scary for a little dude like myself. Another time we were digging a pond out in the back 80 of our farm. When it was finally dug out, my brothers found out that it made for a great cycle jump. They'd ride up from the back side and jump into where the water should be in the pond. They could get alot of air on that. My brother's 305 ran out of gas while he was going up the bank to make his jump. He went backwards back down the hill which was about 25-30 feet. I know a dude that tipped his bike over and burnt his leg on the muffler. He was all by himself so nobody else was around to get the bike off. He couldn't get the bike off his leg and it kept burning. Finally he decided that he had enough and got a burst Hulk Hogan strength to get the bike off his leg. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 I'd love to ride myself, but I won't take the risk with a family at home. I'm 35, and have been riding since I was 18. I currently own a 2004 Yamaha YZF600. I also currently own a 17 month old son. It's made me think a little about my responsibilities and so forth. As of now, I still ride, but I've definitely backed it down a notch or two as far as how aggressivley I ride. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TimC Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 A co-worker's hubbie had one last year. Lost his leg and suffered brain damage. He's still functional but much slower than before. He still wants to ride but she won't let him. My only experience with motorcycles was a Honda 50 my Dad bought for me when I was 14. I nearly killed myself jumping over the creek with it so he sold it shortly thereafter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Everyone that rides a motorcycle for any length of time will eventually put it down. It happens. Wet leaves, loose gravel, animal, idiot drivers, and the rest. I did it when I hit a patch of sand the street sweeper was kind enough to deposit on the road. The most important thing to know is to how to put the bike down and to let go. In most cases there's an opportunity for the rider to react quickly and decisively enough to minimize the damage. Not always though. But this is exactly why riding without the appropriate gear is a fools errand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 I mentioned this before.......... A good friend of my wife's brother, 18, no licence, got on a friends bike and ran it thru a cyclone fence. He's a paraplegic. That was about 35 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcat2334 Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 My ass. What a crock. If you chose not to wear a helmet, it's your decision, and certainly should not be mandated. Ben's a jackass for riding a Hyabusa without a helmet because his entire livelihood depends on his health, but that's where it ends. Of course it is a personal choice- don't know about NY but here you can't ride a mountain bike without a helmet- Dumbasses like Roth would have worn a helmet if it was the law, which it should be. Gimme a break- you have to war a seatbelt with 12 airbags in your car, but can cruise the streets with your melon exposed on a motorcycle? cmon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Me. I hit a deer, the rider behind me laid down his bike trying to avoid the crash, but still smashed into me. Killed the deer and both me and the other rider wound up in the ER, though we manage to ride home on the one motorcycle that wasn't all wrecked. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Of course it is a personal choice- don't know about NY but here you can't ride a mountain bike without a helmet- Dumbasses like Roth would have worn a helmet if it was the law, which it should be. Gimme a break- you have to war a seatbelt with 12 airbags in your car, but can cruise the streets with your melon exposed on a motorcycle? cmon. Well, I'm opposed to the seatbelt laws as well, so I guess that explains where I stand on this. I agree that it would very contradictory to be opposed the helmet laws and support seatbelt laws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H8tank Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 I've put one down a few times, dirt or otherwise, here was the worst I was in, had to have some extensive plastic surgury. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 (edited) Well, I'm opposed to the seatbelt laws as well, so I guess that explains where I stand on this. I agree that it would very contradictory to be opposed the helmet laws and support seatbelt laws. Ah, but your personal freedom to not wear a seat belt should end at the point where you expect me to pay for that decision. My point is that many who oppose helmet and seatbelt laws end up costing the rest of us a lot of money when they get hurt worse than they would have if they'd been wearing a seatbelt/helmet, but do not carry adequate health insurance to pay for the added expense associated with the more serious injury. And who do you think picks up the bill if the injured person is under or uninsured? That's not "personal freedom." That's just selfish and irresponsible. Now, if you're well-insured and it ain't gonna cost me anything extra if you go and get yourself all smashed up, fine by me. But I can't think of a practicle way to translate that concept into a fair and enforceable rule. Edited June 13, 2006 by yo mama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh 0ne Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Now, if you're well-insured and it ain't gonna cost me anything extra if you go and get yourself all smashed up, fine by me. We're all square. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 We're all square. I had a sneaky suspicion I didn't have to worry about you, Hugh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 A friend of mine got killed last summer. He was even wearing a helmet. For a few days that almost meant something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo mama Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 A friend of mine got killed last summer. He was even wearing a helmet. For a few days that almost meant something. Sorry to hear that, Club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 A friend of mine got killed last summer. He was even wearing a helmet. For a few days that almost meant something. There have been studies done that indicate wearing a helmet cut down on head trauma type injuries, but that they increase neck injuries in motorcycle accidents. The theory is that the bottom of a helmet, especially full face helmets, restricts the range of motion of the head, causing traumatic neck and upper back injuries. Sorry to hear about your friend Club. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NSab Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 There have been studies done that indicate wearing a helmet cut down on head trauma type injuries, but that they increase neck injuries in motorcycle accidents. The theory is that the bottom of a helmet, especially full face helmets, restricts the range of motion of the head, causing traumatic neck and upper back injuries. Sorry to hear about your friend Club. Check the other thread , Rothlisberger didn't even have a License, by law he was required to wear a helmet and chose not to. He had an expired learners permit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 Well, I'm opposed to the seatbelt laws as well, so I guess that explains where I stand on this. I agree that it would very contradictory to be opposed the helmet laws and support seatbelt laws. This came up earlier, and I argued that it is in fact, not contradictory: the helmet really only benefits the driver of the bike. No one else's saftey is involved, unless -MAYEB- you have a passenger. Seat belts, on the other hand, allow you to stay in front of the sterring wheel, meaning in an accident it allows you to regain control of your car. In fact, that's generally your first instinct. That instinct, and the ability to regain control of your car benefits anyone else involved in the accident, and aids in preventing bystanders from becoming unwillingly involved. Az poopoohed this and demnaded a study on the ability to regain control of your car. Of course, no such study exists because it is such a given most seat belts studies that examine data of how it protects you usually have the words, "in addition to allowing you to regian control of your car...." My desire for personal freedoms includes the option of not wearing the helmet, but does not apply when you get behind a steering wheel. You owe it to your fellow drivers to buckle up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Retrograde assault Posted June 13, 2006 Share Posted June 13, 2006 My dad My wifes boss My best friend and thats just to name a few. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcat2334 Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 This came up earlier, and I argued that it is in fact, not contradictory: the helmet really only benefits the driver of the bike. No one else's saftey is involved, unless -MAYEB- you have a passenger. Seat belts, on the other hand, allow you to stay in front of the sterring wheel, meaning in an accident it allows you to regain control of your car. In fact, that's generally your first instinct. That instinct, and the ability to regain control of your car benefits anyone else involved in the accident, and aids in preventing bystanders from becoming unwillingly involved. Az poopoohed this and demnaded a study on the ability to regain control of your car. Of course, no such study exists because it is such a given most seat belts studies that examine data of how it protects you usually have the words, "in addition to allowing you to regian control of your car...." My desire for personal freedoms includes the option of not wearing the helmet, but does not apply when you get behind a steering wheel. You owe it to your fellow drivers to buckle up. Wrong - anyone who rides a bike without a helmet is a lunatic... and costs us $$$$$$$$ According to a Jan. 2006 publication from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: • An unhelmeted motorcyclist is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury and 15 percent more likely to suffer a nonfatal injury than a helmeted motorcyclist when involved in a crash. • Motorcycle helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by an estimated 37 percent. • From 1984 through 2004, helmets saved an estimated 16,019 lives of motorcyclists. • use saved $19.5 billion; another $14.8 billion would have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. Motorcycle helmet use saved an estimated $1.3 billion in 2002 alone. An additional $853 million would have been saved if all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes had worn helmets. From 1984-2002, the NHTSA estimates that motorcycle helmet ts during the same period. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pope Flick Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 (edited) Wrong - anyone who rides a bike without a helmet is a lunatic... and costs us $$$$$$$$ According to a Jan. 2006 publication from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: • An unhelmeted motorcyclist is 40 percent more likely to suffer a fatal head injury and 15 percent more likely to suffer a nonfatal injury than a helmeted motorcyclist when involved in a crash. • Motorcycle helmets reduce the likelihood of a crash fatality by an estimated 37 percent. • From 1984 through 2004, helmets saved an estimated 16,019 lives of motorcyclists. • use saved $19.5 billion; another $14.8 billion would have been saved if all motorcyclists had worn helmets. Motorcycle helmet use saved an estimated $1.3 billion in 2002 alone. An additional $853 million would have been saved if all motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes had worn helmets. From 1984-2002, the NHTSA estimates that motorcycle helmet ts during the same period. You look it in terms of money, I look at it in terms of lives. If someone wants to ride without a helmet, I'm willing to absorb that cost for the sake of the larger concept of personal freedom. That doesn't apply to seat belts, because without one you stand to hurt more people. So, I'm not wrong. You gotta link for that bolded quote? Edited June 14, 2006 by Pope Flick Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clubfoothead Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Sorry to hear that, Club. There have been studies done that indicate wearing a helmet cut down on head trauma type injuries, but that they increase neck injuries in motorcycle accidents. The theory is that the bottom of a helmet, especially full face helmets, restricts the range of motion of the head, causing traumatic neck and upper back injuries. Sorry to hear about your friend Club. Thanks for the kind words. Unfortunately his personality and his bike were a bad combination. The day he bought it I told him I hoped he broke his hip before he killed himself. He had massive injuries everywhere. It was a single vehicle accident, he lost control on some slick roads and slid into the colums that held up a bridge. The helmet did keep him alive long enough for people to try and help. He'd have been DoA without it. I don't know what the official cause of death was. I'm a personal freedoms guy. I don't like helmet and seatbelt laws. I had a hard time adjusting to wearing a seatbelt. Now, you could do away with the law and I'd never ride without being buckled up. I wish all my firends who rode would wear helmets but I've got friends I wish would not skydive, use meth and may other dangerous things. I speak my peace and let them go about their lives because we are friends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Irish Doggy Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Our warehouse manager indented his helpless body into the back of a Cutlass Supreme. Out 6 months of work - 2 in a body cast. Took 5 years to pay off all the extra medical bills and money they borrowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowboutthemCowboys Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 Bikes are trouble- and I hope Big Ben is ok. No reason on earth to ever be on a biek, in the streets and not have a helmet on- that is beyond stupid. Is the state of Pennsylvania in the dark ages?? how in the world is that not the law??? Ben's own stupidity for not wearing one - but that is shocking to me that helmets are not mandated by law. Contracts being revised all over the country tomorrow am........... Pa. had a helmet law for as long as I can remember.It was reversed last year.There were 2 fatal accidents involving motorcycles in a 5 day span within 5 miles of my house last week.In the first,the guy on the bike was making a turn across traffic on a 4 lane highway and was hit by a pickup going about 80 mph.In the 2nd a crotch rocket was racing another and a van pulled out in front of him on the same 4 lane.The cycle ended up inside the van and caught fire,obviously along with the van.The rider and 4 people in the van were killled instantly.FWIW they were both wearing helmets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beaumont Posted June 14, 2006 Share Posted June 14, 2006 My step-dad was also a lawyer. Represented Honda in some suits. Showed me some pictures. I never even thought of riding a motorcycle after that ... I know four people who have died in motorcycle crashes, not including lawsuits I have been involved in with injured/dead strangers ... The most recent person I knew left a wife and two kids after he died on his bike. His business collapsed, his wife remarried poorly, and the kids are all messed up without their dad ... I hate motorcycles ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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