Please look twice for motorcycles

[dreadnut]

It's that time of year again, when the bikes come out of cold storage. Please look twice before you make a maneuver in your car or truck.

My son rides a Harley, and I worry about someone pulling out in front of him.

I can only imagine what Duane Allman would have done musically if that truck hadn't pulled out in front of him at the tender young age of 23,

 

[twocorgis]

I gave up riding my beloved BMW K75C 10 years ago or so after getting run off the road by a texting driver, and being very lucky to low side. I also had all my gear on at the time, and know it could have been exponentially worse.

Much as I miss it, riding anywhere with significant population density in the smartphone age just isn't worth dying for.

 

[gjmalcyon]

I just sold my 1980 BMW R100RT that I owned since new. Was garaged the last few years and not roadable. I ended up with a case of the "yips" over close calls on it, in my car, and on my road bike with inattentive texting drivers. Sold it a very nice young man originally from Tunisia who was looking for a BMW project bike.

Since I maintained the registration since new I turned in a 40-year old plate. I handed it to the motor vehicle agency security guard to take inside and get a receipt - motor vehicle transactions are appointment only right now. 3 guys came out to see who (or what) was turning in an active 40-year old plate.

And because I rode for all those years, I'm careful about motorcycles - no unexpected moves, plenty of space, and eye contact.

Here's a photo of her in the shop, looking faded and little incontinent.

 

[PapaLeo67]

Thanks for this.... I ride in full defense mode daily. Its crazy around here.

 

[5thumbs]

About 20 years ago I enrolled in the Motorcycle Safety Foundation rider course to gain an insurance discount.

It was actually a lot of fun. Unlike the court mandated driver safety courses I had previously been "invited" to join, the class was enthusiastic and motivated.

One interesting statistic which caught my attention was that at that time 85% of car/motorcycle accidents were caused by oncoming cars making left turns in front of bikes. It seemed that car drivers subconsciously tuned out motorcycles as "no threat". We were advised to ride as though we were invisible.

Good advice. It saved my bacon more than once. I no longer ride, but do try to pass this on to new riders when I can.

Thanks, Dread, for bringing this up.

 

[gjmalcyon]

We were advised to ride as though we were invisible.

That's part of the advice I'd give new riders: "Assume they (the cars) can't see you. Further assume if they CAN see you they will actively try to hit you."

Saved my tail more than once.

 

[PapaLeo67]

I rode for 30 years before my Son wanted to ride. I made him take the riders edge course which at the time was far more than necessary to get the MC endorsement. I took it with him and I must say, I learned A LOT. Today I enjoy taking classes from MotorCops. Its a lot of fun handling a heavy bike through low speed maneuvers. Ive now been riding over 40 years and still enjoy honing my skills.
Riding like your invisible is a must!

 

[5thumbs]

I took it with him and I must say, I learned A LOT.
Riding like your invisible is a must!

Yeah, that course unlearned a lot of bad habits. I found myself a much better rider after many years of riding.

 

[Opsimath]

I used to think I wanted a motorcycle, but then weather would get hot, or cold, or rainy. I'm a weather wimp so I finally decided I wouldn't ride enough for it to be worth having a bike. For the last few years I haven't had the road bike itch, but last year thought a dirt bike might be fun, and safer than riding in traffic. The thought hasn't gone anywhere though.

I do have a motorcycle story.

When my sister and her husband were headed for divorce he bought a motorcycle and rode it to a family reunion at our grandparents' house. He had an extra Darth Vader type helmet since he intended for my sister to ride the 30 miles back home with him.

When he got to the reunion I asked if he would take me for a ride. I figured a couple laps around the house would be about it. Not exactly. He had me put on the extra Darth Vader helmet and we went down the hill, onto the road, and on out of town (a town about the size of Mayberry). He got on a two lane county road and started going faster, and faster, and even faster.

We were going so fast that I had to hold the chin of the helmet and pull it down just to keep my head from being pushed back by the wind. I was getting really concerned. We were in an agricultural area and I was afraid an elderly gentleman farmer in an old truck or someone on a tractor could pull out in front of us.

We were going faster and faster and I was getting more and more scared. I was sure it was the day I was going to die. I was certain I would never see anyone I cared about ever again. Really. I thought all that on the back of that bike flying along on a twisty two lane county highway in rural Alabama. But, I was determined not to let him know I was the least bit scared.

He finally slowed down and pulled over at one of those roadside picnic tables that have since gone the way of the dinosaur. He takes off his helmet and quite proudly announces, "Did you know we were going over a hundred?!"

My response: "A hundred! A hundred! I don't like a hundred! Let's not do a hundred any more!" There might have been just a little bit of screeching in that reply, but I'm sure he had no idea whatsoever that I was terrified. (Yeah, right.)

The return to the reunion, as far as I know, was within the speed limit. Thank goodness!

Side note - I had waist length hair at the time which I did not tuck into the helmet. It took me over an hour to get the tangles out.

Luckily he was not hurt but the following week my brother-in-law ran the motorcycle off the road and into a ditch.

 

[Rambozo96]

I wouldn’t ride a bike for nothing these days. The idiots around here somehow miss a glaring white pickup truck so I can’t imagine they watch out for bikes much if that’s the case.

 

[Brad Little]

Every year when the weather turns nice, my wife remarks on the fact that MC riders will be showing up in the paper, and usually not their fault.

 

[Rambozo96]

Of course I’m not hating on the hobby not by a long shot. Just the idiots who ain’t watching what they’re doing making it much more dangerous than it really needs to be with the cellphones and touch screen junk on cars now that doesn’t help with the problem with distracted driving.

 

[Rayk]

Thanks for this.... I ride in full defense mode daily. Its crazy around here.

Sweet

 

[Rayk]

My baby getting a bath few years ago and taking the boy for a cruise. I don’t have a lot of bike pics . Lol

 

[Guildedagain]

A million miles on a bike here.

Old saying; there's no bad old motorcycle riders.

Opsimath No one should ever start riding later in life, I believe. The reflexes aren't there, the ones that save your life in a split second.

A) You should be hot sh*t on a bicycle before ever considering a motorcycle.

B) You should start out when you're about 16 on a dirt bike/enduro, learn how to slide around corners, learn how to slide, crash, not overcorrect, etc.

C) There's always little scooters and mopeds for short blasts around the city. Stay off main streets, stick to side streets, ride it like it's a bicycle.

D) Don't start out on a 600lb 1000cc machine, work your way up.

E) Avoid bikes like 5thumbs. I wouldn't even be here right now if I'd ever got a bike like that.

F) Avoid rush hour like the plague

G) Loud pipes do save lives.

H) They'll "never see you", but always miss a beer bottle in the road

I could probably go to Z and start over again.

Me on a BSA 441 Victor I bought from the guy next to me at a bar one night, this is a couple years later, after restoring it. This is 1981, I'm 20, 40 years ago.

 

[Rayk]

A million miles on a bike here.

Old saying; there's no bad old motorcycle riders.

Opsimath No one should ever start riding later in life, I believe. The reflexes aren't there, the ones that save your life in a split second.

A) You should be hot sh*t on a bicycle before ever considering a motorcycle.

B) You should start out when you're about 16 on a dirt bike/enduro, learn how to slide around corners, learn how to slide, crash, not overcorrect, etc.

C) There's always little scooters and mopeds for short blasts around the city. Stay off main streets, stick to side streets, ride it like it's a bicycle.

D) Don't start out on a 600lb 1000cc machine, work your way up.

E) Avoid bikes like 5thumbs. I wouldn't even be here right now if I'd ever got a bike like that.

F) Avoid rush hour like the plague

G) Loud pipes do save lives.

H) They'll "never see you", but always miss a beer bottle in the road

I could probably go to Z and start over again.

Me on a BSA 441 Victor I bought from the guy next to me at a bar one night, this is a couple years later, after restoring it. This is 1981, I'm 20, 40 years ago.

Cool

 

[jp]

I can't count the times I've been cut off, seen through, ignored, and almost absolutely smeared on the pavement. Good point that cell phones have increased the risk for anyone on the road in any vehicle. So scary.

I haven't been riding for a while, but here are some pics of one of my favorite trusty steeds. I bought it completely blacked out with the motor completely rebuilt with a Wiseco big bore kit. It was a fire breathing beast. I sold it to a guy in Sweden who restored it from the ground up to its original glory. I miss that bike so much.

I'm really interested in doing some adventure, dual sport riding here in the Pac NW, but I do have my misgivings. Drivers are horrible out here.

 

[fronobulax]

I never rode but a friend of mine in high school had a Honda 750 Four and I would sometimes be a passenger. I remember riding behind him in town and he stopped next to a strange looking car. It was the first iteration of a Honda Civic. We were amused because the engine on the bike was bigger that the car's powerplant and seated on the bike we could still look down at the roof of the car.

 

[Opsimath]

I never rode but a friend of mine in high school had a Honda 750 Four and I would sometimes be a passenger. I remember riding behind him in town and he stopped next to a strange looking car. It was the first iteration of a Honda Civic. We were amused because the engine on the bike was bigger that the car's powerplant and seated on the bike we could still look down at the roof of the car.

I decided a Chevy Vega was way too small when I was not much above eye level with the hubcaps of a semi.

 

[dreadnut]

My buddy was giving me a ride on the back of his Kaw 900 Z1 in about '74. He opened it up, and when I looked over his shoulder I saw we were going 120 mph. There were big Douglas firs on both sides of the road, it reminded me of "Hot Rod Lincoln," the trees looked like a picket fence.

I'm glad to be here to tell this story.