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Clay-Palmerdale Road is one hairpin turn after another.

You take your life in your hands passing one car, but 4?

http://www.trussvilletribune.com/?p=4585

Idiots like that give other motorcycle riders, like myself, a bad name. I'm just thankful that the other passengers survived and this fool removed only himself from the gene pool.

(01-31-2013 12:04 AM)GreenGiant67 Wrote:  Idiots like that give other motorcycle riders, like myself, a bad name. I'm just thankful that the other passengers survived and this fool removed only himself from the gene pool.

This. A large percentage of motorcycle deaths are people acting like idiots, which kind of pisses me off when someone gives me a sermon about my motorcycle riding.

Yeah, I didn't post this to ding motorcyclists, just idiots.

Seems you guys have to be extra-careful, because you are extra-vulnerable, but that could just be the geezer in me talking.

(01-31-2013 09:58 AM)Smaug Wrote:  Yeah, I didn't post this to ding motorcyclists, just idiots.

Seems you guys have to be extra-careful, because you are extra-vulnerable, but that could just be the geezer in me talking.

Oh, I didn't think you were trying to say anything, but I am reminded of that thread we had a few months back about bikes.

And yeah, you have to pay attention. You can't act like Evel Knievel or treat I-459 like Barber Motorsports Park. Leave enough room to stop between cars, be mindful of traffic entering and crossing the street, and largely you'll be ok. Doesn't mean things can't happen, but things can happen in a car, standing in line at the bank, or anything else.

(01-31-2013 09:58 AM)Smaug Wrote:  Yeah, I didn't post this to ding motorcyclists, just idiots.

Seems you guys have to be extra-careful, because you are extra-vulnerable, but that could just be the geezer in me talking.

Or the recent memory of your trip home from the ballgame.

(01-31-2013 11:25 AM)BlazerPhil Wrote:  

(01-31-2013 09:58 AM)Smaug Wrote:  Yeah, I didn't post this to ding motorcyclists, just idiots.

Seems you guys have to be extra-careful, because you are extra-vulnerable, but that could just be the geezer in me talking.

Or the recent memory of your trip home from the ballgame.

That, too.

Things happen before you know it, even when you are being careful.

(01-31-2013 12:18 PM)Smaug Wrote:  

(01-31-2013 11:25 AM)BlazerPhil Wrote:  

(01-31-2013 09:58 AM)Smaug Wrote:  Yeah, I didn't post this to ding motorcyclists, just idiots.

Seems you guys have to be extra-careful, because you are extra-vulnerable, but that could just be the geezer in me talking.

Or the recent memory of your trip home from the ballgame.

That, too.

Things happen before you know it, even when you are being careful.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=320064738082350

(01-31-2013 10:58 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  

(01-31-2013 09:58 AM)Smaug Wrote:  Yeah, I didn't post this to ding motorcyclists, just idiots.

Seems you guys have to be extra-careful, because you are extra-vulnerable, but that could just be the geezer in me talking.

Oh, I didn't think you were trying to say anything, but I am reminded of that thread we had a few months back about bikes.

And yeah, you have to pay attention. You can't act like Evel Knievel or treat I-459 like Barber Motorsports Park. Leave enough room to stop between cars, be mindful of traffic entering and crossing the street, and largely you'll be ok. Doesn't mean things can't happen, but things can happen in a car, standing in line at the bank, or anything else.

I agree with mixed-up. I didn't think you were trying to generalize about motorcyclists either Smaug.

I always try to have an "out" while riding. Sort of an escape route if something were to happen. Also what some perceive as crazy riding by a motorcyclist is sometimes the rider just trying to get away from possible chaos and other people not paying attention. I see many people on phones, texting, eating, and believe it or not READING while driving cars. I even saw a complete idiot on a motorcycle texting.

My general rule of thumb when riding is whether I'm right or wrong, I am going to lose if I get into an altercation with a vehicle. Riding a motorcycle has actually made me a safer driver all around.

I have 3 vehicles that I drive now - a motorcycle, a full size truck, and a 37' long RV (bus style). All 3 require a lot of attention. And all three have made me a much safer driver on the road.

I'm always careful to watch for bikers. Simply because they are way more exposed than someone in a car. I've seen some terrible wrecks involving motorcycles and in nearly all of them, the biker gets the $hitty end of the stick.

But I've also seen people behaving like idiots in both cars and motorcycles.

There's no helmet law in Iowa, and I rarely see a biker in Iowa wearing one. Whenever a biker dies in an accident, the media here make it a point of telling the readers whether or not the biker was wearing a helmet.

And, according to the recent statistics, Iowa leads the nation four years running in deaths per capita in motorcycle accidents. I have to say if you don't wear a helmet, you kind of deserve it.

(02-05-2013 09:10 PM)Grammar-Nazi Wrote:  There's no helmet law in Iowa, and I rarely see a biker in Iowa wearing one. Whenever a biker dies in an accident, the media here make it a point of telling the readers whether or not the biker was wearing a helmet.

And, according to the recent statistics, Iowa leads the nation four years running in deaths per capita in motorcycle accidents. I have to say if you don't wear a helmet, you kind of deserve it.

Yeah, not wearing a helmet is dumb. At highway speeds it may not do you any good but if you get pulled out in front of at slower speeds, it might be the difference.

(02-06-2013 12:08 AM)mixduptransistor Wrote:  [quote='Grammar-Nazi' pid='8929545' dateline='1360116619'] At highway speeds it may not do you any good but if you get pulled out in front of at slower speeds, it might be the difference.

Exactly right.

Laying it down at little more than a walking speed is when the helmet might save you.

As with seat belts, none GUARANTEE healthy survival in EVERY crash regardless of your speed or nature of the other vehicle or immovable object. They are all measures meant to increase one's chances of survival. Look at today's signees -- every one of them was signed to help UAB have its first winning season in many seasons, but not one is GUARANTEED to even play in 2013. That is why UAB signs 25 every year -- in hopes that a sufficient number of them will be successful in their career at UAB to improve the program. Signees, seat belts and helmets are all judged after the fact to be the right choice or not to have made a difference.