'Motorbikes are deathtraps!' B.S.

[Julz01]

Do alot of you guys get 'motorbikes are deathtraps'. I seem to be getting it alot lately. very few people seem to think that bikes are safe.

so a message to you guys who have friends/relatives who have the idea that bikes are deathtraps, well here's what I think:
bikes aren't more dangerous then cars, in a sense. the only time a bike becomes dangerous is when the rider is doing something stupid or pushing their or their bikes' limits. yes bikes are more dangerous in the event of a crashed, and you are 20 times more likely to be killed in a crash on a bike than in a car (for the RTA website). But in the aspect of danger, the roles of cars and bikes are swapped, inverted if you will. in a crash, it's less dangerous for the person/s on the other side of the crash, but more dangerous for the rider. BUT if you're in a car, it's less dangerous for you (the driver) but more dangerous for the onlookers, a car weighing up to 5 times the weight of a bike is somewhat more dangerous when getting flung through the air towards you.

a bike does exactly what it's told (unless it isn't in good working order), as does a car. But the purpose of bikes and cars is to be ridden and driven, not crashed. So going by that, bikes serve their purpose safely and effective, and in most cases more efficiently then cars. it's a no brainer that you're going to get more hurt on a bike in the event of a crash than if you were in a car, but, as also aforementioned, a bikes purpose is to be ridden, not crashed.

conclusively, if you follow safety rules, don't speed, or push the limits of yourself ( or your bike ) you're at no greater risk of getting hurt than in a car.

[Turtle]

More than likely its a car that doesn't see the bike and pulls out on it or cuts the bike off, we (on bikes) are a lot harder to see than a car.....:(

[Julz01]

More than likely its a car that doesn't see the bike and pulls out on it or cuts the bike off, we (on bikes) are a lot harder to see than a car.....:(

they should impose stronger laws for when the driver is at fault, fair enough we're about 1 third the size of a car. but then again, if the driver is properly scanning and checking for bikes (like the signs all of Sydney say) then they should be able to see us. but if both bike riders and cars are both paying attention and constantly on the look out for each other, than like a said, we're at no greater risk than if we were in a car :p

[Alex.]

We've all heard that statement, or similar ones to the same effect, that motorcycles are more dangerous than cars.
It all comes down to risk, and the level that we're prepared to expose ourselves to. We all have different tolerances to risk and as such, adjust our activities/hobbies/pursuits accordingly.
In terms of motorcyles, statisically and logically (and from experience) if I have an accident there's a higher chance of me getting injured or worse however this is something that we accept when we choose to ride.

[lilninja]

More than likely its a car that doesn't see the bike and pulls out on it or cuts the bike off, we (on bikes) are a lot harder to see than a car.....:(

I dont think we are harder to see mate i think its more people dont look for us because they dont view us as of much of a threat to there personal property or there safety so looking for bikes gets put on the back burner!

[Turtle]

they should impose stronger laws for when the driver is at fault, fair enough we're about 1 third the size of a car. but then again, if the driver is properly scanning and checking for bikes (like the signs all of Sydney say) then they should be able to see us. but if both bike riders and cars are both paying attention and constantly on the look out for each other, than like a said, we're at no greater risk than if we were in a car :p

Riders have always gotta ride defensively, you cant be complacent for a second cause thats all the time it takes for a person in a car, who's not really paying any attention to do the wrong thing.....we are very vulnerable on a bike so you have to ride to the conditions and well within your limits.....

[Turtle]

I dont think we are harder to see mate i think its more people dont look for us because they dont view us as of much of a threat to there personal property or there safety so looking for bikes gets put on the back burner!

Yeah Damo i think we are harder to see than a car, i myself have almost pulled out on a bike......we are much smaller and if you only glance when pulling out than bikes can be missed.......

[lilninja]

Yeah we are smaller but we also always have healights on and are qite often a brightish colour!
I just know myself if someone ever pulls out on me causing me to hit them and then uses the excuse sorry, I didnt see you! Ill probably :doggy: !

[Julz01]

Yeah we are smaller but we also always have healights on and are qite often a brightish colour!
I just know myself if someone ever pulls out on me causing me to hit them and then uses the excuse sorry, I didnt see you! Ill probably :doggy: !

haha!
I pity the person who hits me while I'm on my bike. they'll want to do a good job 'cause the gloves I have have steel mesh and kevlar on the knuckles (effectivley knuckle dusters), so they wont want me getting back up very quickly.:lmao:

[Alex.]

Ill probably :doggy: !

You'd want to make sure they're a good sort.

[Julz01]

You'd want to make sure they're a good sort.

mysterious biker, wearing leather, who could say no?:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[lilninja]

You'd want to make sure they're a good sort.

Bah I doubt i would be thinking straight at that point! Ide just bame it on that!

[Turtle]

You'd want to make sure they're a good sort.

and of the opposite sex !!

[dilbee]

last week some idian bloke in a car pulled right out in front of me while i was going down the transit lane GWH. I was well a head of traffic and was only me to be seen. I saw the guy look staright up the road at me and yet and then pulled out going the same direction as me in the same lane as me. I couldn't believe him and had to swearve one lane over to just miss him. Slit sec. later i would of been collected and been thrown down the road.

[Alex.]

and of the opposite sex !!

Anything's possible in the heat of the moment :lmao:

[jasonbw]

you are no longer invited to my place buddy!

and I'm never going to show you the video of my dance routine!

[FIREBLADE]

I'm never going to show you the video of my dance routine!

post it up! we need a laugh.:ayyy:

[jasonbw]

:) no thanks, not posting my vid as thats for a comical routine in my daughters dance class... very ugly!

Anyway, back to the original post, bikes are FAR more dangerous than cars, if you think otherwise then reevaluate your reason, maybe your perspective is a defensive one.
I have no doubt traffic wise riders (with a little bit of luck) can survive to old age riding if you keep yourself trained.

I'm not talking attending the latest motorcycle training courses, I'm talking practicing what you 'already know' like:


emergency braking
maintain a buffer
maintain concentration
scanning ahead
predicting trouble
having a plan for cornering
having a plan for escape routes


Even though I've been riding nearly daily for 15 years I've spent near two and a half grand in rider training over the last three years! Only for the reason that I ride on the road every day, and I have a good reason to live and continue to supply income.
Training isn't for wooses / pussies etc its to de-risk as much as possible what is already a very risky sport.

Riding is very dangerous, don’t kid yourself into thinking its not as complacence will eventually give a very nasty surprise

[Alex.]

you are no longer invited to my place buddy!

and I'm never going to show you the video of my dance routine!

:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[sharpe1]

:) no thanks, not posting my vid as thats for a comical routine in my daughters dance class... very ugly!

Anyway, back to the original post, bikes are FAR more dangerous than cars, if you think otherwise then reevaluate your reason, maybe your perspective is a defensive one.
I have no doubt traffic wise riders (with a little bit of luck) can survive to old age riding if you keep yourself trained.

I'm not talking attending the latest motorcycle training courses, I'm talking practicing what you 'already know' like:


emergency braking
maintain a buffer
maintain concentration
scanning ahead
predicting trouble
having a plan for cornering
having a plan for escape routes


Even though I've been riding nearly daily for 15 years I've spent near two and a half grand in rider training over the last three years! Only for the reason that I ride on the road every day, and I have a good reason to live and continue to supply income.
Training isn't for wooses / pussies etc its to de-risk as much as possible what is already a very risky sport.

Riding is very dangerous, don’t kid yourself into thinking its not as complacence will eventually give a very nasty surprise

Couldn't agree more!! One thing about your escape route though- you may not be the only one planning to use it, so if you have to use it be careful.

[Captain]

they should impose stronger laws for when the driver is at fault, fair enough we're about 1 third the size of a car. but then again, if the driver is properly scanning and checking for bikes (like the signs all of Sydney say) then they should be able to see us :p

Frankly I don't see what sronger laws for the driver at fault would accomplish. Normally when the driver is at fault is because he/she has made an error, has not seen the bike etc, so I fail to see how stronger penalties would make any difference.

In fact (and I suspect I will cop some criticism for this) in some cases the penalties should even be reduced.
Imagine you are driving a car, and you hit a bike. You did not see it, maybe you should have looked closer, but you're human and you did not see him (even if you also ride a bike, and normally look carefully). You didn't hit him very hard, not a big fall but for some reason the rider falls in an unfortunate way and dies. You are now up for culpable driving causing death, a crime for which many are calling for mandatory prison sentencing.

I ask you: what benefit is such a harsh penalty? It was an incident - that it resulted in a death is just bad luck, it could just as easily have been a scarpe and no more. You are a good law-abiding citizen, with a young family to provide for. Do you need to be rehabilitated in prison? Will this prevent future human error?

Sorry for carrying on a bit...

(BTW of course you are at more danger riding a bike than being in a car; statistics show this, as does common sense)

[jasonbw]

Couldn't agree more!! One thing about your escape route though- you may not be the only one planning to use it, so if you have to use it be careful.

HA hahaha.. GOOD point !!! ouch! Scream out IMCOMINNNNNNNG and watch em scatter :)

[jasonbw]

In fact (and I suspect I will cop some criticism for this) in some cases the penalties should even be reduced.


INCOMINNNNG :)

Nahh, I agree... shit happens (esp to me) and its not possible to tell (bar drugs/alcohol) whether it was a genuine brain fart v's incompetence. Sure you might have killed a nice guy with kids etc but to ruin two families by sending someone who just made a simple mistake is pretty damn sad.

It boils down to... we know the risks.

[NdJ]

I too became sick of being unnoticed by other drivers on the road so I simply got a louder exhaust... a considerably louder exhaust. I have much less trouble with other drivers not knowing I'm on the road these days.

[jasonbw]

True, and I have a copy of a newspaper clipping where a magistrate ruled that a loud exhaust was acceptable as a safety device... :) I'll have to dig that one up :)

[Alex.]

I too became sick of being unnoticed by other drivers on the road so I simply got a louder exhaust... a considerably louder exhaust. I have much less trouble with other drivers not knowing I'm on the road these days.

I can vouch that yes Nick, your exhaust is loud!

[Dunno]

Ask Mr Bones! His exhaust was loud as hell, probably the loudlest ive heard on a street bike. Didnt help him though. Simple..... driver didint see him or didnt look. He ended up 50 metres down the road with his right leg wrapped around his left like a piece of rope would! There is no gettin up & punchin someones lights out then. I think he told me his biggest concern was "GET ME SOME FUCKING MORPHINE".

Riding bikes you have to get used to the "temporary citizen" tag & the dirty looks fathers give you when you mention that you want to take his daughter out on a bike.

Bikes are dangerous, we all know it & for some strange reason we gain a little pleasure out of it. Maybe its the sense of achievement when you actually make it from A to B without falling off or dying. We are all winners.

Fact is that we are vulnerable. We have no more protection than what we wear & it amazes me to see riders who disregard this all the time (shorts, t-shirts & thongs). Most bike accidents are not from cars running us over! Its riders who think they could beat Casey & Valentino put together on the old road (or insert your favourite bit of twisties here). Riders do the most dangerous things on bikes & pick the worst possible location to do it........ on an old shitty piece of road with armco barriers. Roads like the old road, nasho park, the putty etc are fun but bloody dangerous & its here that bike riders choose to test their limits & impress their mates.
Bikes are dangerous & car drivers who dont look are dangerous but the biggest danger to a bike rider is the rider!

Keep the boy racer tag for the track & take it easy out there on roads. We all heard about the young bloke on the putty last week & its enough to make you cringe :( Take it easy & dont let us be reading about you in the paper & be talking about how great a person you were when you were alive.

[Julz01]

I too became sick of being unnoticed by other drivers on the road so I simply got a louder exhaust... a considerably louder exhaust. I have much less trouble with other drivers not knowing I'm on the road these days.

then that's the answer. not harsher penalties, but increase the limit of decibels a bike exhaust can emmit. have a minimum amount of decibels set aswell:lmao: :lmao:

[jasonbw]

To be honest, my CBR1000RR in stock condition is too loud... no hooning on this puppy without everyone hearing :(

P.s. Dunno that was a great post mate! I'm amazed that coppers are allowed to ride in shorts and shirts when the odds on that they'll be in some sort of chase!

[Julz01]

Ask Mr Bones! His exhaust was loud as hell, probably the loudlest ive heard on a street bike. Didnt help him though. Simple..... driver didint see him or didnt look. He ended up 50 metres down the road with his right leg wrapped around his left like a piece of rope would! There is no gettin up & punchin someones lights out then. I think he told me his biggest concern was "GET ME SOME FUCKING MORPHINE".



poor bugger. my crash was quite minor, so my biggest concern was 'SHIT! MY BIKE!!'

[MATTK6]

i personally think that the excuse that car drivers use most commonly use when they hit a bike (i didnt see them) should become outlawed just like the excuse for speeding was (i'm running late for work) cause it's just a damn cop out, ok had my say i feel better now:lmao:

[dilbee]

the way i look at it. I leave work and tell em, well its time to go play in the traffic again.

[Cleverlie]

i personally think that the excuse that car drivers use most commonly use when they hit a bike (i didnt see them) should become outlawed just like the excuse for speeding was (i'm running late for work) cause it's just a damn cop out, ok had my say i feel better now:lmao:

+1 I think its easier to see bikes then cars, specially with their lights always on. How can you miss them!

[Julz01]

the way i look at it. I leave work and tell em, well its time to go play in the traffic again.

when I used to ride home from half the people at my old work used to say 'txt me when you get home' when I left work at night

[spanky158]

Well I had an incident last week on the M2, had a merging car from the Beecroft rd entrance, I was in the far right lane near the concrete barrier in the middle, he merged behind a car in the left lane, then didn't even look and pulled out into the right lane when I was in line with his rear quarter panel. I had no escape route, but did manage a successful emergency brake and avoided the concrete barrier. What I did next was probably the stupid bit. I abused him non stop for about 4 km's, in his mirrors, pulled up beside him, etc. But what I realised afterwards, for that 4 km's I was abusing him, I wasnt paying attention to anything else on the road except the moron that pulled out on me. Bad mistake. My safety is my responsibility, I can't rely on other people to see me and watch out for me. At teh end of the day, the consequences of a bike acco are far worse than a car acco, so why wouldn't it be my responsibility to minimize the risk as much as possible....

[Captain]

so why wouldn't it be my responsibility to minimize the risk as much as possible....

Of course it is. At the end of the day you have no control over what others will do - all you can do it change your own behaviour.

Like not putting yourself in his blind spot....

And yes, as you've been honest :clap: then I hope you don't mind me being too .... abusing someone for the next 4 km is not very .... hmmm... well let's say it's probably not the best reaction.
We can all make mistakes, we're human. God knows I've made enough, but I apologise, make reparations and expect it to end there. I once found some kid who carried on abusing me (I guess he thought that's what you do); I don't think he has abused too many people since ...

[spanky158]

Of course it is. At the end of the day you have no control over what others will do - all you can do it change your own behaviour.

Like not putting yourself in his blind spot.......


Wasn't much chance of avoiding that, when he merged to the left lane he essentially put me in his blind spot, and I didn't have time to remove myself from it before he merged to the right lane, peak hour traffic on M2....



And yes, as you've been honest :clap: then I hope you don't mind me being too .... abusing someone for the next 4 km is not very .... hmmm... well let's say it's probably not the best reaction.
We can all make mistakes, we're human. God knows I've made enough, but I apologise, make reparations and expect it to end there.


Mate, I fully agree, I realised afterwards that abusing him got me absolutely nowhere, sure I let off some steam, but it didn't change the fact that it happened in the first place, and really only put me in more danger cause I was steaming and not concentrating, definitely agree with you! That was kind of the point of my post, that the abuse is not the way to react.

Not worried about the guy finding me after I abused him, that's a different topic all together.

[Mr Bones]

Hi all, NdJ I'll tell ya mate I had a two into one Stainlees Yoshi System put on my SV 1000 and Fu*k me it was loud. Crazy loud even the blokes at the bike shop were impressed by noise this thing used to put out, it used to crackle and pop when I backed off and bein a twin it used to howl like all fu*k when I snapped it on. Even at the cafe at Mount White people used to ask why it made so much noise thinkin I had done something else to it but no for some reason it just howled like a stuck pig, Don't get the wrong idea it was one of the best sounding bikes i've ever herd. But that meant shit when some young north shore upstart bitch was too interseted in either the radio station she was listen to or the friend she was flappin her gums to on the phone to look out for poor me. It was eight at night so I was clearly visible with head lights and street lights on the first corner goin south on the pacific highway after gettin off the F3, Right out front of the two servo's. I was in the inside lane and she was in the turnin lane and i've no idea what she was lookin at but it wasn't me :cursing: . When she hit me i was doin about 50 K's she was doin about 20 K"s In her little red car which I know was red cause she left a red mark on my bike from her bumber that went front axel to back axel with a bit in the middle about nine inches wide with no paint - "insert one very flat very broken leg here" and you get the picture. Her excuse? "I didn't see him!"
Now I wasn't very angry at this chick to start with I felt more so the driver training should be addressed instead of playing the blame game. Now im angry cause it's over two years and she still hasen't paid me a cent for me bike. We all no riding bikes that if we get hit we screwed most of the time, no-one can deny that, I just didn't no it would hurt so fu*kin much though :confused:.
So Im not sure a louder pipe will save you, and don't go polishin your Knuckles just yet It took me 8-9 months to get up and stand under my own power. But the point at hand I reckon should start when ya seventeen and get your L's to drive a car. It should be drilled into em straight away.
Watch out for yourself out there boys & girls cause no-one else watches for you.

[Captain]

That's a bummer Mr Bones. I assume you don't have insurance?
It's the main reson I took out comprehensive insurance; even if it's not your fault, getting paid can be hard but with comprehensive insurance you just give it to them and they sort it all out. Or at least that's the way it works with cars.

[Julz01]

abusing someone for the next 4 km is not very .... hmmm... well let's say it's probably not the best reaction.


unless they deserve it :p I was riding home from work one night along the suddenly empty pittwater road, off anzac bridge. As I'm sure you all know there's 3 lanes in that road. I was in the middle lane doing 60 (the speed limit) and just moments after coming over a crest (near the exit you'd take to go to ryde) I moved over into the right lane turn off to ryde and this taxi that had been on the same road since the bridge came hooning down the hill behind me in the right lane, and he was only a couple of seconds after me. So surely he saw me in the middle lane before the crest and assumed I'd stay there, so he sped up and moved to the right lane, then he had to swerve to miss me, and I had to speed up, 'cause he still almost hit me. I abused the shit out of him, flipped him off, then smoked him as I left the stop lights. An approriate action, don't you think?:lmao: :lmao: like lilninja said, anything can haoppen in the heat of the moment :lmao:

[Julz01]

funny story about stupid car drivers. I was down the street last saturday night with a few friends. and these gangster green P platers were tearing up n' down the street, speeding, almost hitting a few other cars. just doing very fast, very lame laps of the main street, after awhile they expected us all to be in awe of thier stupidity so they swtched on some neons under theirs cars. and INSTANTLY an orange XR6 cop stealth cop car came round the corner, sirens blazing and booked them. It was the BEST example of karna I've seen. next to that japanese guy who hit and alligator so it bit him arm off.:lmao: :lmao:

[Cleverlie]

Loud pipes don't do much but they do tiny bit..for those that are some what oh k drivers and pay some attention to whats around them.

I like the whole thing about loud pipes saves lives, why? because it gives me a reason to have a loud exhaust and i like my bike loud even though i know it doesn't do much, it just makes me feel better inside.

[Julz01]

Loud pipes don't do much but they do tiny bit..for those that are some what oh k drivers and pay some attention to whats around them.

I like the whole thing about loud pipes saves lives, why? because it gives me a reason to have a loud exhaust and i like my bike loud even though i know it doesn't do much, it just makes me feel better inside.

hehe, yeh. one on of my first rides I went on a ride with shane, and I was having fun just sittin' at the stop lights revving my bike, then shane pulled up next to me and revved his and immasculated me:lmao: :lmao: purely out of curiosity, how do you pop your bike into a wheelie? I've always wonder how.

[jasonbw]

how do you pop your bike into a wheelie? I've always wonder how.

Ask Pedrosa... just dont fix your bike first.

[6ixxer]

Do alot of you guys get 'motorbikes are deathtraps'. I seem to be getting it alot lately. very few people seem to think that bikes are safe.



Motorbikes aren't dangerous.

People are dangerous.

Ride safe guys.

[spanky158]

Ask Pedrosa... just dont fix your bike first.

LOL, how funny was that. Hayden said clutch problems, someone else said he forgot to hit the launch control button. Piss funny either way.

[Cleverlie]

how do you pop your bike into a wheelie? I've always wonder how.

Are you being serious?

If you are? then well the basicly idea behind it for bigger bikes is just wind on the throttle decently and the front comes up for the smaller bikes hold the clutch in and rev it and let the clutch out fast/dump the clutch.

The cbr125 wheelies pretty easy so if your trying to do a wheelie start out small in low revs...ease yourself into it.

If you don't know your bike then don't try!

I like my bike because it has a button that says Wheelie.

[Dunno]

I like my bike because it has a button that says Wheelie.

I believe on the ZX10 its called an ignition button mate :D

[Cleverlie]

I believe on the ZX10 its called an ignition button mate :D

Heh, so true, so true. Although i just have to learn to hold it now...wish they'd invent a button for that.

[spanky158]

Are fat chicks a taboo topic here??? cause that's how i wheelie.

[Cleverlie]

Are fat chicks a taboo topic here??? cause that's how i wheelie.

Stationary wheelies?

[spanky158]

nah, just some extra weight on the back on take off and up she comes.... :-)

[triumph]

why do you need extra weight for. sorry i forgot its a yamaha.:lmao: :lmao: :lmao:

[spanky158]

Well that was in the days that I owned a triumph, no more extra weight required now I have a yamaha!!!

Just a joke, obviously not a good one, now, let's go have a wheelie comp, no clutch allowed.... :-)

[DAVID]

Waking up is dangerous:mad:

[MatMan]

I've not read further than the first post, but seriously when people tell me how dangerous bikes are I ask how many bikes they're ridden, answer is usually none or 'my cousins KDX200, it was pretty nuts cause I couldn't even put both feet on the ground'. I then ask if 20 odd years would afford someone any useful skills in looking after themselves on a bike. 'Ohh, I guess so'. They usually have not much else to say after being told that their blatent stupidity behind the wheel of 1.5tonnes on wheels is more dangerous than any bike could ever be.

[Mr Bones]

Yeah thats the problem with bein a pup you see Captian. Cause I totaled my 250 which was insured and when I got my SV 1000 I was only 22-23 year old they wanted something stupid like $4200 a year to insure it every year.
It worked out cheaper to buy a second bike and chain it up in my Dads garage. But the broad I was seein at the time couln't find the sense in that. So she went of course!

And oh yes it gets worse fellow Rats I had just brought a second bike, I brought a Ducati 996 which only had about ten thousand K's on it. Sorted it payed A deposit on the Thursday was to pick it up on the Tuesday.I would have had an SV 1000 and a Ducati 996 side by side in my garage at only 23-24 year old SWEET :drool: But it wasn't to be I got collected on the Saturday night ruin all my plans. Anyway enough about that Im lookin forward now especially to EC on Saturday :ayyy:
Hope to see you there.

[j-rad]

[QUOTE=Julz01;57515]Do alot of you guys get 'motorbikes are deathtraps'. I seem to be getting it alot lately. very few people seem to think that bikes are safe.

Sure do - then I tell them I ride with Cunningstunts and they call the funeral home for me! bwahahaa

[Dr freedom]

When someone tells you bikes are deathtraps, tell them anyone driving a BMW or Merc or a WRX is prone to having people sticking a gun to their heads at traffic lights & being car jacked & possibly having their brains blown out.
I look out for it everyday lol!

[Ian]

I hear this everytime i mention my bike.
its dangerous/you will get hurt/blab blab blab - i usually answer that u have a chance of getting hurt walking, driving & riding, so get over it motorcycles arent dangerous & unless u ride - dont comment