Topic: Another one bites the dust....

[jtb]

http://www.kcbd.com/story/19249138/rider-crashes-motorcycle-starts-fire

[LesterPiglet]

It amazes me how easy it is in some states to get a bike. In the UK we need to pass 4 different "tests" before we can get a big bike. I think it's 10 hours compulsory off road training first. Then a basic maneuvers test. A theory test where you sit in front of a computer then a practical road test.
Expensive.

[fmctm1sw]

A salesman at Frank Brown who spoke to the victim after the accident tells us the rider had just received his motorcycle license and went to buy the bike.

LMAO (since he's going to make it).  The guy just bounced his dome off a windshield and this guy is over there asking him about his license.     "I see the blood kid, but lets talk about your safety course for a minute..."   

[BeSeeingYou]

It looks like the GMC is the one that burst into flames.  Maybe GM should issue a safety recall.

[LoVel]

I note the guy that bought the Harley was called a victim.

[Terry in Australia]

Harley's are actually great bikes, but to borrow from the NRA's defensive catchcry, "Harleys don't kill idiots, Idiots kill idiots".

Harley-Davidson: Fat Guy's First Ride Goes Wrong (HD)

[fmctm1sw]

Harley's are actually great bikes, but to borrow from the NRA's defensive catchcry, "Harleys don't kill idiots, Idiots kill idiots".

Looks like he had no idea whatsoever how to ride a bike.  How does that happen?

[Killer Canary]

See how far he moved the car!

[Terry in Australia]

I met a fellow Rocketeer, (what we Triumph Rocket III riders like to call ourselves, you know, like how the "Laffin Devils" give themselves tough sounding nicknames...........) who detroyed his bike when he T-boned a car and almost cut the car in half.

He survived obviously, and so did the car driver, even though neither of them will be auditioning for Swan Lake anytime soon.

[Killer Canary]

It amazes me how easy it is in some states to get a bike. In the UK we need to pass 4 different "tests" before we can get a big bike. I think it's 10 hours compulsory off road training first. Then a basic maneuvers test. A theory test where you sit in front of a computer then a practical road test.
Expensive.

Programs like this would completely demolish street bike sales here in N.A. Everyone wants to look bad, but I doubt many would be willing to actually go through the trouble of rider training. It's plunk down the cash, instant bad-ass.

[tortelvis]

It amazes me how easy it is in some states to get a bike. In the UK we need to pass 4 different "tests" before we can get a big bike. I think it's 10 hours compulsory off road training first. Then a basic maneuvers test. A theory test where you sit in front of a computer then a practical road test.
Expensive.

You forgot to mention horsepower limits according to age! Try telling the Yanks about SORN. Heheheh.

[Terry in Australia]

When I bought my first CB750, new, in 1978, I had zero hours of riding in traffic. I only had a "learner's permit" and all of my riding up until then was on dirt bike's out in the boonies. I still remember riding that 500 pound monster home late on a Friday night, in heavy traffic, in a light fall of rain, with no wet weather gear. That 20 mile ride was probably the scariest thing I'd done up to that point, but I survived without dropping it, so I was very lucky.

My mate Jeff at Ace Motorcycle Wreckers had a Yamaha R6 with 12 miles on the odo. It was in pretty good condition with only light damage on the right hand side. The PO had bought it new, picked it up in his lunch break, was riding back to work when he dropped it. (slid out on a wet metal man hole cover) The bike wasn't badly damaged, but he rolled across the road in front of an oncoming bus, which ran over him, and killed him. He was actually an experienced rider and had done all the recommended training, but was just unlucky. Some days you should just stay in bed.    

[72 yellow]

My ex-bosses friend bought a new Kawasaki 900 back in the late 70's.  Never rode a day in his life.  Dealership delivered the bike to his house.  After a few minutes of "Here's the throttle, here's the clutch and so forth", he decided to drive the bike up the driveway into the garage.  He lost control after cranking the throttle wide open and dumping the clutch.  He hit the corner of the house.  He died on the way to the hospital of massive trama to the head and upper torso.  Total riding distance...about 30 feet.

[Terry in Australia]

That's awful. On a slightly lighter note, my mate John is friends with several of the HART (Honda Australia Rider Training) instructors. These guys are brilliant riders, many of them are Honda test riders, ex Superbike racers, etc. Anyway, a few years ago, one of them was going to Europe for a few weeks, so he entrusted his new Fireblade to one of the other instructors, who promptly got T boned by an old guy in a roundabout. Ooops.

Not a problem, the bike was insured, but the owner wanted the same limited edition black and gold model from the previous year, and through his contacts at Honda, found a new one, still in the crate at Nova Honda in Ringwood. They arranged to collect it from Nova, and went over to supervise the final assembly. Now normally, one of the shop mechanics will take a new bike for a short ride to scrub the grease off the tires etc, but the HART guy said, "No, I'm a professional rider, I'll save you the trouble and do it myself". Fair enough, how can you argue with that?

Anyway, the HART rider rode it out of the workshop, down the lane out onto the main street, gave it a hand full and dumped the clutch. The bike gripped rather than spun, causing the rider to do a kind of a "leaning wheelie highside". The rider stepped off, the bike got some air, and came down hard on the end of the crankshaft, punching it out through the opposite crankcase. The bike had travelled a total of 14 metres, including one metre in the air. I believe that the HART rider was a little more humble as he pushed the remains back into the shop and filled out the insurance claim..........    

[Killer Canary]

You shouldn't take too many liberties with a blade.