Topic: Requiem for a Biker

[Rocking-M]

A pretty strong Video, but a good teaching tool if watched all the way to the end.
Just wish I could read German as the credits at the end are in German.
Johnny Cash singing "Hurt" is in english though.

http://www.livevideo.com/video/yvoshkiro/391FAC7FC7A54099B6FB82D334041757/requiem-for-a-biker.aspx

 

[DammitDan]

Good video.  I noticed most of the bikes involved in the accidents were sportbikes though...  Wonder if they factor that into the statistics?

I have a friend who works with the local Volunteer Rescue.  He came into the studio the other day and says, "Hey man, something happened at Rescue that made me think of you last night."  He proceeded to show me a picture of a guy that had been riding an old DOHC Honda who was killed when he hit the back of a semi truck that was stopped on the road at night.  The helmet got caught in a panel in the back of the truck, and the body was just hanging there limp.  Full face helmet and full riding gear...  It looked like the guy was just standing by the back of the truck peeking into a hole, until you realize that he's not standing at all, and his helmet was the only thing keeping the body propped up.  Instantaneous death, probably never even saw the truck.

Really made me think about riding safety and the stupid things that can happen to you even when you're riding smart.  The only mistake this guy made was out-riding his headlight, and he paid the ultimate price for his mistake.

Be safe out there, guys!

[m00ntan]

Nice video.

The one that passed over a double yellow now lives in Baltimore.  He drives a big SUV while pretending to talk on a stolen cell phone to impress a fat woman throwing trash on the sidewalk.

Is this intended to make me think I'm spitting at windmills again?

[eldar]

I sometimes feel that bikes should be limited in the amount of power they can have. I mean does a person really need 150hp on a 400 pound bike? I mean where are you EVER going to use it?  but then people will feel like their rights are been stifled or some such crap. I mean I would not mind some extra power on my cb but unless you are a serious fatass, no one should need more than 100. Hell there are cars out there with less than that. But I suppose a person has the right to be stupid and ride bikes they are in no way good enough to ride. Hell I probably dont even ride my cb to its fullest and maybe that comes from knowing its age. But I doubt I would ride much harder on a new rocket then I do now.

[BobbyR]

I sometimes feel that bikes should be limited in the amount of power they can have. I mean does a person really need 150hp on a 400 pound bike? I mean where are you EVER going to use it?  but then people will feel like their rights are been stifled or some such crap. I mean I would not mind some extra power on my cb but unless you are a serious fatass, no one should need more than 100. Hell there are cars out there with less than that. But I suppose a person has the right to be stupid and ride bikes they are in no way good enough to ride. Hell I probably dont even ride my cb to its fullest and maybe that comes from knowing its age. But I doubt I would ride much harder on a new rocket then I do now.

Good point Eldar. However, In the UK there was debate about letting the Cb750 into the Country since it had 67HP which was considered extreme. The problem with the sport bikes are the people that ride them.  I run my CB hard from 0-70 for both me and the bike, then back down and ride with common sense. The sport bike gives people the illusion they are in control. We all know everytime we go out and come back in one piece we have been both smart and lucky. 

[Rocking-M]

I hear ya all, but what I thought was appropriate was the ending.
The signs on the back of vehicles fixing to do stupid things, the
ride with eyes constantly looking etc.....................................
I was almost cut off just the other day by a fellow in a ton dodge truck
creeping a long at about 20mph, when I decided to pass I did so
counting on him to try and mash me in the bank, he did try,
I don't think it was intentional, he was just an intentionally stupid driver.
Anyway I was up to his door when he starting to drift and I knew I could back out
of it if he continued, he saw me then and got back over.....

I think one of the statistics at the end of the video was
that if a rider survives the first 10000k he'll probably survive
the rest of his motorcycling life.....

[Jugghead]

The movies titles are all in Dutch, not German.
There is a loose translation for those interested:

This movie is intended to warn drivers of the possible hazards on the roads.

1 out of every 100 motorists rides a motorcycle.

in 70% of all accidents between a MC more... and a car the driver said he didn't see the MC or saw him too late.

still too little drivers think about MC in daily traffic.

Riders must also take heed of their vulnerability.

A rider is vulnerable.

Compared to a car a MC has more difficulty in evading sudden obstacles such as a bad road, branches or animals

Car accidents have a mortality rate of 20%.

MC accidents have one of 60%.

Because of their size MCs seem further away.

Riders often brake on the engine which does not make the brakelights flare up.

In MC rider jargon (loosely translated) crashbarriers are also called Guillotines and frenchfriesslicers...(I prefer eggslicers)

slippery roadmarkings on wet roads are disaster for twowheelers...

Look, twice, save lives, motorcycles are everywhere.

In memory of our friends...Riders...

[333]

Maybe a tiered licensing system would do the trick.  They do it that way in Japan and it takes years and a college like school to work your way up to a 750 class license.  Part of our "freedoms" is the freedom to be stoopid, and todays youth certainly shows an aptitude for that.  Maybe I'm looking at the world through rose colored glasses, but I don't remember being that stoopid.

The video lost me when they started showing track footage.  Every racer knows the risks involved with racing.  And if you check the DOT stats, you'll find the accident figures a few 10s of a percent BETTER than cars.  Smart riders know that only the injuries are more severe. 

I always heard that if you survived your first year, you were ahead of the game.

[nickjtc]

I always heard that if you survived your first year, you were ahead of the game.

The problem with that thought is that some riders get complacent and don't realise that you never stop learning when you are riding.

I think one of the statistics at the end of the video was that if a rider survives the first 10000k he'll probably survive the rest of his motorcycling life.....

Ditto this.

[ieism]

Maybe a tiered licensing system would do the trick. 

We have this in the Netherlands too. Here's how it works.
There's 2 exams, one for lighter bikes, up to 46 horsepower. The other unlimited horsepower.

Only when you're over 21 can you take the exam on the heavier bike, this means you can buy and ride any bike you want.
If you're under 21, you have no choice; You have to start on the < 46 HP bike. Only after 2 years of riding, can you buy a bigger bike. But you'll have to take the exam again.

From 16 to 18 you can only ride a 50cc moped, limited to 30 MPH.

I think this saves some lives, but I havent checked the statistics. A faster bike will get you killed faster I think. But I get passed by these "learner bikes" sometimes too, you can still push them to a very high topspeed with some new sprockets. 

[mrbreeze]

Ya know.......I've been riding since I was 12 years old and I have ridden dirt and street. I kinda have a feel for wuts right and wuts wrong. These new bikes (crotch rockets) that have over 150hp and rap out to over 10K are readily available to any zit-faced green jack-off thats parents can afford to buy it it for him.I really get pissed off to no end when I see them on the street doing wheel stands at every green light and all the other BS they do. If the Hells Angels gave biking a bad name.......these moron kids aren't doing any better. The other day.....I'm coming home from work and here comes this jack-ass oncoming to me on a 2 lane hiway doing fu##$g wheel stands at highway speed!!! If I caught one of my boys doing that sh!t.....I would cut the wiring outa his bike and totally kick his ass!!!!!! (this whole post is just my opinion though so if I stepped on anyone's toes........you should listen!!!)

[nickjtc]

If I caught one of my boys doing that sh!t.....I would cut the wiring outa his bike and totally kick his ass!!!!!!

Just taking the keys away would probably hurt as much!!

[eldar]

That is a lot of it right there. These idiots feel they MUST use all the power their bike has. I do feel that a tiered system would be good. There is one, sorta. You can only ride up to a 250if you are under 16 and have a permit or some such garbage. I fell that until a person is 18, a 250 is all they need. They should also be required to do a certain number of miles so they actually learn something. Course you can trip the odometer but why not spend the time actually riding. So it might be hard to take your chick out for a cruise. At least you might live long enough to take her across country on the back.

[DammitDan]

I agree with a stepped license system...  A beginner doesn't need to have a sportbike, period.  Fatality rates are simply too high.  At Ft. Campbell there seems to be a soldier dying every other week due to motorcycle accidents, and I see idiots riding bikes EVERYWHERE (no matter the class or style) that do their idiot things every day.

Hell, when I was 15-16 years old, my parents made me drive 5,000 supervised and logged miles before they would even consider letting me drive alone.  I signed a contract with them and everything.

[edbikerii]

I'm not convinced that ANYBODY of any age/experience really NEEDS a sportbike with >100hp to have fun riding.

There is too much ego, image, posing, bragging, lifestyle marketing, bench-racing, etc. in motorcycling and motorcycle marketing as it is.  People end up spending much more than necessary, and riders end up getting killed.

I've ridden a friend's Suzuki GN250 with a passenger once or twice, and I'll tell you, we had plenty of fun!

[oldfordguy]

You guys are thinking of stripping away one of the last vestiges of the natural selection process!
Matt

[nickjtc]

Tiered licencing system or not, control of the 'size' of the bike or not, the real pity is that a) there isn't the selection of smaller capacity, unintimidating, bikes available to buy (like there were in the good old days when I started riding) and b) riders these days just don't appreciate that you can have a load of fun on a 250 or 350.

Honda is kind of trying with their CBR125 programme. It would be nice to see the other manufacturers follow suit.

[eldar]

I would LOVE to have a wider range of bikes to choose from. I had some of the most fun ever bombing around on a little 100cc enduro!  The problem seems to be men. So many think that they need a huge bike to impress their buddies. Basically they are compensating I guess you could call it.  Hell I sometimes ride my GFs little rebel. It is a blast in town and in tight areas. It just seems like people always have to compete against people who should be their friends or people they will never meet!

[Uncle Ernie]

"You guys are thinking of stripping away one of the last vestiges of the natural selection process!"

You really don't know much about nature. 
People who are proud of their stupidity are the first to reproduce in order to keep the species alive.