What do you think of .......

a multifaceted topic that I’m gonna start of with;

What do you think of motorcycles?

When you think of riding one does fear instantly enter your mind? Do you think of them as murdercycles?

I was a biker from 17 - 25, you have no time for fear - you’re too busy trying to keep yourself on the road, and see out of the back of your head.

There are risks involved in any activity, motorbikes sacrifice safety for speed, acceleration and manoeverabilty - a little prang in a car, is a big prang on a motorbike. But then again - you never get trapped inside a motorbike and burn to death.

“Yer pays yer money and takes yer choice…” - as my old physics teacher used to say.

I have known a variety of people that have had serious injuries from biking. A friend of mine had his toes torn off.

I recall reading in a science magazine that at 35mph (I think) if one falls off of the bike that you will slide along the ground at a rate that produces a temperature close to that of the surface of the sun.

Anyway, that does not sound good to me.

ADLER,

that’s what kevlar is for. it’s like tab said any activity has an inherent risk factor. You can significantly increase you’re chances of surviving any risk by just staying in your house and not living.

but if you want to increase your chances on a motorbike you can get the leathers or kevlar a full helmet full rider training, and it will cut your chances of getting killed down to about the same level as a car.


on another note, I think the driving system is all backwards. we let any prick get behind the wheel of a 4500 lb vehicle which can incure massive physical and property damage, but require extensive training and testing for motorcycles. Shouldn’t cars be subject to the same standards?

I think of riding on the back of my brother’s bike. I think of riding on the back of that long, dark-haired hunk’s bike… my friend’s boyfriend (I got to sit in a suggestive position behind him, and hold on to his leathered abdomen… he wanted to hook me up with his friend after that… said he would dig me 'cause I was shy… but they all scared me… ahhh memories). I think of my dad skidding to a crash in the church parking lot when he tried to ride my brother’s bike (sometimes I think he is so fragile, though he’s not… I don’t understand that about myself… like when he is swimming and gets all weird after being under-water). I think of my mom going on and on to my brother in a half-joking manner about how dangerous they are. I think of that show I saw on the dude who builds neat-o looking motorcycles (and how things didn’t work out between him and his wife). I think of the many trips to the Harley Davidson shop just to check stuff out. I think of ‘scootertrash’ from MoL. I think of watching those long paired-up lines of motorcycles you sometimes see driving down the road… and comparing the mosquito-bike people as if they were like wanna-be’s to the hog-people with long beards and lots of leather and skanky women on the back.

That about covers it. No fear, really. I’ve never driven one on my own, but they are fun to ride on the back… you can feel the speed better.

I don’t really care about training standards, car vs. motorcyle.

I’ve had two motorcycles in my life, both of which I drove illegally.

I didn’t get a motorcycle license because the test was all wrong. I mean by that that I answered the questions in the test practically, as in what I would do under any of the given circumstances presented by the test. Paradoxically, the test presented problems that would not be negotiated as the writers of the test would expect, in reality. So I failed it, but that didn’t stop me from riding my bikes.

The most fun I have ever had on a bike was, yep, you guessed it…out-running a cop.

détrop

Your posts are getting better and better.

Could have sworn I actually saw Détrop last night when I was watching ‘RumbleFish’ - The motorcycle boy rules :laughing:

Mind you - he got shot by the pigs in the end… :wink:

Adler - are you sure that a 35mph skid gets up to a temperature of 6000 °C…? Road rash ain’t nice anyway, just ask my right shin.

why am I not surprised De’trop.

I thought about that as well, and there’s no way in hell they get that hot. That’d sear you’re flesh. or insta flame it, your choice.

I’m guessing that the place you saw or read this, was “anti-” motorcycle, and thusly skewing FUD all over the place. Sure road rash hurts, I got road rash from a bicycle. (was going down a steep hill by the time I hit the bottom and lost control from going to fast (probably above 40) and I got a nice asphalt burn on my arm and hip.) The worst part about road rash is years later the bumpy scarred skin.

somenewname;

your friend was ok with you suggestively hugging her boyfriend? is she an idiot? does she realize you were in the bitch seat?

good post, just a question I had.

I read that it was about 5000 degrees plus at a fairly low speed. Have you ever seen those burns? The skin looks like melted candle wax.

Afterward you can get a cool tattoo in honor of your wipe-out so it’s all good , as they say.

“melted wax”?

I doubt the temp is even above flash point for your skin, which I believe is about 800 deg F. Sure it burns you, but it doesn’t create a trail of flames.

I didn’t suggestively hug him, I had to hold him there and sit like that. She trusted her boyfriend and me. She suggested he give me the ride home – and 'cause I had no other ride (I was a bit freaked out by the whole thing), I took it. And enjoyed it quite a bit, without letting on. I had a highschool crush on him before I even met her. I didn’t flirt with him or anything. It is a very fond memory, but you’re starting to spoil it, giving me the third degree… however… any further questions?

Motorcycles = death trap on wheels

Saying that I think the same of cigarettes

So, if we take the wheels of our cigarettes they will be less dangerous? If this is true maybe we could start smoking in public places again :smiley: .

…I could never see the point of wheels on cigarettes anyway :confused: .

Scoots aren’t inherently dangerous. A competent rider can lay a bike down and slide out a crash in 3 -5 seconds. The danger comes from several sources. The first is incompetence. Too many ‘riders’ push past their competency. The second, and most dangerous, is the driver of the car who doesn’t ‘see’ motorcycles and pulls out in front of a bike leaving no time for the rider to react. Arguing with a 4000 lb vehicle is a lose-lose proposition.

Riding in jeans, tee shirt, and tennies is just inviting owies. Leather or kevlar (shoes and gloves included) plus a full-face helmet might give you a fighting chance.

That said, a polite canyon racer and 30 miles of twisties on a warm summer evening… there isn’t any emoticon for heavenly…

JT

Please can I come JT? Pleeeeeeeez? I’ll even get out my leathers! :wink:

A

Uhhh, a well set-up canyon racer is sort of a one person ride…

But I might be tempted with an Angel in leathers… :sunglasses:

Doh! What am I thinking? Wouldn’t take any risks with an Angel! How about the little plastic motorcycle at Walmart? I’ve a pocket full of quarters… :smiley:

JT

Don’t believe him Angel - he’s just pleased to see you…

Cycles with motors…

No thanks. I’m an all or nothing kinda angel. Anyone else got a real bike?

A