Motorcycle Riders?

[JCSR]

Put a new rear tire and cobra pipes on my boulevard c90.
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Cobra makes some quality exhaust. I love mine on the Fury.

 

[Indyhd]

Just an update on my new 2021 Goldwing. I've now turned 1850 miles and love the DCT transmission. I added a set of Goldstrike highway pegs to stretch my legs out a bit and that's a big improvement. Leaving next Saturday for a 6 day trip in the Smokies. Still working on figuring out the GPS and also the bluetooth headset in the helmet.

 

[jfed85]

Cobra makes some quality exhaust. I love mine on the Fury.

I was overwhelmingly surprised with the sound of them. Ride with a buddy who rides a HD heritage softail and has fishtails on it, mine sounds just as mean. I am impressed.

 

[JCSR]

Just an update on my new 2021 Goldwing. I've now turned 1850 miles and love the DCT transmission. I added a set of Goldstrike highway pegs to stretch my legs out a bit and that's a big improvement. Leaving next Saturday for a 6 day trip in the Smokies. Still working on figuring out the GPS and also the bluetooth headset in the helmet.

I keep hearing good things about the DCT. Are you riding the nearby routes? Cherahola, Dragon etc.

 

[JCSR]

I was overwhelmingly surprised with the sound of them. Ride with a buddy who rides a HD heritage softail and has fishtails on it, mine sounds just as mean. I am impressed.

They sound even better with the baffles pulled. I rode with the baffles a couple of weeks before pulling mine. They'll never go back in .

 

[melensdad]

I keep hearing good things about the DCT. Are you riding the nearby routes? Cherahola, Dragon etc.

Because the DCT is freakin magic.

Especially in city traffic, parking lots, etc. Anything low speed, anything in any sort of congestion, any situation where a lot of clutch work is needed and the DCT just wins hands down.

 

[tv1217]

The clowns who ride a $20k Harley yet draw the line at a couple hundred dollars for a piece of riding gear like kevlar jeans are just the worst. Every single one of them has this misplaced confidence that they'll never go down because they're such a badass king of bikerdom and everyone who wears riding gear is some weekend warrior, yet I guarantee the guys like Melensdad who go out kitted out like an Imperial Stormtrooper can ride circles around them.

 

[bwframe]

The clowns who ride a $20k Harley yet draw the line at a couple hundred dollars for a piece of riding gear like kevlar jeans are just the worst. Every single one of them has this misplaced confidence that they'll never go down because they're such a badass king of bikerdom and everyone who wears riding gear is some weekend warrior, yet I guarantee the guys like Melensdad who go out kitted out like an Imperial Stormtrooper can ride circles around them.

Conversely, there are guys that do never go down. I don't advocate it, but I see plenty of folks casually (slow) riding without gear at all. Seen a woman on the back of a dresser yesterday in shorts and flip flops.

I wonder what the stats are for those who have been down vs those who have not? Daily or frequent riders vs occasional?

 

[tv1217]

The vast majority of riders will probably never go down hard enough that gear will make a difference. That doesn't make their reasoning any less arrogant approaching idiocy since nobody can predict the future.

 

[melensdad]

The vast majority of riders will probably never go down hard enough that gear will make a difference. . .

I have gone down 1 time in my life, low speed in a parking lot. Had on riding gloves, riding boots, cotton blue jeans, wool henley shirt, Arai helmet. That fall taught me ALL THE GEAR ALL THE TIME. No riding jacket. No riding pants.

• Smacked my head hard on the pavement, thank God I had the helmet on. Easily would have had a concussion and a bloody head without the helmet.
• Wrangler blue jeans shredded on my right butt/hip.
• At parking lot speeds my shoulder was bleeding, wool shirt shredded at the shoulder where I impacted. Wished I had a jacket on!
• Forma moto boots kept the Harley 750 Street from crushing my right foot/ankle, because the bike landed on it but the D30 pads and rigid sole of the boot protected me.
• Right hand was uninjured despite scraping the asphalt due to the palm slider on the moto glove.

The vast majority of homeowners never have a house fire but have insurance to cover their loss if they do. I look at riding gear as insurance for the worst case scenario.

BUT all that said, I don't support helmet laws. I'm too libertarian to tell someone else how to live or ride. People can ride their own rides.

I do find it odd that people who ride $20,000+ bikes can't justify $5-600 for a Shoei, Aria or Schuberth helmet or b!tc# about spending $350-500 for a quality jacket with real armor and reinforced skid panels.

FWIW, not sure I could ride circles around anyone, or even ride myself out of a wet paper bag. And I do my best not to look like a "Power Ranger" in my moto gear ​

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Just as in my case in a parking lot, the MAJORITY of motorcycle accidents occur on short trips, errand runs, visiting friends, etc and typically occur near the beginning of the trip. Average speed of travel at an accident is under 30mph, speed at time of impact is under 22mph.​

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Also, roughly 50% of moto accidents involve the rider drinking alcohol, often just 1 drink. Most fatalities and injuries are riders who run their bike into something, often a stationary object. 2nd most fatalities and injuries are cars crossing a bikers right of way (the dreaded left turn into a bike). ​

​

Motorcycle accidents are increasing in frequency. Most dangerous years are riders aged 16-24. Female passengers are significantly OVERrepresented in accident statistics. ​

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Large displacement bikes are UNDERrepresented in accidents but their riders are OVERrepresented in injuries and fatalities so large bikes crash less but their riders and passenger die more frequently.​

 

[EyeCarry]

............

FWIW, not sure I could ride circles around anyone, or even ride myself out of a wet paper bag. And I do my best not to look like a "Power Ranger" in my moto gear ​

​

Just as in my case in a parking lot, the MAJORITY of motorcycle accidents occur on short trips, errand runs, visiting friends, etc and typically occur near the beginning of the trip. Average speed of travel at an accident is under 30mph, speed at time of impact is under 22mph.​

​

Also, roughly 50% of moto accidents involve the rider drinking alcohol, often just 1 drink. Most fatalities and injuries are riders who run their bike into something, often a stationary object. 2nd most fatalities and injuries are cars crossing a bikers right of way (the dreaded left turn into a bike). ​

​

Motorcycle accidents are increasing in frequency. Most dangerous years are riders aged 16-24. Female passengers are significantly OVERrepresented in accident statistics. ​

​

Large displacement bikes are UNDERrepresented in accidents but their riders are OVERrepresented in injuries and fatalities so large bikes crash less but their riders and passenger die more frequently.​

Not sure where the stats came from but I can agree.
Also, two other contributors that put them close to the top of the accident "pile."
Riding at night (co-mingled with drinking. hard to separate the two).
AND..ta-da New to the motorcycle. Not new rider, new bike, and not familiar w/it. Picked this one up from MC Rider on Youtube. It gave me pause to consider and I agree with it too. I could not find the YT link but it was a good watch.
This last piece has figured into more than one of my hobbies over the decades. I have always called it the shakedown cruise. Boating, motorcycling, R/C model flying, what ever. I keep the outing short and sweet. I look for things I may have missed at winter shutdown. I get reacquainted with my gear and if something doesn't feel right or my head is not in it I pack it up and go home to figure it out.
Safe riding everyone! Hope to miss any rain tomorrow.

 

[tv1217]

FWIW, not sure I could ride circles around anyone, or even ride myself out of a wet paper bag. And I do my best not to look like a "Power Ranger" in my moto gear ​

​

​

The point I was getting at is the guys who try to put forth the image of the "badass biker dude" are typically outclassed in technical skill by the ones they see as "dorks/squids/weekend warriors/power rangers uk9" because they wouldn't be caught dead practicing skills in a parking lot because or taking a class.

 

[Indyhd]

I keep hearing good things about the DCT. Are you riding the nearby routes? Cherahola, Dragon etc.

How can you not do those while in the area...lol.
i let my buddy set up this whole ride and all I plan on doing is following along at the back of the group. We plan on staying at The Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge. It is south of The Dragon off Hwy 28 in Stocoah. If you ever get down that way it is a great place to stay and this is my 5th time there.

 

[JCSR]

How can you not do those while in the area...lol.
i let my buddy set up this whole ride and all I plan on doing is following along at the back of the group. We plan on staying at The Iron Horse Motorcycle Lodge. It is south of The Dragon off Hwy 28 in Stocoah. If you ever get down that way it is a great place to stay and this is my 5th time there.

I was there last fall and stayed in Robbinsville. We only rode one day there and did the Dragon and Cherahola both directions. That was a 200 mile day and my old ass had enough. Plan on getting back this year and do the Foothills PKW , Hellbender 28 and maybe a few more.

 

[melensdad]

Not sure where the stats came from but I can agree.
Also, two other contributors that put them close to the top of the accident "pile."
Riding at night (co-mingled with drinking. hard to separate the two).
AND..ta-da New to the motorcycle. Not new rider, new bike, and not familiar w/it. Picked this one up from MC Rider on Youtube. It gave me pause to consider and I agree with it too. I could not find the YT link but it was a good watch.
This last piece has figured into more than one of my hobbies over the decades. I have always called it the shakedown cruise. Boating, motorcycling, R/C model flying, what ever. I keep the outing short and sweet. I look for things I may have missed at winter shutdown. I get reacquainted with my gear and if something doesn't feel right or my head is not in it I pack it up and go home to figure it out.
Safe riding everyone! Hope to miss any rain tomorrow.

Data comes from state and federal reporting as well as a prominent law firm that represents moto riders.

One thing you point out is the "new bike" concept. I actually standardized my guns to 1911 style operating controls, so 1911/Browning Hi Power/CZ75 all work the same. But eliminated some guns like the 6900 series S&W and Berettas because their safety operates up and away versus a down click with the thumb. That makes me wonder if people with multiple different brands of bikes get into more accidents as the controls are different from bike to bike? No data I see records that, but it might be interesting to know?

Interesting points about the fatalities/serious injuries is that big displacement bikes (likely HD/Indians but not specified in the data) is that the riders tend to shun moto gear and helmets. When they crash they tend to get seriously injured or die. The Sport Bike crowd tends to be younger but typically wear helmets and frequently wear armored moto jackets. The ADV/Touring bike crowd, skews middle aged & older, bikes tend to be 650 to 1250cc but tends to gear up with all the gear all the time.

 

[JCSR]

Data comes from state and federal reporting as well as a prominent law firm that represents moto riders.

One thing you point out is the "new bike" concept. I actually standardized my guns to 1911 style operating controls, so 1911/Browning Hi Power/CZ75 all work the same. But eliminated some guns like the 6900 series S&W and Berettas because their safety operates up and away versus a down click with the thumb. That makes me wonder if people with multiple different brands of bikes get into more accidents as the controls are different from bike to bike? No data I see records that, but it might be interesting to know?

Interesting points about the fatalities/serious injuries is that big displacement bikes (likely HD/Indians but not specified in the data) is that the riders tend to shun moto gear and helmets. When they crash they tend to get seriously injured or die. The Sport Bike crowd tends to be younger but typically wear helmets and frequently wear armored moto jackets. The ADV/Touring bike crowd, skews middle aged & older, bikes tend to be 650 to 1250cc but tends to gear up with all the gear all the time.

Around here there are numerous big bore bikes that just leave the roadway for no apparent reason each year. I think you've covered why that happens.

 

[Indyhd]

I was there last fall and stayed in Robbinsville. We only rode one day there and did the Dragon and Cherahola both directions. That was a 200 mile day and my old ass had enough. Plan on getting back this year and do the Foothills PKW , Hellbender 28 and maybe a few more.

Hwy 28 is a great ride south as far as you want to take it.

 

[EyeCarry]

Got a little wet on the way home from Brookston to Bloomington. Pulled off twice to watch it go by. (Sirius XM weather lied to me on the second pull off!!)
Trailer pulled easy and sooo much easier to pack gear for the Wildcat Valley contest today. And yes ATG both ways. I may be foolish but with microfiber gear underneath it really isn't hot.

 

[EyeCarry]

All the Gear (SHHHH, (ride a Harley too))

 

[melensdad]

All the Gear (SHHHH, (ride a Harley too))

Oooh, a HD rider who wears protective gear . . . you are as rare as a unicorn