Name your bike superstitions

[Indyhd]

ABATE of Indiana is the largest motorcycle training company in Indiana, training between 5500 and 7000 riders each year. Call the state office at 1-800-23ABATE for info on class locations and schedules. We use the MSF curriculum for the state program.
Indiana DOES count scooters, mopeds, and off road fatalities in the total of deaths recorded. That is why ABATE has been lobbying to require registration of those scooters and mopeds in the total number of vehicles.
In 2011 there were 119 fatalities on motorcycles statewide. I believe the number of registered bikes was 270,000. Approximately 28 of the fatalities were on scooters and mopeds, but they are not counted in the "registered motorcycles", which makes the ratio of fatalities to registered motorcycles disproportionately higher. Starting in January, all scooters and mopeds will have to be plated. The ratio next year will be cut in half.

 

[bigretic]

....and the other side (anticipating): roughly 98% didn't crash. In a year.

Meaning you have roughly a 98% chance you won't crash in one year by those statistics.

However, you may want to look at the MSF website and read the papers and statistics driving crashes - age, agressiveness, alcohol use, etc.

I would think hours on the road would weigh in there somewhere but didn't see it.

Stats, meh...
Consider that in the 2% crashers vs, the 98%... call them polishers... How many of the 98% actually ride? Road hours - as stated.
9 guys out 10 own a bike and take it to the local tavern 2 times a year for a total of 14 miles.
Anyone with at least 5 or 10k in the saddle has most likely had hairy eyeball moment with a dumb car driver or came close to some sort of other spill. More time = more probability of accident. You would need a good actuary to plot it out.

 

[bwframe]

Stats, meh...
Consider that in the 2% crashers vs, the 98%... call them polishers... How many of the 98% actually ride? Road hours - as stated.
9 guys out 10 own a bike and take it to the local tavern 2 times a year for a total of 14 miles.
Anyone with at least 5 or 10k in the saddle has most likely had hairy eyeball moment with a dumb car driver or came close to some sort of other spill. More time = more probability of accident. You would need a good actuary to plot it out.

It'd be great to get some current relevant stats using modern day software to break down details.


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Back to the OP. I discovered this gift on the new to me bike bought this spring from an INGOer:

 

[BE Mike]

ABATE of Indiana is the largest motorcycle training company in Indiana, training between 5500 and 7000 riders each year. Call the state office at 1-800-23ABATE for info on class locations and schedules. We use the MSF curriculum for the state program.
Indiana DOES count scooters, mopeds, and off road fatalities in the total of deaths recorded. That is why ABATE has been lobbying to require registration of those scooters and mopeds in the total number of vehicles.
In 2011 there were 119 fatalities on motorcycles statewide. I believe the number of registered bikes was 270,000. Approximately 28 of the fatalities were on scooters and mopeds, but they are not counted in the "registered motorcycles", which makes the ratio of fatalities to registered motorcycles disproportionately higher. Starting in January, all scooters and mopeds will have to be plated. The ratio next year will be cut in half.

I really am against licensing requirements for small mopeds and scooters. The only people these small two wheelers endanger are themselves. Some of the poorest folks in the state rely on these for transportation, because in many parts of the state there is no public transit or it is scarce. It hits minimum wage earners pretty hard in the pocketbook to get a driver's license and tags.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

I never left the starting line without an odd number of tear offs on my goggles.

 

[CathyInBlue]

@ bwframe: A "cow" bell?

 

[heavyhitter1k]

I really am against licensing requirements for small mopeds and scooters. The only people these small two wheelers endanger are themselves. Some of the poorest folks in the state rely on these for transportation, because in many parts of the state there is no public transit or it is scarce. It hits minimum wage earners pretty hard in the pocketbook to get a driver's license and tags.

My issue with scooters / mopeds is that some of these people riding them don't have a license for a legal reason, so why should they still be able to use the roads when the state revoked / suspended a license etc? And other issue is that with no license or plates or insurance etc, what happens when one of these riders hits my vehicle? Why should I be out and have my insurance be made to pay for their accident? Isn't the point of insurance to help pay when you are at fault?

 

[Bang-bang]

"Loud pipes save lives." FACT!!!

And it pisses some off ! They would rather talk than pay attention to the rode and traffic!

 

[bwframe]

... It hits minimum wage earners pretty hard in the pocketbook to get a driver's license and tags...

...so they can get home to their big screen with the beer and smokes they had to fetch?

My brother spent days in the hospital after totaling my car. He chose to hit a stopped car instead of the "kid" on the moped who darted into his lane. The moped "kid," DWI or otherwise likely unlicensed individual left the scene.

 

[bwframe]

@ bwframe: A "cow" bell?

A guardian angel bell. So far, it's worked to turn back the third deer of 3 crossing in front of me. The fancy exhaust it rides next to might have helped also.

 

[BE Mike]

...so they can get home to their big screen with the beer and smokes they had to fetch?

My brother spent days in the hospital after totaling my car. He chose to hit a stopped car instead of the "kid" on the moped who darted into his lane. The moped "kid," DWI or otherwise likely unlicensed individual left the scene.

I live on a pretty busy road. I can tell you that the motorcycle riders are far more of a menace than the little scooter riders. One of these days, I'm going to hear one of them wind it up until they hit the side of that car that is pulling out and didn't see them until the motorcycle crested the hill a second before the crash.

 

[BE Mike]

My issue with scooters / mopeds is that some of these people riding them don't have a license for a legal reason, so why should they still be able to use the roads when the state revoked / suspended a license etc? And other issue is that with no license or plates or insurance etc, what happens when one of these riders hits my vehicle? Why should I be out and have my insurance be made to pay for their accident? Isn't the point of insurance to help pay when you are at fault?

I don't know if most of the riders of these little scooters do so because they lost their drivers' licenses. If an uninsured driver of a scooter hits you, I suppose it would be the same as an uninsured illegal alien, bicycle hitting you or somebody's loose horse running out in front of you. That's what your insurance is all about. A scooter vs. auto is no contest. There probably wouldn't be a live person to get mad at after such an encounter.

 

[bwframe]

...I can tell you that the motorcycle riders are far more of a menace than...

That IS quite telling. Do you ride at all?

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Back to the OP.
What kind of pre-ride check list do you all use? Are you religious about the check list or think probably yesterday's check is still good?

 

[bwframe]

What kind of pre-ride check list do you all use?

Uuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhh, checklist?

 

[pute62]

Not so much a superstition as an old saying. Better a sister in a wh**ehouse than a brother on a Honda.

 

[JettaKnight]

I really am against licensing requirements for small mopeds and scooters. The only people these small two wheelers endanger are themselves. Some of the poorest folks in the state rely on these for transportation, because in many parts of the state there is no public transit or it is scarce. It hits minimum wage earners pretty hard in the pocketbook to get a driver's license and tags.

FWIW, a DL is not, and will not be a requirement.
Plating will be, but at a much lower cost than we pay for our MC plates.

 

[JettaKnight]

"Loud pipes save lives." MYTH!!!

And it pisses some off ! They would rather talk than pay attention to the road and traffic!

FIFY.

So am I to infer that you, Bang-bang drive your cage in complete silence? I can't believe anyone married follows that!

So how do square your opinion with this?

I live on a pretty busy road. I can tell you that the motorcycle riders are far more of a menace than the little scooter riders. One of these days, I'm going to hear one of them wind it up until they hit the side of that car that is pulling out and didn't see them until the motorcycle crested the hill a second before the crash.

Loud pipes create a "them" mentality, that is, "they" (motorcyclist) are a nuisance. I love riding, but the three A-holes blasting and weaving through traffic at over 30 MPH traffic speed with straight pipes certainly created a "them" mentality.

Or maybe you were implying that "pisses some off" is a good thing? Myself, I'd rather have cagers that want to share the road and look for motorcycles - pissing people off won't help.

Besides, we've been over this a month or two ago.

 

[USA#1]

The problem I have run into is some, not all, scooters and bicycles ride in the middle of the lane or ride side by side in the lane. This causes traffic to back up and forces people far into the oncoming lane to pass. I think if they can't do the speed limit and keep up with traffic, they should stay over to the right. Scooters, I have noticed seem to disregard most traffic laws in general.

 

[edporch]

If loud pipes "save lives" then running straight pipes on ALL vehicles should be mandatory.
Think of all the lives we'd save!

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Bad luck not to wave at another bike. Bad luck to pass a broke down motorcycle and not help.

The husband of one of my wife's friends died stopping to help a fellow motorcyclist...