Posted on 01/15/2005 12:38:29 PM PST by martin_fierro
60-65mph, more than fast enough to die. My official time on a 1977 XR-75 was 54mph, and that was on a dirt track.
That was a fun bike. :)
I feel your pain (no offense and not joking)).
I had a similar experience when I had my first bike, a little Suzuki 150cc, EXCEPT the car hit ME broadside. He was pulling out of a side street heading South while I was on a main street going West. I went flying over the handle bars, landed bout 30-40 feet down the street head first with my right ankle shattered (compound fracture) and a few small bones in the right foot fractured too. I still have a screw going through it. Its just under the skin on both sides and it hurts like hell if I even bump it. And If I wasn't wearing a helmet I'd have been dead. (IL had a helmet law then).
And as a couple posters have noted the guy in the car said to cops "I didn't see him". Oh and he admitted to the cops that he had an eye infection and was taking some kind of eye medicine - the JERK shouldn't even have been driving. So its no wonder he "didn't see me".
An aside, that accident didn't stop me, oh-no. As my bike was totaled (I think I paid $450.00 for it brand new), I subsequently went out an bought a HD Sportster XLCL and joined an MC 'Club' - now that was dangerous (semi kidding).
I find the "organ donor" jokes tiresome and offensive, especially when considering 70% of all motorcycle fatalities are the fault of the automobile driver blocking the motorcyclist's right of way (according to the Hurt report).
The more up to date C.O.D.E.S. studies offered for public consumption twist the facts around in their zeal to push for a national motorcycle helmet law. When you clear away the window dressing, the C.O.D.E.S. studies are merely reaffirming the same conclusions arrived by Harry Hurt back in the '70s. The vast number of motorcycle fatalities are caused by the same old tired reasons; drivers in cars violating the motorcyclist's right of way. Any rider with ten years or more riding experience will tell you this is happening at an increased rate than before.
To be sure, a significant number of inexperienced riders do not have sufficient collision avoidance skills to avoid these scenarios, collecting themselves in Oscar Grope's fender or door or quarter panel. In a panic situation, the inexperienced rider's front brakes are typically underutilized and he or she actually turns into the path of the oncoming vehicle instead of away from it because they don't fully understand their motorcycle's steering dynamics.
As in the '70s, unlicensed motorcyclists (bereft of any formal rider training) are overrepresented in the aggregate data. It is also still true that states with mandatory helmet laws have a statistically higher motorcyclist death rate than states which do not have mandatory helmet laws.
One final point: It is usually the clinically dead helmet wearer that becomes the organ donor, because the brain activity helps keep the organs fresh and viable. The brain-dead biker is usually consigned to bone and tissue donations only, as the organs are usually not viable.
You have just earned my nomination For Freeper Hooligan Safety Officer!!!
Lifetime position. No pay. Lousy hours.
But for bozo's like me who can't string a sentence, you're my hero!! :-)
RIP amongst 'em, my friend Joel Kernodle, a friend of this board.
You've got to be able to react to the most adverse situation without having your heartrate and adrenalin go nutz.
20 years ago, they said that if you were going to die on a motorcycle, (statistically speaking,) it would be in the first six months of riding. Looks like nothings changed, except that a lot of older guys are getting bikes.
I know what you mean. Doctors are risk takers like everyone else. Just goes to show you that sometimes the thrill of the ride matters more than any associated risk. I can certainly understand the attraction, but this recent human "wishbone" was the worst thing I've ever seen. There is risk in getting out of bed every morning -- people have to pick their own comfort level.
Rofl, I used to ride one of those all around the rural Ohio town I grew up in. If I recall it could go about 40mph with your head down and going downgrade. 35mph on flats. The damn thing ate rear sprockets pretty regularly.
How long do you think? Nickel says my CC is bigger than your CC. :)
Yeah. I am just trying to make the case for people staying on small and lame bikes until they have learned to drive safely and defensively (which could take a few years, imho).
I sure don't want the government getting telling people what/how to ride.
The only good democRat congressman is the one who wears a motorcycle helmet every day to work, in the shower and in the sack, to protect the big squishy soft spot on top.
What's their day job .....gun control ?
Ridin' in a warm rain is OK, if you're careful. Cold rain feels like needles on your face.
That's what I like about ridin'. I feel closer to the road, closer to the nature around me. Yeah, closer to God.
I wish they would take windshields out of cars. I don't think people would drive as fast, or feel as if they were separated from those around them.
Not true.
There have been three dramatically different engine designs from HD in the last 20 years; the Shovelhead, the Evolution and now the Twin Cam (four if you count the water-cooled V-Rod).
Braking systems have likewise gone through several periods of technological refinement. Braking performance of Harley-Davidsons compare favorably to the best Japan and the others have to offer. Two and four piston calipers are now the norm on the new models. HD has avoided (for good reason) chasing the two-finger power brake feel typical of the Japanese rocket. Front brakes that can lock the wheel with a two finger squeeze are invitations to disaster in a panic situation.
The multi-port EFI found on the latest crop of Twin Cam equipped Harleys make starting rituals a dim and distant memory. Hit the start button and ride . . .
My Ultra Classic is lighter, handles better, is more comfortable, has a better stereo, carries more, and gets better mileage than a comparable Gold Wing despite the number of times that behemoth has been reinvented over the years. The controls are more thoughtfully designed and much easier to use (apparently the Japanese haven't heard of gloves). The Ultra is a rolling work of art compared to the plastic ensconced two-wheeled Acura, yet concedes nothing in terms of creature comforts. Though a fully loaded Ultra Classic will set you back approximately $1500 - $2000 more than a similarly equipped Gold Wing, you get that and more back in resale value in the very first year.
Harley Davidson factory and dealer support is unrivaled in the industry, regardless of comparable brand. Warranty support is equal to or better than any other brand available in the U.S.
When your old friend becomes 20+ years old (like my venerable FXRS) you can still get parts and service on anything. Try doing that with your twenty-something Suzuki or Kawasaki (or Triumph or Indian or Beemer).
Don't be fooled by the magazine testers who judge technological innovation for innovation's sake as the Holy Grail of motorcycledom. The streets any highways of America are not parsed off in quarter-mile segments; the rockets are no fun to ride unless you're wringing them out to 7/10ths - 8/10ths of your ability or more. Tooling down the road at the speed limit quickly becomes excruciatingly uncomfortable and mind-numbingly boring on the rockets when your adrenaline pump isn't in overdrive. The scenery isn't enjoyable unless its a blur.
High tech high RPM valve trains become a total pain in the a$$ when the adjustment interval comes due. Got a passenger? Forfeit the rocket, unless you're passenger is a card-carrying sadist. Metric cruisers leave you wanting more after a few thousand miles; something real & enjoyable, not plastic.
Back when I wore the only helmets available, 3/4 Face with shield snaps, I was much better prepared for high speed riding in the rain. Now that I wear glasses (old age), I'm constantly searching for the next best/better over-the-glasses-goggle. I think I'll go back to faceshields w/rainX. :-)
E-glides were pretty bulky until they moved the engine oil tank under the transmission. It seemed like they took 100lbs off the bike. Dropped the center of gravity and gave the whole shabang a sport feel. '93, I think..... ??
I do have a full face helmet gathering dust on the shelf.
I wear glasses, too. Wore goggles over them for a while, 'til I found out that a sealed nose bridge kept the wind out of my eyes.
I prefer a beany skid lid. It don't do much but advertize, but I like it. I usually wear it with Harley's version of a welder's cap underneath. Not to in/stylish, but it's me.
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