Posted on 04/12/2006 11:47:58 AM PDT by Mikey_1962
A world-renowned motorcycle safety expert from Squirrel Hill was killed over the weekend in a motorcycle accident in Texas.
Larry Grodsky, 55, owner of Stayin' Safe Motorcycle Training, died after a deer ran in front of his motorcycle Saturday night in Fort Stockton, Texas.
Grodsky, a Gateway High School graduate, had a decades-long love affair with motorcycles and trained celebrities including Ted Koppel and Mike Tyson on safe-driving techniques.
He was the nephew of Myron Cope, the longtime Pittsburgh Steelers announcer who retired last year.
His mother, Violet Grodsky, also 85, said her son began riding motorcycles while attending Ohio University, where he graduated with an English degree in 1968.
He spent a few years teaching in Ohio schools and doing freelance writing for several magazines before returning to Pittsburgh and opening his training center, Violet Grodsky said.
Grodsky, who was single, traveled the country attending training and safety seminars and was returning from a conference in California when the accident happened. An officer with the Texas Department of Public Safety said he did not know whether Grodsky was wearing a helmet or what kind of motorcycle he was driving.
Grodsky had many friends and valued the work he did for charity, his father said.
He participated in charity motorcycle events and did other volunteer work, Harold Grodsky said.
"That was typical of Larry to always be helping other people and thinking about those who had less or were suffering," he said.
Luke Hingson, president of the Brother's Brother Foundation in the North Side, said Grodsky helped the organization raise money for the victims of the December 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia and for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
prayer bump
Trying to make a point. I have heard that say several times and have seen waht happens even when you are careful. Because others aren't. Sorry for this man and his family, I truly am and if it seemed cheap sorry. But the truth stands on the roads today motorcyles are not safe. I no longer feel I have to do unsafe acts just to prove I am a man. Been there done that.
You proved -- in this thread and others -- that you're a cheap shot artist. Congratulations.
I no longer feel I have to do unsafe acts just to prove I am a man.
If that was your motivation for riding, that's your personal problem.
That's not what motivates me to ride.
Good Luck. And being there for my daughters and my family are my motivation for never riding a motorcycle.
I'll send this thread to him and get his opinion. I could envision some protection at low speeds, but I think the way airbags work is to cushion an enclosed space. You'd have to trap the airbag between the offending vehicle and you.
Good Luck....
Your are generalizing over what is probably just a lack of skill set on your part.
Last year I was driving into work when I saw a chevy tahao (sp?) with the woman drivingit and talking on her cell phone change lane sharply, it was rush hour traffic and literally run over a guy on a sportster with the side of the suv. It knocked him down, part of his bike and his arm went under the rear passenger side tire. As in the case of this man it is not usually the rider, but someone or thing else that kills him. Unless it is a closed coarse or something of that nature riding a motorcycle is to unsafe IMHO.
As for skills I rode dirt bikes for 5 years as a teen. I liked it and would like to take it up again, but I would never ride on the road.
Thats why we need to look out, drive with brights on during the day and cover the horn button (I run twin Freeway Blasters).
I also wear a Roadcrafter with ballistic armor and my
last will and testament in the breast pocket.
Like I said I would never ride on the road. And for the record the dayu was sunny, clear and he was wearing brown leather with a red helmet. I will never forget it. The women never even signaled.
And she could just as easily do that to a car. Hence why I say you are generalizing. IMHO
I stopped to render aid adn she kept saying she looked into her mirrors and did not see him. Two points:
1. A car, truck, or suv is easier to see, it is bigger.
2. If in this case a tahao runs up the side of my jeep cherokee at 30 mph I have an excellent chance of little or no injury. There is nothing between you and them on a motorcycle.
Again, she could just as easily not see the other vehicle. Especially if she was distracting herself. The bike was probably in her blind spot. Cars can be there too.
Also when you are on a motorcycle and something like that is developing you have more options to evade than you do in a car.
Love my Roadcrafter.
My personal policy for riding in highway traffic is to remain in the left lane riding 10-12 m.p.h. faster than surrounding vehicles. This ensures problems don't "sneak up on you" from the rear. My highbeam is typically illuminated if there are a decent number of cars around.
By using these techniques one doesn't have to worry as much about dimwits yanking on their steering wheel in an attempt to exit the freeway at the last moment.
~ Blue Jays ~
That works. I will say, and this is true for when I'm in a vehicle too, I have excellerated out of trouble more often than I've ever braked out of it.
If you stay sharp and stay aware of the vehicles around you, you are very unlikely to get into an accident.
If I had plenty of money burning a hole in my pocket I would consider one of their HiViz models. It might also be cool to go with a two-piece Darien with gray bottoms and the lime yellow top if one is trying to keep it clean.
~ Blue Jays ~
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