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Seat swap: New motorcycle means more risk
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ^ | April 15, 2008 | RICK BARRETT

Posted on 04/16/2008 3:49:32 AM PDT by BraveMan

Whoever coined the phrase "it's just like riding a bike" probably never switched motorcycles.

Even experienced riders can be wobbly on an unfamiliar bike, according to a recent study from the Progressive Group of Insurance Cos., a motorcycle insurer.

Progressive reviewed nearly 2 million motorcycle insurance policies over a five-year period and found that riders who switched to different types of bikes were nearly 70% more likely to crash than riders who kept the same bike.

The study also found that riders of cruiser bikes, such as Harley-Davidsons, who switched to high-performance sport bikes like Suzuki GSXRs were 3 1/2 -times more likely to crash. That's more than double the risk they would have if they had just switched to another cruiser.

Sport bikers, on the other hand, could reduce their crash risks by more than one-third just by switching to a cruiser, according to Progressive.

"We want experienced riders to know their risks so they can take extra precautions when they replace their bikes," said Rick Stern, a Progressive motorcycle insurance product manager who is also a rider.

New riders, by far, are still the most likely to crash because of their lack of riding experience.

But the study showed that riders unfamiliar with their current motorcycle, regardless of riding experience or the type of bike, were more likely to be involved in a collision.

"As a motorcycle rider, the data feels right. We certainly had enough data to feel confident that what we were looking at was real," Stern said.

The study looked at insurance policies where the policy holders had at least a year of riding experience. Age wasn't considered a factor, but many sport-bike enthusiasts are younger riders.

When a cruiser rider switches to a sport bike, the dynamics of riding are profoundly different, according to Stern.

"You can twist the throttle on a cruiser and go pretty darn fast, but your front wheel stays on the ground. If you twist the throttle that much on a sport bike, crazy things can happen," he said.

Even riders who successfully complete motorcycle safety classes are likely to crash if the bike they buy is much different than the one they learned on, said Rick Breuer, owner of Learning Curves Racing, a Milwaukee riding school.

"They take classes and do really well on a 250-cc (small) street bike and then go out and buy the biggest Harley they can possibly find. I expect them to almost fall down immediately just because of the differences in weight and because they don't have the respect for those giant bikes," Breuer said.

There's nothing inherently more dangerous about large motorcycles. It's the rider that makes the difference, said Mary Donovan-Popa, owner of Motorcycling Enterprises Inc., a Milwaukee riding school.

"Every bike has its own personality. Unless you familiarize yourself with that, you are looking for trouble," she said.

Older riders also are at a high risk of accidents, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

In 1997, for example, 19% of motorcyclists killed in the United States were ages 40 to 49. The figure had risen to 23% in 2006, the most recent year for which data was available, according to the NHTSA.

For the 50-to-59 age group, the total was 10% of motorcyclists killed in 1997 and 18% in 2006. In the 59-plus category, the figure was 4% in 1997 and 7% in 2006.

Why the changes? Much of it can be explained by a growing pool of baby-boomer motorcyclists, including those returning to riding after years out of the saddle.

In Wisconsin, there were 24 motorcyclists ages 45 to 54 killed in 2006, the most of any age group. Of the 712 people killed in motor vehicle accidents that year, 93, or 13%, were motorcycle drivers or passengers.

Anyone can benefit from practicing the basics on their bikes, Stern said, including low-speed riding, turning, shifting and higher-speed panic stopping.

Especially with a new bike: "It's a good idea for riders to take it out for a couple of shakedown cruises in a parking lot before hitting the open road," Stern said.


TOPICS: Culture/Society; US: Wisconsin
KEYWORDS: bike; biker; motorcycle; motorcyclist
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To: BraveMan

I was very relieved when my sons Dad sent a picture up to us of his new bike.

It was a 4 wheeler ATV.
Perfect for the old geezer.


21 posted on 04/16/2008 5:50:00 AM PDT by Global2010
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To: Citizen Tom Paine

Be very careful on a strange bike, no matter how long you have ridden a motorcycle.

Enjoy.


Is that some kind of Man code on advice about women?


22 posted on 04/16/2008 5:53:06 AM PDT by Global2010
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To: BraveMan

Back in 1991, when my two kids hit the teenage years and wanted to ride on the back with dad, is when I sold my bike.


23 posted on 04/16/2008 5:57:56 AM PDT by moonman
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To: BraveMan
The study also found that riders of cruiser bikes, such as Harley-Davidsons, who switched to high-performance sport bikes like Suzuki GSXRs were 3 1/2 -times more likely to crash. That's more than double the risk they would have if they had just switched to another cruiser.

Sport bikers, on the other hand, could reduce their crash risks by more than one-third just by switching to a cruiser, according to Progressive.

The headline is wrong. It doesn't say both changes are more dangerous. It says cruisers are safer in both cases. Switching to or staying with a sport bike is more dangerous than staying or switching to a cruiser.

24 posted on 04/16/2008 5:58:19 AM PDT by varyouga ("Rove is some mysterious God of politics & mind control" - DU 10-24-06)
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To: camle

I can’t believe we have gone this far in this thread without someone saying. “Wear a helmet Dude!”. Too many baby boomers trying to look like Peter Fonda and riding with only a doo rag on are a primary cause of fatalities.


25 posted on 04/16/2008 5:59:29 AM PDT by dblshot
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To: dblshot

tain’t what you wear, it’s how you wear it.

all the so-called safety gear can’t make one a safe rider, and safe rider’s never need it. Helmets are a percentage game - you’re betting that should you have an accident, it’ll be one that the helmet will help, and not the kind where a helmet can hurt - for example tumbling, where the bulk of the helmet yanks the neck more than without one.

now watch the safety nazi’s coem after me ;-)


26 posted on 04/16/2008 6:12:15 AM PDT by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: dblshot

BTW: at a charity run last season, some bike-lawyer group passed out do rags to everyone. ironic?


27 posted on 04/16/2008 6:14:17 AM PDT by camle (keep an open mind and someone will fill it full of something for you)
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To: bill1952
No they aren’t.

I have to disagree.
The basics are the same, the dynamics are different.

28 posted on 04/16/2008 6:17:54 AM PDT by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: varyouga

There’s nothing inherently more dangerous about a sportbike - in fact they’re lighter, more manoeuverable, better braked, and have better tires than cruisers, making them better able to avoid accidents. Any bike is only as safe as the rider who’s controlling it. If one insists on railing around corners with knee on the ground, eventually the laws of physics are going to catch up with you. Same for high speeds - if you’re going twice the speed limit and someone pulls out of a driveway or side street into your path, whose fault is it, really?

I ride a bike that is neither sport bike (according to my insurance company) or cruiser. I ride quite briskly at times, and yet I can’t remember the last time I even had a close call or “pucker factor” moment. A lot of it just comes down to expecting everyone else on the road to always do the stupidest thing possible. I drive my car the same way, which is probably why I haven’t been involved in an accident, my fault or not, for about 20 years (and the accidents before that were fender-benders while driving courier in the city).


29 posted on 04/16/2008 6:23:12 AM PDT by -YYZ- (Strong like bull, smart like ox.)
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To: doodad

I road bikes for years, and a harley for years... I am no 36 years old and gave up my bike a few years ago. No, not any sort of accident, but fiscal reasons at the time.

I used to shake my head when I’d see some guy in his 50s who’d never rode before showing up at the dealership to pick up his new fully loaded dresser or fat boy.. or whatever. Beautiful bikes that I knew odds were very great would wind up road kill inside of a few months. Not because the bikes were any more unsafe than any other bike, just the riders were, completely out of their leagues.

I cannot even begin to count how many close calls I had over the years, where the only thing that kept me from going down was defensive driving, experience and reaction time. On a sunny day like today, where they are calling for 70s and sun, I openly admit I miss my bike... but I also know and can tell my reaction time has slowed, from what it used to be, and I’m in my mid 30s, because of my experience I doubt highly I’ll ever buy another bike just for that reason alone. Guys in their 50s, never been on a bike before and then go buy the biggest most loaded thing they can find are flirting with disaster.


30 posted on 04/16/2008 6:26:24 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: -YYZ-
If one insists on railing around corners with knee on the ground, eventually the laws of physics an oil patch, some sand or gravel are going to catch up with you.
31 posted on 04/16/2008 6:28:32 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: BraveMan

This is a GREAT way to mitigate our generations effect on Social Security and Medicare.....


32 posted on 04/16/2008 6:29:19 AM PDT by Kozak (Anti Shahada: There is no god named Allah, and Muhammed is a false prophet)
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To: Citizen Tom Paine
cars were at fault in an accident 85% of the time

If you wind up dead, doesn't really matter who's at fault.. you are still dead... if you ever get on a bike and ride without this thought going on in your head the entire time "Every Vehicle I see is going to try to be where I am." you probably should not be on a bike in the first place.

33 posted on 04/16/2008 6:35:13 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: BraveMan

I own a motorcycle dealership, been riding for thirty years. My son is in college and wants to run the family business some day. Of course, being able to walk the walk, almost requires him to start riding bikes. Let me tell you, this scares the hell out of me! God-forbid, if anything ever happened to him because of this business, I don’t know what I’d do.


34 posted on 04/16/2008 6:35:34 AM PDT by hdbc
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To: BraveMan

A fool and his bike, are soon parted.


35 posted on 04/16/2008 6:46:23 AM PDT by papasmurf (Unless I post a link to resource, what I post is opinion, regardless of how I spin it.)
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To: 230FMJ; 68 grunt; absolootezer0; AdamSelene235; AJMaXx; angry elephant; arbooz; archy; ...

Visit the FMH Swag Store & support FR!
Send FReepmail if you want on/off FMH list
The List of Ping Lists

36 posted on 04/16/2008 6:47:23 AM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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To: HamiltonJay

A new rider really should start out on something small. Unfortunately the only small Harley is the sportster, and that seems to have a certain stigma in Harley circles. So most guys buy a 900lb monster.

Personally, I won’t ride anything I can’t pick up by myself. Bikes can and do fall over.


37 posted on 04/16/2008 6:49:37 AM PDT by ScottyinTN (Stuck on dialup)
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To: BraveMan
"When a cruiser rider switches to a sport bike, the dynamics of riding are profoundly different, according to Stern. "

A lot of it has to do with the rider, as well. More than once I have been cruising (in my car) down the expressway at about 70 mph when - seemingly out of nowhere - a group of 6 or more "crotch rocket" biker zoom by me like I was standing still, and going out of sight in seconds...they're probably doing over 100 mph at the time. Not only does it startle the hell out of me when they zoom by, but they are generallly racing each other.

I used to ride dirt bikes (the motorcycle kind) and learned way back in the 70's that automobile drivers show no concern to motorcyclists and tend to see them more as "bicycles" that can stop on a dime. That's why I bought a trailer back then, just to get me to the woods where I could ride in relative safety.

To paraphrase an old adage, "God made crotch rockets to keep idiots off of Harleys".
38 posted on 04/16/2008 6:51:17 AM PDT by FrankR (OBAMA is the VAST WRIGHT-WING CONSPIRACY...)
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To: ScottyinTN

Germany (I believe) has the right idea when it comes to motorcycles. The size of the bike you are allowed to own is directly proportional to how many years experience you have... If you have never ridden a bike before in your life you can’t go walk into a dealership and walk out with a 750lb bruiser.

Now I know this will never fly in the states, but their stages system is a far far wiser approach. You got to work your way up to the big boys.


39 posted on 04/16/2008 6:53:35 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: camle

“now watch the safety nazi’s coem after me ;-)”

It’s either the safety nazis, or the organ donor folks.

Take your pick.


40 posted on 04/16/2008 6:58:01 AM PDT by RFEngineer
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