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.
I got it from a guy down the street used and broken for almost free. Once I fixed it I was surprised how much fun it is, and it's very good on gas. My child support budget conflicts with my toy budget, no new ninja for me. If could buy a new bike it would be a Yamaha R1 or maybe a 'Busa.
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