Motorcycle riders face dangers

Motorcycle riders are not surprised the circumstances surrounding a crash Thursday on Route 7 sounds just like a motorcycle crash earlier this month on Wellsville Avenue.

[MrPutnam]

While I feel for the families of motorcycle victims, anyone riding a bike especially without a helmet is totally insane!
Why do cyclists believe they have the right to travel and 80 to 90 mph on curvy and winding roads? Take Route 301 in Putnam County for example---Each Sunday the drowne of motorycle madness is heard when bikers speed along the narrow road on their red, yellow, green and blue "speed rockets" with little regard for those around them. During yesterday's Tour de Putnam, several bicylcists had close calls when they were buzzed by motorcyclists. A young man from Kent paid the ultimate price last night when his motorcycle, speeding along a curve, slammned into a car containing a family from Mahopac. Tragic for all concerned. When will motorcyclists learn that speed and reckless driving kill?

[newtown tax payer]

Well, those are a fraction of motorcycle riders and usually male, 18-25 years old. Young men do the same damn thing in cars only they cannot get a car as fast as those bikes. That behavior is why the military cultivates that gender and age group to walk into a barrage of bullets and exploding bombs.

Now I have been riding bikes for 4 years and driving cars for 14 years. I will tell you that you can NEVER fully understand how poorly people drive cars and suv's until you are on a motorcycle.

The part about gas prices is very relevant. That is what keeps me riding and freezing my butt off outside the summer season. I have seen more commuter bikes now than ever, and it is encouraging. It breaks my heart to see the hedonists driving their gas guzzlers with no regard for this world; only their selfish materialism.

[Driver and Biker]

Two thoughts:

Drivers: Make sure to stop and lock your eyes on the asphalt when looking left or right. If your eyes are moving, you can easily miss something as small as person walking or riding a bike/motorcycle.

Bikers: Keep the headlights on...may not be cool, but the chances that your headlight will "blend" into the background, just like your clothes and bike, is a lot smaller.

[Dave06810]

It's a matter of mutual respect, or rather lack of respect. A lot of drivers are hostile to bikers and thus don't give them the right of way, etc., and a lot of bikers don't observe the traffic laws, e.g., speeding, passing on the right and between lanes. It's a tragedy when people die because someone is not paying attention or thinking of the consequences of their attitudes.

[coolbreeze]

it happens everyday when I'm on my bike.just leave room in front and look for possible danger.

[Be realistic]

I've had many instances where Bikers have cut in and out of traffic....tailgated....sped by at well over the speed limit....even had one pass me on I84 on one wheel!!!....pass between cars that are in thier own lane at highway speeds, just squeezing in between. I give them as much room as possible, and still they act like idiots. My understanding is that one of the most recent accidents involved a Biker who ran a Red Light?. Do I feel bad for the ones who take a hit they didn't desrve...Yes, I do....but some desrve what they get.

[Careless]

Nine out of ten motorcylclists I see drive like idiots. They are weaving in and out of cars ... passing in between cars and on the white line on the highways and in the shoulder. I see them popping wheelies on Route 202 in New Milford ALL THE TIME. I stay as far away from these fools as I can.

[whawahWUT]

""Just under half of all motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle and the majority of the time, the driver of the vehicle has shown to be at fault," said Mike Mount, a spokesman for the Motorcycle Safety Foundation."

Motorcycle Safety Foundation? BIASED, MUCH?

crappy article in a crappy newspaper.

send this guy back to journalism community college.

[Concerned]

I'm worried about my brother who drives his bike more often now to save on gas expenses. I asked him to consider getting a really flashy bright colored jacket (even if it means looking like a clown:)

[Last American Cowboy]

Check all car drivers cell phone records,wether in a wreck with a biker or another vehicle.
If they were on the phone,a manditory 12 month jail sit. Dea-th or severe injuries. 36 months.

KI-LL a biker go to jail!!!!

You are right about young riders on crotch rockets,but everyone I ride with rides a Harley dresser, and even with my headlights on,even when riding in a group of two or more,a-soles STILL look right at you and pull right out as if you were a mirage.

[slodaddy]

Around 12:30 Sunday morning I was driving east on I 84 at about 60 when four motorcycles went zooming by. I don't think motorcycles are allowed on route 84. We all need to look out for each other; it sometimes seems that the bike riders get the favorable press around here.

[Where are u looking -]

Careless wrote:

Nine out of ten motorcylclists I see drive like idiots. They are weaving in and out of cars ... passing in between cars and on the white line on the highways and in the shoulder. I see them popping wheelies on Route 202 in New Milford ALL THE TIME. I stay as far away from these fools as I can.

9 out of 10? I will give you that 2 out of 10 drive like idiots but for the most part "motorcyclists" are very careful due to the obstacles they face on the roads. It also burns me that these people drive like idiots because I probally am going to have to scrape them up off the ground when I am called out but do not group us all together. Many of us are aware of our surrondings and the dangers.

[Straight Pipe Jones]

The best way to prevent getting run over is by installing a set of straight pipes. Even better get a set of goose cut kick ups, blasting your engines thunderous roar staight into their ears.

[Trucker Mike]

"Now I have been riding bikes for 4 years and driving cars for 14 years. I will tell you that you can NEVER fully understand how poorly people drive cars and suv's until you are on a motorcycle."
Jump in a tractor trailer and you will see an even bigger problem-

[Rashomon]

Somebody on this forum summed it up a while back - ride like your life depends on it. The only reason that people notice the wankers on their crotch rockets is because they stand out which is presumably what they're trying to do. Don't lump the rest of us in with that crowd though - we don't all have a death wish - some of us just enjoy riding.

[Common Sense]

"Cell Phones"
"Reckless Driving"
"Speeding"
"Forward Controls"
The first 3 are some of the causes that can led to problems.
But the 4th. one, "Forward Controls"
are now a factor in some accidents.
I have been riding Motorcycles for
over 30 yrs. One of the problems is
when someone or something pulls out in
front of you, you have to apply the
brakes as soon as possible.
A Lot of the new bikes now have
"Forward Foot Controls" Although this
may look "Cool" it is a "Major" problem in controling your bike during
hard braking. With "Center Controls"
your center of gravity is over the middle of the bike, which allows you
to shift your weight around which helps you to control your bike and you
can control your "Skid" much better.
With the "Forward Controls" all your
weight is basically on your Butt with
your legs way out in front of you.
You can not control your "Skid" nearly
as well because you can not shift your weight.
Anyone who races Motorcycles will tell
you this because youn can not control
your bike with your Feet sticking way
out in front of you.
With all your weight on the rear end
of your Motorcycle, your bike is trying to Kick Out from under you
which makes you lose control during a
hard stop.
A Motorcycle with "Center Controls"
can be controlled much more safely.
Although you can not prevent all
collisions, this will help to control
a large number if you know what your
bike will do during a Hard Braking.

[Rat]

Straight Pipe Jones wrote:

The best way to prevent getting run over is by installing a set of straight pipes. Even better get a set of goose cut kick ups, blasting your engines thunderous roar staight into their ears.

That's a myth. Straight pipes send most of the noise out the sides and back. Unless you've got those pipes pointed forward, you're not doing anything except making everyone you pass even more biased against motorcycles.

[Bull dinkies]

Rashomon wrote:

Somebody on this forum summed it up a while back - ride like your life depends on it. The only reason that people notice the wankers on their crotch rockets is because they stand out which is presumably what they're trying to do. Don't lump the rest of us in with that crowd though - we don't all have a death wish - some of us just enjoy riding.

No, the reason we notice the crotch rockets is that they are usually passing us in the breakdown lanes when traffic is backed up, or blowing by at 80 on a 40 mph on the wrong side of the road, or weaving in and out of traffic, etc.

Well lets look at reality. Bikers need to recognize that they are a smaller objects, and more difficult to see. Especially with the amount of traffic we have these days, there are many objects to watch and track when driving, especially when pulling into traffic.

Then, on top of being less visible, bikers tend to dress up in what ? YES, hard to spot clothing. Go ahead, wear your leathers since you think you look purty, wear a black helmet if you have one on at all, ride a dark Harley, but if you do - don't complain that its dangerous. If you are crazy enough to make yourself invisible, well, bikers go squish.

Don't blame the cell phones, the ipods, etc, although of course some of the accidents are caused by driver distractions - look at yourselves. Are you making yourself visible ? Are you riding in such a way that you neutralize the fact that you are harder to see ?

It seems like bikers like to act like victims and claim that 2/3 of the automobile world are out to get them. Wah wah wah I am a biker that mean SUV doesn't love me. You would be much better off if you took preventative actions.

[Where are u looking -]

Bull dinkies wrote:

<quoted text>
No, the reason we notice the crotch rockets is that they are usually passing us in the breakdown lanes when traffic is backed up, or blowing by at 80 on a 40 mph on the wrong side of the road, or weaving in and out of traffic, etc.
Well lets look at reality. Bikers need to recognize that they are a smaller objects, and more difficult to see. Especially with the amount of traffic we have these days, there are many objects to watch and track when driving, especially when pulling into traffic.
Then, on top of being less visible, bikers tend to dress up in what ? YES, hard to spot clothing. Go ahead, wear your leathers since you think you look purty, wear a black helmet if you have one on at all, ride a dark Harley, but if you do - don't complain that its dangerous. If you are crazy enough to make yourself invisible, well, bikers go squish.
Don't blame the cell phones, the ipods, etc, although of course some of the accidents are caused by driver distractions - look at yourselves. Are you making yourself visible ? Are you riding in such a way that you neutralize the fact that you are harder to see ?
It seems like bikers like to act like victims and claim that 2/3 of the automobile world are out to get them. Wah wah wah I am a biker that mean SUV doesn't love me. You would be much better off if you took preventative actions.

...and you would be the first to state that because he did not have on protective clothing that he deserved what he got during the accident. Leather and other equipment is not a fashion statement it is to protect (preventative actions) us from when we do fall whether on our own or by someone in the "SUV" as you stated. Do you ride and see what we see - while everyone is listening to their iPod or talking on their phones we are looking as if we have eyes in the back of our heads to see where we can go if they chose to cut out on us. If it was not engrained into auto drivers head being the first response "I didn't see them", when you look right into their eyes and they cut over. You are asking for us to respect you because you are in the car and you can't see us - open your eyes and pay attention. There are more people everyday breaking the laws of the road in cars than on bikes but because you may listen to your iPod or talk on your phone without the wireless headset - you all feel the need to justify that action.
I was hit in the rear end sitting at a traffic light with bright colors on by a driver doing 25 mph & yapping to their friend. No skid marks, just a direct hit, never knew what hit me. What would you have me do to avoid that accident - was it my fault for obeying the traffic laws?
This has nothing to do with "Wah wah wah I am a biker that mean SUV doesn't love me." but more to do with the fact that just becasue a motorcyclist is smaller they need to pay closer attention to you in the car with disregard to the laws your break everyday also. Trust me when I say that I do pay closer attention to you - becasue I do not trust you.
"Bikers need to recognize that they are a smaller objects, and more difficult to see." - whe you are driving down the road and a child steps out in the crosswalk and you didn't see him - is it his fault because he is smaller and not at a level that catches your attention? We need to share the road and if drivers were not so aggressive - in a hurry (cars & bikes) maybe there would be less for people to blame on the others. It is called give and take - remember that the next time you see a true motorcyclist and not one of those daredevils.

[Rashomon]

Bull dinkies wrote:

<quoted text>
No, the reason we notice the crotch rockets is that they are usually passing us in the breakdown lanes when traffic is backed up, or blowing by at 80 on a 40 mph on the wrong side of the road, or weaving in and out of traffic, etc.
Well lets look at reality. Bikers need to recognize that they are a smaller objects, and more difficult to see. Especially with the amount of traffic we have these days, there are many objects to watch and track when driving, especially when pulling into traffic.
Then, on top of being less visible, bikers tend to dress up in what ? YES, hard to spot clothing. Go ahead, wear your leathers since you think you look purty, wear a black helmet if you have one on at all, ride a dark Harley, but if you do - don't complain that its dangerous. If you are crazy enough to make yourself invisible, well, bikers go squish.
Don't blame the cell phones, the ipods, etc, although of course some of the accidents are caused by driver distractions - look at yourselves. Are you making yourself visible ? Are you riding in such a way that you neutralize the fact that you are harder to see ?
It seems like bikers like to act like victims and claim that 2/3 of the automobile world are out to get them. Wah wah wah I am a biker that mean SUV doesn't love me. You would be much better off if you took preventative actions.

I'm not sure I'm buying your argument. I've been riding for 40 years on three continents and off the track, I've only had two accidents one which was definitely my fault but the most recent was two years ago when a lady in an SUV talking on her cell phone ran wide on a corner and pretty much took the whole of my lane. It was either a head on with her or the guard rail. Give or take some bruising and a couple of cracked ribs it was no big deal but I do ride a red bike, I wear a bright helmet and dress appropriately. I also believe that I should be able to enjoy riding safely without some jerk talking illegally on a cell phone running me off the road.

There really are two sides to this debate and it mostly boils down to people being irresponsible whether that means riding like a fool or talking on a cell phone. The problem with bikes is that you tend to get real dead real quick when things go wrong.