As a new rider I've been perusing the net lately reading about motorcycle safety.
The common trends that most articles point out are:
- Injuries and fatalities are increasing at an alarming rate among older riders who are getting back into riding in their 40s, 50s, etc.
- Today's bikes are not the bikes of yesterday; performance and capability take steps forward with every generation, while new riders or returning riders are not capable of them.
This last point is mentioned also when talking about riders who rode in their youth, and are now getting back in motorcycling.

What do you guys think about these trends? What responsibility do you think the government or motorcycle manufacturers have in this?
Is it ok for motorcycle manufacturers to keep producing machines capable of more and more extreme performance every year?

Many, myself included, feel that motorcycling is inherently risky, and that the instant you get on a bike, you are taking your life into your hands and risking life and limb. You should know what you are getting yourself into, be familiar with the machine and your environment, and have on all the proper gear.

But how can we reduce motorcycle deaths which are simply a product of inexperienced riders and machines which are too much for them?
Is it ok to stand by while more and more inexperienced or returning riders are killed every year? Is it ok to always say, "well it's nobody's fault but their own?"

Just some random thoughts... let me know what you think.

 

Oh, I love these discussions. I have a jumble of thoughts:
Rule #1. You can't always protect people from themselves.
Rule #2. Idiots will find a way.
IMHO, the government always seems to mis-identify the true problem. The problem is NOT with the bikes or the manufacturers. You shoot yourself in the foot whenever you stifle technology in an attempt to weed out idiots.
Today's bikes are the result of terrific advancements in technology and continual refinement of the proverbial mousetrap. Because of that, yes, there are many bikes out there that have performance which exceeds the skill of the user (who refuses to admit this simple fact.) However, instead of taking the timeto learn and improve their skill level,said rider(s) (lacking the ability or unwillingness to admitto this fact ofskill deficiency)boldly defy logic and physics and proceed to"touch the hot burner on the stove."
You can legislate safety all you want, but idiots always seem to "find a way." Darwin understood this.
The problem is not reducing deaths. (This is a RESULT of the problem.) The problem is reducing the number of idiots having the opportunity to become statistics. I suspect the government will eventually(if they are smart)make laws requiring riders to demonstrate proficiency in handling high performance bikes. If the government (if they are stupid) attempts to restrict the performance of the bikes (i.e. horsepower limit, etc.) they are penalizing the manufacturers instead of the bad apples who ruin it for the rest of us. The "smart" solution will have a positive effect by reducing fatalities and lowering insurance rates. The "stupid" solution will resultinno net change in fatalities andincrease the cost of new bikes due tomanufacturersinstalling "limiters" and "sensors" and other crap(which most of us will find a way to by-pass or remove anyway!)
It will be interesting to see what happens to the industry. Let's hope they get it right.

 

i believe in europe you have to have a certain number of years riding a lower power class before you can get liscenced for the next step up in power.

that would help some people.

 

oh and my thoughts on the statistic of the increasing rate of people in their 40's50's and 60's dieing is due to the baby boomers hitting their mid life crisis and hopping on a bike to feel young again.

i bet if you compare the number of people in that age group dieing to the number buying bikes the % will still be the same, its just an increase in sheer number of riders.

 

All of you are probably right. Penalizing the mfr's isn;t the answer. As Americans we have the right to be as stupid as we want, as long as we aren't putting other people in danger. Getting ridiculous on the street and endangering other people is what is going to ruin it for all riders. If you want to get stupid on the street, at least go out where there aren't any other people! Like Jeff said, they can do all of the dumb stuff they want to a bike...we'll just find a way around it.

Just a thought, I bet the rate has increased since the start of the war in Iraq. It isn't the war (sorry democrats), but in the Army everyone saved up money and many of us bought bikes when we reutrned. I boguht a 600 and learned to ride responsibly and took the MSF class at the first opportunity, I knew alot of guys who bought R1's/gsxr1000's/Busa's, and alot of them wrecked, and died or were hurt. Many of them didn't get licenses or ride them on post to avoid taking the MSF class (which was free). What I'm trying to say is...stupid people with extra money are the problem, same as it has been with everything else in history.

 

I know I've seen a lot more motorcycles on the road in the past couple of years. People of all age groups getting on, or back on bikes. There has been a terrific explosion in the number of scooters. Just look at the US sales numbers. I know I've gone to look at quite a few bikes with my friends, who are looking for cheaper, more efficient transportation. I don't think you can increase the number of 2 wheeled transportation on the road by the numbers that have been put out there, and not expect more accidents.

 

zzrick, you hit the nail right on the head. A lot of soldiers save up all this money from deployment pay, then come home and buy the biggest, baddest bikes they can find. They don't bother to learn the skills of riding properly. They feel that they are invinceable. I heard it all before.. "I survived Iraq, what's this bike going to do?" and it's retarded. Pulling the power out of these bikes isn't going to change anything. You can get yourself killed on a 125 just as fast as you can get killed on a Ninja, and you'll be just as dead. All pulling the power is going to do is make people less afraid of their bikes, and more likely to do something stupid. I was pissed off when the manufacturers started limiting the top speeds on bikes to 187... not because I want to go that fast, but because they had every right to make a machine as fast as they want to. It's not the manufacturers fault is some idiot gets out on the street and hits a tree at 130mph. That's like blaming gun manufacturers for murders commited with handguns.

 

Guys, I'm with you saying it's the idiot that crashes and not the manufacturer who's to blame, but I think some legislation wouldn't hurt. Not to limit performance though. In Europe commuting to work in cities is a real problem, with all those narrow streets and traffic. Motorbikes make sense, but scooters are more popular (cheaper, nimbler, cost peanuts to run) and unfortunately in most places you don't need a license or permit for riding a scooter if you're over 18. Now, a scooter won't go over 50 mph even if a limiter is taken off. Why then there are so many fatalities?

If you are aware of risks and ride responsibly chances are you'll be allright. Idiots have to be kept in check by laws. There are different ways, Kohburn mentioned one, the other here is the point system - each traffic violation means a fine and points(how many depends on the severity of the offence). If you go over a limit your license is revoked. If you are under 21 the limit is set lower. Some places (like Sweden) you don't have a upper limit on fines - I believe one guy driving a Koeniggsegg got like a 0,5 million ticket.

 

We have the point system already. It really hasn't changed anything. If you want to ride a motorcycle in the military, it's mandatory that you take the MSF course, which is offered free of charge. If the civilian side would do that, I think there would be a lot less fatalities. Some states already offer the MSF course for free. When I get home, I'm taking the Advanced Rider's Course through the MSF just for my own knowledge, and because it will make me a better rider. Not everybody wants to do that. But if you make the MSF beginners course mandatory to get a motorcycle license, and offer the course for free, I think there would be less fatalities. But the statistics say that most motorcycle fatalities aren't even the motocyclist's fault. Most are caused by idiot cagers who just don't see motorcycles, whether they aren't looking or their brains just don't register them. Therefore, motorcycles should have reflective strips on them to make them more visible. This can be done without affecting the appearance of the motorcycle, and it can be done cheaply. If you are going to make the manufacturers do anything, make them do that.

 

I don't think more laws,is the answer. We have plenty of laws now that nobody seems to follow anyway. Then you have to talk about enforcement (lets not go there).You can't make everybody safe. every one has to take responsibility for themselves.