Motorcycle Consumer News / Motorcycle Consumer News / Safety and Legislative Issues

Lane-Sharing Study

ibafran — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 15:27:09 GMT

http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/TP_RES/docs/Reports/2010/Motorcycle_Lane_S
haring.pdf

About 15 pages of material. While intersting, I found it basically inconclusive for a wide variety of reasons. Nevertheless, discussion has to start somewhere?

As per past posting on this topic, I am highly desirous of filtering.
Even so, the riding technique is so fraught with danger that I have no vision of how it might work. The stats say that it isn't particularly dangerous compared to other scenarios. Yet, it is the biker that is going to suffer most when it doesn't work. The average cager has very little percieved personal risk and will not pay attention to traffic.

Very few road users are looking at the whole picture and trying to maximize traffic flow for everyone near them. Public education will have to dramaticly increase and penalties for poor driving/riding will need to be enforced. "Failure to yeild right of way" will need to replace "Speeding" citations as revenue generators.

Retired Helmets and 'Do Not Remove Helmet' stickers

ibafran — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 05:04:30 GMT

As posted elsewhere, old helmets have been used for target practice and for planters.

Recently, I learned from another source that donating them to neighborhood kids so they can wear them on their bicycles and make vroom vroom noises has been done too.

But the idea that I read that I thought was the very best was:

Donate them to the local EMT, paramedics, first responders, hospitals, fire&police, and the like, to use as training aids. Apparently, lots of these people have no idea nor experience in removing helmets from accident victims and might like to have a variety of helmets with which to practice. Naturally, you might phone first before donating to see if they really need the helmet or can pass it on to a training site that needs a helmet or 2.

On a related matter, you might want to have one of those "Warning" stickers on your skid lid that reads, "Danger! Don't Cause Paralysis. Do not remove helmet until I am examined by an M.D. or EMT" These stickers are often FREE at various booths at bike shows and bike shops and other places. If you donate a helmet as a training aid, make sure it has a 'Danger' sticker. Maybe the medico's are not familiar with the sticker and might like to see what one looks like?

I have 6 stickers on my helmet and this is just one of them. Right next to the 'Danger' sticker, I have that trademarked one from Honda that looks like a Band-aid(TM) and reads, "Stupid hurts". Hopefully, the irony will not be lost on the readers of my helmet stickers. I luv that Honda sticker and get many remarks on it. It's a good social icebreaker.

Thanx to the biker mailing list that I subscribe to for the donation idea and the reminder to post about the 'Danger' sticker.

I hope that one or more of our dear forum know-it-alls will post up some general guidelines on this topic. Generally, it is a very good idea to never remove a helmet from an accident victim. This includes not opening the visor unless there is a very good reason present to do so. This includes not removing your own helmet after a crash in the absence of trained persons without self-assessing your condition for spinal injury and related damage.

Edit: Ya know? A biker club could collect a few helmets for the donation in a 'Helmet Drive'. Clean them up a little. And some damaged helmets would give the training aids a look of verisimilitude that couldn't be duplicated in any other way. And it would be better to have all the helmet styles represented. Betcha the local fire and police training acadamies might like it a lot?

Using brakes in wet conditions

K75wal — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 17:01:28 GMT

David Hough mentions a couple of times that one can use more rear brake in rain/wet conditions. I don't understand this. Wouldn't the same physics apply under wet and dry conditions? By this I mean wouldn't the shift of weight forward when brakes are applied and the subsequent reduction of weight on the rear wheel be the same in both situations? Why does braking in the wet change this?

Hough says, "You can use more rear brake than on dry pavement for the same bike loading. That's because there will be less weight transfer to the front and therefore less traction for braking on the front. In the rain, you have less total traction available for braking, but you can share braking almost equally between front and rear." (Proficient Motorcycling, 2nd edition. p. 199)

Is he saying this because one is expected to be riding a bit slower and applying brakes more gently, so more rear brake can be used?

I may be missing something here, so any help would be appreciated.

Headlight pitch & roll compensation

ibafran — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 14:35:58 GMT

http://tinyurl.com/K1600gt-headlights

Gawd! Wouldn't this be great if it could be adapted to my 05 Sprint?

Some day, the clown(s) who is responsible for cutoff projection lites on bikes will be identified. It won't bother me in the least if somebody beats me to him.

See if you can guess

drummer — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 12:52:56 GMT

So you all ready know I broke my ankle with a slow drop of my bike. In replaying it over and over in my head and talking with my riding buddy, this is what happened. Post your guess as to what I did wrong.

Riding on Virginia RR 40 (not I-40) is a twisty road along side the mountain that at the top has the Blue Ridge Parkway. I entered an S shaped curve with 15 mph signs and was slowing when I noticed gravel in the first part of the curve, left hand curve. This S curve takes you up the side of the mountain so it is an uphill dual curves with a reverse right hand bringing you on top of the hill. Again, I started to slow and entered the first left hand corner and straightened the bike. That is when I noticed that there was gravel in the second part of the corner, I immediately slowed and downshifted into first. In looking the corner over, it appeared that there was "Some Gravel" not much, so I focused on the exit of the corner, pushed the right side, and started into the corner. Upon entering the corner my front tire through itself to the opposite side due to lots of gravel (about 1 inch deep) and was now tracking towards the other lane (in other words I am trying to go right but the bike is now facing the left lane). I pulled back on the handlebars and the front tire now started to follow the direction of the road. Unfortunately, the rear tire all ready started to change direction towards the other lane: in effect, I scissored my own bike. The rear tire slid up hill in the direction of the bike forcing the bike to come down on my left ankle.

So I truly would like to hear what others think was my mistake. I can think of a couple of things, but would like to improve my riding so please, let me have it.

"local" helmet law declared unconstituitional

newhead — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:52:40 GMT

The South Carolina Supreme Court announced this week that a local helmet ordinance enacted by the Myrtle Beach city government two years ago is illegal. ( For several decades, riders over twenty one years of age in SC have had the option to ride without a helmet.) Simaltaneously, various other laws city officials had enacted to try and drive away two large annual spring bike rallies were ruled unenforceable and have thus been rescinded. Whereas this decision is only right, it has had the desired effect in driving the rallies out of the city limits. Unfortunately, the unavoidable financial consequences have signifigant to the local economy and the MB officials are unappologetic in their determination to discourage return on the bike rallies.

Motorcyles "Re-directed"

ibafran — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:34:49 GMT

http://www.roadracingworld.com/news/article/?lnk=rss&article=40778

The thing is signed by a sargent. What do you want to bet that the duty was commanded by higher authority? One would think that the police respondant would be the officer who initiated the opperation?

edit: a little more info

http://cycleguidemagazine.blogspot.com/2010/06/utah-world-superbike-motorcycle.html#more

Usual traffic court procedure

ibafran — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 18:39:10 GMT

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1971527

It's not about . It's about the money. Ohio has a long history of being one big giant speed trap. If it really is about safety, why isn't Ohio the safest traffic state in the Unon with the stats to prove it? YMMV

BRC

torqueman — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:31:43 GMT

I took the BRC with my son and daughters boyfriend this weekend. The old man was able to show those young whipper snappers a thing or two.

I got lucky in that coach Dave was a police officer who had been through the police motor training. He recognized that I was not a beginner a challenged me to do the exercises beyond what was required. He had me doing full lock 360s in the box. Great fun when you don't have to worry about dropping your own bike.

The first day in the class room seemed to be of questionable value to me. I would bet that most of the students would not be able to pass the 50 question test in one month. Sure there were others who take safety seriously but most seemed to be the poker run bar crowd in their half helmets. I would bet they will not be participating in safety discussion after this weekend.

The second day was the first range day. I was surprised it was only 4 hours for each group. By the end of the day I was wondering if it was worth my time. The kids were learning much better than I could teach them so I was determined to stick it out.

Now the third day was the payoff. There was some real good training going on there. The coaches were very knowledgeable and fun to work with. Most of all they challenged me beyond the class requirements and that was cool they took that much interest in making it a good experience for everyone. All that for $25. What a bargain.

I found the class to be worth while. I can't guarantee you will get a great coach like Dave was but I would recommend checking it out to even long time riders if you have never done it. I might have to catch the ERC when a class opens up.

Links to various media safety articles

ibafran — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:24:44 GMT

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2010-05-16/classified/ct-met-getting-around-0517-20100516_1_street-legal-scooters-motor-scooters-scooter-costs

This little scooter article started above the fold on monday's Chicago Tribune, 5/17/10. the stat that caught my eye was the registrations of 7700 in2006 jumped to 31000 in 2009. While I saw a few more scooters during the peak fuel costs, I never saw a lot of scooters. And I have seen less of them this yerar, so far. Scooters are not piling up in train station parking lots or anywhere else that I can find.

Another blurb that caught my attention was that state licensed scooter courses are a mere 3 hours long. "Scooters are so much easier to ride than motorcycles" was a quote that got me thinking. Granted, manual transmissions add a bit of complexity. But the use of ATGATT and proper lane positioning and becoming familiar with traffic scenarios is just as important. And that would take more than 3 hours of instruction in my book.

If anyone has taken one of these three hour scooter courses, let us know how it was compared to MSF-BRC's if you can? A "Three Hour Scooter Course" reminds me of Gilligan's Island and the "Three Hour Cruise" jingle. And we know how well that cruise went.

edit; Some time ago, a woman rear ended a female biker sitting at a stop sign. The cage was doing about 50mph and the driver was painting her nails at the time of impact. The cager was recently convicted of reckless homicide IIRC. Sentencing has yet to happen that I know of. The cager could get 4 yrs in jail. No matter what the court decides, the sadness will not be relieved and may be increased. Parents of young drivers may want to point out that there is a great lesson to be learned from this collision and its consequences.

Preserving one's hide

RePete — Sun, 16 May 2010 18:46:55 GMT

In light of Drummer's mishap, I think it may be time to talk about crashing and especially what gear offers some real protection. I'm not interested in anything except first hand experience here...either you did the crashing or you were a witness please. I realize that crashing isn't that popular a topic and none of us old farts are about to change the way we do things, still some one may benefit greatly from our years of hard knocks.

I'm probably a good choice to get the ball rolling. I only have 800,000 lifetime miles, but those miles have been mostly at speed in the twisties and they also include thousands of track miles since I was an instructor at a track school for a number of years. Some years back I thought I would count up all the significant crashes I had accomplished. I got to 15 and decided to go riding instead. I've high sided, I've low sided, I've hit deer twice, I've tangled with cars three times, I've ran off the road, I've gone over a cliff, I've crashed on ice, I've crashed in the rain, I've crashed in sand, I've crashed in palm tree fonds, I've crashed in gravel,I've crashed in snow, I've crashed in diesel fuel, I've crashed and never learned why (tough one) and I've probably crashed for the heck of it...can't recall that one, I've ridden on stretchers, I've ridden in ambulances, I've ridden in a helicopter, I've been strapped to a table in a German hospital and spun and turned every way imaginable while they x-rayed me from head to toe. But for every Oh Sh't, I've had 20 moments of glory.

Yes crashing sucks, but if you are wearing the right gear it isn't even necessarily the end of your ride. If the bike is still rideable you should be also provided you haven't hit something solid that the bike avoided.

I tucked the front at the track once and bounced 500 lbs. of motorcycle off my left ankle at 100 mph. My foot was swollen and I hobbled around for a few days but nothing was broken.

Seven years ago I was leading a group of friends in some twisties when I lost the front in some gravel at the apex of a right hander. Caltrans had thoughtfully oiled down the gravel to match the appearance of the pavement perfectly. I didn't even know way I had crashed until I walked back to check it out. I was doing maybe 40 in the 20 mph curve and the bike rode on my right ankle and leg as we both slid out of my lane, across the other lane, and into the ditch on the other side of the road. I was still pinned under the bike in the ditch until my friends freed me. There was gravel imbedded in the hard plastic uppers of my boot and my leathers were chewed some but my foot and right side were fine. I didn't have a limp and my foot wasn't even sore. Unfortunately, my throttle hand got hammered against the pavement by the right clip-on and hurt like heck. I rode 11 miles to the nearest emergency room where I learned my hand was broken in two places. They promptly put it into a cast and that was the end of my riding which was most inconvenient as I was 300 miles from home.

Thankfully the old axiom about dressing for the crash and not the ride doesn't apply any more.Today's riding gear is up to both challenges. Here is where I catch the flak, if you have ever seen the remnants of melted nylon imbedded in human flesh, you would round file your textile gear immediately. Janice and I wear armored leather jackets and pants, road racing boots, racing gloves, and a helmet of course. Our leathers are comfortable and vented for the heat. We wear our raingear over the top if it gets cold (California) or wet. Our boots have removable inner foam booties that can be washed and offer the comfort of a walking shoe. They also have motion limiters that prevent twisting the ankle and hyperextension of the toes or ankle. If it looks like rain, we wrap the inner booties in plastic bags...in a tub of water, the boots will bob like a cork. One toe slider later, I'm still wearing the boots in which I slid into the ditch. There is no way Drummer could have broken his ankle in a 15 mph tip over if he was wearing these boots.

So what gear do you like and how has it saved our carcass, or not?

New Helmet Technology

Gfurlo — Fri, 07 May 2010 05:37:27 GMT

Saw a one page artical about this in Popular Science.

Looks interesting, I wounder how effective it is in real world conditions.

http://article.wn.com/view/2010/02/18/SuperSkin_helmet_touted_as_lifesaver/

Japenese Rider Training

ibafran — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:21:40 GMT

Did anyone else enjoy this feature article as much as me? I am always facinated by how other countries/cultures address rider (and driver) training.

Even the pix were great. The 'narrow alley' pic reminded me of all the narrow stuff that I had to negotiate when I lived in the heart of the city. Naturally, I learned all that stuff the hard way. by the time that I took my first MSF basic course, all those parking lot drills were old hat.

As noted in other threads, I got to try a simulator at a bike show and thought it was great fun as well as a worthwhile learning aid.

And I have always believed that riding while standing on the pegs is a useful skill. The discontinuation of the obstacle cross really dumbed down the MSF BR course. The nice thing about the 'narrow bridge/plank ride' is that the rider and the tester knows exactly when it didn't go well.

The only part of the feature that I didn't care for was the omission of how well riders do in traffic that has a lot of slow 50cc bikes mixed into it. One would think that injuries/fatalities would be higher due to that.

And wouldn't it have been fun to see an internet link where we could try the written Japanese bike test for ourselves. Translated, of course.

Back in the day, I used to tease my 'big bike' budds that they couldn't pass our local DMV bike riding test on their bikes. Invariably, they would tease other riders on small bikes that those riders ought to get a 'real' bike. And just like clockwork, I would say to the rider on the smaller bike to, "pay no attention to them. They had to get their licenses on 250cc hondas 'cause they can't ride them real bikes very well." The DMV bike testing lots were accessable on Sundays and the facilities were vacant of traffic. So, every now and then, we would try our skillz with our big bikes on that testing range. Some riders used to make an anual spring thing out of it as a sort of riding skillz tune-up session.

MC deaths down in 09

drummer — Thu, 22 Apr 2010 09:17:59 GMT

http://www.ghsa.org/html/publications/spotlight/pdf/spotlight_motorcycles.pdf

Interesting ...

Stopping face-shield fog

Joesportster — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 06:36:39 GMT

I have discovered a way to eliminate face-shield fog when it rains, when it is cold and when it is both rainy and cold. Before you start out on your trip, just wipe the inside of the face-shield with a Clorox Disinfecting Wipe. The application dries very quickly. Don't buff it or rinse it off. Just let it dry and be on your way.

I found the results to be spectacular. Totally clear vision both day and night. Makes riding a motorcycle in lousy weather, quite easy and safe. The cost per application is about 9 cents, which is dirt cheap.

The product is 99.7% inert ingredients (probably water) and the other .3% is a micro-biocide and surfactant. A surfactant lowers the tension of a liquid and allows it to spread easily across a surface. That results in no fogging up on the inside of the face shield.

I am sure other brands of dis-infecting wipes will work as well. I just have not tried them and Clorox is the brand most plentiful where I live.

They also claim the product will not hurt plastics. I have found no damage to my face shield from using it.

Humorous bike safety vid

ibafran — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 14:08:29 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ynpGFj97Ic&feature=player_embedded

Norwegian biker safety vid. Probably should have gone in the 'bike links' thread. But WTH, its a safety issue, right?

If you hurry, you crash!

Joesportster — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:06:26 GMT

I took the time to study 585 motorcycle crashes that I down loaded from Google News over a several month period. You can do a search of all the newspapers in the U.S. by just typing in "motorcycle crash/accident". You will get all of the deadly and seriously injured accidents from across the U.S.

It's a gruesome task at first. If you can get past that, you will discern a lot of the circumstances under which the crash occurred. After the first 200 reports, the numbers as to the causes don't change. I stopped at 585 to make sure that was the case.

The biggest and most overwhelming factor as to why motorcyclists crash is they "hurry". Speeding of course is being in a hurry. 61 mph or more, in a 60 mph zone, is speeding, like it or not.

Failing to come to a full stop at a stop sign, look both ways to make sure all the other cars have stopped before proceeding through the intersection is another. Failing to look left and then right before going through an intersection. Going too fast around a turn and losing control. Trying to pass everybody on the road. Failing to leave room in front of you so you can stop in your lane without hitting anybody. And the list goes on as to how motorcyclists "hurry" their rides.

The safest road to be on is a divided and limited access highway such as an interstate. The most dangerous is a 2 lane highway with cars going both directions.

Group rides accounted for 3.9% of the wrecks. Riding in a group is not as safe as riding alone.

In 73.5% of the cases, the crash was self-inflicted by the motorcyclists. They made a poor decision to do something they should not have. An extreme example is doing a 100 mph wheelie down a country road and losing control.

If you ride too fast, you don't see stuff. You can't scan well.

My study showed me, motorcycling can be made as safe as you want it to be. And yes, even safer than driving a car. That is, if you don't "hurry".

These are the percentages, based on 585 reports.

Cause of crash (Per Cent)

Lost control (39.3%)
Speeding (17.6%)
Failure to brake (3.9%)
Following too close (2.4%)
Riding in blind spot (1.4%)
Poor scanning (2.9%)
Group ride (3.9%)
Being stupid (2.8%)

Self inflicted total (73.5%)

Car/Truck failed to yield (13.27%)
Intersection (undetermined) (4.3%)
Head-on collision (3.1%)
Hit from behind (1.9%)

Other--mechanical (1.0%)
Other--animal (2.6%)

Total crashes (100.0%)

Inter-state, single vehicle (5.30%)
Inter-state, 2+ vehicles (1.03%)
Inter-state Total (6.32%)

Amazing Deer Story

OzarkHarleyGuy — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 05:36:34 GMT

Here's a link to an amazing story of a deer and cycle accident that has a happy ending:

http://lifeisaroad.com/deerkilling.html

Innsurencr of our vehical

adam156 — Wed, 27 May 2009 19:55:35 GMT

Bike Insurance is one of those bills we would rather not pay each month, but is as necessary as the light bill. As with any Insurance, Especially bike Insurance, you never know how important it is until you need to file a claim!The Auto Insurance Market has become so competitive with new companies arriving on the scenes. And, have you ever seen as many bikes Insurance commercials on TV? It seems as though every other commercial is Insurance related.Many people do not realize the competitive nature Auto Insurance It is a Companies have been forced into, but it is definitely to our benefit. allmost as competitive as the Cell Phone Market, ALL Insurance Companies want their little piece of the pie and are giving AWESOME INSURANCE QUOTES to get you to convert to their company. If you do not believe me, take a moment and check out insurance easy online bike insurance Quote!
Adam
Find Lawyer

Keep Your MIND On The Road

motormule — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:50:39 GMT

Had a chat across the fence with my neighbor today....he told me that he was out walking his dogs the other day , he was crossing the street ( legally ) at a traffic light controlled pedestrian intersection , and almost got mowed down by an inattentive cager on her cellphone....

He screamed at her.....of course , she paid no heed...

The " Ten O'clock News " featured a segment last night that stated that cager / pedestrian collisions ramp up three fold in Seattle when we switch from daylight savings time to standard time.....

Maybe the local cagers need a latte before going public in their cages........

Or maybe they need to get their heads out of their @#ses , and pay attention to the road , and honor the rights of the others sharing the public byways with them.....standard time or daylight savings time.....

Will THE GOV'T address this lack of cager awareness of others sharing the public roadways ......I doubt it........$$$

BTW , my neighbor has never complained about my Screamin' Eagles.....he would if there was something to bellyache about.....

It's all about respect for the Common Good.....

Motormule

"Traffic" the book

ibafran — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:58:28 GMT

Hello, All

I have been reading:

"Traffic, Why We Drive The Way We Do (and What It Says About Us)", Tom Vanderbilt, Vintage Books, 2008

I have no recollection of this book making much of a splash on this forum. The book addresses fatigue, multi-tasking, and a wide assortment of topics that ought to be of extreme interest to riders everywhere.

Many of us would offer "Proficient Motorcycling", "Stayin Safe" by Lawrence Grodski, and other books/articles as required reading for anyone interested in street biking. If this book had been available when my kids were learning to drive/ride, I would have required it to be read and a brief oral exam passed before I would have let them get a license.

As it is, the book is so good as to cause me to completely re-examine everything I do on the bike as well as in the cage.

Thus, I nominate it for required reading selections for all us bikers.

If this is a poor book, I would like to hear argument about it.

I hope that this book passes muster and that I gain some small, but positive, notoriety on this forum for a heads-up on this book?

Note that Datadan has mentioned the book too.

In any case, it's winter and the book is darn fine reading.

fran

cc: editor and link to 'discussions'

David Hough, inductee

ibafran — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:34:51 GMT

Just in case somebody missed the news.

David might be the first 'safety' biker in the Hall. It always amazes me how some guys of significant wisdom seem to get overlooked so often.

Congratz, David! Couldn't have happened to a better biker. And I am sorry that it took so long to see you there.

Mick Doohan

suzukimad07 — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 07:33:38 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObeFgvc8ysQ

Benefits of Tire Pressure Checks

rw2000 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:29:32 GMT

For years I've made it a habit to check tire pressures before I ride. In addition to any other benefit, the handling and tire wear will be predictable.

A side benefit is that any deviation from normal may indicate a problem. Tire pressures go up and down with changes in temperature and barometric pressure (usually 1/2 psi or less), but when all is well the deviations in pressures will be the same in the front and back tires (and in air suspension adjustment, if you happen to have that).

This morning I checked as usual, and found that the rear tire was down 1-1/2 psi. It should have been down 1/2, because that's how much the front tire pressure had decreased.

Although I had cleaned things up after Friday's ride and noticed nothing out of the ordinary, I gave the tire a good inspection. While some might just re-inflate it, I have learned from experience that a decrease like that, even in two days, is very unusual. I found a fairly well-hidden part of a nail, and a couple of inches away a quarter-inch gash in the tread. If I had just started it up and gone, I probably would have been stranded on the road somewhere pretty quick. On a typical morning, that might be the HOV lane on the freeway, which is not a good place to be stopped.

So this is a little reminder that a pre-ride inspection is a good idea, including an air pressure check. It can tell you a lot about the condition of your tires even without a visual inspection. Besides, bikes handle better with full pressure instead of half pressure in the tires.

Historic "Bike Safety" films

ibafran — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 17:52:25 GMT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GWJ9scbDCA&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmUcJ_6AjQw&feature=player_embedded#

A couple of BMW safety films from about 1975. Mr. Hough would probably have a meltdown viewing this stuff. See what still works today. And make note of everything that seems not to be a good idea anymore in our enlightened age. Have fun, all y'all.

Helmet mirror

ibafran — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:51:05 GMT

http://www.snotr.com/video/3544

edit: Naturally, there are a lot of things that can make this idea not work well all the time. A pillion may block the view. And who knows what cool conditions might make the thing fog up? When it does work well, it sure might be nice to get rid of the mirrors on the bike and be able to check blind spots. And that is not to mention what it might look like after dark. I would dearly like to take such a helmet for a serious test ride.

"Motorcycle Crash Tech"

ibafran — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 17:19:59 GMT

Collected from another source. Anybody seeing this should post up a review. Natch, I have TV failure at my place for the moment.

"Motorcycle Crash Tech" is an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at
the new technologies being used to avoid motorcycle crashes and prevent
injuries when a racer or rider does go down.

Exclusive interviews with World Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson and
Grand Prix legend Giacomo Agostini describe first-hand what goes through
a racer's mind the moment they know they're going to crash. Ago vividly
recounts just how dangerous racing was in the 1960s and '70s. Combining
rare archival footage as well as contemporary racing coverage, the film
explains the differences between high-sides and low-sides and the
extreme forces involved in both types of crashes.

The film captures stunning action photography of world-class test riders
Vito Guareschi and Umberto Rumiano in action during what are normally
closed test sessions of new riding gear and bikes. Factory riders are
also filmed testing the newest brakes on twisting Italian mountain roads
and performing incredible braking tests on a private test track.

"Motorcycle Crash Tech" will premiere on Sept. 17 at 6 p.m. Pacific time
on the National Geographic Channel. It airs again at 9 p.m. and on
Saturday at 11 p.m.

Filmed in 1080i high-definition and 5.1 digital surround sound,
"Motorcycle Crash Tech" takes viewers on an extraordinary journey across
Northern Italy. With rare access to R&D facilities, the film chronicles
the very latest technologies being used in motorcycle riding gear,
boots, helmets, brakes, and the bikes themselves to make racing and
riding safer.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/motorcycle-crash-tech-4238
/Overview

Road sign spotted in Michigan

ibafran — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:06:28 GMT

Stolen from a bikers' mailing list that I get:

Sign spotted in Michigan

"Fall is here
Don't veer
for deer."

One possible explanation put forth: Swerving to avoid the deer may often have worse consequenses than if the the deer is struck.

It is asssooomed that this sign is meant for the cagers. Us bikers probably ought to avoid the collision as possible.

Anyone having more info than this post ought to post it up. I am hoping that this thread will become a repository for info, analysis, and current thinking about the problem of deer strikes.

Ramp Crash Test

Newbie — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 08:19:12 GMT

Just thought that this was kind of cool. Good real world way to test your products.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVLosv46vrA

I like the dog...

Edited by Torqueman to fix link.

Left on Red

drummer — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 04:41:40 GMT

We all have heard and read the article, but I wanted to post it so anyone could see which states allow for Left on Red.
[quote]SC Governor to sign red-light motorcycle bill into law
The Staff of Clutch and Chrome
July 9th 2008

Bikers will be legally allowed to run red lights in South Carolina if their motorcycle doesn't 'trip' the traffic light sensors when the State's Governor signs the bill this afternoon.

Governor Mark Sanford is expected to sign a bill granting motorcyclists the right to pass through red lights if the traffic signal doesn't change within 2-minutes of stopping, following a growing trend by other states. The bill will be signed into law Wednesday afternoon at the South Carolina Statehouse in Columbia.

Bikers have long complained about road sensors not tripped by motorcycles with many overcoming the problem by illegally running red lights. The new bill will require them to stop and allow them to go through the red light if the signal doesn't change within two minutes, as long as they can do so safely.

Arkansas, Idaho, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee and Wisconsin all have similar laws, and while South Carolina's bill started out applying only to intersections with the buried sensors an amendment was soon made applying it to every intersection. [/quote]

MSF based sign and scenario test/game

ibafran — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 11:05:03 GMT

http://www.msf-usa.org/riderperception/

You get a two games here; a sign game, and a scenario game. I saw no value judgements placed on the results.

I let it play on the 'medium' speed.

One could make some statements as to how valid the game is.

I missed a sign (I can't believe it!) due to not having that configuration where I normally ride. In the real world, the sign would have been obvious to me. Test-wise, the sign was not so clear. 19 of 20 correct.

The scenario was a bit tougher. There is a lot in the scences and picking out the test's desired concerns is debatable. But it was fun and worth the effort to play. My results on this part were 16 of 20 correct. It didn't surprise me that I got all the hard ones and missed the easy ones due to looking for the hard stuff.

Have fun and post up some feedback as you like. I would especially like to read DataDan's take on this stuff.

Conspicuity/visibility: studies show...

sgtslag — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:34:08 GMT

There seems to be a fair amount of hostility towards "cagers" to see motorcyclists on the road. Many cyclists seem to think that visibility only goes so far, and some seem to suggest it is not their responsibility to make themselves more visible in traffic. Others complain that there is little proof that improving their visual impact on the roadways using headlight modulators, tail light flashers, and hi-viz clothing, is of questionable effectiveness.

I found a video of Dr. Hurt, and one of his investigators, online. In it, they touch on the issue of conspicuity and its relationship to accidents, though they mostly discuss helmets. I also found the Hurt Study, online, as a PDF file. I searched through it looking for references to helmets, and I noticed that conspicuity is rampant throughout the report. Since it is a PDF, the entire 435 page document can be searched for any key word.

Take a look at the video, and the study, if you have any questions on whether your visibility makes a realistic impact on accident avoidance. Dr. Hurt, and team, investigated 900 accidents. They had a decent sampling size for drawing their conclusions. While the materials are somewhat old, they are by no means dated.

Hurt Report:

http://isddc.dot.gov/OLPFiles/NHTSA/013695.pdf

Hurt Video:

http://www.archive.org/details/gov.ntis.ava07879vnb1

Here is an interesting comment in the Study, page 67, supporting the study's previous statement that conspicuity is a complex subject (i.e., it is not the holy grail of accident prevention):

"Similar situations appeared so often in the data collection that it is clear that high contrast conspicuity alone will not guarantee detection by the automobile driver."

Dr. Hurt goes on to say,

"The motorcycle conspicuity problem is serious. The violation of the motorcycle right-of-way by the other vehicle accounted for 64.7% of the multiple vehicle accidents. The failure of the other driver to "see" the motorcycle is the overwhelming part of these accidents. Any malicious and deliberate action of the other driver to "attack" the motorcycle rider is negligible in comparison to those fundamental detection failures; only two of the 900 on-scene, in-depth cases involved an aggressive, malicious attack on the motorcycle rider and both were husband-wife disputes."

While I have read the summaries of the Hurt Study several times, I am finding that the summaries tend to leave out a lot! Take a look at the actual report. You may find some very interesting things. The Study demonstrates just how complex riding safety is, and that helmets are one of the best things to ensure our safety, but other small things can add significantly to our safety, as well. Cheers!

Parking garages - no bikes allowed

Wockkerjab — Sun, 19 Jun 2005 17:01:58 GMT

I work in the downtown area of Cincinnati, Ohio. A new city-owned parking garage has just been built directly across the street from the building in which I work. Much to my dismay, I've been told motorcycle parking is prohibited in the garage - a standing policy for all of the city's parking garages. When I asked for an explanation, I was told that motorcycles are too small to properly trigger the parking gate mechanism, risking the gate coming down too early and striking a motorcycle rider. (The system utilizes wire loops embedded in the concrete, similar to traffic light systems.) This raises the specter of lawsuits so the city simply prohibits motorcycle parking in their garages. Yes, I still purchased a monthly parking pass, though I'm considering asking for refunds of the parking fee AND part of my city taxes for those days I ride!

I am attempting to have the parking policy changed. So far, I've only found one other fellow rider to join me, though we're both trying to find out who else rides that might help out. We are currently searching for resources to help us make our case. My company has been of no help, basically saying their hands are tied. I'm hoping to establish communication with the city, but I want to go in armed with plenty of evidence, examples, alternative solutions, etc.

I've already contacted the manufacturer of the parking gate mechanism, but he gave me the same story as the city - for liability reasons, no doubt.

Anybody out there dealt with this issue or know of someplace that has? Any advice on how to approach this? I've already written to the AMA and, after two weeks, still haven't received a response.

HiViz studies?

drummer — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 17:12:41 GMT

I am curious if anyone knows if Hi Viz colored clothing really helps to avoid accidents. Does anyone know of a study the supports the thought Hi Viz really helps? I mean it makes sense to think it does, but I wonder to what degree.

Loud Pipes Save Lives??

motominister — Tue, 03 Aug 2004 04:14:03 GMT

Good research gives you immediate feedback. I get immediate feedback in heavy Houston traffic. My pipes are loud. When I have a car about to pull right into me, I pull in the clutch and "rack 'em out." The response is predictable, the head snaps, the brake lights blaze and the offending car swerves back into a more reasonable path of travel. It happens every time. I believe I can say with certainty that, in my particular situation, loud pipes have saved my life in numerous instances. I'm also considerate of my neighbors by "idling" in and out of the subdivision as much as possible.

I know there's a lot of angst about loud pipes, but I've never heard the same passion directed toward truly ugly bikes, helmets and clothing. Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of loud shirts too...or anything that keeps me from inspecting the undercarriage of a car.

Stay in the Wind,
Mike
MSF Instructor

News from Oklahoma

MSN1 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 20:45:00 GMT

Some friends in the MC industry suggested I post this here. ...

With more motorcyclists on American roads today than ever, injuries and deaths are also at all time highs, but the man responsible to help find solutions has been administratively stopped from doing so.

Dr. Samir Ahmed, Professor of Transportation Systems & Engineering at the Oklahoma State University (OSU) Transportation Center told Motorcycle Safety News he is more than just a little frustrated.

Ahmed is to head the Motorcycle Crash Causation study, a four-year project intended to forensically examine 900-plus motorcycle accidents over a three-four year period. It is only the second of its type in American history, and has been described as badly needed. Its data would be used to help reformulate “countermeasures” and redevelop training and strategies intended to prevent motorcycle accidents.

But the wheels are turning slowly in Oklahoma.

“Everything is frozen. For me to do any work, I have to have an account,” Ahmed said of a spending budget needed to do preliminary groundwork while he awaits results of a pilot study begun a couple months ago and due in March or April by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Meanwhile, according to Tim Buche, president of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), although U.S. motorcyclists represent less than one half of one percent of all vehicle miles traveled (VMT), in 2007 they represented 12.55 percent of all highway fatalities. ...

for the rest of a magazine length report, see
http://motorcyclesafetynews.com/

Regards.

-Jeff

Ear plug laws?

Red01 — Mon, 17 Oct 2005 17:12:49 GMT

It's easy enough to find lists of state helmet laws, but is there a list anywhere of what the ear plug laws are in various states?

Sooooooooo Close!!!!!!!!!!

Capri142 — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 17:54:43 GMT

I was on the south side of Jacksonville, on a relatively quiet Saturday morining headed back to the office to pick up the cell phone that I had left at work the night before. I decided to make a bit of a trip out of it and headed over towards the river. Through a residential area and a sign says detour ahead which led me into an unfamiliar area full of fast food restaurants and strip malls and soccer moms and dads taking their frazzled kids out to wherever. You know how you get into one of those areas where everything feels tense? Well, I was looking for a way out when this doofus in a big ol 4 wheel drive truck comes out of the Burger King parking lot, not even looking, across two lanes, double yellow center lines and I'm already in full panic braking. He crossed in front of me with just inches to spare and went through another parking lot and was lost to view. I stopped up traffic there in the middle of the road for a few miutes while I collected myself then went into the Dennys across the street and had some java to calm down. A few observations, You gotta be watching everything all of the time, there IS someone out there trying to kill you. The ABS brakes on the bike worked perfectly, the rear end of the bike did not slide out to the side at all. 62 years old and riding for 32 years and never and accident makes me wonder how much longer the angel will be on my shoulder. Not something I want to do again, but still, It was all part of what we do as mortorcycle riders.

Cheers, Phil

Motorcyclists' vs. the Man...A rights story.

mcnationpodcast — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:53:09 GMT

I did a new blog post on an attack on the rights of motorcyclists in Indiana from a year ago or so. I used it to try and motivate people to fight for our sport. They will take it away one small chunk at a time if we don't stand up and fight.

http://mcnationpodcast.podbean.com

New Highway Bill (SAFETEA-LU)

Red01 — Tue, 20 Sep 2005 12:47:42 GMT

In the Oct '05 issue of MCN, in the M/C Bulletins, under "But wait, there's more in the Highway Bill" there seems to be some hard feelings from the author that Off-roaders get $370 million in gasoline taxes for the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) and compares this funding to what street riders get for training... there is no reasonable comparison between these two.

The RTP uses funds from gas taxes the governemnt figures is used by off-highway recreationists. This includes hikers, bikers, motorcycles, ATV's and 4WD vehicles. This money is used to create, maintain, educate and police the trail systems... just like the rest of the gas taxes are used to do the same thing for road travel. It only stands to reason the care for this infrastructure will be more expensive than what was spent on just the street motorcylists.

For those who aren't familiar with the RTP and how its funds are spent, 30% are required to be spent on motorized projects, 30% for non-motorized projects and 40% for multi-use trails.

For more information on the RTP and other legal concerns & battles of the off-road community, I recommend checking out The Blue Ribbon Coalition at http://www.sharetrails.org