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[Twolanerider]

Got an email an hour ago from an old and dear friend back east.  She'd seen what were apparently the most recently released traffic safety statistics from the DoT.  She forwarded this line from the report:

"Motorcycle fatalities grew nearly 8 percent last year to 4,008, the first time it has topped more than 4,000 deaths since 1987. Motorcycle deaths have increased seven years in a row."

Then after an actually very nicely worded comment about my ancestry she finished by saying "so just be careful on that damned machine you ride so much."

Don't you just love it when the government goes out of it's way to both inform frighten and unnecessarily frighten the populous with incomplete data all at the same time?  I'll gladly grant the numbers.  The DoT actually does a pretty good job of tallying all forms of road kill.  But the raw number by itself doesn't mean squat.

It could mean, for example, that on average we're all just getting older, more senile, our reaction times are slowing down and, basically, we're a greater hazard to ourselves than we ever used to be.  But it could also mean that bike popularity in general is up so miles driven are up so, of course, deaths will be up.  And it could also mean that advertising is beginning to work so a lot of new riders are on the street and they are killing themselves in greater numbers than the prior (older and more experienced) cohort used to do.  Without giving the rest of the story the bare fact of "more deaths" is a chimera, meaningless as a basis for either comparison or analysis.

Ok, vent mode = off..............

[JCZ]

My immediate response (and.....as usual.....without forethought) would be......."and how much did licensed riders increase?"  Or here's another........"and how much did 'miles rode' increase due to more and more touring models on the road.  We all know that we put way more miles on, year after year, with the baggers.  I run into an old guy at the dealership Sat. that has 250,000 miles on his Ultra Classic.  Says it runs fine but that he thinks he's gonna trade up to a new one next year.

[Twolanerider]

 I run into an old guy at the dealership Sat. that has 250,000 miles on his Ultra Classic.  Says it runs fine but that he thinks he's gonna trade up to a new one next year.

That's what I'm talking about!!!  That's what I want to be when I grow up someday.

Some curmudgeonly old fart with some still cute to me Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart riding in the back just toodling around the country seeing chit along the road all day long and chasing Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart around the hotel every 2nd or 3rd or night until I caught her or some bodily replacement part needed to rest !!  

Put a 1/4 million miles on a bagger, trade it in, get a refill of the Viagra and arthritis prescriptions, and hit the road again !!  That'd be retirement and who cares what the young twerps at the rallies think of you anyway !!

[hd-dude]

That's what I'm talking about!!!  That's what I want to be when I grow up someday.

Some curmudgeonly old fart with some still cute to me Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart riding in the back just toodling around the country seeing chit along the road all day long and chasing Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart around the hotel every 2nd or 3rd or night until I caught her or some bodily replacement part needed to rest !!  

Put a 1/4 million miles on a bagger, trade it in, get a refill of the Viagra and arthritis prescriptions, and hit the road again !!  That'd be retirement and who cares what the young twerps at the rallies think of you anyway !!

Dreams.....aren't they great? That would be the life!!

[Coolbreeze]

That's what I'm talking about!!!  That's what I want to be when I grow up someday.

Some curmudgeonly old fart with some still cute to me Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart riding in the back just toodling around the country seeing chit along the road all day long and chasing Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart around the hotel every 2nd or 3rd or night until I caught her or some bodily replacement part needed to rest !!  

Put a 1/4 million miles on a bagger, trade it in, get a refill of the Viagra and arthritis prescriptions, and hit the road again !!  That'd be retirement and who cares what the young twerps at the rallies think of you anyway !!

I'll tell ya what they think of the old curmudgeons....      They gave everybody over 65 thier money back at the last rally I went to...   drug them all up on the stage at the dance and drink party, and thanked them for the example they set for the rest of us.  There must of been 50 of them, and not a dry eye in the joint...

I hope that's me someday... [smiley=drink.gif]

[Twolanerider]

I'll tell ya what they think of the old curmudgeons....      They gave everybody over 65 thier money back at the last rally I went to...   drug them all up on the stage at the dance and drink party, and thanked them for the example they set for the rest of us.  There must of been 50 of them, and not a dry eye in the joint...

I hope that's me someday... [smiley=drink.gif]

When I run in to one of the cool old farts at a rally or someplace I like to just let 'em talk.  Sometimes the stories are the same.  But sometimes you find a real doozy and it's worth the whole trip.  Then I try to buy 'em a beer.

[the O`Fender]

2 questions I would ask the Dot, what was the experience level of each of these riders and what percentage level did the scooter riding population grow by?   [smiley=huepfenjump3.gif]

[grc]

In the several bike fatalities we've had locally this summer, there were two common threads:  Cars at intersections (80%), and no helmet (100%).  Defensive driving skills are a must on a bike; to paraphrase Maverick, [bgcolor=Yellow]Ride it Like You're a Target![/bgcolor]

[ccr]

I'll tell ya what they think of the old curmudgeons....      They gave everybody over 65 thier money back at the last rally I went to...   drug them all up on the stage at the dance and drink party, and thanked them for the example they set for the rest of us.  There must of been 50 of them, and not a dry eye in the joint...

I hope that's me someday... [smiley=drink.gif]

Coolbreeze, that is a fantastic story. At the VA state HOG rally they gave the oldest rider $100 - but I like this idea better. I am going to forward this as a suggestion to our HOG Rally folks to use in future years.  There were two gentlemen who tied for being 72 (I think that is right) and you are so right, it brought tears to folks eyes when we were thanking them with applause for the wonderful example they were setting.  

I also hope that's me someday... [smiley=drink.gif] except I don't want to chase a Ms Curmudgeon but my Mr instead.  [smiley=laugh.gif]

[spydglide]

I just heard that the "DOT" stats stated that alcohol-related deaths were 'down', so someones gotta 'pick up the slack'.............Next we'll have a Mother's Against Biker's campaign in the works!  Har!  I know, I know.......it's no 'laughing matter', but hell, I'm nothing but a ole curmugeon (or whatever the hell that old fart word was) and for someone who's still pounding the pavement to the tune of 15K plus miles or so ea. year on two wheels, I've still got a 'say'........I think the stats on bike fatalities just might be increased due to more bikes on the road ea. year.  Did the stats list a percentage or just raw numbers?    [smiley=nixweiss.gif]  spyder

[RedFXR2]

For what it's worth, the Feds have funded a study on this issue, so at least *maybe* some good facts will come out of it.

http://www.ama-cycle.org/news/2005/fatalities.asp

[Screamin]

For what it's worth, the Feds have funded a study on this issue, so at least *maybe* some good facts will come out of it.

http://www.ama-cycle.org/news/2005/fatalities.asp

'Tis a good first step for sure. Diligence required.

[DCFIREMANN]

That's what I'm talking about!!!  That's what I want to be when I grow up someday.

Some curmudgeonly old fart with some still cute to me Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart riding in the back just toodling around the country seeing chit along the road all day long and chasing Ms. Curmudgeonly Old Fart around the hotel every 2nd or 3rd or night until I caught her or some bodily replacement part needed to rest !!  

Put a 1/4 million miles on a bagger, trade it in, get a refill of the Viagra and arthritis prescriptions, and hit the road again !!  That'd be retirement and who cares what the young twerps at the rallies think of you anyway !!

If this what I have to look forward to in my retirement all I can say is bring it on.  BTW not to rub salt in any wound butas of today I have 8 months and 17 days till I can tell DC KMA!!!!


Be Safe

THE DAWG

[Twolanerider]

If this what I have to look forward to in my retirement all I can say is bring it on.  BTW not to rub salt in any wound butas of today I have 8 months and 17 days till I can tell DC KMA!!!!


Be Safe

THE DAWG

8 months and change?  Hmmm?  Hey Brian, isn't that right around next spring's Maggie Valley gathering?

[displacing air]

Yeah...I looked on the web at the statistics...60% after dark...50% alcohol related...didnt list type of bike. Im thinking ride all day and drink at night and Im 10% in the black.

[Twolanerider]

Ride all day, sleep some later, and watch out for portable toilets and loose straps.   Was reading the online version of the Rapid City, SD newspaper earlier this evening just to catch some Strugis news.  Yes, they were unfortunately reporting the fatality total for the week so far.  It was five as of their current count.  But one poor guy was killed when the straps from his luggage were flopping loose in the brooze and fouled his back wheel sending rider and bike spinning like a dervish while another guy was killed when he hit the portable toilet that fell off the tailgate of the pickup truck in front of him as they were both going down the highway.  That one ended up involving two other bikes.  But only the guy who didn't know better than to get waaaaaaay behind a truck with a tall vertical unstrapped load on its tailgate got killed.

Please understand, I'm not trying to diminish any family's loss.  Not at all.  But overall KIA stat's for use of the public highway perhaps ought to have asterisks for accidents wherein the unfortunate victim didn't tie down his cargo or wasn't paying proper enough attention to something dangerous directly in front of him.

[SERYDER]

wasn't paying proper enough attention to something dangerous directly in front of him.  
Posted by: Twolanerider

I drive a PETERBILT, 4000+ miles a week,48 weeks a year for the past 9 years without 1 accident. (Knocking wood hard ) I've only seen 1 bike wreck this year (fatal) Appeared the rider went down in a slight turn and slid into a guard-rail in a median dividing the two lanes (hwy 152 outside Hollister Ca). 1 week prior to the Laughlin Rally.
 Your statement is profound, and applies to all vehicles on the road. I see no fewer than 5 wrecks a week. Some are beyond amazing, and in my opinion 90% are operator error.  
 The common phrase in these strings, "RIDE AS THOUGH YOU ARE A/THE TARGET" & my own personal favorite, "PROTECT YOURSELF AT ALL TIMES WHILE IN THE RING" are "RULES" to live and survive by out there...

I mean really, An unsecured honey-pot, falls off a tail gate and kills a rider. Its a true shame but it just shows that S--T Happens out there every day.   Sorry [smiley=nixweiss.gif]

[Striker]

Has anyone taken into consideration that the people buying bikes have a higher spendable income? ie the the baby boomers, (of which I am proudly one!) are in their income peak in most cases, buy more expensive toys, and in some cases haven't got the experience to go with the horsepower.  This FLHTSE could get you in trouble if you didn't have some pretty decent experience when riding here in Colorado.  I know of too many riders my age that "get it 'cause they can" and really haven't developed the skills to go with it.  If I think back of all the rides I have had, starting with a cute Honda Hawk to where I am today, there was a huge learning curve I went through without even realizing it.  The riding population is aging without a doubt, but the average number of years on a motorcycle I am sure isn't.  
By the way, I turn 59 next month, so don't forget my birthday [smiley=beerchug.gif] [smiley=drink.gif]