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[RJ749]

A few months back, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety issued a report suggesting that “sport-styled” motorcycles are considerably more dangerous than other types of motorcycles. “Motorcyclists who ride supersports have driver death rates per 10,000 registered motorcycles nearly four times higher than rates for motorcyclists who ride all other types of bikes,” the study stated. The American Motorcycle Association (AMA) took strong offense to the report, calling its conclusions misleading.

The AMA points out that the report isn’t based on any new information. It simply takes its numbers from the national Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS). By utilizing this data, says the AMA, the IIHS’s study “has made no attempt to determine whether bikes in its ‘supersport’ category are ridden more miles than bikes in the ‘cruiser/standard’ category. Nor has it attempted to determine whether they are used more often in urban areas that represent a more dangerous environment.”

The AMA also suggests that the age of the rider, not the motorcycle itself, may be at the core of the issue. The average age of riders purchasing bikes in the IIHS’s “supersport” category is 27, significantly lower than that of the average motorcyclist, regardless of the type of bike he rides. “In other words, it’s entirely possible this report actually demonstrates that younger, less-experienced riders are more prone to crash than older riders, regardless of the type of bike they're riding,” said Ed Moreland, vice president of public affairs for the AMA. “And that’s true for all types of motor vehicles.”

For more information, check out the IIHS’s report http://www.iihs.org/news/rss/pr091107.html and the AMA’s response http://home.ama-cycle.org/newsroom/amarelease.asp?rnum=A07017.
- By Craig Fitzgerald

[Twolanerider]

AMA accusing someone else of cooking the numbers to make a point is like Daimler telling Chrysler's new ownership to treat the company with kindness.

[Hugh Janis]

The original conclusion makes sense, How can sport bike operators get more riding experience when they are always dying in crashes.  That's why the average age is 27.  It's a classic "Catch 22"   

[Break-In]

today its age tomorrow it will old men are the cause, who cares!

[Screamin]

AMA accusing someone else of cooking the numbers to make a point is like Daimler telling Chrysler's new ownership to treat the company with kindness.

Oh?

[UglyJohn]

The original conclusion makes sense, How can sport bike operators get more riding experience when they are always dying in crashes.  That's why the average age is 27.  It's a classic "Catch 22"   

For some reason, while I'm on pain medication I might add, this makes sense... I'll look at it again in a few hours and see if it still makes sense.  All I know is that I'm an old fart and I don't want anyone looking at my age bracket. At my age we die from exhaustion just polishing up the chrome. 
Ugly John

[Hugh Janis]

For some reason, while I'm on pain medication I might add, this makes sense... I'll look at it again in a few hours and see if it still makes sense.  All I know is that I'm an old fart and I don't want anyone looking at my age bracket. At my age we die from exhaustion just polishing up the chrome. 
Ugly John

Then you alone raise the average age for the HD operator and skew the IIHS data.