Motorbike safety?

[kallend 2,027]

So my son, who thinks skydiving is crazy, just broke his leg when his Harley skidded out from under him on a slick patch of road.

Hmmm.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[CSpenceFLY 1]

Have you ever known someone to get hurt skydiving?

[CanuckInUSA 0]

Neither activity is safe. Then again I have suffered more injuries playing ice hockey than anything else I have done in life (of course it could be argued that I played more ice hockey than any other activity as well). Most of the time ice hockey is not lethal, but there have been a few freak occasions where it has turned lethal. Problem with motorcycles isn't the actual bike. The problem is either the user of the bike or other vehicles on the road. Problem with skydiving isn't the gear, it's usually the user of the gear or other people in the sky. I would highly recommend all motorcyclists (especially new ones) to seek advanced rider training where they can learn life saving techniques such as counter steering. At least with safety training motorcyclists have some hope in reacting to an emergency scenario properly because there are two types of motorcyclists. 1) Those who have crashed and 2) those who have yet to crash. I fall into the crashed category.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[squirrel 0]

and I feel the degree of "safety" is greatly affected by the "I" factor. "I" being the number of idiots that has the potential to affect the rider/jumper. Think of it like a multiplier, The higher the numerical result, the lower the safety level.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[JohnRich 4]

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So my son, who thinks skydiving is crazy, just broke his leg when his Harley skidded out from under him on a slick patch of road.

Hmmm.

And you were almost killed by another skydiver.

Hmmm.

[TKoontz 0]

My condolences and hope for a speedy recovery, it's never easy seeing those close to us hurt. My girlfriend's sister just lost her boyfriend in a motorcycle wreck 3 days ago because he was dicking around, didn't have his helmet strap routed, and going too fast.

Canuck is right though, there are only two categories of which I am thankfully of the uncrashed group. I was fortunate enough to have sold my streetbike for a rig before ever dumping it.

I also agree with his assessment of getting advanced training before going out on pavement, as well as a damn good jacket, boots, and pants with kevlar inserts for skid protection (any kind of impact, your head's the only thing that has a chance of being safe). A solid background in basic riding isn't a bad idea either. I was on a dirtbike from 3 years old to present at 20, wouldn't even consider pavement until I was 18 and spent the first two weeks in abandoned parking lots doing drills with my dad (another life long rider).

Of course, I have no idea what your son's experience levels are, but you titled the thread 'Motorcycle Safety?' so there's my $ .02

Again, best wishes.

-Rooster

Find your peace, though the world around you burns

[pincheck 0]

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So my son, who thinks skydiving is crazy, just broke his leg when his Harley skidded out from under him on a slick patch of road.

Hmmm.

Diesel spill patch or had it just rained after a dry period ?, he probably knows he got off light Kallend. pass on my best for a quick recovery bud

Billy-Sonic Haggis Flickr-Fun

[JohnMitchell 16]

I figured you knew your thread title was oxymoronic.

I have a daughter that rides motorcycles in Boston. I say a little prayer every day. I hope your son heals quickly.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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And you were almost killed by another skydiver.

I'm not sure which has come closer to killing me, skydiving or motorcycles.

[JohnRich 4]

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I'm not sure which has come closer to killing me, skydiving or motorcycles.

Here's something I wrote a while back on this comparison, which I saved, and will regurgitate here:

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Here is a great way to relate skydiving risk to something that novices

can understand, and which they can then use to assess their willingness

to accept the risk based upon that comparison.


"Accident Facts" from the National Safety Council, for 1994, shows a

motor vehicle death rate of 1.83 per 100 million miles traveled.


Skydiving fatalities are 1 per 100,000 jumps, or a death rate of

.00001 per jump.


To compare with driving, we want to find the equivalent death rate

of .00001 per x miles driven.  What is x?  Well, going back to high

school math (yech):


1.83      .00001

----------- = ------      So, x = 546 miles

100,000,000      x


In other words, one skydive is as risky as driving 546 miles!


This could be construed as a bit of an "apples vs. oranges" comparison,

since we're talking about a single skydive, compared with miles driven.

But, whuffos need something to which they can relate, and I like this

in that respect.  And no matter what means of comparison you try to

use, you have the same problem; time of exposure, distance traveled,

etc.


By the way, the fatality rate for motorcycles is 25 per 100 million

miles traveled, or 17 times higher than other motor vehicles.  Yikes!


To compare with motorcycling, lets run through that icky math again:


25       .00001

----------- = ------      So, x = 40 miles

100,000,000      x


In other words, one skydive is as risky as driving 40 miles on a

motorcycle!


For the whuffo, or the first jump student who is thinking about

just making one skydive, I think this is a great way to relieve their

fears, and to give them a practical means of risk comparison.


It would be a lot of fun to ask a class full of students if any of

them came to the DZ on a motorcycle, and then to point out to them

that they have already incurred more risk today than they will by

making a skydive.  :-)

[PiLFy 3]

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and I feel the degree of "safety" is greatly affected by the "I" factor. "I" being the number of idiots that has the potential to affect the rider/jumper. Think of it like a multiplier, The higher the numerical result, the lower the safety level.

This. I rode on the street for 27 years. My bike is officially for sale. The economic pressure cooker of >2009 hasn't brought out the best in many drivers. There are now far more Idiots, & also more sick POSs who want to take you out. A little voice told me it was time to give it up, or else... Listen to the voices. I hope you boy heals quickly.

[JohnMitchell 16]

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came to the DZ on a motorcycle, and then to point out to them
that they have already incurred more risk today than they will by
making a skydive. :-)

I've made that point to many motorcycle riders.

I wonder how safe a tandem jump is compared to the rest of our sport?

[AggieDave 6]

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came to the DZ on a motorcycle, and then to point out to them
that they have already incurred more risk today than they will by
making a skydive. :-)

I've made that point to many motorcycle riders.

I'm a competitive swooper who rides a motorcycle for work 40+ hours a week and ride a motorcycle in my off time.

Does that mean I'm going to die?

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[JohnMitchell 16]

Well, all men are mortal . . .

Well Dave, I wouldn't tell my insurance guy too much if I were you.

[AggieDave 6]

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Well, all men are mortal . . .

Well Dave, I wouldn't tell my insurance guy too much if I was you.

I tried to get AFLAC a while back, they laughed at me. I tried to bump up my life insurance and I was run out of the office. So yeah...

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[SWATcop 0]

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--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

That is a great signature line.

Kevin

Muff Brother #4041
Team Dirty Sanchez #467

[normiss 800]

hopefully REAL chrome and not that plastic flash coat chrome bull shit....

[normiss 800]

and REAL gasoline for that matter.
not that corn-fed 85-15 bullshit
blue gas
100 octane race gas

[nigel99 472]

Yesterday on the bike some idiot in an Range Rover looked me in the eye and went regardless of me having right of way.

Normally when you catch someones eye on the bike you KNOW they have seen you and will yield. I guess being Surrey he was rich enough to have someone wash the blood off the car..

No damage I was just so close I was able to count the number of flies in his radiator.

Experienced jumper - someone who has made mistakes more often than I have and lived.

[squirrel 0]

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Yesterday on the bike some idiot in an Range Rover looked me in the eye and went regardless of me having right of way.

Normally when you catch someones eye on the bike you KNOW they have seen you and will yield. I guess being Surrey he was rich enough to have someone wash the blood off the car..

No damage I was just so close I was able to count the number of flies in his radiator.

i have had people move on purpose to the side of the lane towards me when I am splitting lanes. (which, yes, is legal in California.) So tempted to kick the side mirror off when that happens.

________________________________
Where is Darwin when you need him?

[kallend 2,027]

Quote

Quote

So my son, who thinks skydiving is crazy, just broke his leg when his Harley skidded out from under him on a slick patch of road.

Hmmm.

Diesel spill patch or had it just rained after a dry period ?, he probably knows he got off light Kallend. pass on my best for a quick recovery bud

Wet paint.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[AggieDave 6]

Quote

Quote

So my son, who thinks skydiving is crazy, just broke his leg when his Harley skidded out from under him on a slick patch of road.

Hmmm.

Diesel spill patch or had it just rained after a dry period ?, he probably knows he got off light Kallend. pass on my best for a quick recovery bud

I dislocated both joints in my right big toe due to parking lot paint back in June. Making a standard u-turn, the front end washed out violently, my right foot fell off the peg and under the bike, but luckily I was able to throttle the bike back up on the wheels before it crushed my ankle. Nearly 900lbs of motorcycle is unforgiving at times.

Before (injured): https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aEUgB1MlieM/Tn9t5H3dMjI/AAAAAAAAEvg/xKHOGvQVqTI/s512/Before.jpg

After (but still exceptionally swollen): https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-_09TO_rV86w/Tn9t6lIntZI/AAAAAAAAEvk/9d0zLtVmQuE/s512/repaired.jpg

But yeah: https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ERzimxtkrQE/Tn5rAUn7AnI/AAAAAAAAEvU/VIuWr-fEL2M/s640/IMG_20110923_161007.jpg

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CanuckInUSA 0]

I see AggieDave falls into the "crashed" category of the two types of motorcyclists (as do I). Let us hope that this wet paint in a parking lot is the worst crash he will have moving forward.

However earlier AggieDave asked, since he is a swooper, he is a competitive swooper (meaning he pushing things more than just a run of the mill beer line swooper) and he rides a motorcycle, "Does this mean he will die one day". I am sorry to say ... yes Dave one day you will die. None of us gets out of here alive. So go enjoy your swoops and enjoy your motorcycle(s). I know I don't want to die prematurely. But I would rather go out on a swoop gone bad, go out in a traffic accident, or maybe even a plane crash than to rot away from some nasty cancer. One cool way to go would be to be old and grey and have massive heart failure while doing it in bed with some young hottie. Now I just need to convince some young hottie to help me fulfill this one day ... preferably many years from now in the future.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over

[AggieDave 6]

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But I would rather go out on a swoop gone bad, go out in a traffic accident, or maybe even a plane crash than to rot away from some nasty cancer.

That is the point of the sig-line I've had for a while.

The thought of wasting away in some nursing home sounds like a tortuous fate!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[CanuckInUSA 0]

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The thought of wasting away in some nursing home sounds like a tortuous fate!

My father (who I was not all that close to since he divorced my mother soon after I was born) and my uncle both died of nasty cancers a few years ago. Watching both men go from healthy middle age men to dying nasty deaths thanks to their respective cancers made me never want to go what they both went through. Unfortunately I had to sell my JVX 87 because I just can not stay current enough up here in the frozen north. But there are a couple of replacement hobbies where the adrenaline rush is similar. But the few years I had on the competitive swooping circuit will always be remembered fondly ... as long as alzeihmers does not set in. Enjoy your swoops. I watched the video of a 2011 competition from my former DZ in CO and the guys and girl (Jessica E) are all doing awesome.

Try not to worry about the things you have no control over