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Posted on 04/16/2008 3:49:32 AM PDT by BraveMan
Whoever coined the phrase "it's just like riding a bike" probably never switched motorcycles.
Even experienced riders can be wobbly on an unfamiliar bike, according to a recent study from the Progressive Group of Insurance Cos., a motorcycle insurer.
Progressive reviewed nearly 2 million motorcycle insurance policies over a five-year period and found that riders who switched to different types of bikes were nearly 70% more likely to crash than riders who kept the same bike.
The study also found that riders of cruiser bikes, such as Harley-Davidsons, who switched to high-performance sport bikes like Suzuki GSXRs were 3 1/2 -times more likely to crash. That's more than double the risk they would have if they had just switched to another cruiser.
Sport bikers, on the other hand, could reduce their crash risks by more than one-third just by switching to a cruiser, according to Progressive.
"We want experienced riders to know their risks so they can take extra precautions when they replace their bikes," said Rick Stern, a Progressive motorcycle insurance product manager who is also a rider.
New riders, by far, are still the most likely to crash because of their lack of riding experience.
But the study showed that riders unfamiliar with their current motorcycle, regardless of riding experience or the type of bike, were more likely to be involved in a collision.
"As a motorcycle rider, the data feels right. We certainly had enough data to feel confident that what we were looking at was real," Stern said.
The study looked at insurance policies where the policy holders had at least a year of riding experience. Age wasn't considered a factor, but many sport-bike enthusiasts are younger riders.
When a cruiser rider switches to a sport bike, the dynamics of riding are profoundly different, according to Stern.
"You can twist the throttle on a cruiser and go pretty darn fast, but your front wheel stays on the ground. If you twist the throttle that much on a sport bike, crazy things can happen," he said.
Even riders who successfully complete motorcycle safety classes are likely to crash if the bike they buy is much different than the one they learned on, said Rick Breuer, owner of Learning Curves Racing, a Milwaukee riding school.
"They take classes and do really well on a 250-cc (small) street bike and then go out and buy the biggest Harley they can possibly find. I expect them to almost fall down immediately just because of the differences in weight and because they don't have the respect for those giant bikes," Breuer said.
There's nothing inherently more dangerous about large motorcycles. It's the rider that makes the difference, said Mary Donovan-Popa, owner of Motorcycling Enterprises Inc., a Milwaukee riding school.
"Every bike has its own personality. Unless you familiarize yourself with that, you are looking for trouble," she said.
Older riders also are at a high risk of accidents, according to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.
In 1997, for example, 19% of motorcyclists killed in the United States were ages 40 to 49. The figure had risen to 23% in 2006, the most recent year for which data was available, according to the NHTSA.
For the 50-to-59 age group, the total was 10% of motorcyclists killed in 1997 and 18% in 2006. In the 59-plus category, the figure was 4% in 1997 and 7% in 2006.
Why the changes? Much of it can be explained by a growing pool of baby-boomer motorcyclists, including those returning to riding after years out of the saddle.
In Wisconsin, there were 24 motorcyclists ages 45 to 54 killed in 2006, the most of any age group. Of the 712 people killed in motor vehicle accidents that year, 93, or 13%, were motorcycle drivers or passengers.
Anyone can benefit from practicing the basics on their bikes, Stern said, including low-speed riding, turning, shifting and higher-speed panic stopping.
Especially with a new bike: "It's a good idea for riders to take it out for a couple of shakedown cruises in a parking lot before hitting the open road," Stern said.
I was very relieved when my sons Dad sent a picture up to us of his new bike.
It was a 4 wheeler ATV.
Perfect for the old geezer.
Be very careful on a strange bike, no matter how long you have ridden a motorcycle.
Enjoy.
Back in 1991, when my two kids hit the teenage years and wanted to ride on the back with dad, is when I sold my bike.
Sport bikers, on the other hand, could reduce their crash risks by more than one-third just by switching to a cruiser, according to Progressive.
The headline is wrong. It doesn't say both changes are more dangerous. It says cruisers are safer in both cases. Switching to or staying with a sport bike is more dangerous than staying or switching to a cruiser.
I can’t believe we have gone this far in this thread without someone saying. “Wear a helmet Dude!”. Too many baby boomers trying to look like Peter Fonda and riding with only a doo rag on are a primary cause of fatalities.
tain’t what you wear, it’s how you wear it.
all the so-called safety gear can’t make one a safe rider, and safe rider’s never need it. Helmets are a percentage game - you’re betting that should you have an accident, it’ll be one that the helmet will help, and not the kind where a helmet can hurt - for example tumbling, where the bulk of the helmet yanks the neck more than without one.
now watch the safety nazi’s coem after me ;-)
BTW: at a charity run last season, some bike-lawyer group passed out do rags to everyone. ironic?
I have to disagree.
The basics are the same, the dynamics are different.
There’s nothing inherently more dangerous about a sportbike - in fact they’re lighter, more manoeuverable, better braked, and have better tires than cruisers, making them better able to avoid accidents. Any bike is only as safe as the rider who’s controlling it. If one insists on railing around corners with knee on the ground, eventually the laws of physics are going to catch up with you. Same for high speeds - if you’re going twice the speed limit and someone pulls out of a driveway or side street into your path, whose fault is it, really?
I ride a bike that is neither sport bike (according to my insurance company) or cruiser. I ride quite briskly at times, and yet I can’t remember the last time I even had a close call or “pucker factor” moment. A lot of it just comes down to expecting everyone else on the road to always do the stupidest thing possible. I drive my car the same way, which is probably why I haven’t been involved in an accident, my fault or not, for about 20 years (and the accidents before that were fender-benders while driving courier in the city).
I road bikes for years, and a harley for years... I am no 36 years old and gave up my bike a few years ago. No, not any sort of accident, but fiscal reasons at the time.
I used to shake my head when I’d see some guy in his 50s who’d never rode before showing up at the dealership to pick up his new fully loaded dresser or fat boy.. or whatever. Beautiful bikes that I knew odds were very great would wind up road kill inside of a few months. Not because the bikes were any more unsafe than any other bike, just the riders were, completely out of their leagues.
I cannot even begin to count how many close calls I had over the years, where the only thing that kept me from going down was defensive driving, experience and reaction time. On a sunny day like today, where they are calling for 70s and sun, I openly admit I miss my bike... but I also know and can tell my reaction time has slowed, from what it used to be, and I’m in my mid 30s, because of my experience I doubt highly I’ll ever buy another bike just for that reason alone. Guys in their 50s, never been on a bike before and then go buy the biggest most loaded thing they can find are flirting with disaster.
This is a GREAT way to mitigate our generations effect on Social Security and Medicare.....
If you wind up dead, doesn't really matter who's at fault.. you are still dead... if you ever get on a bike and ride without this thought going on in your head the entire time "Every Vehicle I see is going to try to be where I am." you probably should not be on a bike in the first place.
I own a motorcycle dealership, been riding for thirty years. My son is in college and wants to run the family business some day. Of course, being able to walk the walk, almost requires him to start riding bikes. Let me tell you, this scares the hell out of me! God-forbid, if anything ever happened to him because of this business, I don’t know what I’d do.
A fool and his bike, are soon parted.
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A new rider really should start out on something small. Unfortunately the only small Harley is the sportster, and that seems to have a certain stigma in Harley circles. So most guys buy a 900lb monster.
Personally, I won’t ride anything I can’t pick up by myself. Bikes can and do fall over.
Germany (I believe) has the right idea when it comes to motorcycles. The size of the bike you are allowed to own is directly proportional to how many years experience you have... If you have never ridden a bike before in your life you can’t go walk into a dealership and walk out with a 750lb bruiser.
Now I know this will never fly in the states, but their stages system is a far far wiser approach. You got to work your way up to the big boys.
“now watch the safety nazi’s coem after me ;-)”
It’s either the safety nazis, or the organ donor folks.
Take your pick.
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