Harley's vs. Japanese bikes & Bose systems.

[gmichael]

.....a question to some of our more, ahem, "seasoned", riders....yeah, us old farts....did you notice a difference in your being seen by opposing traffic when the mandatory headlight laws came into effect?....I know I certainly did....this was sometime in the mid to late '70's, wasn't it?....

That is about the right time frame. It was a law before I got my license in 1976. But it was a very new law. My dad said that it helped. Only half of the drivers would put out in front of him like he was invisable now.

I always drove as if that guy stopped at the corner would not see me and pull out on me. It was the difference between me getting "pissed off" and getting "splattered on a grill" more than a few times.

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

GM,

Good article. Thanks. It's hard for me to believe Ohio has not adopted a helmet law. Almost every motorcycle accident that makes the news here in the city results in a death. I don't know if it's sport bike vs. cruiser, age, or location, but it's definitely a trend that needs to stop with a helmet law.

I ride a Road Star Warrior, which is a mixed breed of cruiser and sport. I've noticed more sport riders wearing helmets, but more are also "hot heads" on our 270 beltway.

Every day you can catch a group of guys pulling wheelies going 80+mph. Yes, they do have helmets, but that won't help scraping them from a big rig or bridge wall.

The cruiser crowd - especially on different bike nights around the city, are definitely more intoxicated and show little fear of riding their bikes after hours of partying. More don't wear helmets than do. The problem is they're under the influence.

I'm all for inacting a helmet law in Ohio. I admit, I don't wear one if I'm in my neighborhood, but as soon as I hit a main road, the plastic goes on. If it were law, I'd put it on in the neighborhood.

 

[flyv65]

.....a question to some of our more, ahem, "seasoned", riders....yeah, us old farts....did you notice a difference in your being seen by opposing traffic when the mandatory headlight laws came into effect?....I know I certainly did....this was sometime in the mid to late '70's, wasn't it?....

.....edit....you young guys....that's correct, the first click of the key didn't produce a headlight, nor tail-light, nor marker lights at one time....when you grabbed either brake, you got a tail-light and that was it.....

You're back before me, Mulester. My Dad's '73? '74? CB350/4 had the headlights on as soon as you turned the key, and my own '84 and '86 V65 Magnas were the same. IIRC, Texas made headlights mandatory around the end of the '90's, but I think that had something to do more with their helmet laws.

I can say that up untill about 10 years ago or so, if I saw a headlight I always thought "bike" or "cop", and most of the folks I met on the road would give a little bit of berth. Then when GM started with the DRL (Daytime Running Lights) and other drivers started turning their lights on in the day it felt like we became less conspicuous. Just my perception; I doubt anyone has done a study to support that...

Bryan

 

[Buckeyefan 1]

.....a question to some of our more, ahem, "seasoned", riders....yeah, us old farts....did you notice a difference in your being seen by opposing traffic when the mandatory headlight laws came into effect?....I know I certainly did....this was sometime in the mid to late '70's, wasn't it?....

.....edit....you young guys....that's correct, the first click of the key didn't produce a headlight, nor tail-light, nor marker lights at one time, and only allowed the engine to start, which was usually a kick-start....when you grabbed either brake, you got a tail-light and that was it....when it began to get dark, you clicked the key one more click to get a headlight and full-tme tail-light.....

Mule,

I don't remember days without headlights. My moped headlight was always on (1983). My first bike, a 1981 GPZ550, had a headlight that was always on. I've always ridden defensively, and never assumed people could see me. I guess it was from trying to avoid traffic on that 28mph Puch moped.

 

[gmichael]

Bucky,

I'm in the middle of a move from NY to PA. It's very strange for me to see riders in PA without helmets. Their heads remind me of little humpty dumpties searching for a wall to fall off of, to me.

 

[braminator]

I'm all for inacting a helmet law in Ohio. I admit, I don't wear one if I'm in my neighborhood, but as soon as I hit a main road, the plastic goes on. If it were law, I'd put it on in the neighborhood.

I guess all the smarts in the world won't help that.

Keep in mind MOST accidents happen within a few miles of home.

Ride down your block and I am sure a car can and will someday pull out in front of you.

I have been riding for 20yrs. I have seen a lot. Don't think for a minute a brain bucket or open face helmet will make a difference. It won't

I witnessed 1st hand a guy with a open face crash and his face was history.

So if you must ride, ride responsibly.

 

[flyv65]

Boomer Deaths

Granted, this article is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and possibly biased, but the math appears to be correct and it might be worth a read considering some of the links we've seen posted here:

http://info.insure.com/auto/motorcycledeaths102.html

Bryan

 

[Mort Corey]

..........edit....you young guys....that's correct, the first click of the key didn't produce a headlight, nor tail-light, nor marker lights at one time, and only allowed the engine to start, which was usually a kick-start....when you grabbed either brake, you got a tail-light and that was it....when it began to get dark, you clicked the key one more click to get a headlight and full-tme tail-light.....

Heck....my first bike was a 1950 Triumph so riding with the Prince of Darkness (Lucas electrics) I was lucky to have any lights at any time

 

[gmichael]

Granted, this article is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and possibly biased, but the math appears to be correct and it might be worth a read considering some of the links we've seen posted here:

http://info.insure.com/auto/motorcycledeaths102.html

Bryan

This was one of the many links I saw to the over 40 thing. But the "Thinking about buying a Harley Davidson to cruise the streets as a 40th birthday present for yourself? You might want to think again." line is just a hook to get people to read the article. I saw no other mention of Harley's after that.

And these points: Always wear a helmet.

Wear protective gear including eye protection, jacket, full-fingered gloves, long pants, and high-top boots or shoes.

Drive defensively, and be especially alert at intersections — 70 percent of motorcycle-vehicle collisions occur at intersections.

Check mirrors before changing lanes or stopping. A quick stop without checking rear traffic may cause a rear-end crash.

Assume that you are invisible to other motorists and operate your motorcycle accordingly. Avoid riding in cars' blind spots (the zone where you cannot be seen in rear or side-view mirrors) and always use headlights.

Watch out for hazardous road surfaces, such as gravel or wet pavement. Other road hazards include potholes, oil slicks, puddles, debris on the roadway, and manhole covers.

...were in the manual I read before taking the writen test. Too bad so many don't already live by them.

 

[flyv65]

This was one of the many links I saw to the over 40 thing. But the "Thinking about buying a Harley Davidson to cruise the streets as a 40th birthday present for yourself? You might want to think again." line is just a hook to get people to read the article. I saw no other mention of Harley's after that.

No doubt the first sentence is inflammatory, but the article *does* support the 40+ thing we were talking about, and mentions some helmet data as well (I think this was when Texas made DRL mandatory).

Bryan

 

[gmichael]

No doubt the first sentence is inflammatory, but the article *does* support the 40+ thing we were talking about, and mentions some helmet data as well (I think this was when Texas made DRL mandatory).

Bryan

Agreed. Many new older riders, is quoted in most of the articles I saw.

 

[mulester7]

Granted, this article is from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and possibly biased, but the math appears to be correct and it might be worth a read considering some of the links we've seen posted here:

http://info.insure.com/auto/motorcycledeaths102.html

Bryan

.....Fly, I especially noticed this from the link.....

"Drive defensively, and be especially alert at intersections — 70 percent of motorcycle-vehicle collisions occur at intersections."

.....I couldn't agree with this more....I've had women look directly at me, then pull out anyway with a scowl on their face saying they were dismayed that a motorcycle would expect her to yield to them....every time I want to shoot her tires out....

 

[flyv65]

Yes all Jap bikes have 1 that will go into the 10's. But now consider the 200lbs weight disadvantage a harley as to still do it in under 10 seconds.

And all four of the Big Four have stock streetbikes that go into the 9's. I thought R&RNinja's point was that the limited edition Vrod wasn't street legal from the factory so I went back and looked at the photo: I don't know about other states, but that bike isn't street legal in Colorado, so what kinds of times does it turn in street legal trim? Also, isn't there a ProStar class where the bikes aren't allowed to use wheelie bars and are required to demonstrate their "streetability" before the race? I thought Ken Stoltz had the record in that class.

No I did not. I stated a fact
Where did you get this from? I never said that. But hey if Jap bikes are so fast why are they NOT WINNING IN DRAG RACING.

You could also say "If Harley Davidsons are so fast, why aren't they winning at Moto GP?"

I thought the reason HD was kicking butt at drag racing was because the rules were more advantageous for the v-twin than the in-line 4 right now. Didn't Suzuki used to kick butt untill the rule changes?

You may also want to say "fastest in the 1/4 mile", cuz the fastest motorcycle is a Kawasaki according to Bonneville: 332 mph.

http://www.scta-bni.org/Bonneville/records/BNIrecs_bikes.htm

Bryan...with the possible exception of the current WSB, the rules will always favor somebody, sometime...

 

[Sheep]

.....I couldn't agree with this more....I've had women look directly at me, then pull out anyway with a scowl on their face saying they were dismayed that a motorcycle would expect her to yield to them....every time I want to shoot her tires out....

Hahahaha! Awesome.

SheepStar

 

[gmichael]

Hahahaha! Awesome.

SheepStar

Not so awesome. This is way too true. Some people feel that motorcycles do not belong on the road and will put riders in danger as there way of protesting their presence.

 

[Sheep]

Not so awesome. This is way too true. Some people feel that motorcycles do not belong on the road and will put riders in danger as there way of protesting their presence.

I was laughing at the "shoot her tires out" part. I have experienced the same stuff, and this is on a pedal bike.

SheepStar

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I have been riding for 20yrs. I have seen a lot. Don't think for a minute a brain bucket or open face helmet will make a difference. It won't

I witnessed 1st hand a guy with a open face crash and his face was history.

Hmm... I guess that open-face helmet I wore didn't really help me at all and instead I'm imagining all of this from my hospital-room coma and I'm not really typing on my Mac.

Helmets, even the open-faced ones are better than no helmet at all.

And you don't have 1st hand experience of any such accident unless you are the one missing his face right now. You have 2nd hand experience, likely 3rd unless your the surgeon or EMT at the scene.

Hey RocknRoll- Did you bother to read the HD dragster?

A limited quantity of VRXSE Screamin' Eagle® V-Rod® Destroyer™ models will be produced. Contact your local Harley-Davidson dealer for a chance to be one of the first to own this limited quantity machine.

So you see, if you go to your dealer you might be able to get one.

You still can't seem to come to terms with the fact: The Screamin' Eagle® Destroyer® is NOT a legal motorcycle you can ride around on public roads with.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

OK, well I guess the Bose® aspect of this thread has been forgotten.....

But there is one universal fact about motorcycles: American and Japanese bikes alike tend to crush real good when T-Boned with a car.

And insurance companies will bone you later over what your ride was worth.

 

[mulester7]

.....Gentlemen, this is probably going to be my next motorcycle in a couple of years....they've only been out for about a year and there's not really a used market yet....they go for right at 16 grand new, ya' can't get them to cut a nickel, and I ain't gonna' do that for sure....this is the baddest-of-the-bad for upright-sitting cruisers with a 2300 cc three-cylinder fuel-injected power plant....that's about the displacement size of a small Toyota truck engine....I view it as a Jr. Boss Hog with 5 gears....a recent review put it up against a V-Max and a Suzuki Boulevard M109R in a 1/4 mile, and it beat both with the V-Max getting a very close second, with the Suzuki coming in a close third....Guys, put your hands together and welcome the Triumph Rocket III.....

http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/3408.aspx

 

[highfihoney]

I had originally decided to stop responding to your posts since that just seems to upset your sense of emotional equilibrium, but then I would feel a certain amount of responsiblility for any injuries incurred by readers following your spurious riding advice

You should have stopped responding because this post makes about as much sense as the rest & im not sure its my emotional equilibrium thats in question here its your lack of any basic people skills.

Show me anywhere in ANY of my posts where i advise anybody of anything,also show me where i advocated not wearing a helmet or where i say that laying the bike down is the best or only option,i have stated that it is a skill that everybody should know not the only option or the best option.

You have read what you wanted to read then reacted,from the moment you saw the pic of me without a helmet you were on the attact then moving from helmets to anything else you could pick up on to respond in exactly the way you have done which is with smart a$$ comments continuing right on to my parenting skills,you have no clue as to how i raise my children & your smart remarks were not only uncalled for but totally out of line,instead of being able to admit that your comments were out of line you chose an even more snotty follow up.

It takes a bigger man to step foward & admit he was out of line then it does to continue on as you have done.

I sure hope you dont talk to people in real life the way you do over the www.