I'M seeing more & more motorcycles...

[warhawk]

hello fellow chrome domes:  with the outrageous gasoline prices... is it me?  but i have noticed more & more motorcycles out in the road this summer.   one of our trauma surgeons was interviewed by the local tv station & he stated that there is an increased amounts of ER visits from motorcycle accidents.  and guess what?  most were NOT wearing helmets.   just a couple of days ago... we had another local motorcycle fatality that involved a biker not wearing a helmet in which he crashed into a school bus but thankfully none of the kids were injured.

so... how 'bout U?  have U noticed more motorcycles on the road?  if U  R  a biker... do U wear a helmet?  as a healthcare professional... i hope that all the sly bikers in this forum wear helmets.  also... if U  R  not a biker... please watch out & B aware of motorcycles.  along with not wearing helmets...most motorcycle accidents R from the carelessness of people who drive automobiles.  so... what's your story?

WARHAWK

[Pshrynk]

I think motorcycles have become more popular in NA regardless of gas prices.   They are cool and trendy -- harleys for the boomer crowd and sport-bikes for the twenty-somethings.

I have ridden for lotsa years -- always a full face helmet and jacket, protective pants, gloves and boots.    I've seen what kind of damage a crash can do.   My wife is an MD and a rider too who has seen the damage in ER rooms and has told me ALL about it.

There are lotsa silly people that don't gear up-- they're too cool or too careless or whatever -- the two main types that I always see are

Harley riders in their pirate costumes with their bandana, skulls face mask, leather vest, black tee shirt and ass-less chaps with a useless little peanut helmet, if they wear a helmet at all.

and squids on sport-bikes with shorts and T-shirts and unbelievably sometimes sandals cause thats what you want to wear on a 140 hp motorcycle!!!!!!!

What really pisses me off is when you see a kid on a sport-bike with full leathers and a high end helmet and a girl on the back with shorts, t-shirt and sandals?!?!?!?   Holy no respect for the girl or what?

[JDog]

Hey you've covered the Sports bikes and big Harleys(though I dont think they are specific to certain age groups) but what about the mighty motor scooter??!! The ability to get 60mpg is a great benefit of these little vehicles.

Who wouldnt feel like a million dollars riding around one of these:

[StumpyDave]

I've ridden since I was old enough.  In the UK helmets are compulsory, but even if they weren't I'd still wear a full face helmet and full on protective gear.
I fell of my mountain bike on a smooth road a while ago and remember watching my t-shirt shred off my shoulder with my skin as I slid along at 20mph.  My hands, legs and back looked like a raw hamburger for a while.  Anything faster than that would have scarey results.
A helmet gives you more chance than not wearing one but doesn't make you invincible.  I try to encourage my boys to wear helmets when cycling.

Bikes in the UK are mainly entertainment for when the weather is good.  It used to be a viable alternative travel form but insurance costs means it is not cheap.  Rising fuel costs may well push people onto skmall scooters.  Then our government will increase the taxes applied to them.

[Mikekoz13]

Jdog-

           The other day, I just had a guy about 80 years old cut me off in traffic on one of those scooters. It was hilarious... he was driving like a madman.

                     The coolness factor is just not there for those scooters............ Harleys for me.... or maybe one of the American Victory models.

[Pshrynk]

Hey you've covered the Sports bikes and big Harleys(though I dont think they are specific to certain age groups) but what about the mighty motor scooter??!! The ability to get 60mpg is a great benefit of these little vehicles.

How aboput Vespas?  They are the epitomy of cool.

Sidecar is the cats ass!!






This is the new LX 150 with a 60mph top speed.

[Marz]

I love the old vespas!!

I just saw a piece on the news about local scooter dealers being sold out of the smaller (new vespas, Vinos, etc.) scooters as a result of gas prices.

[Robmeister]

Man, the Harley's come outa the woodwork here in Denver when Spring/Summer hit....

Lotsa suburban professionals, older folk and honky tonk women.

Looking forward to being numbered among them myself.

[schro]

I love the old vespas!!

I just saw a piece on the news about local scooter dealers being sold out of the smaller (new vespas, Vinos, etc.) scooters as a result of gas prices.

If I got a vespa and it was the wrong color, the first thing I'd do is paint it black....Raider fan, ya know.

[StumpyDave]

You'd like my Triumph Daytona, Schro.
Any bits that aren't black are silver.

[Marz]

I love the old vespas!!

I just saw a piece on the news about local scooter dealers being sold out of the smaller (new vespas, Vinos, etc.) scooters as a result of gas prices.

If I got a vespa and it was the wrong color, the first thing I'd do is paint it black....Raider fan, ya know.

You bet I know... RAIDER NATION!!!

[gidbg]

i have noticed a large increase in scooter riders as of late. Most make me laugh hugging the right side of the lane looking scaried out of there mind. I have been wearing a helmut since the early days riding dirt bikes and dont plan on not wearing when even in states where it is legal not to.

[Ryan]

Here in Canada it's the law that you have to wear a helmet on a motorcycle, so it's a bit moot for me.  However, I'm a big supporter of full gear, even in the height of summer.  Cuz you just never know when an accident is gonna happen, and I'd rather it be the gear all over the pavement than my skin.

The thing that really makes me shake my head is the t-shirt, shorts and sandals.  Might as well be riding naked.  Er... edit that.  Been there, saw that (or damn close enough), and it wasn't pretty.

[Zeekev]

Never understoon the shorts and sandals thing on a bike. I practice ATGATT (All the gear all the time)

[StumpyDave]

I saw a red Lambretta yesterday pulling a matching trailer!
I wonder if he had to get off to push it up hills?