slow down, kid

[Shadow]

It's interesting that this topic got brought up, just in the last 2 weeks around town I've started taking notice of the crotch rocket riders. Here's a couple of things I've seen.

a) A group of riders are going down one of our 4 lane main drag, just as they go past the gas station I'm at, 2 pop up on their rear wheels (oh btw girlfriends are on the back of the bike) and take off for the 1k or so I can see them.

b) Fellow riding on another of the 4 lane main drags jets past me then cuts between the 2 cars ahead of me, he barely fit, and gave the cars a scare.

c) A couple riding on a crotch rocket, girl wearing tank top, cut-off jean shorts & sandals (full face helmet of course) on the back & the guy was just a little better he had jeans & a t-shirt.

I'm still trying to figure out how guys afford these bikes & the insurance that goes with them (if you can get it insured at all)

[chevy45412001]

drugs

Either selling drugs or rich parents....lol

[tommystinson]

Hey John- In New York, there is a law. Too bad they don't enforce it.

[srq68]

All you guys are right, those crotchers can not possibly think about what they are doing in terms of safety. I never noticed the irony of the HD rider vs. the crotch rocketers in their choice of what to protect! That's funny.
I for one, think that there should be some kind of unofficial structure to learn riding, not necesarily legal stuff but something that would restrict the HP at certain ages.
I learned of roads on a CT70, then up to XL250 and XT500 still off road, then Kaw Ltd 550 and XS850 on the roads. I transitioned from dirt to raoads on the XL250 in Morocco, where there ARE NO LAWS or common sense when it comes to driving. You have hundreds of moped, horse-drawn carriags, donkeys, busses, everthing on the road at the same time! Not unusual to corner a twisty in the mountain road only to face a dozen sheeps or cows crossing the road!
I guess it help me now in staying aware of my surroundings when riding in FL: 85 year old granny in cage = cow who doesn't know what you are...

[T1ny]

I know a couple of zip splat riders from the local bike shows and almost everyone under 30 who has them tell me the same thing. Insurance is too much money. They ride without and hope for the best. If you get pulled over it's a $5k fine but that's cheaper then their insurance. <shrug>
I guess if they kill someone they hope they die too.

[srq68]

Here in FL, motorcycle insurance is optional...... I say no more.

[REFFI]

There is a very interesting article in Motorcycle Consumer News. Motorcycle sales/registrations are up: business is good. However, although motorcycle accidents have been declining for the past five to six years, motorcycle fatalities are on the increase dramatically.

Think about that statement. Fewer accidents, more people dying.

Turns out the culprit is the SUV. Higher wider vehicles are striking motorcyclists at waist to shoulder height, rather than in the leg where a car would hit you. The accident does more damage to the body. Instead of a broken leg, there are internal injuries or the body snaps over and the head/helmet hits the vehicle (sometimes more than once).

I agree with everything that is said about brainless crotch-rocketers. I live on the California (nearly) the coast, and beach weather is upon us. Lots of crotchers with a helmet, swim trunks and flip-flops or sneakers. GF on the back in helmet and bikini.

Here's what I'm gonna do. Stare at the bikinis while shaking my head over their choice of apparel/riding style.

AND.... I'm gonna stay away from SUV's as much as possible.

Ralph

[Underdog]

Perhaps the fuel prices will be the death of SUVs. I hope ..I hope!
I think they are the stupidist..is that a word? thing to ever come out of Detroit. If you really need a truck, well OK get a truck. If you need to haul kids get a minivan. The idea of a station wagon on a truck chassis and useing the word sport in conjuntion with it is rediculous to me.

[REFFI]

I disagree. Although I don't think it's a "sport" utility vehicle, and I don't think there is any rhyme or reason for a 90 lb. woman to be tooling around to the manicurist alone in one. I do own one. I'd have preferred one smaller than I have, but the smaller one's and my fat ass just don't mesh. I drove my first one as a company car and it was great. I carried a number of tool boxes, analytical instruments and laboratory apparati around to places I needed them to do my job. All under cover within a steel, lockable cage. I still had room for passengers if I needed to entertain (or the occasional featherbedder from the home office who was killing time in my territory).

Now I have one because my dog has bad hips and everytime I had to lift him into the back seat of my car, terrible things would happen to my back. Now he walks right up a ramp into the rear and my back is happy. My last tank of gas, (regular) I got 17.1 mpg; which is about what I got in my last car, but it burned Premium gas.

I'm thinking of checking out a smaller cheaper vehicle that will take the dog easily (he's not getting any lighter), but for now my non-sport SUV will have to do.

Of course, given my drothers, I'd be on my bike. Anybody make a sidecar rig with a door and a ramp for the dog?

Ralph

[ratbyk]

Side Car

Check out rockjok's rig. No ramp but his dog hops in no problem.
Ken/Sooke

[Pat Kelly]

Could it be that there are fewer accidents but more fatalities because of the increased frequency of lane-splitting? With the increase of traffic and commuting more and more are buying bikes to circumvent the cars clogging the freeways. Another statistic (I hate statistics) is the number of us old guys that had bikes in our younger days and buy a new one after 10-20 years out of the saddle. Reaction time has decayed but the world around us is faster than ever. I remember when I started riding in the 70's, big heavy cars with all drum brakes. Sitting at a red light you could see them slowing in your mirrors almost a block away. Now these little shoebox sized cars with all disc brakes maintain speed till the last second before stopping. I've also noticed that the driver looks away the last 20 feet before stopping, don't understand that.

As far as the evil SUV (I own a Suburban), try hauling our family of 6 anywhere along with the baseball equiptment, suitcases, the dog, groceries, tools, or anything besides just the people. We regularly travel to Oregon to visit family and to the Sierra Nevada Mts. where there is snow. Four wheel drive keeps my family safe.
One person on an XS1100 gets 30-40 MPG, six people in my Suburban equals 96 MPG (16 MPG x 6 people). I ride to work on my bike (motor or pedal) alone. Guess I should also buy a Geo Metro for taking the older two kids to school, a mini-van for all of us around town and save the 'Burb for trips.

I agree that a lifted 4X4 with oversized tires that never sees a dirt road is ridiculous but then this is America, land of freedom of choice. Why does anyone need more than one XS1100? Can only ride one at a time. IS more than one a waste? Bring back the Honda 50 that got over 150 MPG, maybe that would be the death toll of the gas-hog XS1100.

[Bob]

You know, I don't much care for our local dealerships, but I've gotta give a "hats-off" to one of them here. My future son-in-law went to talk to them about buying a crotch rocket. First question out to the salesman's mouth was "Have you taken the MSF course?" When he said he hadn't, they told him to come back only AFTER he had taken it. BTW, I'm trying to talk him into a different "style" of bike for his first....he's a good man, & I'd like to keep him around for a buncha years.

[gisleDK]

Here in Denmark you are restricted to driving motorcycles with less than 34 HP for two years. So you get a motorcycle and usually get a "restriction kit" (depends on the machine) and after two years it's full throttle...saves a lot of lives...probably also mine ;-)
We also HAVE to insurance our weapons of mass destruction, which I also think is fair...but way to expensive (over 800 dollars for my first year).

[raider]

HELLO ALL THIS IS MY FIRST POST HERE
I'M ENJOYING THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE I HAVE A CONFESSION.I USED TO ALMOST BE ASHAMED THAT I WON'T LET MY XS1100 BE ALL THAT IT CAN BE. I EVEN HAVE SOME NEIGHBORS WHO WILL MAKE FUN OF ME SINCE I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE HIGHWAY OR REALLY GETTING THE SPEED UP. MY REASONING IS SIMPLE.THIS IS MY FIRST BIKE.FIRST RIDING EXPERIENCE.NOW,I AM 29.....PART OF ME THINKS IF I WOULD OF HAD SOMETHING THIS POWERFUL EARLIER IN MY LIFE YES I WOULD OF PROBABLY KILLED MYSELF WITH "ATTITUDE".
I HATE TO SAY THERE SHOULD BE LIMITS ON ANYTHING BUT YES AGE DOES MATTER.HELL THEY SHOULDN'T BE IN A CAR AT 16 AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.BUT TIMES ARE CHANGING AND REALLY NOBODY GIVES A DAMN ABOUT ANYONE ELSE ON THE ROAD NO MATTER HOW OLD THEY ARE.ITS REALLY THAT SIMPLE.

I'VE LEARNED TO RIDE MY OWN RIDE AND HELL WITH THE GUYS THAT THINK I'M JUST A SCARED GIRL WHO WON'T POP IT UP.
WHY DESTROY MY PRIDE AND JOY I ASK?

[John]

Why do you think we call them "Zip-Splats"?