December 31st, 2007 by R.J.

A 21-year old man from West Point, N.Y. was injured in a motorcycle crash in Brentwood today. He was riding a new Harley Davidson motorcycle on a two-lane road when he came upon slowed traffic. Instead of slowing down (the smart thing to do), he decided to pass all the cars by moving into the left lane.

Can you guess what happened next?

If you said: The traffic was probably slowed because of a motorist that was attempting to make a left turn off the road. You would be right!

Instead of slowing down he ran his bike straight into a Chevy Suburban. I’m a bike guy, but off the top of my head I know I can name hundreds of cars that I’d rather crash into than a Suburban!

People. You need to pay attention out there. Just because you’re on a fast, maneuverable bike doesn’t mean you are immune from traffic. Don’t get me wrong… In some situations it certainly helps, but you also need to have the common sense to know when to slowly putter your bike along with the cars rather than try some some death-defying maneuver to save a few seconds off your ride. Besides, why on earth would you want to spend LESS time riding?

Luckily this guy survived, but not without injuries. He is still stuck at the hospital with broken ribs, an ankle, and leg. His bike probably fared a lot worse.

December 9th, 2007 by R.J.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released numbers this week showing that for 2006 nearly half of all fatalities involved motorcycle riders over 40 (i.e: baby boomers).

Just a scant 10 years ago, riders under 40 accounted for almost 70% of all motorcycle fatalities.

Looking at the chart, you can see the fatalities for those under 40 have remained relatively stable for the past 10 years. That number has increased less than 2-fold in ten years (though there is greatly more than a 2-fold increase in
the number of bikes on the road).. But for those over 40, it’s almost a five-fold increase in the number of fatalities. The median age for motorcyclists also rose from 27 in 1985 to 41 in 2003.

What do these numbers mean? The NHTSA doesn’t speculate. Fortunately for you; I do. Here’s my list of reasons why baby boomer motorcyclists are dying at an astounding rate:

1) People that were considered young in 1985 have regained interest in the hobby thanks to shows like American Chopper, Orange County Choppers, etc. They haven’t ridden in 20 years, yet assume they still know how. It’s just like riding a
bike, right? Wrong. If you haven’t ridden in any significant amount of time (a year or more) do yourself a favor and take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) rider training course. It will save your life.

2) It’s “cool” to be a middle-aged biker now. When you’re middle-aged, your life is boring. People want a break from their routines. They see these aforementioned shows, EZ-Rider parties, women flashing their tits, and think “Well, shit! I need to get me a bike.” They don’t realize that people building these bikes and putting on these parties have countless years of riding experience. Not that they care, though; they just want to be cool and different. Just like everyone else.

3) As you get older your reflexes decrease. It takes longer for your brain to register “Hey, that giant SUV just pulled into my path. I should try to avoid it.” There have been studies proving that older people have slower reflexes and
that is why they contribute to a growing number of car accidents. With a motorcycle it is even MORE dangerous because you’re balancing yourself on two wheels, can more easily lock up your tires in a panic situation, and you have no cage (or airbags) protecting you from the impact.

4) I wish they would release number for DUIs related to motorcycle collisions for those over 40 vs. those under 40. Countless times I’ve seen people getting hammered at biker hangouts only to get on their bikes at 2am and ride home. When you’re middle-aged and a badass biker; you have to go to biker hangouts and get sloshed. It’s like an unwritten rule. I firmly believe that these jokers think riding a bike intoxicated is not as bad as DUI in a car; you’re only
hurting yourself, right? Yeah. I guess…