SoCalBikeNite - Rider Safety and Responsibility -

How Cool Is Public Stunt-Riding?

by AD1(AW/NAC) Dennis L. Piert, Jr. and AT1(AW/NAC) Timothy S. McKinley, VQ-2 Sea Duty Det.

As Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) rider coaches and road racers, we were asked to dig into the subculture of motorcycle stunt-riding for an in-depth look at the mentality behind this growing phenomenon. What follows is our opinion, based on several interviews, research and personal observations, spanning more than 45 years of experience in the motorcycle community.

Remember when you were 7 to 10 years old and just had gotten a new BMX bike for Christmas? You and your buddies couldn't wait to build a ramp of old wood and toss it on the ground. Then you would set up a garbage can three feet away and pedal your sparkling new bikes toward it—getting airborne as you went. Success sometimes was followed by doom when you or a buddy caught the rim of the can, causing the bike's gooseneck to inflict great pain in that oh-so-sensitive area. By the end of the day, you had pushed your bike and yourself to each other's limits but usually came away with nothing more serious than a few scrapes and bruises. Now, fast forward 10 years, and you're on a 140-horsepower motorcycle that goes from 0 to 60 mph in three seconds—one on which any trained monkey can get the wheel to lift off the ground. Scraped elbows and knees no longer are your biggest concern. Instead, you have to worry about losing control of that 450-pound motorcycle at 35 mph and perhaps injuring or killing someone. The point we wish to make, ladies and gents, is that each of you should grow up someday and take responsible actions to protect others around you. Those actions include making choices about where and when you're going to test the limits of your machine and yourself.

Unfortunately, not all riders ever reach the limits of their machines; some only find their lack of talent when plastic meets pavement. If that happens to you, we hope you'll heed the advice we give in the MSF Basic Rider course (mandatory for all Sailors and Marines) and dress for the fall, not for the ride. We asked several riders why they do stunt or "extreme" motorcycling, and their answers remarkably were similar and painfully shallow. Here are some of our favorites:

"So chicks will dig me." This one kills us. Both of us met our wives while riding a motorcycle and—if we must say so ourselves—while earning some major cool points. None of it, however, involved doing triple-digit speeds, passing cars while riding a wheelie, or sitting on the gas tank.

"Takin' it to the limit." On a modern sport bike, there is no way the average or even the above-average motorcyclist can "take it to the limit." In most cases, the limiting factor in performance is the rider, not the machine. Dump the clutch hard enough and time it right, and you can wheelie a Gold Wing.

"To be on the edge." The good ol' adrenaline rush, huh? Give us a break—unless the edge you're talking about is the edge of stupidity, the edge of the police taking your license, or the edge of losing your insurance because you've made three claims on totaled bikes in one year. Speaking of edges, it definitely isn't the edge of the tire, because every "extreme" rider we've run across has a good inch of rubber on the outside of his tires that never has seen pavement. Ironically, most of the plastic on his bike has.

We're not saying that a wheelie isn't a beautiful thing. In the right environment, such as a remote location, it's absolutely cool. But even people who get paid disgusting amounts of money to ride motorcycles sometimes botch a wheelie, and, when they do, there's no air bag or seat belt to keep all their parts in the right places. When a wheelie goes bad—and it will—you're going to hit the ground hard. Some guys are crazy enough to try 'em on public roads, in traffic—where crashing is the least of your worries. Now, you have to sweat an automobile running over you, and, if that happens, the most expensive safety equipment you can buy won't help you. One acronym you hear a lot in the Navy today is ORM, or operational risk management. The cool thing about ORM is that most rational, responsible and mature people in the world use this process all the time and just don't know it. We often say to ourselves, "It's raining, and the streets are slick, or the tires on my bike are a little worn, so I'll go a little slower and give myself more room to slow down." Perhaps you say, "I can't see over that hill ahead, and there's a double yellow line running down the middle of the road, so I'll wait until after the hill to pass that dork reading a book."

Any conscious decision you make, whether you draw up a matrix to help you reach that decision, is a form of risk management. Let's face it: The risks to yourself and others just aren't worth the consequences when trying to pull off motorcycle stunts on public roads. Remember, a 500-pound motorcycle traveling at the speed required to lift its front tire is going to slide a long ways if it goes down, and neither the rider, nor anyone in the motorcycle's path, is going to enjoy what happens.

One of the big draws to sport bikes is that, for a relatively small amount of money—less than $10,000—you can buy a vehicle that goes nearly 200 mph and does a quarter-mile in 10 seconds. No current production car can match those numbers; the one that comes closest is the Lamborghini Murcielago. It has a top speed of 205 mph and can do the quarter-mile in 12 seconds. Oh, I almost forgot—it costs $273,000, if you're "lucky" enough to find one, which likely puts it beyond the reach of 98 percent of this magazine's readership. All that power for so little money makes it easier for people without the proper skills to get on these motorcycles and ride well past their abilities. Unfortunately, the argument that "it hurts no one but me" really doesn't hold true, especially when you ride a wheelie between cars on public roads or do stunts in a residential neighborhood. The bottom line here should be obvious (but, to some, it isn't): If you must do "extreme" stunting (Can someone please tell the guy who started throwing around this term to stop?), find a remote location, or, better yet, do it on a closed course. Besides the advantages of less moving and fewer stationary targets to rip limbs from your body in crashes, you most likely won't injure any innocent bystanders or damage someone else's personal property. If you add drinking to the mix, the results can be tragic. Alcohol impairs judgment and motor skills—two important factors in motorcycling. Use a little sound judgment and think of someone other than yourself before you try this ridiculous crap on public roads. Better yet, don't do it at all...because it really isn't cool, anyway.

Ten helpful tips in preventing motorcycle injuries and accidents:

1.) Get professionally trained in motorcycle riding. Research shows that more than 90 percent of all riders that were involved in crashes are just self-taught or taught by friends.

2.) Secure your California (M1) motorcycle license. Nearly 27 percent or one out of four motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes in 2001 was not properly licensed. And more than half of the accident-involved riders had less than 5 months experience on their motorcycle.

3.) Do not drink or consume alcohol and ride. Those most at risk in getting into motorcycle accidents are inebriated or intoxicated riders. Almost 50% of all fatal motorcycle accidents show alcohol involvement.

4.) Wear a helmet! Make sure your helmet meets the DOT standards and or is SNELL approved. Helmeted riders had less neck injuries than un-helmeted riders. A helmet is the single-most critical factor in the prevention or reduction of head injuries and a full-face helmet gives the best protection!

5.) Wear protective clothing including eye protection. A full-face helmet is even better. Wear a quality motorcycle jacket, full-fingered gloves, long pants and over-the-ankle boots.

6.) Make sure your motorcycle clothing and gear are made of abrasion-resistant material, such as leather. Avoid loose, flailing clothing that could impair your vision. Do not ride wearing shorts and t-shirts.

7.) Wearing brightly colored garments may help other vehicles see / notice you. Accidents are significantly reduced by the use of motorcycle headlamps (on in daylight) and the wearing of high visibility yellow, orange or bright red jackets. If possible avoid "black" or other dark colors.

8.) Proper maintenance and monitoring of your bike is of high importance. Observe proper lane positioning of your bike to further increase your visibility to drivers. Keeping a safe "space cushion" between your bike and other traffic should also be kept in mind.

9.) Avoid sharing a lane with a car or truck since it's driver may not expect you to be there or may not become aware of your presence. Most drivers look out for other bigger vehicles that they may fail to notice you instantly unless something has happened already.

10.) Ride according to your skill level. Never over-estimate yourself or your riding ability.

DOT seeks to lower motorcycle deaths, educate riders

By Larry Copeland - USA TODAY

The federal government Friday will unveil a broad program to cut motorcycle death rates that have doubled in the past 10 years as aging baby boomers hit the open road. The Department of Transportation's initiative includes a national training standard for beginning riders and added training for police officers who enforce traffic laws. "Our nation's greatest traffic highway safety challenge is motorcycle fatalities," says Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, noting that biking deaths are rising while other vehicle fatalities are declining. "We have a significantly disproportionate representation of motorcycle fatalities," Peters says. Motorcycles represent 2.5% of all registered vehicles but 11.3% of traffic deaths. Another trend: The share of motorcyclists ages 50 and older who die in wrecks has grown from 14% to 24% since 1997. The rising toll has offset life-saving progress state and federal agencies are making by boosting seat belt use, cutting alcohol-related deaths and improving vehicle safety.

In 2005, for example, the motorcycle fatality rate was 73 per 100,000 registered motorcycles compared with 13.7 per 100,000 registered passenger vehicles, the DOT says. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration long has said that helmet use is a critical safety component for motorcycle riders; 45% of motorcycle drivers killed in traffic crashes were not wearing helmets. Helmet laws have been repealed or modified in many states, however, and the DOT's new effort does not call for new helmet laws. Instead, the initiative focuses on:

•Training. DOT will develop national standards for entry-level motorcycle riders to achieve what Peters calls "a baseline of competency."

•Enforcement. DOT will create a training program to teach police officers about specific efforts to reduce crashes.

•Education. Public service announcements will feature Peters on the importance of helmets and other protective gear. A "Share the Road" campaign will remind drivers to be alert for motorcyclists.

Jeff Hennie of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation, which promotes safety through rider training, says he applauds the push for training standards and driver education. "It's been something that's been needed for a long time," he says. Even so, Hennie says he's not sure about some of DOT's other initiatives. "As far as training for law enforcement, we could have a problem with that," he says. "Law enforcement enforces what they see fit. If this is just giving police another reason to pull over motorcyclists, that could be something of a slippery slope for us." Peters says she is "emblematic of the trend" of middle-age people flocking to motorcycles. She broke her collarbone in a 2005 motorcycle accident in Arizona and keeps the dented helmet she was wearing that day as a reminder. "I was very, very fortunate," she says. "If I hadn't had my helmet on that day, I'm convinced I would be a head-injury patient."

Clint Bowyer on Motorcycle Safety

August 4, 2008

(ARA) - An increase of motorcycles on the road and the fact that less than half have taken an organized rider education course, indicates a need for increased awareness of proper motorcycle safety. Clint Bowyer, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle owner and Shell-Pennzoil sponsored NASCAR driver, began his career as a motocross racer. He truly knows the importance of safety, both on and off the track. "One of the first things I learned when I started racing was to recognize the importance of safety. You can't afford not to when you're competing at top speeds with 42 other drivers all around you," Bowyer says. "I apply the same philosophy in my personal life. Whether I'm going tire-to-tire on the race track or cruising the highway on my Harley, safety is always a priority." Motorcyclists can apply Bowyer's safety philosophy to their own lives by following these simple tips:

1.) Prepare - Wear appropriate gear for comfort and protection (eye wear, helmet, long pants, jacket, boots).

2.) Be seen - Stand out. Wear bright colors and use retro-reflective material.

3.) Be awake - Fatigue and drowsiness can impair a motorcyclist's ability to react, so be alert.

4.) Be courteous - Be considerate on the road; show respect and civility.

5.) Plan - Have your route and stops set in advance to ensure a safer ride.

6.) Inspect - Conduct a safety inspection of your motorcycle before each ride. T-CLOCS is an easy way to remember what to inspect. Tires, Controls, Lights, Oil, Chassis and Sidestand.

Bowyer isn't alone in noticing the need for motorcycle safety awareness. Harley-Davidson not only provides its riders with safety tips for the road on its Web site, but it also offers the Rider's Edge New Rider Course, which has trained more than 140,000 students since the program's inception in 2000. Additionally, the Harley-Davidson Ride Planner version 2.0 provides an interactive Web-based tool that enables riders to map out a safe route before even leaving the garage. Motorcyclists can plot points of interest and amenities along any route. Ride Planner even highlights more than 14,000 Shell stations across the U.S., helping to ensure that riders won't be stranded by the side of the road on "empty" with no quality gasoline in sight.
According to Bowyer, when it comes to safety, motorcyclists shouldn't "skimp." "I wouldn't buy any bargain-basement helmet or cheap riding gear and I don't put discount gasoline in my tank. I want my Harley to perform like it was built to, so I always use a quality premium gasoline, like Shell V-Power." Using proper motorcycle safety on and off the road creates a safer environment for motorcyclists. Being aware and recognizing the different steps you can take to become a safer driver will ensure not only your safety, but also the safety of others. The more educated you are, the safer your ride.