Red Deer Advocate
Bikers Beware!
Posted
by Dana Carlson - Red Deer Advocate -
July 21, 2008 8:13AM
Its summer and warm (sort of) and there are a lot of motorbikes on the road all the time. With the new found popularity of cruisers, and the ever popular "crotch rockets" you have to keep your eyes peeled on the streets.
Having said that, most people driving with 4 wheels don't watch for the 2 wheeled motor vehicles. I myself have seen numerous close calls while out on the road. It doesn't matter whether its on the highway, or in the city. Motorcycles are harder to see because they take up less room on the road.
In a city like Red Deer, and probably most of Alberta the trucks that are around here are huge in comparison. I've walked behind parked trucks that are so "jacked" up that I didn't even reach the top of the tailgate. Seeing a car in one of those trucks is hard enough, let alone a motorbike, but thats another story.
Back to the bikes, more precisely the riders. I'm probably gonna annoy some people but oh well. Young guys are more drawn to the speedy crotch rockets. Combine a young, inexperienced guy with something that has way too much power to be on the streets, and you're asking for trouble. I don't know how many times I've seen a young guy on a crotch rocket go speeding by and then start catwalking his bike down the road. If you ask me that is abosolutely stupid. It wouldn't take much to lose control and then someone has to go to your parents house and give them the bad news.
Guys who ride cruisers tend to be a little more responsible while on the road. I'm not saying they are all better, but usually. I will have to say that I am all for new riders having to go through the courses, but we all know that when we are being tested on something we follow the rules.
So I do support the graduated license system for new riders. That way, I believe will instill a little more thought as to how they carry on while hitting the streets. Just so you know, I am a rider myself and have been for more than 20 years. I have been run off the road by a car that didn't look before they changed lanes, and have also been rear ended by another. I have also lost control of a bike while on a country road so I am talking from some experience here.
Motorbikes are alot of fun but should also be respected by the rider because there is more danger in riding one then there is in a car. To all those who are in cars and trucks, watch for the bikes and to the riders, follow the rules of the road!
COMMENTS
Crotch rockets, or "organ donor bikes" are a scourge. I know a few riders who complain when a mate goes down due to collision with someone who pulled out in front of them. Never the rider's fault. Well, if you're travelling at a reasonable speed, you'll have more time to avoid a collision.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Bob,
You make a poor assumption that riders of sport bikes (or as they have been refered to here "crotch rockets") travel at unreasonable speeds. Just because they are capable of such speeds doesn't mean everyone does.
Do you think all sports cars are trouble as well. Or wait how about any vehicle on the road as they can all travel above posted limits or what may be considered "unreasonable speeds".
Posted by: Lewis
Date: Jul-22-2008
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We all know that everyone speeds to some degree. Most who ride crotch rockets do travel way over the posted speed. It is hard to go the speed limit on something that has the capability to go faster in the slightest twist of the wrist.
Posted by: BigGunner
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Good point, Bob. I think a lot of times the riders are almost as, if not as much as, responsible for accidents on the road, especially in the city. It always seems to be the car driver's fault, but what about the bike that's been speeding and driving recklessly for 10 blocks until finally a car happens to change lanes without seeing them- this little thing that literally wasn't there a split second ago. Riders need to take some ownership and BE CAREFUL out there!
Posted by: Charlene Conroy
Date: Jul-22-2008
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I am fully aware that responsible speedbike riders exist. I am merely saying that in the conversations I have had, in not one single case did the rider assume any responsibility for the mishap. I just find that a little odd.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-22-2008
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I think the point of the article was to say that bikes (of all types) are very prevalent in the city at this time of year. All drivers/riders are responsible for thier safety and the saftey of others that they share the road with. That being said take the extra effort to do a shoulder check when changing lanes and don't make left turns across traffic unless you are certain it's clear.
Everyone wants to get home in one piece, as riders we often don't get a second chance if a mistake is made.
Posted by: Lewis
Date: Jul-22-2008
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charlene and bob, there may be some truth, that we have young idiots on the road, but most bike riders are more aware of traffic than cars out there as they have to pay full attention all the time. and just because they come woozing by while you are snoozing behind the wheel does not make them reckless. (try snoozing on a bike, its impossible)
I just had a buddy loose his life due to a car making a lane change without signalling and pulling in front of him forcing him into oncomming traffic.
We all share the road and therefore the responsibility. but in general, most bike riders are better in traffic and more aware than car drivers.
Posted by: Peter
Date: Jul-22-2008
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bob, as for your first comment, possibly because a bike can easily end up in youre blind spot and a car not as easy. take that into account.
Posted by: Peter
Date: Jul-22-2008
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There are definitely young idiots on the road, however not all of us are constantly speed demons. Yes you do hear a lot of it was the cars fault, may have to do with the fact that in a car people are so much more prone to distraction. Texting, talking on the phone, make-up, I've seen people reading, one guy in a truck was looking in the back seat for something and would have hit me if I didnt move. On a bike your right there on the road, vulnerable so you see a lot more and pay a hell of a lot more attention. Sure the biker is not always blameless but often the car drivers are oblivious. Just please keep an eye out and check before you change lanes or turn left.
Funny part is contrary to popular belief, most sports bikers are middle aged, at least from what I've seen in Calgary. It was hard for me to find riders my age on bikes.
Posted by: Victoria
Date: Jul-22-2008
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you cant generalize there are idiots in all cars, trucks, rockets, cruisers etc etc....
you dont heard anyone talk about the sportbikes that are responsible b/c people dont see them but they always remember the lane splitter or the guy doing like "a million km/h"
as for the bikers goin down due to people turning in front of them... yes some are speed related but others are not. My race team mate had no F in chance doin speed limit when a panel truck blew a stop sign.
my 0.02$
Posted by: Gabunda
Date: Jul-22-2008
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As a motorcyclist of nearly 2 decades I have learned how to ride truly defensively in an effort to preserve my life. In many cases this requires a more aggressive approach to those drivers who are clearly not aware of their surroundings. We (motorcyclists) are taught to travel through the blind spots of other motorists. This requires the judiscious use of speed. There is no denying that many motorcyclist lack the maturity to ride responsibly, but in my mind it is just fact that the greatest danger to any motorcyclist is the cars around it. By the same token that four wheeled motorists often feel that bikers never take responsibility, we bikers live under the constant assumption that beneath the visor of that rocketeer's helmet is a pimply faced hooligan. As a result we are all too often met with disdain and disregard. There is an axiom in motorcycling that says "Ride like they're trying to kill you." And it truly seems like you are at times.
Posted by: MT
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Yes, there are some reckless motorcycle riders, and probably more on sports bikes than cruisers, but there are also reckless car drivers.
I ride a sports bike. I am also a 40 year old female, and I keep my speed to a reasonable level (as close to within 10kph over the limit as I safely can without getting RUN OVER by the idiots in the cars going way faster).
I have nearly been hit by cars several times on my bike, and more times than I would like to count in my car. Once I was going through an intersection where I had a green light (and it had been green for several minutes), a car pulled up in the cross street (red light) to turn right (into my lane and direction of travel). The driver of this car looked left (at me and my husband, also on a bike), right, left again at us, and then pulled out directly in front of us. I was riding in front of my husband in the left hand tire track, and he was slightly behind me in the right hand tire track. I took evasive action (thank goodness the left hand lane of the street in my direction was empty) while my husband locked up his brakes and hit the horn. We both escaped crashing that time, and when we pulled up alongside the driver of the car and my husband honked at him again, he had no idea that he had nearly seriously injured or killed us (fyi - the sun was in our eyes, so he couldn't blame it on glare).
I have seen cars pull up beside bikes (in the bikes lane) and then push the bike off the road because the car driver didn't realize that the bike was there.
Posted by: Connie
Date: Jul-22-2008
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amen to that. I rode down town calgary for 2 years and had close calls atleast once a week.
Posted by: Peter
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Thanks MT. Reading through the posts, I was about to say the exact same thing.
The only thing I would add is that the only reason Harley riders don't go past you in a wheelie after you nearly killed them with an unsafe lane change, is cause they cant.. ;)
California Highway Patrol actually teaches their motorcycle police to travel slightly faster than traffic, so as to move through blind spots, and not put yourself in a position to be "forgotten"
Posted by: Dave
Date: Jul-22-2008
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I'm young, ride a Suzuki Hayabusa, ride at the legal speed limit wearing full gear, and have a perfectly clean driving record. All sportbike riders are not hooligans, you just notice the ones that are. You never see the Harley guy wheelie past you at double the posted limit because he can't. Look outside your local pub, the riders who are having 5-6 beer and riding home are predominantly cruiser riders. That's safety for you.
Posted by: Sportbike Rider
Date: Jul-22-2008
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I don't think I ever said all sportbike riders are hooligans. I merely said that in every account I have heard involving a car and an organ donor bike, the rider has always blamed the car. I can only speak from my experience, and that is all that I can share.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-22-2008
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So, Bob.
When a car turns left in front of you while you are doing 10 kph over the speed limit and you hit him, who's fault is it?
When a car makes an illegal lane change and pushes your car into the barricade, who's fault is it?
When a car drives into the back of you when you are stopped at a red light, who's fault is it?
Yeah, we kinda think that these things are the "other guys" fault too.
And we prefer the term "Donor-cycle"
Posted by: Dave
Date: Jul-22-2008
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There was a tragedy a few years back on 30th Ave and 32nd Street. I don't know if the car driver turned illegally or not, but had the young man been driving the speed limit, he'd also be arguing your point with you, today. Because he'd have given himself the time he needed.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-22-2008
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And for the record, I drive my vehicle as though everyone on the road is out for the first time. I trust no one behind the wheel other than myself. Defensive driving, I think it's called. Where they teach you that ALL accidents can be avoided.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-22-2008
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I actually agree with Bob. I am a member of the riding community, and I ride a 'speedbike' as you called it.
I see way too many riders out on their shiney new bikes driving well above their level of ability. And every single time there is an incident, the rider blames the car. I've seen many close calls, and it's very clear that the rider could have avoided the incident all together if they had been obeying the speed limit.
On the road, wether in a car or on a bike, you need to watch out for yourself, because no one else will. And expecting someone to watch out for you is plain silly.
Posted by: Sirus
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Exactly Sirus. The road is a dangerous place. Each vehicle containing someone focused on their destination. One's safe arrival is solely one's own responsibility.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Here is a reality for all of us. When a motorcyclist makes a mistake he owns up to it with the cost of that mistake whether it is the cost of repairs, injuries or worse. When a "cager" makes a mistake, guess what, that same motorcyclist pays the same cost. We motorcycles lose in any fight. So we do what we can to stay visable. I have come up to intersections with vehicles waiting to turn left or right. I will actually start to swerve left to right in my lane to make my self more visable and to become unpredictable and make those drivers think twice about thier next action. To many times have I been passed on the right by a vehicle half in my lane half on the shoulder because I was obeying the law.
Posted by: Trever
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Bob you are making judgement with only one side of the story. You have to remember, nearly all riders are also people who drive vehicles. I may be considered a "young idiot" riding a "donor bike", but I have more experience on a motorcycle than most people do driving. I've raced autocross, motocross, road course(both bike and auto), and off-road (both bike and car). When you see the other view point you really do realize how careless some people in cars can be.
Safe travels.
Posted by: Gord
Date: Jul-22-2008
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Agreed Gord, though I've held my class 6 for several years now, I haven't owned a ride for a while. But consider this: If we cagers are that careless and dangerous, doesn't that create a hostile environment, and therefore some extra care and caution (ie staying within a reasonable margin of the speed limit?)
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-23-2008
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Bob,
This is true and I'm in agreement with that. A portion of bikers (all makes) get carried away in a very unsafe manner, but like everything else, a few ruin it for everybody. Riders are flagged as being unsafe in articles like this, by the cops, by the public, by the news (because they have nothing of any value anyways), by that soccer mom swerving all over the road trying to control her kids in the back seat, etc.
Us riders have to stick togther and ride responsibly. It is easy to get carried away, but these moments should be left for the track (Race City is still in operation till at least end of this year).
One other thing that I think most vehicle drivers don't also know is a sport bike can slow faster with letting off the gas then cars can with moderate braking applied. This is by no means any reason to speed, but these bikes far surpass vehicle performance when required (ie, that car makes the left turn). I'm always flashing my brake lights at lights because I use engine braking to stop. I've also been rear ended before on a motorcycle while being stationary waiting at a red light.
I'm not fighting for either "side". Both vehicles and motorcycles have to improve their public safety so we can all make it home at the end of the day.
Posted by: Gord
Date: Jul-23-2008
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Graduated licensing would be great for responsible riders, however (on a bit of a tangent) are motorcycles not one of the last forms of natural selection that hasn't been so idiot-proofed by safety laws? A responsible rider will be aware of their surroundings, riding like they are 'invisible' and assuming no 'cager' can see them. They will be wearing appropriate safety gear to hopefully survive should that one moron in his jacked up truck (or tractor trailer, as witnessed yesterday) pick the rider off before he can react. The idiots are helping keep the population controlled by eliminating themselves from the gene pool. And (inserting personal mini-rant) the bimbos in Sylvan Lake who hop on the back in their bikinis and flip flops. Hope you like it when your skin in streaked out behind you along the pavement!
Kudos to the author, it was a pretty good, unbiased article.
Posted by: Melinda
Date: Jul-23-2008
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bring road testing for bikes and cages back to the government and have mandatory testing every 5 years. and make the test a realistic representation of the daily challenges on the road. I think that would get rid of alot of makeup appliers, soccer moms, gramps and granny and a fair chunk of those "young idiots" on "donor bikes". Alta has some of the most pathetic drivers in Canada if not the Western Hemisphere.
signed, Old guy on a donor bike
Posted by: Jason
Date: Jul-23-2008
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The biggest problem with your "safe speed" assumption, is that as soon as we are to drive the speed limit, some cage will drive into the back of us, or tailgate us for driving so slow on a motorbike. Which is 5x as dangerous as driving 10-20 over.
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As well, we are always at a loss in collision avoidance, because once a cager "acts" we need to react. And it takes a lot longer to react than to act.
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Collision avoidance is a great number of things, and one of the things that I NEVER count on, but I would appreciate, is the cagers PAYING ATTENTION. Any little bit helps, right?
Posted by: Dave
Date: Jul-24-2008
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I think we're going around in circles here, and maybe falling a bit off the point, and that is that safety for everyone on the road does not fall on cagers or bikers alone. We are all responsible to 'idiot proof' ourselves the best we can.
Posted by: Bob
Date: Jul-24-2008
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I just want to say that I feel a lot of motocycles (not alot) bring on their own peril.
I as drving down Burtn lake trail one day when two bikes pass me on the right side of my vehicle in the shoulder, then another two....if I was to swerve over and hit and kill them I would be at fault and dubbed not paying attention.
I am a biker myself but people are too fast to blame others, when they are t fault and just be safe...
Posted by: here we go
Date: Jul-24-2008
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yo! . . . when you're driving down Taylor Drive and you have three kids popping wheelies in front of you, you don't think about all bikers, just those three idiots!
Posted by: me
Date: Jul-30-2008
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