it just freaks me out!!

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halouis · #21 Unread post by **halouis** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 1:59 am

so to add to this discussion ....

and again, i'm a noob so bear with me ....

i've heard this many many times. there are MC riders who've WRECKED. and those who have YET to WRECK.

SO, with this i wonder are the helmet-less riders one's who've yet to wreck? or have they gone down already, but are willing to take the risk?

I'm really just curious. I've sustained some pretty bad sporting accidents in my life. broken bones. leg. fingers. nose. chin. had road rash from a cycling accident. blah blah blah. I was pretty young on all these. less than 21. I definitely bounced back, but i was quite a bit more weary when doing those activities after the accidents. But again, i was younger and none of them were MC accidents. so i wonder what i'd do if i were in an accident. scary thoughts i'd rather not think about.

#22 Unread post by **t_bonee** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 2:57 am

I don't buy the 2 types of riders, those who've gone down and those who've yet to.

I just read a story the other day about a guy who wrecked and was killed on his bike less than a week after getting his endorsement.

I've met a couple guys who've been riding 40 years and haven't so much as burnt their leg on a hot exhaust pipe.

I view it as a bell curve. There are those who've gone down early and often and those who've never gone down at all. Then there is the bell, where a certain percentage of riders (50-75%? i dunno) have gone down.

I don't believe simply because you haven't gone down means you will go down at some point. But be prepared to anyway.

napoleon_e · Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:36 am

Ian522 wrote:I almost always wear my gear but ive taken the occasional squidly ride around the local neighborhood and it does feel nice to ride in a t-shirt, especially in this hot weather lately. But I cant imagine wanting to ride with anything less than a full face helmet. The thought of insects pelting me in the face at 65mph doesnt appeal to me.

I had a HUGE bug splat on my face shield on the way home from a diner last night! So bad that i had to scrub its guts off with windex when I got home. Makes me glad that I was close to home, b/c I had a hard time seeing. It was right at mouth level, so I would have gotten a nice after dinner protein injection.

I've hit a bird in my cage b4, but has anyone ever hit a bird while riding?

flynrider · Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:54 am

t_bonee wrote:I view it as a bell curve. There are those who've gone down early and often and those who've never gone down at all. Then there is the bell, where a certain percentage of riders (50-75%? i dunno) have gone down.

When you start out, you have an empty bag of experience and a full bag of luck. The trick is to fill the bag of experience, before the bag of luck is empty.

earwig · #25 Unread post by **earwig** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 9:59 am

Hrm, maybe off topic but I read that 80% of people injured or killed in motorcycle accidents were not educated (did not take an msf type course).

I always wear a helmet but if it is hot as hell outside I don't wear all my gear. I have been riding for years and haven't gone down yet so I figure the odds are on my side that I won't go down on the very hot days. lol. maybe I'm mentally challenged but I ride because it is enjoyable and I can hardly enjoy it when I am sweating badly or so hot I feel like I will die when I come to a stop light.

flw · #26 Unread post by **flw** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:15 am

I ride a cruiser and also wear a full face helmet. It is required were I live but I can't imagine riding without one.

Before bikes, I rode ATV for years with a full face helmet. I had been thrown off my ATV face and chest first onto a dead end gravel road from a trail. I had dimple like bruises all over my chest, hands and knees for several weeks but my face was dimple and bruise free. Before ATV's it was dirt bike in High School.

That is why I have no problem with full face helmets because they saved my face more than once already before riding a bike again. Then the other day some unknown size rock/pebble hit my windshield at 65 mph and it scared the heck out of me. I can only imagine with no helmet how it may have caused a crash do to my initial reaction to the pain and shock of the rock strike. I've been hit in the neck where there is a small area that is not covered and they can sting, I can only imagine a pebble/rock to the face.

halouis · #27 Unread post by **halouis** » Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:24 am

flw wrote: That is why I have no problem with full face helmets because they saved my face more than once already before riding a bike again. Then the other day some unknown size rock/pebble hit my windshield at 65 mph and it scared the heck out of me. I can only imagine with no helmet how it may have caused a crash do to my initial reaction to the pain and shock of the rock strike. I've been hit in the neck where there is a small area that is not covered and they can sting, I can only imagine a pebble/rock to the face.

thats what i wonder about. I mean I've not had the rock yet. but its only a matter of time. I've had some big-"O Ring" bugs hit me at 70mph and been lad to have a fullface on. I could totally imagine being hit by some big bug, or rock or stick in the face w/o a helmet and it would rattle you far more than if you were protected and lead to a possible wreck.

Tower18CHI · Fri Jun 01, 2007 10:47 am

NightNurse wrote:
Tower18CHI wrote:It's not a threat to other vehicles, but who pays the EMTs and police who respond? Who pays the guy that cleans the brains off the road? Who pays the coroner? If he survives, who pays for the hospital if he doesn't have insurance? Who pays for the doctor's lost time? Who pays for the courts' lost time when the unpaid bills or insurance cases end up in court? All could have been saved by wearing a helmet.
The same place that pays for all the uninsured idiotic people that drive thier cars like maniacs and get in wrecks. Your argument sucks.

Understood, but don't you think 1 less would be a good thing?

dean owens · Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:03 pm

NightNurse wrote:
Tower18CHI wrote:It's not a threat to other vehicles, but who pays the EMTs and police who respond? Who pays the guy that cleans the brains off the road? Who pays the coroner? If he survives, who pays for the hospital if he doesn't have insurance? Who pays for the doctor's lost time? Who pays for the courts' lost time when the unpaid bills or insurance cases end up in court? All could have been saved by wearing a helmet.
The same place that pays for all the uninsured idiotic people that drive thier cars like maniacs and get in wrecks. Your argument sucks.

ditto that. someone can wear a helmet and still crash. and even though they are wearing a helmet they could still have serious injuries and need to spend time in the hospital. and, believe it or not, but someone can have a helmet and no health insurance. i know it's hard to imagine but it's possible. or is there some sort of law in place that as soon as you put on a helmet you're instantly safe and have insurance?

i could never see myself doing it but i'm all for someone having the freedom to do it. it comes down to the risk you're willing to take. we all take a risk in living. adding a bike in the mix ups it by quite a bit. hope people smarter than me don't decide to make a law to outlaw biking to save my life because i'm too dumb to make my own choices.

Ninja Geoff · Fri Jun 01, 2007 4:20 pm

Helmets ftw! Bugs in the mouth FTL. That right there was enough for me to want to wear a fullface when i got the bike (lived in maine, 18+ no helmet required). That and the fact that I'm pretty sure i wouldnt have a face if it wasnt for the full faced MX helmet i was wearing when i crashed my dirtbike a couple falls ago. Face first into the ground at ~45mph. Though, to each there own. If it wasnt for the risk involved, I would ride in NH more often so i could take the helmet off. Only did that once living in maine, never have i been so paranoid to ride a bike.