Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Luc Bourdon was a 21 year old hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL. It's the offseason for non-playoff teams. He was near his hometown, Shippagan, New Brunswick, when he crossed the centre line on his new bike, and had a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle.

I'm sure his family will only be partly comforted by how many people have expressed concern for them, and his early passing.

Here is a link to the Toronto Star article. It's the most complete article I could find.

Thoughts?

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/434563

His death is indeed tragic. Condolences to the family.

I don't know all the facts, but from having heard a lot of radio broadcasts, the news reports, and having read a number of articles, a consensus starts to emerge.

Luc had his license for two weeks, the bike (a GSX-R 1000) was just purchased the day before, it was his second day on it. Kris Letang, who was quoted as having a "love" of motorcycles does not ride, he was thinking of getting a bike once Luc told him about his. So neither have motorcycling experience.

Again, the consensus seems to be that he overtook a vehicle and then in the ensuing turn could not hold the line, wandered into the oncoming lane and hit a Semi head on.

I wish the media would go back to the days of just reporting facts, instead of the biased, highly editorialized, agenda driven, look at us we're entertainment, crap they hand out. All that article does is perpetuate and capitalize on the "motorcycles are dangerous" angle to further their own agenda.

After all, no one would expect Luc to play in the NHL if it was his second day skating. And if he were, it would not be a very safe place to be with two day old skating skills. The paper had an opportunity to educate the public by using that parallel and perhaps use the tragic news to take Luc's loss of life to a higher place by advocating training, and motorcycle choice. In other words put together a factual and balanced report. If that seemed too insensitive so close to his death, then just stick to the facts!

Again, my deepest condolences to the family and friends. May he rest in peace.

Fast Eddy B wrote:Luc Bourdon was a 21 year old hockey player for the Vancouver Canucks in the NHL. It's the offseason for non-playoff teams. He was near his hometown, Shippagan, New Brunswick, when he crossed the centre line on his new bike, and had a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle.

I'm sure his family will only be partly comforted by how many people have expressed concern for them, and his early passing.

Here is a link to the Toronto Star article. It's the most complete article I could find.

Thoughts?

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/Hockey/article/434563

My wife brought this up to me - as if to say 'see it is dangerous.'

Really, maybe I should bring up Jimmy Dean getting killed in a car and that cars are dangerous.

I think it is very sad that he died at such a young age. And doubly, I'm glad it wasn't me (which may make me a bad person, I don't know).

Certainly ignoring the risks of motorcycling doesn't get riders anywhere. The risk is there if you ignore it or not. I do what I can to mitigate the risks. This is no more than you can do when you are driving a car.

But walking is dangerous. An actress I like a lot - Bette Midler - lost her sister in NYC, following all the rules - as a pedestrian.

Is walking dangerous, yes. But we tend not to think about it because we do it so often.

Same thing with driving. But most people aren't familiar with motorcycles - and then the news popularizes every motorcycle accident.

We should be clear - out of 6.5 million motorcycles - 4500 people were involved in fatal accidents (approximately) in 2007.

This rate is higher than that for cars (36,000 fatalities per some ungodly number of cars on the road). But still a higher rate that is a multiple of a small number, is that - a small number. You still of course don't want to be part of that number.

RhadamYgg

It is a very tragic story. No matter the angle the story line takes.

I have had the displeasure of being in two very bad accidents. Both of which could easily have been fatal. Just lucky enough that it was not my time to be taken in either case. One was on a bike. One was in a car. Friends and family thought I was absolutley nuts for getting back on the saddle and two wheels. I know the risk I take each time I ride. However, not one friend or family member had the same speach for me getting back behind the wheel of a car. The bias is out there.

For the new riders out there. Ride to your abilities, not those of the bike you're riding.

Ride and drive safe everyone. Life is too short even when lived to the fullest.

I thought if you sign a contract in the NHL you are not allowed to ride, own or even look at motorcycles, doing so can void your contract if you get injured on one

At least that's how it is in the NBA

Erg0n wrote:I thought if you sign a contract in the NHL you are not allowed to ride, own or even look at motorcycles, doing so can void your contract if you get injured on one

At least that's how it is in the NBA

There was a dangerous activities clause in his contract, but motorcycle's weren't a part of that list...

Was Luc Bourdon wearing a helmet? I couldn't find any definitive answer to this. It might not save you from a full head on collision but it definitely will help your chances of survival.

What I don't understand is why there are so many athletes that put on protective gear every day to play sports yet once they get on a motorcycle the thought doesn't occur to them or they're too cool for it, like

Ben Roethlisberger
Jason Williams (Duke, Bulls)

to name a couple...

bandit600 wrote:Was Luc Bourdon wearing a helmet? I couldn't find any definitive answer to this. It might not save you from a full head on collision but it definitely will help your chances of survival.

What I don't understand is why there are so many athletes that put on protective gear every day to play sports yet once they get on a motorcycle the thought doesn't occur to them or they're too cool for it, like

Ben Roethlisberger
Jason Williams (Duke, Bulls)

to name a couple...

All Canadian provinces have manditory helmet laws....although I doubt it helped much in this case.....

NorthernPete wrote:

bandit600 wrote:Was Luc Bourdon wearing a helmet? I couldn't find any definitive answer to this. It might not save you from a full head on collision but it definitely will help your chances of survival.

What I don't understand is why there are so many athletes that put on protective gear every day to play sports yet once they get on a motorcycle the thought doesn't occur to them or they're too cool for it, like

Ben Roethlisberger
Jason Williams (Duke, Bulls)

to name a couple...

All Canadian provinces have manditory helmet laws....although I doubt it helped much in this case.....

Unless you are riding inside a Leopard II MBT, kissing a fully load tractor-trailer unit on the nose at speed is pretty much a terminal experience.

For the new riders out there. Ride to your abilities, not those of the bike you're riding.

Well put. Thanks for the reminder.