Sportbikes, In the News, And It's Ugly

[IRBR]

This URL got my attention on, of all places, the CNN Business website:

Sportbikes on CNN Business Website

In case you don't read the article, I'll give you some highlights and claims from it:

> Speed limiting ECUs were proposed.

> The death rate for sportbikes is MUCH higher than for other types of motorcycles.

> The theft rate for sportbikes is MUCH higher than for other types of motorcycles.

> Speed is one of the most important factors in accidents and deaths associated with these types of motorcycles.

> Insurance companies are losing money on the insurance policies they write on these bikes.

Why would this information be on a business website? Because paying insurance claims is bad for the insurance business.

The claims about accident statistics and causes were provided by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) which, as you might guess, is concerned about the welfare of insurance companies and their stockholders. Organizations and industries have powerful lobbying capabilities that ordinary citizens generally lack.

If you think the information presented by IIHS won't effect you, you're wrong. I can promise you that there is intense pressure on Congress from some segments of the business community and from police organizations to get control of the sportbike "problem".

The AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) is the most influential organization that represents ordinary citizens. Currently, the AMA has been promised by the U.S. Congress that if they will match the $2,800,000 in funds provided by the government, a study on motorcycle safety will be performed. The last study of any consequence, The Hurt Report, was performed more than 25 years ago before sportbikes were invented. That study prevented the passage of serious legislation at the Federal level of govenment that intended to ban all motorcycles above a certain level of power because, at the time, it was also believed that speed was the killer in most motorcycle accidents. The Hurt Report proved that claim to be untrue.

Check here for information on how to donate to AMA's Fuel The Fund project.

IRBR

ADMIN NOTE: This thread was edited long after it was posted by the author and does not contain it's original content.

 

[Kevin Daly]

Interesting.

I wonder, are cars that go 190 also allowed on US streets? Not saying I agree but there is an argument for public saftey that is not unreasonable.

In addition to the insurance companies, I would also suspect HD of being in on the lobby against SS bikes. My understanding (and i could be wrong) is that they have successfully lobbied against the rice rocket industry in the form of import terrifs which are a significant chunck of the Japaneese bike price as well as laws regulating how stock Japaneese bikes sound (so as not be able to compete with the HD trademark sound).

 

[dbvolfan]

I'll be damned if here in Central KY if I dont see more accients involving HD owners than anything else.

Not saying that nationwide street bikes arent wrecked more simply b/c there are too many idiots out there but I dont think its right to target specific types of 2 wheelers.

 

[Kevin Daly]

I'll be damned if here in Central KY if I dont see more accients involving HD owners than anything else.
Not saying that nationwide street bikes arent wrecked more simply b/c there are too many idiots out there but I dont think its right to target specific types of 2 wheelers.

funny you should mention that, i helped scrape a HD up off the tarmak on my last ride. the guy was ok but F*%$ what a moron.

 

[HaulinAshe]

Very recently I was privey to some law enforcement, HD riding dudes stating that you rarely see a HD rider involved in an accident. "Most all the bad accidents involve those sport bike, crotch rocket types", was his statement.

It's not reality that has to be confronted, it's public perception.

 

[Stephen]

I think the key word here (via another thread) is "speeding" & "powerful engines".

Doesn't that take H-D out of the picture?

 

[dhalen32]

Interesting.I wonder, are cars that go 190 also allowed on US streets? Not saying I agree but there is an argument for public saftey that is not unreasonable.

In addition to the insurance companies, I would also suspect HD of being in on the lobby against SS bikes. My understanding (and i could be wrong) is that they have successfully lobbied against the rice rocket industry in the form of import terrifs which are a significant chunck of the Japaneese bike price as well as laws regulating how stock Japaneese bikes sound (so as not be able to compete with the HD trademark sound).

Kevin:

I think this is really old news you are talking about. In the mid 80's (not sure of the year but I owned a 700cc Nighthawk as a result) H-D did lobby for and got a tariff imposed on imported motorcycles over 700 cc. They also requested that it be lifted a few years later when their business turned around. H-D also attempted to patent the exhaust note/cadence caused by their common crankpin 45 degree engine design (bang, bang, long pause, repeat. Aka potato-potato) but were unsuccessful. If I remember correctly this was 7 or 8 years ago.

Insurance companies and governments are concerned about the rising fatality rates and are talking about legal and technology solutions to slow motorcyclists down and stop us from killing ourselves. If we don't get our collective act together they will be more than willing to help us. It's easy to blame cage drivers, bar hopping cruiser riders, etc but if you take a look at our forum's recent crash history I'd say we need some attitude adjustment or additional training as well. The one good thing we seem to do is wear better protective gear than our cruiser brothers. Just my two cents.

Dave

 

[dbvolfan]

I think the key word here (via another thread) is "speeding" & "powerful engines".
Doesn't that take H-D out of the picture?

"Speeding and Operating Engines" would disqualify most HD's from this discussion.

Neighbor got a new HD a few months ago and rides that thing incessantly....(not a bad thing other than hs wife is half joking that she is about to divorce him over it)...anyway, I was out in the garage cleaing up the FJR the other night when I heard him limping home on the thing...sounded like it was bucking and surging..sounded absolutely terrible. Went next door to ask him what was up and all he had to say was a few choice cuss words.

 

[keithaba]

I'll be damned if here in Central KY if I dont see more accients involving HD owners than anything else.
Not saying that nationwide street bikes arent wrecked more simply b/c there are too many idiots out there but I dont think its right to target specific types of 2 wheelers.

Gunny!!!

As long as you keep me off the road, the odds will even out quick!

 

[Gary]

I'm not saying I agree with regulation, but you didn't have to be Nostradamus to see it coming.

The difference between a 190 mph car and a 190 mph bike is that anyone with a job, if motivated enough, can afford the bike.

Even if only a small percentage of sportbike riders behave like idiots, it's still a significant number of people, and the impression that motorcyclists as a whole have to be controlled by legislation is inevitable to people who are into regulation/legislation.

It seems like hardly a week goes by that I don't see some moron on a 600 doing a wheelstand down a busy street. I have to admit that a tiny part of me would like to see Darwin step in - I fully understand why non-riders are pissed/intimidated.

What pisses *me* off is that the behavior of these people will eventually effect my life, either through limited choices at the dealership, or increased insurance rates, or disproportionate application of law enforcement because I choose to ride a bike that doesn't look like a Harley.

 

[wfooshee]

Stupid kids, who are of course indestructible and invincible, want the highest performance they can find so they can go stunting on the freeway. (OK, a bit of a generalization.) An exotic car would be well into 6 figures, a built Mustang would be 40 or 50 thousand, and they all get eaten up by a 600cc bike, used for 4 or 5 thousand, less if it's already beat up.

It's the economics of cheap performance combined with a near-total lack of required education and training.

I don't think graduated licensing is the answer (ride <350cc for a year, then upwards, whatever) but there ought to be some serious requirement for educating riders on how to behave on these things.

Granted, accidents happen. Somebody hits an oil slick and low sides. A street light is out and they miss the turn. **** happens. But just being stupid is avoidable.

There's no reason someone should feel that 150 mph on I-10 is OK. Hitting that apex, even though it's a left turn and on the wrong side of the road, is not more important than living to tell about the ride. You DON'T have room to make that "quick" pass on the double-yellow just to get around the cager who's only 10 over the limit.

And gear.

Gear should be required. Not just helmets, but jackets, boots, gloves, the whole 9 yards. You wanna ride, then dress for it. You may think you have the right to ride "free," but your unprotected injuries are raising MY insurance rates, and you DON'T have that right.

Edit: Tree'd on the economics point by 4 minutes. Had to take a phone call!

 

[IRBR]

If motorcycles were invented today, they would not be allowed on public roads. All motorcycles would be considered unsafe.

Think I'm exaggerating? Well, when is the last time you put your seatbelt on when you got on your bike? They're required to be latched in most States when you're in your car. I never wear mine when I'm on my bike. Which, in a roundabout way, makes my point. Motorcycle riding is a lot riskier than riding in a car and in our risk averse nation, motorcycling is at, or over, the limits of risk tolerance for some segments of society. This attitude extends to all types of motorcycles, not just sportbikes.

On a slightly different but, as you'll see, related subject, I'm a member of the NRA and have been for most of my adult life. I've been in the forefront of the 2nd Amendment battles that have gone on during my lifetime and I've seen the strategies used by the opposition to try to limit and eventually restrict all gun ownership. The primary strategy used by the opposition has been a divide and conquer one. Gun banners have tried to demonize certain types of firearms and get their ownership restricted. Their long term plan was get one type of firearm banned at a time until they eventually had all firearms banned. The NRA saw through this and adopted a counter strategy of protecting all lawful gun owners, whether they owned shotguns, handguns, or rifles, and irrespective of the mechanical actions of the firearms, or the type of lawful activities for which they were used.

Motorcyclists need to adopt the same strategy. It's got to be all for one and one for all. Otherwise, the risk averse people of this country will go after sportbikes, then they'll go after bikes over 1000cc, then after heavy motorcycles, then dirt bikes because little kids can get hurt on them, etc.

I'm sure you get the idea.

IRBR

 

[Auburn]

... but if you take a look at our forum's recent crash history I'd say we need some attitude adjustment or additional training as well. ...Dave

GUNNY 10 times over!

I'm not a safety nut or anything like that. I haven't been a member to the forum very long, but it is amazing how many "accidents" I have read about in the FJR forum.

Having road raced, I know there is no way I will even begin to ride to the level I did on the race track on the street, yet I see people trying to do so all the time. At least most of us do wear proper gear and helmets and are prepared if we should fall.

 

[Orient_Express]

I also think that due to the sheer numberd of HD's out there, there'll be more of them involved in accidents - along with their 3 months riding experience and attitudes.

Not to say sport bike riders are more experienced or can't have an attitude - it just seems to come with the purchase of an HD.

I think I'll just hang on to my "pre-ban" FJR!!

 

[Silver Penguin]

I also think that due to the sheer numberd of HD's out there, there'll be more of them involved in accidents - along with their 3 months riding experience and attitudes.

IMHO the attitude is a major part of the problem. How many riders are of the mindset that;

1. I'm experienced, because I ride five miles to the bar and back EVERY Sunday.

2. Riding home after having a few brews is OK for a rider like me.

3. Image is more important than wearing all that dorky gear.

4. Who wants to look like a bubble head when you can feel the wind in your hair/bald patch?

5. I don't need training because (see #1)

6. I don't need to learn cornering/braking techniques because it's a straight road to the bar and that's the only place I ride.

7. All motorcycle accidents are caused by squids on sport bikes, so I'll be OK as long as I don't ride one of those.

Jill

 

[IRBR]

There could be a lot of different reasons why motorcycle deaths have increased.

But until a new scientific study similar to the Hurt Report is completed, public perceptions reinforced by media biases and general public misinformation will continue to be the perceived reality.

IRBR

 

[IRBR]

I read the entire IIHS report this morning. These statistics stood out:

1. Only 51% of riders currently wear helmets, a 20% decrease from 7 years ago.

2. Deaths have doubled in the last 10 years, up to the current ~4500 deaths per year.

3. The rise in deaths is pronounced among those in the 40+ years old category.

4. The average age of a sportbike rider is 33 years old.

5. The average age of a fatally injured sportbike rider is 27 years old.

6. Unhelmeted riders are less likely to have insurance. (My opinion: This implies a consistency in irresponsible behavior.)

7. ~51% of riders have health insurance.

8. The socioeconomic costs of motorcycle crash injuries totaled $17.4 Billion in the USA in 2005. Half of this amount went of medical bills and lost wages. Taxpayers usually pay for the medical expenses of uninsured riders.

9. Among fatally injured motorcycle riders in 2005, those with blood alcohol contents over 0.08% were most strongly represented by cruiser riders who, as a category, had the highest rate of offense.

10. Touring motorcycles had the most expensive insurance claims, with the Harley Screaming Eagle Electra Glide having more than 2 times the average insurance claim costs of all other motorcycles.

11. Sportbikes' overall theft losses are more than 7 times the average for all other motorcycles with the 2002-2006 Honda CBR-1000RR being the worst offender.

My conclusion: No wonder I first saw this on CNN's Business website. It's mostly about the money it's costing insurance companies. Safety concerns are only incidental.

I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

IRBR

 

[Orient_Express]

My conclusion: No wonder I first saw this on CNN's Business website. It's mostly about the money it's costing insurance companies. Safety concerns are only incidental.

Interesting statistics IRBR...

Generally speaking, when corporations or insurance companies talk about "safety" - the focus is on how much money they will save.

 

[Silver Penguin]

> Speed limiting ECUs were proposed.> The death rate for sportbikes is MUCH higher than for other types of motorcycles.

> The theft rate for sportbikes is MUCH higher than for other types of motorcycles.

> Speed is one of the most important factors in accidents and deaths associated with these types of motorcycles.

> Insurance companies are losing money on the insurance policies they write on these bikes.

Why would this information be on a business website? Because paying insurance claims is bad for the insurance business.IRBR

So, if legislation mandates that speed be restricted for these nasty, lethal, death machines then Fred and Ethel will have to pay less to insure their Oldsmobile, right?

How about we address one of the major factors in ALL classes of vehicular accidents, and pass a law that prevents people from operating a motor vehicle while under the influence? But wait...... didn't we already do that? Enforcing that insurance-money-saver wouldn't be very popular with Fred and Ethel now would it? Let's look to the bad guys on the motorcycles instead.

Jill