Re: Bikes and Safety

["Bill Hussey" <list_squid@hotmail.com>]

>From: Chuck Simpson <Csimpson@zeltech.com>
>Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 11:17:19 -0400
>
>But what happens when someone runs a red light and side-swipes you?
>It happens all the time to cars... but I always wondered what happens
>to motorcycle drivers when this happens to them, considering you don't
>have much protection from being hit by another car.  Are you
>almost guaranteed to lose a leg?

First off, driving a bike is NOTHING like driving a car.  Imagine piloting a 
vehicle you are part of, not sitting in.  Airplane pilots equate it to the 
difference between flying a plane and flying a helicopter ... there's no 
autopilot in a chopper.

Now, there's NOTHING to block any of your vision .. nothing.  You have the 
largest clearest view of everything around you.  You start noticing things 
you never noticed before, not only road conditions, but road surfaces, 
differences in color of the road, every last action of the cars around you.  
It takes a little while to get used to processing all of this, but I 100% 
believe that I am safer on my bike than in a car.  I can out accelerate, out 
brake, and corner anything on the road today ... anything, and I can see 
things coming that even the best drivers don't pay much attention to because 
I am fully aware that my life depends on it.

Now, no matter what you do, there's always a risk.  So for that, I wear a 
one-piece road suit called an Aerostich (http://www.aerostich.com) which is 
made out of cordura and kevlar.  There is armor in the shoulders, knees, 
elbows, hips, and back.  Everytime I ride I also wear a set of Alpinestar 
riding boots (very comfy, waterproof, and breathable) and a set of 
Alpinestar Twist gloves and a full face helmet.

Back in May, during my commute to work, traveling in the right lane of a 3 
lane highway, an older Asian woman in a Camry decided she wanted to go to 
the exit ramp NOW, and took me right out.  Her trunk hit my front wheel, I 
rolled over her trunk as she continued on to the right.  I hit the ground 
still moving at 75mph or so and slid for 50 yards.  Due to the protective 
equipment, I stood up, patted the dust off, did the whole police/transfer of 
insurance thing, went home, got on my VFR (I was on 929A at the time, 929B 
got stolen, and 929C is at work with me now), and went back to work, I was 
completely untouched.

Gear goes a LONG way to making sure you're ok.  The local squidz laugh at me 
when it's 90 degrees outside and I'm wearing boots, a one-piece black suit, 
gloves, and a full-face helmet ... but I have the last laught when I look at 
the road rash scars covering their bodies.

Bikes are not easy.  Mastering riding is something that takes time and a TON 
of miles.  My dad's been riding for 26 years ... but he averages a thousand 
miles a year ... he's a horrible rider.  If you're going to do the 
motorcycling thing, do it, but get the gear and do it right, you only get 
one shot it.

Here's a good shot of me in my 'Stich with 929B coming back from a VFR List 
even in Vermont.  I'm on the right, I look like hell, but you have to 
understand I still have a hangover, I haven't shaved in days, and I had just 
covered 410 miles in a tick over 5 hours including a gas stop every 120 
miles and lunch.  Drained doesn't remotely begin to describe my condition =)

http://members.home.net/vfrboy/WDGAH4-2/
(click on "The Return")

Bill
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