it would lower my insurance if inexperienced dicks have to go thru a licensing scheme

plus, those same inexperienced dicks often crash into cars and other things (like ppls property). 

you want to kill yourself, be my guest, hang yourself in your bathroom.

but as soon as you put a tire on a PUBLIC motorway, we all should have a say abotu it.

Quote from: RavnMonster on August 15, 2008, 05:53:00 AM
Why do I want the government dictating what size motorcycle I am allowed to ride? I am a grown adult and if i want to kill my self on a 1200cc bike its my business.

Quote from: ducatizzzz on August 15, 2008, 12:03:40 PM
it would lower my insurance if inexperienced dicks have to go thru a licensing scheme

plus, those same inexperienced dicks often crash into cars and other things (like ppls property). 

you want to kill yourself, be my guest, hang yourself in your bathroom.

but as soon as you put a tire on a PUBLIC motorway, we all should have a say abotu it.

+11ty billion

forget motorcycles ... I'd like to have some licensing controls on CARS ...

I'm so sick of soccer moms in their giant make the beast with two backsing SUVs pulling u-turns across 4 lanes of traffic without looking because either they're too damn fat to drag their double chins around and too preoccupied by their greasy nacho cheese gorditas and big gulps.

I'd like to know how many of those fatalities were caused by cars.

I didnt bother reading through every post but I'd like to add that I do remember reading that the majority of the increase in biker deaths has been from born-again riders/riders above the age of 35 or 40 ( not certain the exact age but you get the point) not the size of bikes that these new riders and kids are buying..

It has been muted in the EU that motorcycles should be banned to eliminate road deaths.

I read a comment from a Police Office who stated 'People need protecting from themselves'

You guys are so lucky that the principles of liberty are recognised and (in most cases) upheld. Don't let them take that away

Quote from: MAXdB on August 15, 2008, 04:34:33 PM
I didnt bother reading through every post but I'd like to add that I do remember reading that the majority of the increase in biker deaths has been from born-again riders/riders above the age of 35 or 40 ( not certain the exact age but you get the point) not the size of bikes that these new riders and kids are buying..

That's the second largest group, the first being the squid kids out there.

motorcycles do only what a person makes them do, no matter the make/model, w/ that said, I agree w/ what some of you have said about motorcycle awareness(this generation's cool word) and stricter education/licensing requirements for all motor vehicles. I pregnant doged about this here: http://ducatimonsterforum.org/index.php?topic=9292.0

Quote from: someguy on August 15, 2008, 05:12:46 PM
That's the second largest group, the first being the squid kids out there.

I was thinking about this the other day.

It seems that its much more often now I see younger people with T shirts and tennis shoes. I rarely see anyone now with full gear on.

I still find it so cool that my next door neighbor and his best friend both got Ninja 250s to start with. Took the MSF class and both bought decent gear. 

Quote from: green bastard on August 15, 2008, 07:23:24 AM


Seat belt and helmet laws are in place to save people who are too foolish to save themselves; a gradual license saves other peoples lives.

 

Why should the Gov have the right to tell any adult that they can't kill themselves if they want to? As long as they arent hurting anyone else, have at it. The more laws you put in place to "save those who need saving" the more of your rights are taken away.

Quote from: MAXdB on August 15, 2008, 04:34:33 PM
I didnt bother reading through every post but I'd like to add that I do remember reading that the majority of the increase in biker deaths has been from born-again riders/riders above the age of 35 or 40 ( not certain the exact age but you get the point) not the size of bikes that these new riders and kids are buying..

YUP!!! 

I just took my MSF course about a month ago. Let me tell you guys, half the class were guys over 45-50 who wanted to "get back on the bike" again. These guys were scary on those little honda 250's. They were all scared to death to ride them and had no business being on two wheels. Every one of them were buying 800lb Harley's and Giant Honda Cruisers. These are the folks you all need to look out for.

Quote from: RavnMonster on August 18, 2008, 09:32:32 AM
Why should the Gov have the right to tell any adult that they can't kill themselves if they want to? As long as they arent hurting anyone else, have at it. The more laws you put in place to "save those who need saving" the more of your rights are taken away.

But you and I pay for it with our insurance costs!  I don't want the govt involved  either, but how else do you keep the costs down?  I have NO desire for the graduated licensing scheme that Europe has..  I would rather see it illegal to buy a bike without a license, a $1000 mandatory fine for being stopped without a license, and a mandatory MSF cert to carry insurance.

Quote from: ducducgooseme on August 18, 2008, 09:54:31 AM
a mandatory MSF cert to carry insurance.

I have never taken the MSF course but i am a very capable rider, however if this had be in effect when i was looking at a bike i don't think i would have had much issue with it then.

These statistics are potentially misleading.   
A 6.6% growth in the number of deaths is significant if the rate of increase is less than 6.6%

If the overall growth of ridership in terms of miles ridden has increased more than 6.6% than it's a net decrease in motorcycle deaths per usage.  And we know there was an increase in motorcycle usage. 

I HATE the misuse of statistics. 

QuoteMotorcycle ridership appears to be rising even as the total miles for all vehicles drops.

So total mileage across all vehicles has dropped.  But bikes alone increased, thus making bikes a greater % of the overall miles driven.  And the overall death count has decreased, so it is completely possible that % of miles ridden per motorcycle deaths has decreased.

This article is biased against motorcycles.

It's like saying the number of deaths due to flying has increased several hundred percent since 1910, therefore flying is getting very dangerous.  it doesn't address the number of people who actually fly though.  The reality is that the mortality rate from flying has dropped to a minuscule percentage.

QuoteI HATE the misuse of statistics. 

there are 3 types of lies:

lies
big lies
and statistics

Quote from: RavnMonster on August 18, 2008, 09:32:32 AM
Why should the Gov have the right to tell any adult that they can't kill themselves if they want to? As long as they arent hurting anyone else, have at it. The more laws you put in place to "save those who need saving" the more of your rights are taken away.

Playing with an R1 in a parking lot is one thing...

 The rest are out on the street, putting other people in danger operating on roads that don't belong to them.