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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | When in Orlando on Friday, I considered heading east to Daytona to check out bike week. This is why I didn't head to Daytona...too nuts for me. After bike week they invade the Keys. A lot of rookies, thugs and alcohol. They don't mix. My Daytona riding buddies say they avoid Bike Week as a lot of street fights break out and vandalism is prevalent. While the story does not state alcohol related, the bars are packed...so it's an assumption.
NEW SMYRNA BEACH --
(AP) -- Authorities say a Daytona Beach motorcyclist who collided head-on with two other motorcycles has become the third fatality of Bike Week.
Officials say 61-year-old Amedeo Revellini was traveling Sunday night in the wrong direction along U.S. 1 in New Smyrna Beach when he collided with the other motorcyclists. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Two people on one of the other motorcycles have been hospitalized.
Two other motorcyclists died Saturday.
Bike Week continues through next Sunday. Eight people died because of motorcycle-related crashes during the 10-day event last year. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 223
Valdosta, GA | PalmBeachRider - 2008-03-03 9:47 AM
Bike Week continues through next Sunday. Eight people died because of motorcycle-related crashes during the 10-day event last year.
...and the year before that I think it was more than twice that number. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | Deleted by me.
Edited by PalmBeachRider 2008-03-03 10:54 AM
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Iron Butt
Posts: 904
29 Palms California | You might as well put on a reflective vest and stay in the house? With the number of bikes in one spot, of course the stats are going to show higher motorcycles accidents. I went to Daytona in 2006. I had a blast. I didn't vandalize, or go to jail. Neither did anyone around me. We all had a great time. I can't wait to hear how the number of accidents/fatalities go up for the country. Due to a number of reasons, one being inflated fuel prices, there are more motorcycles on the road. With more on the road, more accidents will occur. Maybe I'm just a simple minded biker, but if we allow the numbers to provide our heightned safety concerns, why would I leave the house? I might as well sell my bike. I'm not boo-hooing the post, just trying to keep it in perspective. |
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Tourer
Posts: 496
Scottsdale AZ | We lost another rider just this last week about a mile from my house. It was totally a drive error. He was going to fast needed to stop for slower traffic in front, locked his backed brakes and then slammed on his front brakes and flipped.
I think alot of MC accidents today can be attributed to new inexperienced and unfamiliar riders. The surge of "baby boomers" and lets get a Harley attitude is a lot of what I see in my area. I've been on a few rides with some of these guys and it is a little scary. I think a lot of them take the intro/beginners MC class and and then aren't really ready for what they try to do or are familiar with rider situations. I think the more you ride the more you try to learn each time you go out, I know I do.
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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | I've been in the habit of taking the Experienced Rider Refresher Class every two years or so...or when I got a new bike. It's a great way to polish up skills, especially slow speed maneuvering and braking. It's also a good way to meet other bikers. I'm taking it again in two weeks. I know that some will think this is over cautious, but when I got the Vision, I took a private class for an hour on the course and it was a great way to work on the low speed handling and tight U-turns..without using your feet. We also worked on the very low speed 2 - 5mph riding by using the rear brake and clutch simultaneously. I've used this method since the class in very slow traffic and it's nice not to take my feet of the floorboards when going so slow. So, call me a wimp or whatever, but knowing your skills and your bike is a good thing. I never have any problems finding folks to ride behind me.
In the immortal words of Arlo Guthrie: "I don't want a pickle, I just want to ride on my motor-sickle. I don't want to die, I just want to ride on my motor-sy------cull." |
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Visionary
Posts: 2027
Brighton, TN | Could you explain the rear brake and clutch simultaneously? I think I know what you are talking about, not sure why? |
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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | Hi Po,
It's the same maneuver that those Police drill team uses. It takes a little practice but is very effective. It's difficult to describe, but I'll try:
When you are in a situation where you are barely moving forward, press the rear brake just enough to cause some friction and release the clutch just enough to cause forward movement. Combined, this will allow you to move forward very slowly and in a straight line.
I have gates in my neighborhood that can be a little slow opening. Instead of stopping, I use this to move very slowly forward and keep my feet on the floorboards.
Either I'm the last person in the world to know this trick, or one of the first. It wasn't taught in other classes I've taken and takes some practice. I'm now comfortable with it.
What do you think? |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 904
29 Palms California | your applying both front and back at the same time on the vision. I can't remember the ratio...60-40 but the braking system for the rear uses a fraction of the front. I agree that the classes do help. I took the course in Hawaii in 1999. Very informative, and since I ride daily, apply most of what I learned daily. My only hope is that the Safety guru's don't take the skewed numbers and start trying to enforce some crazy rules like motorcycle airbags, manditory motorcycle classes....training wheels on bikes of new riders....just saying. |
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Visionary
Posts: 1350
| And how many people were killed when that car crashed in Ohio doing street race? 8, I think. So you better not take your car out either.
We have the 2 largest casinos in the US all year round but of course they don't anything in the paper except when someone leaves a child in a car while they are in gambling. How many bikes are in Daytona for the week? In Sturgis there are around 600,000 bikes for the week. How many M/C deaths are in any city in a week with a population that size?
Robert was the head of a Hospital in the bad part of Chicago. He got a job in "nicer" neighborhood. He told me it was nice at the new hospital cause there were only 5 to 7 gunshots wounds a night. The old hospital was 7 to 9. Why don't we see that in the paper?
So I guess if you pick one spot and have a number of deaths it gets noticed but anywhere else with a lot more deaths it flys below the radar? Read the New York News on any Sunday and count how many people were shot, stabbed, beat to death during the week. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 189
Baltimore, Md | The "why" part of your question for using this well known technique, especially for big bikes, is because riding in the "friction zone" provides the best/safest slow speed maneuvering control, especially in tight turns. It also teaches you to stay OFF the front brake when making such tight and slow turns. Getting a little nervous in a tight turn, your instinct might be to grab some front brake, but that is a recipe for disaster. Instead, you stay off the front and use the rear brake with friction on the clutch (feathering the clutch) to maintain best control. Grabbing the front brake (turning wheel) will almost certainly result in dropping the bike in the turn. Police Motor Officers learn this maneuver and master it. There are also sites that promote it, like Jerry Palladino at ridelikeapro.com
Edit - I see I cross posted with the above. So, I would add, yes, linked brakes are a bit different, but they almost all (that I am aware of) only employ the front brake after a significant amount of rear pressure. This makes the technique still valuable, even if the locks are linked.
Edited by flint350 2008-03-03 2:33 PM
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Cruiser
Posts: 64
Northern RI | Not to promote, but there is a dvd called "Ride like a Pro" by Jerry Motorman Palladino. It's very informative and explains the friction zone. It can be ordered at www.ridelikeapro.com |
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Cruiser
Posts: 294
rhode island | Mother nature has a way of thinning many kinds of herds, The dumbest usually dont live very long. foolish bikers are not exempt. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 904
29 Palms California | WELL PUT SANDMAN! I was going to stir the pot a bit more, but you said it all in one little phrase! |
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Cruiser
Posts: 294
rhode island | Thanks buckeye |
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Cruiser
Posts: 256
Florida | In Florida, they are considering making the riding class a requirement to receive a motorcycle license. Personally, I don't have a problem with this and would support the legislation. The problem is that not all classes are created equally and if it becomes a requirement, then a bunch of fly-by-nighters would probably surface. |
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Cruiser
Posts: 294
rhode island | PBR More red tape will have little effect on the poor judgment some of these so called motorcyclist, Check out some of the underground movies on utube, sport bike riders doing 180mph thru traffic on some congested hyw's. Im afraid there's only one way these guys get the message! every part of our lives is being controlled by gov. ride smart , and always watch out for the knuckle head coming at you with a distant stare in their eyes. 
Edited by sandman 2008-03-03 3:30 PM
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Visionary
Posts: 1484
LaPorte,Tx. | BUCKEYE - 2008-03-03 1:19 PM
your applying both front and back at the same time on the vision. I can't remember the ratio...60-40 but the braking system for the rear uses a fraction of the front.
The front brakes on the Vision are dual 3 piston calipers, the rear is a single 2 piston caliper. The foot activated rear brake is linked progressive to a single piston on I believe each on the front calipers. I apply drag on the rear brake in slow turns and walking speed, it is very effective and it works with the linked system very nicely. I have noticed the front brake pads will buzz a little when doing this.
I believe the industry (manufacturers and dealers) needs to take some action before the government gets too involved, and then we all will suffer. There are way too many people out on bikes today that shouldn't be on a bike and all the training in the world won't solve that. There is no training in the world, that can make anyone safe at 180 mph on a public highway.......period. |
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Iron Butt
Posts: 904
29 Palms California | I like you more and more VisionTex! What do you think of this?
Optional Motorcycle Safety Course prior to license.
Waive the driven portion of testing upon succesfull completion of course.
Discount on all riders insurance with verification of Safety Course.
This would allow for the rider to choose to educate, and save money at the same time. It would also leave the government out of motorcycle training policyl. |
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Bike Week Crashes