Who rides a motorcycle?

[Uncle Brian]

Not anymore but once I was a big fan of motorcycles.
The bike in the photo isn't mine but it's ths same model, lots of noise and lots of fun.

[Joe Cromwell]

You all forgot your helmets.

Meet the family:


From left to right:

• Crivit full-face (in fact an unbranded Spanish NZI)
• Scorpion EXO-900 with Cardo Scala Rider G4 intercom unit
• Airborn AB2 (this is my go-to helmet - despite it's being an open-face, it is the quietest lid I own) here equipped with Léon Jeantet T2 Aviator Goggles
• XLite X801-RR in Mike Hailwood replica colours. A very flashy lid, but not my favorite to wear (noisy, finicky visor-changing system, fragile paint)
• Not featured: Davida Classic in Tommy Robb replica colours.

So for those of you who ride, how many accidents/close calls have you been involved in? And how badly were you hurt?

I've had a a few offs, the most serious was four years ago, when I had a head-on against a car (turned a Ford Focus into a Ford F**kup ). Personal injuries: broken big toe on my left foot.

Close calls? Too many to mention, but my personal favorite happened in Corsica a few years back. I was in hot pursuit of a Ducati Multistrada, and was in turn being followed by a bloke on a BMW R1200RT as I took the racing line into a blind-ish uphill left-hander, the lie of the road prevented me from observing the lowered Peugeot 206 coming the other way at a fair rate of knots. I came across matey in the Pug just past my apex point. Thankfully he kept his nerve as well as I did: he stood on the brakes whilst I gave it a big handful - you couldn't have slipped a piece of cigarette paper between my left knee and the snout of the Pug! Out of concern for my mate on his Beemer I pulled over in the first safe spot I found: the entrance to the local cemetery!

[tommyguns]

so for all the builders and such out there I have a question ordered a set of drag pipes and a k@n air filter and when these come in on tuesday im putting them on. so I will be having to rejet my carbs which I have never done. I want to do this my self not a fan on people working on my stuff but not sure what I will be getting into with trying to tune this thing. I just installed my mini ape hangers shown in the pic and lowered the rear not shown. So any helpful hints gents

[oc_in_fw]

Nice Trumpet, Joe.

[Neognosis]

Just now I had to ride to an appointment. I was doing 30 in a 30mph residential zone, and a car was tailgating me. When I turned off, they cut it very close to my rear tire and honked. I gave serious consideration to following them to the next stop and asking if they had something they wanted to discuss, but I decided it was not worth being late to my appointment for.

But people are f'ing a*holes sometimes.

You're going to tailgate ME and then honk at me when I turn off the main road?

[RHVette]

Just passed the ABATE course and am heading to the BMV tomorrow to get my endorsement. Now comes the fun part of looking for a ride of my own. Thinking of something like this Kawasaki, though I think I want something a little smaller to start: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/3115337415.html

[lpe492]

Looks like the owner took care of it, for an '82. How many miles? I learned on a 750 and it was not a problem.

Just passed the ABATE course and am heading to the BMV tomorrow to get my endorsement. Now comes the fun part of looking for a ride of my own. Thinking of something like this Kawasaki, though I think I want something a little smaller to start: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/mcy/3115337415.html

[Neognosis]

Just passed the ABATE course

That's great! Good luck and stay safe.



An aside, I detest ABATE though, for their moronic ideas about helmet use. But if they taught you basic MC operation and safety, you are ahead of most riders on the road.

[RHVette]

That's great! Good luck and stay safe.



An aside, I detest ABATE though, for their moronic ideas about helmet use. But if they taught you basic MC operation and safety, you are ahead of most riders on the road.

Could you elaborate? All they basically said was, "wear a helmet."

[Neognosis]

ABATE is HUGE into getting helmet laws repealed.

And though PERSONALLY, I always have and always will wear a helmet regardless of the law, I'm not against the idea of letting morons who don't wear helmets continue to risk their own lives as they see fit.

HOWEVER, ABATE has put out some really ridiculous literature with some absurd claims about helmets that have no scientific basis. This has caused me to lose a lot of respect for them. If you want to repeal helmet laws, that's fine, but when you start putting out literature that is misleading and that might influence someone just starting out to falsely believe that they might be safer WITHOUT a helmet, then I have a problem with it.

[RHVette]

Weird. While they did talk about the whole "educate, don't legislate" thing at the end, they were very pro-helmet throughout. The material even cited sources about injury reduction and the value of a full-face helmet. There was no material that said anything to the effect of not wearing a helmet would be a safer option.

Anyway, enough about the body politic. More pics of motorcycles, please!

[dmalcolm]

My only problem with not wearing a helmet is who gets to foot the bill for the comatose idiot that did not die. I suspect in a lot of cases it's we the taxpayers. So I think helmet laws are a good thing. That said I do understand the attraction of riding sans helmet. It is kind of neat. Just no neat enough to offset the dangers. I have a full face modular helmet (Nolan) that I love.

[Neognosis]

Here's another bike picture so that we don't get bogged down in the helmet thing. This is my 1982 yamaha virago before I painted the tank.