No kidding - There really should be some sort of hp limit based on age and experience. I believe they've been doing this in Europe. On one of my favorite roads there's a stupid (IMO) speed limit and I've been pulled over more than once on that road but never ticketed. The last time the officer basically implied he only tickets rice burners but has to appear to be dealing everyone the same way. He said they just pull too many of them out of the ****** wire fences . . .

 

And the answer is.....................all of the above.

 

As hypocritical as it no doubt sounds I advise anyone who's thinking of getting their first bike not to. Those first - shall we say 15 years or so . . . Well let's be honest, it can happen to anyone but for sure experience really makes a difference - and I still feel that I've got more to learn after 36 years of motorized 2 wheeling.

 

Don't blame the crotch rockets, blame the mc training classes for those who ride on the things. I have owned one for a couple of years and they are great, until a cross wind suddenly hits all that plastic wind shielding and blows you into the stripped line or fog line. The faster you go the worse it is. Unlike the heavy Ultra that seems to be glued to the pavement when those sudden cross winds gust around it. The Ultra is very forgiving, the lightweight rice rockets aren't.

I think rice rockets are exilarating fun, but terribly uncomfortable and subject to crosswind hazzards and riders should be taught this. It would be a dam shame if they were banned.

Around here it is those grey haired grannies and grandpa's you need to watch out for. They will turn left in front of you, or suddenly start at stop lights and plow into anything infront of them. We just had one plow thru the front of a main street business he had parked in front of. He claimed when he started the car and put it in gear to back out, it jumped in forward and went full throttle. Yeah, sure! They can't see, have no reflexes, and should be confined to certain travel routes only, not the main ways..

 

Have you ever rode with someone in a car and said to yourself, "he would never last long on a motorcyle", then hear he just purchased one?

Had a boss once that I did not feel save with while rideing with him driving a car, then he got a pilot's licence and he wanted to fly me long distances so I could more quickly repair our customer's computers. Left that company and started my own.

 

Over here in Australia the Stats showed most of the deaths were for riders 40 -55 returning to riding.

 

Well, thank goodness we all know that 87.44% of statistics are made-up on the spot!

Probability formulas can help illustrate much of the data...but something tells me that this may not be the place to get into such things...just sayin' :^)

Be the best rider you can be...and learn something new at every opportunity.

I think the first thing we all learn (25 years ago in my case) - "ride strictly as if nobody sees you...ever" - is probably the most critical thing to remember. Yeah, skill and experience is fundamental...but just that basic tenet goes a long way IMHO...and I know we all live by it for the most part.

Have fun...

 

True enough - after that do everything you can to be seen. I pretty much like to ride down the middle of the road close to the center line. It amazes me to see some bikers riding a foot off the curb.

 

So true, Dave...get in their mirrors for sure. Plus maybe they could text about us to their BFF #$*(#...!

 

I think there are hundreds of factors, many unknown, that make riding motorcycles more dangerous every day. Example, I think there is an "unintended consequence" of making the stop light's length of time last longer now for better traffic efficiancy. It is causeing more people to dangerously run lights rather then be delayed longer, as everyone seems to be in a bigger hurry every day. Other then possibly helmets, ABS and driving schools, I'm having trouble coming up with anything else that is helping to counteract this trend.