Info on safety

[strictlyred]

Phi.
i have been thinking of safety lately.. A few motorcyclists deaths in the last few days has me asking if driving a spyder is safer than a 2 wheeler.
The reason for most of the accidents were that the car driver didn't see the motorcycle..if this person was on a sspyder would the accident not had occur, or am I fooling myself into a false sence of security with my spyder?
Also.. I want to wear a half helmet.. My ff has been driving me into a sweaty mess in the heat..but feel guilty when I wear my half helmet..you know..what happens if ..

[emoney230]

Ive been cut off driving my cage many times.. I mean look at it. It can't get any brighter!!!There are tooooooo MANY people out there that dont pay attention. Some have been next to me at a light and told me they didnt see me...really..

[zrc]

Phi.
i have been thinking of safety lately.. A few motorcyclists deaths in the last few days has me asking if driving a spyder is safer than a 2 wheeler.
The reason for most of the accidents were that the car driver didn't see the motorcycle..if this person was on a sspyder would the accident not had occur, or am I fooling myself into a false sence of security with my spyder?
Also.. I want to wear a half helmet.. My ff has been driving me into a sweaty mess in the heat..but feel guilty when I wear my half helmet..you know..what happens if ..

Hey Strictlyred, I hate to hear you are down and concerned.

First things first, I think the FF is always a good call, however, if you want to ride with a HF, dont feel bad or be scared. If you have had defensive driving courses you know that when you are out, you gotta watch THEM, they are the ones that are texting / talking / emailing. I have 12,000 miles on my bike since October, and I have maybe been on the phone (with a FF inside helm), 8 times, and always for 2 or 3 minutes, if its longer I pull over and wait, so I can devote my time and attention to everyone else on the road.

In my 12,000 miles, only 3 times has it been "scary".

1.) First time, 18 wheeler driver, obviously tired from driving patterns, I decided it was better to speed and pass him than to wait to see what might happen if I didnt. At 90 going by him he drifted into my lane. Scary but he woke up and got back over and all was good but I was doing 75 in the median in grass at that point. Spyder and my resolve kept me in 1 piece. (If I had been in a cage, the same thing would have happened)

2.) in traffic at 20 mph in town, 17 yr old girl nearly runs over me, cause her texting her friend or her boyfriend was more important than my life. I slowed down let her over, expressed my "thanks" when I passed her. (If I had been in a cage, same thing would have happened)

3.) In CUBA, MO. DURING SPYDERFEST. A kid pulled out in front of me, cause he was texting and driving. Ok, 500 spyders in town in this cat didnt look as he was pulling out? really? (If I had been in a cage, same thing would have happened)


Here is the true long and short of it from my personal opinion. You hear about motorcycles because the person is always more injured and more exposed. I believe wrecks and deaths behind the wheel are at a skyrocketing level thanks to cell phones. In a car you dont get killed, on a motorcycle you might. In my personal opinion, you wont get undernoticed on Spyder like you would a regular bike, front end displacement makes a LARGER target to see on the road. Couple that with the oddity of the bike out there, and you are just more visable. But mainly when it comes to safety, dont trick yourself into thinking that being in a cage is safe, or even safer. Your body is just less exposed. I think if we looked at car wrecks and deaths we would see them on the rise too. Just how it works.

I am truly sorry you are concerned, but the other piece of this puzzle is we are just on the road more, because the machines we ride crave the road like we do. So in almost 8 months I have had my bike I have pounded pavement and riden all over the south east because I love it, I am simply on the road MORE because I have my spyder, so I see more, and yet I have been in less near misses in this time than normally with my car, because me and the people around me in cages are just more careless in our armor on the street than we when arent.

I hope you get to feeling better! I like the black and pink! It's aluring

[NancysToy]

You may want to do a bit more research. Statistics show that 50%-60% of motorcycle accidents are single vehicle accidents...so not being seen is not the cause most motorcycle accidents. Michigan statistics show that of the multi-vehicle accidents, somewhere around 40% were the sole fault of the motorcyclist. That leaves maybe 30% of the accidents to be the motorist's fault, so even if all were because of not being seen (they aren't), there are a lot of other dangers lurking out there. Fear of what the other guy may do is a healthy thing, but don't hang your hat on it. Riding defensively, and riding smart, is one key to survival. So are good skills, honed by practice...especially for a Spyder rider. Don't forget the benefit of protective clothing, either. If you want to stay safe, forget the half-helmet. Worrying about safety but not wanting to wear the right gear is like worrying about sunburn, but wanting to go naked.

Is the Spyder safer? There are no statistics to support a case in either direction. I think it is, partly because it is easier to see the larger profile (although not some of the muted colors), partly because gravity isn't working against you, and partly because you don't fall over in a tough situation. It also has a lot of built-in safety systems to help you out...more than other motorcycles. In addition, there is a good skills course in the Spyder manual, which works well for practice sessions. I have been riding for over 50 years, but the Spyders make me feel safer than anything I ever rode. Not sure what that is worth, but it is enough for me.

[spyder3]

As a MC newb, with one whole year and 5000 mi under my belt I still sometimes have the same thought process as strictlyred. Except that i would never consider the half helmet thing. If your going to feel less safe, why diminish the protection you are wearing. All that being said, I still love riding the spyder and i think it makes me more attentive worrying about the other things.

Close call:

Just last week I was riding down 95 S in philly.. A group of thugs came up on my left side and all screamed at once. Scared the living out of me. I jerked the bike to the right shoulder and hit the kill switch at the same time. I was shaking and enraged at the same time. I don't think I would have been able to keep a 2 wheeler up with that move. They had a great laugh and probably would have had a better time if i had hit the wall. Go figure.

Now for the real stupid move, i caught up to the as and gave them a piece of my mind and few other things before i came to my senses and got away from them. Road rage at its worse.

[Grandpa Spyder]

Hey you can not predict what some numb nuts is going to do. You have to be a defensive driver and see what is coming. Look I don't worry about it. If it happens to me, I have told my family I was doing what I love to do and don't fret over it. I don't know how old you are, but I am 65 and have lived a pretty good life. I ware a half helmet and I even drive after dark now because I have a lot of confidence in the Spyder being seen. If you are not sure then stick with your ff. me, I only ware a FF in the winter. I don't think you are going to find the answers to your questions here. you are going to have to make that decision. I hope I did not peeve anyone off I did not mean to.

[coz]

you must ryde as if you are invisible, and assume that anyone near you will do the WRONG thing, then, you will be fine. p.s. get a loud horn, they work.

[Gordy]

My daughter was involved in an accident this morning she was driving a new victory cross country,white with lites on and an old fellow made a left turn in front of her in a 100 kmh zone.She hit the car on the rh 1/4 panel managed to keep her mc upright until she got it stopped.Banged the mc up pretty bad and her right leg driver claimed he never saw her.Police wrote him a citation.

[boborgera]

Size doesn't always matter.[out on the road]
People run into school buses, Cant get more visible than that!!; Had that happen recently out here.,
As far as ''Are'' Trikes safer than Motorcycle's, You bet they are.
When i go riding in bad weather and and someone asks your riding today in this weather i tell them i might get wet but i won't fall over with the Trike.

[Yazz]

Phi.
i have been thinking of safety lately.. A few motorcyclists deaths in the last few days has me asking if driving a spyder is safer than a 2 wheeler.
The reason for most of the accidents were that the car driver didn't see the motorcycle..if this person was on a sspyder would the accident not had occur, or am I fooling myself into a false sence of security with my spyder?
Also.. I want to wear a half helmet.. My ff has been driving me into a sweaty mess in the heat..but feel guilty when I wear my half helmet..you know..what happens if ..

StrictlyRed, I read about motorcycle deaths often here. Next time you read one of those articles, seven times out of ten times, the phrases 'high rate of speed' and/or 'early a.m. hours' are somewhere in the article. Sad but true in this neck of the woods. My heart goes out to those they left behind...

Don't know how long you've been riding, but have you taken a Motorcycle Safety Course? It will give you a wealth of information on evasive maneuvering, tricks and will build you confidence level.

Walking out your front door every day is dangerous. Driving your car is dangerous. Most accidents happen in the home... Yadda Yadda...

Have had my fair share of white knuckles and biffs, and still keep riding.

You need to figure out for yourself where the happy medium with helmets is. Thats a personal issue that only you can answer.

[dancogan]

...Worrying about safety but not wanting to wear the right gear is like worrying about sunburn, but wanting to go naked...

[Jeriatric]

My Pop put it very simply many years ago. You're not only driving your vehicle..... you're driving all those that are around you, and you had better always have an out. In other words, drive yours, theirs, and always know what you're going to do and where you're going to go if they screw up.

Outside of good defensive driving you're at the mercy of happenstance.

Ride smart and enjoy the fact that you can.

[bruiser]

Article in tonights Goldsboro News Argus. 39 year old motorcyclist killed Sunday morning. Blew through stop sign, 52 feet of skid marks left before impact with ditch. Helmet was found 20 feet from his body. HP assumes he was wearing his helmet. Contributing factors; disregard stop sign and exceeding safe speed. Time of accident about 6:00 a.m.

I have a 3/4 helmet and three half helmets. My mood and the weather dictate which one I wear. I drive an E250 work van. I had two incidents of people pulling out in front of me today. One close enough I had to slam on the brakes. Not a week goes by that that doesn't happen to me. I had a young "lady" make me #1 last week because I blew the horn at her as she drifted into my lane while texting, at 70mph. It doesn't matter wheather you're on a bike or in a cage. You have to drive defensively. If you haven't yet you may want to take the motorcycle safety course. Usually taught at the local community college. Great course. I took it before I got my endorsement. I had been off bikes for about 30 years before going back to riding a few years ago.

[SPYD1]

All of these are good points and there have been quite a few fatalities already in my area and since I ride I pay attention to the details. Most are driver, MC that is, error. Most have been the only vehicle involved. If you ride long enough you will have close calls, I have had a few and on a regular bike they probably would have turned out differently. I do believe that the Spyder is safer than a two wheeler but as a driver you need to be aware. This was all said by others in the same thread. Good points by all.

[ARtraveler]

A lot of good points to ponder above.

Helmet choice: that is your call. I prefer ff helmet or open face with a shield and chin bar (Nolan-N43).

Other drivers and will I get hurt or killed if I ride: As others have said, you can get hurt or killed driving or doing anything. I like coz's reply about drive as though you are invisible. Expect that the drivers are out to get you by doing something stupid. Sometimes they surprise you and do. If you have anticipated, you are ahead of the game.

I am not going to let the fear of getting hurt or killed stop me from something that I like doing so much. I have been lucky--no accidents in 47 years of driving all kinds of motorcycles. There have been 4 memorable close calls though--defensive driving saved my hide. I am also a proponent of ATGATT--all the gear all the time.

[Pennyrick]

Both my wife and I ride with half helmets. It is a given that we would be safer wearing full face helmets but that is our choice.

No doubt we would be safer in our car wearing a five point safety harness... I would be safer wearing safety goggles when I use the lawn trimmer..... I would be safer if someone cleared all the deer out of the woods before I cantered my horse on the trails...I would be safer if I didn't like bacon on my BLT.... and on and on.

We all make choices... you just have to weigh things and make your own.

[bo9roadking]

My daughter was involved in an accident this morning she was driving a new victory cross country,white with lites on and an old fellow made a left turn in front of her in a 100 kmh zone.She hit the car on the rh 1/4 panel managed to keep her mc upright until she got it stopped.Banged the mc up pretty bad and her right leg driver claimed he never saw her.Police wrote him a citation.

Hope your daughter is alright. The driver should have gotten more than a citation IMO.

As far as the OP feeling safe, all you can do is try to protect yourself and enjoy life. I had a bike and as the sole bread winner, I would get a sinking feeling in my stomach everytime I got on the bike to ride. I always wondered if today would be the day that my wife would have to fend for herself. After a while, I stopped riding because I didn't like the feeling.

I got over that feeling by making sure that my wife would be taken care of if something happened to me. The next thing that I did was sell the bike and buy a spyder. Not only is the spyder safer than the bike, but now my wife joins me on the ride and if something happens, we'll go together. I know that sounds morbid, but at least we are trying to enjoy life and not stay locked up in our house trying to stay safe.

It is a mental thing that you will have to overcome. Even staying home is not "safe". Take precautions like a defensive driving class or a motorcylce safety course, wear your protective gear, and try to expect the unexpected. I wear a 3/4 helmet with face shield and a high visability riding jacket with body armor. Could I be safer, probably. Am I being stupid, I don't think so. Safety is about your comfort level. If you are not comfortable, you won't wear it. If you don't wear it, you are less safe. Get something comfortable that you will use.

[Bob Denman]

I am not going to let the fear of getting hurt or killed stop me from something that I like doing so much. I have been lucky-

[MikeinGA]

My outlook on riding is that I am in more danger walking in a shopping mall's parking lot then riding. SO! DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY!

Mike

[steve635]

Having ridden two-wheelers for over 30 years, I have to say there is some great advice in these posts. One thing I don't think has been hammered home enough is to ride at your own pace. Don't try to keep up with those who are more experienced or more skilled or just more careless.
On the helmet issue; you are safer with a helmet than without and you are safer with a full face than a half. That being said it's a matter of degree, how much safer versus how much comfort am I giving up? Where I live it is brutally hot in the summer (actually starting now) and if I were to ride with a full face, despite advances in vent technology, I'd be contending with sweat constantly rolling in my eyes. Is this safer? Personally I would never talk on the phone, or text, or fiddle with the stereo or GPS while riding as I believe these distractions would compromise my safety far more than a lesser helmet. Some people act as though a full face helmet is the equivalent of a personal force field... after working for years on the NOFD Rescue Squad I can emphatically tell you they are not.
As an aside, my personal favorites are the sportbike guys you see riding with $400 helmets, with
t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. Exactly what good is that helmet going to do? Do they expect to be one of those talking heads in a jar, like on "Futurama"?
Comparitive safety on the Spyder versus two-wheelers, the Spyder is the obvious winner, in that should I be on a wet or slippery surface I don't even have to be moving to fall over on a two-wheeler. Plus in cornering three wheels are going to have more traction than two, period.

[CyncySpyder]

And I have a healthy insurance policy benifitting my best (human) friend so that he can take care of Teddy if the worse were to happen to me. You plan for the worse, but we only have one lyfe to live, so you might as well enjoy this lyfe as best as you can My 2 cents .......

[Bob Denman]

The fear of having an accident can often be much worse than the actual having of that accident... If you live your life in fear, have you really lived at all?

[bo9roadking]

The fear of having an accident can often be much worse than the actual having of that accident... If you live your life in fear, have you really lived at all?

. It is about risk management. I had to deal with it and I'm glad that my wife and I have come to terms with riding a bike and the spyder.