Why not be a power ranger ?

touge · 17 Mar 2009 at 15:33

rsatd said:
Goldwing is pretty much a car, not sure if real, but think it even has a crash bag thing. At least some images seem to indicate that. Maybe a joke though.

They do have airbags.

rsatd · 17 Mar 2009 at 15:34

Oh wow, they do seem interesting, but id hate to even attempt to doggie paddle one into my parking space. On the plus side, will take a few more then a couple of beefy guys to pick it up to dump it into a truck to steal

Phoen1x · 17 Mar 2009 at 15:38

id hate to even attempt to doggie paddle one into my parking space

That's why they also have reverse gear

rsatd · 17 Mar 2009 at 15:41

Phoen1x said:
That's why they also have reverse gear

I barely trust my doggie paddle to go into the right direction backwards, having never driven a car, id trust my reversing in gear even less

. They should so teach that during DAS

.

a1ex2001 · 17 Mar 2009 at 15:53

Phoen1x said:
Please do not think I am downplaying your loss in any way, but for your close group of friends to have been that unlucky, it means there are many many many other individuals and groups that have had not even the slightest problem. That's statistics for you.

That is true but it's no guarentee that I wouldn't be the next statistic. It's also not just death it's the nasty injuries that would concern me just as much I know to many people with dodgy legs and backs since accidents. One fall could potentially cost me two of my favourite hobbies hill walking and football your knees and ankles are just so vulnerable in an off.

Obviously I could get a bike tomorrow drive it every day and never have a problem it's just for me it feels like to much of a risk for too little gain.

Sagalout · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:02

Thats cool - everyone has their own attitude to risk.

I think these days though more and more people are less willing to take risks. When you think back to the days before even crash helmets were used, and blokes used to ride 100mph bikes around rubbish roads with drum brakes, and certainly didn't wear protection.....or the ones into cars used to drive around in not much more safety than a bike - no seatbelts, let alone airbags and crumple zones.

Not saying its good or bad - just an observation - but I do think society as a whole is losing a bit of its adventurous spirit.

flat-6 · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:05

Its not just 'perceived as dangerous' and its not just down to your riding skill. Lad I went to school with was killed last month by a driver trying to get his wife (in labour) to hospital. He was just pulling out of his drive.

I am sure its wicked fun but I think I'd kill myself. Plus you are 20x more likely to die on a bike than in a car.

Nebzor · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:21

flat-6 said:
I am sure its wicked fun but I think I'd kill myself. Plus you are 20x more likely to die on a bike than in a car.

Sauce?

a1ex2001 · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:24

Sagalout said:
I think these days though more and more people are less willing to take risks. When you think back to the days before even crash helmets were used, and blokes used to ride 100mph bikes around rubbish roads with drum brakes, and certainly didn't wear protection.....or the ones into cars used to drive around in not much more safety than a bike - no seatbelts, let alone airbags and crumple zones.

The trouble with that is that in those days the roads were a lot quieter so you were far less likely to go round a bend and find a soccer mum in an X5 on her mobile phone whilst doing her lipstick in the rear view mirror pulling out of a side road.

My dad will often recount stories of driving home after far too many beers when he was a student but in those days the roads were much quiter and the car they owned toped out at 40 so the risks were dramatically reduced!

I'm not adverse to risk I just way up what I stand to loose against what I stand to gain and the motor bike never comes out on the winning side. I do however still cross the street and risk death by crack pavement on a daily basis.

a1ex2001 · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:27

Nebzor said:
Sauce?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcyclist#cite_note-4

Wikipedia said:
Disadvantages

Motorcycling is a more dangerous means of transport than other road alternatives: the relative risk of a motorcycle rider being killed or seriously injured per kilometre travelled is around 54 times higher in 2006 than for car drivers.[5] However, motorcycling is less dangerous than many other popular outdoor recreational activities, including horseback riding.[6]

To address safety issues, motorcycle safety training and equipment is important for motorcyclists' survival on the road, and mandated in many countries and several U.S. states and counties.

thats based on UK figures apparently!

Gaygle · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:30

Nebzor said:
Sauce?

BAM (an affiliate of IAM) said:
Why do I need advanced riding techniques?

The cold facts are that our beloved form of transport is dangerous (as if we hadn’t been told that before !!) OK, so just how dangerous? Statistics tell us that an average car driver covering 10,000 miles per annum has a one in seven chance of an accident. We as bikers are:-

More than 35 times more likely to be killed or seriously injured.

8 times more likely to be involved in an accident which results in injury.

20 times more likely to be injured ourselves.

Admiral Insurance said:
Motorcyclists are over 40 times more likely to be killed in a road accident than motorists, last year the number of people killed on a motorbike increased by 14%.

UK Commission for Integrated Transport said:
Motorcyclists:[13]

although motorcycles only account for 1% of road mileage, riders accounted for 20% of fatalities in 2003;

motorcyclists are 40 times more likely to be killed than car drivers and 5 times more likely to be killed than cyclists.

Phate · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:31

I severely want a bike, and have booked myself in for the course several times but always cancelled as I really do think if I own a bike I'll be dead within a week.

However, I am older now....tempting.

touge · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:35

Phate said:
I severely want a bike, and have booked myself in for the course several times but always cancelled as I really do think if I own a bike I'll be dead within a week.

However, I am older now....tempting.

If you don't do it now when you're young, you will only end up doing it when you're older then everyone will accuse you of going through a mid-life crisis

Sagalout · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:39

a1ex2001 said:
The trouble with that is that in those days the roads were a lot quieter so you were far less likely to go round a bend and find a soccer mum in an X5 on her mobile phone whilst doing her lipstick in the rear view mirror pulling out of a side road.

My dad will often recount stories of driving home after far too many beers when he was a student but in those days the roads were much quiter and the car they owned toped out at 40 so the risks were dramatically reduced!

I'm not adverse to risk I just way up what I stand to loose against what I stand to gain and the motor bike never comes out on the winning side. I do however still cross the street and risk death by crack pavement on a daily basis.

I'd agree with some of that, but far more people were killed on the road then, but it didn't put people off.

And unless your dad was driving in the 20's cars didn't top out at 40 mph! I remember doing over 100mph as a 10 year old passenger in my uncles new Cortina back in the 70's with no seatbelt with everyone urging him to go faster lol.

Phate · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:40

touge said:
If you don't do it now when you're young, you will only end up doing it when you're older then everyone will accuse you of going through a mid-life crisis

lol. My Dad did it when he was in his mid 30's and now has a Triumph speed triple and he loves it

And people can accuse me of what they like, wouldn't bother me

If I were to take my test and pass I'd buy myself a Gixer 600...just love the look of them, I have no idea how they handle though.

Fastest I've been on a bike was on my Dads friends R1 as a passenger, 165 it read on the clock...jesus...what a buzz

touge · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:44

Phate said:
lol. My Dad did it when he was in his mid 30's and now has a Triumph speed triple and he loves it

And people can accuse me of what they like, wouldn't bother me

If I were to take my test and pass I'd buy myself a Gixer 600...just love the look of them, I have no idea how they handle though.

Fastest I've been on a bike was on my Dads friends R1 as a passenger, 165 it read on the clock...jesus...what a buzz

Just go for it, you won't regret it. I had just turned 20 when I got my full license and I bought a ninja ZX6R and I'm hooked

All the modern sports 600's(gsxr600, zx6r, cbr600rr, r6) are good handling and very fast bikes, can't go wrong with any of them really.

Phate · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:48

touge said:
Just go for it, you won't regret it. I had just turned 20 when I got my full license and I bought a ninja ZX6R and I'm hooked

All the modern sports 600's(gsxr600, zx6r, cbr600rr, r6) are good handling and very fast bikes, can't go wrong with any of them really.

How much, excluding the bike is it going to set me back? Roughly?

Vonsteve · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:50

I want to do it, I'm contemplating doing it later in life when I have more money, it wouldn't be a day to day thing maybe a weekend toy or something. I'm a car fan at heart, that will never change but I just have this urge somewhere in the back of my head to own a fast bike.

Pretty much in line with para though with the I'd probably kill myself statement.

Sagalout · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:52

flat-6 said:
Plus you are 20x more likely to die on a bike than in a car.

You're also much more likely to kill yourself in a car between the ages of 17 and 21, but no one waits until they have a statistically better chance of survival before taking their test.

isset · 17 Mar 2009 at 16:53

Phate said:
How much, excluding the bike is it going to set me back? Roughly?

A 5 day DAS course will cost you somewhere between 500-700 quid or there abouts.

I have no kids and no woman to tell me I can't, plus plenty of disposable income so I'm doing mine ASAP. Booked in for two weeks time in fact. I think its best to get it out of my system while I'm young (24) and stupid!