rvcycleguy

Excellent and well interviewed news piece on PBS with Judy Woodruff tonight. Fairwarning.org gave their slant on helmet vs no helmet.

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2006 C50c
White with ghost flames
Pwr commander, K&N, leatherlyke bags, tour backrest, 3 pc mustang, Cobra bars, Cobra boards, OEM light bar w/ driving lights, stk shield, vista cruiser, tank bib, stebel horn, Metzler white walls, dj drive, luggage rack, blue led lights.

2010-Guanajuato, Mexico
3 Sisters- Texas Hill Country
2011-Key West, FL
Sedona,Grand Canyon, AZ
2012-Big Bend,Texas
Santa Fe, NM and Colorado Rockies
PCH- LA to SF rt.

4d

Screw Judy Woodruff and Fairwarning.org



.

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I'm working on being politically correct. But its going take a VERY VERY LONG TIME

Jeffrobombero

^^^And if you do, please wear protective gear.

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vballz

Here's a quote on their website:

“Maybe we ought to save some of the costs when police or emergency responders go to the scene of a crash and the person is not wearing a helmet,” Dabbs said. “Perhaps they ought to be left there like roadkill.” Michael Dabbs, president of the Brain Injury Association of Michigan.

Another quote from the website:

“If you don’t wear a helmet, and you sustain a moderate to severe injury that doesn’t kill you, you are going to be a drain on society for the rest of your life,” said Thomas J. Esposito, chief of the Division of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care and Burns at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago.

Fairwarning.com -- what a waste of cyberspace, oh, and

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2004 Suzuki Volusia. Mustang seat and pillion. OEM Windshield. 2" Risers. 2" lowering dogbones. OEM Lightbar. OEM C-90 saddlebags. Cobra backrest and luggage rack. Cobra passenger footrests. Vance & Hines Cruzers. Cobra engine guard with Kuryakyn footpegs. Harley front fork reflectors. Metzler 880's front & rear. BackOff brake light signal module. Custom Dynamics LED tailight board. SpeedBleeder. VA lowers. BB's Windshield bag. One fine-looking lady holding onto me!

krislord

Thomas J. Esposito is just stating a fact

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Its about the ride, not the party after?

voldigicam

Despite Death Toll, Motorcycle Groups Strive to Muzzle U.S. Regulators | FairWarning

It's pretty clear to me that the government has the right to impose helmet use.

It's also clear to me that the government doesn't have a right to differential roadblocks.

Based on what I see around here in one of the motorcycle tourist areas of the world, I'd like to see more enforcement of:

1. Key safety standards for motorcycles.

2. Reckless driving laws.

I don't care particularly about speeding and don't care about helmets that much.

I'd also like to see a graduated license system with real testing. For cars, too. Even if it costs a great deal. I took a course and got a motorcycle license. I could have bought anything! There I was, with a mid-size bike and a highway, and a weekend of parking lot training. Based on the basic handling and bike use errors I see highlighted by our local twisties, this looks to be the main problem! Weak bike handling skills.

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Friendsville, TN - 25 miles from the Dragon
2006 Wilier "Thor" - mostly DA
2003 40th Ann. Volusia

Bob Penn

I live in PA where we have a helmet optional law. The majority of riders in my area elect not to wear a helmet including myself. There must be a reason for that. It can't be all muchoizim either. I know my reason is I find myself a lot more alert and aware of whats happening around me. After 50 years of riding I find that to be the biggest safety factor for me. Usually when I go out of state I can't wait to get home and hit the state line so I can take the helmet off and finish the ride more alert and refreshed.
I keep asking for a study of how many accidents are caused by what I call helmet fatigue and increased accidents and injury caused by helmets.
Every week we hear of another fatality around here usually caused by someone losing control and going off our winding mountain roads and meeting a tree. A lot of them are wearing helmets and fancy safety gear but they don't help when you meet a tree. Trees don't kill people, people kill trees
I watched that PBS show and noted they really didn't offer an opposing view. The self proclaimed expert kept saying the wearing of helmet would reduce fatalities. But when asked why the number of fatalities have stayed the same over the past years their answer was "well the number of automobile fatalities have gone down for the same time period". What they didn't address was, even though admitted, the number of new inexperienced riders have increased, and the size and power of their bikes have increased substantially. Not to mention a lot of these new riders are not true bikers, but kids including some old kids on ego trips.

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I didn't do anything yesterday and doubt I'll have time to finish the job today

472viper

I started riding over 40 years ago and helmet was madatory, I have just always wore one.

So much so that I "just don't feel right" without one, and I've tried several times.

For me, not having one is a distraction.

But I could honestly care less if anyone else wears one or not.

I ride with a group of 20 riders, about 1/2 do and 1/2 don't and I don't think the subject has ever come up.

Optional should be optional.

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2006 M50/C50/109fender/ SE 50 wheels and HD bags
2007 1600 Kawasaki Classic*SOLD*
2008 FLHX Street Glide 105th Anniversary #1387
USAF 1973-1977
SoDak ANG 1977-2010

Run my fingers across the bars of his cage and make the little monkey dance

danimal

The most recent fatality here- biker behind a pickup truck, attempts to change lanes, doesn't see truck slowing in front of him, hits the rear of the truck, falls off bike, head bounces off pavement, dead. Odds are that was a preventable death that probably would have resulted not much more than road rash. That's my argument on helmet use. It won't save you if you hit a tree at 60mph. It will save you when your head bounces off the street at survivable speed. But hey, the poor guy was just exercising his right to freedom.

janeuner

As long as the AMA is dominated by a mob of self-important baby boomers, the helmet thing isn't going to change. Every time the topic appears, the room fills with red herring and ad hominem, so I don't know why folk continue to bring it up.

For now, we need to stick with the tried and true way of selling to the baby-boomer demographic - make it about them. Harley already has this down to a science, so why can't NHTSA use the same technique?

For one, require Traction Control instead of ABS (but including ABS as a bonus) on all new bikes ("ensures maximum power is delivered to the slab!") because you can't question the baby-boomers pride. Another possibility - glow paint for a cool (also hi-vis) look at night ("dude your flames glow at night, that's awesome!") that continue to feed the ego.

Head restraints, crumple zones, airbags, rollover ratings - these are all things which protect the baby-boomer without any added inconvenience. But seat belts - the nanny state at work! Better to implement whatever safety precautions we can now, and leave the rest for a future generation.

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'06 Suzuki Boulevard C50
'92 Suzuki GS500E (sold)