SAFETY: Motorcycle VS Snowmobile

[tomseal6]

LMAO


Cmon Tomseal, I think you've been somebody's bitch before LOL.
In all seriousness, leaning to ride is easy, learning to ride defensively takes time. It is more about being WELL aware of the people around you and trying your best NOT to put yourself in a bad position, it can be very fun and a big cost saver but you will need to train yourself to anticipate a potential problem before it happens.

Good luck buddy and enjoy your new Harley! and when you get tired of that 50 hp 1200 you can come over and ride my 120hp 1200 - Vmax that is!!

It's been modded, timing key, camshaft, exhaust sytstem, and all of that stuff so its around 100 HP I have been told.

This bike was a kit bike so is was not purchased at a dealer. The entire thing is Chromed and even has chome air horns!!!!!! Its pretty bad A$$

 

[Blkhwkbob]

If you rode around the village I work in, you probably would be taken out by a driver in less than two weeks. It's THAT bad out there. I literally see at least two crazy driving manuevers, hear three horns honking, and have to deal with residents passing work crews at 40 mph on side streets everyday. I'll stick with my Viper!

 

[cacsrx1]

motorcycle hands down safer. trees are deadly ive about owned a few on a sled. theres nothing difficult about riding a motorcycle. been riding them since 8 years old.

Riding a 5hp dirtbike back and forth in an empty lot for days on end doesnt count.

 

[S.X.]

It's been modded, timing key, camshaft, exhaust sytstem, and all of that stuff so its around 100 HP I have been told.

This bike was a kit bike so is was not purchased at a dealer. The entire thing is Chromed and even has chome air horns!!!!!! Its pretty bad A$$

I am no Harley expert by any stretch Tom, but 100hp out of that engine seems a bit out of line. I could be very wrong here but you should do your homework on that one.

No matter what you buy enjoy it Tom, but just be careful that's all. Tree's don't pull out in front you - cars do!

 

[ExpertXViper]

I won't start a debate on this one but you are right riding a motorcycle is easy, Driving everyone else's car while your on your bike is extremely difficult.

If you hit a "few trees" on your sled chances are pretty good that most of those where driver error, most motorcycle accidents are the result of someone else's error that is 100% out of your control, and all you can do is try your best to anticipate would could happen then try to avoid it.

Thank You S.X.!!!!! If you believe sleds are more dangerous or liable to be injured on, check on insurance rates on both machines fully covered. Thatll prove the point right there, my sleds are fully covered for theft, fire, and collision and I pay right around $80/month for 2 sleds. I know sportbike insurance will be at least double that if not more of a snowmobile fully covered.

 

[MrSled]

100hp.... NO WAY.... not out of a Harley.... Maybe a V-Rod

 

[ExpertXViper]

100hp.... NO WAY.... not out of a Harley.... Maybe a V-Rod

I thought the 1200cc Heavy(Harely) motors only make like 65-70hp stock and the V-Rod's were rated for like 110hp stock. Correct me if off with my numbers, I havent been reading up on this stuff in a while since I lost interest in owning a road bike.

 

[Mighty]

motorcycle hands down safer. trees are deadly ive about owned a few on a sled. theres nothing difficult about riding a motorcycle. been riding them since 8 years old.

Buddy, what you are decribing about trees is driver error. On bikes it's everything and everyone else you have to worry about. I'm 45 and have been on bikes since I was about 8 also, on roads since 16. I can't remember all of the times I've had car/trucks push me out of my lane merging over or turn right in front of me like I wasn't even there ............

 

[shortstop20]

motorcycle hands down safer. trees are deadly ive about owned a few on a sled. theres nothing difficult about riding a motorcycle. been riding them since 8 years old.

Totally different story on the interstates/highways and in large towns.

I can think of three instances right off the top of my head where I could've been killed while riding from other drivers, I'm sure there's alot more, and that's only in about 4 years of riding. I've never had that feeling on my sled.

My @ss still puckers up everytime I see a car that looks like it's going to pull out or turn left. If they don't see ya you're going over the bars, over the car, and splat. Happens everyday to lots of riders. More riders die from that every year than anything else.

 

[Groovetastic]

motorcycle hands down safer. trees are deadly ive about owned a few on a sled. theres nothing difficult about riding a motorcycle. been riding them since 8 years old.

The kind of person who hits trees on a sled is the same type of person who makes it dangerous for us motorcycle drivers and is probably the same idiot who likes to make right tuns on the left side of the trail. If you can't stay in control, SLOW DOWN, or stop riding. End of story.

 

[jr_amsoil]

theyre both dangerous no matter what. riding a bike at night or in a big city is more dangerous. where i live there really isnt much traffic for that matter the state there isnt. i ride in the black hills a lot and its solid trees. alls you have to do is hit a lil ice in the corners which there always is somwhere and that lil error and you can write your name on that tree. i have not hit a tree i came close. either way riding snowmobile or a bike if you want to have fun you gotta take the risk of the drivers out there.

alls they need to do is keep people like janklow off the road.

 

[DeviantSRX]

If you rode around the village I work in, you probably would be taken out by a driver in less than two weeks. It's THAT bad out there. I literally see at least two crazy driving manuevers, hear three horns honking, and have to deal with residents passing work crews at 40 mph on side streets everyday. I'll stick with my Viper!

Yep thats about the norm in Detroit as well, just factor in the pot-holes that a small child could hide in. I've hit some of those with my car and just about ended up on the curb with flat tires and bent rims, I could only imagine hittin somethin like that on a road bike, definately would not work out for the better.

I've riden dirtbikes, sleds, four wheelers, ect since I was about 8 also and I have always wanted some type of road bike to ride back and fourth to work and around the neighboehood, but with all the crazy on the road around here I've always been hesitante.

 

[DeviantSRX]

Just a little side stat.

I hang out regularly with about 15 or so close friends. About 12 of us have sleds, 7-8 have dirtbikes/4wheelers, and 4 have street bikes (1 harley, 3 'crotch rockets'). Sure we all have our horror stories about getttin hurt on all of them but our worst memory is definately of one of our friends on a street bike. We all now have an RIP sticker on our rides in memory of our friend who was killed ridin his bike on I-696 doin about 80 and had someone change lanes rite in fornt of him, never even saw him. That was a horrible day to hear about that. Since then the guys on the crotch rockets have definately toned it down quite a bit.

Not tryin to rain on your parade but like everyone has said BE CAREFUL and always watch out for the "other guy"

Have fun with whatever you get!

 

[horkn]

I am no Harley expert by any stretch Tom, but 100hp out of that engine seems a bit out of line. I could be very wrong here but you should do your homework on that one.

No matter what you buy enjoy it Tom, but just be careful that's all. Tree's don't pull out in front you - cars do!

I am positive that 100 real hp out of a sportster 1200 is a bit optimistic.
I am sure you can find someone's dyno that says it will make that power, Those optimistic dynos are usually found at a HD dealership.

I have been on the same dyno with my TL1000S that makes 120 rwhp on eddy current gas sniffer dynojet 250 dyno's with built up and bolt on 1200 buell sportbikes with that exact same motor and they at best pulled almost 90 hp.

Most make 80 hp with pipes, and carb upgrades at the rear wheel, the one that did the 89.xx hp at the wheel had headwork and an aftermarket piston kit. It may have even bigger than 1200cc.....

And I agree fully about SX's comment about trees not pulling out in front of you. Well, not unless you are riding with hobbits.

 

[horkn]

motorcycle hands down safer. trees are deadly ive about owned a few on a sled. theres nothing difficult about riding a motorcycle. been riding them since 8 years old.

I think enough people have commented on this that I really feel I don't need to add anything.

I will add a comment that my Mom made when I was young.

I started on dirtbikes at about the same age as you. My mom had no issues with me on dirtbikes, of course off of the roads. When I got my drivers license, I of course wanted a street bike. She was vehemently opposed to that notion. Little did she realize that the 84 Honda XL600R I had for a dirtbike at the time was a dual purpose bike, and it somehow got registered and had a current license plate. LOL

She still tells me to be careful even though she has no qualms about my skills as she has seen me on road courses on track days where I go ver 100 mph amost everywhere. 175 mph gets hit quite often. Now if you only rode at a race track, I would say that sledding and bikes are even as far as safety.


One odd stat I see all the time are that the majority of bike accidents are 1 vehicle accidents. Taht emans that the operator of the biek is msotly at fault. Personally I think the attitude of riding from 1 bar to another has a big impact on single bike crashes.

 

[horkn]

Just a little side stat.

I hang out regularly with about 15 or so close friends. About 12 of us have sleds, 7-8 have dirtbikes/4wheelers, and 4 have street bikes (1 harley, 3 'crotch rockets'). Sure we all have our horror stories about getttin hurt on all of them but our worst memory is definately of one of our friends on a street bike. We all now have an RIP sticker on our rides in memory of our friend who was killed ridin his bike on I-696 doin about 80 and had someone change lanes rite in fornt of him, never even saw him. That was a horrible day to hear about that. Since then the guys on the crotch rockets have definately toned it down quite a bit.

Not tryin to rain on your parade but like everyone has said BE CAREFUL and always watch out for the "other guy"

Have fun with whatever you get!

Please do not refer to sport bikes as "crotch rockets".

There is a time and a place to let a sport bike haul a$$, and that is the race track.

 

[DeviantSRX]

Please do not refer to sport bikes as "crotch rockets".

There is a time and a place to let a sport bike haul a$$, and that is the race track.

Dont get your panties in a bunch. If you dont like them being called "crotch rockets" then it sounds to me like you have one hell of an arguement to take up with the better part of todays society. Even though the politically correct title may be a "sport bike" or whatever you want to call them, I hate to tell you but most people call them crotch rockets. Its just common terminology.

As far as the track comment, I completely agree but are you trying to tell me you've never riden on an express way at about 75-80 mph just bearly keepin up with traffic?

 

[horkn]

Dont get your panties in a bunch. If you dont like them being called "crotch rockets" then it sounds to me like you have one hell of an arguement to take up with the better part of todays society. Even though the politically correct title may be a "sport bike" or whatever you want to call them, I hate to tell you but most people call them crotch rockets. Its just common terminology.

As far as the track comment, I completely agree but are you trying to tell me you've never riden on an express way at about 75-80 mph just bearly keepin up with traffic?

I don't wear panties. So I won't take offense to your comments. Most people call them sport bikes. If not, "superbikes" is another term that fits. I also don't like the term bullet bikes, but that has been used at some point.

The only people I ever hear anymore refer to a sport bike as a "crotch rocket" are 50+ years of age. If you fit that description, I will give you some slack. A few years back one of My Aunt's referred to my bike as a "crotch rocket" and I let her know that they are called sport bikes and that only old people call them what she did. I never heard her call my bike anything but a sport bike since then. I will leave it at that.

As far as the not speeding on public roads, I never said that I never speed. I just said that the track is the best place for it. As a matter of fact, with our 70 degree weather today, I rode in, and was doing about 75 mph through a 35 mph zone with many curves. I can't ALWAYS be at the track, but I try not to do that in traffic. For me riding at a 45 degree lean angle is very addictive.

 

[shortstop20]

i ride in the black hills a lot and its solid trees. alls you have to do is hit a lil ice in the corners which there always is somwhere and that lil error and you can write your name on that tree.

Trees don't move, cars move and when they do it's usually suddenly with no attention payed to their blind spot, just where that motorcycle is at. Then you add deer to the equation. I'll take trees sitting still any day over idiots on the road and dumb deer.

 

[DeviantSRX]

I don't wear panties. So I won't take offense to your comments. Most people call them sport bikes. If not, "superbikes" is another term that fits. I also don't like the term bullet bikes, but that has been used at some point.

The only people I ever hear anymore refer to a sport bike as a "crotch rocket" are 50+ years of age. If you fit that description, I will give you some slack. A few years back one of My Aunt's referred to my bike as a "crotch rocket" and I let her know that they are called sport bikes and that only old people call them what she did. I never heard her call my bike anything but a sport bike since then. I will leave it at that.

As far as the not speeding on public roads, I never said that I never speed. I just said that the track is the best place for it. As a matter of fact, with our 70 degree weather today, I rode in, and was doing about 75 mph through a 35 mph zone with many curves. I can't ALWAYS be at the track, but I try not to do that in traffic. For me riding at a 45 degree lean angle is very addictive.

Well I'm definately shy of your description of 50+ by about 25 years so no slack necessary. It must be a regional thing because I've never heard anyone refer to them as bullet bikes, every once and a while I hear them called sport bikes. I'm very good friends with the guys who run the powersports shop and Cafe Motorsports near my house and spend alot of time with those who are much more into those types bikes than myself and have seldom heard them use those terms. Unless the particular bike in question spends most of its time dedicated to the track, thats the only time I have heard one referd to as a super bike. Most of the time they are just refered to as whatever brand/model/size they are.


OK, this has gotten way off topic.... Whatever you call 'em ride safe man...