I realize you are trying to be funny. The truth is in many cases such as you suggest the driver of the car will still say,"I didn't see him!" You cannot control what the driver of the car does. You can only control your reaction to that. Many a rider cried defiantly dying on the operating table,"I was in the right!" So he was. Now what. The problem stems from our perception of driving. We look at bikes as toys not transportation. Driving as a right not a privilege. The term defensive driving never had more meaning than to a motorcyclist. You can go on ignorantly claiming to be well trained, visible, audible...whatever. Kind of hard to enjoy being right when you're dead. What I don't understand is why this concept is so hard for someone trading for a living to grasp. It's nothing more than reacting to what you see around you rather than choosing a path in hopes of being correct.
Actually not. Personally I hate loud bikes, but they have the advantage that you hear them first before you see them. There is a huge difference between cruising on a loud bike and speeding on a quiet Japanese, where you can sneak up on drivers without being seen. It happened to me, they came so fast that at one minute there was nobody behind me and just in a few seconds there are 2 speedracer going 130 or whatever... Also the biker's clothes can make a huge difference, specially in bad weather. Size also matters, because bigger can be seen better. Read up on the subject....
Whatever...obviously you have little if any time in a saddle. I don't care if you are on a "quiet" japanese bike, with a helmet and the ambient wind noise you don't hear much of anything until it's too late. Touring bike riders have extravagant sound systems using earphones embedded into the helmet. Can they hear you coming? How many cars have multi-thousand dollar stereo systems wherein you couldn't hear an F-14 sneaking up on you let alone that Harley with straight pipes? Look at all the people on the road oblivious to an ambulance in their rear view mirror. And as for the seen part, ya, nobody texts while they're driving do they? But it's still the cyclists fault when you plow into an oncoming bike while hitting the send button isn't it? Tell me, when those two guys came roaring up on you at 130 mph+, do you think you could have hit them if you tried? Dream on. Let me be clear. I have had a few good friends die in motorcycle accidents. Have you? So go about insisting you should have been heard or seen. Hold on to that need to be right. Until you have been in a motorcycle accident you don't have a clue. Peace.
Whats the best kind of bike for a beginner?.. sport or cruiser I like: sport: Yamaha R6 honda cbr 1000rr kawasaki ninja zx10 cruiser: honda vtx 1300s kawasaki vulcan
Cash, that depends on you. Seriously. I don't pretend to know what you'll be the most comfortable on. How tall are you? How much do you weigh? What kind of riding do you enjoy? Are you mechanically inclined? Do you enjoy doing maintenance? Where do you live? What will you use the bike for? Transportation? Commuting? Fun? Touring? PM me and I'll try to help. I've had dealerships for both Kawasaki and Yamaha in Seattle. Of the 5 you have mentioned the R6 and the CBR are the best built. That is as far as I'll venture right now.
I'm about 5'6.. about 230 - 240lbs. I'd use the bike mostly for fun on weekends, and maybe to and from places around town (but no interstate riding). I'm not mechanically inclined AT ALL, but I'm sure i could learn the basics. I've never done any riding before, so I dont know what I like. I want a sport bike because their sexy, and damn fast, but I like the cruisers because they're more comfortable, and would probably best fit my physique.
I used to ride a Lambretta GT225, anybody heard of them? I paid 150 pounds for one in 1967, now they want 3k, what gives?
Gee, i wouldnt regard any of those listed as a beginners bike. You want something with enough snot to pull you out of a dangerous situation in a hurry, but preferably not get you into too many! This is a great forum, and an educational sub forum, "face plant"- and dont forget, thumpers are more fun http://www.advrider.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=17
Bikes, shmikes... how many of you riders have the ultimate riding apparel: http://www.amazon.com/Read-This-Bitch-Fell-T-Shirt/dp/B000100IA6 Classy, eh?