[Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article

[Ronald Betts]

I think I heard this once , a long time ago.....There are only two kinds of bikers, those who have fallen and those who will. I guess it all has to do with where your head is and what kind of training you've had and what kind of gear you wear.
 
 
 
Peace...Ron"Desmohead"Betts 95 900 SPI've learned that I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy it!> Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:08:43 -0700> From: bigredxrunner at yahoo.com> Subject: Re: [Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article> To: ducati at ducati.net> > But you know in different areas of the country there is an incredible increase in RUBS or mid life crises folks on Harleys, unfortunaly I can site a few that resulted in injuries and fatalities, most of those guys not kids but grandpas or almost grandpas. maybe they rode when they were a kid and now 30-40 years later with retirement in their face they jump back on a bike with little to no training. Unfortunatley i look at my neck of the woods as being the perfect model for all of the trends nationwide...we have an incredible population of young military folks...who crash routinely doing all sorts of dumb things...this area has one of the biggest Navy bases and the AirForce at Langley etc etc. Add to that a fairly large retired population of military folks who simply stay in the area and weather that allows for a pretty long riding season and you see it all, 4 young uns running off the backroads on their sportsbikes one day and a 40-50something on his> Harley T boning a retirees Camry the next. Demographics are a funny thing, likely a fairly homogneous population of riders across most of the country and then real hotspots depending on the uniqueness of the population. I would not expect the sort of thing you might see in NYC to be anything like what we see around here. And anything common to small town America to be nothing like either. The extremes have always got to have an effect on the norm....I have literally sat in a group of young sailors and watched them brag about their bankrolls of tickets....knowing they would soon not ride legally if ever again. And I have known many many folks either teaching MSF or just crossing paths with them, guys with 10 year old Harleys with 800 miles on them. I can not tell you how many folks I know with motorcycles who are just plain scared to death of them and you wonder why they ride. Guys who are simply afraid to lean a bike at all under any circumstances,> and they are all over the roads, everywhere, there are simply too many people who ride motorcycles only for the image. Somneone who rides who does not understand or appreciate the simple mechanics of how a bike works, I mean folks who are deathly afraid of a simple lean in a turn and ride like automatons should not be riding I am afraid to say. They are an instant away from a panic just riding normally. And there are too damn many of them, unfortunately they are getting passed by maniacs on GSXRs or my favorite, the good friend who insists on doing burnouts on his Goldwing when he leaves work about every day who about lost it when he went from old apshalt to new base course with lots of fresh ooozy asphalt. You gamble long enough , the house always wins in the end. > > > ----- Original Message ----> From: John Whiting <jvwhiting at palomaresources.com>> To: Ducati Owners Group <ducati at ducati.net>> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 10:42:14 AM> Subject: RE: [Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article> > > I thought I was just reading a recent study that showed that sport bike> accidents/injuries/fatalities had gone down on a normalized/per unit> basis in the last year, whereas riders of touring-cruiser machines in> the 40-55 yr rider age had risen slightly.> > I gotta look this WSJ article over. You can bet the AMA is taking a> hard look at it. WSJ probably should have accompanied the article with> a picture of a GSXR 1000. My shop sees more of those come in for> repairs where college aged riders have tried to wear them like hats. A> fair share of monsters and SS's have also been 'road' tested, too,> usually by riders new to the sport of riding, but these crashes are> typically less damaging and cosmetic only.> > -----Original Message-----> From: ducati-bounces at ducati.net [mailto:ducati-bounces at ducati.net] On> Behalf Of Garth Williams> Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2007 9:31 AM> To: Ducati List> Subject: [Ducati] Uh oh- WSJ Article> > Hey gang,> > A not-so-good piece of press appeared in the Personal Journal section of> the> Wall Street Journal today. It talks about the rising rate of accidents> for> riders who own sportbikes. The picture they use- a press piece from> Ducati> with the 1098 pictured. Nice.> > It's an interesting article, but I'm not sure I like them using a Ducati> picture when the overwhelming majority of sportbikes on the market are> NOT> Ducatis.> > > Garth> *****> > Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors! It's a> motorcycle> stand superstore. Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate> shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike> stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and> discounts> everything they sell. Check them out!> > Visit: http://mcstands.com/> _______________________________________________> > > *****> > Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors! It's a motorcycle> stand superstore. Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate> shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike> stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and discounts> everything they sell. Check them out!> > Visit: http://mcstands.com/> _______________________________________________> Ducati mailing list> Ducati at ducati.net> http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati> Mailto: bigredxrunner at yahoo.com> *****> > Our newest sponsor, MC Stands, has just opened its doors! It's a motorcycle> stand superstore. Every brand, every model, 95% in stock for immediate> shipment. Whether front stands, rear stands, paddock stands, dirt bike> stands, or any kind of stand or lift, MC Stands tests, rates, and discounts> everything they sell. Check them out!> > Visit: http://mcstands.com/> _______________________________________________> Ducati mailing list> Ducati at ducati.net> http://list.ducati.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ducati> Mailto: ronaldebettsasalc0015 at hotmail.com
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