“Witnesses said they heard a small bang. After that, the vehicle lost control.” said Utah Highway Patrol Sgt. Jacob Hicks.

The investigation was centering on the rear tire of the motorcycle, he said. “It’s separated from the wheel,” Hicks said. “That tire should have been changed thousands of miles ago. It’s worn bald.”

Tragic, first thing I noticed it was a Harley and second the rider was not wearing a helmet. Those two seem to go together....the price you pay for being "cool" I guess. I can't remember ever seeing anyone riding around here without a helmet except Harley riders. I guess they think they are immune to the laws of physics.

Kruz

We have several young sportbike riders around here who don't wear helmets, or any protection, really. Shorts, T-shirts, tennis shoes and a hat put on backwards. So there's an element here that is thinking they are looking "cool" on a sportbike in a similar way to the Hardley riders.

Probably their brains have not fully developed yet... -bg

Ya,, I dont think Ill ever get the whole no gear thing on a bike.

Gear is all we have to protect us from meeting GOD all of a sudden when I was in europe half the riders I saw where waring sandles.My lil sis is an E.R. nurse and she talks about the riders that come in with their feet broken so badly that most need rehab. for 6mon to a yr When I see a rider at a light without boots for some reason I am compelled to yell get some boots Its like they have never thought that when you wreck that the shose are the first thing to come off We should use ours heads you only have one shot to protect yourself before you pull away from the curb. Put your shit on ...xxx's

it is rather amazing how little it takes to scramble your brains forever. A Hardly guy I saw on a TV documentary simply grazed a tree with his forehead at about 30 mph in a " I couldnt make the corner " expedition off road. He caved in his head and was never the same again. Lost his wife and family as he had become a completely changed and difficult personality to deal with. Helmuts make sense and keep you making sense..lol

It wouldn't hurt to take a moment for us all to go and check our tires and say a short prayer for our 2 wheel brother who got a little too far out on the safety curve. Maybe he was going to Sturgis on a shoestring. Done that myself.

I can't understand why anyone would ride a sportbike without waring a helmet. If you don't wear it for safety, you have to wear it for a wind shield. I do see some people without around here though. Cruiser riders almost never have them on in this city. I'm so used to seeing Harley riders without helmets that even I think it looks wierd on the rare ocassion that they have one on. I always wore one on my cruiser. It was big thick half helmet but it was something.

alaskarider wrote:

It wouldn't hurt to take a moment for us all to go and check our tires and say a short prayer for our 2 wheel brother who got a little too far out on the safety curve.

+1 on the prayer and x10 on the tires. My first thought was "this is what everyone was warning me about on my baldy I was riding a while back." I don't hear about tires blowing from being bald real often but then again, most people don't ride them that long either.

Just got back from Utah on business....EVERY bike it seemed...sport bike or Harley, had dudes and dudettes riding with shorts, flip flops and tank tops....no helmets.....AND no sunglasses or eye protection! Is there something in the water out there to make these guys bullet proof....or stupid? They call em' "donor cycles" at the local hospitals in Utah for a reason.

Always a tradegy when a bike rider dies and it could possibly have been avoided by wearing a helmet. In SA, no helmet, no ride. A very strictly policed law. One that should be enforced everywhere.

. A very strictly policed law. One that should be enforced everywhere.

fukk dat

it is rather amazing how little it takes to scramble your brains forever. A Hardly guy I saw on a TV documentary simply grazed a tree with his forehead at about 30 mph in a " I couldnt make the corner " expedition off road. He caved in his head and was never the same again.

Yup, I agree. Helmets are designed to protect your noodle from impacts at or below 30 mph where statistically most accidents occur....they're also OK for glancing blows and protection from abrasion at higher speeds. They do a good job there and will save many lives. On a high speed get off...fahgedaboudit, the helmet is just something to scoop your brains up with.

Kruz

Maybe, but I think I will stick with wearing a helmet. Makes me feel safer, anyways.

I guess loud pipes don't always save lives. Tacky but I couldn't resist. Have you ever felt how thin a bald tire is its scary really. Feels kind of like paper.

I am always sorry when I read about a rider who died. Even when it is their own fault.

Interesting points some have made. We ride some of the fastest production motorcycles on the planet. When we are ready to start her up, there are a number of things we should have done first, just like a pilot before s/he gets into the cockpit and starts the engine(s).

Tire inflation, tire condition, disk brake condition, bolts, bounce the front fork, bounce the rear end, check the oil level, check the coolant level, check the chain tension and condition......

Then put the body armor on. No matter how hot it is. If its hot, ride faster. Heh.

I threw my beautiful ZX-11 away on an uphill 90 degree in the Santa Cruz Mountains west of San Jose, CA one Sunday morning. It was beautiful weather. The bike had a new, sexah swingarm, big rear tire, closed-loop fuel injection, lots of titanium engine parts, ceramic bearings, Ohlins front and rear, all in all about $25,000 worth of parts and labor. It would go above 200 mph no problem.

Anyway, I got into the uphill turn not paying too much attention. I had ridden this road up to the ridge road to go to Alice's Restaurant on a Sunday morning a hundred times. I was doing about 60 mph, so I expected the rear tire to slip a bit, and my knee to touch down. What I didn't expect was for the traction to just go away and for the bike to low side me at over 50 mph.

The bike tumbled end over end up the road, destroying itself as it went. I went sliding up the road on my right side after it, up the hill, and started to tumble. The tumbling beat the crap out of me. Fortunately, not literally.

When I slide off the road (thank goodness not on the cliff side) my helmet was worn down to the closed cell padding on the right side, but my gloves and boots and leathers had pretty well protected me. Except for one small place on the right calf where I'd gotten a friction heat burn bad enough to require burn treatment. I couldn't walk for 30 minutes because every muscle and ligament in my body had been bruised.

Enough of that. The point is, if I hadn't been riding with the body armor I'd probably not be typing this right now.

Anyone that says that helmets don't save lives above 30 mph is nuts.

kwanow wrote:

I guess loud pipes don't always save lives. Tacky but I couldn't resist. Have you ever felt how thin a bald tire is its scary really. Feels kind of like paper.

Yes, I have and i was really shocked. They say it's pretty tough but it is thin. I'm changing at the ware markers next time.