Harley riders dropping like flies at Sturgis rally! [Archive]

cave weta

19th August 2010, 10:52

The headline says that 43 bike accidents resulted in 9 deaths in the BlackHills region
also sites -inexperience, inattention and complacancy....

from the article....
Riders either missed a curve, drifted off the road or into the path of oncoming traffic, or they were not paying attention to what was happening around them.

Eleven accidents involved collisions between motorcycles.

Eight accidents involved another vehicle. One man died in a campground when the motorcycle he was driving hit a golf cart. WTF!!:shit:

Motorcycles also collided with a tree and a deer.

Alcohol was a factor in six of the 43 accidents.

“If you’re driving a motorcycle, you don’t have the luxury of being able to not pay attention for a couple of seconds,” Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said.

Accidents happened on Interstate 90, on four-lane and two-lane highways, Mueller said. They even occurred on less-traveled roads.

Mueller believes this year’s increase in fatalities was due to a combination of factors – the heavy traffic, varying road conditions, distracted driving and unfamiliarity with riding in the Hills.

“We saw a lot of people failing to negotiate curves,” Mueller said.

At Nostalgia Cycles in Rapid Valley, Gregg Mach heard several complaints about inexperienced riders from his customers.

“A lot of people are from areas where there’s more flatland, and they’re riding too fast,” Mach said.

People familiar with the Black Hills know they have to ride the curves at the designated speed limit, he said. Riders often mentioned riders who “just came flying by them” driving too fast for the road conditions.

A trip to the Sturgis motorcycle rally is a first-time experience for many riders, Mach said. They are thrilled to ride in the Hills, surrounded by wildlife and beautiful scenery, but they don’t think about what could be around the next corner.

Riders who switch from a smaller motorcycle to a heavier motorcycle will also have difficulty navigating in the Hills, Mach said, especially if they are inexperienced.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/sturgisrallydaily/article_5a61ac76-aa77-11df-8213-001cc4c03286.html

all this makes me think.... when is the next CoroGP?
.

Str8 Jacket

19th August 2010, 11:02

“If you’re driving a motorcycle, you don’t have the luxury of being able to not pay attention for a couple of seconds,” Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said.

WTF?!? If you're *driving* any vehicle on the road you do not have this luxury!!

Anyway, as you were....

dipshit

19th August 2010, 11:07

Bloody cars... we need better training for car drivers.!

Swoop

19th August 2010, 11:13

Bloody sport bike riders' thinking they are Rossi!!!!:angry:

Oh, hang on a second. Tassle fever.
Bloody accountants!:yes::shifty:

breakaway

19th August 2010, 11:33

slofox

19th August 2010, 11:34

Motorcycles also collided with a tree and a deer.

Wot?...all by themselves huh?

dipshit

19th August 2010, 11:37

Wot?...all by themselves huh?

The tree jumped out at him.

slofox

19th August 2010, 11:41

The tree jumped out at him.

Riiiiiiight.... S'pose ya get that over there in them there yewknighted shtates...

dipshit

19th August 2010, 11:51

Riiiiiiight.... S'pose ya get that over there in them there yewknighted shtates...

I've seen people here in KB blame the council of a small town for a motorcyclist's death after hitting a tree... for having the tree there in the first place. I shit you not.

slofox

19th August 2010, 12:05

I've seen people here in KB blame the council of a small town for a motorcyclist's death after hitting a tree... for having the tree there in the first place. I shit you not.

Anything's possible on KB...

Me, I blame Suzuki for making the gixxer go so fast...

cave weta

19th August 2010, 13:20

[QUOTE=

^^ Average harley riders. I'm not surprised at all.[/QUOTE]

What a laugh! all balls, no brains and a 1/2 ton bike with no brakes!

( I must be extra careful next week- Im taking the CEO of tourism New Zealand on a pillion passenger tour on the Coro loop with Bularangi Harley Tours)

Banditbandit

19th August 2010, 14:44

[QUOTE=breakaway;1129839228
^^ Average harley riders. I'm not surprised at all.[/QUOTE]

You can see that happening ... the dumb shit hits the brakes, which stands the bike up, so he's going to mess it up .. then he locks the back wheel ... and the bike slides off the road ... Doh !

(I didn't know the brakes on Harleys were good enough to lock up ...)

And look at the gear they're wearing .. helmets, but short sleeved shirts .. no jackets ... gloves ...

No wonder the dumb shits are falling off and getting killed on the way to Sturgis ... all that testosterone mixed with large quantities of stupidity ..

pritch

19th August 2010, 15:09

Deer are a serious problem in some parts of the USA and motorcyclists do get killed by them.

Twisted Throttle recounts a near miss in his book and Peter Egan (Cycle World) lost a friend to one.

If I was going to Oz I'd be getting off the road earlyish so as to avoid roos too.

Just as well we only have cattle to worry about? :whistle:

slofox

19th August 2010, 15:39

D

Just as well we only have cattle to worry about? :whistle:

And SHEEP! Don't forget the sheep...DAMHIK...

WuZards-Eugene

19th August 2010, 15:56

Its definitely a bad mix to get some who doesn't yet know how to corner a bike, and then throw them onto a bike that doesn't know how to corner.

MotoKuzzi

19th August 2010, 16:05

^^ Average harley riders. I'm not surprised at all.

I shouldn't laugh but that really looked hilarious:shit:

Lurch

19th August 2010, 16:10

According to the article around 500,000 people show up over the course of that rally, the accident rate isn't that bad when you think about it.

ducatijim

19th August 2010, 16:14

If I was going to Oz I'd be getting off the road earlyish so as to avoid roos too.

Just as well we only have cattle to worry about? :whistle:

...errr, roos,+ emus, wombats, some rather large monitor lizards( that you wouldn't want mad!), feral cattle( these can chase you!), pigs, goats.....landcruisers....:shit:

Off the road 30min before dark a must!

george formby

19th August 2010, 16:23

Without being overtly disrespectful too mercans, quite a few I have met holidaying here have only a passing acquaintance with corners & clutches. Particularly if they are from the mid west.
Imagine the carnage if we had 100 000 bikers spending the weekend on the Coromandel.:gob:

Big Dave

19th August 2010, 16:36

( I must be extra careful next week- Im taking the CEO of tourism New Zealand on a pillion passenger tour on the Coro loop with Bularangi Harley Tours)

If that needs some bike media coverage let me know.

duckonin

19th August 2010, 18:57

At the bottom on the same page, 4 motorcyclists returning home from Sturgis were killed when a pickup crossed the center line hitting them head on, the 21 year old driving the pickup was treated for minor injuries..

Hitcher

19th August 2010, 19:58

Having been to Sturgis and seeing first hand how some of those attending ride, I'm not surprised by this accident rate. Indeed I'm surprised it's not higher.

A common US riding pattern is to ride directly alongside another bike in the same lane. I've seen them riding three wide. That kind of reduces the margin of error, particularly when corners are encountered and one of the parallel bikes drifts off line.

Then they generally have only a cotton T-shirt, jeans, raybans, boots and fingerless gloves to save them from imminent carnage, or worse. South Dakota is a helmetless state. The only mandatory protection to be worn by riders is "eye protection". Go figure.

BIG DOUG

19th August 2010, 22:06

yes you have to watch for deer over there we were standing at the top end of deadwood looking down on the highway when two deer ran across the motorway freaked a couple of guy's on bikes out,and most roads around sturgis are speed limited lower during the rally,but it is worth going to ,great roads around that area.

Muppet

20th August 2010, 08:08

duckonin

20th August 2010, 09:26

After looking at the vid..:shit: And those boys have a 'licence to ride,' Really !!!

Big Dave

20th August 2010, 09:45

Look at the fat guy at 1.07 in the video, says it all doesn't it? I bet his nickname is Bubba, Moose, Spud or Maddog.

Not picking on ya - general discussion response - I went on a KB ride once. A nerdy kid on a 250 did pretty much that same crash stunt. Does that say it all?

What about the 499,950 riders who didn't have an incident. What does that say?

There are plenty of good coonts who attend that rally and they don't deserved to get dissed because there are dickheads in the world - riding all sorts of bikes.

Personally - I'd like to photograph it (and Daytona) but it sounds like my idea of hell.

Muppet

20th August 2010, 11:35

Not picking on ya - general discussion response - I went on a KB ride once. A nerdy kid on a 250 did pretty much that same crash stunt. Does that say it all?

What about the 499,950 riders who didn't have an incident. What does that say?

There are plenty of good coonts who attend that rally and they don't deserved to get dissed because there are dickheads in the world - riding all sorts of bikes.

Personally - I'd like to photograph it (and Daytona) but it sounds like my idea of hell.

No problem Big guy, I've made a similar cock-up (didn't overtake on double yellows though) to what that guy on the bike did about 10 years ago. I misjudged a decreasing radius corner on the coast and panicked. Only I jumped off before I went over.

I was having a go at that slob without the proper gear on. Any fatality is too many in my book.

Big Dave

20th August 2010, 12:41

No arguments there - I found this while surfing around recently - I'm going to recreate it with photos and photoshop it.

But I think I'll make it 'cool gear' and 'fool gear'.

216590

gatch

20th August 2010, 16:50

That video is awesome. Whats makes me cringe is the second guy made exactly the same cock up just not to the same extent.

SO they do know what corners are, just not how to navigate around them..

Paul in NZ

20th August 2010, 20:49

Actually - Knowing next to nothing about Sturgis but a lot about motorcyclists... I reckon if you looked at the stats I bet there were more cardiac arrests, STD and HIV infections, staph infections, alcohol poisenings (what ever - first sign is a lack of spelling stuff) and other general deaths by consumption than were deaths by actually riding motorcycles...

BIG DOUG

20th August 2010, 21:35

You have to go big dave ,the broken spoke campground is the shit if you want to see some freakie shit I 'm going back in 2012 or 2013 and I'm going to ride my 51pan from la to sturgis can't freakin wait.

rocketman1

20th August 2010, 21:36

Bloody sport bike riders' thinking they are Rossi!!!!:angry:

Oh, hang on a second. Tassle fever.
Bloody accountants!:yes::shifty:

Dont think I saw one sport bike at Sturgis!!

Rogue Rider

20th August 2010, 21:39

I have had experience with some american riders. The ones I have dealt with like straight roads and have the handling ability of a 4 year old on a quad.......

For a nation of riders historically, like cowboys and indians, they shore have alot of learning to do. In saying that, there are like over 100,000 bikes at the event, a few accidents is to be expected......
I know alot of bikers here are novices, perhaps there are even more over there.

Big Dave

20th August 2010, 21:40

You have to go big dave ,the broken spoke campground is the shit if you want to see some freakie shit I 'm going back in 2012 or 2013 and I'm going to ride my 51pan from la to sturgis can't freakin wait.

Hmmmm - it's the crowds thing I mean. I d'nae like queuing up for anything. But I guess we're talking a-grade freaky shit huh?

Muppet

21st August 2010, 17:01

No arguments there - I found this while surfing around recently - I'm going to recreate it with photos and photoshop it.

But I think I'll make it 'cool gear' and 'fool gear'.

216590

Crikey I remember that poster very well, only it was a photo and in colour.

DarkLord

22nd August 2010, 20:54

You can see that happening ... the dumb shit hits the brakes, which stands the bike up, so he's going to mess it up .. then he locks the back wheel ... and the bike slides off the road ... Doh !

(I didn't know the brakes on Harleys were good enough to lock up ...)

And look at the gear they're wearing .. helmets, but short sleeved shirts .. no jackets ... gloves ...

No wonder the dumb shits are falling off and getting killed on the way to Sturgis ... all that testosterone mixed with large quantities of stupidity ..

American riders, bro.

Not all of them of course but when I was in California I often saw dudes riding in nothing but cut off jeans and flip flops. No helmet.... not even a freakin t'shirt :gob:

Banditbandit

23rd August 2010, 08:57

Deer are a serious problem in some parts of the USA and motorcyclists do get killed by them.

Twisted Throttle recounts a near miss in his book and Peter Egan (Cycle World) lost a friend to one.

If I was going to Oz I'd be getting off the road earlyish so as to avoid roos too.

Just as well we only have cattle to worry about? :whistle:

I had a red spiker jump out in front of me in the hills of Hawke's Bay ... I was doing just over 100 klicks over the rise on a hill ... had the back wheel sliding sideways .. the front getting close to locking up ... I missed it, but it was so close I could have slapped it's arse as I went passed the back end ...

American riders, bro.

Not all of them of course but when I was in California I often saw dudes riding in nothing but cut off jeans and flip flops. No helmet.... not even a freakin t'shirt :gob:

I once saw a guy in New Zealand pull on one of the most expensive helmets I've seen before climbing onto a Firestorm .. the rest ? T-Shirt, shorts and jandals .... Duh ...

Taz

23rd August 2010, 09:46

More common in the the black hills region but rarely reported are the mutant spider bears. Only defense to these is a Sperm whale mega blast-a-tron apparently.

Big Dave

23rd August 2010, 11:54

buellbabe

23rd August 2010, 12:32

Its definitely a bad mix to get some who doesn't yet know how to corner a bike, and then throw them onto a bike that doesn't know how to corner.

Don't blame the bike...HDs have no problem cornering...or stopping for that matter. I have said it before and I will say AGAIN...it takes balls to throw a HD around and its a helluva lot of fun to do so.

As for the gear or lack of...yikes that just makes me cringe. I see it here in good ol' NEn Zed too, the t-shirt, shorts n jandals outfit...and I have seen that on waaaay more sport bikes than cruisers.

The roads into Sturgis get so congested that it can be a bit of a nightmare. I bloody well hate sharing an unknown piece of road with a bunch of hyped up bike riders that I don't know (reminds me of a few poker runs I have been on). No matter how much clear road you try and leave in front of ya there is always some friggin idiot roaring past ya and diving into the gap. I have witnessed that happen so understand how easy it is for the motorcycleVmotorcycle collisions to happen.

Deer? Tree? Maybe when the deer leaped out onto the road in front of the bike the guy had no choice but to go off the road and unfortunately was unable to avoid a tree??? God only knows...

But like someone pointed out, when you consider the sheer numbers of people and bikes attending Sturgis the accident rate is not OTT. Afterall how many KB rides do we hear about where people bin???

Muppet

23rd August 2010, 20:26

Don't blame the bike...HDs have no problem cornering...or stopping for that matter. I have said it before and I will say AGAIN...it takes balls to throw a HD around and its a helluva lot of fun to do so.

You must be joking? Cruisers are notoriously bad at braking and cornering. Case in point: I was riding my 2001 R1 en route to Milford Sound a number of years ago when I came across a tourist doing a 3 point turn on a blind corner. I stopped a car length sort of hitting it. My friend on his 1500 cc Kawaski cruiser hit the front brake and locked it up skidding past the car and onto the wrong side of the road and this was after I lept off my bike and ran towards him wavving my arms. Harley riders will always tell you how much power their bikes have and how great they handle. I'm afraid the proof is in the pudding. I've ridden a Fatboy and a 1200 sporty and you can keep 'em!!

Old Steve

23rd August 2010, 20:48

I assume that a double yellow line means the same thing there as it does her? And the gear makes me cringe too, one of them did have a leather jacket though - probably more for looks than any protection.

I'm at the "lusting after a bigger bike" stage of my learners license and am reading a lot of reviews. The Honda Shadow and Suzuki Boulevard are considered learner's bikes in the USA. You could get your license and go onto as large a bike as you could find in most places. That's a worry. I know I'm a better rider now than I was 6 months ago and with 6500 km under the wheels of my 250, I can't imagine how long I'd have lived if I'd gone straight onto what we consider a big bike right from the start.

reofix

23rd August 2010, 21:27

we were lucky to get here alive ... but since we did ... we have the right to lecture others:yes:

BIG DOUG

23rd August 2010, 22:03

Hmm did a track day once on my fxd dyna went out in the medium group,going down the back straight see two lights blazing towards me,thats an r1 mesthink so pull over to give him some room we hit the top corner and fuck me I had to pass him around the outside then he blast's pass me on the straight I just shook my head wasn't you was it MUPPETT.

buellbabe

24th August 2010, 06:51

You must be joking? Cruisers are notoriously bad at braking and cornering. Case in point: I was riding my 2001 R1 en route to Milford Sound a number of years ago when I came across a tourist doing a 3 point turn on a blind corner. I stopped a car length sort of hitting it. My friend on his 1500 cc Kawaski cruiser hit the front brake and locked it up skidding past the car and onto the wrong side of the road and this was after I lept off my bike and ran towards him wavving my arms. Harley riders will always tell you how much power their bikes have and how great they handle. I'm afraid the proof is in the pudding. I've ridden a Fatboy and a 1200 sporty and you can keep 'em!!

You are entitled to your opinion but I am curious, did you own the Fatboy and the Sporty? Have you years of experience riding them? or are you just another HD basher? Cos I am NOT joking, like I said, it just takes balls. I know plenty of old school HD riders who can throw their huge bikes around like they are trail bikes. THATS how ya ride them, can be a little daunting for someone who is used to a nimble sports bike...

But I digress...my point is that they corner just fine IF you know how to ride them.

Don't blame the bike.

Blame the rider.

pzkpfw

24th August 2010, 07:51

Got passed by plenty of HD's - on the Bikeoi.

Grubber

24th August 2010, 08:04

You are entitled to your opinion but I am curious, did you own the Fatboy and the Sporty? Have you years of experience riding them? or are you just another HD basher? Cos I am NOT joking, like I said, it just takes balls. I know plenty of old school HD riders who can throw their huge bikes around like they are trail bikes. THATS how ya ride them, can be a little daunting for someone who is used to a nimble sports bike...

But I digress...my point is that they corner just fine IF you know how to ride them.

Don't blame the bike.

Blame the rider.

Sorry BB but have to agree with Muppet on this one. I have owned 2 Harleys for a period of about 8 years. I spent mega $$$$ on suspension on both and i can ride. There is just no comparison to riding a Sport tourer of any standard. Not even close.
Somehow i think you really know this too. Compare Buell to Dyna. Come on BB, you know they don't corner.

shrub

24th August 2010, 08:32

Don't blame the bike...HDs have no problem cornering...or stopping for that matter. I have said it before and I will say AGAIN...it takes balls to throw a HD around and its a helluva lot of fun to do so.

Harley's have no problem cornering or stopping, and can be modded to handle surprisingly well - for cruisers; but they will never handle or stop as well as most modern Japanese and Euro bikes. The key is to recognise their limitations - a single 10 inch disc on a 250 kg + bike will never have the stopping power of even my T Bird Sport, and there is the simple matter of ground clearance that limits the cornering of even the world's best rider.

I have seen guys on Harleys get into all kinds of trouble trying to keep up with faster bikes - what's the point? Harleys do what they do very, very well. For a big arse cruiser and pose mobile they are the bomb, but they make a crap sports bike just like a Gixxer is lousy for stonking along the highway 2 up at 100 kmh all day.

It often seems that there is a kind of short man's syndrome with a lot of Harley riders - they feel obliged to show the guys on fast bikes just how quick that big old Hog can be hussled through the corners. I remember a year or so ago I was on a 1050 Tiger heading up Gebbes pass and came up behind a guy 2 up on a Harley. He saw me in his mirror and tried to show me how it was done. There were sparks flying and he was using both sides of the road, yet I was sitting on his arse without even trying. The first chance I had I was past and gone - although I did consider pulling over and letting him get away in case he binned in front of me. Incidentally about 2 km down the road I came round a corner to see a Harley in a paddock surrounded by bikers - it turned out that I had happened upon Longley's Run with short legs and long stops, and it seems the lads had been empowered by Mr Beer's liquid riding skill in a bottle.

Banditbandit

24th August 2010, 09:13

Harley's have no problem cornering or stopping, and can be modded to handle surprisingly well - for cruisers; but they will never handle or stop as well as most modern Japanese and Euro bikes. The key is to recognise their limitations - a single 10 inch disc on a 250 kg + bike will never have the stopping power of even my T Bird Sport, and there is the simple matter of ground clearance that limits the cornering of even the world's best rider.

YUP ! On a Coast-to-Coast run a few years ago I was on my 1990 BMW R100GS PD (The big one with the 35-litre tank). It was a pig on tight and twisty roads. Coming down the Paihiatua Track into Pahiatua I got behind a big block Harley with higher bars. The guy was throwing it around, scrapping the running boards, having a great time. I was behind him on The Beast, in first gear and on the brakes thinking "very nice, but get out of the way ...".

Having had trouble behind Harleys on that lump of a BMW I don't even try to sit behind them on the Bandit. There's just no comparison. Harleys are probably great cruising bikes but there's no comparison to a modern sports or sports/tourer.

And there probably shouldn't be - we all enjoy riding the bikes we do - what's the problem? RIde what ya want and stop complaining about other people's bikes !

Muppet

24th August 2010, 21:15

You are entitled to your opinion but I am curious, did you own the Fatboy and the Sporty? Have you years of experience riding them? or are you just another HD basher? Cos I am NOT joking, like I said, it just takes balls. I know plenty of old school HD riders who can throw their huge bikes around like they are trail bikes. THATS how ya ride them, can be a little daunting for someone who is used to a nimble sports bike...

But I digress...my point is that they corner just fine IF you know how to ride them.

Don't blame the bike.

Blame the rider.

If you're throwing a harley around like a trail bike, then you need to update your life insurance!

Banditbandit

25th August 2010, 09:01

Got passed by plenty of HD's - on the Bikeoi.

Yeah .. the macho bullshit was certainly flying that day ..

rabidnz

25th August 2010, 09:35

theres a vid on youtube where some guy hits a small deer and cuts it in half, he was ok just got a hella fright and smashed fairings
lucky mofo!

Big Dave

25th August 2010, 10:37

I know it messes with the popular KB perception but I've ridden and tested pretty much everything in the various cruiser and bagger class of vehicles.

Modern Harley-Davidson motorcycles are some of the best handling and braked vehicles in those classes.

Muppet

25th August 2010, 10:45

I know it messes with the popular KB perception but I've ridden and tested pretty much everything in the various cruiser and bagger class of vehicles.

Modern Harley-Davidson motorcycles are some of the best handling and braked vehicles in those classes.

Out of interest Big Dave, did any of the hogs have ABS brakes? I spoke to the ChiP's chief mechanic 3 years ago who told me that HD were intending on fitting their hogs with ABS. One reason, apparently was that the police wouldn't use them due to the lack of safety features such as ABS. As far as handling and braking goes I rode my fathers M109R and I was impressed, steering was very vague though (it is a cruiser after all). Brakes off a GSXR1000, low profile tyres, solidly built and 120 bhp, very nice!

Big Dave

25th August 2010, 11:04

All the new tourers have ABS standard. I felt like you could stomp on the rear of the linked system on the Ultra and back it in slightly. No doubt it was only the gheyest amount - but you know, it 'felt' like it.

Same as the way you can light up the rear of a Rocket III roadster on exit if you can crank it over far enough on the square edge of the 240 section tyre.

M109 is very good - it's a GSXR setup from memory, I guess they are all pretty good these days - in the premium class anyways. They take a bit of getting used to - then they are sweet - takes me a day.

My theory is that you have to 'ride around' the 240 rear section tyres on all of them. Style over substance.

Banditbandit

25th August 2010, 11:43

Modern Harley-Davidson motorcycles are some of the best handling and braked vehicles in those classes.

Yeah ... yeah ... it's just a class of bike that's been around since 1919 ...

Big Dave

25th August 2010, 11:45

Yeah ... yeah ... it's just a class of bike that's been around since 1919 ...

And probably still the biggest selling.

Banditbandit

25th August 2010, 13:32

And probably still the biggest selling.

Image will sell anything

Big Dave

25th August 2010, 13:54

Image will sell anything

I'd don't care about image or what brand it is on the tank, but I'd still really like a new Road King (amongst about 10 others) in my collection. It's an enjoyable bike to ride.

scumdog

25th August 2010, 14:31

The headline says that 43 bike accidents resulted in 9 deaths in the BlackHills region
also sites -inexperience, inattention and complacancy....

from the article....
Riders either missed a curve, drifted off the road or into the path of oncoming traffic, or they were not paying attention to what was happening around them.

Eleven accidents involved collisions between motorcycles.

Eight accidents involved another vehicle. One man died in a campground when the motorcycle he was driving hit a golf cart. WTF!!:shit:

Motorcycles also collided with a tree and a deer.

Alcohol was a factor in six of the 43 accidents.

“If you’re driving a motorcycle, you don’t have the luxury of being able to not pay attention for a couple of seconds,” Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said.

Accidents happened on Interstate 90, on four-lane and two-lane highways, Mueller said. They even occurred on less-traveled roads.

Mueller believes this year’s increase in fatalities was due to a combination of factors – the heavy traffic, varying road conditions, distracted driving and unfamiliarity with riding in the Hills.

“We saw a lot of people failing to negotiate curves,” Mueller said.

At Nostalgia Cycles in Rapid Valley, Gregg Mach heard several complaints about inexperienced riders from his customers.

“A lot of people are from areas where there’s more flatland, and they’re riding too fast,” Mach said.

People familiar with the Black Hills know they have to ride the curves at the designated speed limit, he said. Riders often mentioned riders who “just came flying by them” driving too fast for the road conditions.

A trip to the Sturgis motorcycle rally is a first-time experience for many riders, Mach said. They are thrilled to ride in the Hills, surrounded by wildlife and beautiful scenery, but they don’t think about what could be around the next corner.

Riders who switch from a smaller motorcycle to a heavier motorcycle will also have difficulty navigating in the Hills, Mach said, especially if they are inexperienced.

http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/sturgisrallydaily/article_5a61ac76-aa77-11df-8213-001cc4c03286.html

all this makes me think.... when is the next CoroGP?
.

I was there - saw a bin or two (not me though!)

But having 500,000 bikes in the same area means there is bound to be one or two sub-standard riders who will fail to stay upright and/or on their bike.:yes:

scumdog

25th August 2010, 14:32

The headline says that 43 bike accidents resulted in 9 deaths in the BlackHills region
also sites -inexperience, inattention and complacancy....

from the article....
Riders either missed a curve, drifted off the road or into the path of oncoming traffic, or they were not paying attention to what was happening around them.

Eleven accidents involved collisions between motorcycles.

Eight accidents involved another vehicle. One man died in a campground when the motorcycle he was driving hit a golf cart. WTF!!:shit:

Motorcycles also collided with a tree and a deer.

Alcohol was a factor in six of the 43 accidents.

“If you’re driving a motorcycle, you don’t have the luxury of being able to not pay attention for a couple of seconds,” Maj. Brian Mueller of the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office said.

Accidents happened on Interstate 90, on four-lane and two-lane highways, Mueller said. They even occurred on less-traveled roads.

Mueller believes this year’s increase in fatalities was due to a combination of factors – the heavy traffic, varying road conditions, distracted driving and unfamiliarity with riding in the Hills.

“We saw a lot of people failing to negotiate curves,” Mueller said.

At Nostalgia Cycles in Rapid Valley, Gregg Mach heard several complaints about inexperienced riders from his customers.

“A lot of people are from areas where there’s more flatland, and they’re riding too fast,” Mach said.

People familiar with the Black Hills know they have to ride the curves at the designated speed limit, he said. Riders often mentioned riders who “just came flying by them” driving too fast for the road conditions.

A trip to the Sturgis motorcycle rally is a first-time experience for many riders, Mach said. They are thrilled to ride in the Hills, surrounded by wildlife and beautiful scenery, but they don’t think about what could be around the next corner.

Riders who switch from a smaller motorcycle to a heavier motorcycle will also have difficulty navigating in the Hills, Mach said, especially if they are inexperienced.

all this makes me think.... when is the next CoroGP?
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I was there - saw a bin or two (not me though!)

But having 500,000 bikes in the same area means there is bound to be one or two sub-standard riders who will fail to stay upright and/or on their bike.:yes:

scumdog

25th August 2010, 14:36

[QUOTE=shrub;1129842789]- a single 10 inch disc on a 250 kg + bike will never have the stopping power of even my T Bird Sport, and there is the simple matter of ground clearance that limits the cornering of even the world's best rider.

My Superglide T Sport with twin front discs, high ground clearance and adjustable front & rear suspension would be a better comparison....

scumdog

25th August 2010, 14:38

Dont think I saw one sport bike at Sturgis!!

I did, saw lots - even saw a guy with sneakers, T-shirt and jeans pass me while lighting a smoke as he passed me on his 'busa...

scumdog

25th August 2010, 14:39

scumdog

25th August 2010, 14:41

American riders, bro.

Not all of them of course but when I was in California I often saw dudes riding in nothing but cut off jeans and flip flops. No helmet.... not even a freakin t'shirt :gob:

You make it sound like they are doing something wrong....maybe a AC/DC t'shirt would have been better than a freakin one??