Visability through fear?

[Timber020]

Okay, with summer I sometimes wear my motocross helmet as its cooler. It happens to have an lycra over skin on it that makes the helmet appear like a big skull.

What I have noticed is that I get less people pulling out infront of me while I ride, they seem to see me easier. I have 2 theories about this

1) People see the helmet easier (although it has less visable colors than my road helmet)

2)The helmet is kinda generally scary looking.

3) The helmet has 2 big eyes on it, from our natural instincts we look out for creatures that are larger and threaten us. We "notice" eyes looking at us, so people spot me and give me room.

Maybe we could use this fear thing, should we look meaner?

[Jackrat]

Yeah mate you probably have something there.
I find mirrored visors present a very impersonal image.
seen from the point of view of some drivers they probably have a hard time seeing that blank faced helmet as representing another
person.Not that I am knocking folks that wear them,I think they look cool myself.
As I wear eye glasses I seldom use a visor at all, only if I,m expecting major rain,an seeing as how I only ride for fun,not as every day transport then that ain,t often.
I feel that if the opposition can see my eyes,they are more likely to see me not as a threat but as another person.(one can dream aye).I also wear an open face 50% of the time.They are real good for screaming abuse,even if they don,t care they certainly get to hear about it.LOL.
Cheers.

[Jackrat]

Then again you could always buy one of these.
Look good on the track???

[Coldkiwi]

I was going to suggest getting a holographic insert for your visor to allow tin and nice big eyes... but I think Jackrats suggestion will work as well as ANYTHING! where do ya get them??

Failing that: add fake dreadlocks, a gas mask and camo paint job to your dark visored lid like the bloke at the Coldkiwi Rally on the Rat bike and just eyeball people as you go past! looked downright freaky that did.

[Dave]

Maybe it works the other way-you dont have as much protection so subconciously your riding safer!

[Jackrat]

If you want to see some diffirent lids check this out.
Time for an Ozy joke ??
www.xratedhelmets.com.au

Have a look at their latest models,, upper left.

[Motoracer]

There were a lot of Nazi fans in the custom lot.

[Timber020]

Nobody is more of a rebel than a nazi after all! They rode harleys...no wait that was the us army.

The Nazis like bearded dope smoking overweight criminal types....no, sorry again Im wrong, they would have put them in a concentration camp.

They supported personal freedom and going against society.....oh crap, that was what they were against.

They liked under engineered, underpowered, overpriced machines that 50% of its development consideration is looks.....nope again not the square heads,the love modern performance.

They were against italian and japanese influence....no that cant be it either they were there only allies.

Okay I give up, why do the gang/wannabe bad ass harley fraternity like the nazi stuff?

[twistymover]

Projected negative self- image feeds back from others to boost a sense of power?

[Motu]

When riding down the motorway on my Norton with open megephones the cars would sight me about a quarter mile away,you could see them looking in their mirrors as I came up on them - better than riding a cop bike.

At the same time I had a BMW - coming down the motorway early one sunday morning with my pregnant wife on the back and only one car in front of me....as I come along side for no reason he decides he needs to be in the outside lane - bloody hell,that was a tight squeeze between the barrier and a Cortina!

ALL my bikes are noisy! just had a Supertrapp arrive this morning for my XT 400 :niceone:

[Lou Girardin]

Hi Guys, I'm back, temporarily.
Flip fronts are good for discussing drivers parenthood, only the one hand operation ones though.
Lou

[Coldkiwi]

yeah, certainly a few nazi fans. Still, with only half face lids on their bonce, they won't be a round for long!!

Lou, I've seen a letter in Performance bikes from a bike riding paramedic complaining about having to scrape up 3 blokes with flip top lids that had come apart in crashes. He was certainly of the opinion that they were more of a liability than a help.

thoughts?

[Jackrat]

Hey KC,Iv,e been riding over thirty years,most of them with open face helmets,I wear a full face as well,but when I choose to.
As to your comment that,They won,t be around long,How about 47 Yr,s and still going strong.You might remember some people think the same way about bikers as a whole.
And then also there are those of us that don,t buy a brand new bike and then promtly plant the bloody thing.
Maybe it makes me long over due but the last time I dropped a bike on the road was in 1987.You I think need all the protection you can get.
Have a nice christmas,an don,t kill ya, self. :)

[Motoracer]

I shouldn't butt in but here it goes:

I haven't riddin with CK that much but it sounds like he is a fairly safe rider. I would think that the late model sports bikes are more prone to accidents of that nature when compared to older model road bikes. All I am sayin is that shit happens and give the guy a chance cause it definetly has happend to me before and I know how it feels. Its bad enough as it is with out haveing people give you shit about it.

As for the helmet, I think he was refering to thoes flip top helmets (like most of the bike cops wear) and not open face helmets.

Merry X-mass and a happy new year to you too Jack :)

[Jackrat]

Well feel free to jump in when ever you like,It,s all cool.
Ya know I didn,t think I was being that harsh at all.
I resently parted with a late model duke,It didn,t seem any more or less unstable than any other bike,Come to think of it none of the late model sport bikes I have ridden lately have seemed any more likely to lay down than any other style.
The other thing of course is that If one does not wish to get burnt, then one should keep ones hand out of the fire.
I am sure that if KC should wish to take me to task for either my actions or my comments he will indeed do so himself.
Come to think of it every time I have come off my mates have given me bulk shit about it ,There,feel better now.
LMAO:D

[Motoracer]

LOL Yea, I guess I shouldn't make such claims with out testing both types of bikes. I was just saying that bikes these days have so much power available at an instant (specially the fule injected once) that if you aren't concentrating for a bit, you could get into trouble. But I guess the older big bikes had lots grunt (torque) as well. Ok I forfit my point regarding the more porne thing. :o

I guess I just got flash backs from the time I fucked up a nice bike doing exactly the same thing.

[Coldkiwi]

Two things:

my comments about flip up lids are the same as open face lids: A scary liability, especially the half face ones.

Point 1: (Ok... this got way too long when typing so I'll start a new thread eh?)

Point 2: Motoracer raises a REALLY interesting question about safety of newer bikes. Yes they brake better but are you not also more likely to get into strife with the much higher levels of power available? Possibly more forgiving chassis/motor combinations than certain machines of yesteryear?

I'd love to know if anyone's done research on this.

 

[Timber020]

Bike accidents are caused by a number of factors. Road conditions, speed, rider input, and the dreaded outside input of other road users. The first 3 you can often have at least some control over, but that 3rd one is up to lady luck, and she doesnt like you!
You could have an accident every time you get on a bike or you could get away with it for years. We do make our own luck but sometimes you just get dealt a crap hand and theres no amount of skill, bike handling and alertness that will get you out of.
I heard statistically bike riders are more likely to get hurt or injured during there motorcycling lifespan than a person entering the armed forces in WW2. Id believe it!

[Jackrat]

Here we go again.
BOOOOOOOARINGGGGGGGG:rolleyes:

[wkid_one]

Fuck - at the end of the day the rider has the accident not the bike - end of argument.  I agree with Jackrat........boring.

[Timber020]

http://www.thenoel.org/asianprince/

I wonder if he has a German style helmet?

[Lou Girardin]

I suppose anything's possible coldkiwi, but the Nolan N100 I use is approved for race use in the UK, so that'll do me. And it's much more user friendly for commuting, hot days etc.
Lou

[Hitcher]

Originally posted by Timber020
Okay, with summer I sometimes wear my motocross helmet as its cooler. It happens to have an lycra over skin on it that makes the helmet appear like a big skull.

What I have noticed is that I get less people pulling out infront of me while I ride, they seem to see me easier. I have 2 theories about this

1) People see the helmet easier (although it has less visable colors than my road helmet)

2)The helmet is kinda generally scary looking.

3) The helmet has 2 big eyes on it, from our natural instincts we look out for creatures that are larger and threaten us. We "notice" eyes looking at us, so people spot me and give me room.

Maybe we could use this fear thing, should we look meaner?

Jeez... You'll have the LTSA making it mandatory to fit those flourescent stick-on mohawks at this rate...

[jrandom]

There should be bunny ears. Stick-on pink and white bunny ears. Just not on *my* helmet.

Dunno if there's anyone around here retailing them directly, I've certainly seen a few riders wearing them but presumably they got them direct from Aerostitch in the States.

[Hitcher]

I think that bunny ears, or are they beagle ears?, are the preserve of the "Queen of the Rimutakas"
:eek:

[LB]

Hi there Hitcher - this is the "Queen of the Rimutakas" here. Complete with dog's ears. I have a dalmation set, and a brown floppy set. I lost one of the brown ones on a trip a couple of weeks ago (the husband wasn't behind to stop and pick it up). The sucker stayed on, but the cotton holding the ear to the sucker broke.

For non-Wellingtonians (and those Wellingtonians who I haven't yet met) I'm not called Queen of the Takas because I'm fast (I'm not - evidenced by my rather wide chicken strip) but because I sit up the top on the fence and "hold court"!!

Hitcher: I think we've met haven't we? Breakfast at Carterton one day a few months ago? Two matching Kwackas? Hi again!

Lynda

[Hitcher]

Originally posted by Lynda Blair
Hi there Hitcher - this is the "Queen of the Rimutakas" here. Complete with dog's ears. I have a dalmation set, and a brown floppy set. I lost one of the brown ones on a trip a couple of weeks ago (the husband wasn't behind to stop and pick it up). The sucker stayed on, but the cotton holding the ear to the sucker broke.

For non-Wellingtonians (and those Wellingtonians who I haven't yet met) I'm not called Queen of the Takas because I'm fast (I'm not - evidenced by my rather wide chicken strip) but because I sit up the top on the fence and "hold court"!!

Hitcher: I think we've met haven't we? Breakfast at Carterton one day a few months ago? Two matching Kwackas? Hi again!

Lynda
Good evening Your Highness

We met some months ago atop the 'takas back in our "250" era. The Hitcher family has recently upgraded its kit, with my best half now joyfully astride a brandspanking VZ800K3 Marauder and me with the ZRex. Roll on summer... Woo hoo!
:2thumbsup

[LB]

Hi there Hitcher - my memory is failing me sorry, so hopefully we'll meet up again soon. Pleased to hear about the new purchases. I won't be at the top of the hill for a few weekends - it's Manfeild this weekend, Morrinsville the next, then a bit of touring over the Christmas break.

Lynda

[LB]

I got my ears from Joe Lett Suzuki in Wanganui. One of the guys there had been overseas and bought a few pair back. Perry Lett and Charlie Brown used to wear them during the last Suzuki Series race meetings, which is where i first saw them. I thought they were really neat, so I found out where they got them from and got a couple of pair. Hamish has made me a new set to replace the brown ones, I bought some dalmation fabric. I'm not sure if they've got any left at Joe Lett. A Wgtn VTR rider has a pair of brown ones and a pair of cat's ones. You get heaps of waves and laughs from people when you're riding along, either pedestrians or people (esp. kids) in cars.

The ears are very "me". They make a statement....not sure what they say though.

[SILVER SUZI]

They say " i just ran over a rabbit and this is all that's left":Oops: LOL

[Coldkiwi]

Hitcher: I think we've met haven't we? Breakfast at Carterton one day a few months ago? Two matching Kwackas? Hi again!

Lynda [/B][/QUOTE]

not doug green was it? he's rolling round that part of the country on matching kwakas with his missus I believe.

 

[LB]

Hi there CK. No, it wasn't Doug (we know him and Viv well). There was two matching ZXR12's on a breakfast ride I organised a while ago, thought it might be one of those guys.