Accident report

[James Deuce]

This thread got me to thinking about airing a question about 'what happens if... ?'

Some will know that I'm currently recuperating after emergency brain surgery on 30 August. Seems that I was on the verge of a major stroke, or worse, sudden death due to a cyst being in a not very good place inside my grey matter. Anyways... how would I have counted statistically if I had had that stroke or sudden death while I was riding on a straight peice of road in the 'rapa at about 100kph, or even coming up or going down the 'takas with the boys? Would I have just been one of those stupid over 40's on a supersport bike who was playing above his weight? I'm sure that's how it would have been represented in the press in the immediate aftermath, but what about in the statistics in the long run?

Just putting it out there.

If your family allowed an autopsy, and the occluded blood vessel or ruptured cyst was discovered the stats would be recorded very differently. There are a bunch of clues that things like embolisms and aneurysms leave that will be immediately obvious to any pathologist.

By the way: I'm pleased you're still with us mate.

[quickbuck]

If your family allowed an autopsy, and the occluded blood vessel or ruptured cyst was discovered the stats would be recorded very differently. There are a bunch of clues that things like embolisms and aneurysms leave that will be immediately obvious to any pathologist.

By the way: I'm pleased you're still with us mate.

Exactly....
And +1 you are still with us.

[FROSTY:Me]

Just a lil side note. I have had my eyes fixed many years ago so I had 20/20 vision. I was a lil worried about my racing because one eye was getting lazy.
My eye doctor was quite clear on this point. Human beings are MONOCULAR at any distance beyond 40 feet. I figure a man in the business of eyesight probably knows wot he's on about.

[Paul in NZ]

Some will know that I'm currently recuperating after emergency brain surgery on 30 August. Seems that I was on the verge of a major stroke, or worse, sudden death due to a cyst being in a not very good place inside my grey matter. .

Fudge - emergency brain surgery... gleep, that would take the gloss off your turds.. Glad you are OK...

Look - it's just stats OK - there are any number of suicides and assorted mechanical or health issues that are misreported but I assume the incidences of these are relatively constant - except possibly in the 80's and 90's more people were topping themselves because of the crap music - HOWEVER it's the trends that are interesting and even counting the oddballs - a LOT of, indeed probably most motorcycle accidents are NOT the fault of other drivers...

Its serious food for thought!

[quickbuck]

Human beings are MONOCULAR at any distance beyond 40 feet. I figure a man in the business of eyesight probably knows wot he's on about.

Heck.... But when you think about it we are..... We use a variety of other tools to judge distances beyond that.
Relative size being one....

So to add to that, this makes is so hard to judge the speed of a motorcycle coming toward you. The headlight (if on) is the most visible thing, and it won't appear to change it's size at any appreciable rate.....

Hmmmmm... This road riding thing is starting to give me the willies.

[Paul in NZ]

I figure a man in the business of eyesight probably knows wot he's on about.

Yeah, I purchased a Mazda 626 4WS off a guy in the auto industry - he was bound to know a thing or two eh? (the bastard - we ended up on 1st name terms with Mazda service managers in 3 major cities)

[jrandom]

If you hold a race license, no road license. More shouting, I know, but it seems to me that a race license seems to convey a sense of invulnerability to the fast road rider.

Dunno about a sense of invulnerability. More like a sense of how fookin dangerous a place the road is. At least, that's how it is for me.

I have a race licence and no road licence, now, and the road licence will be going away in a drawer for a few extra months when I get it back, I think. I'm surprised at how comfortable I am with things as they are.

[Paul in NZ]

So to add to that, this makes is so hard to judge the speed of a motorcycle coming toward you. .

I'm thinking the problem is that its hard for motorcyclists to judge the speed of the landscape coming towards them...

[James Deuce]

Just a lil side note. I have had my eyes fixed many years ago so I had 20/20 vision. I was a lil worried about my racing because one eye was getting lazy.
My eye doctor was quite clear on this point. Human beings are MONOCULAR at any distance beyond 40 feet. I figure a man in the business of eyesight probably knows wot he's on about.

Yeah but when your mate follows a bike at less the 40 feet, in his car, and you have to shout out a warning as the blissfully unaware biker is about to disappear under the front of the car. You know what I'm saying right? Or those guys that just ride right into the back of things repeatedly? Or stop in the middle of intersections all the time. I'm not talking about normal human eyesight I'm talking about people who put their hand out to shake and accidentally hit you in the chest.

[Titanium]

Yes, that's why my conclusion was quickly arrived at. A majority of fatal and injury crashes are the rider's fault, and a majority involve 'losing control of the motorcycle'.

Ergo, we die because we don't know how to ride.

Or we die because we think we know how to ride, but in reality we dont .....

Good report.

[Paul in NZ]

Or we die because we think we know how to ride, but in reality we dont .....

Good report.

Oh we know how to ride - we are just obsessed with riding faster and faster. ANYONE could ride nearly any bike at the speed limit and I doubt they would ever have many issues...

[James Deuce]

Dunno about a sense of invulnerability. More like a sense of how fookin dangerous a place the road is. At least, that's how it is for me.

I have a race licence and no road licence, now, and the road licence will be going away in a drawer for a few extra months when I get it back, I think. I'm surprised at how comfortable I am with things as they are.

It usually goes one of two ways. Road riding takes a back seat altogether, or arrogant disdain for other snail-like road users while riding on the road at warp speed.

[quickbuck]

I'm thinking the problem is that its hard for motorcyclists to judge the speed of the landscape coming towards them...

One thing I do is "Keep my eyes looking up the road".
Target fixation on the objects on the side of the road is never good.

[Titanium]

Oh we know how to ride - we are just obsessed with riding faster and faster. ANYONE could ride nearly any bike at the speed limit and I doubt they would ever have many issues...

But that would be boring and not so cool ... lets ride it on just 1 wheel at the speed limit, or lane split, or pass on blind corners, geez we could do all that on 1 wheel as well ............

Then our mates would think we new how to ride as well .......

so many other factors apart from speed ... problem is with the organic matter between throttle and seat!

[Paul in NZ]

One thing I do is "Keep my eyes looking up the road".
Target fixation on the objects on the side of the road is never good.

I probably don't go that fast to worry about it - I just wobble along occasionally reaching down and giving Vickis leg a squeeze, pondering the next coffee stop, wondering if my bladder will burst and going bbbrrrrm, waaaah, bbrrrrrm in my helmet in between mangling old queen songs that I can only remember some of the words to....