something ive noticed...

[Chevyfazer]

Im on a few differnt motorcycle related forums and groups but this one it seems that by far there are way more post about accidents. No one ever likes to hear about a fellow rider going down so im curious about yalls thoughts on why you think this might be? Let me 1st say in no way am i trying to put anyone down because ive been down a few times myself, just curious on what yalls take is on this im sure im not the only one to notice it. Seeing how the fz6r is alot of peoples 1st bike could it be that sometimes we just get in over our heads? or maybe people here just tend to show more humility and not afraid to own up to a accident?

 

[Superzoom]

I've wondered about that as well, and I think it's a combination of a fair number of less experienced riders, and since it's a sporty bike, a lot of riders push it in the corners.

 

[Detrich]

i think ppl on this forum are just more honest about it... the truth be told, there are tons of bike accidents everywhere, everyday. even amongst acquaintances, friends etc., there are countless of people who go down every week. it's a numbers game, and all we can do, individually, is to try our best to manage that risk.

in the beginning, when we all first start riding, the risk is actually VERY high. this is because, although we know how to ride, we still aren't very comfortable yet managing ourselves IN TRAFFIC, which takes a lotta time to learn. and, it can be both chaotic and stressful. heck, i got rear-ended at a red light the 3rd week i was out practicing in a quiet, residential street near my house, of all places. soccer moms can't see shit to save their lives!

so, the more seat time you put on, the more gradual this risk will go down- PROVIDED that you ride & develop good safety habits. not always- but majority of the time, when accidents happen, it's because someone fucked up. and, riding defensively means WE need to anticipate everything that could go wrong- including other ppl's fuck ups too!

one thing that i think helps a lot is to just stay off the road during peak hours- ie commuting hours. that's when drivers are either tired or eager to get home or get to work. and, they are most likely to not see us or driving more aggressively. not all of us can do this, of course- esp those that commute on a bike. but, those who commute on 2 wheels need to be extra careful.

within the last 3 or so weeks, i've read at least 3 or 4 mishaps by ppl on FB who either got hit or went down during the pm commute... wrecked bike, hospital bills... ugh. it's a nightmare.

 

[06330i]

I think a lot of people on this forum are newer riders, so they have a lesser riding experience. I'm not saying ALL people on here are less experienced so lets not blow this out of context. And yes, I think this forum is more like a family, there's a lot less fz6rs out there than gsxr 600's. We are closer knit.

 

[BKP]

Well... if you look at the statistics (and this is just one example):

http://www.mile-muncher.co.uk/dft_rdsafety_035422.pdf

Supersports are (not surprisingly) involved in 2-1/2 times as many accidents as sport/tourers. (Page 28).

Lots of interesting charts... One of the more interesting involves who is responsible. Take the lone-bike-no-other-vehicle accident out of the mix, and car drivers are more than twice at fault for causing motorcycle accidents, than the bike rider...

Anyway... to the point of the thread, I think it's more a matter of supersport mindset... not wanting to broadcast that they went down... particularly if no other vehicle was involved...

Then again, I might be totally out in left field...

 

[jamesgarfield]

I'm thinking it might have to do with the humility and sense of community. I for one am a member of ocmoto and never in a million years would I admit that I dropped my bike in the parking lot upon meeting up with a fellow rider. Here I feel that people are a lot less critical and and significantly more empathetic in their fellow rider's experiences. Just my .02

Nonetheless, I am much more active member here and am very proud to be a part the FZ6R community. I didn't buy my bike to to be criticized, I bought it to enjoy the ride.

 

[StarZero81]

This is probably the "closest" forum I've ever seen. New or veteran, everyone tends to get along as if we've known each other for years, and are overwhelmingly supportive . With that said, while its possible having more newer riders may have an effect on the numbers, I believe it's more that we are just more comfortable talking about such things than those on other forums.

 

[Adroit]

I really don't have any idea why there are so many more stories on this forum, but I definitely appreciate people posting them. I think I need to read some of these stories to keep from getting too comfortable while riding, and hearing about accidents can alert me to dangers that I wouldn't have otherwise considered.

 

[JonKerr]

This is probably the "closest" forum I've ever seen. New or veteran, everyone tends to get along as if we've known each other for years, and are overwhelmingly supportive . With that said, while its possible having more newer riders may have an effect on the numbers, I believe it's more that we are just more comfortable talking about such things than those on other forums.

I think this is exactly it. A combination of newer riders and that fact we're all comfortable to talk about it without being embarrassed. I don't think there's anymore accidents among our members. On a lot of other forums, people are very judgmental, hypocritical, and quick to rag on people when they make mistakes. Here, you get more support than anything.

 

[CrazyCawi]

A) were not afraid to admit our mistakes
B) were a family here and very very very rarely do we hand out verbal beat-downs
C) the fz6r is a stepping stone bike. I have never been down but I know a lot of you have and thats okay, you rode, went down, learned what you did wrong, and lived to ride another day in a safer way Hey I rhymed lol

 

[JT]

like they say.. there are two types of ridres..... and why not share and allow other the opertunity to learn from your misatakes.

 

[alaskanflyboy]

I have to agree. We're a safe forum. Given the attitudes of most people on forums, it's far more common to find shame and ridicule for sharing about your failings. No one gets that here, so I think people are more open to talking about it. Go on a Ninja 250 forum and you'll find a lot of pricks telling a guy he doesn't even deserve to ride anymore after a car ran a red light and hit him.

 

[RooKie]

I find it helpful reading about people dropping their bikes and here's why...

1) I dropped my ride the first 2 minutes I was on it and was super ashamed. I felt like I was the only person in the world who would ever drop a motorcycle... then I joined this forum and realized that there's others out there who've had accidents as well and that helped me lose my fear of dropping the bike and concentrate on enjoying the experience.

2) I've been riding for almost 3 years now and sometimes I get very comfortable and start riding very aggressively through heavy traffic, but seeing posts about other's incidents helps to give me a very necessary reality check before I get back on my ride so that I don't take as many risks as I normally would.

Maybe seeing posts like these discourage others from riding, but for me it makes me realize that we're all just human and that, yes, there is risk involved, but I'm willing to take it.

 

[CrazyCawi]

It certainly reality checks me and reaffirms my atgatt mentality. The other day we went for a longer ride(60 miles one way) to Brooke's parents and I didn't want to wear my puma v1000 boots because they are heavy and I wanted to work on my bike there with her dads tools. Brooke reminded me who cares if they are heavy u wear them for a reason so put your damn boots on lol. I was happy she did that for someone who used to hate gear she has come a long way <3

 

[Invader Jim]

accident frequency

Sticking my neck out here but I think it is the FZ6R. Bought on my 6R in April. It was my first sport bike. Read a review that said the 6R is a good first sport bike, not not necessarily the ideal first motorcycle and I have to agree. That doesn't mean you can't start your riding career on it and do just fine, just that it is riskier than some alternatives.

In any case, I started on a Honda Rebel in 2008. They have an awesome forum, lots of great people and great advice. Also, the Rebel is truly a introductory bike so there were lots of newbies coming through as well as lots of seasoned vets. I rarely read about accidents. I read about at least one per week here. I followed the Rebel forums for the year I had it and then the next four years beyond that (because they are a great group) while my wife rode the Rebel and I rode a Shadow VLX. I have read about more accidents here in four months than I read about in five years on the Rebel forums.

The 6R is more challenging and less forgiving than a Rebel. In addition, sport bikes seems to attract more people who like to push performance limits and ride aggressively. The Rebel forums did not have discussions about chicken strips and scraping your knee in turns. We did talk about peg scraping once in a while though. It is a different type of riding. Not all people on sport bikes ride aggressively, but I believe a much higher proportion do than do on Rebel.

More aggressive riding is higher risk. Being a newbie is higher risk. Sport bikes are higher risk. Put those things together and you are going to see an increased incidence of accidents.

 

[Chevyfazer]

I find it helpful reading about people dropping their bikes and here's why...


Maybe seeing posts like these discourage others from riding, but for me it makes me realize that we're all just human and that, yes, there is risk involved, but I'm willing to take it.

I didn't mean it like no one wants to read about accidents if that's how you interpreted it. I meant it like no one likes to hear about the misfortune of a fellow rider, for in a perfect world no one would ever go down.

It seems the majority of the consensus is that people hear are just more open to admitting a mishap vs elsewhere fear of persecution. With some still getting in over there head but still not afraid to admit it.

 

[DragonBlu]

All in all a very good topic for discussion. Well done Chevyfazer!

 

[sammy56]

Im on a few differnt motorcycle related forums and groups but this one it seems that by far there are way more post about accidents. No one ever likes to hear about a fellow rider going down so im curious about yalls thoughts on why you think this might be? Let me 1st say in no way am i trying to put anyone down because ive been down a few times myself, just curious on what yalls take is on this im sure im not the only one to notice it. Seeing how the fz6r is alot of peoples 1st bike could it be that sometimes we just get in over our heads? or maybe people here just tend to show more humility and not afraid to own up to a accident?

Some people join the forum just to let people know they wrecked, then seek advice for repairs, insurance and legal matters. Many have just bought a bike, posted a couple of times, wreck, then post about the wreck.
Lots of newbs on this forum unfortunately learning some hard lessons and I certainly sympathize for them and in some cases for friends and family that have been hurt or worse and they are in my prayers. Certainly many veteran and skilled riders on this forum, but a large volume of posts are from newbs.
Just the way it is....

LB

 

[MNGreg]

I dont know why people post the accidents. I was initially embarrased about my "off". However, after being on this forum, im not anymore.

I feel that talking about the accidents can help the "victim" as well as everyone else learn what went wrong and what might be able to be done in the future to avoid it.. Maybe also helps reduce that "cant happen to me" belief, when you see other people you know going down.. Doesnt seem as remote of a chance anymore.

 

[dsanchez222]

I'm a new rider, today marks my 5th day owning a bike. I'm always watching motorcycle crashes on youtube, reading stories about crashes and things like that. The reason I do this is because of the saying "It's not if, but when". I know at some point I'm going to drop the bike. Because I'm new to riding I'm always looking for those things that went wrong when other people crashed to try and learn from their mistakes before its a mistake that I would make.