If motorbikes were invented today...

[homie]

and not grandfathered into our society there's no way one would ever be legal on the streets.
Manufacturers would face impossible safety standards, seat belts, helmets etc.
Endless lawsuits and litigation targeting any successful attempt would put a quick end to the maker.

Watch Harley and the Davidson's Monday at 9pm central

[easyrider]

Probably right about that.. As healthcare is becoming more and more of a group endeavor where they statistically label groups according to risk factors IE age, occupation etc certainly motorcycling would be considered a high health risk. Most feel that motorcycling is basically an accident waiting to happen, and probably is accurate based upon the cars and speeds we drive today and the luxuries installed inside the vehicle.With roadway high speeds, smart phones, GPS and other distractions its all about when not if .. and this mindset will definitely have an effect on future trends towards healthcare coverages or modifying cycles to accommodate this mindset. I will expect to see portable air bag vests mandatory as well as more safety regulations coming down the pike.

[homie]

portable air bag vests mandatory as well as more safety regulations coming down the pike.

This is an interesting concept where did you see it? Curious how such a device would work if not part of the bike to recognize impact. How can it be incorporated into a vest and be effective when impacted?

It would be a BLAST in a bar fight

[honkerman]

portable air bag vests mandatory as well as more safety regulations coming down the pike.

This is an interesting concept where did you see it? Curious how such a device would work if not part of the bike to recognize impact. How can it be incorporated into a vest and be effective when impacted?

It would be a BLAST in a bar fight

Air bag jackets and vests have been around for a little while. They are in use by some racers. How effective they are, I don't know.

Here's a site I found with some for sale.

http://www.bikebone.com/hit-air-airbag-vests-jackets/

[homie]

Ah Ha! it has a deadman cord... I get it now thanks

[Mel46]

I absolutely LOVE that Idea! If I had been wearing one of those when we had our accident I would have bounced like a marshmellow....wait...I did. Well, I rolled like a jelly roll. The Tourmaster I had on was absolutely the reason I came away with almost no injuries, but an airbag jacket would have been great for my wife....well, any motorcycle jacket would have been good for her at that time. Still, if it had been an accident at a higher speed, I would have preferred an air jacket. I haven't read all of that site link but do they offer air pants? My hip was bruised on both sides. My knees escaped because I had knee protection in the way of drug store bought knee supports, and my back was protected by a kidney belt. You can't be too protected, you know. Still, imagine air everything. Would we bounce around like the boy in the bubble?? :-)

[homie]

You are letting the accident define you Mel... how about we have a fund raiser here in the forum and we buy you that jacket! Would you get back out there on the road?

I would step off my bike and forget to un-tether like I do my earbuds and puff up two three times a day How do you refill it?

[honkerman]

I absolutely LOVE that Idea! If I had been wearing one of those when we had our accident I would have bounced like a marshmellow....wait...I did. Well, I rolled like a jelly roll. The Tourmaster I had on was absolutely the reason I came away with almost no injuries, but an airbag jacket would have been great for my wife....well, any motorcycle jacket would have been good for her at that time. Still, if it had been an accident at a higher speed, I would have preferred an air jacket. I haven't read all of that site link but do they offer air pants? My hip was bruised on both sides. My knees escaped because I had knee protection in the way of drug store bought knee supports, and my back was protected by a kidney belt. You can't be too protected, you know. Still, imagine air everything. Would we bounce around like the boy in the bubble?? :-)

I think there are places you can still get parachute pants.

[Mel46]

Homie, I think you are right about forgetting to untethered them. That would be a problem. I can't imagine repacking them everytime you go somewhere because they blew. You would waste a lot of your day.

The accident isn't defining me. My wife is. Now that she has had her first accident she is afraid for me. She keeps reminding me that I will be 70 in a few days, so I can't handle accidents like I use to. What happened between last year at this time and this year that makes me more vulnerable?? I was the one who walked away unhurt.
I have ridden for 50 years and have had my share of accidents, none that I did not walk away from. I may be getting old, but she is putting one foot in the grave. I love riding. I always have. She has ridden maybe 5 years of her life, and her first accident cost her a lot because she wouldn't listen to my advice. Now she is saying that she wants to ride again, but at the same time she is saying that I shouldn't ride without her because I don't see as well as I use to, and I am not as quick as I use to be, and because I have leukemia. All that may be valid, but I still have more time and experience on a bike than she does. How do you fight that logic and remain married? We just had our anniversary on August 30th, and the one thing that I have learned is to never ever argue with your wife, no matter how crazy her logic is. You can't win an argument. I WILL ride again, but for her peace of mind I will go with a fellow rider. That is my compromise.

[homie]

she is saying that I shouldn't ride without her because I don't see as well as I use to, and I am not as quick as I use to be, and because I have leukemia. All that may be valid, but I still have more time and experience on a bike than she does. How do you fight that logic and remain married?

You don't fight the good wife
But keep up the positive attitude Mel there are stranger things coming down the pike. I thought I was done with coronary artery disease having to get stents because of statin allergies it was only a matter of time. Riding like I had a death wish, taking vacations, ready for the end. But then... medical science with dissolving stents and twice a month injections completely drop the bad LDL cholesterol, raises the good HDL and has no allergic side effects. No more stents needed, some of the ones I have will absorb in 3 years and no more sticky plaque build up in the future. You just never know Mel, keep the faith brother. Jesus is good My time line on this planet is well orchestrated and I have no control just amazement!

This pretty much cures the disease for those of you finding you have it in the future. My advise is don't let doctors put the metal stents, demand the dissolving ones because things change.

[easyrider]

But in the heart of hearts you know she is right.. You can have 100 years experience and it wont help when some asshole on a smart phone runs your ass over. Its rarely the motorcyclist whos at fault ? Lawyers love motorcyclists, but who wants to be a rich paraplegic ??? Its always a risk when you turn that key and push the start button.

[you you]

Get the miles in when you can and worry when your 90 I say

[Mel46]

I like that idea. 90, here I come. :-)

[you you]

I like that idea. 90, here I come. :-)

I think I'm immortal. It's going pretty well so far.

[easyrider]

Cannot worry about it.. your number is already in the book..

[Jge64]

Yeah the absolute best you can do is keep your head on the swivel. In 2004 I had a BMW 1200 touring bike that on the rear box had moving LEDs left or right like a Cylon , when you were at a stoplight. It still didn't matter, at 10 AM on a Saturday morning in Sarasota , a pick up truck did not even see me and Rammed me at 30 miles an hour into the intersection. Now sporting artificial hip from that. These days I keep my gaze fixated every 10 secs at a stoplight on the rearview mirrors , as it's the only view that's not natural to check out your surroundings.

[easyrider]

http://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/wha ... li=BBmkt5R

[JohnL]

Life is a terminal disease we all share, make the most of it while you can. I'm 74, diabetic, one titanium knee, getting my first cataract, married, and still having fun on the bike

I understand your position Mel, my biggest regret is my wife has never ridden, but she still encourages me to ride.

It can't be the inheritance, we don't have enough.

[relic]

I like to think of life more as an experiment
if it works -good if not -forget about it
forgotten a lot but still like riding
lucky enough I didn't have to wait for them to be invented

[flyingzonker]

Homie, I think you are right about forgetting to untethered them. That would be a problem. I can't imagine repacking them everytime you go somewhere because they blew. You would waste a lot of your day.

The accident isn't defining me. My wife is. Now that she has had her first accident she is afraid for me. She keeps reminding me that I will be 70 in a few days, so I can't handle accidents like I use to. What happened between last year at this time and this year that makes me more vulnerable?? I was the one who walked away unhurt.
I have ridden for 50 years and have had my share of accidents, none that I did not walk away from. I may be getting old, but she is putting one foot in the grave. I love riding. I always have. She has ridden maybe 5 years of her life, and her first accident cost her a lot because she wouldn't listen to my advice. Now she is saying that she wants to ride again, but at the same time she is saying that I shouldn't ride without her because I don't see as well as I use to, and I am not as quick as I use to be, and because I have leukemia. All that may be valid, but I still have more time and experience on a bike than she does. How do you fight that logic and remain married? We just had our anniversary on August 30th, and the one thing that I have learned is to never ever argue with your wife, no matter how crazy her logic is. You can't win an argument. I WILL ride again, but for her peace of mind I will go with a fellow rider. That is my compromise.

I too fail to see your wife's logic. If you were together in an automobile, yes, she would be able to help you navigate. That is what my mother did for my dad when he started losing it--to lose it to the point of losing driving privileges took him about 6 years of dwindling. For those six years my mother more and more directed him how to get to places, where to turn, how to get back home. Now, how would that have worked if they had been out riding--even if riding on the same bike? I suppose it might have worked if they had helmets--perish the thought that they should have been out riding without helmets (for that matter, perish the they thought they should have been out riding at all at that late date)--that were fitted with Bluetooth communication modules.

Oh well, I guess that is what wives are for--to puzzle the devil out of their old men.