Really, how dangerous are streetbikes?

[Narly R]

I want to get one, but of course there is all the "worries" that go with it, not me of course, but everyone else. I say this now, and sure hope that I would continue this way. But everyone has to have a little fun, but I would be very safe, and would not do ANYTHING stupid. Sure I would probably go fast a few times, and things like that, but not weave in and out of traffic at 180+mph. I would enjoy it just as if I was driving a car. I know that there are a lot of irrisponsible people out there that get street bikes just to look like a bad a**, I want one to ride. Summer days out cruising windy roads, I am sure that would be fun. But I know what is important to me, and am not going to sacrafice my life over a dumb action on a bike, I race so thats the main thing, have to stay safe. But I know how other people (drivers) can be towards streetbikes, but I was just woundering what your guy's imput was. Thanks.

Ohh and anyone know what the average gas milage is on them?

[m_townsgreatest]

well i was talking about this with a friend. We said if we get a street bike we wont get it till we're in out 30's due to the fact that if we get them before them we will prolly e crazy and kill ourselve's.

Streetbikes aren't dangerous because of riders all the time. Sometimes a car cant see you and they will smack into you and cause you to crash. I personally wouldnt get one will Im in my 30's because being they young person I am i would be crazy and end up hurting myself.

[Honda4trax250x]

Depending on where you live they can be a lot more dangerous, i know i would never own one here on Long Island because I would def die....... but I think as long as you arent an idiot and take your time getting used to the bike everything should go fine

[derekhonda]

You guys can speculate and say you are going to be safe blah blah blah. I said that too. Then i got one. Then I rode wheelies, then i found out even a little 600 will go 150mph.


Trust me, when it comes to streetbikes, the saying holds true. There are two types of riders, those that have wrecked, and those that will.

[400exrules]

uhhh.....just blink and your road kill

[Honda]

Dangerous!!!


It is not you (the rider) that you have to worry about; it is all the other idiots on the road that will be the main concern.

They are Dangerous dude, I had a bike for about a year, there were days when I wouldn't even get on it because I just didn't feel lucky that day.

I had a few other run ins without "the other idiots help" as well.

And you don't realize how many people get maimed on them until after you go out and buy one, then you meet others that have them, and their friends have them and what not.

First night I had mine, my wife and I almost got plowed by a douche bag, he ran a stop sign and never thought twice about it.

Sure, I did some dumb **** on it, but I had all my close calls when I was being safe! Imagine that!


Believe me, they are fun, but the worry of getting killed or maimed for life was what ultimatly made me sale mine. It's not like riding your quad, there are rules like speed limits and stop signs and having to use the turn signal. Then you have to always be concerned about pot holes, road debri, animals running out, etc. Then throw in the constant worry that the guy coming up behind you is not going to stop, or the semi beside you might have a blow out.

Maybe I am a puss, but I never felt so helpless to my surroundings in all my life, like I did when I was on that bike! :ermm:

[trx400exxracer]

Wel think there are alot of road bikes and a way more lot cars

[omaits]

I dont think I coudl ever get one because I woudlnt trust myself. I can say I wouldnt do anything stupid, but eventuallly you would get bored of just driving around and want to try a wheelie or see how fast it can go. It only takes one time and your dead or seriously injured.

Just get online and watch a bunch of videos of ppl wrecking and you will change your mind. haha

Not to mention the outrageous cost of insuring and purchasing the bike.....

[Narly R]

Thanks for the input guys. I agree with just about everything everyone said. I guess I can't say what I would do if I got one. And the danger of all the surrounding things is the main factor. You would have to ride with your head on a swivel. It would not be as bad around here though simply because I live out in the country. But yeah the freeways and what not would be extremly dangerous. I hear of people selling them soon after they get them a lot. I could keep myself from doing something stupid. I know I could. I would just have to constantly remind myself of a few things... But that doesnt mean that a wreck wouldnt occur thats for sure. Guess I will have to ponder the idea... Thanks guys.

i know I cant get one EVER. First time I rode one I did 130 on a back country road on my friends R6.

[Mxjunkie]

I'm getting a harley when I do, I rode my brothers old cbr and I'll be one to testify, I cannot have one, I'm not responsible enough to control my actions.. A harley will limit what I can do, It's bad when my dad even told me I shouldnt get one lol

It's kinda like, your use to riding your quad or dirtbike and theres no speeding limits or anything and you kinda zone out and do that..:o

[wheeltrax]

i wouldnt trust me on one either, thats why i bought a cheap older honda 450 twin in spring. has enough oomph to be fun, but not enough to be too stupid. There is nothing like it, its fun, i just wish i had more then one other friend with a bike to go riding with. There are quite a few people that just dont watch for you either, thats why personally i prefered back country roads, nice and scenic and not a ton of cars to hassel you..

[JLanphear]

They are dangerous....no doubt.

If you know your limits, and ride within them that is the first step. However other factors are (as others already mentioned) other motorists on the road, wild animals, obstacles in the road, and also things like mechanical failure or whatever else you can possibly think of.

I have done many illegal things on my bike....wheelies, stoppies, very high speeds.....but I like to think that I am still riding within my abilities (however pushing them). This is far from safe, but I am aware of the consequenses. You are never in "complete control" of any situation, but there are always risks you can be comfortable taking.

I have not been down yet luckily (with the exception of a few times I practically did it on purpose), but it seems like most everyone that has ridden bikes a lot has. I have friends who crash almost every time they ride, but they are into "stunting" so that is normal. However my buddy, who is one of the most cautious riders I have ever seen (watches his speed, does not do anything crazy) ended up on the ground this summer. He hit a dog and it washed the front tire out. Bike hit the ground only going about 25mph but it did $3000 worth of damage to it (he only paid $3500 for the whole bike). This was his first year riding. Luckily he was not hurt, and the bike was covered under the dog owners insurance.

I have another friend who stopped at a stop light and his shoe lace was caught on his peg. Unfortunatly he had already started to lean the bike over to that side to put his foot down. He went from standing up to lying on the ground while stopped. Hehehe..funny in a way, but just goes to show how easy it is to end up on the ground on one of those things.

As embarassing as it is to get your shoelace caught on your peg and dump your bike at a traffic light in front of dozen's of people, or hitting a dog at 25mph and crashing, I sure hope that when I go down it's like that rather than at highway speeds in traffic.

Bikes are a ton of fun, and an extreme rush. I love mine and hope I can ride one for years to come. The danger element is always in the back of my mind. Respecting what you are riding is a start....however there are many other things that you don't have control over that could happen. I accept that risk, and hopefully that is the right choice....nobody ever knows.

-Josh

[steveatv3]

Ill make this simply Narly so you dont need to read alot.

How dangerous is a 4wheeler? all depends how you ride it, the biggest problem on a bike is not rider failure its traffic, if you drive like an *** (like me) you will get your close calls and possibly lay it down.

my CBR gets around 45mpg if im babying but will get like 25-30 if im beating it

[MR.BIG]

I would say it depends on where you live and how you will ride it.
You have to worry about rocks,gravel and road kill which will easily take you out. My friend just died on his, he came up over a blind hill and on the other side there was a mower mowing the side of the road and he ran into the back of it. I still have mine and I get about 50 mpg. They are nice to go out cruising on the weekends.

[red2004 TRX450R]

bikes and guns are the same - they are safe if used right or not used at all!

and they both can kill you !!

you falt of not!

[tater_kamik]

i definately agree with derekhonda, 2 types of riders. im the kind that has wiped out. oops, it happens. wear your gear, and i mean wear it! jeans do not count s riding gear, asphalt destroys them. gloves, helmet, boots, jacket, and riding pants will go a long way. take a safety course approved by msf (motorcycle safety foundation) and dont be stupid. i wont lie, i know my bike has read 180+ on the speedo (more like 160 probably on radar) and im actually a cautious rider. i usually do the speed limit unless im out with the boys, then im probably hauling arse if we are at some twisties. doing some tricks, yup, it happens. people pulling out in front of you, swerving at you, not seeing you, is a major problem. but so is random gravel in the road, washouts, animals, etc. i have had 2 people i know die on motorcycles. one ran wide and hit a bronco head on, one was running from the cops and apparently made a mistake (i dont have many details on this, it just happened very recently) actually i would say 2 mistakes, the first was deciding to run. i like to think about how hard im riding, and what will happen if i go down, such as a turn with guard rails. if i low side the bike, i could go under the guard rail and get decapitated. may sound horrible, but i find myself going slower when i think about what i am doing, not just scraping knee at every corner i can. learn your limits, but push yourself. check out sportbikescene.com i did a little write up on new riders and learning the limits, and there is good info there

[wilkin250r]

Yeah, many riders do stupid things, wheelies, stoppies, ect, and are often involved in accidents. You say that you can control yourself, so let's take THOSE issues out of the equation.

The streets are a vastly different environment than offroad. Of the many accidents I have heard about, the worst seem to NOT be the fault of the rider.

People pulling out in front of you because they don't see you. Not the riders fault, but he's the one who ends up in ICU. The driver of the car gets a ticket, but he's home that night, safe and sound. So is his wife, she's not sitting beside a hospital bed.

I had a friend riding up a mountain road. He was going a little over the speed limit, but can you really call that a "fault"? Everybody does it. I think he was doing about 60, daytime, dry pavement, going around a corner, when his rear tire suddenly slid out from underneath him. He slid feet-first into a cement guard rail. His slide probably slowed him a little bit, so the impact was probably around 40mph.

Two broken legs, several weeks bedridden, and months of physical therapy, he's walking again. But neither ankle can bend, he had to have each one fused. He says that somedays they really ache. They'll probably ache for the rest of his life.

Motorcycles are more likely to have an accident, but not TOO much more than a car at any given speed. The risk of an accident isn't too much higher, but the injuries are generally much more severe.

[Killa250ex]

I HAD A best friend, named Erick, He had a CBR and was just cruising down the local expressway and there was like little pea gravel or sand or something on the road, he lost control smashing headfirst into a concrete wall, Yes he was wearing a helmet, but that still wasnt enough to save him.

Along with what everyone else said, Its not your driving skill its everyone elses and the road conditions

:(

[tater_kamik]

well, i honestly do not consider stoppies (endos) as completely dangerous, yes, you can get hurt when you go too high, but here is why i feel it is important to learn the edge of your front brakes: when doing a stoppie, you learn to control your bike in a manner it was not designed to do. however, one of the first reactions you will have when you are surprised (someone pulls out in front of you) is to grab that front brake. many new riders (and even experienced ones) make this mistake. but if you practice modulating the brake(s), your initial reaction, and your reactions when something unexected occurs, will be much better and may save your arse. practice locking up the rear, practice endos, practice combining the two and trying to stop as hard as possible. i do things all the time just to see what my reaction will be. putting myself in situations that i control that push my limits has ultimately made me a better rider, and has saved my arse a few times.

one of the things i have learned is to always ride in groups. not large ones, just a few buddies that are your skill level, dont do random dumb stuff, and know how to keep a pace. i go up to the mountains sometimes (used to go a lot) with a large group. we would let the fastest guys make a group, then another group thats a little slower, then the last group. this ensures that the slow riders do not push themselves to keep up and then put themselves into a situation they cannot handle. but it alsomay save someones life if they wreck since the next group will probably see the accident site (debris) i had a friend during the summer that lost it (excellent rider, always pushed the edge and has solid track experience) low sided, and his bike hit a tree about 6 feet from the ground on the gas tank. unfortunately, no one saw the wreck (there was no debris on the road:confused: ) but we immediately figured it out, since he didnt come back with his group. he was injured, but may have been saved by wearing full leathers, etc. point is, sh** happens. be careful, watch out for your buddies, and others on the road, always keep a cell phone, and know where you are just in case you need a life flight...
i just heard that basically what happened to ShiftFMX's friend, happened to my buddy that was running, apparently hit a wall. and wilkin, i hope your friend gets better!

thanks for the comments tater...informative ;)

[tater_kamik]

occasionally i have something half way intelligent to say:D

[400exrules]

if you do get one, i would recommend you get a loud pipe....as the saying goes (sometimes) loud pipes save lives.

[duke416ex]

I have been riding street for 3 years, big difference is you have to be fully focused. I hate riding in big groups, one reason is someone always wants to show off and in a group if one person goes down then someone else usually does too. You have to watch everything. You have to have control of your bike, be constantly looking for traffic, animals, oil or gravel on the road. Like a car you can't always control some things, but on a bike you don't have the ability to make up for error.

You just can't ride at 100% of your ability all the time. I ride in curves mostly and do wheelies and stuff on occassian. It's no diference to me than doing it on the quad, and yes the speeds are comparable. I pull wheelies at about 25 and sit them down usually at no more than 115 or so. I always look ahead to see what's up and if there are any cars, dips in the road or anything I don't pull it up.

Like I said, you just gotta focus all the time and always wear gear. I have been down before and do not ride without boots jacket and a helmet now, ever. If you get one just use common sense and you should be ok.

[tater_kamik]

i feel ya duke! you also have the same bike as me, good choice bro!!:macho definately have to pay attention, not check out girls in the car next to you... my father told me this story:
these guys were riding to the lake (in the 70's or 80's i think, my father and i know one of the guys that was there) and they were messing around a little bit, and they passed this car. one of the guys looked back and realized that the last person in the group was in the oncoming lane messing with a carfull of chicks, not paying attention when a car was coming. he did look, made a mistake (i dont remember exactly what he did) and ended up sliding on his arse. he was wearing a helmet, but too bad he was wearing jeans. the asphalt ripped away the jeans immediately and was acting like a sander on his skin. by the time he had stopped, almost all of his arse was left on the pavement.
perfect example of why to pay attention and why to wear the correct gear.

hey duke, on the gsxr 1000 ti header, were you able to put a slip on for a 750 right on the header?

[4punksdad]

I have been riding motorcycles since 1978. No 2 rides are the same. Everyday is a school day. Keep yourself focused..........pay attention.........and remain relaxed and calm. A tense rider will go down due to panic & freeze more often than a loose confident rider. I have had many close calls on the road,,,,,,,,,,,never been down. I try to avoid riding in cold conditions due to the fact that I can't remain loose. I am tense & clinching the bars due to the climate.

Just remember...............if it feels dangerous................it probably is.

;)

[TCracin440ex]

my buddy just wrecked his brothers gixxer 1000 over the weekend broke his collar bone and bruised his ribs. hes ok and the bike sufferd minor damage

i myself do want a streetbike and if i get 1 im going for the gixxer 1000. i love streetbikes and i love watching crazy guys ride them. I just want 1 cuz the hoez love anything that puts a motor between their legs. Quads, dirtbikes, or streetbikes!! lol

[tater_kamik]

i have the same problem when its cold! i find myself clinching my teeth, gripping the handlebars as hard as i can, and i get a horrible pain in my neck. i have found i hate riding anywhere near a city. but to hit the good roads, its a 2 hour ride and if someone goes down... what kind of bike is that? check out sportbikescene.com its my buddies site, and he is starting a business trying to hook us up with deals, and of course it had forums as well as a very nice gallery:devil:

[tater_kamik]

im gonna warn you now about an 1000 for your first bike. not a great idea, you will probably learn more on a 600 and the 1000's are a lot of bike, more than non sport bike guys realize. they can get away from you very quickly. glad your buddy is okay, im sure his brother is really happy with him:rolleyes: here is good info on a new literbike http://sportbikescene.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=13.html

[4punksdad]

Originally posted by tater_kamik
i have the same problem when its cold! i find myself clinching my teeth, gripping the handlebars as hard as i can, and i get a horrible pain in my neck. i have found i hate riding anywhere near a city. but to hit the good roads, its a 2 hour ride and if someone goes down... what kind of bike is that? check out sportbikescene.com its my buddies site, and he is starting a business trying to hook us up with deals, and of course it had forums as well as a very nice gallery:devil:

thats a kawasaki Z1000..............

[yamablaster24]

i personally have a little 185 motorcycle and have come close to death a couple of times, had the chain pop off and lock up throwing me through a turn on a busy road and almost got ranover. Thankfully i was in shorts...:rolleyes:
Yeah there more dangerous and most likely your gonna have someone pull out on you and you gotta be quick. I ride my bike with no front brakes and im doin just fine... lol

I rode my driving instructors Katana 600 and i think its a lot safer then my POS. I just went the speed limit and i was respected. I didnt have to earn respect by speeding like on my other motorcycle, because when people see you riding that bike they know damn well you could be ****ing flying but have become mature enough to realize its not worth it.

[Narly R]

Thanks guys, its all perfectly good information. I understand what everyone is saying. I guess it just comes down to if those are chances that you are willing to take, and are they worth it? Hard to tell. No bike is worth your life, but riding is my life. But I also have the rest of my life to lay a streetbike over...

[duke416ex]

Originally posted by tater_kamik
hey duke, on the gsxr 1000 ti header, were you able to put a slip on for a 750 right on the header?

I had a full stock 1000 exhaust when I got the bike, it was on it. I think you can put a 600 or 750 bolt on can on it, but I got a 1000 slipon so I would have a new and more open midpipe.

As far as a 1000 for the first bike, why? After you ride a while you learn that a 600 is really more than most people need. I am thinking about going back to one cause they curve so much easier. Everyone is going to have their opinion, I would like to have a 1000, but I wouldn't use all the hp except at the drag track and I know that.

Here is my bike

[tater_kamik]

deals gap! nice bro! how was it? duke and 4punks, good looking bikes!

[duke416ex]

I love the gap. I try to go a few times a year, but only made it twice this year. I want to get a motard to take down there once, they say you can corner so much faster on them.

http://www.photoreflect.com/scripts/prsm.dll?myphotos?a=143478

Try this link, it has some pics of me and my brother and then some more of me and an ex riding down there. Seems like everytime I come by the camera someting is slowing me down, cars, cops, ex hitting me in the side cause she don't like leaning, etc.

[tater_kamik]

definately soma great pics bro! myself and a few buddies want to make a trip there when i get back and when its warm:macho you lean that pretty hard, you dont ever get off the bike at all?

[armen521]

Originally posted by Honda
Dangerous!!!


It is not you (the rider) that you have to worry about; it is all the other idiots on the road that will be the main concern.

They are Dangerous dude, I had a bike for about a year, there were days when I wouldn't even get on it because I just didn't feel lucky that day.

I had a few other run ins without "the other idiots help" as well.

And you don't realize how many people get maimed on them until after you go out and buy one, then you meet others that have them, and their friends have them and what not.

First night I had mine, my wife and I almost got plowed by a douche bag, he ran a stop sign and never thought twice about it.

Sure, I did some dumb **** on it, but I had all my close calls when I was being safe! Imagine that!


Believe me, they are fun, but the worry of getting killed or maimed for life was what ultimatly made me sale mine. It's not like riding your quad, there are rules like speed limits and stop signs and having to use the turn signal. Then you have to always be concerned about pot holes, road debri, animals running out, etc. Then throw in the constant worry that the guy coming up behind you is not going to stop, or the semi beside you might have a blow out.

Maybe I am a puss, but I never felt so helpless to my surroundings in all my life, like I did when I was on that bike! :ermm:

I agree 100%..... it is all the other idiots on the road you have to worry about and any little animal that may cross your path it does not take much ....they are a blast if you like speed and getting there NOW.... I had my kids and had to get rid of mine... I want to be around for them.....

[Thump_It]

Hmmm.......considering YOU, I would not get one. You wreck things, lol. I think you need to just stick to the S10 and the Yammi. I don't need to lose my best ridin partner. It would be fun to get a bike, but man, all it takes on those things is once. Need I remind you of the guy who got cut off by another car and lost half his leg? Not fun, and insurance on those things is a *****. But if you get one, I'm ridin it, :devil: .

[bulkdriverlp]

there are too many people out there who dont pay attention to motorcycles, not just crotch rockets. do you honestly want to fly down the highway knowing that old people have renewed their driver licenses by mail for years without a eye exam? kids just getting their license talking on the cell phone and eating fast food while trying to drive for the first time? maybe a idiot who just left the bar and is drunk? maybe an kid who is high on meth or marijuana? do you want to put your life in their hands? you have no protection. i have a full size truck with dual airbags. chances if their were a crash you would die and i would walk away. do you have people that love you or kids who need you around? just something to think about.

[duke416ex]

Originally posted by tater_kamik
definately soma great pics bro! myself and a few buddies want to make a trip there when i get back and when its warm:macho you lean that pretty hard, you dont ever get off the bike at all?

It will definately be a good trip and more fun if you have some other people to ride with. There are many other roads in the area that are fun to ride also.

I do lean off the bike at times, but I just get comfortable on the bike and do good like that. If I am pushing it hard I lean off. I am so short legged that I have yet to drag my knee though, I can drag the pegs, but still not my knees, I don't have pucks though so I guess it's a good thing I can't get my knees down. What are the roads like where you are from?

Oh yea, if you want to look at some more pics of the gap, go to killboy.com and then go to a link at the top that says your pics here. They have some good pics on the front page of the site, but when you start scanning you will find some awesome ones!!

[tater_kamik]

we have some great roads in the mountains, have to ride about 2 hours north to go hit them, but its worth it!! there are definately some very mean roads, but i cant hit them all, not enough time or gas! now i want to go riding...

[duke416ex]

Same here, i keep thinkin I will get one more good day, but it isn't looking good.

[tater_kamik]

that sucks bro, you can always get a ton of studs and go ice riding:D

[daredevilearth]

I would have to say they are not at all dangerous only have been in two accidents in six months an old man cut me off because he didnt see me had to lay it down and an animal ran out in the road and I did a complete front flip bike included. Good times.

[tater_kamik]

friends dont let friends ride F4I's:D

[duke416ex]

Originally posted by tater_kamik
that sucks bro, you can always get a ton of studs and go ice riding:D

I go into hibernation mode at freezing, but if anyone else wants to try it I would love to watch:D