Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:
Jay Honeck wrote:

It used to be that most pilots I knew rode motorcycles, but that seems
to be less of a correlation lately. Wot say the group -- do you
currently ride a motorcycle? Did you in the past?



Let me leave you with three thoughts:

1) Compound fractures from insufficient sheet metal around you

This is only much of an advantage below about 40 MPH. Much above that
it you're toast if you hit an immovable object. And this holds true
with many airplane accidents. They are not built at all for collision
protection. And to do so for the speeds involved would simply involve
too much weight.


2) Scrambled brains from no helmet

Easily remedied as I always wear a helmet.


3) Road rash from no leathers

Ditto.


I have taken care of several suffering from 1, 2, and/or 3. It ain't pretty.
It ain't fun either... for either of us.

Is the suffering any less than for people injured in airplane accidents,
car accidents, fires, falls, skiing accidents, etc.?

The reality is that many people simply have an irrational bias against
motorcycles. I'm not sure why, but I come across it all the time. And
the really strange part is that many of these folks fly, downhill ski,
rock climb, chain smoke, drink like fiends, etc. I consider downhill
skiing much more risky than motorcycling. I personally know many more
people who have incurred severe injuries from skiing than from
motorcycle. And these injuries often never heal well (knees in particular).

Everyone has their biases and they seldom are rationally based. That's
just life I guess.

Matt