Riding vs Flying -- How many here ride?

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
2) Scrambled brains from no helmet
3) Road rash from no leathers

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.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Let me leave you with three thoughts:

1) Compound fractures from insufficient sheet metal around you

Yep, that sucks. Not much can be done about it, either.

2) Scrambled brains from no helmet

Always, always, ALWAYS wear a full-face helmet. Always.

3) Road rash from no leathers

Always, always, ALWAYS wear leather on tour. It sucks when it's hot,
but road rash hurts more than it sucks.

I've been down once, on a 1966 Honda 160 (this would've been in '86 or
so, so it was already an "antique"/beater) when I hit gravel. I was
wearing a leather coat, gloves and helmet. The ONLY unprotected part
of me was my wrist, between my glove and my sleeve -- and it looked
like hamburger when I got up.

The very first thing that hit the ground was my head -- there was no
time to even raise my arm to protect it, even though I was going pretty
slowly. The helmet saved the old brain box, for sure.

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.

I hear what you're saying, but you can either live, or wait to die. I
do everything in my power to protect myself (and my riders -- who
include my children) from harm, but fully understand that the risks I'm
taking are very similar to flying.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

("Jay Honeck" wrote)
The ONLY unprotected part of me was my wrist, between my glove and my
sleeve -- and it looked like hamburger when I got up.


I used soft leather, rust colored, welding gloves. They kept the wind from
going up my wrists.


Montblack

I used soft leather, rust colored, welding gloves. They kept the wind from
going up my wrists.

On the way home from Wisconsin yesterday, with Becca riding on the
back, I had my leather jacket sleeves unsnapped, due to the heat. This
allowed the wind to flow up my arms, albeit somewhat restricted by the
fairing and windshield -- which didn't seem to impede the bee that
managed to fly in there, and sting me on the forearm!

At first I thought I had been hit with a stone, but it kept hurting
long after the initial "impact". Luckily, I'm not allergic to bee
stings, and it went away in a few minutes...but that's the first time
*that* has ever happened before.

(Although I DID once get hit smack in the middle of my forehead, above
the windshield, below my helmet, and above my sunglasses, by what felt
like a bumble-bee. Darned near knocked me off the bike! Another
reason I now wear a full-face helmet.)
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote

On the way home from Wisconsin yesterday, with Becca riding on the
back, I had my leather jacket sleeves unsnapped, due to the heat. This
allowed the wind to flow up my arms, albeit somewhat restricted by the
fairing and windshield -- which didn't seem to impede the bee that
managed to fly in there, and sting me on the forearm!

At first I thought I had been hit with a stone, but it kept hurting
long after the initial "impact". Luckily, I'm not allergic to bee
stings, and it went away in a few minutes...but that's the first time
*that* has ever happened before.

(Although I DID once get hit smack in the middle of my forehead, above
the windshield, below my helmet, and above my sunglasses, by what felt
like a bumble-bee. Darned near knocked me off the bike! Another
reason I now wear a full-face helmet.)

Been hit by a bumblebee in the forehead by a bumblebee, also. I saw it
coming, even!

I also was zooming around the outside of a corner (those sharp, almost
hairpin, banked ones, you love to zoom around in the mountains), and a car
coming at me on the inside of the corner got off the road, and kicked up a
piece of gravel. I suppose it hit my cheek at close to 60 MPG. I was lucky
to keep control, and get stopped. It left quite a strawberry bruise.

I still hate full face helmets, though. I think that is one part of the
equation I'll still have to risk.
--
Jim in NC

Jay Honeck wrote:

I used soft leather, rust colored, welding gloves. They kept the wind from
going up my wrists.


On the way home from Wisconsin yesterday, with Becca riding on the
back, I had my leather jacket sleeves unsnapped, due to the heat. This
allowed the wind to flow up my arms, albeit somewhat restricted by the
fairing and windshield -- which didn't seem to impede the bee that
managed to fly in there, and sting me on the forearm!

At first I thought I had been hit with a stone, but it kept hurting
long after the initial "impact". Luckily, I'm not allergic to bee
stings, and it went away in a few minutes...but that's the first time
*that* has ever happened before.

(Although I DID once get hit smack in the middle of my forehead, above
the windshield, below my helmet, and above my sunglasses, by what felt
like a bumble-bee. Darned near knocked me off the bike! Another
reason I now wear a full-face helmet.)

I agree on the full-face helmet and leather jacket. I got hit in the
chest by a crow one day and I'm really glad I had my jacket on. I also
rode occasionally with dress shoes when going to work. Then one day a
rock about the size of a tennis ball came off a dump truck in the
opposing lane. It headed under the bike so I thought it would just hit
under the engine and I'd be fine. I had my feet on the highway pegs and
that rock bounced behind the front wheel, under the engine and came up
and hit the inside of my right ankle (right on the bone) knocking my
foot off the peg. Man did that hurt! Didn't break anything (I've got
tough bones), but I had a goose egg for weeks afterwards. So I
recommend good boots as well...


Matt

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

Matt Whiting wrote:
2) Scrambled brains from no helmet

Easily remedied as I always wear a helmet.


South Carolina doesn't require it. I always look hard at the motorcyclist if he
doesn't have a helmet so I can recognize him when he's assigned to me later.
G

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


I got broken up pretty bad in an airplane accident and it hurt like hell.
However, I did not have road rash. Nor were my brains scrambled... I've always
been this way. G


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).



I don't have a bias against motorcyclists but I'll share the lecture I give to
those who get hurt badly (from any cause): Now you know lightning doesn't
always strike the other guy. This doesn't mean you have to become afraid to
come out from under the covers or stop living. What it should mean is that you
should evaluate your risk with more thought than you have in the past. I know
every man, particularly young man, is afflicted with the sense of his own
invulnerbility. But now you know you can be hurt and hurt badly. So, after you
heal, just give some thought to what you want to do. I'll be willing to bet
there will be some things that no longer seem worth taking the chance. Five
years from now this experience won't seem like it was so bad. But I really
doubt you'd want to repeat it.

That's my philosophy, anyway. I gave up banging other men's wives, I no longer
skydive, I don't dive deep or fly low any more. But I didn't stop having fun.
I just stopped the suicidal stuff.



--
Mortimer Schnerd, RN

VE

Mortimer Schnerd, RN wrote:

That's my philosophy, anyway. I gave up banging other men's wives, I no longer
skydive, I don't dive deep or fly low any more. But I didn't stop having fun.
I just stopped the suicidal stuff.

The trouble is your definition of suicidal might not be mine.

Matt

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
oups.com...
Having just returned from a 3-day motorcycle camping trip, the riding
experience is once again fresh in my mind. (Alas, I don't get to ride
much nowadays; but there was a time when Mary and I rode
coast-to-coast...)

I'm always struck by the similarities between riding and flying.
Basically, riding is 2-dimensional flying, with similar handling
characteristics and risk factors. The geometry of banking into turns
is identical, and the camaraderie with fellow riders is very similar to
that seen among pilots.

And, of course, the risk of instant death caused by someone else's (or
your own) stupidity is always present. That heightened sense of "being
alive" is something both riders and flyers seem to crave.

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?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Riding looks and sounds like such fun - probably as much as flying. BUT, in
flying, the "other" guy only causes a very small percentage of the
accidents. In riding bikes, the "other guy" causes what, 50% of the
accidents? I have a very hard time putting my life in the "other guy's"
hands. Especially when s/he isn't paying attention, is talking on a cell
phone, isn't looking for motorcycles sharing the road, etc.

I'll stick to more or less controlling my own destiny.

KB