Motorcycle questions

[bulpup 98]

Think about a motorcycle FAQ for people that don't ride.

 

I am building a list and I have responses like why are they so loud, why do they ride so reckless, they do they rev their engine all the time and why do they go so fast.

 

Can any of you guys think what other questions might be out there?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[greatgunstatenj 32]

What type of audience are you targeting [other than the fact that they don't ride]? Where will the FAQ be posted? Just curious because the questions coming from a single mom with a child who wants a mini bike and young 20s male will be completely different.

 

**

May want to cover licensing procedures

Additional insurance requirements

Safety courses and whether passing the 2day licensing course actually prepares you for riding in NJ if you have no prior experience

Helmet law variations by state

[djg0770 481]

How about some positive questions?

 

How many mpg can you expect?

How do you ride in the bad weather?

Is it fun?

What's the attraction?

What are the benefits (you can park nearly anywhere is just one...)

[Bully 749]

Why must they always wear black? Why so many tattoos? Why do they always look so... angry? Aren't they dangerous? Why would you want to own one, isn't a car more practical? How much do they cost? Will you go with me when I look at a used one? How much less gas do they use than a car? How much to insure? Does it really stay up by itself? Can I get a ride? How do I learn to "stunt"? Will chicks like me more if I have one? Do chicks like you more because you have one? What did your mom say? Can I meet her? (oops.) How fast do they go? Can you stop quickly? Can you stop at all? Why use the brakes, they just slow you down, right? Why do you need to use your feet? Where do I get a cool paint job? Will you buy me one?

 

Let me know if you need any more.

 

C

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Bulpup, is that really the best you could come up with? We call those bikers squids for a reason.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Add the note that $20,000 and 20 miles and leather doesn't make you a biker..

[bulpup 98]

These are great.

 

I am looking for what would be quetions from those that not only don't ride but have a negative outlook on those that do.

 

Topher, those are right up there with what I am looking for.

The last one I thought was really good came from my mother in law; "are there different speed limits for motorcycles than for cars?" She meant it sarcastically but what she really meant was "why dio they drive so freakin' fast?"

 

What ever else you can think of. Great Stuff. Thanks everyone.

[bulpup 98]

How about some positive questions?

 

How many mpg can you expect?

How do you ride in the bad weather?

Is it fun?

What's the attraction?

What are the benefits (you can park nearly anywhere is just one...)

 

 

Good, good. I can work with these.

[Wojo 98]

This is an odd and very open topic. Riding for almost 40 years myself, a sister who lives the nomadic biker lifestyle with her boyfriend (awesome guy) who built her a chopper with a Yamaha 600 engine, a brother who t-boned a dump truck on his bike and lived, a cousin who lives the biker club lifestyle and on and on and on. None of us, or the people I ride / hang with are the crotch rocket crowd. So I really don't get the stupid questions. I guess another thing is, I guess I radiate an aura of "Leave me the F alone".

 

However, a nosy neighbor whose daughter married one of my best friends from HS and graduated with my sister felt compelled to say something to me one time. This was right after my brother had his accident, and someone from town who died doing a wheelie (crotch rocket) into the back of a car (in town, on 'Main Street) during the busy time of the day (Darwin).

 

"When are you going to stop riding those things? You are going to kill your mother." I replied to her, "Just like YOU, my mother's excessive drinking and smoking are going to kill her, not my riding". She has never spoken another word to me since. Even when we see each other at 'family' events like parties and what not. Truly grateful I am.

[RedBowTies88 41]

You've been around too many harely riders my friend. People who need to show off and act like they are some kind of badass to make up for their shortcomings.

 

 

They give all of us a bad name,... go to a honda riders event like americade and you will be AMAZED at the difference. People who ride for the enjoyement of it and go out for 300 miles at a time and throug the mountains instead of just bar to bar in search of the next set of saggy ass tits.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

You've been around too many harely riders my friend. People who need to show off and act like they are some kind of badass to make up for their shortcomings.

 

 

 

By the way, a lot of us who have been on HD's long before HD's became a fad, laugh our asses off at the constant revers and look at me types.

 

One time I ran into a group, I left NJ early in the morning on my way to a weekend party in Peoria IL, I stooped for lunch in Wheeling WV, I am coming out of the little choke and puke and this big motor home pulling a tandem axle enclosed trailer pulls up and parks as I getting ready to head out. It took me about 5 minutes before I could compose myself after seeing 2 couples getting out of the nice motor home all dressed in leather, chaps and all, and all I said was the A/C in that sucker must be good if you need to dress like that in there..

[djg0770 481]

Wow. Just wow.

 

Does every topic on NJGF need to devolve into us vs them or my way vs your way? Really?

[Shane45 807]

HAHAHA. It's human nature to divide, exclude etc etc.I always find it interesting from a human behavioural perspective. I consider my self a free thinker and an independant. I buy what I want and I ride what I want. End of story. But I will speak to the Harley VS Jap thing for a moment. Although I have nothing against Jap bikes (obviously) I do not care for Japanese cruisers. This actually gave me some introspective conflict. If I truly do not care what others think, why would it bother me to ride one. In the end the conclusion I came to is that its not because its Japanese, its because its a copy. If Hyundai built an exact replica of a 69 Camaro that was even better than an original one, I couldnt drive it because its a nock off. But back to the factions, I have found that ALL interests have their wannabe poser faction. But these groups are usually fairly easy to pick out as indicated above. About the only article I have that has a manufacturers name on it that I wear is my Ducati jacket. But it is because my brother gave it to me. But it is truly funny and I get odd looks from other riders when I ride my Harley with my Ducati Jacket LOL.

[RedBowTies88 41]

I get odd looks from other riders when I ride my Harley with my Ducati Jacket LOL.

 

They're wondering how you managed to forget your bandana and black leathers at home

[Shane45 807]

HA! My brother always breaks my balls for my 1986 black leather jacket I wear when on the Ducati!!! But I feel like I need that think ass leather on that bike. (Lesson learned crashing at 130mph!!!) Here's the rides.

Harley cruiser

 

 

Suzuki muscle bike

 

 

Italian goodness. Mines the red, my brothers is yellow

 

[Wojo 98]

Let's see, I have a 78 Bonneville since 81 and even have Triumph tattooed on my arm. I own a 99 Harley and a Kawasaki KLR650. It is not WHAT you ride, but how you ride and act. I shun the HOG tools as much as I do the future organ donors that drive the white lines on the interstate. Half of the HOG guys (girls) buy all the HD garb so they can pretend to be men.

 

Ducati's do rock.

 

[Shane45 807]

"Half of the HOG guys (girls) buy all the HD garb so they can pretend to be men."

Its funny because its true hehehehehe

 

 

When I had my Hayabusa, my wife kept trying to buy me Busa Garb. I kept telling her no. I told her I know what kind of bike I ride, I dont need to look down and read it off my shirt to remember hehe

[Hooligan 0]

That's going to be one interesting FAQ with questions like "why are they so loud?" That answer is going to be different depending on which riders you ask, and may cause the FAQ to appear biased if different points of view aren't presented. In this example, the loud-pipes-save-lives crowd vs everyone else.

[RedBowTies88 41]

That's going to be one interesting FAQ with questions like "why are they so loud?" That answer is going to be different depending on which riders you ask, and may cause the FAQ to appear biased if different points of view aren't presented. In this example, the loud-pipes-save-lives crowd vs everyone else.

 

It literally makes me angry when people make that point... it is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard in my entire life.

 

You like to be loud and obnoxious... ok I get it. Don't make up BS to try to cover your ass

[Hooligan 0]

See what I mean?

[Shane45 807]

loud-pipes-save-lives crowd

"It literally makes me angry when people make that point... it is one of the stupidest things I have ever heard in my entire life"

 

I wholheartedly disagree. Based on my own experience I invariably get pushed off the side of the road every time I have a new bike that I havent put pipes on yet. Keep in mind that Im on bike..idunno 14 or so in 26+ years of riding. So this is many occurances over many years. It is absolutely true that the louder pipes make people aware you are there when they otherwise may not have realised it. Now granted, my primary motivation is performance but the other is definitly an issue and part of why I want louder pipes.

[djg0770 481]

I'm not a fan of loud pipes.

 

That said, I'm less of a fan of people who are not aware of their surroundings (which seems to be the majority of automobile drivers). Anything you can do to increase your visibility to Josephine Minivan is not only acceptable, it's the minimum requirement in my mind.

 

For the record, I've driven the Belt Parkway on a bike - so yes, I was nuts at one time. My finger was poised (and depressed repeatedly) over the horn the entire trip.

[Wojo 98]

When I took a Rider Safety course, they pointed out my helmet sticker, "Loud Pipes Save Lives" and said that it was unfounded. I however, like loud, not noisy pipes. FWIW - Back in the 80's, I did a paper / thesis for a Law Class on why some states had helmet laws and others didnot. Very interesting research before Al Gore invented the internet.

 

Bottom line was insurance companies pressured the Federal government to withhold highway funding dollars if states didn't enact helmet laws. The problem was, back then, helmet construction was so inferior that more often then not, helmets increased injuries. The insurance companies tracked motorcycle accidents by dollar amounts spent on medical or a death. They found out helmet fragments very often got imbedded in the brain and caused more complications. They helmets back then were only rated for a slow speed impacts and bounced violently at high speeds causing neck / spine injuries. Also they discovered that helments gave a false sense of security and these drivers tended to drive faster and more wreckless then the guys who didn't where helmets or wore cheap brain buckets. Chain strap design was another faulty design at the time. Today's helmets are lightyears better then old ones.

 

An interesting note is that no state that refused to enact helmet laws lost any funding. In fact over recent years, many states have man helmets voluntary. What is proven is that eye protection and boot laws do more for rider safety then helmet laws. YMMV.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ THIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

 

 

Also this has been done ad-nauseum on other Moto centric boards and listservs.........do * WE * as a gun forum need a FAQ here? or is this for consumption elsewhere....?

 

For me....if on any given ride (albeit for medical conditions) you cant do more than 250 plus in the saddle, or are afraid of rain..or are afraid your chrome might get spotty...or your GS might get scratched...its too to hot to ride...its too cold to ride....theres too much traffic to ride....etc...you are NOT A BIKER !!!

 

YOU ARE A WANNABE..........nuff said...i am punching out....

 

i dont enjoy riding in the rain or cold. Well actually, it rained during my class, and thank god, it was hot as hell that day! And if it's under 50 i don't really have the cold weather gear for that.. And i stay away from traffic for the most part, it is literally an accident waiting to happen.

 

 

What is proven is that eye protection and boot laws do more for rider safety then helmet laws.

- we had this comment come up a little while ago when another state recently made helmets optional... but i'd like to see how this was proven. I never herd of a "boot law"? The fact is, eye and leg protection is a big one ONLY because you will frequently be protected using the gear.... as a bug to eye is much more likely to happen then hitting your head, and same with your feet like rolling an ankle. You dont have to crash for any of that to matter. Having a helmet doesn't most likely increase your over all safety that much, but it increases the overall survivability of a crash. You can come out of a crash with no eye and footware, but a helmet, be alive blind and unable to walk... but you may not be able to survive that same crash but have less damage to eyes and feet... So it's kinda relevant to the perspective you take in terms of rider safety and rider protection. A textile jacket and helmet are like airbags, they only help when they are rarely needed, unless you make a habit of going down. And when you go down consider yourself lucky to just wash out, as people are typically ejected from the seat like rag dolls. So the statement is really misguided, thats like saying the windshield in your car will do more for you then an airbag... well i've never had an airbag go off and i cant even imagine driving with out a windshield.

[bulpup 98]

Eesh. What was I thinking?

 

This has been pretty helpfull but I want to state for the record that I had not intended to stir anything up. My main goal was to see if I had the most prevavlent questions about motorcycles that people that do not ride have. In that regard I think we have found there are just a few.

 

The rest is all how Rider's view themselves.

 

Come January 1 I will be revealing what this is all about.

[djg0770 481]

No boot laws I'm aware of. Possibly because you can live without a foot whereas the big ole cabeza...

[civictuner04 6]

Why must they always wear black? Why so many tattoos? Why do they always look so... angry? Aren't they dangerous? Why would you want to own one, isn't a car more practical? How much do they cost? Will you go with me when I look at a used one? How much less gas do they use than a car? How much to insure? Does it really stay up by itself? Can I get a ride? How do I learn to "stunt"? Will chicks like me more if I have one? Do chicks like you more because you have one? What did your mom say? Can I meet her? (oops.) How fast do they go? Can you stop quickly? Can you stop at all? Why use the brakes, they just slow you down, right? Why do you need to use your feet? Where do I get a cool paint job? Will you buy me one?

 

Let me know if you need any more.

 

C

 

i spit water on my screen reading this great response

[greatgunstatenj 32]

I've been riding for about 26 years, started on the dirt, bought my first street bike before I had a car license, had a bunch of jap bikes and eventually bought a Harley. I still have a jap bike but I usually ride the hog. I never understood the Jap vs Harley thing. I bought the Harley over jap touring bikes because I liked it more. Had I liked the jap touring bike more I would have bought that. We're all riders, it's like firearms owners...the more of us the better who cares where the bike is made. When I pass someone on a bike I acknowledge them, don't care if they are on foreign or domestic. Japan and Europe put out some awesome bikes as does HD, no reason not to appreciate the best from everywhere.

 

Also, as for what makes a real biker? I got a good laugh from some of the responses. Some people take themselves too seriously. I have respect for all riders, especially those with the balls to ride in NJ or NY. The love of riding is all that matters. Who cares if they are weekend warriors decked out in leather? Why is anyone looking at another dude's clothing anyway?

[BMWR12 35]

Eesh. What was I thinking?

 

This has been pretty helpfull but I want to state for the record that I had not intended to stir anything up. My main goal was to see if I had the most prevavlent questions about motorcycles that people that do not ride have. In that regard I think we have found there are just a few.

 

The rest is all how Rider's view themselves.

 

Come January 1 I will be revealing what this is all about.

 

Every biker has there own philosphy and preferences. Me personally I own all pre 1945 Military sidecar motorcycles so I can't really do anything reckless or make a lot of noise. Personally I don't like the reckelss driving of the Sport bikes but the rest of the stuff you asked is sometimes done for a reason. I for example have to rev my bikes at lights from time to time or they will stall out because the idle speed might be a little slow for the outside temp. The loud pipes are good for performance I would assume and give a little extra bit of attention to those who don't pay attention while driving. The one thing I have taken out of it is all the riders I have encountered seem to respect each other and usually will stop and help a rider that is broken down on the road. This is my experience and I could certainly see things different then somebody else.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

I for example have to rev my bikes at lights from time to time or they will stall out because the idle speed might be a little slow for the outside temp. The loud pipes are good for performance I would assume and give a little extra bit of attention to those who don't pay attention while driving.

 

I used to have to do that on my 68 and 70 trumpet chops at night, no battery on them and that headlight on a dark road was about as useful as me holding a BIC lighter in front of the bike at idle. lol

 

You do have some nice rides man, need to post up some more of your pics one of these days.

 

As far as the loud pipes, I do know they have made other drivers aware that I was there, but most that run them, especially on HD's are only loosing performance due to the loss of back pressure. Now my shovel, I still run open 1 3/4" drags on her, but heck, it's a shovel, they are supposed to potato-potato at idle and roar when you get on her.