Opinions

[lerxstcat]

Re: Opinions

Hey Chuck, not trying to knock your experience, but my brother's not stupid and he's been riding longer than you've been alive. You certainly have a right to your viewpoint, but you don't like it when others call your viewpoints stupid,
so isn't fair fair? If you're going to call Black Mariah on it, think about not doing the same thing, that's all.

Are you really saying you can hear and see as well with a helmet covering your head as without? Maybe that's so riding at speed on a raceway, but how about sitting at a red light when an 80-year old grandma who "can't see" bikes barrels up on you?

Again, my brother's 58, been riding since 12, has never had a bike accident and has avoided many by taking evasive action. He's had a lot of luck, but also skill, to reach that point, and is one of the most intelligent guys you'd ever meet.

[mudkicker]

Re: Opinions

Lerx, that may be the opinion your brother has about helmets. But most of the time all you hear on a motorcycle is the exhaust note of the bike or the wind rushing around you. As far as your peripheral vision is concerned most quality helmets if fitted correctly will not block your vision.
Now time for a new argument. With the AMA following FIM banning leaded fuels from Supercross/Motocross, I'm sure they will also start to enforce exhaust decibel levels. Thus restricting four strokes. Now I have a problem with this. My YZ 400 puts out 104dbs. But it is a closed course competition bike. But some Harley rider can legally run around on city streets pumping out over 120dbs (louder than most rock concerts) without any worries of noise restrictions. You can't run an auto with straight pipes. I feel that if they are going to enforce dbs regs on race machinery then they should also quiet the roaring menace on our city streets.

Brian

[Chuckracer]

Re: Opinions

"Are you really saying you can hear and see as well with a helmet covering your head as without? Maybe that's so riding at speed on a raceway, but how about sitting at a red light when an 80-year old grandma who "can't see" bikes barrels up on you?"

Yes Rich, that's exactly what I'm saying. You apparently don't know anything about modern helmets, how they are designed or how they work, but using your brother as an example here...your brother is lucky. My father rode for 30 some years and never had an accident either and he knows the difference between skill and luck. Accident avoidence? The answer is not to avoid, it's not to be there in the first place. THAT'S skill. Swerving around some cage pilot versus reading the traffic and not being in the target zone in the first place...well, if I have to explain it, etc.

You guys think all my expirence is on the track...I have well over 200,000miles of street riding under my belt and have never even been CLOSE to an altercation with a car. Why? I make sure I'm not in the danger zones in the first place. That's skill. That's smarts.

Rich, I apologize for going all "B.M." on ya there, but that tired old rehtoric about helmets decreasing your hearing and vision...well, I've seen that theory shot so full of holes so many times so long ago, I guess I was shocked it got trotted out yet again and some of you really believe it. I know that sounds insulting and I apologize in advance as I'm not the most eloquent dude here, but really, please do some research.

[~K~]

Re: Opinions

Sorry Chuck I respecfully disagree with you.. I have plenty of road miles on several different bikes and YES I do see sensory deprevation in wearing a full faced helmet.. it does in fact cut down your hearing and your periphrial vision. .. I'm not spouting B.S I'm talking from experience.... I'm not souting rhetoric simply to pull people over to my point of view.. you wanna wear a helmet ..wear it . I won't judge you .. But I am tired of people judging me because I don't wear one ..


BTW this was my day today ..

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: Opinions

i was there last sunday. glad you had a killer day kev. it's easy to see you did.
nice action shot [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Opinions

Originally posted by KMaynard:
YES I do see sensory deprevation in wearing a full faced helmet.. it does in fact cut down your hearing and your periphrial vision. ..

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Speaking from my personal experience (a couple hundred thousand miles on the road here as well): yes, there is sensory depravation from wearing a full-face helmet.

And as for never having come close to being tagged by a car, congrats to you on that Chuck but at least admit that it's not 100% skill. I'm sure you're an excellent rider, but there's simply no such thing as 100% safety on the roads, particularly on a bike. Cage pilots (and other riders) can put you in situations that you can't avoid no matter how much caution you exercise. The fact that it hasn't happened to you doubtless has something to do with skill, but it also has something to do with luck.

[horns666]

Re: Opinions

It's almost 1:00 in the morning on a Saturday night ...and you guys want to discuss helmets....nice [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]


well I could see who the "married" guys are around here .... [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

it's OK I'm laughing with you ...not at you .

well yeah...I'm laughing at you too... [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[lerxstcat]

Re: Opinions

Chuck, I agree that luck as well as skill goes into my bro's accident-free record,
but considering the last 30 years of his riding were in New Orleans, the East Bay of the SF Bay area, then Los Angeles since 1980, I'd say he's been on some high-risk roadways and knows wherof he speaks too. I remember you commenting how much you hate L.A., and the maniac drivers are probably a big factor, eh? I'd never advise an inexperienced rider to go without a helmet regardless of the law, but those who know what they're doing should have a choice.

Of course, I love my 86 Model 6 with poplar wings AND a Kahler, so WTF do I know? [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

BTW Kevin, nice pics and beautiful countryside there!

[~K~]

Re: Opinions

BTW Kevin, nice pics and beautiful countryside there!

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Thanks Rich,

Now you guys know why Tommy is pulling his hair out up here. He's definetly a beach bum and to him he might as well be out in east bumfuk....eh ..forgot he is out in east bumfuk ... [img]graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Chuckracer]

Re: Opinions

Awesome pics there Kev. I was at Laconia in 1999, my first year of two on the AMA Superbike circut. I was a chassis and suspension set-up man with Vance and Hines Ducati, working with Anthony Gobert. We had a streetbike in the trailer that no-one else rode, so every afternoon if I was done with the racebikes I would grab that bike and cruise the countryside of whatever state we were in. So while we were at Loudon, I had to cruise over to Laconia.
Looks just like where I live now at the edge of the Adirondacks.

I can still argue the merits of helmets, but one thing I keep forgetting is that everybody here is a big boy and can make their own informed decisions. As Kevin said, "But I am tired of people judging me because I don't wear one .."
I am wrong for pushing my ideals on everyone, and I DO have a tendency to become pretty close minded on this issue. That needs to change!

Skill/Luck/Helmet or not...who cares? The Ride is the point.

[YetAnotherOne]

Re: Opinions

Originally posted by Chuckracer:
Skill/Luck/Helmet or not...who cares? The Ride is the point.

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Amen to that bro', it's all about a good time. [img]graemlins/toast.gif[/img]