Dangerous?

[Johnny KLR]

Most folks think sportbikes are most dangerous. I admit they're unforgiving, and that can cause things to go very wrong in a big hurry.

A lot of folks think most other bikes are safer, and especially the low-powered thumpers.

I have realized, more and more, that this isn't the case at all. Not even remotely.

The 'forgiving' nature of a DS or SM bike is almost it's own insidious danger. You don't realize or expect it. You can push these bikes well into their performance envelope, and think you have TONS of room to go since they're so adept at covering our mistakes. But, when they've finally had enough... well... as I put it in another thread:

"they also encourage extremely hoodlamified(tm) behavior, which push the bike right up to its performance edge; in fact, these kind of bikes can be pretty dangerous in that regard since they'll let you get right up to their performance limit and leave you feeling perfectly in control until you cross that razor thin boundary. At that moment, they punch you in the nose, kick you in the crotch, make derogatory statements about your mother, give you a wedgie, all while laughing and pointing at you."

Agree, or disagree? Discuss.

[AWM]

I ride both.
I guess i'm fucked!

But,A man has to know his limitaions.

[heykenny]

the number of crashed sportbikes at my dealership is greater than any other style of bike by like a 20:1 margin... I'm going with sportbikes.. definitely.. death and accident statistics also agree.. although I think the real answer lies in asking "what type of bike invites the most unskilled,clueless noobs with no idea what they're doing?" again.. sportbikes.. it's true I've actually come closer to crashing my DR650 than I have to crashing my Hayabusa, but my DR doesn't give me the impression it's TRYING to get me off it's back... can't say that for the 1300. Sometimes I swear I can hear a little laugh out of the busa.. like it's just waiting for the perfect opportunity to toss my ass..

[Blakebird]

don't you have a huge fuel system to design or a wheel to re-invent?

[Dysco]

I feel more comfortable with the braking and acceleration of a sportbike in traffic but I ride with an ounce more reservation on a dual sport because of increased braking distances and longer windows of acceleration. Everything I get on becomes a tool to get from A to B as fast as possible. As I get older, my bikes are getting smaller AND I'm getting faster.

At least dualsports handle curbs and cinderblocks better than the supersports.

[Johnny KLR]

I'm not saying that sportbikes aren't deadly, nor am I taking a comparison between the two to decide which is more dangerous; but that the DS/SM bikes aren't likely to be as safe as people might be apt to percieve.

[Albie]

Originally Posted by heykenny

the number of crashed sportbikes at my dealership is greater than any other style of bike by like a 20:1 margin...

Hell, who would waste the time and money to haul a dual sport or motard to a dealership if it gets tossed? Ya just ride em with teh scratched up plastic.

[dorkpunch]

Originally Posted by Albie

Hell, who would waste the time and money to haul a dual sport or motard to a dealership if it gets tossed? Ya just ride em with teh scratched up plastic.

Yup!



Though this was not the result of crossing some "line". Stupid forrest rats.

[Oly]

My one experience on leaving the roadway I walked away from and I ride a DS.

The trouble is I had to walk over eight miles.

[PaulDuke2]

Don't know what it says about my riding, but have been rearended twice .
while stopped both times. Once on a BSA 250 by a double decker bus, and
on a Yam. 920 sport tourer in rush hour traffic . paul

[bpw]

The big diffference is that when things go pear shaped on a supersport you are frequently around or above 100 mph because they are so capable. At least the DS tends to knock you on your ass a lower speeds. I do agree that I tend to push the DS harder, but riding a DS at 80% is still only about as fast as cruising at 60% on a supersport. The only time I find this isnt the case is on real tight twisties where I am faster on the DS but speeds are still quite low.

I definetly dont have to worry about accidently breaking the 100 mph mark on the DS. Real easy to do if you space out on a SS.

[CA Stu]

You sneeze on something as relatively low tech as a properly tuned 1994 ZX-9R, you're going 100+. RIGHT NOW!

As far as minor (non-fatal) injuries, DS machines may be worse, but DS bike crashes are way less likely to be fatal, I reckon.

YMMV, and go ahead and go as fast as you dare!

Thanks
CA Stu

[intheways]

I don't think my KLR ever has me feeling that safe, with fork shimmy and all on the highway.

I would agree that SMs are probably more dangerous; at least, I know they would be for me, if I had one.

Case in point: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3s...-ospedale_auto

Watch when they pass the sportbike.

[Zerodog]

The first season I had my 640 I decided to do some super moto action in my work parking lot. I found that concrete is pretty slippery when combined with a hand full of throttle and a shove of the butt. I chucked that sucker about 30 or 40 feet. I was wearing shorts, sneakers and a T shirt. I had my helmet on though! Some how I escaped with a bruised and road rashed butt and that was it. I think I mostly slid on my sneaker covered foot, which was twisted behind me as I slid. I didn't even skin a knee. It was totally stupid and probably not something I would have tried on another bike. Or at least my other bike. DS bikes make you sort of fearless and stupid. Or at least that is the effect they have on me.

[montesa_vr]

Originally Posted by Zerodog

The first season I had my 640 I decided to do some super moto action in my work parking lot. I found that concrete is pretty slippery when combined with a hand full of throttle and a shove of the butt. DS bikes make you sort of fearless and stupid. Or at least that is the effect they have on me.

Yeah, I walked out of the warehouse one Friday night and decided to show off with a big wheelie. I warmed up the XT500 for a minute, rode down to the far end of the parking lot, turned around, clunked it into second and wheee! Look at me! It was a beautiful sit down balance wheelie and I was so full of myself, but I was accelerating the whole way to keep the front end up and I was going pretty fast when I ran out of parking lot.

Dropped the front wheel and clamped on the brakes. With the sudden weight transfer, the rear wheel locked and kicked out to the side. For a minute I was so stupid I thought I could flat track it right out the gate. But the rear end just kept going and pretty soon I was sliding along on my belly beside the bike at about 40 mph. Came to a stop right in front of the guardhouse, with the clutch pulled in and the engine still idling, so I quick picked it up and got out of there.

I was wearing my bibs, so the only damage was peeling the hide off my left forearm. Bike was fine. I was really fortunate I didn't highside right into the guardhouse. Probably wouldn't have tried anything that stupid on a sport bike. Never heard a word about it, so I guess nobody ever saw any of it.