Another motorcycle fatality.

[Hydro1]

http://www.albertapolicereport.ca/20...ycle-fatality/

PLEASE dont speed while you are riding.

[Selkirk]

It's common knowledge for us long-time riders, that spring is 'High Season' for motorcycle accidents ... but what's with all these recent ones with 55+ year olds involved?!?!

Mac

[riden]

Thanks for the post.

You two are doing a good job of keeping a noobie rider humble. Thanks.

[Grizzly Adams]

Originally Posted by MacLeod

It's common knowledge for us long-time riders, that spring is 'High Season' for motorcycle accidents ... but what's with all these recent ones with 55+ year olds involved?!?!

Mac

Hey, all the old farts are getting motorcycles, they want to relive the youth they never had. More of them on the road than youngsters. Problem with a motorcycle accident is, even if you're right, end result makes you wrong.

Grizz

[aardvaark]

I've always ridden with the attitude that every single situation is out to get you - you have to always beware, anticipate, and expect the unforseen.

[alacringa]

I'm very respectful of bikers, as a driver; but the way I've seen some of them driving, it surprizes me that there aren''t more fatalities.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by aardvaark

I've always ridden with the attitude that every single situation is out to get you - you have to always beware, anticipate, and expect the unforseen.

That ^

And it's the main reason I do little to no riding in urban areas anymore ... the odds are totally against you, and it's just too *&^%$# stressful.

But I'll take a long and peaceful ride on a country backroad, anyday.

Mac

[edmhunter]

Mac

The first person I watched die was a guy that died right in front of me, actually watched him gasp for his last breath of air before he died.

This happened on a country road in the middle of nowhere, gravel took him off the road, no other vehicles involved.

PS: That did not stop me from wanting to ride though. But that's going way back.

[masalma]

RIP Rider.

Before being married and having kids had 4 bikes, and did lots of track days out east, with each kid I had I sold a bike and a couple of years ago had a close with a distracted driver and decided to give up riding.

Sure do miss it. But street riding has way too many variables. And riding around town was never my cup of tea. Nothing beats riding the east coast roads, especially the Cabot trail.

[From The Hip]

I got my motorcycle endorcement many years when I lived in BC.I rode a bike for 6 months whilst having only a learners licence and in that time I put on 28,000 kilometers on a 1978 Kawasaki 450 LTD that I drove into the ground...had the engine seize on me when I was doing 120 and I pulled in the clutch and rode it into the ditch and kicked the bike.

I would not drive a motorcycle in Calgary.....far too many idiots for my liking or safety concearns.

FTH

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by masalma

. . . Nothing beats riding the east coast roads, especially the Cabot trail.

That's ^ on my bucket list

Mac

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by MacLeod

That's ^ on my bucket list

Mac

If you haven't ridden the Beartooth Highway, it is well worth doing.

[Hydro1]

I need to do the motorcycle test. Then i have a harley fatboy custom waiting for me.
Was my old mans, he gave up riding. Any mountain riding looks beautiful. Little safer in theory as well.

[gitrdun]

Never ever a good thing to hear. I don't ride but give them folks on 2 wheels some room and respect. Very sad to hear about another fatality.

[schreyer]

I only expect two things when I'm riding around town. Keeping your distance from my rear wheel and shoulder checking. I guess that's too much to ask these days.


Already I've had a handful of near misses on the gsxr from people not doing the above.

[the.tru.albertan]

Originally Posted by alacringa

I'm very respectful of bikers, as a driver; but the way I've seen some of them driving, it surprizes me that there aren''t more fatalities.

You are lumping motorcyclists together. You can get killed driving anything regardless of speed. Just because your going under or at the speed limit, doesn't mean your going to survive a collision. Sure your chances of survival might increase, but there is still a chance of death regardless.

What I want to know is how this guy lost control... Did he hit something like debris, pothole crater, RD city manhole crater/bump?

[Hydro1]

Originally Posted by the.tru.albertan

You are lumping motorcyclists together. You can get killed driving anything regardless of speed. Just because your going under or at the speed limit, doesn't mean your going to survive a collision. Sure your chances of survival might increase, but there is still a chance of death regardless.

What I want to know is how this guy lost control... Did he hit something like debris, pothole crater, RD city manhole crater/bump?

The reports are still pretty vague about what happened.
Here is another one.
Just a copy and paste, couldnt link the site for some reason.


Red Deer RCMP report a*55-year old Red Deer man died in a motorcycle collision this past weekend.

Leanne Molzahn of the Red Deer RCMP says the collision occurred at about 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 9 on Taylor Dr near the intersection of Kerry Wood Dr.

“Witnesses reported that the driver of the motorcycle was driving faster than the speed limit when he lost control and flipped the motorcycle before striking a lamp post”, says Molzahn.

EMS and Red Deer firefighters attended the scene and treated the victim, however, he was declared deceased soon after crews arrived.

An RCMP collision analyst is investigating, and at this time, police do not believe alcohol was a factor in the fatal Red Deer motorcycle crash.

Molzahn says*speed may have been involved in the collision.

The name of the victim is not being released at this time

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by schreyer

I only expect two things when I'm riding around town. Keeping your distance from my rear wheel and shoulder checking. I guess that's too much to ask these days.


Already I've had a handful of near misses on the gsxr from people not doing the above.

No disrespect intended, but I've been riding for 40+ years now ... with those ^ expectations, you're a statistic waiting to happen.

May 'The Force' be with you,

Mac

[New Hunter Okotoks]

It is always sad to hear when a motorcyclist dies. My condolences to his Family and friends.

I don't ride anymore but sometimes I sure do miss it. As someone else mentioned, the odds are definitely stacked against a rider. I would ask that drivers pay more attention this time of year now that bikes are on the road again. Also, please take a second look in your mirror when changing lanes and when pulling or merging onto highways. I ask this because a motorcyclist could be travelling at a very high rate of speed and wasn't noticed on the first check. A person on a bike can cover an amazing amount of distance in a very short time.

I know that it's not right to be speeding like that. I know that a guy is an idiot for riding like that. I know that anybody riding like that is just asking to be given a Darwin Award, etc. etc. etc........ The fact is that doing a second check might just be the difference between a person living and a person dying. Many of us have made stupid mistakes and I would guess that only a select few can claim that they have never made a reckless choice at any point in their lives. The person on the bike could be your neighbour, your friend's son, your nephew,........... it could even be your own child taking a buddy's bike for a rip. I am not justifying riding like that in any way, I just ask that people please take that second look. Personally, I look WAY back in the mirror and I assume that there is a guy speeding up the left lane at 240 km/h before I change lanes.

[58thecat]

Too bad a live was lost. I ride daily to work, evening and wk ends too. Mountain two week rides etc. Enjoy what you do, be careful and don't get all worked up about statistics etc....with all the crap we eat we all should have died many years ago!


Bright head light and loud pipes....than a beer and a burger when I get home

[honda450]

I had a street bike years ago. Other drivers Scared the crap out of me. Sold it.

Dang I got passed yesterday on the Henday............he passed me on the shoulder. I am driving a F350. Yup a rice rocket.

[Okotokian]

Son #1 has had a bike for years. Hospitalized once for an accident that was not his fault (left hand turning car). That's the scary thing. YOu can be as careful as you can, but.... Son #2 just bought a bike last weekend. Momma not at all happy. My father just died recently and left a mint-condition Harley electraglide. I thought for a moment about taking it but it's on the block instead.

[elkhunter11]

I have been riding on the streets for almost 40 years without incident. Riding defensively, and riding a bike with good handling and braking has kept me from any misfortune. The only time that I didn't feel totally comfortable was when I took a big heavy bike with inferior handling and braking through a set of curves in the mountains, so the owner could try my bike.

[chewydog]

Been riding for many years, but it seems in the last few years, people have lost their minds! When ever I pass anybody, and I usually do as I like to ride in my own space, I'd say 75% of people are either texting or talking on their phones! Last year I put on about 15K and had 3 close calls, 2 related to texting, 1 related to weather. I was also the second rider behind a bike involved in a collision with a truck driven by a 90 year old man. The guy on the bike suffered broken bones, his summer was over and he bike was wrecked. The old man probably got a 100 fine and life was good again. My son bought a bike last year and then had second thoughts, he sold it this spring and I cant say I'm sad as right now it's not a good place to be a new driver on a bike. Too many new canadians driving like they own the road. Its a war zone out there for bikes, no respect!

And one final thought load pipes do save lives.

[HyperMOA]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

If you haven't ridden the Beartooth Highway, it is well worth doing.

Beartooth Pass is great. Been over that pass several times with the carbs coughing sneezing and farting near the summit. 11,000 feet of elevation if I remember correctly. Rode over the pass 2 or 3 years ago on my first fuel injected bike. Not one backfire. The last probably thousand feet and down the other side of the summit for about 500 feet I was wide open throttle. I wouldn't even let up on the corners, just scrub a bit of speed with the brakes upon entry of the corner. I think I need to make another trip this summer.

[Leeper]

In many cases, the more mature riders who are involved in serious accidents are riders who are not particularily good at it and may even be relatively inexperienced. In order to be able to cope with any kind of emergency on the road, handling the bike has to be instinctive. Countersteering, for instance, has to be a natural response. Covering the brake and clutch levers, especially while in traffic, has to be habitual. Anyone who rides a bike needs to know what happens when you lose control and how to deal with it. Too many are on the road without the basic skills they need. Too many are riding motorcycles they can't handle. I am a fairly capable rider but there are a lot of bikes available which deliver performance beyond what I can handle.
I am 66 years old and have been riding for over fifty years. I have ridden big bikes, small bikes, sport bikes, cruisers,dirt bikes, dual purpose bikes, and scooters. I have ridden on pavement, gravel, in mud, in snow, and on ice; all of this on big street bikes. I have ridden solo, two-up, and two-up plus a dog. I have even lapped a MX track and managed a double jump with a dog in my lap! I've travelled at over 100 mph on a gravel road and half again that fast on pavement. I've hit the ground a few times. I've crashed on pavement, on gravel, and in the dirt. I've run over a domestic sheep at high speed in a blinding rain storm and kept going. All in all, I'm relatively experienced but even so, I am well aware that I might be one of the statistics one day. I often ride fast and I take some chances. I mostly ride within my limits but often right at the edge. It's part of who I am.
I would encourage anyone who rides on the street to spend some time on a dirt bike and find out what it feels like to lose traction or lose control. I would also caution riders to be aware of your surroundings and the traffic around you. When you approach an intersection with a car approaching on a side road, you assume the car is going to pull out in front of you and plan your evasive action ahead of time. Be prepared to swerve, brake, accelerate, or a combination of these to avoid a collision. I have never even had a real close call involving a car or truck because I have always anticipated and seen the potential for a collision. When I am on a bike, I am much more aware of potential hazards because I have to be.
I have made some mistakes and gotten away with it ; possibly because the other guy was alert. I remember at time when I was travelling fast in heavy traffic. I was passing cars which were travelling at 60 mph+ while I was riding at closer to 90 to 100 mph. I was going so much faster than the traffic that I was paying little attention to what was happening behind me. I was just getting ready to pass another car and was approaching said car with a speed differential of about 40 mph when a GPz 1100 blew by me at what had to be 130 mph+. Because I had my finger on the front brake lever and my foot on the pedal, I was able to slow down before hitting the rear bumper in front of me and I vowed to never again be oblivious to what was taking place behind me. I like to think the guy on the GPz was looking ahead and was aware of me but I'll never know. By the way this was thirty years ago, and I no longer travel quite so quickly as I am aware of the limitations which come with aging. I'm sure I still travel more quickly than many would consider to be prudent, however I am less likely to do so in traffic and prefer to assuage my need for speed on secondary or terciary roads. I still ride a dirt bike when I feel the need for self-abuse and I still hit the ground on occasion.
I guess my message is this: Know your limitations and ride within them. It is best to discover these limitations somewhere other than on public roads. If you are contemplating getting a license and starting to ride, take a motorcycle riding and safety course. It could save your skin and will certainly give you a solid foundation on which to build. Leeper.

[retten]

Originally Posted by alacringa

I'm very respectful of bikers, as a driver; but the way I've seen some of them driving, it surprizes me that there aren''t more fatalities.

Hate to see anyone hurt doing anything, BUT,
in a traffic jam on Manning Freeway yesterday,
TOOL on his crotch Rocket flys by me between
the two rows of stopped cars, sad thing is a younger women
on the same type rig with a sign on the back bar
"New Driver" go humping by faster than the TOOL
training her.

I respect all those who use the road,(over 2.6 million klicks in the past 27 years without a scratched bumper) but it is pailheads
like this that aggrevate me the most, if you want to
be respected you need to show a little respect.

Moving violations like this should be extremely costly and
include major points off your license, it would help save
the blatantly stupid.