Originally Posted by MrFlorida (Post 2072677)

The media strikes again !

Originally Posted by Toymeister (Post 2072607)

The top three states by number of licenced motorcycles:

1. California
2. Florida
3. New York

My conclusion is there will never be a ban.

Originally Posted by Spalumbos62 (Post 2072740)

I dont mind motorcycles at all, but for the love of god wear a helmet. Now, that should be a law here.

Originally Posted by Spalumbos62 (Post 2072740)

I dont mind motorcycles at all, but for the love of god wear a helmet. Now, that should be a law here.

Originally Posted by fishon (Post 2072587)

Stupid article.
Consider the source.

Originally Posted by Byte1 (Post 2072779)

Why do you need a law for common sense? How does it hurt anyone if a biker does not wish to wear a helmet? Adults should be able to make their own decisions as long as it does not hurt anyone else.
But, this is about banning motorcycles and that won't ever happen. Even a big Harley uses less fuel per mile than the average car (mobile cage).

Originally Posted by GpaVader (Post 2072814)

I don't disagree that in 10 years from now we may only see electric bikes being made but I don't think we can say BAN.

I usually wore that a helmet but on really hot days and short trips, I rolled the dice. It was stupid...

I gave up my GoldWing because of cell phones. People don't watch for riders as it is but phones made them even worse, then on my way to work one day, I was riding my Wing and this kid passed me a crotch rocket while he as texting. That was it....

Still miss my Wing....

Originally Posted by jdulej (Post 2072773)

I agree with the above. I also think that within 10 years, all NEW motorcycles will be electric.

Originally Posted by coralway (Post 2072899)

forget about banning motorcycles

Ban all dogs (the four legged kind) and all persons under the age of 55.

Originally Posted by fishon (Post 2072587)

Stupid article.
Consider the source.

Originally Posted by Spalumbos62 (Post 2072740)

I dont mind motorcycles at all, but for the love of god wear a helmet. Now, that should be a law here.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2072909)

The source is a website called Motorious, which is:

according to their "About." Microsoft picked up the article and reproduced it on their site.

Meanwhile, Byte1 asks an important, significant, profound question:


How does it hurt anyone? Let me count the ways:

If the biker was in a crash with another vehicle, the driver of that vehicle will have to live with knowing that the biker might be dead, or suffer paralysis or permanent brain damage, for the rest of his life. I can tell you from experience that being the "one who survives" a crash is no picnic.

If the biker has family or friends, they will have to live with their dead or brain-damaged or paralyzed loved one. If the biker lives, he will burden his family/friends for the rest of his life, however long or short that may be. Medical expenses, hospitalizations, surgeries, 24/7 home health care, mental health care, intubation, someone to switch out the ostomy bag if he's paralyzed and unable to move his own bowels, and so on and so forth. Traumatic brain injuries and upper spine injuries are no joke.

The health insurance company, which bets on people being healthy and never needing medical care, will have lost the bet. When your premiums go up next year, it's because too many people won their bet against the health insurance company. Too many people did too many stupid things that cost the insurance company too much money - and SOMEONE has to foot the bill. That someone is everyone else.

Their kids might now have to grow up without a father or mother (depending on who was riding the bike). If the rider survives and has traumatic brain injury, those kids will likely have to assume the role of caretaker. Imagine your 15-year-old daughter having to help mommy change your feeding tube and rub lotion on your butt to prevent bedsores.

The family will probably be short a wage-earner now too, since people with traumatic brain injuries tend to have trouble finding and keeping a decent-paying job. If he's lucky they'll let him clean the dining area of the local Burger King as part of a program for brain-injured folks in the area. For less than minimum wage.

All because daddy decided his "freedom" was more important than his family's ability to function.

Meanwhile - the actual topic (if you bothered to read the actual article from Motorious) was referring primarily to the idea of communities wanting to eliminate internal combustion engines. And anyone who owns an e-bike knows that an electric motorcycle is not going to be functional as a method of transportation or leisure travel. There's just no way to strap a battery on a motorcycle that will let the biker go more than 10-20 miles total before needing to recharge it.

Originally Posted by KJ1325 (Post 2072910)

Yes. And make drivers of cars wear a helmet also. And golf carts while we are at it. Too many head injuries.

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2072909)

Meanwhile, Byte1 asks an important, significant, profound question:


How does it hurt anyone? Let me count the ways:

If the biker was in a crash with another vehicle, the driver of that vehicle will have to live with knowing that the biker might be dead, or suffer paralysis or permanent brain damage, for the rest of his life. I can tell you from experience that being the "one who survives" a crash is no picnic.

If the biker has family or friends, they will have to live with their dead or brain-damaged or paralyzed loved one. If the biker lives, he will burden his family/friends for the rest of his life, however long or short that may be. Medical expenses, hospitalizations, surgeries, 24/7 home health care, mental health care, intubation, someone to switch out the ostomy bag if he's paralyzed and unable to move his own bowels, and so on and so forth. Traumatic brain injuries and upper spine injuries are no joke.

The health insurance company, which bets on people being healthy and never needing medical care, will have lost the bet. When your premiums go up next year, it's because too many people won their bet against the health insurance company. Too many people did too many stupid things that cost the insurance company too much money - and SOMEONE has to foot the bill. That someone is everyone else.

Their kids might now have to grow up without a father or mother (depending on who was riding the bike). If the rider survives and has traumatic brain injury, those kids will likely have to assume the role of caretaker. Imagine your 15-year-old daughter having to help mommy change your feeding tube and rub lotion on your butt to prevent bedsores.

The family will probably be short a wage-earner now too, since people with traumatic brain injuries tend to have trouble finding and keeping a decent-paying job. If he's lucky they'll let him clean the dining area of the local Burger King as part of a program for brain-injured folks in the area. For less than minimum wage.

All because daddy decided his "freedom" was more important than his family's ability to function.

Originally Posted by Michael G. (Post 2072505)

Could this someday be coming Florida or TV?
At our age, I doubt we will see the day.

MSN

Originally Posted by brianherlihy (Post 2072519)

get ride of bickes and just leave golf carts

Originally Posted by blueash (Post 2072807)

There is no such thing as a brain damaged person who does not hurt anyone else. There is no one who has enough health insurance to cover a lifetime of 24 hr/d nursing care. Would you accept that if you wish to ride with no helmet then you must carry a different policy to cover those health care costs so they don't fall on the public welfare?

Riding with no helmet is the quintessential example of Free-dumb

There are many studies comparing death, disability, $$$, if you want evidence.

One study looked at outcome data for helmet wearing vs helmet refusing riders involved in hospitalization [not even considering those who did not require hospital care]

"Conclusions
In summary, our study using the National Trauma Data Bank supports the use of helmets in motorcycle riders. In this series, which included data from 10,345 patients involved in MCCs, unhelmeted MCC patients had more severe injuries (increased ISS, decreased GCS), higher rates of ICU admissions, higher rates of mechanical ventilation, and increased in-hospital mortality when compared with helmeted MCC patients. The unhelmeted patients were also more likely to be uninsured or government-insured. Our analysis suggests the need to revisit the issue regarding laws requiring protective headwear while riding motorcycles because of the individual and societal impact. Helmet use is truly a societal issue, as the cost burden is endured by the public, and must be addressed in a nationwide policy reform of helmet law"


Now tell me again how not wearing a helmet doesn't impact anyone but the stupid rider. It is good for the organ harvest business. Donorcycles

Originally Posted by Jeffery M (Post 2073017)

Freedom costs. If you eat a poor diet and the suffer diabetes and heart failure is society then going to ban certain foods? Should mountain climbing, skydiving, and swimming be banned? Should cars have governors so they can go no faster than 55 mph, thus reducing high speed crashes? Smoking is allowed and that causes far more health issues than motorcyclists not wearing helmets. People become brain damaged from doing stupid things and yet society has not collapsed from that. The percentage of the cost of healthcare has been impacted very little by motorcyclists not wearing helmets in the past and present. The rising costs are mostly from increased obesity and people living longer and suffering a varity of ailments in their older age, as well as driving like Mad Max and causing vehicle accidents. Also you are paying increased fees due to health insurance now covering pre-existing conditions, which is fine and I'm personally in favor of that, but it does impact costs. Other things have come about that are totally ridiculous that also impact the cost of healthcare, such as hormone treatment for transgender women. Medicare, the program for the elderly and disabled, lifted its ban on covering sex reassignment surgery.
Besides motorcycle helmet laws, I'm even against seat belt laws except for those under the age of 13. I would not drive without wearing a seatbelt every single time because that is the smart thing to do. Should you wear a helmet when riding a motorcycle? I believe you should. At least on the highways. However, I don't want some law telling me I have to wear a seatbelt or wear a helmet. As adults we should have that freedom of choice, and yes I am willing to be part of paying for that. Because freedom matters more than saving a few bucks on an insurance policy.

Originally Posted by Michael G. (Post 2072837)

Wearing a helmet to me is like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.

What about your back, knees, arms, legs, feet.

I own 2 Goldwing's and was guilty of riding in the summer heat with just a t-shirt and flip flops, no helmet.

I ask myself one day: "Am I ready to accept the consequences of what could happen riding at te age of 70?"
The answer was a big NO, and sold my pride and joy.

And for you dorks that say "If I refuse to wear a helmet why should that bother anyone."
Wearing that helmet or not doesn't bother anyone, it's the %&**^$#$%^&* noise that bothers people the worst.

True Story:
My dad told me he rode Indian cycles in the early 1920's before warning and caution decals were applied to bikes.
But, one decal was on the gas tank of his Indian cycle that read: "If you abuse me, I will kill you,".

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby (Post 2072909)

The source is a website called Motorious, which is:

according to their "About." Microsoft picked up the article and reproduced it on their site.

Meanwhile, Byte1 asks an important, significant, profound question:


How does it hurt anyone? Let me count the ways:

If the biker was in a crash with another vehicle, the driver of that vehicle will have to live with knowing that the biker might be dead, or suffer paralysis or permanent brain damage, for the rest of his life. I can tell you from experience that being the "one who survives" a crash is no picnic.

If the biker has family or friends, they will have to live with their dead or brain-damaged or paralyzed loved one. If the biker lives, he will burden his family/friends for the rest of his life, however long or short that may be. Medical expenses, hospitalizations, surgeries, 24/7 home health care, mental health care, intubation, someone to switch out the ostomy bag if he's paralyzed and unable to move his own bowels, and so on and so forth. Traumatic brain injuries and upper spine injuries are no joke.

The health insurance company, which bets on people being healthy and never needing medical care, will have lost the bet. When your premiums go up next year, it's because too many people won their bet against the health insurance company. Too many people did too many stupid things that cost the insurance company too much money - and SOMEONE has to foot the bill. That someone is everyone else.

Their kids might now have to grow up without a father or mother (depending on who was riding the bike). If the rider survives and has traumatic brain injury, those kids will likely have to assume the role of caretaker. Imagine your 15-year-old daughter having to help mommy change your feeding tube and rub lotion on your butt to prevent bedsores.

The family will probably be short a wage-earner now too, since people with traumatic brain injuries tend to have trouble finding and keeping a decent-paying job. If he's lucky they'll let him clean the dining area of the local Burger King as part of a program for brain-injured folks in the area. For less than minimum wage.

All because daddy decided his "freedom" was more important than his family's ability to function.

Meanwhile - the actual topic (if you bothered to read the actual article from Motorious) was referring primarily to the idea of communities wanting to eliminate internal combustion engines. And anyone who owns an e-bike knows that an electric motorcycle is not going to be functional as a method of transportation or leisure travel. There's just no way to strap a battery on a motorcycle that will let the biker go more than 10-20 miles total before needing to recharge it.