loxpump
Rocker
I'm sure they have more detailed reports and studies than our poll. Insurance companies are in business to make money by gambling. They're betting (hoping) that we won't get in an accident and we're betting the opposite.
Two types of riders
- Thread starter Gretsch
- Start date
I'm sure they have more detailed reports and studies than our poll. Insurance companies are in business to make money by gambling. They're betting (hoping) that we won't get in an accident and we're betting the opposite.
Speed3Chris
I like Dick
+1
Insurance premiums are based upon statistics of particular demographics and ROI of policies written versus premium pay out.
Case in point, 1 liter sport bikes that cost $12K to replace are about 4 X's more than a $20K Harley to insure for the simple reason that young guns on high power sport bikes crash a lot more than old guys putting along on blinged out Harleys.
mark66
TT Racer
I agree, no doubt they have. I was just making a tongue an cheek statement over those first poll results. I am surprised though that so many compared to so few have had an accident. I wish more members would reply to the poll to see if the results would balance out more.
Littlejoe
Scooter
"I’ve been in an accident and I was wearing all my safety gear and was uninjured."
"I’ve been in an accident and was not wearing all my safety gear and was injured."
I qualify for these two.
Chris, your statistics are old. The stats from the past 4 years from the NHSTHA shows that riders over the age of 45 on cruiser type bikes are the highest group for accidents. Alcohol is present in almost half of those accidents.
"I’ve been in an accident and was not wearing all my safety gear and was injured."
I qualify for these two.
Chris, your statistics are old. The stats from the past 4 years from the NHSTHA shows that riders over the age of 45 on cruiser type bikes are the highest group for accidents. Alcohol is present in almost half of those accidents.
Speed3Chris
I like Dick
Joe,
Do you have a link to those stats? I would sure like to see them. The same premium index applies to high performance cars. Bike insurers have no reason not to charge higher premiums for more expensive cruisers...yet they don't. Fact is there is a high correlation between age and accidents and why polices are almost universally discounted relative to age. Old guys who survived that long normally have better judgement and less testosterone and desire for risk taking.
There is nothing magical about the last 4 years either...unless indices are only published that far back. Accident rates demographically for cars and bikes are the same for the last decade including the number of lives lost on roadways due to drunk driving.
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mark66
TT Racer
Just a guess, but I think the cost of insurance is more correlated to cost of medical/hospitalization than the cost of the motorcycle. If your bike is $8000 to $15000 thats not much compared to what medical costs are at an emergency room.
justmadeup
Scooter
I have never hit pavement. Some low speed drops and offs but I remained standing so those don't count right? Some dirt bike mishaps as a kid, no injuries. Very suprising considering how I rode that Yamaha 360.
Anyone going to factor in time in the saddle? 6 years for me, the last 10 months on the Bonny and the rest 30 plus years ago. Am I a Triumph demographic target or what?
Anyone going to factor in time in the saddle? 6 years for me, the last 10 months on the Bonny and the rest 30 plus years ago. Am I a Triumph demographic target or what?
Speed3Chris
I like Dick
Agree with you Mark which further makes my argument about why sport bikes cost many times more to insure. Pretty easy to determine the relative weighting of insurance cost to fix a vehicle versus the medical liability...a quote for car insurance is sizably lower without collision coverage. But again it comes down to accident statistics and two things work against the argument of the stat that Joe suggested. If old guys do crash more as he suggests....old guys cost more to fix compared to young guys who tend to mend a bit easier and are more agile as they go off the bike in a crash...and two, Harleys by and large cost more to repair than sport bikes. So it doesn't wash commercially that old cruiser guys crash more than young sport bike guys. I will believe it when I see the stats.
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sweatmachine
moped
too bad the insurance co's don't factor in the gear worn by the rider when calculating the premiums. A middle aged new rider wearing a t-shirt and doo-rag on a HD is much more danger to himself and others than a younger rider with years of experience with full ATGATT.
I was out riding a few weeks ago, in Luckenbach TX (like the song), and I walked into a gas station for a drink. I was wearing my mesh jacket, gloves, full face helmet, etc. An older gentleman who was a brand new rider (wearing NO gear btw) had laid his bike down in the parking lot at a slow speed. He had done some damage to the bike and really sliced up his forearm and elbow. He was in lots of pain and was bleeding pretty badly, but I think his pride was hurt worse than anything. They bandaged him up then he came and asked me about my mesh jacket, wanted to inspect the padding/armor/etc, and said how much he'd wished he had been wearing one. Hopefully he'll pick one up.
I was out riding a few weeks ago, in Luckenbach TX (like the song), and I walked into a gas station for a drink. I was wearing my mesh jacket, gloves, full face helmet, etc. An older gentleman who was a brand new rider (wearing NO gear btw) had laid his bike down in the parking lot at a slow speed. He had done some damage to the bike and really sliced up his forearm and elbow. He was in lots of pain and was bleeding pretty badly, but I think his pride was hurt worse than anything. They bandaged him up then he came and asked me about my mesh jacket, wanted to inspect the padding/armor/etc, and said how much he'd wished he had been wearing one. Hopefully he'll pick one up.
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T-boy
Rocker
I've been in numerous close calls, including one 2 years ago that I still don't have a clue how I avoided (would have been a high speed mess...not my fault).
Gretsch, glad to hear you're mending. Do you think the same thing would have happened on your Bonnie?
sweat...correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't eating dog shit bad for you?
wiseanhyzer
Two Stroke
I voted never been in an accident.
I grew up riding dirt bikes and had all kinds of spills on them. Never any broken bones, but I was lucky a couple of times. I've dropped my Scrambler in the gravel twice and once in my driveway. :loser: All low speed and just scratches on the bike, none on me. So I've never "wrecked" but I've only been riding on the street for 2 years now (since I bought my Triumph). I'm sure my days are numbered and I only hope my protective gear pays for itself. Can't pick when it happens though.
I have had several close calls with deer crossings and cars passing bicycles coming over into my lane. Made me shit my pants.
Gretsch, heal quick man and everyone be safe out there.
I grew up riding dirt bikes and had all kinds of spills on them. Never any broken bones, but I was lucky a couple of times. I've dropped my Scrambler in the gravel twice and once in my driveway. :loser: All low speed and just scratches on the bike, none on me. So I've never "wrecked" but I've only been riding on the street for 2 years now (since I bought my Triumph). I'm sure my days are numbered and I only hope my protective gear pays for itself. Can't pick when it happens though.
I have had several close calls with deer crossings and cars passing bicycles coming over into my lane. Made me shit my pants.
Gretsch, heal quick man and everyone be safe out there.
mark66
TT Racer
Exactly! I couldn't agree more. In other insurance products you get a break for safety devises/systems. Why not motorcycles. Of course the insurance industry will have a reason as always. I'm not trying to bash the insurance companies here, as Sweat says, just wish you could.
grumpy_1944
750cc
A few offs while riding a dirtbike, I don't call that an accident. A few scrapes, and one small legburn. Hell at that time we didn't know what ATGATT was, little on a helmet,
Speed3Chris
I like Dick
True dat about insurance companies not factoring in ATGATT. Other notable thing is many states are now repealing the helmet law and as you say...lots of hardly riders wearing just a doo rag out in traffic. One false move and crack goes the watermelon. Cost to insure a cruiser sure doesn't explain that dynamic. Agree that sport bike guys tend to wear more gear than the doo rag crowd but I also see sport bike guys in shorts and flip flops. I am all for a free country, but no doubt those jack@ss's increase all of our premiums.
Bonniebret
Rocker
I've heard from the trauma dept. where Harley riders suffer more abrasions and lacerations and sport bike riders suffer more internal injuries due to the speed they generally travel at even though they tend to wear more gear.
AZ is a helmet optional state and I see more people not wearing a helmet than do. I can't imagine not wearing one and for the life of me can't understand why you wouldn't want to wear one.
AZ is a helmet optional state and I see more people not wearing a helmet than do. I can't imagine not wearing one and for the life of me can't understand why you wouldn't want to wear one.
mark66
TT Racer
CT is the same as AZ with the helmet law although this state has changed back and forth over the years. When I first rode in the mid '70s there was no helmet law, then they pasted one, and then they repealed it. And around me I've noticed the same as you. I must say that most of the un-helmeted crowd are the HD riders. It's gotta be an image thing with them. They just won't look right with it or so they think.
sweatmachine
moped
Texas is also a helmet-optional state, although I *think* there are some requirements to going dumb-headed, but they are all but unenforced.
I never ride without my helmet, jacket, jeans, and gloves. I need to pick up some proper riding pants. That's been the missing link from my gear. If it's too hot to wear all the gear, it's too hot to ride.
Other people can do whatever the hell they want, but for me, I'll wear the gear.
I never ride without my helmet, jacket, jeans, and gloves. I need to pick up some proper riding pants. That's been the missing link from my gear. If it's too hot to wear all the gear, it's too hot to ride.
Other people can do whatever the hell they want, but for me, I'll wear the gear.
Littlejoe
Scooter
I first heard about it last year when I did the BikeSafe NC program with the state police. Its based on Britain's BikeSafe program and the pilot program for a nation wide one. You can check it out on the link. According to the Sgt. who was conducting the class, the 50+ crowd is about even with the 18-24 group for accidents. Even the link below shows less than half % point behind in 2008.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety numbers show this. It tracks the trends for more than the past four years, but that's when the trend started.
There's more stuff on there about gear and what not, and you can read it a you leisure.
I'm just tired of hearing blame being put on sportbike riders.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety numbers show this. It tracks the trends for more than the past four years, but that's when the trend started.
There's more stuff on there about gear and what not, and you can read it a you leisure.
I'm just tired of hearing blame being put on sportbike riders.
Speed3Chris
I like Dick
I wasn't aware of a campaign to smear sport bike riders.
Many are my friend. But...generally the bottom line of insurance premiums dictates the statistical trend better than any given study. For example...forget age as a metric. How many sport bike riders are there? How many old guys on cruisers are out on the road? Now compare the death rate. Reality is, cruiser guys generally do ride a lot slower than sport bike guys who like to race more. I agree with what Bret said. Way more organ donors on sport bikes than cruisers. This is being around all of them for a long time. Now it is quite possible that old guys do drink a bit and ride...and their eyesight has diminished with age including reaction time...but I would be very surprised if there isn't a much greater death rate on sport bikes per capita compared to cruisers. The bottom line of insurance premiums supports this. Its the same with young guys driving high performance cars. They crash a lot more than 50 year olds driving the speed limit in their Buick. I bear this out as well in my habits as I age. I shouldn't be here. Thanks for the link.
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