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common motorcycle myths and legends

14K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  KCW 
#1 ·
this is a list of some misconceptions about bikes and riding. especially good for newer riders to take note, but also informative no matter how long you've been riding. although some might be debatable, there's definitely some things to be learned here. feel free to look up more and add to the list.

You should lay down your bike if you’re going to crash.
http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-motorcycle-myths-and-legends/
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/

Motorcycles are smaller than cars or trucks so police speed radars won’t be able to detect you.
http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-motorcycle-myths-and-legends/

New tires come with a coating that can only be removed by riding them for a few miles under inflated.
i'm not sure about this one. i've had more than one expert tell me about this coating that comes on new tires that make them slippery when new. and unless it's a placebo effect, whenever i get a new back tire, it does feel a little slick when going through turns. but agree 100% on NEVER under-inflating your tires.
http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-motorcycle-myths-and-legends/

18-25 year-olds are the most at risk category for injury or death in the motorcycle community.
http://rideapart.com/2013/10/10-motorcycle-myths-and-legends/2/

most accidents are caused by car drivers
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-top-10s/the-top-10-motorcycling-myths/23232.html
"An analysis of SERIOUS MOTORCYCLE CRASHES IN MICHIGAN", Michigan state police, January 2006

new bikes are better than old ones
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-top-10s/the-top-10-motorcycling-myths/23232.html

Premium unleaded petrol significantly increases a bike’s efficiency
http://www.bikepoint.com.au/news/2011/top-10-motorcycle-myths-26388

If you ride a motorcycle, it’s inevitable that you will eventually crash
http://www.bikepoint.com.au/news/2011/top-10-motorcycle-myths-26388

Aftermarket exhausts always produce better performance
http://www.bikepoint.com.au/news/2011/top-10-motorcycle-myths-26388

Cheap helmets aren’t as safe as expensive ones
http://www.bikepoint.com.au/news/2011/top-10-motorcycle-myths-26388

You can’t buy groceries on a bike
http://www.thebikerweb.com/10_Motorcycle_Myths_Unmasked.html

A Helmet Won't Help in Most Crashes
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/

I'm Safer on the Street than on an Interstate
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/

and the mother of them all.................

Loud Pipes Save Lives
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/
 
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#3 ·
Agreed, thanks for sharing valuable information. One suggestion- Make this a sticky. It's too good to be lost in the archives.
 
#5 ·
Myth 10: It's Better to Stay in Your Lane than Split Lanes


In most parts of the world, motorcycles split lanes all the time, everywhere traffic is heavy. Here in the U.S., people often act as if lane-splitting is insane. But when someone actually studied it in the only place in the U.S. where it's legal (California), they discovered it's actually slightly safer than staying in the lane in heavy, slow-moving traffic. Still many motorcyclists berate others who do it, when they should in fact be endorsing it.


Read more: http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/#ixzz2n5xJZG2W


I can't agree with that at all. It's illegal here, in NV, and more than once a few bikes almost slammed into my door. There's also that "**** **** ****" guy who was splitting lanes like an ass and smashed between two trucks.
 
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#8 · (Edited)
Gonna say I'm with you guys. I tried it but i found myself just back in line behind the cars again and in no hurry anyway, otherwise i would be on a much higher stress level (more so) and i'm not into that when i can not worry about the unpredictable outcome at any given time. I do have a engine guard on now that sticks out leaving less clearance too. I have no problem with bikers who do, thats on them but just not worth it to me nor really my thing.
 
#9 ·
I live in South Carolina and whenever I hear someone complain about bikers it is usually about the guys on sport bikes lane splitting (which is illegal here but a lot of them do it anyway). The coaches at the MSF class I took strongly advised against doing it.

Motorists basically see the lane splitter as cutting them off and getting ahead of them in line at a red light without waiting their turn.

Also the California DOT did a study and something like 17% of motorists they questioned openly admitting to trying to cut off bikers when they lane split!

California DOT started a campaign recently to inform motorists that Lane Splitting is legal and that it is illegal to intentional block a biker from lane splitting. If you google "California Lane Splitting" a lot of stuff about this comes up.

AMA says it is common in Europe and Asia, which are more bike friendly parts of the world anyway. The AMA endorses studying lane splitting, but not legalizing it without serious conclusive data showing there is a safety benefit first.

If American asshole motorists are intentionally trying to block lane splitters, than that basically negate any safety benefit right off the bat.
 
#13 ·
Cool informative thread Bevo. I've read and heard that tires do in fact have a coating on them. It's a mold release agent used to make it easier to remove new tires from their molds. Oh, and Bevo, you missed one myth. The one that says you're gonna crash and burn for running a car tire on a motorcycle.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I have to disagree on the car tire on a motorcycle debate.

Tastefully, I would deduct that most if not all motorcycle tires have a radius pattern tread. Which means the contact patch stays constant
at multiple lean angles as well as riding straight down the highway.

Car tires are designed for the contact patch to be the greatest when
completely flat across the tread surface and the road.

Lean angles introduced to this cause the contact patch to be reduced and therefore more likely to loose traction.

This can be remedied somewhat by running lower air pressures.

This is why Can AM Spyders for example run a rear tire very similar to that on a car. It does not have to lean left or right.
so the tread pattern is very flat. Does this mean you will crash if you run a car tire on your bike ? It could. If you ride slow and careful most likely not.
 
#16 ·
Yes A train wreck could result. Haha :rolleyes:
 
#18 ·
The guy in the red shirt with his hands folded in front of the firetruck is saying to the guy in the yellow sweater : "Yes thats my bike underneath
The blue semi truck, And wouldn't you know I just installed that F70-15 Goodyear on the bike a week ago. I took it from my mothers Spare in her Cadillac"... Governor Christi Is seen in the white shirt looking over the damage. His Donut is in his left hand out of picture.
 
#20 ·
lots of good topics to google, but all the links that I tried are ERROR 404 now
 
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