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Q. Ok so I'm 17 years old and I want to convince my parents to let me get a motorcycle. The number of fatalities scare them to death which I guess they should, but I want to know how much of those total deaths are due to excessive speeding, no helmet, and "stunting". I know I would always wear a helmet and I would not speed or even go on highways for awhile. I just need to prove to my parents I am this responsible and serious about motorcycle safety. I tried googling but they just give me overall numbers of fatalities.
Answer
Google "motorcycle fatality statistics" and you'll see what studies have been done. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) does a report every few years. I believe the last one was 2007.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810834.pdf
The numbers don't look good, actually, especially for beginners. It's a well-known fact that half of all motorcycle accidents happen to riders with less than a year's riding experience. So -learning- to ride a bike is more dangerous than actually riding. Even taken altogether, the stats show that you are more likely to get in an accident per mile riding a bike than in a car. And of course if you do the consequences are more serious.
And there are two things that I don't think are reflected in the official statistics. One is that i think -stupid- beginners skew the statistics. I see young guys all the time on hot sportbikes they have no business being on. They do wheelies, ride and corner way too fast for conditions, and I think they make beginners as a whole look more dangerous than they really are. (I call this 'testosterone poisoning'). The other is that cars cause a lot of motorcycle accidents that don't show up in the stats. If a car pulls into your lane, or makes a left-turn across your path (which happens ALL THE TIME), and you swerve to miss them and hit a curb or a tree or something, the car drives off without being 'involved in an accident'--it shows up in the statistics as a single-vehicle accident, a self-inflicted accident.
Anyway your parents may simply not be open to discussion about it. My parents weren't. They made it clear they'd decided and nothing I was going to say was going to change their mind. I got my first bike the year I moved out. I did have one serious accident, and it taught me to be paranoid of people in cars, and I've ridden decades since then without another serious accident (knock wood).
But what you might do is to try to make a deal. Offer to get a -little- bike, a moped or little 50cc scooter. These bikes top out around 30 mph, they really have about the same speed and range as a bicycle. If you ride that bike for six months or a year, they will let you move up to a 'medium-size' bike, like a 500 or 650cc. At least you'll have a chance to show them that you can be safe.
Google "motorcycle fatality statistics" and you'll see what studies have been done. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) does a report every few years. I believe the last one was 2007.
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/810834.pdf
The numbers don't look good, actually, especially for beginners. It's a well-known fact that half of all motorcycle accidents happen to riders with less than a year's riding experience. So -learning- to ride a bike is more dangerous than actually riding. Even taken altogether, the stats show that you are more likely to get in an accident per mile riding a bike than in a car. And of course if you do the consequences are more serious.
And there are two things that I don't think are reflected in the official statistics. One is that i think -stupid- beginners skew the statistics. I see young guys all the time on hot sportbikes they have no business being on. They do wheelies, ride and corner way too fast for conditions, and I think they make beginners as a whole look more dangerous than they really are. (I call this 'testosterone poisoning'). The other is that cars cause a lot of motorcycle accidents that don't show up in the stats. If a car pulls into your lane, or makes a left-turn across your path (which happens ALL THE TIME), and you swerve to miss them and hit a curb or a tree or something, the car drives off without being 'involved in an accident'--it shows up in the statistics as a single-vehicle accident, a self-inflicted accident.
Anyway your parents may simply not be open to discussion about it. My parents weren't. They made it clear they'd decided and nothing I was going to say was going to change their mind. I got my first bike the year I moved out. I did have one serious accident, and it taught me to be paranoid of people in cars, and I've ridden decades since then without another serious accident (knock wood).
But what you might do is to try to make a deal. Offer to get a -little- bike, a moped or little 50cc scooter. These bikes top out around 30 mph, they really have about the same speed and range as a bicycle. If you ride that bike for six months or a year, they will let you move up to a 'medium-size' bike, like a 500 or 650cc. At least you'll have a chance to show them that you can be safe.
How much would buying a motorcycle, insurance, and gear cost?
stick_jock
I appreciate any answers.
Here are some figures I have seen:
Insurance
-$90 - $200 a year
Motorcycle gear
- New helmet and gear = +/- $800
Motorcycle
- $500- $20,000 or more
Answer
The biggest variable will be your insurance, and $90 per year is EXTREMELY low, even for limited liability ONLY. If you are over 25, good driving record, married, with an MSF course under your belt and NOT starting on a 1000cc superbike, you can expect under $50/month for full coverage (required if financing through a bank).
If you're 18, on a used Gixxer 600, with a ticket or two, expect $400 or so just for liability!
As for gear, expect to pay AT LEAST $500, but a mroe realistic expectation is to budget another $1000 for good gear, leather if possible, and the RIGHT helmet that fits properly. Some people are fine with a $200 HJC helmet, others can't live without a $500 Shoei. If you have a $50 head, then by all means buy a $50 helmet.
The bike itself doesn't have a straightforward answer. Your first bike should be a smaller USED one, so you can learn and drop it a few times without getting in over your head. Maybe $5000 tops. Then after you have a couple years' experience, you can shop for your Wonder Bike. So do you want a small sportbike under $10,000 or an exotic $23,000 MV Agusta F4? Maybe a two wheeled motor home like a Gold Wing?
The future of your motorcycling life is up to you, but it all hinges on whether you start out right and live to see it.
The biggest variable will be your insurance, and $90 per year is EXTREMELY low, even for limited liability ONLY. If you are over 25, good driving record, married, with an MSF course under your belt and NOT starting on a 1000cc superbike, you can expect under $50/month for full coverage (required if financing through a bank).
If you're 18, on a used Gixxer 600, with a ticket or two, expect $400 or so just for liability!
As for gear, expect to pay AT LEAST $500, but a mroe realistic expectation is to budget another $1000 for good gear, leather if possible, and the RIGHT helmet that fits properly. Some people are fine with a $200 HJC helmet, others can't live without a $500 Shoei. If you have a $50 head, then by all means buy a $50 helmet.
The bike itself doesn't have a straightforward answer. Your first bike should be a smaller USED one, so you can learn and drop it a few times without getting in over your head. Maybe $5000 tops. Then after you have a couple years' experience, you can shop for your Wonder Bike. So do you want a small sportbike under $10,000 or an exotic $23,000 MV Agusta F4? Maybe a two wheeled motor home like a Gold Wing?
The future of your motorcycling life is up to you, but it all hinges on whether you start out right and live to see it.
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Title Post: Where can I find statistics about motorcycle fatalities?
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