Oh yeah, one other weird thing. I guess it's just a Chicago thing, but there is a Harley store just off of Michigan ave. They have a great selection of harley clothes, but they don't sell bikes or bike parts there............ They say you have to go to their "other" location for bikes and parts. I wonder if they have clothes at that store?

Dennis

 

Is the Chicago Harley store in a tourist or high people traffic area? There's a Harley store like that in Niagara Falls, Canada that just sells clothes, no bikes. Their stuff ain't cheap $$$

 

Luckily so far, we still don't require helmets to be worn at all. Some day the Feds will step in and cut funding if helmet laws are not mandatory, just like they did with the seat belt law years ago.

 

Gee according to the article the three states with no helmet law also have fewer than 5 deaths per 10,000 motorcycle which is the lowest level on the chart. Coincidence?

 

While I always wear a helmet, either full face or half and have no problem with helmet laws, it is ineresting that TN, from which I just moved and has helmet laws, is in the top category for deaths per 10,000 while Texas is second lowest and helmets are not required. Probably because of the Tail of the Dragon?

 

If my memory serves me right, the Hurt report indicated that alchohol was a big factor in motorcycle accidents. No indication of that in these statistics. If you look at the map, higher death rates tend to be in States where the riding season is longer or all year and lower rates in States that have to put their bikes away for the winter. I suspect there are more older riders dying because older riders now make up a larger portion of motorcycle riders.

Hmmm, Mary Peters is giving States $ for "Motorcycle Safety Education." She would like to seehelmets mandated but the Feds can't do that. In my mind it would make sense to put some of that money into some really comprehensive studies (ie: like the Hurt Report) to find out the main causes of motorcycle accidents. I suspect it will have changed since the HurtReport was done.

 

Yes, Michigan Ave has a great deal of foot traffic, high dollar, tourist shopping.

Dennis

 

I don't care one way or the other, I always wear a helmet.

 

I think they purposely left out a significant piece of data in their analysis. I didn't see anything that qualified or adjusted for the overall increase in the total population of bikers. The increase in the past few years of new bike owners is amazing, if you take that into account, I suspect, with a legitimate statistical smoothing algorithm, the percentage is the same per capita.

JMHO, YMMV.

 

Thanks Dennis I didn't know that.