[bill]

In 2004 I started to count all the RIP posts from this board and in 2005 I posted a list of all the deaths at year end.

I got home from my ride this weekend and sadly discovered it has been a late season death fest. I decided that posting such a list on here once again was just too freaky and wierd.

There will be zero lessons learned from those deaths, because for every rider on here who thinks for a minute and changes their riding habits to increase their probability of survival, a new group of riders rolls into the mix and some of those meet jump forward to meet with the great statistician.

Riders die becasue they put themsleves in fatal situations, such as

Riding Too Fast and fast is a relative term

Speeding on Public Roads - The more I think about this the more I realize that when we speed we are putting an increasing portion of our survivabilty into the hands of other drivers and riders 99% of who are clueless

Lack of Experience and that causes those riders to be unable to realize until it is too late that they are going to be f**cked and badly too

Lousy gear when riders crash increases mortality and the severity of injury

Too Much Bike for the Rider combined with inexperince and bravado.

What will slow this carnage? Nothing probably, but after watching and participating in the BBCCOM helmet/gear debate and the endless "I can handle a 600/litre bike," I think that at some point the regulators will step in if for no other reason to make political hay by trying to "help the public good"

It is very sad when the family members of dead riders post on here; their lives and happiness has been forever altered. They are also victims of rider error.

this year 20 + riders will die and be posted on here, the same as last year and in 2007 20+ more will die, this is an inevitable as the sun coming up and it raining in Vancovuer all winter.

I am only going to post about trips and things that make riding more fun.

I will no longer take part in the mindless drivel about helmets, dead riders and other such crap it is a waste of bandwidth and of my brain.

Now I am going riding

 

[dayoff]

Good post, Bill. I feel the same way. (except for the "I'm going riding part - I'm stuck at work!)

 

[heisenberg9]

I got home from my ride this weekend and sadly discovered it has been a late season death fest. I decided that posting such a list on here once again was just too freaky and wierd.

It is very sad when the family members of dead riders post on here; their lives and happiness has been forever altered. They are also victims of rider error.

this year 20 + riders will die and be posted on here, the same as last year and in 2007 20+ more will die, this is an inevitable as the sun coming up and it raining in Vancovuer all winter.

Bill I think it needs to be said that your list in previous year's has had a sobering effect on a lot of people on BCSB. I for one appreciate the time you have put into the "accounting". I hope that everyone who comes to this site reads those posts/threads at least once.

EDIT:

It is one helluva lousy day for riding.

 

[gixxerboygenius]

Bill I think it needs to be said that your list in previous year's has had a sobering effect on a lot of people on BCSB. I for one appreciate the time you have put into the "accounting". I hope that everyone who comes to this site reads those posts/threads at least once.

EDIT:

It is one helluva lousy day for riding.

i have personally learned from the deaths of 3 of my friends. while they may not save my life inevitably they have saved my ass many times.

 

[Guest]

t-minus ....

 

[kamen rider]

This almost sounds like another version of the "I am retiring..." threads!

In all seriousness, I also appreciate your posts. They are always something to think about. From some of the responses they sometimes receive, they do not seem to be accepted by everyone though.

 

[Tattoodles]

Although it can certainly feel like bringing up discussion on this board about safety or the rider mortality rate does little to stop the carnage, I believe that it's not in vien.

I understand your frustration but it's important to continue to try to educate, especially from a standpoint of age and experience - it's a duty, even.

 

[slowzuki]

Some guy on BCSB had a signature that read something like this: everyone starts with an empty bag of experience and a full bag of luck…the trick is to fill up the bag of experience before the bag of luck runs out. The shitty this is, it seems some of us are born with bags of luck that have fucking holes in ‘em!

 

[twinturbo]

I just get pissed when I meet or hear about a new rider taking their ROAD TEST on a just purchased, off the lot sportbike. No, don't worry, they say, I'm not stupid, I didn't get the R1, its only the R6. Oh great. My what superior judgement you have. It's funny how 600's today are largely faster than litrebikes were 10-15 years ago, and far more sensitive.
The thing that gets me is, its really not a matter of what bike. Say buddy on his R6 learns to ride, goes out and practises for a month or two, and now thinks hes the shit. No matter what bike hes on, hes gonna push it. Thats the dangerous stage. Watching him ride, its really hard to say if he knows what hes doing, only until you see him enter a corner hot, hit the brakes and eat shit. I advocate a displacement limit, or hp limit for new riders like they have in England.

 

[Saturnin]

this thread is not necessary........
-9

 

[5thgear]

Try doing this stuff for 20 plus years. Death happens most of the time from speeding or getting out of control.

Then again I know lot's who have died in cars , planes , construction , farming, ..... When your time is up it's up nothing you can do about it.

 

[Jester666]

Try doing this stuff for 20 plus years. Death happens most of the time from speeding or getting out of control.

Then again I know lot's who have died in cars , planes , construction , farming, ..... When your time is up it's up nothing you can do about it.

you can do shit to add MORE time before it's "UP" though.

 

[Purplekawi]

Try doing this stuff for 20 plus years. Death happens most of the time from speeding or getting out of control.

Then again I know lot's who have died in cars , planes , construction , farming, ..... When your time is up it's up nothing you can do about it.

i concur!!

 

[Mr.Sushi ya ha]

You have either directly or indirectly may have influenced one person here to think just a bit more about their actions and decission when they ride when you post the reality of an accident and how much influence that have if they think for just a second.
It is sad to every year loose people that I / we have met.
But if it does save a life or injury I say dont give up and continue posting.

 

[Rick's wife]

I think that your posts bring more awareness than you think. Even if you make a small handful of people re think their actions on a sportbike, then I figure you've done a great job.

For whatever reason, 2006 has been a very bad year for motorcycle deaths, including the death of my beloved husband in February. I too have been tracking them.

People are going to read the rider down and "ride safe" threads and think what they want. I tried to read most of them this year and some were useless to me but others were enlighting.

For example, while I never knew Bog or Julia, knowing that Bog died to only have Julia die a year later... made a serious impact on my choice to no longer ride.

There are always going to be guys who ride with a death wish and live well into their 90's. There are always going to be the safe guys who take it too fast for one ride and that is the ride they die on. There will always be the guys that die from cager error, rider error, bad weather, poor judgement... you name it.

So, I figure keep doing what you are doing. You won't change the people who don't care, but there are many who listen and might just think twice next time they are out on their ride.

 

[Harps]

I will no longer take part in the mindless drivel about helmets, dead riders and other such crap it is a waste of bandwidth and of my brain.

I haven't opened a "rider down" or "RIP" thread at all this season. Probably not last season either. The last death from this website I cared about was someone I really respected who took his own life...not a motorcycle related death.

That probably sounded harsher than I intended. It's just there are so many deaths on this site, and if I don't know the rider personally, now it just hits me as "Well, there goes another one." It's like hearing death statistics from a war or something...you know people are going to die, and it happens so often that you forget each one of those deaths effect the personal family of the deceased.

 

[Guest]

I haven't opened a "rider down" or "RIP" thread at all this season. Probably not last season either. The last death from this website I cared about was someone I really respected who took his own life...not a motorcycle related death.

That probably sounded harsher than I intended. It's just there are so many deaths on this site, and if I don't know the rider personally, now it just hits me as "Well, there goes another one." It's like hearing death statistics from a war or something...you know people are going to die, and it happens so often that you forget each one of those deaths effect the personal family of the deceased.

agreed its gonna happen regardless ,and it doesnt affect me to a greater extent either ,i had an aquaintence die on his bike this year ,the funeral def botherd me ,but we all know yu get on that bike it may be yur last time ,rider error or otherwise,,bikes are dangerous toys ,play with fire........ as far as anyone i dont know dying on a bike,il be quite honest i cant say i think about it at all .Its not cold just a part of the way it is and is going to be .

 

[SkipTkt]

Bill, I appreciated your 'death toll & why' thread posted at the end of last season. Personally, the hardest part about it was recalling each of the deaths you'd noted; I'd not forgotten a single one.

While I understand why you're not inclined to revisit what you percieve to be a potentially useless history of the -possibly- avoidable deaths of 2006, I respectfully disagree with your arguement while appreciating your efforts no less. In my opinion, the very group you see as the reason to not bother (ie: new riders and/or riders with a sense of invincibility) are the precise target group for such a sad year-end chronicle. To those riders, and as a reminder to us all: our community's losses need to be marked in time. I dare not suggest, Bill, the task is yours to carry... but IMHO it is/was an invaluable commentary.

As much as I may disagree with what a lot of people say, whether here or at work or in the media, I'm generally more informed after I've listened or read the opinion proferred. More importantly is that some topics are covered at all, unearthed for our consideration. The 'Year End Tally' is sadly one of those important taboo topics that -uncomfortably- must re-appear; it digs, pokes, prods, hurts, shames, and invites conclusion and/or (sometimes) closure on several levels. Whether achieved within a thread or alone in the privacy under one's helmet, lessons from the deaths of our brothers is important. Especially so to those who knew none of those who died, or why.

We did lose fewer riders this year than last. Behind each RIP thread was a name and an unbearable tragedy that began only split seconds before the the rider ceased to breathe and continues -for friends and family- to this day and for years to come. Some riders here need to know more than this simple statement. Some wish to know less, and they can simply decline to read such a thread. But the topic itself, the stories & anecdotes, and the cross-references to all of the RIP threads... is/was a very powerful contribution.


-Charles

 

[Rick's wife]

I haven't opened a "rider down" or "RIP" thread at all this season. Probably not last season either. The last death from this website I cared about was someone I really respected who took his own life...not a motorcycle related death.

That probably sounded harsher than I intended. It's just there are so many deaths on this site, and if I don't know the rider personally, now it just hits me as "Well, there goes another one." It's like hearing death statistics from a war or something...you know people are going to die, and it happens so often that you forget each one of those deaths effect the personal family of the deceased.

I am sorry you have become so desensitized to deaths here on BCSB.
I guess,for some, it takes losing someone close in order to make and impact.

I promise you... I never thought that Rick would die riding. I feared him dying as a firefighter, but never as a rider. He took that turn hundreds of times before and he was one the most skilled riders I've seen.

It's time to face the fact that this could happen to you.

 

[greenboy]

I guess,for some, it takes losing someone close in order to make and impact.

Or, on a different level, watching it unravel before your eyes or otherwise being in very close proximity to it when it happens.

Even though I never knew the fallen rider some of us encountered on July 9, 2006 (Paul), the impact has been profound for me and something I will never forget. If I had simply read about his death online without more, no doubt it would have been more difficult to appreciate what's really lost, and how precious and fragile our lives really are. Often there's only the thinnest of lines separating the crash a rider walks away from, and tragedy of the highest order.