Perez was out for a ride in downtown Austin when he witnessed a Chevy Impala slam into a group of pedestrians after running a red light, and he wasn’t about to let that go by without doing something to prevent further injuries to bystanders.

“He plowed through those people like they weren’t even there. He didn’t slow down, no brakes, no nothing,” Perez said.

Though he lost sight of the Impala for a second after the driver ran over a group of mail boxes, Perez said that because the driver was so destructive, he easily found him again.

“I heard a ‘kabam!’ on top of the hill and I took off again flying after him. Sure enough, I see him and he had apparently hit another vehicle and he kept going,” Perez said.

The car then ran into a median divider which immobilized the vehicle. Perez said he jumped off his bike and caught the driver trying to exit the car from behind the wheel.

“He said, ‘I’m not trying to resist,’” according to Perez who wasn’t taking any chances. “I grabbed hold of him, pulled him to the side, kicked him in the knee and dropped him to the ground.”

Perez then borrowed a woman’s belt to truss up the obviously intoxicated driver to await the arrival of the police. Police arrested 22-year-old Nicholas Colunga for intoxicated assault and failure to stop and render aid.

And it wasn’t the first time Perez stopped to lend a helping hand. An officer at the scene remembered him from a previous chase just nine months ago in the area. During that incident, a female driver stuck a pedestrian and kept going before Perez, one the spot that time too, caught up with her and snagged her car keys.

Among the injured this week was a University of Texas soccer player, 22-year-old Kylie Doniak, and Doniak remains hospitalized in critical condition this weekend. A man and woman who were walking with Doniak were treated for non-life threatening injuries and released.

‘My father didn’t raise any cowards’: kxan.com

Related posts:

1. Bus Driver in Hells Angels Road Rage Killing Held For Murder
2. Nevada Cops Sued Over Helmet Law Enforcement
3. Welcome Home, Richard, Now Feel the Biker Noise

Motorcycle riders across the nation say they draw special attention from the law enforcement community, and they’ve had about enough of that treatment. They say it’s time to fight back, and the forefront of the fight is now in the state of Virginia.

Riders were mortified last year during the annual Virginia Beach Bike Classic when city police set up a motorcycles-only checkpoint that ended up with some riders getting tickets for “offenses” like wearing “improper helmets,” says Matt Danielson, attorney for the Virginia Coalition of Motorcyclists.

The police say Danielson is dead wrong with his take one roadblock.

Police in Arlington County, VA., ran a similar operation last year which targeted riders heading to the annual Rolling Thunder ride to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC., and Danielson said his clients were none too happy about that one as well.

If all goes to plan, such stops won’t be happening again – at least in Virginia.

The Virginia House of Delegates is now considering a bill that would make motorcycles-only checkpoints a thing of the past. The proposed legislation, HB187, was submitted by delegate Todd Gilbert, R-Shenandoah County, and was approved unanimously Wednesday morning by a Virginia House subcommittee.

“We’re not opposed to checkpoints. They’re a useful public safety tool,” Danielson said. “We just don’t want motorcyclists to be singled out.”

A spokesperson for the the Virginia Beach police department, officer Jimmy Barnes, denied the assertion that motorcyclists were singled out at any time last year by his department.

“We did have a checkpoint, but every car was stopped, not just motorcycles,” he said. “We don’t do that. That’s not our practice, and we will never do that.”

He was, however, not able to provide a list of how many tickets were issued to motorcyclists as opposed to those issue people driving cars.

Related posts:

1. Motorcycle Checkpoints Upheld in New York State And That’s Just Plain Wrong
2. Motorcycle Ride to Commemorate 9-11 Attacks Causes Fears of Gridlock in Virginia and Maryland
3. Older and Wiser Bikers? Maybe Not So Much

Tom Smith, 32, was riding at the Mepal Motopark in Block Fen, Mepal, when the crash which took his life occurred on Sunday.

Emergency personnel were on hand at the time, including a helicopter ambulance, but Smith was pronounced dead at the scene of his injuries.

British Rider Tom Smith and his Facebook tribute.

Andrew Villis, the owner of the racetrack, said some 180 riders were competing at the time as part of an event. Nearly 3,000 fellow riders and friends have joined a group on Facebook set up in memory of Smith. Family, friends and fellow motocross riders from around the world have been paying tribute to the fallen rider.

“Motocrossers around the world are in shock at this news, ” said Smith’s friend, Paul Crossland. “God bless all Tom’s family and friends. We’re thinking of you.”

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. MotoGP Rider Marco Simoncelli Killed in Accident at Sepang Malaysia
2. The Fake Celebrity Motorcycle Death Rumor Business Is Booming – Sizzla Kalonji Lives On to Continue Sizzling
3. Warehouse? There, House…Indoor Motorcycle Racing

But have no fear, they’ll do it for you…

And they purchased one of 46 ‘Harley Hearses’ (from the Tombstone Hearse and Trike Co) to get you to your final rest in style.

Larry Omps said he decided to buy the hearse after seeing one at a trade show in Chicago a few years ago.

“I said then that I couldn’t see it getting that much interest, but I’ve changed my mind over the years,” Omps said. ” I like to make funerals as personal as I can make them.”

According to Omps, the trikes are custom-built to pull the hearse.

“It starts out as a Road King,” he said, as presumably did the prospective passengers.

One funeral assistant says he turned on the LED lights festooned about the machine one evening and cagers sped up to gawk at him as he drove along.

Did your bike not get enough attention while you were alive? No worries there as the vehicle has  hardwood flooring and glass sides to allow all to see you in your less active state and LED lights tastefully illuminate the casket which will bear you to that Great Bike Night in the Sky during your night funeral.

At $78,000 each, you’ll be a passenger on your last ride on a much, much more expensive bike than you could ever afford while you were alive, so there’s that, at least. Slightly more tricked up versions of the hearses run $80,000 to $100,000.

Jack Feather runs Tombstone Hearse and Trike and he’s the man who builds these conveyances. Feather started the company in 2001.

“We’re finding that 27 percent of the people riding these things for their final journey have never even been on a motorcycle,” Feather said.

And it seems likely those 27 percent never will, as they are, well, sort of riding ‘bitch’ on that last journey.

Feather said his hearses take a couple of months to build.

Custom Motorcycle Insurance

Custom motorcycles require the correct insurance coverage package to protect what is, after all, a significant investment on your part .

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance for your custom bike…

Tips for buying motorcycle insurance for your custom:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.
• Additional coverage to replace or repair accessories specific to your bike.

Related posts:

1. Riding Ten Up On A Custom Harley To Sturgis
2. Motorcycle Monkey Is the Future of Motorcycle Stunt Riding
3. Ontario Cop Back On Hot Seat For Collusion With Hells Angels

The driver of the Jeep, apparently off the deep end in “road rage” frame of mind, crashed into one of the bikers and the ensuing roadside confrontation escalated.

“I don’t know if it was the passenger or the driver, but I just know somebody in the Jeep was shot,” said Lt. Steve Anderson of the Tempe Police.

Anderson said the injured occupant of the Jeep was shot in the face. He added that the shooting victim was listed in good condition at an area hospital Saturday night.

According to detectives, most of the motorcycle group were gone before officers could reach the scene of the incident.

“They (the missing bikers) weren’t part of the crash, but they definitely saw it,” Anderson said. ”We’re looking for them as witnesses.”

Anderson said this kind of incident is a prime example of what can happen when road rage gets out of hand.

“It’s very dangerous especially if they’re on the freeway at high speeds,” Anderson said. ”If they make a sharp turn the cars can slide sideways, roll and take out innocent people.”

Road Rage – Car vs Motorcycle in Las Vegas

The highways and byways of America can be dangerous places, and things can get out of hand in a heartbeat. If it happens to you, you’re going to know you have the right protection to recover your losses and any damage which might happen to you – or your motorcycle.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Bus Driver in Hells Angels Road Rage Killing Held For Murder
2. The New Motorcycle Terrorists Video – The Second Coming of The Hollister Incident
3. Knowledge Is Power – It Will Get Increasingly More Dangerous to Ride Your Bike So Know the Score

The colorful riding gear alone is worth the price of admission, but what makes it all really cool is the bikes. The specially fabricated handlebars are a piece of engineering cool, and the front suspensions are some fine work as well. These guys look like they’re riding on a rail…

It’s sort of old school board track racing without the banking and the intermittent, crowd-pleasing deaths.

You’ve also got to love the way the rider in the first video offers his apologies to the crowd in a face-saving gesture of supplication. Not the middle finger we’re used to here in these United States, but perfectly tuned for the more, shall we say,  genteel Japanese audience.

The front suspension looks like a very simple telescoping fork, as used on circa 1914 Scott motorcycles and lots of speedway bikes over the years. The upper part of the forks are fixed and have some triangulating to give them stiffness. The hub is mounted on short sliders that fit inside the fixed fork tubes, and with just the springs in there, no damping is provided, so it looks like they bolted on some steering dampers to make them easy to reconfigure – and easy to adjust. The steering dampers just move up and down with the front hub like a springer.

I Humbly Request Forgiveness From My Fans – Japanese Motorcycle Racer Crashes

Whether you ride in races, around the block or tear up the turf at hillclimbs, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance coverage for your bike, whatever you ride…

Related posts:

1. When Board Track Racers Were the Kings of Hollywood – Motorcycle Racing Video
2. One Million Dollars of Grease, Sweat and Glamor – Steve McQueen Racing Suit Sells at Auction
3. Antique Motorcycle Racing Video

There are a lot of facts associated with motorcycling, and you should know all the straight skinny before you head out on the road.

Who knows? All this knowledge might come in handy. As well all well know, knowledge is power…

The National Insurance Crime Bureau said that motorcycle thefts fell 24 percent in 2010 from a year earlier, based on data from the National Crime Information Center of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Motorcycle thefts have declined each year from 2006 to 2010 with the largest decrease occurring between 2008 and 2009. The top five makes stolen and the top five states in thefts for 2010 are shown below:

Top Five Makes Stolen, 2010    Top Five States in Motorcycle Thefts, 2010

1. Honda 12,260                               1. California 5,662

2. Yamaha 9,853                              2. Texas 4,394

3. Suzuki 8,969                                 3. Florida 4,148

4. Kawasaki 5,470                          4. North Carolina 2,649

5. Unknown make 3,420             5. Indiana 1,925

FATALITIES AND INJURIES

Overall: According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA, http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov), tthe following new terms are used to define motorcycle occupants: a motorcycle rider is the operator only; a passenger is any person seated on the motorcycle but not in control of the motorcycle; and any combined reference to the motorcycle rider (operator) as well as the passenger will be referred to as motorcyclists.

NHTSA says that in 2009, 4,462 motorcyclists died in crashes, down 16.0 percent from 5,312 in 2008, ending an 11- year increase in motorcycle deaths. Motorcycle fatalities in 2008 were at the highest level since NHTSA began collecting data in 1975. In 2009, 90,000 motorcyclists were injured in accidents, down 6.3 percent from 2008. In 2009 motorcyclists accounted for 13 percent of all traffic fatalities, 16 percent of all occupant fatalities and 4 percent of all occupants injured.

By Age: Older motorcyclists account for half of all motorcyclist fatalities. NHTSA data show that in 2008, 51 percent of motorcyclists killed in crashes were age 40 or over, compared with 33 percent 10 years earlier. In contrast, fatalities among young motorcyclists have declined in the past 10 years, relative to other age groups. In 2008 fatalities in the under 30-year-old group dropped to 31 percent of total motorcyclists killed in crashes from 40 percent in 1998. Fatalities among motorcyclists in the 30-to 39-year-old group fell to 19 percent in 2008 from 27 percent ten years earlier.

By Driver Behavior: Alcohol use: NHTSA says that in 2009, 29 percent of motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) over 0.08 percent (the national definition of drunk driving), compared with 23 percent of drivers of passenger cars, 23 percent of light truck drivers and 2 percent of large truck drivers in fatal crashes.

In 2008, 30 percent of all fatally injured motorcycle riders had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher. Another 7 percent had lower alcohol levels (0.01 to 0.07 percent BAC.). Fatally injured motorcycle riders between the ages of 40 to 49 had the highest percentage of BACs 0.08 percent and above (41 percent), compared with 36 percent for those ages 35 to 39. Forty-three percent of the 2,291 fatally injured motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes in 2008 (for example, those in which the motorcycle crashed into a stationary object) had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher. On weekend nights, the proportion was higher: 64 percent of motorcycle riders who died in single-vehicle crashes had BACs of 0.08 percent or higher.

In 2008, motorcycle riders killed in traffic crashes at night were nearly 4 times more likely to have BAC levels at or over 0.08 percent (48 percent) than those killed during the day (13 percent).

The reported helmet use rate for motorcycle riders with BACs at or over 0.08 percent who were killed in traffic crashes was 46 percent in 2008, compared with 66 percent for those who did not have any measurable blood alcohol.

Speeding: In 2008, 35 percent of all motorcycle riders involved in fatal crashes were speeding, compared with 23 percent for drivers of passenger cars, 19 percent for light truck drivers and 8 percent for large truck drivers, according to NHTSA.

Licensing: One out of four motorcycle riders (25 percent) who were involved in fatal crashes were riding without a valid license in 2008, compared with 12 percent of passenger vehicle drivers. NHTSA says that motorcycle operators were also 1.4 times more likely than passenger vehicle drivers to have a prior license suspension or revocation (18 percent compared with 13 percent).

By Type of Motorcycle: According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), riders of “supersports” motorcycles have driver death rates per 10,000 registered vehicles nearly four times higher than for drivers of other types of motorcycles. Supersports have more horsepower than conventional motorcycles and can reach speeds of up to 190 mph. They are built on racing platforms and are modified for street use. The bikes are popular with riders under the age of 30. The bikes are light-weight and aerodynamically styled. In 2005, these bikes registered 22.5 driver deaths per 10,000 registered vehicles compared with 10.7 deaths for other sport models (related to supersports but do not have the acceleration, stability and handling of supersports). Standards and cruisers and touring bikes, with upright handlebars, have rates of 5.7 and 6.5 per 10,000 vehicles. In 2005, supersports accounted for 9 percent of registrations, and standards and cruisers made up 51 percent of registrations. Among fatally injured drivers, the IIHS says that drivers of supersports were the youngest—with an average age of 27. Touring motorcycle drivers were the oldest, 51 years old. Fatally injured drivers of other sports models were 34, on average; standard and cruiser drivers were 44 years old. Speeding and driver error were bigger factors in supersport and sport fatal crashes. Speed was cited in 57 percent of supersport riders’ fatal crashes in 2005 and in 46 percent for sport model riders. Speed was a factor in 27 of fatal crashes of riders of cruisers and standards, and for 22 percent of riders of touring models.

INSURANCE LOSSES

Collision Losses by Type: The IIHS says that supersports have the overall highest insurance losses under collision coverage among the motorcycle classes, almost four times higher than for touring models and more than six times higher than for cruisers. Nine of the ten motorcycles with the highest losses were supersports. Claim frequency is driving the high losses for supersports, meaning that they are involved in more collisions than other types of motorcycles—there were 9 claims per 100 insured vehicle years for supersports models, compared with 2.3 for all models. The models surveyed were all 2002-2006 models. Touring motorcycles had the most expensive claims because they are the most expensive to purchase. Supersport models are the most popular with thieves—with average loss payments for theft losses per insured vehicle years of $246 for 2002-2006 models, seven times higher than the average for all motorcycles. Supersport models had the highest frequency of thefts—31.8 per insured vehicle year, compared with cruisers and touring models which had the lowest at 1.1 claims per insured vehicle year. However, touring models had the highest average loss payments—$15,696, reflecting their high purchase price and upgrades.

SAFETY ISSUES

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF, http://www.msf-usa.org), sponsored by motorcycle manufacturers and distributors, works with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), state governments and other organizations to improve motorcycle safety through education, training and licensing. Since 1973 about 3.2 million motorcyclists have taken MSF training courses. The organization also works with the states to integrate rider safety and skills in licensing tests. It also promotes safety by recommending motorcycle operators wear protective gear, especially helmets, ride sober and ride within their skill limits.

Antilock Brakes: Stopping a motorcycle is more complex than stopping a car. Motorcycles have separate brakes for the front and rear wheels, and braking hard can lock the wheels and cause the bike to overturn. Not braking hard enough can put the rider into harm’s way. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) said in March 2010 that motorcycles with antilocks versus those without are 37 percent less likely to be in fatal crashes. In addition, the IIHS’s affiliate, the Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI), found that bikes with antilocks have 22 percent fewer claims for damage per insured vehicle year than the same model bikes without antilocks. HLDI also studied medical claims and found that under medical payment coverage, bikes with antilocks had 30 percent lower claim frequencies than bikes that did not have antilocks. (Claims frequencies represent the number of claims.) Claim frequencies were 33 percent lower under bodily injury liability coverage.

Airbags:Honda Motorcycle Company is the first company to offer the option of an airbag, which is available on one of the most expensive models. The option became available in 2006. A handful of companies have recently developed wearable airbags, which are worn either inside a jacket or strapped on outside. No data on the effectiveness of these new items has been published. 

Motorcycle Helmets: In 2009 motorcycle helmets saved 1,483 lives. NHTSA says that if all motorcyclists had worn helmets, 732 more lives would have been saved. Helmets are estimated to be 37 percent effective in preventing fatal injuries for motorcycle riders (operators) and 41 percent effective for motorcycle passengers.

Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws: According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, 20 states and the District of Columbia had laws on the books requiring all motorcyclists to wear helmets as of June 2011 (See chart below). In another 27 states only people under a specific age (mostly between 17 and 20 years of age) were required to wear helmets. Three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) had no helmet use laws. A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study covering 10 states found that when universal helmet laws, which pertain to all riders, were repealed, helmet use rates dropped from 99 percent to 50 percent. In states where the universal law was reinstated, helmet use rates rose to above 95 percent.

According to NHTSA’s National Occupant Protection Use Survey, motorcycle helmet use plummeted to 54 percent in June 2010 from 67 percent in June 2009. Helmet use reached a high of 71 percent in October 2000. Usage rates are higher in states that have universal laws that require all riders to use helmets. In June 2010, 76 percent of motorcyclists in universal law states wore them, 10 percentage points less than in 2009. In states without universal laws, usage was down 15 percentage points, dropping from 55 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2010. Motorcycle helmet use in 2010 was highest in the West, at 75 percent, down from 83 percent in the previous year, and lowest in the Midwest, at 43 percent, down from 67 percent in 2009. Helmet use was 54 percent in both the Northeast and the South, down by 7 percentage points and 11 percentage points, respectively from 2009. The survey only counts helmets that comply with Department of Transportation standards.

View Archived Tables:
MOTORCYCLE HELMET USE, 1994-2009 (1)

View Archived Tables:
MOTORCYCLIST FATALITIES AND FATALITY RATES, 1998-2008

View Archived Tables:
OCCUPANT FATALITY RATES BY VEHICLE TYPE, 1997 AND 2007

View Archived Tables:
MOTORCYCLE RIDERS KILLED OR INJURED BY TIME OF DAY AND DAY OF WEEK, 2008

View Archived Tables:
VEHICLES INVOLVED IN CRASHES BY VEHICLE TYPE AND CRASH SEVERITY, 2008

View Archived Tables:
PERSONS KILLED IN TOTAL AND ALCOHOL-IMPAIRED CRASHES BY PERSON TYPE, 2008

View Archived Tables:
DRIVERS IN FATAL CRASHES BY BLOOD ALCOHOL CONCENTRATION (BAC) AND VEHICLE TYPE, 1998-2008 (1)

Related posts:

1. The Comprehensive And Utterly Huge Guide to Motorcycle Helmet Laws
2. Motorcycle Helmet Law Debate Rages On – How Would You Fix The Issue?
3. Older and Wiser Bikers? Maybe Not So Much

A motorcycle and a snowmobile will simultaneously fly over water in the latest installment of Red Bull: New Year. No Limits.

This year’s spectacle will bring together two athletes who have found their way back to the annual New Year’s Eve celebration via different paths.

The event airs live from San Diego, California, on Saturday, December 31 at 11 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPNHD and ESPN3 following the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Levi LaVallee has fully recovered from a crash suffered while training for the same event last year, just hours after shattering the world record with a leap of 361 feet on a snowmobile. Robbie Maddison (pictured below) kick-started the series in 2007 by jumping his motorcycle 322 feet over a football field in Las Vegas and followed it up in 2008 by jumping onto and off the 96-foot-tall Arc De Triomphe at Paris Las Vegas Casino.

This year, LaVallee, a 28-year-old native of Longville, Minnesota, will jump his snowmobile alongside Maddison, a 30-year-old Aussie now living in Temecula, California, who will pilot his motorcycle as both athletes concurrently jump over 300 feet of water from the North park to the South park at the Embarcadero Marina Park in the downtown area of San Diego Bay.

LaVallee will attempt to break his own record of 361 feet and Maddison will be aiming for a leap of more than 400 feet to eclipse the current record of 391 feet.

On-site viewing will be free to spectators at both parks. Gates will open at 6 p.m. PT.

“I am so pumped to be able to come back to Red Bull: New Year. No Limits.,” said LaVallee. “Last year obviously didn’t go the way I was hoping, and I am excited to have another chance at this amazing opportunity.”

Robbie discusses New Year’s Eve plans…

“Jumping long distances is a passion of mine, and I’m excited to come back for New Year’s Eve and sail over San Diego Harbor,” said Maddison. “400 feet is my goal. It’s not all about getting the world record to me, it’s more about understanding this feat and the commitment ahead to achieving what most would consider an impossible jump.”

LaVallee is a seven-time Winter X Games medalist and champion snocross racer. He is widely known for becoming the first person to double backflip a snowmobile in 2009 at Winter X Games.

San Diego may not be the first place that comes to mind when discussing snowmobiles, but the lack of snow won’t hinder LaVallee, who will use artificial turf on his run-up path, which will provide the necessary grip for his snowmobile’s track to ensure maximum speed as he hits the take-off ramp.

Maddison boasts an accomplished freestyle motocross career, with an X Games silver medal in 2010 in Moto X Best Trick and two wins on the Red Bull X-Fighters World Tour (Calgary 2009 and Madrid 2010). He also has a successful history of record-breaking achievements and globally captivating feats. Among them are backflipping across the Tower Bridge in London and clearing the Corinth Canal in Greece, to go with his previous New Year’s Eve successes.

Red Bull: New Year. No Limits.

Red Bull’s annual New Year’s Eve celebration highlights extraordinary athletes pushing their physical, mental and technical limits to break boundaries and records. Leading up to their big night, LaVallee and Maddison will work with Red Bull’s athlete performance experts, physicists and engineers, in addition to their core teams, in an effort to get the most out of their bodies and machines. Valuable information will also be attained and put into future technological development.

After last year’s unfortunate cancellation, this will be the fourth Red Bull: New Year. No Limits. event in the last five years. In 2008, the year Maddison went up and off the Arc de Triomphe, Rhys Millen backflipped an off-road truck and just missed sticking the landing. In 2009, Travis Pastrana jumped his rally car a staggering 269 feet over water, landing on a barge in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Leap of Faith – Snowmobile vs Motorcycle Jump Over San Diego Bay
2. It’s Motorcycle vs Snowmobile In San Diego Bay Jump
3. Riding A Motorcycle Backwards

Because it’s not really a motorcycle, at least in theory, but more like a flying variation of motorcycle.

Inventor Chris Malloy of Australia put together every kid’s dream vehicle – a “hoverbike” – from motorcycle parts. Malloy says it can rip through the sky at up to 170 mph and achieve an altitude of up to 10,000 feet.

Malloy has set a high bar for his creation and says he thinks his solo flying machine could replace conventional helicopters when it comes to taking on work like aerial surveys, search-and-rescue missions and rounding up the cattle.

Featuring a pair of oak propellers, at 240 pounds, the “hoverbike” climbs into the sky (or will at some point) powered by a 1,170cc 4-stroke engine which drives the propellers using a carbon-fiber shaft drive.

How does one drive, or ride or fly this thing? At liftoff, the “pilot” cranks on the loud with the right hand via a throttle grip ala a motorcycle.

And it’s not just cool, it’s also efficient. Getting somewhere around 22 miles per gallon, the “hoverbike” can cover just over 90 miles on a full tank of gas.

But how safe is it, you ask? Well, not that safe at all. Malloy says his final version of the machine will need a pair of explosive parachutes to provide a ‘fallback’ position should the engine fail. Malloy says the final version of the ‘bike-o-copter’ will feature propeller housings covered with mesh, and that ought to come in handy to prevent the family cat from being pulled into the rotors and summarily diced.

While it’s not quite complete yet (the inventor says the bike will need gyroscopic sensors to prevent it from tipping over) once safety tests on the hoverbike are completed, Malloy thinks he can sell them for around $40,000 a piece. Malloy and his business partners are in the process of raising $1.1 million precious Australian dollars to get the project ‘off the ground’ as it were, and so far he’s managed to collected about $70,000 of that total…

Hoverbike website

I’m thinking that if you get your hands on a “hoverbike,” your insurance needs will get complicated in short order.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. So Cool, So Old School – The Yamaha Moegi
2. A Quarter Million Plus Seems Like A Lot Of Money For A Bike to Haul Firewood
3. Riding Ten Up On A Custom Harley To Sturgis

Rejean Neron’s Safety Sphere is a rider-wearable protective suit made to inflate to a gigantic sphere around the rider in the event of a crash.

According to Neron, the Saftety Sphere inflates in five hundredths of a second to cushion a rider from impact and the whole shebang is contained in a loose fitting coverall made from two layers of fabric.

“The outer layer is made up of a highly resistant parachute type material. The inner layer is made up of a thin, moderately elastic synthetic material. In a collision situation, the passengers are thrown from the motorcycle, the cord connecting them to the motorcycle seat disconnects, the electrical voltage plummets, and the electronic circuit processor inside the belt buckle housing of each occupant connects the 9 volt battery to an electric igniter in the back housing of their respective suits,” Neron says of his creation. “This triggers the firing of an explosive canister of propellant called nitrocellulose.”

Neron’s been working on the Safety Sphere for lots of years through what he says are “countless” versions, and he now says he’s on the cusp of bringing the suit into production.

All he’ll need to make it a big seller is to have a designer cover the outside with skulls and flames, and he should be off to the races with his marketing effort.

Buying Your First Bike? The Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Motorcyclist 380+ Feet In the Air – This Would Tighten Your Pucker String
2. Knowledge Is Power – It Will Get Increasingly More Dangerous to Ride Your Bike So Know the Score
3. Will Michigan Change the Rules in the Middle of the Game? No Fault Insurance Laws Under Fire For Motorcyclists

The Ken Fox Wall of Death was built in 1995 by Ken Fox and his team at a massive ship yard in New Brighton, was completed in just 20 weeks. The Wall made it’s official debut at the 1995 Rempstone Steam Rally and stands 20ft high and 32ft in diameter.

This film by Benedict Campbell is an excellent homage to The Wall of Death…

This unique show first appeared in the United Kingdom in 1929 and throughout the 1930‘s. By 1950 there were many Walls of Death” in the Country. Today there are few remaining in the World with only a handful of people able to meet the exacting standards required.

The Wall of Death – or motordrome –  is a carnival sideshow featuring a drum or barrel-shaped wooden cylinder within which stunt motorcyclists ride and perform a variety of “death-defying” tricks. The shows were mostly derived from US motorcycle boardtrack (motordrome) racing which saw its heyday in the early 1900s.

The first carnival motordrome appeared at Coney Island amusement park in 1911 and proved so popular with crowds that the following year portable tracks began to appear at traveling carnivals across the country. In 1915, the first “silodromes” with perpendicular walls was built, and this motordrome which featured straight walls became known as the “Wall of Death.”  The Wall of Death became a staple in the US and the craze reached its peak in the 1930s with more than 100 motordromes plying their trade in traveling shows and at amusement parks.

By 2004, only about half a dozen of these motorcycle shows were still touring the US.  The first known Wall of Death in the UK appeared in 1929 and was operated by the Messham family.

A similar act called the “Globe of Death” has the riders looping inside a wire mesh sphere rather than a drum to allow viewing from all angles.  The globe of death is a circus and carnival stunt where as many as seven performers ride motorcycles inside a mesh sphere simultaneously. Similar to the wall of death but allowing riders to loop vertically as well as horizontally, the portability of the act has made it a circus fixture in the US .

There have been three performance related deaths recorded on these globes between the years 1949 and 1997.

The youngest recorded person to ride a motorcycle in the globe of death is Maximus Garcia who was four years, six months, and 28 days old on August 16, 2006 when he accomplished the feat.

Related posts:

1. That’s Going To Leave A Mark – Motorcycle Cop Runs Over Occupy Wall Street Protester
2. Going Old School With the ‘Well of Death’
3. Schedule for the 7th Annual Barber Vintage Motorcycle Museum Event

Drinking and riding is not only a serious concern for transportation safety officials, it should be one of your concerns as well.

Let’s be realistic here, drinking and riding is endemic to the motorcycle culture. Something like 46 percent of riders killed in accidents, at least according to the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), have at least some alcohol in their system at the time of their death. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says motorcyclists involved in fatal crashes are 2.5 times more likely to have consumed alcohol than passenger vehicle operators.

Nuff said.

It appears riders like to have a snort or two and then take a ride. In 2007, the number of alcohol-impaired motorcyclists in fatal crashes increased by 10 percent while the number of alcohol-impaired drivers of passenger cars declined 6 percent. According to the NHTSA, they define “alcohol impaired” as having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC)  0.08 grams/deciliter. Their analysis of motorcycle riders and passenger vehicle drivers killed showed about 83 percent of the alcohol-impaired accident fatalities were males.

Kelley Tway, media relations manager for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), adds that drinking and driving among car and motorcycle operators is habitual and said that first offenders surveyed after being arrested for drunk driving admitted they had gotten away with drinking and driving many times before they were finally arrested.

So how do you make sure you’re not one of those riders dying or waking up in a drunk tank?

French insurance company MAAF  developed a hand little tool to help you out. Their application, and it works with most smartphones and the iPad, can tells you if you are legally capable of riding your motorcycle.

Check it out, and if you ever ride your motorcycle after a few drinks, get the app and save everyone a whole bunch of agony:

Click here to access the MAAF AlcooTel web site
Click here to access the iPhone Alcootel download
Click here to access the Windows Phone Alcootel download
Click here to access the Java based phones Alcootel download
Click here to access the iPad Alcootel download

Thanks to Mike Werner at motorbiker.org…

You Ride Hard and Fast

Let’s face it, you like to ride hard and fast and your insurance needs are all about the family you’re sure to leave behind. We kid…

But we are here to help you get enough inexpensive motorcycle insurance to make sure your kids can go to college and your wife will remember you fondly if it all goes wrong…

Related posts:

1. Does What Kind of Bike You Ride Determine Your Safety? The Statistics Say Yes
2. Do You Ride Without A Motorcycle Endorsement?
3. The Ultimate In Motorcycle Insurance Facts and Figures

In 2009, 130 riders were killed in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. This number represented 14 percent of all motor vehicle fatalities. Over a ten-year period the number of motorcycle registrations has increased over 76 percent. Motorcycles account for three percent of all vehicles registered. What does that add up to? It means motorcycle riders are overrepresented in the number of annual fatalities.

Causes of Motorcycle Accidents

European safety researchers published comprehensive results from investigations of hundreds of motorcycle accidents. Based on comprehensive investigations into 921 motorcycle accidents, 103 of which were fatal, the study was called the Motorcycle Accidents In Depth Study (MAIDS).

One of the key findings in the study was that motorcycles most often collide with passenger cars, and in many of these accidents, the driver of the other vehicle failed to see the motorcycle entirely.

The second most common cause of an accident is rider loss of control and crashes onto the roadway itself. Injuries to the lower body, spine and head can be sustained from hitting from curbs and road-side barriers. In September, a 27-year-old man was killed when his motorcycle veered off the road and hit a curb.

Speed does not necessarily lead to accidents and most accidents occur at fairly low speeds and while at a complete stop. In fact, over half of the accidents in the European study occurred in intersections.

Staying Safe

As a motorcyclist, don’t leave your protective gear at home. Helmets and protective clothing do an excellent  job of preventing common injuries. In Illinois wearing a helmet is not required, but safety advocates strongly recommend wearing them. More than 8 out of 10 (82 percent) of motorcycle riders killed in 2009 were not wearing a helmet, and that should tell you all you need to know about what wearing a helmet can do to protect you.

Buying motorcycle insurance is complicated, and the rules are different from state to state. The critical elements of buying a policy vary widely, so rule number on is knowing what you’re buying.

With that in mind, here’s a short list of things you need to know about motorcycle insurance, and if the worst ever happens, you’ll be glad you read this article and followed our advice.

The Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Buying Motorcycle Insurance

The biggest mistake that you can make?

Not buying enough insurance.

To imagine that you’re saving a few bucks on your policy can cost you big money and aggravation if you’re involved in an accident. The consequences of  motorcycle accidents can be devastating. You’re traveling almost entirely unprotected at a high rate of speed and an accident can result in a range of injuries from simple road rash and broken bones to something much worse like spinal injury or serious head trauma.

Any accident – even a relatively low speed accident -  can leave you faced with a long hospital stay. The average week in the hospital costs more than $50,000, and if  your insurance coverage runs out before you’re fully healed, you’ve got a problem which could cost you all your assets.

Don’t make this most critical of mistakes. We recommend that you purchase as much insurance as you can afford and ignore the minimum amounts that state laws require when you make your calculations of acceptable risk.

The Second Biggest Mistake You Can Make When Buying Motorcycle Insurance

The second biggest mistake that you can make is to purchase motorcycle insurance without a clear understanding your policy’s limitations and the laws of the state in which you live.

Here are some  insurance terms you need to understand in order to make an informed decision.

Full Tort vs. Limited Tort

Full Tort coverage refers to your ability to receive compensation from a motorist who may be legally responsible for any injuries you suffer in an accident. States like Pennsylvania don’t require you to pay extra for full tort motorcycle insurance. On the other hand, if you live in New Jersey, you’re required to select what’s called a  No Limitation on Lawsuit option if you want to have any hope of being compensated for pain and suffering you might be caused by the negligence of other motorists.

It comes down to this; the state you live in is an essential component of understanding of what you actually get when you’re buying your motorcycle insurance.

Bodily Injury Liability Coverage

Bodily Injury Liability coverage will provide you payments to cover claims against your assets if you’re  found legally responsible for being at fault in an accident.

Buy as much of this type of coverage as you can afford. You won’t be sorry if you ever need it.

Medical Expense Benefits Coverage

This may well be the most important insurance coverage decision you’ll make, and it typically pays medical, hospital, lost-income and disability expenses to you if you’re injured in an accident. Replacing your motorcycle is relatively cheap, but a hospital stay can ruin your financial future, so pay particular attention to this decision when you buy your policy.

UM/UIM Coverage – You Can’t Do Without It

Uninsured Motorist coverage protects you if you’re  injured by a driver who carries no insurance. In some metropolitan areas in the United State, nearly a third of all drivers are uninsured, and underinsured motorist coverage protects you in the event you’re injured by a driver who has inadequate insurance to pay claims you make make against them as a result of their negligence.

Keep this in mind, nearly all drivers are likely to be underinsured to some extent, so don’t forget to specify this coverage when you talk to your insurer.

Our Recommendations For How Much Coverage You Should Purchase

• Liability Coverage – We suggest that you purchase the maximum limit of 100/300.
• Medical Coverage – Don’t risk running out of coverage. Purchase as much Medical Expense Benefits Coverage as you are able to. Motorcycle accidents typically result in more than $34,000 in medical costs.
• Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist Coverage – If the “other guy”  makes this mistake, you pay the price. Carry at least 100/300.
• Bodily Injury Liability Coverage – Purchase the maximum of 100/300.
• Medical Expense Benefits Coverage -  Go big or go home here. Not carrying sufficient medical expense benefits means you risk running out of coverage, and you don’t want that.

Buying Your First Bike? The Women’s Guide to Motorcycle Insurance

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.
We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. How You Can Blow It When Buying Motorcycle Insurance, and How You Can Purchase The Motorcycle Insurance You Need At a Price You Can Afford
2. Why You Need More Than Just Basic Motorcycle Insurance Coverage
3. How to Save Big Money On the Cost of Your Motorcycle Insurance

Do you fall in the “I can decide for myself, thanks very much” camp? Are you firmly entrenched in the “you’ve got to wear a helmet and keep your brains off the public roads” gang?

We’re unsure of where to stand on this issue.  It’s hard to argue that personal freedoms aren’t being infringed upon where mandatory helmet laws are concerned, but it’s also a tough argument to make that motorcyclists shouldn’t be forced to bear their fair share of whatever social  and medical costs might arise from exercising the freedom to ride without a lid.

To this point, I haven’t read a single article which I believe addresses all the relevant points in a succinct way, so how about coming up with some ideas?

Motorcycle Helmet Use Laws

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, twenty states and the District of Columbia have laws on the books which require all motorcyclists to wear helmets as of June 2011 .

In 27 states, only people under a specific age (generally those between 17 and 20 years of age) are required to wear helmets.

Three states (Illinois, Iowa and New Hampshire) have no helmet use laws whatever.

A National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) study covering 10 states found that when universal helmet laws applying to all riders were repealed, helmet use rates dropped from 99 percent to 50 percent.  Those kinds of numbers clearly indicate that there are a lot of riders who only wear a lid if the government says they must.

In states where those types of blanket helmet laws were reinstated, helmet use rates rose to above 95 percent.

The NHTSA’s National Occupant Protection Use Survey says motorcycle helmet use dropped to 54 percent in June 2010 from 67 percent in June 2009. At the peak, helmet use reached a high of 71 percent back in October 2000 and helmet .usage rates are higher in states which have universal laws to require all riders to use helmets.

In June 2010, 76 percent of motorcyclists in mandatory helmet law states wore them, and that represents a 10 percentage drop when compared to 2009. In states without universal laws, usage was down 15 percentage points, dropping from 55 percent in 2009 to 40 percent in 2010. Motorcycle helmet use in 2010 was highest in the West, at 75 percent, down from 83 percent in the previous year, and lowest in the Midwest, at 43 percent, down from 67 percent in 2009. Helmet use was 54 percent in both the Northeast and the South, down by 7 percentage points and 11 percentage points, respectively from 2009. The survey only counts helmets that comply with Department of Transportation standards.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. The Comprehensive And Utterly Huge Guide to Motorcycle Helmet Laws
2. Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal Battle Still Under Way
3. Massachusetts Mulls Repeal of Helmet Law

In Massachusetts, current law requires all riders and passengers to wear protective head gear and provides an exception to riders taking part in parades.

One proposed change would remove the helmet requirement for riders and passengers over the age of 21, and yet another proposed change would exempt riders whose motorcycles are registered in a state without a helmet law.

Other bills in the same vein would prohibit children under the age of 5 from riding on a motorcycle traveling more than 30 miles an hour, ban the sale of exhaust pipes designed to make motorcycles louder and prohibit cars from passing through groups of two or more riding motorcycles.

The bills are were the subject of a public hearing this week by the Massachusetts Transportation Committee at the Statehouse.

Whether you ride a sport bike or an American cruiser, your insurance needs can get complicated.

We’re here to help you find the right motorcycle insurance, whatever you ride…

Tips for buying your motorcycle insurance, coverage you need:

• Collision to pay for damage caused to your vehicle in an accident with another vehicle or any stationary object.
• Comprehensive to cover such things as fire, hail, wind, vandalism, hitting an animal, etc.
• Towing / Pickup
• Medical payment or personal injury protection to cover the medical bills resulting from an accident.
• Uninsured or underinsured motorist to protect us when the other driver is at-fault and does not have coverage or assets out of which your bills can be paid.

Related posts:

1. Michigan Motorcycle Helmet Law Repeal Battle Still Under Way
2. Proposed Michigan Helmet Law Repeal A Big Step Down a Slipperly Slope to a Motorcycle Nanny State
3. Motorcycle Helmet Law Debate Rages On – How Would You Fix The Issue?