Study Finds Us Older Riders

[Norm]

Are more likely to get in accidents, suffer more injuries, and have more complications from the same injuries as compared to our younger counterparts:

Well the way I look at it, we're also more likely to fall down the stairs and suffer more injuries when we do so. So between the two, I'll keep riding.

(My wife just put this magazine in my hands as I was watching the baseball game-Boston Globe)

 

[gtbigup01]

Did the magazine specify cruiser v. sportbike when referencing older riders, or just in general? Granted the pic is of a cruiser. You do see older riders with bigger bikes,ie harley ?? Honda Goldwing etc, as in the older you get the stronger you get, same for older people choosing the Mercury grand Marques and big lincoln cars. Older = bigger but not necessarily stronger hence more crashes and more injuries. That's my non-scientific study :nana:

 

[Norm]

Doesn't specify by bike type. The only etiologic suggestion is our slower reflexes and possible lack of experience.

 

[NJFZ1]

Doesn't specify by bike type. The only etiologic suggestion is our slower reflexes and possible lack of experience.

You're probably right...get your 40-60 year old who never rode before and put him on an 800-900 pound H-D (or other cruiser) and you got your recipe for disaster...

 

[Hail]

The only etiologic suggestion is our slower reflexes and possible lack of experience.

Lack of experience may be right. it is my understanding that has been the quickest growing age group for NEW riders. It is also the largest age group involving accidents where alcohol was involved. I will see if I can find that article.....

 

[old rice]

Lack of experience may be right. it is my understanding that has been the quickest growing age group for NEW riders. It is also the largest age group involving accidents where alcohol was involved. I will see if I can find that article.....

I just was reading another report that was stating just the opposite. Oh well I guess the insurance Co's will just have to raise the rates for everyone just to be fair.:nerd:

 

[pjspin0331]

(My wife just put this magazine in my hands as I was watching the baseball game-Boston Globe)

i think you and my dad are the only ones that still get the globe, do you get it delivered?

 

[Ally House]

I have seen variations on this. I suspect that a lot of (us, I admit it) older riders who have started riding fairly recently (me, I admit it) come in for more than our share of crash stats...BUT I have also seen numbers that say there are younger 1st time riders that represent a higher percentage of that age group that are crashing.

As for the severity of the injury, well, we break easier as we age. damhik.

 

[old rice]

Are more likely to get in accidents, suffer more injuries, and have more complications from the same injuries as compared to our younger counterparts:

Well the way I look at it, we're also more likely to fall down the stairs and suffer more injuries when we do so. So between the two, I'll keep riding.

(My wife just put this magazine in my hands as I was watching the baseball game-Boston Globe)

The other thing is simple math. Boomers got more money and there are alot of us so we buy more bikes. The more boomer bikes the more we represent more beans to count. I still think that if it was counted by % younger riders are more apt to crash and crash with severity. By the way I got my #'s from my insurance vendor. I will look up the info I have it somewhere.

Here are some good articles..

http://www.edgarsnyder.com/motorcycle-accident/statistics.html
http://www.2wheeltouring.net/mature.htm
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2006/03/17/harley-davidson-and-changing-demographics/

 

[OneSizeFitsAll]

Most guys I meet who are above late 50's have been riding for years. I respect the hell out of these veterans of many years on two wheels.
Those just learning on a Harley? Good luck with that.

 

[BENDER]

The problem is the born again biker that used to ride and now decides to get him or herself a sports bike and doesn't realize just how far the power of bikes has come since the old day's.
It doesn't matter how good you can ride its just that crap happens sometimes but I think If someone returns to riding after a long absence they need to do some sort of rider training and maybe have a restriction on HP?
That's just my 2cents worth so what do you guy's think?
By the way Im 53 and been riding since 15 and still learning LOL!!

 

[Hail]

I just was reading another report that was stating just the opposite. Oh well I guess the insurance Co's will just have to raise the rates for everyone just to be fair.:nerd:

This is the article I was refering to. I have no idea how accurate it is:
III - Motorcycle Crashes

 

[Norm]

i think you and my dad are the only ones that still get the globe, do you get it delivered?

It's my wife who reads it, not me and yes, it's delivered.

 

[Gohot229]

Old Riders...

My guess is that you take two demographics and weigh them and come up with an idea who is suceptable to what.
Young (new) riders go in to a motorcycle dealer and look over the floor for a bike....what are they likely to pick off hand...? A sportbike 2 to 1, something to release testosterone, something athletic, something fast and flashy. They are after all concerned with peer presure, looking cool and the thrill of power and speed.

An older rider (senior) will go into the same motorcycle dealer and look the floor over and see the sportbikes, have a fiew 'what if's' and then likely go over to the cruisers to contemplate one as it's likely to be more comfortable and have gadgets and ergonomic enhancements making it a far better choice. That same 'Old' guy/girl, will probably pass through the isle of power cruisers, of which there are now a fiew, for example... Honda VTX 1800C or the Suzuki M109 Boulevard, or the Meanstreak even Yamahas Roadstar Warrior. Mabe due partly to not wanting to show their age with the choice of a dedicated Cruiser, thought of more as bikes for old duffers. And thats sad really that these bikes tend to be viewed as such.

Of the two types, sport verses cruiser, the likely one to cause irresponsable riding practices, is as we all know, is the sportbike hands down. After all, to back this supposition, look at the rates of both bikes when you go for insurance. Always you will find greatly inflated pricing on your typical sportbike verses the cruiser. Thats one thing us FZ1 riders have found out conpared to say, insuring an R1 instead of an FZ1. Much higher...

Older riders are more likely to do a walk-around of the bike before taking off as well, their likely to be in less of a hurry or hasty. It's not likely that something needs to be addressed, but the time spent looking indicates a more responsable riding style. A deliberateness to the methodology of riding. Older riders have had more re-runs of daily life, thuss many more riding experiances to recall situations from, and how to deal pre-emptivly with situations that come up, thuss are given the edge in cautious riding and the things Cagers might throw in their way, and mabe the younger riders a bit too trusting of Cagers actions, and less likely to plan for an eventuallity or mistake they might initiate.

As for agility, the youth win hands down of course, it's just biology. You have your exceptions, but they are just that......exceptions! What the older rider lacks in agility is likely to be made up for in knowledge, riding knowledge. The younger rider is more likely to feel indestructable and thuss take many more chances which is illistrated in their riding styles and risks taken while riding. Also, between the two with their choices of bikes, the cruiser is less capable of tripple didgit than a sportbike and less likely to get one in over their skill level or ability. Drama at 140 is assuredly different than drama at 70.

So who's right here...? age and wisdom, or youth and agility? It's your call, how responsable do you want to ride, how much time wil you spend doing something you know better than doing? How many times will luck be with you? I'd say it's about 50/50:tup:

 

[Norm]

Good points Gohot. If anything, these articles get our attention and get us to think things through, as you just did. This is always a good thing, rather than just blow it off and put it down to "some idiot just trying to publish an article." I believe anyone on a forum like this is already better off than your Average Joe because we are constantly willing to share our experiences and learn from each other. I could make every mistake there is to make, or listen to all the great people from around the US, Canada, and elsewhere teach me something so I can avoid a few bad days. I for one really appreciate what we do for each other here.

 

[Oldschool]

Gohot

Gohot makes good points, with 1 flaw in the thinking. You assume experience (Wisdom) with age. This is not always the case. To assume inexperience with youth is usually the case, and much easier to argue. I would agree with those points for the most part. I do personally know several late in life, (in their 60's) "new riders". They did indeed choose cruisers for exactly the reasons you point out. They have also had spills (non serious) due to inexperience but staying around town. At least 1 of them has already retired from riding as his older body was getting to frail for the weight of the bike he chose. Had these riders been on sportbikes I believe their injuries would have been greater.
It still comes down to experience more than age (although that plays a factor in strenght and ability to heal). A younger rider may just get away with mistakes that the older rider will not, given the same level of experience. I agree that the younger rider has the edge when it comes to recovery from those injuries.
As far as the sportbikes having more crashes, I think all you have to check out is the videos and pictures on "the dragon" (for one) to see that is argueable. The cruisers have as many or more crashes being pushed beyond what they, or there rider, is capable of.

 

[Gohot229]

Correct, I did toss in all seniors as though they had a lifetime of riding experiance, which certainly is 'not' the case .......my senior moment....lol...

 

[Ally House]

There is a saying, about experience, in one of my hobbies (umpiring, if you're curious) that goes about like this:

You can have 10 years of experience, or you can have one year of experience 10 times.

 

[Lonerider59]

I will celebrate my 60th B-day this coming month. I've been riding on the street since I was 15 (one year before I got a driver's license). I haven't been down snce I was 35 and that was a hard fall with my wife on the back. I hit antifreeze in the middle of a right hand turn and was down before I knew what was happening. What I learned about that was, WATCH the surface of the road. I've never had an accident in a car, truck, or bike that resulted in anything being broken. Probably was a lot of luck. I do believe that as your time in the seat increases, you become a better rider and with a little age you have done a lot you don't want to repeat so if you survived it the first time you don't need to do it a second. It's very easy to bundle riders by age, experience, or type of bike, but I believe all three factors only provide a propensity towards a result, not an absolute towards a result. Most accidents have many factors that resulted in the outcome. The best bet for all of us who wish to ride is to be aware and respectful of our fellows on the road and ride with expectation that danger is around us all of the time. Be safe, be proud, and look out for the other guy whether he/she is right or not.

 

[Polestar]

This is the article I was refering to. I have no idea how accurate it is:
III - Motorcycle Crashes

The above study provides raw numbers without context. For example, it states that the number of motorcycle fatalities involving riders 40 and older has risen to 51% from 33% just 10 years ago. This sounds scary until one includes the context that over the the same period of time, the average age of motorcyclists has gone from 33 to 40. Statistically, that's huge.
Add to this the basic fact that older people are more susceptible to injury and death in ANY ACTIVITY compared to younger adults in the same activity.
In fact, doing no activity at all, an older person is apt to die more frequently than a younger person (duh).


I think the following list is more instructive for avoiding fatalities at any age:

2008 National Statistics


* 59% of the bikers killed in 2008 were not wearing helmets.
* Of the motorcycle operators killed in 2008, 30% had a BAC of .08 or higher.
* 35% of all bikers involved in fatal crashes in 2008 were speeding.
* In 2008, 2,554 (47%) of all motorcycles involved in fatal crashes collided with another type of moving vehicle.
* One out of four motorcycle riders in fatal crashes in 2008 were riding their vehicles with an invalid license.
* Helmets are estimated to be 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries to motorcycle riders and 41% for motorcycle passengers.
* 35% of the bikers between 15 and 20 who were fatally injured in crashes in 2008 were not wearing helmets.
* Of the young motorcycle operators (ages 15-20) involved in fatal crashes in 2008, more than one-third (43%) were either unlicensed or driving with an invalid license.
* In 2008, 26% of the young male motorcycle operators involved in fatal crashes had been drinking at the time of the crash, compared with 13% of the young female operators involved in fatal crashes.
* This is the 11th consecutive year that there has been an increase in motorcycle crash deaths.
* The number of individuals injured in motorcycle crashes has decreased for the first time since 1998, declining 6.8%.

Think ahead: Plan your motorcycle riding activity: Give cars a wide berth-all to lessen your probability of becoming a statistic.:sport12:
BTW-don't fall under the illusion-at any age- riding a motorcycle can be as safe as driving a car. No it isn't. It's a riskier proposition; so plan for it.