Anyone been to Forks recently?

[Brian P]

If you talk to the folks who run the Deals Gap resort, they've got a thing or two to say about the compatibility of large, heavy cruiser or touring bikes with riders of average experience on those bikes, and very tight, twisty roads. There are SOME riders who know how to make those bikes go around corners, but they seem to be in an extreme minority. And without question, supersport bikes have their share of incompetent riders who can't deal with those roads, too, but there's a much greater proportion who can. (Cruisers crash a lot more on the Deal's Gap road than sportbikes do, despite generally going slower. Folks there have kept track of stuff like that ...)

The thing is, though, that on the average, cruiser and touring riders generally just don't go on rides like that. They find a straight road that goes to where they want to go, and putter along.

None of ANY of this is the bike's fault. If the rider is sensible enough to ride within his/her limits and the bike's limits and the road's limits, there isn't going to be a problem.

[short stop]

I was up at the Forks this afternoon. Had a lovely ride, and nary a popo in site.

I learned the hard way not to take 9th Line back south again.

[NewfieBoy]

I was up there today too. Not a beast in sight. Lots of patchy leather vests and pointy booted stick-out legs. But had fun none the less.

[Aslan]

LOL, you quote statistics! Ingenious.

While SS riders in the US crash and die, here in Canada those statistics are clearly reflected in insurance premiums. Increased premiums correlate to increased risk. Does this not make logical sense?

Nothing wrong with quoting statistics, but they should be the correct ones. The question was about crashes per average rider of bike class x, given classes SuperSport and Cruiser.

Number of Deaths per registered vehicle in a very different jurisdiction tells us next to nothing about crashes. Simply by going a little bit slower on average at all times the survivability of crashes goes up and therefore deaths go down. Also interesting might be the split between riders taking themselves out and those hit killed by other road users, or how many occurred on weekday evening with riders trying to get home for dinner versus weekend pleasure rides.

Statistically speaking, it might well be true that you have a 900% increase in the chance of becoming a vegetable or quadriplegic as a result of a Cruiser crash versus a SuperSport crash by virtue of the whole not-dieing thing. Or maybe it is the stronger necks of those who like SS that prevent catastrophic injuries, who knows? Do we do anything with that statistic?

Insurance premiums are even more misleading because they have many more inputs and contain feedback loops. Insurance is all about money, not crashes, not lives, just bottom lines. Deductibles, theft, vandalism, repair costs, unreported/unclaimed costs, etc. all change rates, maybe before anyone even crashes. Also remember that insurance is based on where you (claim to) live, not where you go.

On a tangent, I've always wondered about that... If someone from Markham hits someone from Scarborough at Yonge and Dundas which region gets the statistical hit? It seems the folks who live downtown do, what about those suburbanites who hit cyclists downtown?

[ungrateful_son]

Oy veh. Someone asks, "Anyone been to Forks recently?", and it deteriorates into either:

A. I ride a rice burner, and HD riders suck ***.
B. I ride a HD, and rice burners suck ***.
C. HD riders are fat old men with mid-life crises.
D. RB riders are all squids.
E. HD riders can't ride for ****.
F. RB riders can't ride for ****.
G. Studies prove HD riders aren't as cool as they think they are.
H. Studies prove that squid skin is not as resilient as cowhide.

and finally,

G. My Kung Fu is better than your Kung Fu.

For those who have actually been out riding, good for you (no sarcasm)! As for the rest, you've confirmed why I (now) hang out in the track section...don't bother flaming, I wear asbestos underwear

OP, it's a nice little drive; respect the residents, don't drive like a dumbass, and you'll enjoy yourself.

Oh, think cruisers can't cut a path like an SS? I dare you to sign up for Cayuga during one of the GWB days; there's a certain Magna (now mit saddle bags) there that lives soley to cherry pick the unbelievers...