A CHARACTER BUILDING ISSUE

[Rocket Scientist]

There has been some reported success with jumping up at the last millisecond to avoid the "sudden stop". I'm thinking the timing might be a bit tricky, plus I don't know if I could make myself let go of the brakes. If my honey is on the back, which she usually is, I would feel obligated to stay put, and become part of the crumple zone to protect her as much as I could.

 

[ThePhoinix]

Something that stands out to me, the rider area is largely unaffected besides the bars. The front of bike turns into a crumple zone.

Gets the engineering streak in me thinking about possibilities if you prevent the rider from flying off the bike.

No idea how you'd accomplish that to mitigate this crash mode without increasing risk in other crash scenarios.

Goldwings are coming with optional airbags now.
They also come with a warning that hitting a pothole could deploy them.
And that they may not deploy in some impacts.
And that they might not really be useful in any impact.
Buy you can still have them for $2k

Ride safe

 

[Bob R]

I can tell you that if you T-Bone a smallish (2-3 year old) buffalo (American Bison) doing about 35-40mph on a 1967 Yamaha 250 Catalina you will get the same type of crumpling of the bike. The buffler will lay in the road making god awful noises and you will be lying on your back gasping for air thinking only one thing, "I have to get up before the beast because he is going to be pissed and may want to stomp me into the blacktop!!!".

Totaled the bike, buff got up and meandered off, I had to wait for someone to drive by out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.

bob

 

[ThePhoinix]

I can tell you that if you T-Bone a smallish (2-3 year old) buffalo (American Bison) doing about 35-40mph on a 1967 Yamaha 250 Catalina you will get the same type of crumpling of the bike. The buffler will lay in the road making god awful noises and you will be lying on your back gasping for air thinking only one thing, "I have to get up before the beast because he is going to be pissed and may want to stomp me into the blacktop!!!".

Totaled the bike, buff got up and meandered off, I had to wait for someone to drive by out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.

bob

I'd say "pics or it didn't happen", but I can't imagine anyone making that up!

 

[Bob R]

I'd say "pics or it didn't happen", but I can't imagine anyone making that up!

Reminds me of working on the Blackfeet Rez in Montana. We would get a couple of car vs livestock a week. Often times there would be people butchering the cow on the side of the road by the time the ambulance got there. And I guarantee that whatever animal you hit on the rez is worth thousands as a prize show animal.

I grew up in SW Oklahoma ans we had a wildlife refuge close by, they had free range buffalo and longhorn cattle just wandering around. I had never seen animals that close to the entrance gate before so I had not slowed down much and unless you see the eyes of those bastages they reflect about zero light at night. Even the cop that finally came by didn't believe me until he saw the fur stuck in the clutch/brake levers and a few other places.

bob

 

[Rick Morris]

I know I'll get flamed, but what a good use of Harley's!

You beat me to it.

 

[Sensfan]

Uhhhh.....couldn't help but notice they had to use another vehicle to get the Harley up to 40mph

 

[1olbull]

Something that stands out to me, the rider area is largely unaffected besides the bars. The front of bike turns into a crumple zone.
Gets the engineering streak in me thinking about possibilities if you prevent the rider from flying off the bike.
No idea how you'd accomplish that to mitigate this crash mode without increasing risk in other crash scenarios.

Honda did an air bag on its Goldwing for a few years, but I think it's been discontinued from lack of interest.
From tests I have read, it worked well. MC rider ejections are at a much lower trajectory (about 10°) than originally thought and the bag's purpose was to keep the rider's head/neck from impacting the auto. It briefly cushions the rider impact and allowed a higher trajectory that would clear the top of a car.

 

[1olbull]

I'd say "pics or it didn't happen", but I can't imagine anyone making that up!

Stupid Ruskie saw other cows on the roadway and never even slowed!
He deserved what he got - IMHO!

 

[BillyIndiana]

How come they didn't have crash test dummies? Now that would have been interesting.