BE CAREFUL ON YOUR NEW BIKE REMINDER

[kwagoner82]

Hey Guys,

I heard of this last week but didn't want to post anything until i had researched this a little more. First off I want to just say this is not a Harley bashing nor rider bashing post just a little reminder of what can happen and how fast. I live in albany NY about fifteen minutes from our local Harley shop. My mother lives about 300 yards from it. Last week she was sitting outside with my father and heard a car horn, screech and then a thud and some screaming. It turns out that a man had just picked up his brand new Motorcycle ( not sure what kind our dealer sells Harley and Buell).  He took it out of the parking lot. No one is absolutely sure what happened it seems not even the dealer. As far as anyone knows, he left the lot, went to the corner and went to turn right onto a 4 lane road with a median. All that is certain is that he went across two lanes plus the median and straight into an on coming pickup. There is no way to know what actually happened, if it was a stuck throttle cable or just because he wasn't familiar with the bike. Just figured i would post a reminder to be careful of that bike you aren't familiar with. He was 32 years old and this was not his first bike, he knew what he was doing.

As of this time, no actual reason has been found

If anyone on here is from Middlegrove NY I just want to say i was sorry to hear and hope the family well, I don't know if he has any children or a wife. If the dealer does anything i will try to make sure i can attend.

http://clipsyndicate.com/video/playlist/18795/2458309?wpid=9616

[Soupskin]

Wow, that is really disturbing.

[ariwhiteboy]

Hate to hear about that...heck of a way to go. 

[ExTex]

It is not as unusual as you might expect for a new owner to crash when they first leave the dealership. 
Sometimes it is showmanship and other times it is the lack of familiarity with the new bike. 

To solve the problem, all dealerships should be located in rural areas, surrounded by hay fields.

Ride safely,
 

[Simeo]

Wow, going to need to pray for the family. Thank you for the solemn reminder to be careful on my new bike once it's all up and running.

To solve the problem, all dealerships should be located in rural areas, surrounded by hay fields.

Here here! 

[Bumblebee]

Assuming previous riding experience and blowing across 2 lanes into oncoming traffic, one thought is brake failure. Front brake does nothing, rear is applied too late or some such scenario.

Complete klutz or Dakar level rider. Mechanical failure or rider induced.
Either way, two conclusions:
1. Preflight anything you're not familiar with or is new to you. (As well as your regular daily motorcycle) Off the showroom floor means nothing in terms of mechanical reliability. Some, if not all, arrive in shipping crates and final assembly is done in the local shop which have repeatedly proven, or disproven, their competency level.
2. Proficiency and caution at all times.

To solve the problem, all dealerships should be located in rural areas, surrounded by hay fields open clean surface and dirt practice areas and crash gear shops with diverse selections of gear.

There. That's better.

[roadrunner]

I'll always remember the day I picked up my first NH (used 92 750) from the local dealer.  First mistake was to pick it up at the peak of the rush hour.  Second mistake was not checking with the dealer first as to the particulars.  Even though there was an empty field behind the dealership, the rep said that liability issues would keep me from practicing there before hitting the boulevard.  He also told me the story about a hapless soul who picked up his new Honda and left the dealership and promptly accelerated across the boulevard, impacting the curb on the other side of the 4 lane road.  Thankfully, he wasn't hit by a car.  In hindsight, I could have picked a better time of day.  I could have asked the dealership to deliver the bike so I could familiarize myself on quiet neighborhood streets.  Anyway, it all worked out but I was very nervous for the first few blocks...

Contrast my story of the 92 NH with my experience back in 1968 when I was shopping for a new CL350 in Santa Monica.  The dealer said "here's the key ... take it for a spin".  I rode around a residential neighborhood for 15 minutes or so and ended up buying it.  The lawyers have killed that attitude..

[ariwhiteboy]

There is always "that dealership" in military towns (most dealerships in fact) who sell a bike to returning servicemember and say "Here's the gas, here's the brake, shifting is just like a manual tranny car." I've seen many young men (and a few women) come home, get fleeced, and promptly crash, sometimes fatally. It's just a damn shame...

[Option13]

There is always "that dealership" in military towns (most dealerships in fact) who sell a bike to returning servicemember and say "Here's the gas, here's the brake, shifting is just like a manual tranny car." I've seen many young men (and a few women) come home, get fleeced, and promptly crash, sometimes fatally. It's just a damn shame...

I was following one of those guys. He was on a big yellow Ninja, the center section of his tire was worn out and the chicken strips were half a mile wide, he constantly blipped the throttle, and a had a digital camo backpack with his name on it. Other than that, shorts and a t-shirt (helmet mandated by state law).

It's remarkable how hard it is to get on a motorcycle in some aspects, yet in others it is remarkably easy. They scare you so much in drivers ed with shock films and horror stories, but nothing of the sort for motorcyclists.