Sportbike riding position is DANGEROUS?

Question

My boss just said if you get in an accident on a sportbike you're going to get hurt more because your leaning over the bars and are going to fly face first into whatever you're going to hit.

I wrote FAIL on a post-it and stuck it to his shirt.

Answer 1

not just "fail"

"epic fail"

sport bike has the response and handling to get around dangerous situations better...

Answer 2

I have friend who was riding a sport bike (CBR), speeding up from an intersection - I also know he was trying to catch up to someone - so he was accelerating rapidly.  Some idiot (who happened to be an MD) in an SUV turned left in front of him, my buddy went face first into the side of the SUV, snapped his neck - he was dead before he hit the ground.

Yes he was wearing full riding gear, including full face helmet.  His mother got to have an open casket at the wake, his face looked normal.

Was it his fault, no.

----------added info-------------

My story is 100% true, my point is that my friend may have had a chance had he not been on a sport bike.  If he was on a cruiser style, he "may" (big maybe) have flown onto the roof or over the SUV, or possibly his body wouldn't have hit the SUV at all.  Being chest down on his bike, his body's natural launch angle was straight forward.  Not to say he wouldn't have died on any other bike, he just probably wouldn't have hit face first.

Answer 3

if your on a sport bike you are more aware of your surroundings because you are getting more responsive handling from your bike and usually haulin a$$ than if your on  cruiser enjoying the wind blowin thru your hair. Its six one way and a half dozen the other. We ride knowing the risks

Answer 4

now that i have wrecked at highway speed, i will tell you this, i will always prefer a cruiser and i will always prefer a beanie... the 2 things you preach against, and the 2 things that saved my bacon!

i have also learned that i will always wear my gloves on the highway.... never again will i go without them.  having no skin left on your hands and arms really sucks

if i were wearing a full faced helmet i would have snapped my neck and if i were on a crotch rocket i would have gone over the bars.  i went from 70mph to 0 in about 20 feet

Answer 5

You will hit headfirst no matter what bike you are driving and in any car if not wearing a seat belt. All of ya that think doin a 145 in anything is a good idea need to look at tamaracks link. Ive said it before and Im gonna say it again....speed kills.

Answer 6

Crashing on ANY motorcycle hurts.  It makes no difference on the bike.

Circumstances of any crash are going to be different.

Mostly speed, if you hit anything with your body, and what safety equipment you are wearing.

True story.  I had a friend jump a curb with a street / trail bike doing about 45 MPH.  He did a superman over the handlebars and took out a 15 MPH speed limit sign on a 4X4 post with his face.  Fortunately, he was wearing a full face helmet.  He only broke both kneecaps going over the handlebars.  It could have been much worse.

This guy wasn't riding a sport bike and still flew face first.

Keep the shiny side up.

Answer 7

Your boss is a twit, Kyle.  Maybe you should be HIS boss.

Answer 8

sn00p ,ouch makes me hurt just reading this ~ florida its too hot to wear gloves unless its winter , yes i ride in shorts ,sneakers ,t shirts and with out a helmet also , but when the mans got my number hes got it , id rather die on the bike with a smile on my face vs cancer or a heart atack ~  

Answer 9

It just makes you look sneaky, besides stupid. Sit up straight and be proud little fella.

Post-it note thing proves my point!

No matter how you sit on an open vehicle you are going for a ride if you impact something quickly. Law of gravity applies.  

Answer 10

DoH ahahahhaahahah Gee you know alot of people!! it was his fault if he wasn't speeding up trying "to catch someone" and not paying attention then he would have been able to avoid that situation. Sports bikes in my mind are safer becasue the response on the throttle and turning is so quick and easy that alot of situations can be avoided.

and yes Great call with the FAIL!! hahahahh

Answer 11

How did your boss come by this "nugget" of wisdom?  How does this even come up in a regular conversation.

If you are at any type of speed you will be heading up and over the handlebars regardless of what your on if you run into something.

Answer 12

LOL.....What ever vehicle you will be riding/driving/sking, Your face is going forward regardless!!

Thats child talk ....jealous to be specific..your boss

Answer 13

If the bike stops fast enough you're going over the handlebars anyway, the position doesn't matter.  I had one serious accident in my whole riding career, about 30 years ago.  A woman made a left turn in front of me.  I hit her rear quarter panel and the bike stopped and I went flying over her car like Superman.  My position on the bike wouldn't have made any difference.

But an extreme sportbike position might be less safe in that it's not as easy to lift your head to look around you.  My current bike, I lean forward just a little, and I find it much harder to turn around and look over my shoulder.  That has to be less safe!

Answer 14

I don't think that either riding position is any more or less dangerous than the other.  Your boss is an idiot and should continue to wear the FAIL post-it until he has a Cranial-rectal extraction (pulls head out of Azz).

DoH - I have no idea what that story has to do with the question.

Answer 15

I disagree. If you crash into anything then you are going to crash face first into it. If you think about it, if you are sitting well back then the only things stopping you from going through are your arms and the force they can withstand isn't that great. I can see his logic though if you were to drive into a wall, but to be honest, if you were doing it at any sort of speed I think the results would be the same.

Answer 16

You mean like this???

http://www.snopes.com/photos/accident/tu...