Why motorcyclists get a bad name

1-03-2011 Louisville, Ky.

Louisville Metro Police gave high speed chase to a man riding a motorcycle West on I-264. The motorcyclist was zig-zaging in and out of traffic while trying to evade police during heavy work traffic, sometimes passing in the emergency lane. Police clocked the man doing 174 MPH. The motorcyclist while trying to evade police turned off the Interstate onto a local road hitting a curb and blowing out both tires on the motorcycle. He sustained minor injuries to his ankle. He said that he gave up when Metro police chased him into a populated residential area. The rider told the police that he belonged to a local motorcycle gang that had a tradition of drag racing in heavy traffic. He said that he never once put anyone in harms way. He was riding the motorcycle without a drivers license and no registration on the motorcycle.

 

Sounds like a typical idiot on a crotch rocket. We have tons around here. He probably had one of those mohawks stuck to his helmet too.

 

..or one of those skull face helmets.

 

...or coz they are carrying on like th bikies in 'Stone' ..ay Toecutter when I saw that name turn up I thought it would be from Aus..welcome

 

I think motorcyclists actually have a better name than they used to. In the 80's it was hard to even get through the pub door if you had a leather jacket on. Maybe this was a throwback from the 60's when rockers and mods would beat the cr4p out of each other at the sea side?

Biking now is seen as more of a leisure activity - something that "Respectable" people do at the weekends.

I know this site has particular views about those respectable people and the certain brand of v-twin they ride!!!

 

Was he wearing his shorts and flip flops?

 

...surprised he lasted as long as he did and only got a F'd up ankle outta the crash. With that outcome I doubt he's learned anything and will end up in a body bag one day.
Probably bragging to his friends right now about the way he was "smokin the cops"!

 

there are far worse people in the world, why motorcyclists get the publicity i dont know. the world around me goes crazy when a biker dies on the road, and yet its almost like nobody cares if there is a fatal accident. wtf?

 

You're right, we do, even here. It USED to be much worse; people don't really seem to hide their daughters like they used to. Maybe it's because my pony tail is gone and my hair is grey, I dunno.

And although I hate to actually admit it, a LOT of it has to do with exactly those same "respectable" people/weekend warriors. When you have JUDGES and PAs and MDs and CEOs all dressing up like "Wild Hogs" for their weekend cruises, the stigma has become diluted to the point of being dead.

About time.

Now then, about those squids pulling 120mph wheelies in freeway traffic...

I know one of those guys. He was on his rear wheel, on the freeway, when some lady changed lanes on him and physically pushed him into the cement barrier along side of the road.

He didn't die (although his CBR did,) he's not a paraplegic or anything, but-- he doesn't ride motorcycles any more.

Darn.

 

Damn toecutters!

I feel that the image for motorcyclists has gone from them being criminals to them being idiots. I suppose you can thank all these teenagers on their crotch rockets. Everyone looks at motorcycles as something to fear now, a "death machine". Apparently riding a motorcycle means you are going to die. I hate riding next to a kid on a crotch rocket who doesn't have any respect for the machine he is on or his life.

 

(SIGH)...we were all young and indestructable at one time, some of us were lucky enough to grow out of it.

 

Yea it's gone from "you're gonna kill you're fool self" to "there's no fool like an old fool" :? ...

skillet

 

I'd rather be called an old fool every day by anyone that knows me, than to try and have them remember me one day a year.....and I don't mean on my Birthday.

 

I'd just like to know how he and his gang regularly drag race in heavy traffic at 174mph w/o once ever putting anyone in harm's way :roll:

 

Damn straight, or Mad Max! Cheers!

 

As a rider and MSF graduate and soon to be instructor that owns and operates sport bikes (among others - see sig.), I think it's too bad that the "shock and awe" of the triple digit chases on sport bike get arguably exclusive news coverage. While I don't agree with what this individual is/was doing, where is the coverage of the fat old cruiser riders in poor health that expire while on the road and wad up their chrome factory? Where is the coverage about the adventure riders that plan epic trips poorly and end up looping their BMW on the Dalton Highway potentially killing themselves or their riding partners? What about the no license, no gear scooter riders that get smooshed by city buses due to their lack of experience and lack of visibility?

I guess my point is, the potential for bikers in general to have a worse-off name exists. The way the news media chooses to report the incidents seems to dictate the stigma that each facet of motorcycling gets.

Now I read and re-read every reply in this thread, and no one seems to be outright damning sportbikes, but my words of caution are that the more universally damned sportbikes are from a safety and liability standpoint by the media and the casual observer, the more our glorious state and federal governments will see fit to step in to regulate these death machines. And more "nanny-state" regulations in the motorcycling community are the last thing we need.

 

They showed his picture on the news. He is a black guy that looked to be in his mid 20s. Nothing about him really stood out. I have never heard about a gang like that around here until this.
The only thing I know for sure is he is a fool and a very lucky one at that. He hit the curb hard enough to blow both tires.

 

http://www.whas11.com/news/crimetracker ... ly-speeds-
at-174-mph-on-Watterson-Expressway-112826759.html

 

The link seems to be broken

MN

 

I have seen that kind of foolishness before. A friend of mine was on his hurricane killed himself as well as his girl friend by stupidity. He was going 100 mph in a residential area on the Beach side. Not sure the exact details but he lost it in a turn think there was beach sand or shell on the road hit a Seawall. He new better 6 months earlier he crashed on his enduro on the street was in the Hospital with broken bones and road rash from his neck down to his feet. His best friend was working for me at the time really messed him up. He carried part of the broken ferring in his truck for the longest time. That shouldn't Happen to a 22 y.o really gives bikes a bad name