A Motorcycle Thread About Absolutely Nothing!

[Reba]

That is stretching the truth quite a bit. True, trikes are bigger & wider than motorcycles, but, you still only have one headlight and you are still narrower than cars & trucks.

Can't you add lights like on motorcycles?

Not as large as cars and trucks but they do have more visual mass than bikes.

Trikes require a MC license, BUT, if you get a Can Am Spyder, you don't need a MC license. Our wonderful goverment says if there are two wheels up front but only one in the back, it is an automobile....

It depends on the state. According to South Carolina:

"Three-Wheel Motorcycles

Three-wheel motorcycles and automotive three-wheel vehicles may be operated with any class license except a Class G moped license. Special endorsements are no longer required to operate these types of vehicles."

It doesn't specify if the two wheels are up front, in the rear, or in line.

 

[Reba]

Trikes require a MC license, BUT, if you get a Can Am Spyder, you don't need a MC license. Our wonderful goverment says if there are two wheels up front but only one in the back, it is an automobile....

Would a Can Am Spyder have a full-size car plate or a small motorcycle plate?

 

[green427]

Would a Can Am Spyder have a full-size car plate or a small motorcycle plate?

Ok, you guys are right; it all depends on the state. All the states I've lived in require MC licenses for trikes.

As for license plates; I have no idea, since I've only seen a few on the roads coming in the opposite direction. All the trikes I've seen have M/C plates, so I would assume the Spyder gets M/C plates.

 

[green427]

Can't you add lights like on motorcycles?

Not as large as cars and trucks but they do have more visual mass than bikes.

Of course we can add more lights. You can go overboard like this one weird guy in town, he puts tall flags on each rear fender, has about 2000 running lights, and curb feelers.

Oh, and we have a hardcore H-D guy that rides a trike. He has a CI from his previous accident, when he hit his head and lost his hearing and his ability to balance a motorcycle. Still refuses to wear a helmet, even though that is the reason he became deaf. :roll:

 

[Reba]

Of course we can add more lights. You can go overboard like this one weird guy in town, he puts tall flags on each rear fender, has about 2000 running lights, and curb feelers.

Oh, and we have a hardcore H-D guy that rides a trike. He has a CI from his previous accident, when he hit his head and lost his hearing and his ability to balance a motorcycle. Still refuses to wear a helmet, even though that is the reason he became deaf. :roll:

Wow!

 

[green427]

From a 2009 MotorcycleUSA test of the Spyder:

"Driver's License: There is one state where you will actually need to get a Three-Wheel permit to ride the Spyder - that is Washington (go figure). There are two states where just a standard car driver's license will suffice - they are Delaware and California (go figure again). You will need a motorcycle license for the other 47 states."


From here: 2009 Can-Am Spyder SE5 First Ride - Motorcycle USA


Looks like some states like NC are changing the rules.

You gotta admit these Spyders look cool and have cool features.

 

[Foxrac]

How is gas MPG for trike and spyder? better as Honda Civic does?

 

[Jiro]

How is gas MPG for trike and spyder? better as Honda Civic does?

look it up.

 

[Jiro]

Can't you add lights like on motorcycles?

you can but here's an interesting argument I read in other forum about visibility issue.

I'll summarize - If you're that concerned about visibility issue such as drivers not seeing you... and you add more lights, reflectors, etc... don't even bother riding. Riding motorcycle has a risk. You should ride the motorcycle with same privilege as car because it's not fair & safe to other drivers if you add more and more lights. Also - more lights + reflectors + whatever CAN be very distracting for drivers... which can lead to accident because of 2 most likely reasons - drivers were gawking at your bike and not paying attention to driving safely. and bike w/ several lights can confuse drivers into thinking it's a traffic light or something else.

Defensive Riding. Riding Proficiency. that will save your life.

btw - I have heard dozens of stories about motorcyclists being pulled over for "excessive" or "distracting" lights. Same thing for 4x4.

 

[Tousi]

We have made it a rule to never ride/operate after dark and that's a rule easily lived by.

 

[purplecatty]

We have made it a rule to never ride/operate after dark and that's a rule easily lived by.

I agree with you if I live where road are dangerous after dark.

I rode after dark often because my area and also the road are safe. I would not ride where lot of crazy drivers on highway typically in downtown area. I rode on rural highways which are much safer. I keep my eyes wide open for deers or any animal attempting cross the road. Whenever I go around the bend, I slow down enough to give me plenty of time to stop if I see animals around the corner.

IN Kansas City, Missouri, drivers on I-435, I-35, I-70, I-71 are crazy. I would never ride there. They speed their way and don't use signals. Sometime they swerves two lanes (highway have 3 lanes and some 4 lanes) without even looking. That's why there are high fatality on Missouri side than Kansas side. (no wonder why KC MO have largest selection of junkyards than Kansas does!!!!)

Often, I've seen motorcycle riders use Decor or strip lights under their tank or frame to enable drivers to see them clearly at night.. I am planning on getting one for my motorcycle. I would prefer either white or blue LED decor lights cuz it goes with style of my motorcycle and easily seen at night. It's legal in Kansas to have decor lights on motorcycle for safety reason.

In small Rural towns, lot of people think it's much safer than City. It's not entirely true because Rural town often do not have stoplights on every blocks. Some intersection do not even have stop sign . When I was in Paola, KS, I was riding motorcycle on brick roads in neighborhood. I had to stop on every intersections that DO NOT have stop sign (two ways or 4 ways). It's the most dangerous at night so best be safe to stop and look before proceeding. Because drivers may not stop and look. That's something you have to watch for. Also some old brick buildings have alleys that you might want to watch out for because driver may just drive out of alley without looking because they think it's hardly cars on street. I've read newspaper articles several times that motorcyclist was killed in rural town that driver did not stop while he was on main road on rural downtown. Driver was drunk or was in hurry and hit the motorcyclist. So that's something you may have to watch for. USE Common Sense!!!


Catty

 

[Jiro]

btw - about my post #1489... I want to clarify that the tone of my summary is not mine but it's what I felt from him and I believe he raised a good point.

I'm going to try to find an original message. The thread was about... I think "Do you keep high beam on all the time or not?"

 

[Jiro]

Alberto Granado, Guevara’s Motorcycle Companion, Dies at 88

HAVANA (AP) — Alberto Granado, who accompanied Ernesto 'Che' Guevara on a 1952 journey of discovery across Latin America that was immortalized in Guevara's memoir and on-screen in "The Motorcycle Diaries," died in Cuba on Saturday. He was 88.

Granado, an Argentine who had lived in Cuba since 1961, died of natural causes Saturday morning, according to Cuban state-run television, which gave no other details.

Granado and Guevara's road trip, begun on a broken-down motorcycle they dubbed La Poderosa, or "The Powerful," awoke in Guevara a social consciousness and political convictions that would help turn him into one of the most iconic revolutionaries of the 20th century.

The two travelers both kept diaries that were used as background for the 2004 movie, produced by Robert Redford and directed by Walter Salles.

Granado was born Aug. 8, 1922, in Cordoba, Argentina, and befriended Guevara as a child.

As young medical students, the two witnessed deep poverty across the continent — principally Chile, Colombia, Peru and Venezuela — and their stay at a Peruvian leper colony left a particularly deep impression.

They parted ways in Venezuela, where Granado stayed on to work at a clinic treating leprosy patients. Guevara continued on to Miami, then returned to Buenos Aires to finish his studies.

Guevara would later join Fidel and Raul Castro as they sailed from exile in Mexico to Cuba aboard a yacht called the Granma in 1956. Their small band of rebels ultimately toppled dictator Fulgencio Batista on New Year's Day 1959.

Granado visited Cuba at Guevara's invitation in 1960 and moved to Havana the following year with his family, teaching biochemistry at Havana University. He had lived in Cuba ever since, maintaining a low profile.

One of his sons, also called Alberto Granado, is head of Cuba's Africa House, a center in Havana that celebrates African culture.

In his authoritative biography of Guevara, Jon Lee Anderson wrote that Granado was "barely five feet tall and had a huge beaked nose, but he sported a barrel chest and a footballer's sturdy bowed legs; he also possessed a good sense of humor and a taste for wine, girls, literature and rugby."

According to Cuban television, Granado requested that his body be cremated and his ashes spread in Cuba, Argentina and Venezuela. Funeral arrangements were not announced.

Guevara was captured and killed by soldiers in Bolivia in 1967 as he tried to foment revolution in the Andean nation.

 

[Jiro]

Bill would let bikers pass legally through red lights

When Ann Purcell is tooling around the state on her Honda motorcycle, the weight of the sport bike is often not enough to trip the sensors at red lights.

Most people would grumble -- and worry about the safety of being trapped in an intersection -- in silence. But Purcell is a Georgia legislator, so she is pushing her colleagues to approve a measure to let bikers go through red lights when the signals don’t know they’re there.

“We just want to make it so you can go through without, quote, breaking the law,” said Purcell, a Republican representative from Rincon. “We understand we would have to go through with great caution.”

House Bill 161 basically would allow motorcyclists to treat red lights like stop signs. They could proceed after waiting 60 seconds to check traffic.

Eight states -- including neighboring North Carolina and South Carolina -- now give some form of that consideration to bikers, according to the American Motorcyclist Association and a government website for the state of Missouri. The Kansas Legislature just approved a similar measure last month.

But the powerful House Rules Committee has so far held Purcell’s proposal from a vote. Some members have repeatedly fretted about letting motorcyclists follow a different rule of the road.

“The traffic laws apply to motorcyclists and to cyclists,” said Rep. Wendell Willard, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. “I have concern about letting any group break the statute.”

At least one state has addressed the problem with a technical change. California requires new sensors, which function much like metal detectors, be able to sense both motorcycles and bicycles.

Georgia has 40,000 intersections with the sensors that would need to be adjusted or updated, according to the state Department of Transportation. The time and cost to do that led Purcell to believe the only option was letting her and fellow bikers run the lights.

The American Motorcyclist Association agrees, noting that bikers would be at fault if the move led to any accidents.

“The burden is on the motorcyclist to make a safe decision,” association spokesman Pete terHorst said.

Skeptics still worry which driver would be liable for medical damages in a crash. And the Federal Highway Administration has urged states to consider other options, such as the technological upgrades in California, as safer ways to address the problem.

Still, Purcell is convinced she has found a safe solution for bikers and motorists alike. It can make people in cars just as nervous and frustrated to see a biker stuck in a turning lane, and not all motorists realize it when a biker is trying to motion them forward so the car can trip the signal.

"It's hard for people to understand if they've not ridden a bike or been in that situation, that it's scary to be stuck in an intersection like that," Purcell said. "But it is a safety issue for most everyone."

 

[Foxrac]

look it up.

then my answer is 50 mpg to 150 mpg, depending on trikes and spyder model.
Piaggio MP3 500 : ScooterWest.com : Motor Scooter Parts

57 mpg sounds not bad but 3.2 fuel capacity is very small so I don't want to fill everyday because my commute to school is 50 miles away in one way during weekday.

This trike is rated at 90 mph, I think it is suitable for interstate but I prefer to see over 100 mph and some cars in here went over 100 mph in fast lane, also I'm happy speeder as well.

I have no interest to buy this trike, anyway and bike is much suitable to me so have to learn how to use.

 

[Foxrac]

Speaking of RP/usher syndrome issue and how can affect the visual when ride on motorcycle, it is better to try out on own and if you feel comfortable with it so go keep it because cases are different from person to person. I don't know about any difference in visual activity when ride in car and motorcycle until have to try on motorcycle since some people said it is different, some said it is same thing.

I like to hear any stories about bikers with RP/US but can't find in somewhere.

 

[green427]

57 mpg sounds not bad but 3.2 fuel capacity is very small so I don't want to fill everyday because my commute to school is 50 miles away in one way during weekday.

Such is life with a motorcycle. Our tanks are small for a reason..gasoline is very heavy and affects your handling big time.

Riding a motorcycle in freeway traffic is going to wear you down a lot faster than you think. You are going to want to pull over and take several breaks.

This trike is rated at 90 mph, I think it is suitable for interstate but I prefer to see over 100 mph and some cars in here went over 100 mph in fast lane, also I'm happy speeder as well.

Trust me, you don't want to be doing 100MPH on a trike or scooter unless you have a death wish. I am a happy speeder myself, but I know better than to ride like a squid.

I have no interest to buy this trike, anyway and bike is much suitable to me so have to learn how to use.

Take the MSF basic course. It will give you a general feeling of whether motorcycling is something you will like. There is a general consensus that only 25-50% of students actually take up riding after passing the class, and the same number eventually stop riding altogether. That is why there are plenty of used motorcycles for sale with ridiculously low mileages.

 

[green427]

I like to hear any stories about bikers with RP/US but can't find in somewhere.

I will post your question at another motorcycle safety site and see what they say. Chances are you will not like the answers, but let's see what they say.

 

[Jiro]

then my answer is 50 mpg to 150 mpg, depending on trikes and spyder model.
Piaggio MP3 500 : ScooterWest.com : Motor Scooter Parts

57 mpg sounds not bad but 3.2 fuel capacity is very small so I don't want to fill everyday because my commute to school is 50 miles away in one way during weekday.

3.2 gallons and 57 mpg. that's about 180 miles.

and you have no problem paying over $60 gas refill for your truck for same distance?

This trike is rated at 90 mph, I think it is suitable for interstate but I prefer to see over 100 mph and some cars in here went over 100 mph in fast lane, also I'm happy speeder as well.

I have no interest to buy this trike, anyway and bike is much suitable to me so have to learn how to use.

you want a fast motorcycle rated for 90-100mph? no problem. plenty of powerful motorcycle with 1000cc.

but be sure to set up life insurance and also make an advanced payment & preparation for your funeral

 

[Foxrac]

Such is life with a motorcycle. Our tanks are small for a reason..gasoline is very heavy and affects your handling big time.

Riding a motorcycle in freeway traffic is going to wear you down a lot faster than you think. You are going to want to pull over and take several breaks.



Trust me, you don't want to be doing 100MPH on a trike or scooter unless you have a death wish. I am a happy speeder myself, but I know better than to ride like a squid.



Take the MSF basic course. It will give you a general feeling of whether motorcycling is something you will like. There is a general consensus that only 25-50% of students actually take up riding after passing the class, and the same number eventually stop riding altogether. That is why there are plenty of used motorcycles for sale with ridiculously low mileages.

Oh interesting, I must be too naive about motorcycle so love to learn about motorcycle thing from you and other members.

Sure, I will think about MSF and thank you for information about motorcycle, also kinda surprised to see some people gave up their ride the motorcycle for reasons.

In several years ago, my father told me that I must to learn how to use motorcycle because of fun and don't know if his statement is true.