A Motorcycle Thread About Absolutely Nothing!

Reba said:
Pretty blue. :)
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:ty:

Blue and green are my favorite colors. I am going to be detailing the engine later. I also have to think of some more designs I want to add to the tank, fenders and side covers. I want them to have the same "shadow" effect that I did on the tank.
 
Steinhauer said:
:ty:

Blue and green are my favorite colors. I am going to be detailing the engine later. I also have to think of some more designs I want to add to the tank, fenders and side covers. I want them to have the same "shadow" effect that I did on the tank.
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it's so..... blue. I think you should add some "fading" green in there. I saw this in "PIMP MY RIDE" at hotel in Richmond and I thought it may be good idea for you to incorporate similar style for your bike.

I'm still trying to find a pix of this car I saw
 
I am glad there's a thread on bikes! I am looking to take my Rider Edge course soon. But I need to buy a helmet DOT approve, knowing I use hearing aids anyone have any tips or advise on what helmet is good that wont interfere with my hearing aids. As in I don't want my hearing aids to be squealing or blocking the sounds from outside the helmet.

This is my first time getting in to motorcycles. I am looking to get a CBR600 F2. If I can find one for a good deal, but will definitely be starting with a CBR600.
 
Carlitos said:
I am glad there's a thread on bikes! I am looking to take my Rider Edge course soon. But I need to buy a helmet DOT approve, knowing I use hearing aids anyone have any tips or advise on what helmet is good that wont interfere with my hearing aids. As in I don't want my hearing aids to be squealing or blocking the sounds from outside the helmet.

This is my first time getting in to motorcycles. I am looking to get a CBR600 F2. If I can find one for a good deal, but will definitely be starting with a CBR600.
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take your HA off :)
 
Carlitos said:
Thats something I wont do for sure
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oh well. I hear this all the time but sooner or later - you'll realize that you don't need HA. Harley riders tell me that they envy me for being deaf because they would love to be deaf while they ride.

Hearing discomfort while riding is #1 issue for motorcyclists.

For now - you could try wearing open-face helmet or shorty (three quarter or half head) for MSF course.

shoei-openface-helmets.jpg
IS2SCHADEMC51-SdLft8-sm.jpg
skullcap.thumbnail.jpg
 
Well as I am getting ready to go take the course with Rider Edge soon, I am having a problem picking a helmet since I have to bring one to the class. I would rather take the test with my own helmet IL be using to ride.

Problem is I use hearing aids(HA) ... BTE (Behind the Ear) I am trying to find a helmet that can fit my big head with my HA on. But then a lot of questions are raised if I have my HA on or off.

I have been doing my research around and apparently there's bikers that have gotten hearing loss from the wind speed. some wear ear plugs under their helmets. This I did not know, so how worst can my hearing get wearing my HA.

So I realize there's 2 options.

If I wear my HA.
How expensive would the helmet get to be able to find the right one to fit with my HA on.

Is it worth having my HA on, I am assuming I would still wouldn't hear anything due to the engine noise, exhaust noise, and wind speed.

Would my hearing get worst hearing the wind speed?

If I don't wear my HA.

Would I be able to pass the course?

It would be a lot easier to find a helmet trying it without my HA, wouldn't have to worry about the consequences of wind speed due to my hearing lost. But would I be able to notice when I am getting pull over?
 
Carlitos said:
Well as I am getting ready to go take the course with Rider Edge soon, I am having a problem picking a helmet since I have to bring one to the class. I would rather take the test with my own helmet IL be using to ride.

Problem is I use hearing aids(HA) ... BTE (Behind the Ear) I am trying to find a helmet that can fit my big head with my HA on. But then a lot of questions are raised if I have my HA on or off.

I have been doing my research around and apparently there's bikers that have gotten hearing loss from the wind speed. some wear ear plugs under their helmets. This I did not know, so how worst can my hearing get wearing my HA.

So I realize there's 2 options.

If I wear my HA.
How expensive would the helmet get to be able to find the right one to fit with my HA on.

Is it worth having my HA on, I am assuming I would still wouldn't hear anything due to the engine noise, exhaust noise, and wind speed.

Would my hearing get worst hearing the wind speed?

If I don't wear my HA.

Would I be able to pass the course?

It would be a lot easier to find a helmet trying it without my HA, wouldn't have to worry about the consequences of wind speed due to my hearing lost. But would I be able to notice when I am getting pull over?
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all are perfectly reasonable questions. I understand your concern cuz I had same concern before I started riding. I wear BTE too and I took MSF course... passed with flying color without needing to hear because everything is visual-based. Hearing is not a requirement for motorcycle course and license.

Simply keep your eyes opened and pay attention to your surrounding. Watch your instructor's gesture for instruction. Notify your instructors beforehand that you have a hearing disability and work it out with them.

If you ever find a helmet that fits with your HA on.... what will happen is that you will get a massive headache in just few minutes or so because of wind noise. This will mean you will not be able to focus well and that can lead to accident. That's why many motorcyclists envy deaf riders.

But if you still want a helmet that fits with your HA on... that's fine. It's your choice. You can cut some foam to fit your HA in. This is usually easily achievable with three-quarter or flip-up helmets but full-face helmet? nope.

Few questions for you - what state are you in? what bike will you get? do you know ASL?
 
:cool2: When I took the driving test the instructor showed me on the diagram what he wanted me to do.. there's a motorcycle test area on many DMV locations. I borrowed my friends streetlegal dirt bike to use for the test since they want u to make this curve turns and go in circles twice without getting out of the line. Then opposite side and repeat. U can go to DMV and practice before taking the test. Its about control of speed, braking balancing that they look for than hearing.:whistle:
 
Jiro said:
oh well. I hear this all the time but sooner or later - you'll realize that you don't need HA. Harley riders tell me that they envy me for being deaf because they would love to be deaf while they ride.

Hearing discomfort while riding is #1 issue for motorcyclists.

For now - you could try wearing open-face helmet or shorty (three quarter or half head) for MSF course.

shoei-openface-helmets.jpg
IS2SCHADEMC51-SdLft8-sm.jpg
skullcap.thumbnail.jpg
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I met a guy who warned me about open face helmets .... I was like :roll: then he showed me why.... All of his front teeth were missing. A 2x4 smacked him in the face, fell off a truck on the highway.
 
This is just my personal observation as i am not deaf:

I use a full-face helmet all the time. My hearing is greatly reduced, so I tune out almost everything on purpose. I do not have a tach or lights to show which gear i'm in (except neutral). Rely solely on feel to shift.

Using my ability to turn my head and continually view the mirrors and....plan ahead of possible problems, I do not need to hear. I am focused.

I own a half-helmet. The wind and noise breaks my concentration.

One of my good deaf friends is a carpenter. Wearing a hard hat and HA, it squeals much of the time. To prevent damage, he removes them when working due to sweating. The same would probably happen in a helmet. Even with vents, my hair and face are wet with perspiration much of the year.

Steinhauer and Jiro are correct. Try it. :hmm:
 
Steinhauer said:
I met a guy who warned me about open face helmets .... I was like :roll: then he showed me why.... All of his front teeth were missing. A 2x4 smacked him in the face, fell off a truck on the highway.
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yea - but this is just for MSF course if Carlitos is still insisting in having HA during training course and of course.... I would push for full-face helmet for regular riding.

that reminds me to post a story I read in other forum. It's..... harrowing :cold:
 
"An Accident No One Wants to Survive"
Okay, I have to preface this by saying that I work in health care. I work FT alongside the Emergency Room and respond to all trauma situations or incidence involving the police. In addition, I also work for a Long-Term Acute Care (LTAC) hospital where our patients are seriously F'd up and require more time healing than what your typical hospital can provide.

One of our newest patients at the LTAC was involved in a motorcylce accident head-on with a semi. This is one that, as a fellow rider, I would not want to survive personally, or have my family subjected to. She (yes, I said "she") was over-taking a car ahead of her on a blind corner, so no passing allowed. No helmet, no gear. Wouldn't have mattered anyway. The force of the impact severed her right arm above the elbow, and her right leg below the knee. The handlebar punctured her left hand completely, so now there is a skin graft covering what was a 2in hole in her palm. On top of this, her lower jaw was ripped cleanly from her face. She now has a permanent electronic voice box, a titanium plate holding what is left of her head together, and has enough stitches and grafts to make a Rob Zombie movie look cheap. To me, the biggest tragedy of all is the fact the her prognosis is that she'll live and make a complete recovery.

Take this as a warning friends. Sometimes we all need a wakeup call, because it is utterly amazing what the human body is capable of surviving, if you want to call it that. Keep the shiny side up!
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I explained this concept to my kids just the other day.............

how do you think she is going to cope with the fact that at one moment, she was an active and participating member of society, and in the next minute, she lost all physical ability of locomotion, communication, eating and drinking, and much more? The emotional/mental damage will far outweigh the physical damage in the long run.

I forgot to mention that with the facial trauma, she also lost an eye and most of her tongue. She is considered a double amputee, as well as a traumatic brain injury. My wife also works for the LTAC and has been involved with this patient's direct care. Apparently, she has moments of lucidity where she'll break down and sob uncontrollably for a length of time, and the next minute she's asking who brought the dog into her room (?).

I know that my wife shares a certain amount of concern over my riding and other hobbies, and this just solidifies her feelings over the subject. She tells me everyday to drive home safe and until this patient came along, I never really put any weight to her words. Of course I'm going to do my best to remain safe, but sometimes, doing my best may not be good enough. Thanks to my line of work, I see the affects of the ignorant members of our society and I'm thankful that I do not include myself in that category. Still, you can't control the action of others, so none of us can ever be fully prepared. I don't say this to scare anyone, but just to remind that us that we are truly lucky in ways we can't possibly fathom.
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Yesterday, my wife was assigned to this girl's ICU room as a babysitter. This basically means that someone has to be with the patient 24/7 bedside to ensure that lines do not get pulled out, the patient doesn't fall out of bed, and other things don't get ingested. You'd be surprised what TBI's attempt to put in their mouths (think toddler). We had lunch together yesterday, and afterwards, I walked her back to the patient's room (okay, patient is in her mid-50s). Got my first real glimpse at her condition, and let's just say that she won't be rejoining the productive members of society anymore. Its much worse than I had heard stories of. Apparently, her moments of lucidity are few and far between, hence the need for a sitter. When a patient needs this level of care, they are basically no different mentally than a 3mo old. No amount of insurance would cover the costs of care that this lady has already had, and will require for the remainder of her life. I don't know who she has for family, other than her life-partner. I'm assuming no children.
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When I made the decision to tell of this lady's tragic accident, I did not expect much discussion on the subject, yet here we are into 6 pages of text. I appreciate all of the responses and the general concern for her wellfare. I also did not anticipate the ATGATT pro/con verbage that seemingly follows with a thread of this nature. My point was simply this: Be carefull. No one can fully prepare themselves for the unknowns that lay waiting for us. In my professional opinion, nothing short of a full-on racing cage and harness could have protected her, so a helmet and non-racing gear would most likely be useless. Think about it........if the impact were strong enough to shear limbs and drive a handlebar (with grip) through the palm of her hand, a little bit of leather and some plastic/kevlar certainly would not permit her to "walk away."

A recent commenter remarked of my personal commuter vehicle (a 1966 Mustang Conv) and suggested the importance of recklessness versus the use of critical thinking skills. Commuting in such a vehicle is not without its share of concerns. Afterall, it is lacking in every type of safety device possible when compared to modern transportation. Does that stop me from driving it? Absolutely not, but it does influence how and where I drive it, and also who I allow to ride with me (no seatbelts = no children). But I love it for the shear simplicity of design, and the fact that to operate it effectively requires one to be intimate with the needs of such a vehicle. Equipment like this (manual non-synchronized transmission, manual drum brakes w/out ABS, non-power recirculating ball steering, a decent hp/weight ratio with skinny 14in tires, etc) demands that the driver better know both the limitations of the vehicle and of the driver. Vehicles of today have taken the most important element of driving (thinking) out of the hands of driver. This particular car, like many others in the same generation, required the driver to be an active participant in locomotion. The concept is the same with motorcycles. The operator is an integral safety/performance component of the machine. If the operator is not capable of making good choices, the vehicle will not be safe, nor will it perform at its peak potential. I have no need for traction control, roll-stability control, ABS, or any of the other useless add-on devices that our government is mandating. I consider myself a driver. Period.
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This, of course, is subjective but bottom line - please be smart and careful - ride within your skill level. there's a balance with safety feature/gear and your operating skill. I personally do not do full ATGATT for daily commuting because it affects my operating skill to navigate unpredictable NYC traffic safely. and I know for sure that full-helmet should always be worn because of numbers of facial injuries I have heard over time due to wearing anything less than full-face helmet.
 
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