- Thread starter ADV Moto
- Start date
Let's Talk Motorcycle Safety
Your mention of Persig's book brought back a lot of memories. Read it years ago and it help me lay the mental groundwork for years of safe riding. Thanks for that. Great post too!
After 9 years and over 50,000 miles riding here all over, I will state clearly and without equivocation that after adapting to Dominican road culture I feel safer here than I ever did in the states.
And there are specific reasons for this, some of which you outline.
- Because, in general, sidestreets are not paved, the probability of a vehicle entering the road in front of you is greatly reduced. Vehicles have to creep forward until their tires touch the raised pavement on the main road, preventing a sudden dash in front of you.
- We don't have the soccer mom in the minivan texting, putting on make-up while tossing Burger Doodles to the screaming spawn in the back seat. Inattention can be a killer, even for a few seconds.
- You are seen. This is a motorcycle culture. Everyone either owns a moto, their family owns a moto, they grew up on a moto, or everyone they know has one. The entire driving culture centers around motorcycles and everyone sees them on the streets. Certainly, some drivers just don't care and represent a hazard, but that's a different topic altogether. But being seen is 75% of the safety game.
- Making sure the lights on your bike are always on. Bikes destined for most markets have the headlights on by default, and you can't turn them off. This is a good thing. In fact, when an approaching vehicle flashes their light at you, telling you "your lights are on", consider that a WIN!, because he just told you you're seen. That's the point.
- Wear hi-vis gear. Numerous studies show that hi-vis gear reduces accidents where the rider is not at fault. When I see a fat cruiser guy all dressed up in his black Pirate costume, I just SMDH. It's just screaming "Image is more important than my life." Study after study shows certain hi-vis colors stand out and attract the eyes in a reflective response for the brain to sort out what it is. Seems hi-vis yellow is top on the list, followed by hi-vis light green, then orange and red. There is science behind this, but I can't remember what iit all is; fact is hi-vis gear is seen. In my case, my helmet id hi-vis yellow and can be literally be easily seen over a mile away, whereas other riders are more difficult to deterimine. But it accomplishes what is intended: getting seen. It's very rare, post crash, for a driver to say "I didn't see him" with a rider wearing hi-vis, but much too common for those in Pirate costumes. And frankly, I could care less what folks think of hi-vis; peer pressure is waaay down the list when it comes to pain avoidance.
- In the states, put a headlight & taillight modulator on your bike. You alluded to this. On the headlight modulators switch between low and high beams every half second or so, drawing attention from oncoming traffic, and taillight modulators flash the brakelights, slower to fast, when brakes are applied, drawing the attention of vehicles behind you; a serious risk is being hit from behind by a vehicle not paying attention.
BTW: you ARE aware that drinking and driving in the DR is illegal, right? You're OK at putting others at risk? Note that 75% of motorcycle accidents involve alcohol, and not just the rider.
One more note: I avoid riding in urban areas if possible. And when I have to, added precautions are necessary for safe navigation. It's just no fun on a larger motorcycle.
Certainly opinions vary.
There is a difference between opinions developed through many years of experience and those of casual observers.
Excessive speeds, drunk driving, no helmets, no headlights at night, and doing all that while going the wrong way on a one way street. You can be the best motorcycle driver on the planet, with an arsenal of the previous noted drivers making up the bulk of whats on the roads, your stats are good for getting hit in the good 'ole R.D.
I get asked a lot: "What brand helmet should I buy?"
Let's begin with this: all helmets are not the same in design, style, fit & finish, weight and certification.
First and foremost, you need, at minimum, a DOT helmet, and you need to see the DOT certificate. There are manufacturers in Asia that put a DOT sticker on a helmet when it's not DOT certified. So ask for the DOT certificate. A helmet with ECE and/or Snell is preferred, but it should be DOT at minimum.
Then comes the hard part: finding the right *shape* of helmet, since every manufacturer is different, and a helmet that doesn't fit your head properly is distracting...and distractions can kill you. A great article on helmet fit is on one of my go-to objective motorcycle product review websited, webBikeWorld.com. They developed a list of helmets of different shapes (may be somewhat outdated) based on the Hohenstein Institute Head Shape Study The full article: wBW Motorcycle Helmet Reviews Sorted by Internal Shape
Additionally, one of my ATF online retailers, Revzilla does a fine job of describing the helmet buying process in this video:
[video=youtube;WthGZejNeB0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WthGZejNeB0#t=133[/video]
Revzilla has an excellent article on buying a helmet here: Revzilla Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guide
So now we've determined the certification and proper internal fit and size. Now one needs to determine what features they want and at what cost. Note: you don't have to buy a $900 Arai helmet to get great head protection. There are numerous brands who offer a fine product at a much more modest cost.
Since this thread focuses on safety, IMO there is only one choice: full face. Anything less is a serious risk based on actual statistics of head injuries in an accident. I recognize this may not please the Pirate riders out there, but it is what it is.
Within the full-face group, there are fixed face and and flip-face (modular.) Each has it's own plusses and minuses.
Fixed face: (+) solid unit, no-compromise safety, quite, light; (-) poor ventilation, can be difficult putting on and taking off, difficult to communicate when wearing.
Modular: (+) well ventilated, easy on and off, flexiblility, cooler when open, easy to communicate; (-) low possibility of compromised safety in a crash---although no statistics bear this out, heavier, more wind noise, numerous moving parts.
There are numerous features one may choose in a helmet with some safety considerations:
Since helmet styles and features change so often, I don't know what my next hat will be, although I've had excellent results with Scorpion. It will be hi-vis without a doubt.
Let's begin with this: all helmets are not the same in design, style, fit & finish, weight and certification.
First and foremost, you need, at minimum, a DOT helmet, and you need to see the DOT certificate. There are manufacturers in Asia that put a DOT sticker on a helmet when it's not DOT certified. So ask for the DOT certificate. A helmet with ECE and/or Snell is preferred, but it should be DOT at minimum.
Then comes the hard part: finding the right *shape* of helmet, since every manufacturer is different, and a helmet that doesn't fit your head properly is distracting...and distractions can kill you. A great article on helmet fit is on one of my go-to objective motorcycle product review websited, webBikeWorld.com. They developed a list of helmets of different shapes (may be somewhat outdated) based on the Hohenstein Institute Head Shape Study The full article: wBW Motorcycle Helmet Reviews Sorted by Internal Shape
Additionally, one of my ATF online retailers, Revzilla does a fine job of describing the helmet buying process in this video:
[video=youtube;WthGZejNeB0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WthGZejNeB0#t=133[/video]
Revzilla has an excellent article on buying a helmet here: Revzilla Motorcycle Helmet Buying Guide
So now we've determined the certification and proper internal fit and size. Now one needs to determine what features they want and at what cost. Note: you don't have to buy a $900 Arai helmet to get great head protection. There are numerous brands who offer a fine product at a much more modest cost.
Since this thread focuses on safety, IMO there is only one choice: full face. Anything less is a serious risk based on actual statistics of head injuries in an accident. I recognize this may not please the Pirate riders out there, but it is what it is.
Within the full-face group, there are fixed face and and flip-face (modular.) Each has it's own plusses and minuses.
Fixed face: (+) solid unit, no-compromise safety, quite, light; (-) poor ventilation, can be difficult putting on and taking off, difficult to communicate when wearing.
Modular: (+) well ventilated, easy on and off, flexiblility, cooler when open, easy to communicate; (-) low possibility of compromised safety in a crash---although no statistics bear this out, heavier, more wind noise, numerous moving parts.
There are numerous features one may choose in a helmet with some safety considerations:
- Ventilation: some helmets ventilate better than others. A helmet with great ventilation is important is a warm climate like the DR, but could be extremely uncomfortable in a colder climate. Vice versa for poor ventilation. Keep in mind: any equipment that is a distraction reduces safety.
- Strap mechanism: some have D-rings and a snap, others have a quick clip.
- Faceshield: there are different colors and varying degrees of opacity. All are compromises-a dark shield woks well in bright sunlight, but reduces vision in shade and darker days, and seriously compromise safety at night. Clear can be blinding in sunlight without sunglasses.
- Integral flip sunshield: this is a newer feature that has really become popular. I will state that I'll never have a helmet without it. It allows me to have a clear faceshield and when I ride into bright sunlight a quick flip of a slider on the left side of my helmet (for my left/clutch hand) drops "sunglasses" over my eyes. Great feature.
- Graphics: many helmets come with cool multi-colored graphics, and arw available in hi-vis colors.
- Air support: some helmets have a small air bladder in the lining with a small rubber bulb bulb pump that allows customization in fit around the lower areas of the helmet, a nice feature some find not really that necessary.
- Weight: depending on the design and materials, helmets can vary in weight. A heavy helmet on a rider that smaller may increase fatigue and compromise safety. That is not as much a consideration on a larger, stronger rider. Additionally, there seems to be some link to fatigue based on the weight of a helmet and proper fit. Seems with a properly fitted helmet helmet the weight is a non-starter, but your results may vary as usual.
- Bluetooth adapter: Bluetooth communicators & internal speakers for music are becoming more popular, and helmet manufacturers are adding plugs that fit most models. Most medium to higher cost helmets have them. Nice but not necessary
Since helmet styles and features change so often, I don't know what my next hat will be, although I've had excellent results with Scorpion. It will be hi-vis without a doubt.
It's clear you aren't a motorcyclist.
The reason for the existence of this thread is to offer thoughts and skills to mitigate the risks of what many enjoy as a fantastic lifestyle, and to offer safety strategies to DR1ers who are considering joining the ranks of Motorcyclists.
I've got over 50,000 miles on motorcycles riding all over the island with few incidents that were out of my control.
It is indeed a long journey to change the current riding culture as you describe, but that journey, as a wise man once opined, begins with a single step. In the meantime, focusing on safety in this one small island on the internet may save a DR1er some future pain, and this thread will be a success.
I have not had any accidents on my ATV or Moto here but would I ever want anyone I cared about riding one here???!! NO WAY!!
Lets say first of all, I acknowlege ( I guess ) the OP's experience and all.....
And I can understand the need to put all odds on our side, saftey-wise.
But at the end of the day, if u get hit by a 2ton SUV travelling at 100+km/h, the odds of survival, even with all the safety-nices, are slim at best.
Granted, without the safety equipement, the odds are non-exsistant....
So its all up to ones choice. Pleasure vs safety, true world wide.
Where it gets tricky in the dr, and where I disagree with the OP, is that the lack of respect for motos is flagrant.
In the dr the motos are quick to move over quick to the side of the road, more often than not to the other side of the white line.
Its not courtesy, they just dont want to be run over !!!
So it works out OK, folow the rule " the bigger one has right of way" and its all quite smooth.
What I hate, and laugh about at the same time, is those organised dirtbike tour thingys, where the tourist riders actually think they have same rights as cars and lorrys on the road. They learn quickly though....lol
I would also add that more than half the fun, is riding a moto, in flip-flops, bermudas and a T-shirt. A beer in one hand, hair blowing in the wind and 2 chicas on the seat behind me
Only kidding, shoes and jeans are a must. I dont drink, and I dont dig chicas.
But as long as I use a bike to do 5km to by cigarettes, I wont use flashy leather protective clothes, nor boots, nor jacket, nor gloves, nor a helmet, I am sad to say ( I keep thinking about it ......).
If I had to gear up like that everytime, it would be quicker to just take the SUV.
Oh, I do have a " Dios protege ese vehiculo " sticker, so I am good to go
And I can understand the need to put all odds on our side, saftey-wise.
But at the end of the day, if u get hit by a 2ton SUV travelling at 100+km/h, the odds of survival, even with all the safety-nices, are slim at best.
Granted, without the safety equipement, the odds are non-exsistant....
So its all up to ones choice. Pleasure vs safety, true world wide.
Where it gets tricky in the dr, and where I disagree with the OP, is that the lack of respect for motos is flagrant.
In the dr the motos are quick to move over quick to the side of the road, more often than not to the other side of the white line.
Its not courtesy, they just dont want to be run over !!!
So it works out OK, folow the rule " the bigger one has right of way" and its all quite smooth.
What I hate, and laugh about at the same time, is those organised dirtbike tour thingys, where the tourist riders actually think they have same rights as cars and lorrys on the road. They learn quickly though....lol
I would also add that more than half the fun, is riding a moto, in flip-flops, bermudas and a T-shirt. A beer in one hand, hair blowing in the wind and 2 chicas on the seat behind me
Only kidding, shoes and jeans are a must. I dont drink, and I dont dig chicas.
But as long as I use a bike to do 5km to by cigarettes, I wont use flashy leather protective clothes, nor boots, nor jacket, nor gloves, nor a helmet, I am sad to say ( I keep thinking about it ......).
If I had to gear up like that everytime, it would be quicker to just take the SUV.
Oh, I do have a " Dios protege ese vehiculo " sticker, so I am good to go
I seem to buy a new helmet every season (running out of room on my closet shelf). And I never pay more than $150 - $160. Currently, I use one of these:
Great relatively cheap helmet. And big enough for my extra-large noggin.
I also believe in all of the gear, all of the time. Even in the middle of summer. Though, honestly, I wear a good pair of jeans, as opposed to riding pants.
I've seen way too many guys with road rash to not wear the gear.
Great relatively cheap helmet. And big enough for my extra-large noggin.
I also believe in all of the gear, all of the time. Even in the middle of summer. Though, honestly, I wear a good pair of jeans, as opposed to riding pants.
I've seen way too many guys with road rash to not wear the gear.
Have not had a chance to read this Thread.. but I will say this.. as someone who was riding moto x since age 12, always had a Dirt bike as a kid, always rode on the road when I was younger.
and still DO have and occasionally Ride my Yamaha 500 cc..
also have a 750 Kawasaki. But hardly ever ride that anymore..
But I would never ever ever even THINK about riding a Motorcycle in the DR.. for a mode of transportation..
For FUN on weekends . short rides, 100% focused, yes.
Quads , yes.. of course.
But a STREET BIKE, Daily ? ... IMO you guys are taking your life in your hands, exponentially more than like in
a Major City back in the states.. These Doms don’t have a CLUE how little it takes to Injure or kill a Biker nor do they even remotely Care..
You get hit , you WILL bleed out on the street. There will be no Helicopter, not even an ambulance there in 3 mins with trained people to save u.
And if you make it to the Hospital, they will want Cash before they even touch you, so you better travel with like $3-5 K in cash at all times.
and some of you who i consider fairly sane people otherwise, when I see you without even a HELMET .. you guys need to really re evaluate..
hope you all stay safe.
Just my .02, nothing more.
and still DO have and occasionally Ride my Yamaha 500 cc..
also have a 750 Kawasaki. But hardly ever ride that anymore..
But I would never ever ever even THINK about riding a Motorcycle in the DR.. for a mode of transportation..
For FUN on weekends . short rides, 100% focused, yes.
Quads , yes.. of course.
But a STREET BIKE, Daily ? ... IMO you guys are taking your life in your hands, exponentially more than like in
a Major City back in the states.. These Doms don’t have a CLUE how little it takes to Injure or kill a Biker nor do they even remotely Care..
You get hit , you WILL bleed out on the street. There will be no Helicopter, not even an ambulance there in 3 mins with trained people to save u.
And if you make it to the Hospital, they will want Cash before they even touch you, so you better travel with like $3-5 K in cash at all times.
and some of you who i consider fairly sane people otherwise, when I see you without even a HELMET .. you guys need to really re evaluate..
hope you all stay safe.
Just my .02, nothing more.
To be fair, this happened in the "Six Gap." Doesn't take much to crash in those twisties. Remember, that cop told us that your accident was the 4th that morning. There are white crosses all along the Six Gap memorializing riders that didn't walk away from their accidents.
Corsair and I have ridden a few times in DR, and once in Colombia. Once of the cool things about riding in those countries is the fact there are way more bikes than cars, so the odds of getting squished are that much more remote. Further, those in cars are committed to being actively aware of their bad driving. Finally, the prohibitive cost of cars generally means fewer kids and inexperienced drivers on the road.
As bad as it sounds, its a whole lot safer than some distracted kid doing 80 mph while texting and taking selfies.
Frankly, the worst stuff I've seen in DR comports perfectly with what ADV mentioned: driving at night, drinking, unreliable rides, no protection, being distracted, loading the bike up with a ton of stuff that throws off the balance, etc.
As bad as it sounds, its a whole lot safer than some distracted kid doing 80 mph while texting and taking selfies.
Frankly, the worst stuff I've seen in DR comports perfectly with what ADV mentioned: driving at night, drinking, unreliable rides, no protection, being distracted, loading the bike up with a ton of stuff that throws off the balance, etc.
It's all about the risk one is willing to assume. And along with that risk is the desire to mitigate as much risk as possible.Lets say first of all, I acknowlege ( I guess ) the OP's experience and all.....
And I can understand the need to put all odds on our side, saftey-wise.
But at the end of the day, if u get hit by a 2ton SUV travelling at 100+km/h, the odds of survival, even with all the safety-nices, are slim at best.
Granted, without the safety equipement, the odds are non-exsistant....
So its all up to ones choice. Pleasure vs safety, true world wide.
Where it gets tricky in the dr, and where I disagree with the OP, is that the lack of respect for motos is flagrant.
In the dr the motos are quick to move over quick to the side of the road, more often than not to the other side of the white line.
Its not courtesy, they just dont want to be run over !!!
So it works out OK, folow the rule " the bigger one has right of way" and its all quite smooth.
What I hate, and laugh about at the same time, is those organised dirtbike tour thingys, where the tourist riders actually think they have same rights as cars and lorrys on the road. They learn quickly though....lol
I would also add that more than half the fun, is riding a moto, in flip-flops, bermudas and a T-shirt. A beer in one hand, hair blowing in the wind and 2 chicas on the seat behind me
Only kidding, shoes and jeans are a must. I dont drink, and I dont dig chicas.
But as long as I use a bike to do 5km to by cigarettes, I wont use flashy leather protective clothes, nor boots, nor jacket, nor gloves, nor a helmet, I am sad to say ( I keep thinking about it ......).
If I had to gear up like that everytime, it would be quicker to just take the SUV.
Oh, I do have a " Dios protege ese vehiculo " sticker, so I am good to go
If a rider is on a machine that can keep up with traffic, then his "rules of the road" are those of a larger vehicle.
I do agree some tour company putting unskilled tourists on bikes and parading slowly, in close quarters, on the road is poor judgement on the tour operator's part. I'm less concerned about ~their~ poor judgement than I am about (the generic) ~your~ poor judgment, based on lack of knowledge and risk assessment, that could injure you.
There are a couple of unwritten "rules" to the flow that one must abide by if one wants to mitigate that risk. Three are:
- Size matters. It makes no difference who has the legal "right of way" because you can be "right" and still dead.
- The slower you are, the further to the right you travel. Pedestrians and animals are off the shoulder, pasolas on the edge, small motos on the road line and larger motorcycles in the full lane.
- You WILL get passed, so let them by. There are certain Dominican drivers who are genetically pre-disposed to pass a motorcycle...or at least try. This is where your mirrors come in. If you aren't living in your mirrors, you put yourself at risk. When you see one of these yahoos in a fat SUV or guagua coming like a hooker at a c-peso note in the breeze, get to the right, slow down and wave them on by. He's better in front than behind you.
- Lane split and filter through traffic to minimize congestion. This puts you in front where your speed---if on a larger bike---can create space between you and larger vehicles.
- Use speed bumps as passing opportunities. Generally, larger bikes are faster, a solid ADV bike can take speed bumps at 25030kmh without blinking and you have an opportunity to create space between you and other vehicles.
One of my companies has brought hundreds of riders to the DR over 9 years, ridden over 200,000 miles all over the island, and in all those years we've had 4 incidents with only one that could be judged as an "environmental" threat and not pilot-induced: a rider t-boned a goat that jumped in front of him. We've not had drunk drivers crash into us or any of the other "threats" many lament about.
I think that sample size is large enough an evidence pool to dispute the myth that anyone riding a motorcycle will suffer crashes, injury and death.
One of the most interesting observations I've gained over the years is the concept of "experience." Often when someone says "I have 30 years riding experience, what he really means is he has a few weeks experience repeated over a number of years.
We've had literally World Class motorcyclists ride in the DR, motorcycle magazine editors, motorcycle racers, numerous MSF instructors, and retired MotoGP racers who would disagree about the lack of a safe riding environment.
Certainly it's not for everybody. If you're afraid of the traffic patterns and are unsure if your skills mitigate the risks, don't ride here. In fact, it may be best for all if you don't, one less hazard on the road. The rest of us will appreciate it.
But for the rest of us, we want to have a deeper understanding of what we can do to increase our skills, knowledge and threat assessment and develop instinctive strategies to deal with them...until they become second nature.
And let me emphasize one major reason I think we've had very few issues in those 200,000+ miles: respect. When motos or cars see a group on large motorcycles fully geared up and not acting foolish they treat us with great respect. When I ride alone all geared up, they treat me with respect. In a culture where outward appearance triggers social behaviors, I believe presenting yourself as ATGATT does make the traffic around you treat you differently. That by itself is a major safety enhancer: creating an positive environment within your "zone" that changes traditional traffic behaviors.
Technology makes everything better. There is a lot of gear out there that offers great protection and is well ventilated so heat is no longer a factor. AND it's very comfortable.
I have a pair of kevlar-infused "Draggin' Jeans." They have no armor and I thought they'd be a substitute for hot weather gear. Was I ever wrong. The are HOT, like *zero* ventilation, and when it rains they weigh a ton and are slow to dry.
Consider open-mesh pants with ballistic cloth and CE armor in high-impact areas, knees and butt/hips primarily.