Motorcycle Type - Engine Capacity

Touring bike, sport bike or Harley, debates over motorcycle type and engine capacity will likely rage forever.

At Associates and Bruce L. Scheiner, Attorneys for the Injured, we know rider training has as much or more to do with rider safety, as what or where you ride. Our motorcycle injury lawyers in Cape Coral and Fort Myers have been representing the Southwest Florida riding community since 1971.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports death rates for those riding larger bikes (engine size greater than 1000cc) are increasing twice as fast as those riding smaller bikes. Other data shows those riding larger motorcycles suffer fewer accidents (perhaps thanks to more riding experience), but collision injuries tend to be more serious.

Statistics suggest purchasing a new motorcycle increases a rider’s risk of an accident in the first three to six months of riding. Thus, while rider experience is important, familiarity with the motorcycle is an important factor in rider safety.

Riders of custom choppers and other radically designed motorcycles are also at greater risk of a motorcycle accident. These riders, as well as young riders of sport bikes, can expect their insurance company to exact a healthy premium for collision coverage.

At Associates and Bruce L .Scheiner, our motorcycle injury attorneys represent accident victims and families throughout Southwest Florida, including Port Charlotte, Cape Coral, Lehigh Acres, Fort Myers and Naples. With four decades of advocacy for the local riding community, we are committed to raising awareness about both the risks and the proactive steps riders can take to protect themselves.

We know many at-fault drivers blame riders for speeding. Yet speed is rarely a determinative factor in motorcycle collisions involving another driver. In fact the median crash speed of collisions studied in the seminal 1981 Hurt Report, was just 21.5 mph with median pre-crash speed of just under 30 miles per hour. That means half of all such motorcycle accidents involve those traveling at or below School Zone speeds!

In reality, drivers fail to realize how close a rider is because of a motorcycle’s small size. And that makes visibility a top priority when it comes to what riders can do to stay alive. Daytime running lights, brightly colored clothing and motorcycle windshields and fairings have all been shown to increase the likelihood of a rider being seen by oncoming drivers.

Rider training is another critical component of rider safety. More than 90 percent of accident-involved riders in the Hurt Report lacked formal safety training. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation and other rider-safety organizations continue to offer safety courses covering accident avoidance and other crash techniques. Such safety training reduces both accidents risks and the severity of injuries when a crash occurs.

Those who are injured should seek the advice of experienced legal counsel at the earliest opportunity to protect their rights and their ability to collect financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other damages.

Motorcycle Injury Attorneys – 800-646-1210 – Free Consultation