What's the verdict?

[galvbay]

Just asking you all on here to answer a question for me. Or at least get some opinions.
Here in the Austin area there have been at least two fatal motorcycle accidents written up in the newspaper in just the last couple of days. Both accident stories told of someone on a motorcycle coming up too fast behind an automobile and had to slam on the brakes very quickly. One of these simply ran in to the back of the car and it was lights out for that poor fellow. The other one said the bike fishtailed and fell down killing the hapless rider.
My question, after debating with my nephew, is which stops quicker...a bike, an automobile or a Spyder. My nephew says a bike will stop a lot quicker than a car. Some old Harley riders told me It might stop, but the back end may come around and cause you to have a wreck. Now I know my Spyder will stop so quick it seems to just squat down where it is, so I think it will win hands down.
But which is second, a car or a bike? Any one with bike experience care to answer?

[Corybud]

I think that is a pretty broad question to answer simply. Modern cars I believe all have anti lock brakes however their stopping distances still vary wildly. Throw in cars with front discs/rear drums and old cars with all drums plus worn or defective brakes and your times will be all over the map. I think motorcycles vary a lot as well with a lot depending on age, make and type of bike and whether proper maintanence has been done. The spyder should stop very quickly given their rather large anti lock disc brakes and how stable the platform is. I would think your typical sport bike would stop faster than a heaver Harley or gold wing kind of like my MR2 Spyder should stop faster than a Ford F150 pickup.

For me I try and leave a lot of space between me and whatever is in front to allow for my 58 year old reaction time and the occasional pretty girl distraction.

[spyderdave]

I think that which ever vehicle has a rider/driver paying attention will stop the quickest! I agree with Corybud! Pay attention and leave enough room will prevent many rear ender accidents.

Aside from that, anti-lock brakes do a couple of things. 1) They allow you to maneuver during maximum braking situations. 2) A side result of which is that the braking distance will be increased. Having said that rider/driver attention is perhaps the best braking tool.

Having anti-lock brakes does not mean that you can tail gate the car/bike in front of you or pay less attention still be safe.

Knowing that anti-lock brakes make my stopping distance longer does not mean that I will disable them either. Being able to maneuver during hard braking is well worth the added stopping distance caused by ABS.

[Bob Denman]

The one that'll stop the quickest is the one who's got the operator that's actually paying attentjion the best...
Technology doesn't allow you to drive or ride stupid...


But... all things being equal with average drivers/riders: I'd bet on the Spyder!

[Rod.Orr]

My #1 rule of the road is, the best way to avoid an accident is to not be there when it happens.

Usually that applies to cages, dogs, etc that are also on the road. But if it's a case of riding too fast for the conditions and running into something, you'd better hope your brakes and reflexes are up to it. A poor second is to be sure your horn works . I'm not sure what a third choice would be...

[Bob Denman]

Third choice... perhaps make sure that your life insurance is adequate...

[sassapnts]

I agree that the Spyder stops the fastest; second I would go with a car, if we're considering safely stopping. Odds of grabbing too much front brake and flipping over the handlebars or the back end fishtailing out from under you are pretty good. Just my humble opinion...

[galvbay]

Thanks for all the input, fellow Ryders. I got some great safety tips for open road ryding.
Sassapnts,
I would consider your humble opinion right on and an excellent one. One in which I agree.
Larry

[Bob Denman]

[QUOTE=Rod.Orr;8099]My #1 rule of the road is, the best way to avoid an accident is to not be there when it happens. [QUOTE]
That's the best advice here! Thanks Rod!

[AndyIsRiding]

Best thing is to have an out.
Always be in the most left or most right lane.

Yesterday, on a 4 lane highway, everybody was doing around 115km/h 70mph.
On the Spyder, boss on the back giving me orders, I was in the left lane.
Suddenly somebody 4-5 cars ahead does something stupid, everybody hits the brakes hard.
Hit the brakes, look in the mirror, see X3 coming fast. while braking hard moved in the left runoff area. when everybody stood still, the X3 was beside me!!

He, in his cage, on the phone, and smoking and obvious was not paying attention to driving. He is now shocked, rolls the window down, goes sorry, and throws his siggybutt out the window.

I went:
"Hey, trying to kill me?", and keep your butt in the car, they fly in my helmet, I don't Sh*t in your face, you don't throw Sh*t in mine.
Then a cop pulls up behind me (he was about 10 cars behind us, he said later when I commented that he was there quick) and goes you are not to be in this emergency lane, I pointed to the 3 feet between the 2 cars and said either here or there.

I was told go straight ahead wait past the accident for me, told the X3 driver, "give me your driving license and ownership, follow him and wait past the accident."

After he and the other cops cleared the accident, they came over, talked to me and the boss about what happened. Then he talked to the driver, who was on the phone and 3 butts on the road beside the car..
He got a nice speech, ticket for following to close, ticket for using cellphone and one for littering!!!! ($250 for that alone!!!)

Then the cops (after ticketing the people that caused the crash) talked to me about the spyder, how I got out of the way, and were deeply impressed with the nanny systems)

We may see some OPP officers riding Spyders, as 3 were motorcycle cops.