Guy buys a Harley...dies 3 miles later. Haven't we seen this before?

Every time you get on your bike, you have more risk of death and injury than driving a car.

The reality of the sport, the safest rider is at risk from everyone else on the road.

Arm chair criticism of a man's tragic death do nothing but give ammunition to individuals and groups who want to see motorcycles banned or made unattainable by average person, not to mention disrespectful of grieving family.

If they truck it home for him. What of his first solo ride? He still doesn't know what he's doing, right?

Harley pushes thier Rider's Edge course to everyone who walks in the door. If this guy didn't take the class, I can almost guarantee you that it was offered to him.

The buyer is an adult, and way over 18, so at what point is it his sole responsibility to know his own limits? There is no way staff at a dealership can really know what those are or aren't.

Government Officials stationed at every motorcycle dealership to enforce order and regulaton.

Yes. That's the answer...

"Sorry, son. You can't buy that GSXR1000 until you can lap Thunderhill on the SV650S reference bike in under 1:58..."

So lets change the scenario from motorcycles to cars which both require a license to use on the street. Can you imagine a car dealership handing over the keys to a car to someone without a license and absolutey no experience regardless of the cash in his hand?

What if that total noob driver crashes his just bought car killing a pedestrian or other driver 3 miles from buying a car at a dealership?

I don't see much difference. You don't need a license to buy a care but need one to drive a car off a dealer's lot. There seems to be a double standard here. I wonder if this poor fellow even had a lerners permit?

If we don't police ourselves, the govt. will do it for us and we may not like those results.

Rick G

I wonder just how much liability the dealer would incur by providing a "crash course" in how to ride. I imagine it could be significant. How does the dealer decide you're qualified to ride off? What if he agrees you're qualified before you are?

Here's an idea: personal responsibility. Let's bring back the concept of personal responsibility, rather than doing things, fucking it all up, and then blaming other people for it. You ultimately tried to ride off on a machine you didn't know how to ride, nobody forced you to do that.

Do you think auto dealerships check for valid drivers' licenses for every customer?

Somehow, I doubt it.

(I've sold both cars and motorcycles in decades past. It didn't happen).

Although I agree with what you're saying, the fact that one needs rider training is not one that is obvious to the laymen or one that is promoted by the manufacturers themselves. Ride around, look at how many terrible riders there are out there, and the incredible amount of terrible riding advice that's passed out as gospel. I heard it all growing up, Don't use your rear brake, Lay 'er down if you have to, et al.

I learned really simple concepts in my first MSF class that are very important, but I didn't even know enough to know what I was missing. I had also been riding on and off for years. That was a scary moment.

I think the manufacturers should be responsible to spend as much time informing people to how to use their products safely as they do informing them how easy and care free it is. Not mandated, no government regs, just an ethical company looking out for their customers.

It's terrible that this happened, and many outside of cycling point to these events as reasons biking should be outlawed. We know, hope, that will never happen. But like others some aspects of this story bother me aside from the tragedy of his death:
1. If he'd been in the dealership THAT often someone had to know something of the guy. Nobody asked him about his riding inability?
2. I agree that a HD, or any heavy big bike, is NOT a good first bike choice. But really, you can get killed on a city street as easily on a moped as on a Harley.
3. Some guys, and maybe he was the type, will never admit what they don't know or can't do until "it" happens.

Training would likely have helped. A smaller bike would have maybe helped. I work part time at a cycle dealership, and have dealt with some brand new riders wanting to buy large bikes. I'm also a 20 yr MSF instructor, so that sets some bias in my mind about what riders should or should not buy.

Its even less obvious to some n00b riders.

I've heard that sentiment that there is some shadowy group out there looking to ban motorcycles in this thread quite a few times. Do you really think this is the case and if so do you have some evidence of such?

Not saying you're wrong, I've just never heard that.

I have absolutely nothing against Harley, but have you been to an HD dealer lately? Granted my experience is limited to just a few dealers in my area, but those guys and gals are well trained in the art of the hard sell. Give them an email address of phone number and expect to be bothered for months. They give used car salesmen a GOOD name. So what I'm saying is they likely didn't give a shit.

And if he bought new, the course is offered For FREE.

I've always wanted a helicopter. So, if I go buy one, and then promptly kill myself in a fiery crash, who's to blame? ME.

Somebody gets it. ^^^

We take a photo copy of the drivers license. No endorsement... No ride away. We will deliver the bike to their house if they wish but they are not going to ride it away.

You can get motorcycle insurance without a motorcycle endorsement.

Poor Mr. Strang didn't even know how to properly affix the chin strap of his helmet.

I took an MSF class with an older gent who said that riding a motorcycle was on his bucket list, and that he already bought his Harley and had it delivered into his garage. He'd sit on it waiting for the class. Well, he dumped the 250 cc bikes in the class, told his son to remove the motorcycle from his garage, and ended up being dropped from the class. He said he'd return for another class. Maybe another fatality avoided.

That has not one fucking thing to do with a guy crashing his new Harley.

that's horrible. Poor guy.

I rode around here 25 years, no endorsement or insurance. Bought my 250 and I rode it home, but I did come in on a scooter. About 15 years ago a young girl only made it about two miles on her new Harley, went right under a big truck, really sad.

I finally decided to get my endorsement so I could test ride some Harley bikes. But at the test only one girl on a Harley passed, all the others- total fail. I was so disgusted I never went to the dealer.

I chatted up this girl in the parking lot recently, she had this nice little burnt orange sporty. She was so pleased, kept telling me, I just got this bike only 20 miles on it, just got out of the military. She was real cute too, sparkled like the bike.

We both got ready to go, I took one look at her on that bike, bad choice, not a good bike for her to start on. I just had that sinking feeling, like seeing a dog on the road, I don't want to see it get hit.

At least this guy was over fifty, I'm going to have to go with, at least he died with a smile on his face...

You know, now that I'm thinking about it - coming from the world of scuba diving, if a shop had rented to sold equipment to a person who isn't registered I believe they can be held liable.

In scuba diving, as there is risk, and there is a lot to learn, the entire system here in the USA seems to center around training, learning and certifying before doing whatever next step in diving a customer would want to try.

How is it that the scuba industry could get it done so well in the same country that the motorcycling industry cannot?

Well done analogy. As a scuba diver myself I didn't think to compare the two.

Ironically, statistically, motorcycle riding is undoubtedly more dangerous.

The difference is the CULTURE of scuba diving. Divers, resale shops and manufacturers all recognize that diving is dangerous. However, they also recognize that with training and proper procedures one can mitigate those risks and enjoy their sport without some great risk of injury.

Maybe that's what we need in motorcycling, a culture shift.

P.S. I doubt gear is regulated, but you have to a PADI card to get tanks filled.