Curious about your thoughts...

I'm 43 years old, and for you guys who are older and have been through some generations of motorcycling, I'm curious about your thoughts concerning the evolution of motorcycling, in particular motorcycle safety, and whether there has been a net increase or a net decrease over the last say, 50 years or so.

The context for the query comes from a ride I took on Sunday. I headed out to the three sisters around Leakey, Texas, and man was it gorgeous. I was lucky enough that I caught it minutes after a rainshower, and the sun breaking through the cloudcover, along with the smell and feel of the air, was breathtaking. It was just one of those days. I know ya'll know the feeling. And also, man what a bike.

As it got dark and I had to head home, I realized I was about 130 miles out, so I headed over to I-10 for the straight shot rather than riding through all the twisties(and deer) for the ride back. And this is where the basis for my question began to form.

Not only do we have an ever-growing population of vehicles on the road, most of which, if I'm seeing correctly, are being piloted by distracted drivers on their phones hurtling down the highway, we have a huge and growing fleet of truckers that are flat out hauling ass. Motorcycles have been going fast for a long time now, but I have to imagine that 50 years ago, if you were on a motorcycle and traveling down a highway at 85 or 90 mph, you were one of very few on the road doing so. Nowadays, we have fully loaded semis that are doing 85 and they are being PASSED by other semis doing 90+.

This was something I encountered between 5 and 10 times on the ride back. And getting stuck going over an already windy hill behind a semi doing 90+ in the left lane, while there was a semi directly to my right doing 85, and a line of drivers directly behind me doing 85 while looking at their phones, made me wonder about this evolution.

Now granted, the F6B is one of the most reassuring, planted, power whenever and wherever you want it bikes on the road. And technology has also given many bikes better aerodynamics, traction control, abs, etc. But this experience made me wonder about the asymmetry of this evolution. Even with all the rider aids, it seems like it might be lopsided.

So I'm wondering, for you guys who are older, do you feel you have experienced this? Has the additional power available, aerodynamics, rider aids, etc., created a gradual change in motorcycling? Or have you felt more of an exponential shift, due to other vehicles, over the last 10-15 years?

Jason

Myself, I like traffic including semis going faster for several reasons. One is because widely divergent speed differences between vehicles cause more accidents than everyone traveling at high speeds in my opinion.

Also, I think I'm less likely to get a "fast driving award" when everyone is speeding.

By the way, I'm soon to be 64 and motorcycles have been my primary mode of transportation since I was around 13.

If you get hit by a semi doing 85+, you won’t have any more worries.

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Originally Posted by Frye

Myself, I like traffic including semis going faster for several reasons. One is because widely divergent speed differences between vehicles cause more accidents than everyone traveling at high speeds in my opinion.

Also, I think I'm less likely to get a "fast driving award" when everyone is speeding.

By the way, I'm soon to be 64 and motorcycles have been my primary mode of transportation since I was around 13.

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That's a great point, Frye. It's cool to have a forum like this to bend your ear about it. Motorcycles have come a long way since you were 13, huh? Although, even in my life I've seen many changes that I would consider lateral or even backwards, depending on the bike.

Jason

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Originally Posted by Cali261

If you get hit by a semi doing 85+, you won’t have any more worries.

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This is a true statement.

Jason

They have changed a lot indeed since my first 60s era two stroke, oil injected Suzuki with two rear sprockets and a short length of chain (maybe 4 links) in the tool kit. You would remove those links and switch to the small rear sprocket for on road. Put them back in and go to the big rear sprocket for off road. Seems like the top speed was 38 on the big sprocket and forty something on the small one. Paid for the bike with my grass mowing earnings and a loan from my Dad. Will never forget that first biker tattoo when the skin from my forearm stuck to the hot header pipe I was trying to put back on. I watched that patch of skin stuck to that pipe turn brown and burn while I was nursing the part of my arm it used to live on. My thoughts were "burning skin stinks and I love this shit". And I still do.

The cell phone in this day and age, has become the greatest threat to a motorcyclist. It wasn't like this back in the 1970's when I started riding.

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Originally Posted by Frye

They have changed a lot indeed since my first 60s era two stroke, oil injected Suzuki with two rear sprockets and a short length of chain (maybe 4 links) in the tool kit. You would remove those links and switch to the small rear sprocket for on road. Put them back in and go to the big rear sprocket for off road. Seems like the top speed was 38 on the big sprocket and forty something on the small one. Paid for the bike with my grass mowing earnings and a loan from my Dad. Will never forget that first biker tattoo when the skin from my forearm stuck to the hot header pipe I was trying to put back on. I watched that patch of skin stuck to that pipe turn brown and burn while I was nursing the part of my arm it used to live on. My thoughts were "burning skin stinks and I love this shit". And I still do.

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And stories like that are exactly why I love forums like this. Too cool. Also, I didn't know anything about the on/off road sprocket change. That's really neat. Did you use that very often, or was it just one of those things that you kept in your back pocket for when you might want it?

Jason

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Originally Posted by willtill

The cell phone in this day and age, has become the greatest threat to a motorcyclist. It wasn't like this back in the 1970's when I started riding.

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That's interesting to hear, Willtill. I keep thinking that, too. And we're so far in, at this point, I think the only thing that is going to reduce the risk will be autonomous vehicles that pay way better attention to the road than drivers currently are. At that point, though, I wonder if speed limits will also increase dramatically, thus making it even more difficult for motorcyclists. It would be an interesting inversion, if all the 4+ wheelers were consistently zipping down the road at 130, while most casual riders aren't doing nearly that, except in short bursts.

Jason

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Originally Posted by Verismo

And stories like that are exactly why I love forums like this. Too cool. Also, I didn't know anything about the on/off road sprocket change. That's really neat. Did you use that very often, or was it just one of those things that you kept in your back pocket for when you might want it?

Jason

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It mostly stayed on the big sprocket since I was years too young to drive on the roads although I rode on local roads to get to trails and neighborhood dirt tracks. That was before lawsuits ruined the world. In the late 60's/early 70's every vacant field was or could be a dirt track, every woods had bicycle and motorcycle trails, every railroad track could be ridden beside and every strip pit was a swimming hole surrounded by trails and full of fish for the taking. Many of those vacant fields and back woods dirt tracks would be surrounded by partying kids sprawled out on the hoods of cars and trucks on the weekends watching the races and crashes on those homemade tracks. And of course, if you knew where to go you'd sometimes find hundreds of people hillclimbing and watching hillclimbing on abandoned coalmining property. There were some bad accidents and occasional deaths (mostly rolled jeeps) hillclimbing but the thrill level was off the charts and there were some real characters that lived for it. The motorcycles were all two strokes of course, the air was full of the smell and smoke of them. No lengthened swingarms, just dual purpose, or off road, or striped road bikes or even seemingly homemade bikes. Saw a Rupp minibike a time or two with a Hodaka SuperRat motor and a crazy ass big dirt bike with a carburetor from a giant loggers type chain saw. That bike could tumble and flip all the way back down a hill (roughly a 60 yard tumble) and the motor would still be running. I guess they weren't all two strokes. Harley 350 sprints did pretty good out there too although they were big. Those were good times. Nearly everybody went home limping at the end of the day but it didn't matter.
My favorite thing to do on dirt bikes back then was motorcycle tag. It was played in the dark in grown up fields. If you were "it" you had to touch another bike with your bike to make them it. No helmets, usually tank tops or T shirts and no headlights allowed. Crashing the other guy was allowed and encouraged. And of course there were patches of briers in those fields that you could shred yourself in getting away from faster bikes. I once got stuck in one with the briers wrapped around myself and my bike so tightly I couldn't fall over and couldn't get off my bike. The other guys eventually heard me shouting and pulled me out backwards. It was a hot summer night, I was bleeding everywhere and all the torn skin was filled with burning sweat. The guys that pulled me out were in the same shape. Then we started up the scooters and got back to enjoying balls to the walls mayhem. Damn those were good times.

I started riding little bikes in 1970, and by the time I got my first serious street bike (a Kawasaki KZ-900) a few years later we were stuck with the 55 MPH speed limit. So everyone drove really slow compared to today. You'd get a 5-10 MPH cushion from most LEOs, but 65 usually got you a ticket.

In some ways this slow travel may have been safer, but many drivers became preoccupied with avoiding speeding tickets. Most people I knew had radar detectors. Since these were prone to false alarms you were frequently distracted trying to figure out if that beep was a police car, or a nearby door opener or security system. CB radios became popular too, as drivers learned that truck drivers freely shared info about 'bear sightings'. So the 55 MPH era had its own unique distractions.

When I started riding motorcycles had serious safety shortcomings. Most had drum brakes which faded terribly. Lighting was dim, and the horns were barely audible. Handling was often downright scary. There were vast improvements in all of these areas over the several years.

As for the traffic today, I'm often asked by non-riders how I can possibly ride on an Interstate highway. I answer that I'd rather ride several hundred miles on an Interstate, with safe access ramps and no cross streets, than I would just a few miles on a city street with drivers running red traffic lights and ignoring stop signs. Statistically the controlled access highway is far safer.

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Originally Posted by Frye

It mostly stayed on the big sprocket since I was years too young to drive on the roads although I rode on local roads to get to trails and neighborhood dirt tracks. That was before lawsuits ruined the world. In the late 60's/early 70's every vacant field was or could be a dirt track, every woods had bicycle and motorcycle trails, every railroad track could be ridden beside and every strip pit was a swimming hole surrounded by trails and full of fish for the taking. Many of those vacant fields and back woods dirt tracks would be surrounded by partying kids sprawled out on the hoods of cars and trucks on the weekends watching the races and crashes on those homemade tracks. And of course, if you knew where to go you'd sometimes find hundreds of people hillclimbing and watching hillclimbing on abandoned coalmining property. There were some bad accidents and occasional deaths (mostly rolled jeeps) hillclimbing but the thrill level was off the charts and there were some real characters that lived for it. The motorcycles were all two strokes of course, the air was full of the smell and smoke of them. No lengthened swingarms, just dual purpose, or off road, or striped road bikes or even seemingly homemade bikes. Saw a Rupp minibike a time or two with a Hodaka SuperRat motor and a crazy ass big dirt bike with a carburetor from a giant loggers type chain saw. That bike could tumble and flip all the way back down a hill (roughly a 60 yard tumble) and the motor would still be running. I guess they weren't all two strokes. Harley 350 sprints did pretty good out there too although they were big. Those were good times. Nearly everybody went home limping at the end of the day but it didn't matter.
My favorite thing to do on dirt bikes back then was motorcycle tag. It was played in the dark in grown up fields. If you were "it" you had to touch another bike with your bike to make them it. No helmets, usually tank tops or T shirts and no headlights allowed. Crashing the other guy was allowed and encouraged. And of course there were patches of briers in those fields that you could shred yourself in getting away from faster bikes. I once got stuck in one with the briers wrapped around myself and my bike so tightly I couldn't fall over and couldn't get off my bike. The other guys eventually heard me shouting and pulled me out backwards. It was a hot summer night, I was bleeding everywhere and all the torn skin was filled with burning sweat. The guys that pulled me out were in the same shape. The we started up the scooters and got back to enjoying balls to the walls mayhem. Damn those were good times.

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Man, this was a pleasure to read, Frye. Thanks for taking the time to write it. And the line,"Those were good times. Nearly everybody went home limping at the end of the day but it didn't matter." .. describes a lot of my life, too.

Jason

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Originally Posted by F6Dave

...When I started riding motorcycles had serious safety shortcomings. Most had drum brakes which faded terribly. Lighting was dim, and the horns were barely audible. Handling was often downright scary. There were vast improvements in all of these areas over the several years.

As for the traffic today, I'm often asked by non-riders how I can possibly ride on an Interstate highway. I answer that I'd rather ride several hundred miles on an Interstate, with safe access ramps and no cross streets, than I would just a few miles on a city street with drivers running red traffic lights and ignoring stop signs. Statistically the controlled access highway is far safer.

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All good points, F6Dave. I do pay very close attention to what drivers around me are doing in city driving, which, in San Antonio, is pretty much staring at their phones and avoiding their blinkers at all costs.

The lighting, braking, and horns especially are night day from some of the older bikes I've ridden. Even the stock lights on the B were a revelation to me, but then again so was cruise control, lol.

Jason

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Originally Posted by willtill

The cell phone in this day and age, has become the greatest threat to a motorcyclist. It wasn't like this back in the 1970's when I started riding.

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But mate in the early 70's I remember coming home on leave on the old 500 Yam (2000 Kays)
With a cassette Player in the pocket playing Supertramp And Springsteen and EarBuds.
Now that was Kool

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Originally Posted by Cali261

If you get hit by a semi doing 85+, you won’t have any more worries.

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Whether its a Freightliner doing 85 or a Smart Car turning in front of you at 25....results are the same.

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Originally Posted by K2157

But mate in the early 70's I remember coming home on leave on the old 500 Yam (2000 Kays)
With a cassette Player in the pocket playing Supertramp And Springsteen and EarBuds.
Now that was Kool

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That reminds me that tape decks were emerging as the newest high tech auto accessory when I started riding in 1970. Before then you only had AM or AM/FM radios with 5 presets, but tape decks gave you the ability to choose what you listened to. There were 8 track decks at first but cassettes soon followed and ruled the market.

Looking back, these were quite a distraction. If you didn't like the current tune you couldn't just tap the 'Next' button on your steering wheel or handle bar. You had to reach for the deck mounted under the dash (a long reach on some big cars of the era) and press the fast forward button. With some decks you had to hold the button long enough to advance to the tune you wanted. Cassettes typically had to be ejected and flipped over every 20 or 30 minutes, and to change albums you had to eject the tape and replace it with another which was often stored in the console, glove compartment, or box under the seat.

I'm not trying to minimize the danger posed by inattentive drivers using their cell phones. But distracted driving has been around in many forms for a very long time.

five of my friends have been killed on motorcycles………I have witnessed two motorcycle fatalities since purchasing my 2013 f6b …another close friend was in an accident three years ago in Death Valley….severed his friends leg…..he died in the helicopter in route to the hospital…..numerous friends have suffered very serious injuries…a guy from the Norton club who rides with us occasionally, crashed on the freeway last year he is now partially paralyzed in a rest home….motor cycles are extremely dangerous…..when I was a kid I asked my dad why he quit riding '' I don't want to leave you kids orphaned'' was his response……I have two friends who are both missing a leg from the knee down….married with children ????? do your wife and kids a favor son ,stay away from motorcycles………..later on, red dog

I like this quote:

“The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” “Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold.” “You can discover what your enemy fears most by observing the means he uses to frighten you.”

Most of my friends have died from unrelated causes. Brain bleeds, cancer, car recks. None from motorcycle. They were all riders.
When your time is up it doesn't matter what your doing. How can we say it was because of the bike. that just happened to be what you were doing at the time.
When I rode my first bike it scared me and that has never left. Its covered up by the enjoyment now.
I had my first accident after 40 years of riding. Went over the bars did a summer salt and landed on my shoulder and rolled onto my back.
I don't care who you are, you aint gonna walk away unhurt. That was a $1800 mistake on my part. I work my guardian angle overtime.
I thought about quitting riding, while I was in pain. Then the pin went away and so did those thoughts.
But anyway, Enjoy your time here. Life is short.

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Originally Posted by F6Dave

I started riding little bikes in 1970, and by the time I got my first serious street bike (a Kawasaki KZ-900) a few years later we were stuck with the 55 MPH speed limit. So everyone drove really slow compared to today. You'd get a 5-10 MPH cushion from most LEOs, but 65 usually got you a ticket.

In some ways this slow travel may have been safer, but many drivers became preoccupied with avoiding speeding tickets. Most people I knew had radar detectors. Since these were prone to false alarms you were frequently distracted trying to figure out if that beep was a police car, or a nearby door opener or security system. CB radios became popular too, as drivers learned that truck drivers freely shared info about 'bear sightings'. So the 55 MPH era had its own unique distractions.

When I started riding motorcycles had serious safety shortcomings. Most had drum brakes which faded terribly. Lighting was dim, and the horns were barely audible. Handling was often downright scary. There were vast improvements in all of these areas over the several years.

As for the traffic today, I'm often asked by non-riders how I can possibly ride on an Interstate highway. I answer that I'd rather ride several hundred miles on an Interstate, with safe access ramps and no cross streets, than I would just a few miles on a city street with drivers running red traffic lights and ignoring stop signs. Statistically the controlled access highway is far safer.

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I use to feel the same until I was running 70mph on an interstate in NC when a pallet flew out of a pickup and skidded in front of me. No time for anything but to tighten up my grip and go straight over it. Thought I was going down but somehow held on. IT was several years ago and I have only been on an interstate a couple of times since. The danger is everywhere. I just try to be alert and minimize it as much as I can.

I saw a tractor trailer rig rear tire blowout a few weeks ago in front of me. All I could think was "what if I was on my motorcycle next to it" when it blew up? It was like a grenade going off.

I don't like to be near tractor trailers while on my bike.

Yup, I avoid big rigs, as well as busses and motorhomes. I'll travel an extra 2 hours a day, on a trip, just to stay off 4 lane roads.

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Originally Posted by willtill

I saw a tractor trailer rig rear tire blowout a few weeks ago in front of me. All I could think was "what if I was on my motorcycle next to it" when it blew up? It was like a grenade going off.

I don't like to be near tractor trailers while on my bike.

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I had that happen to me 20+years ago, I rode side saddle the rest of the way!

I think most of us has had one of those close calls, or even worse. I still remember one years ago on a lonely stretch of I-25 in southern Colorado. Back then we actually managed our forests and encouraged people to clear out dead timber in the fall. As I approached a truck towing a home made trailer heavily overloaded with firewood, I noticed the left wheel was wobbling. It appeared to be getting worse so I stayed back for a while to access the situation. I decided to make a quick pass, and as I did a few lug nuts were ejected, barely missing my bike. As I cleared the truck I saw the wheel fly across my lane in the rear view mirror. That was too close for comfort!

Of course, that could happen on any road. My most enjoyable rides have been on scenic, twisty 2 lane roads, like the Pacific Coast Highway or Beartooth Pass. But when I need to get somewhere fast it's hard to beat the Interstates out here in the west. Not only have 80 MPH speed limits become common, but they're safe with no intersections and no worry about approaching vehicles drifting into your lane.

If you look at miles traveled verses accidents I suspect the superslabs would be safest places you can ride, statistically speaking. As Dave says, fewer opportunities for cages to pull out in front of you or turn left in front of you. We have a lot of "scrappers" in this area and I've had scrape sheet metal, plywood, you name it come out of their pickups and into my part of the road as I approach to pass them and worse, as I meet them going the opposite direction. Always on highways and county roads though. They mostly seem to stay off the interstates around here. I've had bales of hay or straw fall from trucks and into my lane as I was leaned over in a curve and once a log chain dragging behind a truck swung across my lane in a curve like a skier behind a boat. I had to go right to the edge of the pavement while leaned over to avoid that one. Also once had a motorhome's tire we were meeting on a mountain road (Yellowstone area) explode and slightly injure my riding buds foot with a big chunk of the rubber that showered both of us.
My opinion is, if you ride long enough motorcycling will always be fatal. So will driving, working, chasing the ol lady or any other activity because life is always fatal. You will die, and you can't escape it. So you do your best to put it off as long as possible while still having fun.
Having seen it happen both ways too many times, I think I'd rather go out when I'm still having fun than long after the fun has ended.

Many MANY years ago ( like...1976-77 approx).....

I had just purchased a brand new Triumph Trident. I'd had it probably 5 or 6 weeks at this point. I was westbound on I-70, just east of the Colo/Kan state line. It was one of those few days when there just wasn't a lot of traffic. Hardly ever see that any more...but back then it did happen from time to time.

I was tooling along about 65 or 70 having a great time. An 18-wheeler overtook me from behind, and as he passed me the driver waved. I waved back and thought nothing of it. After passing me, the driver changed lanes in front of me and we went probably 8 or 10 miles like that....him in front and me drafting behind. After that 8 miles or so...the truck changed lanes again back into the lefthand lane and reduced speed. Not drastically reduced, just enough that I slowly slid up abeam and was clearly going to end up in front eventually.

I could see the driver clearly in his right side mirror. You could tell that he saw me and was keeping track of where I was. As I came almost abeam of the hitch.....this clown changed lanes on top of me. Not easily...not slowly....it was rapid and clearly deliberate.

In order to avoid getting caught under the trailer (or worse....his wheels) I had no other choice but to dive into the ditch. The trucker kept going and, as best I could tell, didn't even slow down to check. Luckily, there was enough bike parts (and tents parts, and sleeping bag parts and etc) next to the road that when someone came along later they realized what happened and stopped to help.

It totaled my brand new Triumph and very nearly totaled me. Try veering off into a VERY deep ditch at 70 and you'll get the idea. I spent the summer and most of the fall recovering from my injuries.

SO......here we are, now almost 45 years later. To this day, I do NOT ride an interstate (or ANYTHING 'limited access', in town or out) if I can at all avoid it. I will if I HAVE to....but I'll bail to the US and State highways first chance I get. (besides....the scenery is much better there anyway. Superslabs are boring as hell).

On US and State highways, I'll go like a bat outa hell and won't think twice about it. But, on an interstate, I'll drive at a speed that ensures everyone else is going to pass me quickly and keep on going. Very rarely will you see me going over 60...usually I'm down around 55. I get needled about it a lot (and there are a few who refuse to even ride with me because of it)...but I don't really give a crap. Those guys didn't spend months wondering if they were going to be able to even walk again, much less ride.

I realise that all this is an adventure in paranoia...but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. I have issues over it all...and I always will. I have yet to not be able to go anywhere I wanted with out a slab. Just takes a little longer. Besides, as I said.....the scenery is more interesting anyway. Not to mention a lot less fast food and more REALLY great mom and pop diners.



....sT

Now days, with almost the entire population, glued to cell phones, is another reason that I avoid the interstate. Those long straight or slightly curved roads, make prime territory, for those idiots to whip out their phones and start texting, thinking that it's easy, on the big straight roads. I much prefer the crooked and hilly roads, that make it much more difficult for those dumbasses who text and drive, because they need to watch where they are going. Unfortunately, some still text even in the mountains.

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Originally Posted by jm21ddd15

Now days, with almost the entire population, glued to cell phones, is another reason that I avoid the interstate. Those long straight or slightly curved roads, make prime territory, for those idiots to whip out their phones and start texting, thinking that it's easy, on the big straight roads. I much prefer the crooked and hilly roads, that make it much more difficult for those dumbasses who text and drive, because they need to watch where they are going. Unfortunately, some still text even in the mountains.

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But then there are the deer. Which seems that deer are much more prevalent now than in the past. Is it because they have been pushed out of their environments due to increase development by humans, or are they just breeding like crazy?

Here in Minnesota and Wisconsin the deer seem to be more prevalent than years prior. Your correct about urban creep. The other thing that has happened is over the years the available private hunting lane has decreased for mostly two reasons. One being air head hunters pissing of land owners and the second being city dwellers moving out into farming areas and not wanting Bambi’s killed. I live in a first ring suburb out of Minneapolis and one block over from a “nature” preserve, they call it a lake in reality it a swamp. About every 3 years they bring in professional sharp shooter bow hunters to thin out the deer population. Unfortunately as you move away from the cities to the second and third ring suburbs with larger home tracks mixed with farms and hobby farms it becomes difficult or impossible to hunt deer. For semi tire going bang, I was leading a small group to a rally on the interstate when I smelled burnt rubber. Up ahead was a semi pulling a belly dump trailer. We would have been catching it soon. As I started to slow the group, scanning the roadway I started to see smoldering rolling rubber. I backed us down more. When the left trailer tires exploded we could clearly hear the tires slapping the fenders and covering the interstate with chunks of tire. The gal that was directly behind quizzed me at the next stop on how I knew that was going to happen. Told her when you see a big rig to start sniffing and listening. If you can smell burnt rubber something bad is starting to happen. If you hear thumping it’s about to happen. She was a brand new rider and said she would have road right on to pass the semi. She thank me for the lesson in survival.

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Originally Posted by SimonTemplar

Many MANY years ago ( like...1976-77 approx).....

I was westbound on I-70, just east of the Colo/Kan state line. It was one of those few days when there just wasn't a lot of traffic. Hardly ever see that any more...but back then it did happen from time to time.
....sT

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I live less than 3 hours from that stretch of I-70 and ride through there now and then. It's a pretty lonely stretch of road, and even today you never see anything close to heavy traffic in places like that. The screenshot below is from a Kansas traffic cam near the Colorado line just a few minutes ago. Even though stretches of road like this don't have much scenery, the isolation can make for an enjoyable ride.

http://dchealy.com/valk/goodland.jpg

I have ridden the 3 Sisters several times as well as lots of other hill country roads. It’s at least a 250-300 mile drive since I live in League City, south of Houston. I’m also 71 years old and since I 10 is just as you described and seems to be getting faster and more crowded I put my bikes on a trailer and tow them. It makes the trip much more enjoyable.

Many more road kills here in north eastern ohio in the last 5 years. Seems like one every few miles.
I had to slam on the brakes on my old Harley to avoid a dear. Slid into it sideways and hit it with the side box.
We were looking eye to eye. Luckly it was a light tap. That deer went from 50mph to a hundred in a single bound.
Did more damage to the bike when it wet down and slid a few feet.
But I still love the way the B feels on the highway. Like a car with all the windows open.