Where I am from in California, we have year-round riding, although many parts of California do not. Around this time of the year, when the snow has melted all over California, or is still in the process of melting in some places, I see an increase in motorcycle accidents, especially fatal motorcycle accidents.

There has been an increase in the purchase of smaller Street motorcycles, as well as sport motorcycles, and a decrease in the sale of what I would call bagger or cruiser type motorcycles.

Guys and gals riding Street or sport types of motorcycles for some reason tend to be more aggressive when they are driving, then people riding the bigger bagger or cruiser style motorcycle. I have been riding motorcycles for over 40 years, and I understand the tendency to be more aggressive on a smaller more nimble motorcycle.

I just talked to a guy that was involved in a motorcycle accident on street motorcycle, and it was not a nice discussion. The guy was seriously injured, and it appears he was at fault in the accident.

Although you may hear many people say that you never forget to learn how to ride a bike, the fact of the matter is if you have been off your motorcycle for even a couple of weeks, it takes some time to get used to riding again, I don’t care how long you have been riding motorcycles.

So, when you have a combination of people who have not ridden a motorcycle for a while, coupled with people on smaller more nimble sport and Street motorcycles, you have a recipe for disaster if you do not take it easy.

Many people who read the Biker Law Blog, and who have read my articles, know my mantra about how to be safe on a motorcycle, “Always Ride Like You Are Invisible.” What this means is that as you are riding, pretend that the other motorist on the road cannot see you. This will make you much more safer than if you assume, they do see you.

If you are on a smaller sport or street motorcycle, take it easy. I know it is very easy to accelerate fast, split lanes, and be more aggressive. Trust me when I tell you that you do not want to go down in traffic on the street. Often times these types of motorcycle accidents are catastrophic to the rider.

If you have been out of the saddle for a couple weeks or more, take it easy, get your skills back before you put yourself in a major traffic situation.

Here in Southern California where I live, when you get on the freeway during most times of the day, it is harrie on a motorcycle. The newer cars can easily do 100 miles an hour, and most cars are driving faster than 65 mph. In other words, you have to have your Shit together on a Southern California Freeway on your motorcycle.

If you have been out of the saddle for a couple weeks, practice on some sidestreets to get your muscle memory back venture out onto the freeway.

Take it easy out there. Although I am a motorcycle accident attorney, I do not like to see motorcycle accidents. I am a real motorcycle rider like you, and any real motorcycle rider hates to see other motorcycle riders go down on her motorcycles.

God forbid if you have had a motorcycle accident anywhere in California, give me a call 7 days a week 24 hours a day at 800-816-1529. Do not delay the phone call because the longer you take to call me, the more you prejudice your case. This is a subject for another article come in the future.

By California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., May 13, 2019

The post With motorcycle riding season comes many motorcycle accidents; how you ride determines your safety, by California motorcycle accident lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

www.injuredbikers.com founder and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Norman Gregory Fernandez in the Yellowstone National Forest

During the winter, something occurs with all bikers and motorcycle riders that are located in cold climates called cabin fever. Cabin fever occurs when these bikers and motorcyclists cannot ride their motorcycles because it’s too cold.

With the advent of the Internet and social media, many of these bikers and motorcyclists take to the Internet, and socialize via Internet forums and social media.

Today some guy posted on an Internet forum a question; are sport bike riders real bikers?

Of course, everybody and their mother spewed out their opinion on this social media thread, including me.

The question actually upset me, because to me, anyone who rides a motorcycle is a biker. Those who get on two wheeled motorcycles of any type I consider to be bikers. I not only represent these guys and gals if they are God forbid involved in a motorcycle accident anywhere in California, but I don’t discriminate because someone may ride a sport bike, a Japanese cruiser, or an American cruiser. I have actually owned all types of motorcycles.

On this particular Internet forum, you basically have a bunch of older Harley-Davidson riders that some would consider to be stereotypical bikers, i.e., a bunch of tattoos, longhair, goatee or beard, Harley-Davidson T-shirt, blue jeans, motorcycle boots, with the wallet chain affixed to their belt.

You see these types all over the place at Harley events and other mainstream events like the Sturgis motorcycle rally.

Do you have to dress or look like this to be a biker? Hell no! Just because you dress a certain way does not make you a biker. I have seen many dudes who dress like bikers, who have no motorcycles. Buying and wearing a Harley-Davidson T-shirt does not make you a biker.

To me, what makes you a biker, is getting your ass on two wheels and riding a motorcycle on the street, or even the dirt. All bikers have the same type of thing in common, the need to ride a motorcycle.

I have been in motorcycle clubs for over 20 years until just recently. I was always a bit more clean-cut than most of the guys in my club because of my profession. My appearance did not mean squat. I am a biker through and through.

I will not lie, I have owned a couple Harley-Davidson T-shirts in the past 30 years, but I do not think I have ever worn one of them. Further, I have never used a wallet chain affixed to my belt. I don’t like wearing wallets because I don’t like the feel of it in my pocket.

Now I have been riding for many years all over the country. I have seen some hard-core sport bike riders that could ride the pants off of any standard cruiser motorcycle rider. Just because some of these guys may be more clean-cut, and don’t dress in the stereotypical way, does not mean that they are not hard-core riders and bikers. As a matter fact I think some of these guys are hard-core bikers, more so than any Harley-Davidson rider.

In the end, I do not like some older Harley-Davidson rider claiming that a younger sport bike rider is not a biker. A biker is someone who rides a motorcycle, and loves doing so, no matter what they look like and no matter what they ride.

As the older bagger type of Harley-Davidson/Indian motorcycle riders ages and die out, it will be the younger guys with the sport bikes and smaller and lower cc motorcycles that will take over. They are bikers just like everybody else.

By Injuredbikers.com founder, and motorcycle accident lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq.

The post Are Sport bike riders, Real Biker’s? first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

I have written about Sport Motorcycle Riders raising hell on public streets on the Biker Law Blog many times in the past.

Here is a link to a story and videos, I wrote and posted almost 4 years ago showing this type of activity on a freeway; click here now.

Below is a video of a freeway closing by sport motorcycle riders in Texas this past weekend.

I know I am going to get the usual “Yea I am a badass sport bike rider so screw off” messages from certain sport bike riders who read the Biker Law Blog, but the real fact of the matter is that idiots doing stuff like this on public freeways will only bring down heat on everyone riding a sport motorcycle, even the poor bastard who may have just bought an inexpensive motorcycle to ride to work on.

I know the idiots doing these things think it is cool to raise hell like this and then post the videos on Youtube and the like, but in the end no good can come out of it.

You can watch the video below and see for yourself. The video comes from a news channel in Texas, and a short commercial will appear before the video appears.

You tell me if you think the non riding civilian public will tolerate this kind of thing and if you think it will bring down heat on all bikers.

By California Motorcycle Accident Attorney, and Biker Lawyer, Norman Gregory Fernandez, Esq., © 2010

The post Sport Bike Riders Close Another Freeway While Doing Stunts; They will Bring Down Heat on All Sport Biker Riders. first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.

Scene of fatal motorcycle accident in Victorville.

VICTORVILLE – California

A motorcyclist died Monday afternoon (11/9/09) after he lost control while doing a wheelie in a residential neighborhood and slammed into a tree in front of a home, officials said.

The rider was westbound in the 16200 block of Nisqualli Road around 1 p.m. when he hit a curb, lost control and veered in and out of the street, according to witnesses and Sgt. John Emmens, of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Victorville station.

Ramiro Barbosa Jr. said he saw the rider pop a wheelie at Fourth Avenue and Nisqualli Road. He attempted a stand-up-wheelie but failed. He tried again, but on the second try he popped up and lost control, Barbosa said.

The motorcycle went into a “speed wobble,” ejecting the rider who was hurled into a tree head-first. The Kawasaki Ninja sport bike then struck a chain link fence causing the vehicle to cartwheel before coming to rest four houses away, witnesses said.

Witnesses reported the 23-year-old man was traveling anywhere between 75 to about 100 mph.

Officials closed Nisqualli Road between Fourth and Sixth avenues as the Major Accident Investigation Team looked into the crash.

Resident Gabriel Madrigal said he had seen the same motorcycle doing stunts along the street on almost a nightly basis. Others stated the man lived in the neighborhood, but his identity was not immediately released.

Madrigal and neighbor, Ray Williams, heard the loud crash while they were in Williams’ garage. They came outside to find the motorcycle in Williams’ neighbors’ driveway.

“It didn’t hit anything but that chain link fence,” Williams said. “It’s pretty amazing.”

Sport bikes make up 14 percent of the total number of registered motorcycles in California for 2008, but account for 38 percent of all motorcycle-related deaths on the state’s highways, according to the California Highway Patrol.

I have said in many articles that if sport biker motorcycle riders want to do stunts on their motorcycles, they should take it off public roads and onto private property. Had this young man not been doing wheelies on the street he probably would still be alive.

Not only did this young man die, but I wonder how many of the people who either witnessed this accident or heard about it now have a negative view of bikers and motorcyclist as a result?

This did not have to happen!

Victorville Motorcycle Accident Lawyer and Biker Attorney

The post Motorcyclist dies during motorcycle stunt; This did not have to happen first appeared on Biker and Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Blog.