This report about accident stats from the IAM makes for interesting reading:

http://www.iam.org.uk/images/stories/do ... ort_v7.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What really suprised me is the avaerage annual milage across all engine sizes is under 4000 miles

Do people actually ride these things or just buy them and wank on them in the garage?

No wonder most bikes still have pathetic service intervals.

Motorcyclist casualties rise significantly on Saturdays and Sundays, whereas there are more motorcycle trips
on weekdays than at weekend

Seems like the majority of crotch rockets are not commuters then....

Either that or they fall victim to incompetent weekend motorists who don't drive during the week.
The phrase "Sunday driver" didn't come into common usage for no reason.....

rtfm wrote:Do people actually ride these things or just buy them and wank on them in the garage?

Of course that is what they are doing, why else do you think they always need to 'polish' them.

That report is simply stating the blindingly obvious really though isn't it? Accidents happen on corners and junctions, are mainly other drivers fault and urban roads are less fatal than rural ones.
What I would really like to know is what proportion of KSI's are IAM members or similar and how many 'ordinary' riders.
Looking at their figures, weekends and older riders make up the largest proportion of injuries, and doesn't that coincide with IAM membership? I mean most IAM members are over 50, weekend (or rather Sunday afternoon) riders who also ride in groups on over 500cc bikes on rural a-roads so statistically they should make up a reasonably large proportion of the casualties.
Interesting to see that motorways are twice as safe by bike than car, and I bet most motorway bike accidents are when filtering between lanes of virtually stationary cars caused by car/van/truck drivers fu**ing things up initially.
Riding a Harley must be the safest thing you can do because you never go out in the rain/dark/cold/foggy/frosty/might rain conditions, and you hardly ever make 4 figures on the odometer in ...oh years and years of ownership.

rtfm wrote:What really suprised me is the avaerage annual milage across all engine sizes is under 4000 miles

Do people actually ride these things or just buy them and wank on them in the garage?

Why surprising? Weekend riders probably only do a couple of dozen all-day rides a year. Collectors wont want to put more than a few hundred miles a year on it. And urban commuters (like myself) have short trips, so even commuting every work day, it only adds up to 1500 miles/year. Probably the only people racking up miles are those commuting from outside towns, so 50-100mile round trips/day, and they're all a bit unwell in the head

But agree on "blindingly obvious", what would be good to know are things like: does ABS actually help? Does hi-vis help? Does ATGATT help in low-speed urban crashes? and so on. I'll have to have a full read this weekend...

**50-100mile round trips/day, and they're all a bit unwell in the head**

So what is your thinking on this comment then?

And have you all forgot..
The dispatch riders who must lock up 20-30000+ each year..

Zed wrote:... Probably the only people racking up miles are those commuting from outside towns, so 50-100mile round trips/day, and they're all a bit unwell in the head

I do a 55 mile round-commute and ride a Peugeot. So yes, I think your assumption is correct.

kayz1 wrote:**50-100mile round trips/day, and they're all a bit unwell in the head**

So what is your thinking on this comment then?

I think it makes perfect sense to commute that distance on a bike, you will be less at risk of getting stuck in traffic for a start

Zed wrote:Why surprising?...

Beacause that's a tiny distance for an average milage. I suppose it's a reflection of the vast majority of bikes being penis extensions/midlife crisis machines rather than every day vehicles.