Tough weekend for motorcycle stunters in Seattle

[jhynesrockmtn]

2 dead in Seattle-area motorcycle crashes

Two people have died in motorcycle crashes in the Seattle area, both apparently after performing stunts on their bikes.

By The Associated Press

Two people have died in motorcycle crashes in the Seattle area, both apparently after performing stunts on their bikes.

According to a Washington State Patrol report, a 1998 Honda CBR 600 driven by 22-year-old Walter T. Barron of Monroe hit a guard rail Saturday afternoon on State Route 522. Investigators say he apparently lost control while doing stunts just east of State Route 9.

Troopers also report that 22-year-old Shane P. Crowell of Olympia lost control of his motorcycle late Saturday night on an onramp to Interstate 90 near Quest and Safeco Fields in Seattle.

According to investigators, Crowell was attempting stunts when he was thrown over the handlebars of a 2007 Suzuki GSXR10 and over a guard rail, falling about 100 feet.



RIP to the riders. Hopefully riders doing similar crap will see this and learn something from it. The frequency of riders on sport bikes doing wheelies up the freeway and stunting on public roads in getting noticeably greater.

Our regional motorcycle forum was busy with discussion of these episodes. The second death was witnessed by the dead guys friend who posted up what happened yesterday. The guy was trying to impress some people in a car on his GSXR, pulled a wheelie on an overpass, lost control and went over the bars, 100 feet down to his death.

Be safe out there.

[Rick Lee]

I can't imagine trying a stunt on a public road. I can't even imagine being able to pull a wheelie on my bike. Maybe someday I'll learn on a total beater on a deserted street. I've seen plenty of folks riding wheelies on busy highways. Just nuts.

[mossguy]

Rick - Why would you even want to learn?

Best,
Tom

[willtel]

Originally Posted by mossguy

Rick - Why would you even want to learn?

Best,
Tom

It picks up chicks!

Seriously, I am glad that all of my two wheeled locomotion was done on the dirt, I may not have made it this far if I got into street bikes. I knew a guy that pitched one off an overpass due to speed wobble coming down from a wheelie, last mistake he ever made.

[Rick Lee]

I am always up for learning more skills on balance and handling a bike.

[mossguy]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I am always up for learning more skills on balance and handling a bike.

Good reason! Thanks.

Tom

[masraum]

I've seen lots of videos of stupid motorcycle tricks on busy streets/freeways. I saw my first of a guy doing a high angle wheelie on a bike on I-45 in rush hour traffic in Houston a couple of weeks back. It's crazy stupid. It seems kids/youth get dumber and dumber as the years go by. Or maybe because of the internet and cheap camcorders, it's just easier to document the worst of the worst.

[Rick Lee]

Two years ago I was riding my GS home from NJ to VA late at night after a Rush concert. On 295 in south NJ this nutcase roared up next to me on a crotch rocket, wearing no protective gear besides a helmet and proceeded to pull some wheelies, peel away real fast, slow down for me to catch up and then do it again. What an absolute idiot. Did he think he was impressing me or that I was gonna stop to help if he fell down?

[widebody911]

[widebody911]

[Jeff Higgins]

As a middle-aged guy who has been riding all of my life, I only just took the plunge into (relatively) modern sport bikes one year ago last month. I cannot say how impressed (and intimidated) I have been with the performance on my 17 year old Ducati 900 SS. And it is nothing but slow compared to what is available today...

Even though my behavior here on this forum may lead some to question (or even refute) this, I do consider myself a "mature" rider. I am painfully aware of my own mortality, and just how quickly things can go from fun to "oh shi.....".

So, what happens when we take a guy half my age, with twice my (remaining) testosterone, half my (granted, questionable) maturity, and put him on a machine with twice the power of mine? This last year has truly been an eye opener for me - I'm more amazed than ever that any young man actually survives for any length of time under these conditions. The odds are stacked massively against them. Massively.

The toys of our modern age have progressed to where many of them will kill us in the blink of an eye. It's really too bad that kids like these pay for a moment's foolishness with their lives. It's not "fair", whatever "fair" means anymore.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by jhynesrockmtn

2 dead in Seattle-area motorcycle crashes

Two people have died in motorcycle crashes in the Seattle area, both apparently after performing stunts on their bikes.

By The Associated Press

Two people have died in motorcycle crashes in the Seattle area, both apparently after performing stunts on their bikes.

According to a Washington State Patrol report, a 1998 Honda CBR 600 driven by 22-year-old Walter T. Barron of Monroe hit a guard rail Saturday afternoon on State Route 522. Investigators say he apparently lost control while doing stunts just east of State Route 9.

Troopers also report that 22-year-old Shane P. Crowell of Olympia lost control of his motorcycle late Saturday night on an onramp to Interstate 90 near Quest and Safeco Fields in Seattle.

According to investigators, Crowell was attempting stunts when he was thrown over the handlebars of a 2007 Suzuki GSXR10 and over a guard rail, falling about 100 feet.



RIP to the riders. Hopefully riders doing similar crap will see this and learn something from it. The frequency of riders on sport bikes doing wheelies up the freeway and stunting on public roads in getting noticeably greater.

Our regional motorcycle forum was busy with discussion of these episodes. The second death was witnessed by the dead guys friend who posted up what happened yesterday. The guy was trying to impress some people in a car on his GSXR, pulled a wheelie on an overpass, lost control and went over the bars, 100 feet down to his death.

Be safe out there.

It is just Darwin at work.

[jhynesrockmtn]

So, what happens when we take a guy half my age, with twice my (remaining) testosterone, half my (granted, questionable) maturity, and put him on a machine with twice the power of mine? This last year has truly been an eye opener for me - I'm more amazed than ever that any young man actually survives for any length of time under these conditions. The odds are stacked massively against them. Massively.

I agree Jeff. I don't have your history or experience with motorcycles only having gotten my endorsement a year ago. The learning curve is huge. My time riding bicycles on the street has helped massively with my "street sense" and 30 years of driving, time on the track in driving schools, etc. all help to build the skills. Seeing these young guys with none of that experience, no maturity and the belief they are bullet proof scares the crap out of me. Especially knowing how badly my 17 yo son wants to ride.

The ones who stunt piss me off, not only because they put themselves at risk but also everyone else on the street who gets distracted watching some idiot wheeling down I-405 at 70mph.

It is just Darwin at work.

I agree to an extent but it is still sad to see. Who among us didn't do some really stupid crap at 22 years old?

[mossguy]

Originally Posted by jhynesrockmtn

I agree to an extent but it is still sad to see. Who among us didn't do some really stupid crap at 22 years old?

Isn't that the truth! If I knew I was going to live this long, I might have handled my finances differently.

Best,
Tom

[WilsonTC]

[McLovin]

Originally Posted by widebody911

That one's a classic.

There used to be (probably still is somewhere) a website documenting the girl's injuries and recovery. Pretty nasty.

[Oh Haha]

Man, I hate to hear these stories. My younger brother rides a crotch rocket(ZX10? I think. I don't know. It's green with Monster Energy drink stickers on it)

I know that he has done silly things while riding. He tells me how he can ride a wheelie for so long and what not. I listen but always caution him to be careful. He has been on some wild rides in my hot rods over the years so it's tough without sounding like a hyprocrite.

I will tell him about these two gents, though when I see him this weekend.

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I am always up for learning more skills on balance and handling a bike.

Someone runs a (legit) wheelie school. Just like if you wanted to go to a Penguin or California Superbike school for roadracing--it's a school for learning to do wheelies.

[herr_oberst]

When I think about the utterly stupid things I did on street bikes when I was 20, then consider what I might have been like on one of the lightweight, super powerful bikes of today I get a mighty powerful case the willies.

[924slover]

i never do stupid **** on the street i save all the stupid stuff for my dirtbike even thought my bultaco alpina is from the 1970's doesn't have as much power it's still really fun.