Road Warrior
07-09-2009, 10:18 AM
I honestly don't know what to say.
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/28august09_frontbrake.htm
Don't use them front brakes, son," is what Beaumont, Texas' Daryl L. James' daddy must have said to him when he was a tot. That sparked a chain of events that ended July 30 with a court filing, with James suing his motorcycle shop for negligence when he was "forced to utilize the front brakes," according to the lawsuit.
Information is scanty. Apparently, James dropped off his 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 to have the rear tire repaired or replaced. He paid for the work and rode out of the parking lot to merge onto I-10 North's frontage road. When he attempted to stop before turning onto the road, he discovered the rear brake didn't work (we're guessing because the mechanic didn't pump the brake pedal after he re-installed the rear wheel), so he was "forced" to use that most dangerous of instrumentalities, the front brake. Really, Daryl? The Vulcan 2K has excellent front brakes: dual four-piston calipers and 300mm discs, but they're hardly roadracer sensitive. Anyway, he must have grabbed that front brake, because the bike allegedly overturned and James went down, suffering "physical pain, suffering, physical impairment, loss of earnings, disfigurement and mental anguish," according to the lawsuit.
James' circumstances highlight the need for basic motorcycle training, which is now mandatory in Texas. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse teaches two basic skills that might have had James avoid this tragedy. First, doing a basic function check-including brakes-is crucial before each ride. Second, the BRC shows riders how to use both brakes, every time they stop and slow, dispelling any lingering ideas of the front brakes being inherently dangerous. Used properly, they're roughly 70 percent of a motorcycle's stopping power, and are there to prevent-not cause-physical pain, anguish, and all those other expensive damages James is claiming.
Gawsh darn it Jethro why is the ferunt braker bigger than ther back on', y'all dun need it!
http://www.motorcycledaily.com/28august09_frontbrake.htm
Don't use them front brakes, son," is what Beaumont, Texas' Daryl L. James' daddy must have said to him when he was a tot. That sparked a chain of events that ended July 30 with a court filing, with James suing his motorcycle shop for negligence when he was "forced to utilize the front brakes," according to the lawsuit.
Information is scanty. Apparently, James dropped off his 2005 Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 to have the rear tire repaired or replaced. He paid for the work and rode out of the parking lot to merge onto I-10 North's frontage road. When he attempted to stop before turning onto the road, he discovered the rear brake didn't work (we're guessing because the mechanic didn't pump the brake pedal after he re-installed the rear wheel), so he was "forced" to use that most dangerous of instrumentalities, the front brake. Really, Daryl? The Vulcan 2K has excellent front brakes: dual four-piston calipers and 300mm discs, but they're hardly roadracer sensitive. Anyway, he must have grabbed that front brake, because the bike allegedly overturned and James went down, suffering "physical pain, suffering, physical impairment, loss of earnings, disfigurement and mental anguish," according to the lawsuit.
James' circumstances highlight the need for basic motorcycle training, which is now mandatory in Texas. The Motorcycle Safety Foundation's Basic RiderCourse teaches two basic skills that might have had James avoid this tragedy. First, doing a basic function check-including brakes-is crucial before each ride. Second, the BRC shows riders how to use both brakes, every time they stop and slow, dispelling any lingering ideas of the front brakes being inherently dangerous. Used properly, they're roughly 70 percent of a motorcycle's stopping power, and are there to prevent-not cause-physical pain, anguish, and all those other expensive damages James is claiming.
Gawsh darn it Jethro why is the ferunt braker bigger than ther back on', y'all dun need it!