Hello, Moto

By Margaret Lyons in News on Sep 21, 2004 4:04PM

Chicagoist thought we were the only ones who noticed an increase in motorcycles around town, but apparently it's a verifiable trend. The Trib says that this trend is due in part to "the popularity of such movies as Torque and Biker Boyz that glorify the ultra-fast bikes and the motorcycle culture." What? No way. No one on this earth saw Torque.

Increased popularity has its costs, though: the number of motorcycle-related deaths in Illinois jumped from 100 in 2002 to 143 in 2003, and seven people in Cook County have died in motorcycle crashes in the last 21 days. Nationwide, motorcycle fatalities increased by 12 percent from 2002-2003. Police and ER doctors alike emphasize that driving your two-wheel beast recklessly can be extremely dangerous. Police spokeswoman Pat Camden went so far as to call them "'[organ] donor cycles.'" We've heard that phrase referenced on hospital shows and stuff, but didn't realize that people actually used it. Yipes. ER doctors encourage everyone to wear a helmet: even if you crash going over 100 mph, a helmet can still save your life.

Motorcycle enthusiast Patrick Thompson says that riding his bike is they way he gets high.

"It's just like a crackhead," said Thompson, who is recovering from a high-speed accident that left both arms in casts. "You can't really understand why this guy gets high, even though it's destroying his life. But he does it because of the reality he has to live through. You escape reality by the speed of the bike."
…"We're still riding like idiots," Thompson said. "I know that, but I just get a high from it."

Gah. "Just like a crackhead". That's rich. While we don't really have a problem with the super sporty motorcycles that people zip around on, what we really want is a huge beast of a chopper bike from OCC. A custom Chicagoist bike would fucking rule. If you're interested in learning how to ride a motorcycle, sign up for a class at Ride Chicago.