WHOA! Governor "Ahnuld" gets wiped out on his Harley!

[TheSlashFiveTourer]

Calamity in Cali-fornia! The Governor gets clobbered (http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/01/08/schwarzenegger.wreck/index.html) while riding his rig. ` ` :uhoh

Cage driver must've been a Democrat!

[Belg]

I don't know which I'd like to be less....

The 17 year old kid who rear-ended Obi-Wan,

Or the poor sucker who pulled out in front of a Harley and saw the Terminator get off the bike...

[Belg]

Ya know,

I may make a little funny scenario about it, but maybe this could be... hmm, how should we say... beneficial????... to the riding community. Don't get me wrong, I'll take no accidents over non/minor injury accidents any day of the week, but maybe after Ewan and now Arnold get nailed, the awareness level might go up a bit. Especially if Arnold starts some kind of statements/awareness campaign in California over it. I mean, it could have cost him his son...

Of course, idiots abound in this world, and you can never wake up 100% of them, but maybe... just maybe... Arnie will do something useful and beneficial to the riding community with the event :=)

[Visian]

Of course, idiots abound in this world, and you can never wake up 100% of them, but maybe... just maybe... Arnie will do something useful and beneficial to the riding community with the event :=)

Very good idea. Hopefully the AMA will contact Arnie and get him to read a line for a commercial --- "Start seeing Motorcyclists or you will be terminated."

:p

Ian

ps => speaking of celebs, a noted conservative talkshow host, Neal Boortz (http://www.boortz.com), bought an R12RT from a local dealer here in Atlanta. He's spent a good deal of airtime talking about the importance of quiet motorcycles, rider training, and the fact that not all motorcyclists are squids or poseurs.

[riderR1150GSAdv]

It is tragic that it has to take a few accidents with high profile people before the general public pulls their heads out of their cellphones, and start realizing that driving is not a game but a serious issue.
Than again, drivers education is non existent in most states, as a block around Sears usually results in someone "qualifying" for a license. :sick

[RichardCook]

Does the nature of his injury mean that the Governor was not wearing a full face helmet?

[Xaque]

I don't know which I'd like to be less....

The 17 year old kid who rear-ended Obi-Wan,

Or the poor sucker who pulled out in front of a Harley and saw the Terminator get off the bike...

Harrison Ford volunteers his time as a helicopter pilot. He flies out to the desert and helps authorities rescue stranded and lost hikers.

Imagine being in the desert for a few days, low on water, hungry, exhausted, and being lifted into a helicopter and rescued by Indiana Jones!

-Xaque-

[DarrylRi]

LAPD Officer Jason Lee said no one was cited.

"It was an unfortunate accident," he said.
Since the CHP and LAPD both declined to cite the driver, it would appear that Arnold was at fault. Not exactly Janklow, but... And this isn't Arnold's first rear ender while riding a Harley, the LA Times article (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/state/la-me-arnold9jan09,1,1720240.story?coll=la-news-state) mentions how he rear ended a car in 2001 and broke some ribs.

[The_Veg]

Harrison Ford volunteers his time as a helicopter pilot. He flies out to the desert and helps authorities rescue stranded and lost hikers.
Imagine being in the desert for a few days, low on water, hungry, exhausted, and being lifted into a helicopter and rescued by Indiana Jones!
I read a funny quote about that. Ford rescued one young hiker who didn't recognise him and in fact didn't know it was him until being told so after landing. The hiker, who'd been ill, responded with something to the effect of "Oh my god, I can't believe I puked in Harrison Ford's helicopter!"

[Belg]

I read a funny quote about that. Ford rescued on eyoung hiker who didn't recognise him and in fact didn't know it was him until being told so after landing. The hiker, who'd been ill, responded with something to the effect of "Oh my god, I can't believe I puked in Harrison Ford's helicopter!"


Gee, and I thought I was lucky to get a drink of water out of Robert Plant's supply... I coulda been parched, dry, and pukin in the 'millenium falcon'!

LOL

[BradfordBenn]

Any accident is a bad thing... luckily it was not worse. But I also agree I am curious as to what the protective gear was.

[jeffsdale]

GOVERNOR UNLICENSED TO RIDE
January 09, 2006 | 3:00 P.M.

KFI NEWS has learned California Governor Arnold Schwarzengger does not have a motorcycle endorsement on his driver license, though an exemption for side cars means he didn't break any laws Sunday when he was involved in a collision on Mandeville Canyon Road.

"The governor has acknowledged he does not have the license," spokeswoman Margita Thompson told KFI NEWS Monday, though she says the governor now promises to get one.

A Department of Motor Vehicles spokesman explained Schwarzenegger has a Class C license, which entitles him to operate a motorcycle with (emphasis added) a sidecar -- even without the motorcycle endorsement.

[Burnszilla]

Looks good on him?
http://www.sacbee.com/ips_rich_content/584-SCHWARZENEGGER-ACCIDENT001.jpg

[TheSlashFiveTourer]

Looks good on him?
http://www.sacbee.com/ips_rich_content/584-SCHWARZENEGGER-ACCIDENT001.jpg
Arnie, what have they done to you. . . will you be back??

[Burnszilla]

http://www.sacbee.com/ips_rich_content/584-SCHWARZENEGGER-ACCIDENT001.jpg

"It's not a tuma!"

[username]

http://www.sacbee.com/ips_rich_content/584-SCHWARZENEGGER-ACCIDENT001.jpg

"It's not a tuma!"


:ha

[BubbaZanetti]

"It's not a tuma!"

i watched that movie from start to finish, last wed, i was late for a dj'ing gig cause of it, damn fine film,

http://www.avantfolk.com/disclosure/photos/arnoldcop.jpg

[Junkle]

Sad. Someday it'd be nice if learning to properly drive a sidecar outfit was important to anyone in charge. I know there are fewer of us than people on solo bikes, but safety classes should be available and it wouldn't be a bad idea if training were required. I'm not one for regulation by governament, but driving a sidecar IS NOT the same as driving either a car or a solo bike.

Arnold you're a putz. If you really want to ride learn how first. Especially if you are putting a child in the car.

j.

[cruisin]

With this being his second accident on a bike in recent history (2001 rear ended a car) that is apparently related to not being able to stop in time, maybe we should all pitch in a few cents to buy him David Hough's books on proficient motorcycling and while we're at it send him a registration form for his nearest MSF beginning rider course. In fact, we should send it all to Jay Leno and have him present it to Arnie on national television where he (Ahnold) made the statement about his last accident that he, "instinctively laid it down to avoid the other vehicle" which he hit anyway. It'd be a great way to raise national awareness of the need for proper training and safety in the motorcycling world. :lol

[BobbieZ]

Lots of issues here.

The Governor must have an interest in motorcycling.
The Governor owns a motorcycle.
He must want to share that interest with his son.
He must have learned a lesson about how invisible motorcyclists can be to "cagers".
He must have an appreciation about the proper riding gear (ATGATT).
He must have an appreciation of how it can All get lost in a split second of inattention (yours or someone else’s).
He must realize that there are a big bunch of motorcyclists in California and that a lot of them don't have proper endorsements.
He must realize that it hurts when things go awry.
Instead of taking cheap shots, is there some way we can make this a win win for us, the cagers, the motorcyclists in Cali, and the motorcyclists everywhere?
Any ideas?

[stan]

Lots of issues here.

The Governor must have an interest in motorcycling.
The Governor owns a motorcycle.
He must want to share that interest with his son.
He must have learned a lesson about how invisible motorcyclists can be to "cagers".
He must have an appreciation about the proper riding gear (ATGATT).
He must have an appreciation of how it can All get lost in a split second of inattention (yours or someone else’s).
He must realize that there are a big bunch of motorcyclists in California and that a lot of them don't have proper endorsements.
He must realize that it hurts when things go awry.
Instead of taking cheap shots, is there some way we can make this a win win for us, the cagers, the motorcyclists in Cali, and the motorcyclists everywhere?
Any ideas?


AMEN!

[kbasa]

Lots of issues here.

The Governor must have an interest in motorcycling.
The Governor owns a motorcycle.
He must want to share that interest with his son.
He must have learned a lesson about how invisible motorcyclists can be to "cagers".
He must have an appreciation about the proper riding gear (ATGATT).
He must have an appreciation of how it can All get lost in a split second of inattention (yours or someone else’s).
He must realize that there are a big bunch of motorcyclists in California and that a lot of them don't have proper endorsements.
He must realize that it hurts when things go awry.
Instead of taking cheap shots, is there some way we can make this a win win for us, the cagers, the motorcyclists in Cali, and the motorcyclists everywhere?
Any ideas?


Maybe this will encourage the governor to get his motorcycle license. According to the LA times, he doesn't have one. I believe the Hurt report indicated that unlicensed riders are vastly over represented in accidents.

:bluduh

[web3]

Maybe the governor should consider getting a BMW or even a Harley Police Model with ABS.

[BradfordBenn]

Maybe a full face helmet also...

[selil]

Lots of issues here.

The Governor must have an interest in motorcycling.
The Governor owns a motorcycle.
He must want to share that interest with his son.
He must have learned a lesson about how invisible motorcyclists can be to "cagers".
He must have an appreciation about the proper riding gear (ATGATT).
He must have an appreciation of how it can All get lost in a split second of inattention (yours or someone else’s).
He must realize that there are a big bunch of motorcyclists in California and that a lot of them don't have proper endorsements.
He must realize that it hurts when things go awry.
Instead of taking cheap shots, is there some way we can make this a win win for us, the cagers, the motorcyclists in Cali, and the motorcyclists everywhere?
Any ideas?

I gotta agree with you. The guy is a motorcyclist and I've seen him whacked at every turn by motorcyclists. What a bunch of garbage. Motorcyclists we eat our own.

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

I gotta agree with you. The guy is a motorcyclist and I've seen him whacked at every turn by motorcyclists. What a bunch of garbage. Motorcyclists we eat our own.


Just jealousy on many peoples' part I'm sure of it. The folks at the top are the easiest targets. He is still The Terminator...like him or not, he's the man.

[Junkle]

If I see someone do something stupid I say that. He drove without a license and was in his second accident in 4 years. Kind of a strange coincidence (and with his son the sidecar no less!). He also doesn't seem to think that getting licensed is important so I can probably safely assume he doesn't care about safety training courses as well.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if it had been the moron next door doing this I would have the same comments. I would have the same comments if someone did this in a car.

If he is really interested in motorcycles he should take it seriously and get licensed and take some safety courses. He seems to think it doesn't matter so I choose to think he is a moron on this issue. I'm not "eating our own" -- the cages will do that fast enough if people mirror the approach Arnold is taking.

j.

[Visian]

Instead of taking cheap shots, is there some way we can make this a win win for us, the cagers, the motorcyclists in Cali, and the motorcyclists everywhere?
Any ideas?

Yeah, have the AMA ask Arnold to record a "Start seeing motorcyclists" public service announcement.

oh... and a "You need to get your motocycle endorsement" ad that runs on Two-Wheel Tuesday and other MC shows! :p

Ian

[selil]

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but if it had been the moron next door doing this I would have the same comments. I would have the same comments if someone did this in a car.


And attacking other motorcyclists that have had accidents serves what positive goal?

Which member of MOA will you attack next when they have an accident. Several states either grandfathered or allow side car riding/trike riding without a license. So, if you have an accident in those states you are at fault? Last article on the accident I saw had CHP and LAPD disagreeing about the legality. In other words it looks like a political football.

I know of at least a few members of MOA who have had much more serious accidents all by themselves. Where is the criticism of that? Everybody I know jumps in and says bad luck dude(ette) and jumps in with sympathy. I think a lot of people are saying mean things about Ahhhrrrrold because they can. Great an attack of a public figure that happens to ride instead of trying to get a guy who's BTDT to support the rest of us in getting idiot cagers to look before leaping.

He was riding a motorcycle for gosh sakes. It wasn't a photo op. It wasn't a stunt. He was doing it because he enjoyed it. He was sharing it with his kid and apparently does this often without making it a big political rhetoric. That is pretty darn rare for motorcycling in general. I've been seeing a lot of nasty stuff posted and all of it by motorcyclists.

Everybody doesn't ride and participate in motorcycling the same way. But, once they've made the leap into motorcycling I'm not going to kick them out of the lifeboat.

[basketcase]

The short-sightedness and hypocrisy in this thread up to BobbieZ’s post is revolting.

To wit, Junkle commented – Sad. Someday it'd be nice if learning to properly drive a sidecar outfit was important to anyone in charge. I know there are fewer of us than people on solo bikes, but safety classes should be available and it wouldn't be a bad idea if training were required. I'm not one for regulation by governament, but driving a sidecar IS NOT the same as driving either a car or a solo bike.

Arnold you're a putz. If you really want to ride learn how first. Especially if you are putting a child in the car.So hey there, buddy, are you telling us you have done all the safety courses, and that you have never – not one time, ridden your bike in a manner that could become unsafe when an unexpected variable was introduced into the circumstances?

The fact is, any one of us who posts here could have the same accident today if a cager backed into our path in the street.

Meanwhile, take a look at the news story at this link: CNN Headline: Police - Schwarzenegger riding illegally (http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/01/10/schwarzeneggar.license.ap/index.html)

The headline is a blatant lie, and if you read the CNN story closely you will find that eight paragraphs down it is finally mentioned that the endorsement is not required for a sidecar rig in California. What has happened is that CNN and other media have cast the impression that the California Governor is not abiding by the very laws he enforces, when the exact opposite is true. And as such, it provides an outstanding example of why, in terms of trustworthiness, the media in this country is viewed as only one notch above child molesters.

CNN and most of the rest of them will omit or twist essential facts and the law to make a story out of nothing at anyone's expense, and then hide their intellectual dishonesty behind a pretext of free speech. And it appears a hell of a lot of motorcyclists are cut from the same bolt of cloth...

And back to the matter of shortsightedness – why is it that so many “tolerant” people are in fact infected with such insidious intolerance? And then blinded by personal bias or pride, they fail to seize opportunities such as a motorcycle friendly governor, or a bicycling friendly President, to advance the viability of the sport they love?

Reading some posts over on the bicycling.com board, you would think GWB is the personification of the devil himself. And yet he has signed the largest earmarked federal appropriation for promoting bicycling is this county in anyone’s memory. Has anyone bothered to apply for those funds to enhance bicycling friendly infrastructure in their community – or even more, to thank him for it? The next President could be a gun-toting, beer swilling, bicyclist hating redneck who considers anything on two wheels to be an obstruction to legislate off the roadways. If that were to become the case, I wonder how GWB would look in hindsight?

But back to the matter of Arnold -- the fact seems to be lost that he was minding his own business, driving at a safe speed and accompanied by CHP officers, and that the cager backed into the street causing the accident. Of course the Govenor was not ticketed – the damn cager was at fault!

The irony of the neurotic media bias and the shortsightedness of so many of our citizenry would be laughable, if it were not so blatantly ignorant.

IMHO.

[BubbaZanetti]

He also doesn't seem to think that getting licensed is important so I can probably safely assume he doesn't care about safety training courses as well.



let me be the first to say that i'm not a fan of what seems to be common perceptions of both "bikers" and wanna be bikers, but really we gotta lay off a bit, the man's had an accident and that is unfortunate...........


no liscence - no excuse

no extra training - i don't have any msf or "special" training, does that make me a bad person??

no full face helmet - give me a break, do you know how many people don't wear full face helmets, or that full face helmets didn't really exist before the 70s or that it doesnt' make you a bad person if you choose to let the wind hit you in the face


when i bought my first bmw and first "real working bike" in may of 2004 i bought an old style racing helmet, goggles and a straight cut horsehide vintage set of leathers. did it offer the best crash protection, no, was it the most comfortable, no, did it look cool, YES. many people get into motorcycling for many different reasons. i had an obsession with the culture of england in the 60s (mods, rockers, racing, cafe racers, etc, etc) and that was my big thing when i first started riding. after a couple of big trips, one HUGE trip and meeting a few people, i realized that motorcycling really opened up an entire world beyond sitting at the local coffe shop looking cool. i started getting the "right" gear and developed new attitudes towards how i should regard motorcycling. i never in a million years would have been caught dead with a GPS, yellow rainsuit or textile pants even 2 years ago.

for some people, things never change. they'll be riding around in tanktops and brain buckets 20 years from now just like they do today. some people, myself included, realize a few things. to criticize someone after an accident casue they don't have a liscence is one thing, but to give them s&#* for not having the proper helmet is just childish

different worlds, ya know..................

[Junkle]

If expecting someone to take riding seriously makes me a hippocrit then I am a hippocrit. As far as I can see I didn't "attack" anyone in my posts about Arnold (Hell at least I use his full name and capitalize it). I didn't wish him harm. I didn't make fun of him. I think what he did was stupid (it may or may not have anything to do with the accident but even when you get away with doing something stupid it is still stupid). I never said he did anything illegal. I think you are reading into my posts venom and anger that isn't intended.

And I guess your comments about my opinion aren't divisive of motorcycle riders either.

Am I perfect? Far from it. Have I made mistakes? You bet. Have I been lucky at times when I didn't deserve it? You bet. Am I as a good a rider as I could be? Nope. And I hope I never feel that I am.

It is your choice to view me and my opinions in the way you wish the same as I view Arnold's behavior as suspect at best. I'm not here to argue and I stated that in my first post. I'm also finished posting in this thread. I only posted this to try and explain what I was trying to say in the first place in case I have not been clear. This is not an attempt to fan flames or bicker.

take care and be safe,

j.

[PUDGYPAINTGUY]

...after all a license means nothing except you paid the fee, took the test and met the legal requirement. It certainly does not meant that a person cannot ride or is not safe. It may be a piece of boring trivia to some, in the EU there are several countries that a rider can operate a hack or any three wheeler on a car permit, including a bike up to 50cc. who know's maybe that where his assumptions came from?

Either way it was in CA and CA law, that still does not mean he cannot ride safely...I am sure that we can all say that we have done some dumb things on two, three and 4 wheels...and even in parking lots. Just be happy it wasn't one of us and all were okay... :D

[BubbaZanetti]

It is your choice to view me and my opinions in the way you wish the same as I view Arnold's behavior as suspect at best. I'm not here to argue and I stated that in my first post. I'm also finished posting in this thread. I only posted this to try and explain what I was trying to say in the first place in case I have not been clear. This is not an attempt to fan flames or bicker.

take care and be safe,

j.


sorry if i came off as attacking you just cause i chose to quote your line, its the whole tone of this thread that i was trying to provide a differing viewpoint from. i was just suggesting that there are differing opinions out there from ours and a lot of times i notice many of us seem to insulate ourselves in our own little bmw world, i'm guilty of it too

thanks man, and you too :wave

derek

[Fritzc]

Actually Arnold's accident was a little more serious than first reported!!

http://www.tattooedsteve.com/images/terminator%20close.jpg

[cruisin]

Lots of issues here. . . .

. . .Instead of taking cheap shots, is there some way we can make this a win win for us, the cagers, the motorcyclists in Cali, and the motorcyclists everywhere?
Any ideas?

Yep; follow my original suggestion. I was being very serious (not a cheap shot) when I said he should make a big deal out of taking the MSF BRC. Think how much public awareness would be raised if a huge public figure like that openly admits to the need for better training than he received from the Hollywood stuntmen who taught him to lay a bike down as a sensible means of stopping to avoid a crash. Is it unfortunate that he had another crash? Yes; and now is the perfect time for him to make a public committment to advance national awareness of the need for everyone to take a more serious look at motorcycle safety. He could make a huge difference with his presence as a politician and movie star. That said, I don't think it was a cheap shot or degrading in any way; just a call to do the right thing.

Just for the record, I made these very same suggestions directly to him via his website after his crash in 2001. You guessed it, he did nothing and probably won't now either. :type