Tourist Dies On Rented Motorbike In Pattaya

[warfie]

Moral of the story is...........

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There are several morals to this story, but #1 would be WEAR A BLOODY HELMET!

[warfie]

Why does one report say he was wearing a helmet and the other says he was not.

Is it seriously that hard to observe and report on an incident ?

the pictures seem to pretty clearly indicate we was not wearing a helmet

The pictures seem to pretty clearly indicate we was not wearing a helmet, by the time the photographer got there...

[Semper]

Moral of the story is...........

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......don't let tourists rent motorbikes.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

There are several morals to this story, but #1 would be WEAR A BLOODY HELMET!

Hmm. I would say that the number one moral is: dont ride on motorbikes. At the best of times they are hideously dangerous, large engines/high speed add to the danger, and lack of suitable protection (helmet, exposed skin) just compounds the insanity of being on one in the first place.

[warfie]

There is a bright side to this article. So many times I speak to idiots who try to argue that not wearing a helmet is safe/safer. This adequately demonstrates that 2 people in the same accident, 1 with and 1 without, do NOT come out the same. So sad for the family of the girl.

Agreed. Add to that the fact that the rider usually comes off much worse than the pillion (passenger) and it speaks volumes for the value of a helmet. Preferably one of decent quality, not like the <deleted> salad bowl I was once offered with a bike rental.

[scotto]

Surely this guy is an idiot and a poser?

anyone that has seen beach rd knows it is packed all the time and you cannot ride safely

their going fast.

my sympathies to his girlfriends family and freinds.

[Songhua]

I have owned and ridden many big bikes throughout my life. For those who have not ridden one before, they cannot be compared in any way to riding a scooter. The exhilaration is difficult to describe ... they are powerful and extremely dangerous animals. I don't know if this guy was an experienced big bike rider or not, but I do know they are not something that should be rented to any Tom, Dick or Ivan that comes along.

Beach Rd, speed, powerful bike and alcohol = absolute no no.

[warfie]

There are several morals to this story, but #1 would be WEAR A BLOODY HELMET!

Hmm. I would say that the number one moral is: dont ride on motorbikes. At the best of times they are hideously dangerous, large engines/high speed add to the danger, and lack of suitable protection (helmet, exposed skin) just compounds the insanity of being on one in the first place.

I would disagree strongly, if motorbikes/large engines/high speed were dangerous, I and thousands of motorcycle racers around the world would be dead.

It is stupidity that is dangerous, riding a bike more powerful than you're capable of controlling, riding drunk or otherwise intoxicated, riding without a helmet... stupid. (Some, all or none of these may pertain to this particular incident, but it irritates me when people say "motorbikes are dangerous").

Edit: "incident" not "accident"

Edited January 10, 2013 by warfie

[joorakee]

I used to ride a 600cc motorcycle (Suzuki Bandit) in my home country years ago, now I ride a 250cc maxi-scooter (Yamaha X-Max), but when in Thailand, I prefer renting smaller motorbikes - Yamaha Nouvo is one of my faves. I also bring my own helmet with myself (an old full-face Uvex that I wore earlier back home). In my humble opinion, 100~135cc is the ideal engine capacity in a small city like Pattaya.

OK, I admit that sometimes I'm slightly tempted to rent a big bike, e.g. during Burapa Pattaya Bike Week, but have resisted the temptation so far.

Feel sorry for the deceased, her family and friends.

[Briggsy]

In addition to having killed his girlfriend and sustained injuries himself, Mr. Perfilov will now have to pay a lot of money to the bike rental thugs to get his passport back.

[Spoonman]

I have owned and ridden many big bikes throughout my life. For those who have not ridden one before, they cannot be compared in any way to riding a scooter. The exhilaration is difficult to describe ... they are powerful and extremely dangerous animals. I don't know if this guy was an experienced big bike rider or not, but I do know they are not something that should be rented to any Tom, Dick or Ivan that comes along.

Beach Rd, speed, powerful bike and alcohol = absolute no no.

Having recently purchased a GSXR1000 It truly scares me to the point I do not want to ride it.

[SteeleJoe]

This is what makes Pattaya a dangerous place to ride. People who probably have little motorcycle experience being allowed to jump on a large displacement sportbike. Little do they understand that these machines are not toys.

People who have little experience on large displacement bikes, unaware that they a not toys, are in danger anywhere - that doesn't make Pattaya a dangerous place to ride (though other things arguably do).

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The point is that in Pattaya it is very easy for an inexperienced rider to rent a big bike and roar around like a lunatic. I know because I have done it.

Apparently you did not read my subsequent post; if you had you'd see that I needn't be told.

MY point was that this fact isn't want makes Pattaya a dangerous place to ride: a large bike ridden by an inexperienced rider who doesn't take it seriously is dangerous ANYWHERE.

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[LaoPo]

............. i see a Thai women putting her 18 month old toddler who can just about stand up between her legs put so he is standing on the footing section of her motorbike and then riding off.

"Just" one toddler?

Five people on a motobike in Thailand isn't an exception; I've seen more...

The most I've seen was a motobike on Phuket, a long time ago, SPEEDING in a slow long corner, coming from Patong beach towards Phuket town with 7 people, ALL LAUGHING

[BlackPuddingBertha]

I would disagree strongly, if motorbikes/large engines/high speed were dangerous, I and thousands of motorcycle racers around the world would be dead.

I suspect that far more motorbike riders have died in motorbike accidents than non-motorbike riders. You can draw your own conclusions about this.

Indeed I know full well that if some motorbike rider came into high-speed contact with my pickup I would probably suffer no injury at all.

It is stupidity that is dangerous, riding a bike more powerful than you're capable of controlling, riding drunk or otherwise intoxicated, riding without a helmet... stupid.

Yes, but here I find that most of the stupidity is demonstrated by other drivers. Personally, on roads full of stupid drivers I would rather take my chances in a pickup than on a motorbike. YMMV.

[RabC]

Its called Darwinism..............

[watcharacters]

Sad to see, and honestly fellas I have to admit when I first came here 11 or 12 years ago, my perception of them was leaning more toward the idea that these things were toys rather than motorbikes (or "motosai," as it were). I used to say to ladies, "That's not a motorbike, that's only a scooter!" Many times in my younger years did I have a lady on the back of a scooter, going 60 up the road well past midnight. Although after seeing stories like this, it doesn't take long to realize riding one of these things after throwing back a few drinks can be deadly. That's not to accuse the driver of being drunk or tipsy, that comment is in relation to my own mistakes of driving on a scooter after 8 beers, but I don't do that anymore.

Many of us do things here that we would never do in our home country, speeding around on a scooter in shorts and flip flops at night is just the tip of the iceberg. Terrible that it cost this lady her life though.

***Edit***

Wow, 750cc's, that's most certainly NOT a scooter. I didn't peruse the 2nd story closely enough, my mistake.

Good to know you've changed your ways.

Congrats.

[warfie]

I would disagree strongly, if motorbikes/large engines/high speed were dangerous, I and thousands of motorcycle racers around the world would be dead.

I suspect that far more motorbike riders have died in motorbike accidents than non-motorbike riders. You can draw your own conclusions about this.

Indeed I know full well that if some motorbike rider came into high-speed contact with my pickup I would probably suffer no injury at all.

It is stupidity that is dangerous, riding a bike more powerful than you're capable of controlling, riding drunk or otherwise intoxicated, riding without a helmet... stupid.

Yes, but here I find that most of the stupidity is demonstrated by other drivers. Personally, on roads full of stupid drivers I would rather take my chances in a pickup than on a motorbike. YMMV.

All quite irrelevant as this was a single vehicle incident...

[DD13]

? was he seen wearing the helmet or was it being carried?

Sorry but I haven't had time to read all the replies

But a tragic result all the same for the young girl and for "her family and friends"

R I P

Edited January 10, 2013 by DD13

[SparklingCascades]

I quite like the bike. A real go-er in wide open empty spaces. Quite anal to race it around Pattaya. Its a shame that the drunk & speeding bike rider lived with a few minor injuries whilst the hapless passenger dies.

[BlackPuddingBertha]

All quite irrelevant as this was a single vehicle incident...

I dont think that the number of vehicles involved has much effect on how conclusively you can die or be injured on a motorbike. It's quite simply much less likely to happen in an enclosed vehicle.

[warfie]

All quite irrelevant as this was a single vehicle incident...

I dont think that the number of vehicles involved has much effect on how conclusively you can die or be injured on a motorbike. It's quite simply much less likely to happen in an enclosed vehicle.

Quote one line out of context and try to build a straw-man.

end of conversation.

[cuddleypete]

sad

[smedly]

very sad story of another young life lost on the roads here RIP

I have owned a large bike here for going on 7 years, I always wear a quality full face helmet but lets be clear - a helmet will not save you if your head hits a solid object "like a pole or tree or other vehicle" at anything over 30mph - it will fail, the impact also has a very high likelyhood of causing a fatal neck injury. Helmets are designed to reduce the effects of falling from a height to the road while moving in a forward direction - forward velocity may or may not influence the severity the initial impact of your head with the road other factors may, I'm sure you've all seen motoGP riders come off at serious speeds and often their head never even contacts the track surface regardless of speed, they usually slide along the ground get up and try to mount up again uninjured - that's because a track doesn't have soilid poles and trees to hit, the only real danger on a track involves contact with another another bike (solid object) which tragically happened not so long ago and killed a rider, the impact with the helmet was so severe that it ripped it off his head.

The point I'm making is that many people think that wearing a helmet (and other gear) gives them a safety margin and protection that is often overrated and not understood, if the human body hits something solid at a speed in excess of 30mph (50kmph) you will most likely die or be very seriously injured no matter what gear you are wearing, so be careful out there

[BlackPuddingBertha]

.... I'm sure you've all seen motoGP riders come off at serious speeds and often their head never even contacts the track surface regardless of speed, they usually slide along the ground get up and try to mount up again uninjured - that's because a track doesn't have soilid poles and trees to hit, the only real danger on a track involves contact with another another bike ......

There is one other danger that track riders are well-prepared for and which most riders around here are ill-prepared for: major skin loss. Track riders wear full body protection. Many riders here just have shorts and a t-shirt. Major skin loss can kill you just as well as a dented skull can, but it may take much longer and be much more painful.

[smedly]

.... I'm sure you've all seen motoGP riders come off at serious speeds and often their head never even contacts the track surface regardless of speed, they usually slide along the ground get up and try to mount up again uninjured - that's because a track doesn't have soilid poles and trees to hit, the only real danger on a track involves contact with another another bike ......

There is one other danger that track riders are well-prepared for and which most riders around here are ill-prepared for: major skin loss. Track riders wear full body protection. Many riders here just have shorts and a t-shirt. Major skin loss can kill you just as well as a dented skull can, but it may take much longer and be much more painful.

yes agree- but realisticaly most people are not going to wear full body protection around the town, body protection becomes a factor at much more rapid speeds than 50kmph, although I've seen some serious skin rash injuries at low speeds they are never life threating

The point I was making was that speed kills and helmets become less of a factor on public roads.

Standards for helmets like DOT CE etc require testing helmets at impacts of only 17mph anything above that and you're in trouble and those cheap plastic helmets supplied by renters and MB taxi drivers protect against a fine only - as a functional helmet they are absolutly worthless

[overherebc]

There are several morals to this story, but #1 would be WEAR A BLOODY HELMET!

Hmm. I would say that the number one moral is: dont ride on motorbikes. At the best of times they are hideously dangerous, large engines/high speed add to the danger, and lack of suitable protection (helmet, exposed skin) just compounds the insanity of being on one in the first place.

I would disagree strongly, if motorbikes/large engines/high speed were dangerous, I and thousands of motorcycle racers around the world would be dead.

It is stupidity that is dangerous, riding a bike more powerful than you're capable of controlling, riding drunk or otherwise intoxicated, riding without a helmet... stupid. (Some, all or none of these may pertain to this particular incident, but it irritates me when people say "motorbikes are dangerous").

Edit: "incident" not "accident"

I believe it was Stirling Moss who once said that it is not speed that is dangerous it is lack of driver ability in the circumstances that is dangerous.

[chooka]

This is what makes Pattaya a dangerous place to ride. People who probably have little motorcycle experience being allowed to jump on a large displacement sportbike. Little do they understand that these machines are not toys.

Agree I can understand renting out little step throughs but these large machines are different. Did he have a motorcycle licence? If he did then renting it to him was probably o.k

[SOTIRIOS]

...what a shame.....

....I know it seems deceptively easy to drive a bike in Thailand....but one has to consider the mindlessness of most drivers...

[SteeleJoe]

...what a shame.....

....I know it seems deceptively easy to drive a bike in Thailand....but one has to consider the mindlessness of most drivers...

You are not wrong but this accident didn't involve other drivers - it involved (as do many motorcycle accidents in Pattaya) the mindlessness of someone who shouldn't have been on that bike.

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[Brunovski]

This is what makes Pattaya a dangerous place to ride. People who probably have little motorcycle experience being allowed to jump on a large displacement sportbike. Little do they understand that these machines are not toys.

This makes entire Thailand a dangerous place, not only Pattaya!