An Atlanta man was chased today by police after being clocked for speeding on his motorcycle and attempting to outrun them. The chase began on Interstate 75 southbound around 11am this morning and continued through midtown finally ending when police boxed the man in on Roosevelt Hwy. No one was hurt in the incident. Police say the man was running because of a suspended license and that he thought quote “he could outrun them.”
This is a particularly interesting story as a biker because of the sheer danger this man put himself and others in during this chase. One of the problems I have with sport bikes is the mentality of some who ride them--not all--but some. These bikes are high performance machines that will generate massive amounts of horsepower in mere seconds, they will take curves at very high speeds, and they can out run most anything on wheels in a straightaway; however, they can`t out run a radio and a helicopter.
I like to ride up in Suches Georgia on weekdays and I love the mountain views and beauty the area provides. The reason I don`t ride there during the weekends is that during the weekends it is flat dangerous because of sport bike riders. These guys think that because their bike can do these incredible feats of speed and power that somehow they are automatically a great rider. I have seen dozens of accidents and some deaths for this simple yet foolish reason. These mountain roads are not like the super speedways on TV guys. You have gravel in the curves and other bikes and automobiles in the oncoming lane.
I had a dear friend of mine in 2001 that was horribly scared and maimed by an accident in Suches where a sport bike in the oncoming lane crossed the line on him and hit him head on. His jaw was ripped off among other nasty little injuries that almost killed him. The sport rider: He suffered minor injuries and a small amount of road rash--he was 22 years old.
It appears, in the biker community, that these guys just don`t care about their fellow riders on the highway. This police chase demonstrates this invincible attitude. This guy could have easily killed himself or some innocent bystander and I am sure he will be prosecuted accordingly.
Bottom line: When riding a motorcycle have courtesy for your fellow riders and don`t add to the public opinion that we as bikers are bad, lawless, disrespectful people. Chaps
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