News Summary

Whether it's rising gas prices, a desire to relive one's youth, or the social aspect of cycling, retail sales of motorcycles continue to climb, but with a hefty price.

Motorcyclists made up nearly half of Ohioans killed in motor-vehicle accidents over the 2007 Memorial Day weekend, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

"Ohioans need to focus on motorcycle safety due to four of the 10 fatalities (during the holiday weekend) being motorcyclists," said Col. Richard H. Collins, the State Patrol superintendent.

Of the 14 people who died on Ohio roads during the 2006 Memorial Day weekend, five were motorcyclists.

Ohio is among the top seven states in the U.S. with the most motorcycle riders, said Imre Szauter of the American Motorcycle Association. The Motorcycle Industry Council estimated Ohio had nearly 400,000 cyclists in 2003.

"That's a statistically significant number of riders," and it increases the chances of fatalities, Szauter said.

His recommendation? "Reduce your risk."

"The first thing I would tell someone is to get training before you buy that bike," Szauter said. "Second, I'd say get properly licensed ... and the third thing, and the most important, is to ride unimpaired. No alcohol, no drugs, nothing that would keep you from being on top of your game."

Youths aren't the only novice motorcyclists, he said.

"We're seeing a lot of re-entry riders — a large influx of people over 40 or 45 riding again," he said. Many adult riders gave up their bikes when they were raising families but are now back on them.

According to the Motorcycle Industry Council's estimates, sales of two-wheelers rose for the 14th year straight in 2006 with about 1.1 million new-unit sales for all brands. Ohio ranked sixth in the nation in retail sales last year.