The motorcycle business is booming, according to Frank Hardman, the owner of motorcycle shops in Casper and Douglas. He said sales have almost doubled in the last year.

And in 35 years of riding and selling motorcycles, he said, riding has become safer as bikes come equipped with better tires and more responsive brakes.

But as encouraging as these trends may be to some people, they are accompanied by another that is likely to elicit a different response: In three of the past four years, motorcyclist deaths on Wyoming roads have increased. Thirteen have died so far this year, compared to 15 in 2004, according to statistics compiled by the Wyoming Highway Patrol. Two of those were reported in the last week.

And this year's crashes precede the annual peak in Wyoming motorcycle activity that generally coincides in August with South Dakota's Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, according to Lt. Carl McDonald, the Wyoming Highway Patrol's safety and training officer.

Identifying trends in Wyoming is complicated somewhat by the relatively small number of fatalities from year to year and the fact the statistics do not differentiate between motorcycle deaths and those that occur on Wyoming roads with four wheelers and similar vehicles.

National statistics, however, paint a similar picture. Slightly more than 2,000 people died in motorcycle crashes in 1997, according to Rae Tyson, a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration spokesman.

The numbers increased each of the following years, with nearly 4,000 deaths reported in 2004.

Tyson said the data shows a number of other trends. For one thing, he said, an increasing number of riders 40 and older have been dying in motorcycle crashes. One explanation for this finding is fairly simple.

"That's the age group that's been buying the most motorcycles," Tyson said.

NHTSA has also looked at what happened in five states that repealed helmet laws. In each, Tyson said, fatalities "increased dramatically." And preliminary results from an analysis of crashes in Florida after the state stopped requiring all riders to wear helmets show another increase, Tyson said.

"Medical costs in Florida increased phenomenally" after the repeal, Tyson said. And he called it a myth that any protection offered by a helmet is offset by an increased risk of a spinal injury because of the helmet's heaviness. "There is not scientific basis for that."

In Wyoming, only riders under the age of 18 are required to wear helmets. The requirement for other riders to wear them was lifted in the early '80s.

Whatever the protection offered by helmets, only eight of the 67 motorcyclists who have died in Wyoming crashes since the beginning of 2001 were reported by the highway patrol to have been wearing them.

Debates over helmet requirements are polarizing, with some arguing that increased deaths can be explained by the greater number of people who will go riding when freed of the helmet requirement. Tom Lindsay, director of public information for the American Motorcyclist Association, said the statistics are not consistent in regard to what happens when a helmet law is repealed. Some states, he said, have seen fewer fatalities after such a repeal. And the debate misses an important point, he said.

"Helmet laws do not prevent crashes," Lindsay said.

Lindsay recommends that new motorcyclists take classes and acquire the proper license for operating motorcycles in their states. He also suggests riders stay within their limits and "ride straight." That is, "don't mix the bottle with the throttle."

Greater attention from other drivers would also improve safety, Lindsay said, repeating the oft-heard phrase "check twice, save a life."

In Wyoming, new motorcyclists are required to pass both a written and a practical test to acquire the needed endorsement on their licenses. The Wyoming Department of Transportation also offers beginning motorcycle training classes in Casper, Cheyenne and several other locations across the state.

Hardman, owner of the Cycle Zone motorcycle shops, said he believes the classes are just what many riders need to help them stay safe. But the popularity of the courses deters some riders from waiting for a spot, he said.

And other riders return to motorcycling after years - or even decades - off, Hardman said. Even though such riders may have passed licensing exams years earlier, he urges them to go back through a safety course.

Hardman said he is personally committed to wearing a helmet, and he echoed many pieces of advice offered by others. In particular, he said, motorcyclists should check that their machines are in good shape and that the tires are inflated and have the proper tread.

"You're putting your life on those two tires," Hardman said.

Safety tips for motorcyclists:

- Wear a helmet and protective clothing

- Be visible and use headlight at all times

- Stay alert and aware of surroundings

- Do not drive impaired. Operating a motorcycle while intoxicated is particularly dangerous

- Know that heavy loads and trailers can change the way a motorcycle handles

- Obtain the proper training and follow licensing requirements

- Lt. Carl McDonald, the Wyoming Highway Patrol's safety and training officer

The Wyoming Department of Transportation offers training courses for beginning and experienced motorcyclists. The courses cost $15 for state residents and the basic course lasts 20 hours. Information is available at www.dot.state.wy.us/Default.jsp?sCode=hwyms.

Fatalities on Wyoming roads (source: the Wyoming Highway Patrol)

Motorcycle deaths Overall fatalities

2001 6 186

2002 14 176

2003 19 165

2004 15 164

2005 (so far) 13 89

Two of this year's motorcycle deaths were reported in the last week. Leslie Long, 42, died of injuries he sustained earlier in the month when he crashed just before entering a construction zone on Interstate 90. Kathleen Porter, 51, died after a July 10 crash on U.S. Highway 16 near Moorcroft. She was the passenger on a motorcycle that was apparently pulling a small trailer.

Reporter Anthony Lane can be reached at (307) 266-0593 or at anthony.lane@casperstartribune.net.