Curious medical/electronics question?

[towerworker]

Couple of days ago I was riding thru town and saw an older BMW airhead on a trailer with a For Sale sign on it. I don't know the older models well enough to know the years and models but as I pulled up to it the owner was hooking his truck back up to the trailer to move it. We got to talking and he told me he was selling it and buying a Bergman Scooter to replace it. He explained that a month ago he had a heart attack and had to have a pacemaker implanted. His Dr warned him that his pacemaker was susceptible to any electrical/magnetic field or interference and could possibly cause his pacemaker to malfunction and potentially cause him serious problems including death. He loved the BMW but was afraid of sitting basically on top/behind the alternator and any related electronics and the close proximity to his pacemaker. He reasoned that since the Bergman's alternator and I guess the majority of the electronics were somewhat behind him that he would be safer.

I have the man's name and phone number and encouraged him to visit this forum and seek some information here. Do any of you folks have any knowledge or experience with something like this?


Wayne

[boxermania]

towerworker

Electrical/magnetic interference at the right enrgy level can affect a pacemaker. In regards to his belief and reason for selling the bike that falls more in the bunk category.....

First the charging/electrical system of a car bike will not generate any energy of significance to affect his pacemaker.

In regards to sitting right over it on a Burgman.......it is not any farther if it is a Burgman 650, like yours truly, as the chassis is like that of a bike and the engine is right under the hump, in the case of a 400 with the engine on the swing arm I don't believe the source would be any further than his bike.

Personally, I would keep my distance from microwave ovens, mag particle test rigs and lightning in close proximity.....of course as you well know I'm not a medical Dr. so I will have to yield to Dr. Strangelove's profesional interpretation if he happens to catch your post.

Sorry for the rant, just pecking at the computer.

[boxermania]

towerworker

Electrical/magnetic interference at the right enrgy level can affect a pacemaker. In regards to his belief and reason for selling the bike that falls more in the bunk category.....

First the charging/electrical system of a car bike will not generate any energy of significance to affect his pacemaker.

In regards to sitting right over it on a Burgman.......it is not any farther if it is a Burgman 650, like yours truly, as the chassis is like that of a bike and the engine is right under the hump, in the case of a 400 with the engine on the swing arm I don't believe the source would be any further than his bike.

Personally, I would keep my distance from microwave ovens, mag particle test rigs, good size alnico magnets and lightning in close proximity.....of course as you well know I'm not a medical Dr. so I will have to yield to Dr. Strangelove's profesional interpretation if he happens to catch your post.

Sorry for the rant, just pecking at the computer.

[towerworker]

My thoughts were basically the same as yours but like you I am no physician. Personally I would think the electrical field generated by modern cars and trucks would far exceed that of any motorcycle on the road today.

I think I will call him and talk further.

Wayne

[bikermeow]

We do talk about anything under the Sun, and within the human body. Hope the old chap gets to keep his airhead.

[Dale_K]

I had a Burgman 650. You definitely won't get a heart attack riding one. Sort of fun drag racing Harleys though. The Burgman has computerized fuel injection/ignition and theoretically those components might have more RF emissions than a points/coil ignition on an old BMW. Probably nothing to worry about either way but I don't know how you would check it scientifically.

[bimrluvr]

The magnetic fields created by our bikes' electronics and alternator/generator dissipate to practically nothing just a few inches out from the source. If it were worse, the ECUs in our bikes would be constantly failing.

Just to be official and sure, this would be a good question for the doctor who writes the Medical Motorcycling column in Motorcycle Consumer News.His name is Dr. Flash Gordon...he takes questions from his website http://www.docflash.com/

Update: I've sent the good Doc Flash an email...I'll post the reply if/when I get one.

[towerworker]

Thanks guys! I will pass this information along!


Wayne

[Twempie]

I'd rather die on the motorbike than on a scooter.

[bimrluvr]

Dr. Flash Gordon's response....

i haven't heard of a problem - but googling around might be a good idea.

my columns are all intended to help us keep aging - but when you've hit the far side of 60 (like i have) the term "aging rider" gets harder to define. heck, i'm not aging . . .




--
"The Wright Brothers weren't the first to fly. They were just the first not to crash." -- anon.
see http://www.docflash.com/quotes.html for more

flash gordon md / [email protected] / www.docflash.com
Ross Valley Medical Corporation
1300 S. Eliseo Dr., STE 200, Greenbrae, CA 94904
vox 415.461.2262 / fax 415.461.9376
For info on my newest book, Blood, Sweat & 2nd Gear: More Medicine for Motorcyclists
see http://snipurl.com/blood_sweat_2nd_gear

[awagnon]

I had a friend who needed an implanted defibrillator which is sort of like a pacemaker, except it shocks the heart back into a regular rhythm if there is fibrillation or tachycardia. He was told by one cardiologist not to lean too close to the tank when riding or it might trigger his device and he'd get a jolt. He went to another cardiologist who said it wouldn't happen. The second cardiologist is a friend and a specialist in cardiac electrophysiology. I would tend to believe him. Anyway. He hasn't had any problems with his implanted defibrillator while riding his 1200RT. I assume a pacemaker would be about the same, though can't be 100% sure.

[dnat928]

Umm, couldja get your R near the Dr's office or next to and ER, then fire 'er up and ride around the lot...see what happens.