Motorcycle Safety & Driveability: Safety Ratings, protective gear, motorcycle

Question
My fiance is (understandably) interested in making a 2007 Kawasaki Vulcan Mean Streak a part of our family. As my brother passed away in a motorcycle accident, I'm very VERY leery of my best friend riding bikes. I don't, however, want to be unreasonable, and I refuse to disregard his dreams for my fears. I've been doing some research on the Mean Streak and getting insurance quotes and such, but I'm not knowledgeable on motorcycles at all. My biggest concern is safety...are there safety ratings for bike the way there are for cars?

Answer
The Kawasaki Vulcan Mean Streak is a nice bike! I'm guessing that your fiance is a new rider? Has he ridden scooters or smaller engined bikes before?

There aren't safety ratings for bikes in the same way there are for cars, as most car safety ratings are based on how well the car protects the occupants in a crash.

As the only thing that protects a motorcycle rider in a crash is protective gear you should persuade your fiance to get the best protective gear he can afford.