So I'm hanging out at a big birthday party for a HD Rider I know, and there were a bunch of bikers there. We were all having a blast, until I run into this one guy I hadn't seen in a while. We were catching up and I showed him a picture of my new bike and he said he would be happy for me if he could, but he couldn't be happy for me since as said: "I have seen six of my friends buried from riding their bikes". It made me wonder at what point it would take for me to fear getting hurt, for me to give up riding and if we are all just crazy Still, we can't live forever!

 

Wow. I'd like to know how that happened. Are they taking crazy risks? Heavy city traffic? Riding drunk at night? Do you know?

 

Everyone who doesn't ride has a story about someone they know or knew of that was either killed or damaged for life on a motorcycle. I usually stop them before they even get started, we all know there are risks involved in riding.

Cheers,
Paul in Colorado

 

Riding a motorcycle is dangerous, and I think a healthy dose of fear helps keep us alive. We need some wariness. Keep our head on a swivel. Look for everything. Assume people don't see us.... That awareness helps prevent accidents, I'm sure.

That being said, I took the California Motorcycle Safety Program, run by the Highway Patrol and the Department of Motor Vehicles, and they taught us that most motorcycle fatalities are by people under 25, who have some drug impairment (and that includes any drugs, including alcohol), and who have been hot ******* it. Left turns ahead of and into you are bad, but also most bikers just drive off the road, going too fast for a turn.

So: age, slow down, look, drive safe—this is not a race or a contest.

Riding will always be dangerous, but many things in life are. And staying at home to protect yourself from the dangers, can be more dangerous than going out:

Bathrooms: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/he...h/16stats.html

 

My statement its that if I get killed while riding, I will have died doing something that brought me joy, adventure and freedom. and that I could ride and enjoy and accept the risks our look back at old age and regret not riding. Ange then I tell them if they are worried about risk, they should not ride in a car re go to the store our walk outside or........

 

I don't (yet) know the details about the six friends this guy had, but there was another man I talked to last night who gave up riding after him and his wife got in a bad accident last year. They were on his bike in the left turn-lane waiting for the light to turn green, when an 18-wheeler coming from their right turned too-close in front of them, hitting his bike and dragging them a whole block before stopping. He broke some bones, and she lost a lot of skin from her legs. They consider themselves lucky to be alive. They still take part in biker events, but only driving in their car from now on.

 

It does make you think. Yet the risks inherent in riding are part of the attraction. Since we all have to go at sometime, I plan on enjoying today, reponsibly, because I also want to enjoy tomorrow. Take the warning and be a better rider because of it.

 

I've seen several of my friends carried out, covered up at work over the yrs, Never made me think I wanted to quit work..

Had several friends get Killed in cars, but I still drive.

Couple friends killed in there Airplanes, I still fly.

Bunch of family members died in there sleep, I still go to bed.....

I am a firm believer that when it Ur time, Its Ur TIME. Just enjoy life till then and dont worry.

 

Are there risks involved with riding a motorcycle? Sure.
Are there risks involved in driving a car? Sure.
Are there risks involved in eating a high-fat diet? Sure.
Are there risks involved in smoking cigarettes? Sure.

I knew way more than six people whose death came from the last three.

What's the point? There are risks all around - you get to choose which ones you'll take. I would have thanked Mr Buzkill mid-sentence for sharing his thoughts and changed the subject.

 

Said it before and I will say it again, When it's your time, it's your time.

Doesn't matter what you're doing riding or sitting on the throne making a kingly proclamation.