I have been a member of this forum for years... Always got a lot of good info and advice. Not sure if this is the right place to post but I will try. Today a man I knew and rode with for 10 years was killed... The details, 3 bikes going south, a car was coming north, crossed over the yellow line for no reason a hit the 3rd bike head on, killing him instantly...... I wasn't there and don't have all the details....

Now for my question, I have loved motorcycles and have been riding for over 30 years... I just bought a Softail as a 60th birthday present. I now have 2 bikes both 2017, a Limited and the Softail .... As I sit here I am thinking about selling them and walking away from riding. Now days, A Holes with cell phones are taking out too many riders... It is bad enough when a rider is hurt or killed do to their own fault, riding too fast for conditions/ DWI/ just acting like an *** etc.... But when I guy is doing nothing wrong and gets taken out it is hard to understand, why ??? I work for 30 years as a Police Officer and Detective... Got hurt a few times but made it thru to retirement. I moved to Florida and planned to ride and enjoy life 12 months a year..... Now I question is the joy of riding worth the risk ???

Any advice will be greatly appreciated .... God Bless all, Be Safe out there. JIM

 

Sorry for your loss.
Knee-jerk reactions are just that.
Take time to regroup.
As a rider, I count on the other guy doing the wrong thing.
This its quite EZ for me to do as I was run over one time on my bike, and hurt pretty bad.
What you just explained to me, I learned something.
If he was riding side by side and the car came access -then he had nowhere to go!
If riding side by side i always take the staggered position.
It gives me an out.
We have to be super defensive.
Again, sorry.

 

I lost a close friend last year to a reckless driver coming across the center line and hitting him. I had rode with him for a few years and was a motor cop for the last few years before his retirement. He was a great guy and rider. I asked the same questions you are to the great people here on the forum. The conclusion that I came to after reading all the posts here encouraging me to not give up on riding was that only you can make that decision. It might take days or years until you feel comfortable getting back on the bike. It all comes down to if you want to give up something you love. I truly feel for you and what ever you decide to do will be the right one for you. Good luck everyday it will get easier. Rob

 

First of all, really sorry for the loss of your buddy. As much as it enters my mind about these idiot drivers and all the what if's of riding, my love of riding motorcycles outweighs the cons. I know it's said time and time again, but I truly believe that when it's your time, it's your time. If not a motorcycle, look at all the other risks out there. It would get real lonely not being able to do what you love, simply because of the risk involved.

 

I think from the very first time you swing your leg over a motorcycle, you accept the fact you are exposing yourself to something that has the potential to be dangerous and deadly. Those of us here on these forums are willing to take that risk to ride.

46 years ago i was nailed by a hit and run driver at night while on a Yamaha and that put me in and out of the hospital for a year with three operations to fix the damage to my body and full recovery was two years. I almost never got on a bike again after that - but eventually I did. Still riding - still know that any day I could get taken out again. Twelve years ago I battled a Stage IV cancer and was told I was terminal. I made it through that too, but it was a FAR - far worse experience than that bike hit ever was. Point I am trying to make is none of us get out of this world alive - if one thing doesn't get you, another eventually will. That time in between is what you call LIFE and you enjoy it in the best way you can.

For the record, I'll take a head-on with a car while on my bike any day over slowly dying in a hospital bed. I've experienced both to some degree.......

 

absolutely terrible and tragic..new is always reporting this type of accident it seems, most are cage on cage so realize it can happen regardless of what you are driving..i haven't been faced with this type of dilemma but to this point I accept that although I may die on a motorcycle it's also what has made my life enjoyable..take however much time to process and grieve etc. and let your conscience be your guide in the end..my sincere condolences

 

For the record, I'll take a head-on with a car while on my bike any day over slowly dying in a hospital bed. I've experienced both to some degree.......

God you are in my head....thinking the same way.... Thank you all for the GREAT advice, need a little time to re-boot.

Be Safe JIM

 

 

As said by all sorry about your friend. Been riding these things since 1970, buried more than I care to talk about 2 of which were best friends at the time. Parked the bike a while after one of them till I got my head in a better place. Understand where you are with it and my advice is take the time you need and do what's best for you whatever the results. Don't start second guessing your mortality at this point in the game, at our age do what makes you happy now.

Honestly If I'm going to go I'd rather be on 2 wheels than a bed with a morphine drip and an oxygen mask.

 

"a car was coming north, crossed over the yellow line for no reason" sometimes freak things happen like this and absolutely zero amount of experience, skill or awareness can be enough to avoid..this exact situation is always my biggest fear, having no chance or input opportunity to at least try to control the situation