hell yes......I quit reading the crash posts.......I get enough of it in the shop........been down once.....dont want it to happen again.....

 

meantime The biggest thing crashing is Harley stock !!!!!!

 

Well, yes there are hazards and risks...We all are quite aware of them ... and take the neccessary precautions .. well, at least as much as we can.Butbeyond that ...I think I can speak for the majority here, when I say ... thereis also an enormous enjoyment and satisfaction taken from the "life" of being a rider.There's nothing that I have experienced that has even come close to this. So as with everything there is a good and bad, ying and yang. Comes with the territory.

 

All in all, I think it makes me a safer rider to know the pitfalls that can happen out there. I've been riding over 30 years and still have a lot to learn.

 

Well, there do seem to be a fair number of "drama queens" around here at times. [:-]

 

Its not that there are more crashes, trans, or engine problems. Its the fact that everyone can now hop on the computer and report it. When a few years ago you would never hear about it unless you heard it on the news or a buddy called.

 

Well, you can always analyze where you ride the most and see if there might be safer routes you could take more often to minimize the risks. When you think about it, intersections are one of the most- if not THE most dangerous spots. If you're driving down a road that has a stoplight every block or two, your risk could be higher than if you're on a lightly traveled farm road, or riding through a canyon. Not to say there aren't dangers there too (like deer), but imho it is less likely than other areas you could ride.

 

I've never understood how people can think this way. I've heard surfers say the same thing about sharks. Well, it may not "be your time", but the shark could chop the lower half of your body completely off. On a bike, it might not "be your time", but you could be left in a wheel chair drinking your dinner through a straw and hoping that today's CNA that'll bath you will be good looking...

I just think you're not being straight with yourself if you think this way, and are actually putting yourself at more risk. After all, if it's "your time" who needs to wear a helmet or other protective gear? Who needs to analyze where they ride most of the time? If it's "your time", then live it up dude. Do whatever the hell you want. Eat, drink and be merry- for tomorrow we die?

 

Yesterday, just got back from visiting a friend I had not seen since high school.. 1, He quit riding as he was afraid he would get rear ended, 2. Never had any kids because they were afraid they would have something wrong with their kids, 3. Does not like to leave the house as he is afraid someone will break in and steal is dogs,then use them to train pitbulls, ..... this is a Vietnam war veteran..... Yes, a motorcycle IS EXACTLY WHAT IT is and has it's risks.... Be aware of the risk, learn from the past, look to the future, and enjoy the beauty of life......, or choice is to: 'GET BUSY LIVING, OR GET BUSY DYING.....'

Hogback

 

Keep in mind also, you might be seeing alot of going down threads (and not the good kind!), it really represents just a fraction of the bikes/riders out there. If you take into consideration that Harley alone sells about 400,000 bikes a year right now (Honda puts about 500,000 bikes out I believe), just that alone makes the percentage seem slight.

I'm not trying to belittle anybody's accident by any means. I just wanted to point out that the dangers are there, but the majority of the people are doing ok.