Struggling with an issue.

[Julio Navarro]

I am struggling with an issue I have had for several months now. Maybe I can get some advice, suggestions, ideas from some of you.

Its a bit lengthy, but please bear with me.

I recently have gotten into woodworking after dreaming about it for a very long time. I have my garage almost set up the way I want it, but still have much work left organizing and getting rid of stuff to make more room and making a proper shop where I can enjoy woodworking. I have my cyclone almost completed only have ducting and blast gates to make and install. I have a 14" bandsaw, 6" jointer, 12" planer, 10" TS(contractors for which I have built a cabinet with storage and extedned table) 12" drill press, a nice DT jig(PC4212)

Well, you get the idea, I have most all the tools I need to persue my dream.

My struggle is with my other hobbie, my motorcycle.

I have a suzuki Intruder 1500LC. Its a large cruising bike (often gets mistaken for a HD Fatboy) I bought about two years ago. I have been getting increasingly apprehensive about riding it. My wife loves it and we both enjoy riding every so often. I also have three kids with the youngest 19 months old.

Ok, now here is the struggle: My neighbor has recently been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, very rare and almost always fatal. He is a young guy and has a young son who is my sons best friend. We are pretty much expecting him not to last very much longer and its breaking my wife's and myselfs heart for the family and as these tragedies often do it has made me realize how tenuous life is.

So now I see my risk in riding my bike in a new light. Contemplating my own life and realizing that it would not take much to make my wife a widow and my kids fatherless I am trying to decide if I should sell it.

I know that driving a car is dangerouse as well, and we could be killed falling in the shower or crossing the street. Nevertheless, the bike is inherently dangerouse and involves a much higher risk of death or incapacitating injuries from even minor accidents.

So I guess what I am looking for is support in deciding to sell it.

Thanks for letting me vent and I apologize for the length.

[tod evans]

julio, i rode for years, at one point never set foot in a 4 wheeled vehicle for 5 years, winter/rain ect. 21 months ago i became a father, i no longer ride.
i tell myself i`ll get back on when i calm down enough to ride sane-n-sensible but honestly i don`t know if it`s in my blood to behave on a scoot...02 tod

[Bob Childress]

Julio,

I doubt if anybody at the Creek is competent to really understand your dilemma, because it is such a personal one. One that you will have to make alone or along with your spouse. But that being said, I have one observation to make:

Just like handling a table saw or a router or a rattlesnake, if you are apprehensive, it greatly increases your risk of injury. So given that you are becoming apprehensive about riding your bike, I would step back and take a serious look at whether or not your mind has really already made the decision, but you just haven't convinced your heart to agree yet.

Worth what I'm charging for it, I'm sure.

[Ian Barley]

Julio

Sounds like you have made your mind up. The whole of life is a risk/reward balance. It sounds like your perception of risk has risen and the reward guota has remained static. All kinds of things will make you reassess and your neighbours illness has made you think about mortality and responsibility.

You are right that riding a motorcyle increases your level of risk during the peiod in which you are doing it. You can manage those risks in such a way that they are mitigated but you are never going to eliminate them. The same goes for woodworking. What we all enjoy doing carries inherent risks which we all have to manage to a level that makes them acceptable to us. Everything that you do in life does this. Even doing nothing carries risks - obesity etc..

On the other hand if you let fear rule your actions you will end up leading a dull life that will not do you or your family any favours. If your kids never see you making precautions to offset risk then they will miss one of the chances that they get to do it in their own lives.

There is only so much you can do to reduce risks. I have not been skiing for a few years because the last time I went, for the first time, I stood at the top of the piste and the main thought in my head was the fact that if I hurt myself I won't heal as quick as I used to. The reward from skiing suddenly was too low in comparison to the risk. Two years later I fell on the stairs at home, broke my ankle in three places and couldn't work for nearly 4 months and still walk with a bit of a limp. And walking down stairs is a lot less fun than skiiing.

I stopped riding motorcycles many years ago after a delicate (but thankfully minor) injury involving a fuel filler cap. Work it out. For me the risk always pretty much outweighed the reward but there were economic factors at the time. If riding the bike makes you worry then sell it. If after 3 minutes on the bike you have forgotten the worry and are enjoying the ride then keep it. Whatever you do make sure that you and your wife have good life (and "dread") insurance to protect your family from this and any of the gazillion other curved balls that life will throw you.

[Julio Navarro]

Worth what I'm charging for it, I'm sure.

I see no price on this advice, so I guess it makes it priceless, thansk Bob

[Allen Bookout]

Sell it and never look back just like I did thirty five years ago. I am still alive and have both legs.

Allen

[Dennis Peacock]

I sold my bike many years ago....just for the reasons you have mentioned. I haven't regretted it one day.

[Todd Woodward]

I sold mine too. I do ride a three wheeler and four wheeler off road though. Too dangerous on the streets here.

[Matt Meiser]

I sold a 400HP Mustang when I started getting serious about this hobby. My main reasons were money (I expected to lose my job any day at the time) and the fact that we were starting a family. I don't regret my decision and my family enjoys the benefits of this hobby much better than if I was making them go to the drag strip all the time.

[Mark Rios]

Sell it, buy tools (and take your wife and kids out to dinner), and never look back. You'll do just fine.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Another ex-rider story: I picked up a used Yamaha 600 during my mid-grad school crisis. For four summers, I rode it hard, including a Connecticut to Colorado blitz in three days. It was fun, freedom, and adventure, but I had a nagging sensation every time I got on the bike that I was turning off a portion of my better judgment. Every time I got off, I felt some relief that nothing bad had happened... yet.

For me, riding got to the point where I felt I was pushing the relative risk beyond my personal envelope of comfort. 11 years ago, I rolled the bike into my parent's shed, and haven't touched it since. I refuse to sell it, and I may ride again some day, but at this point, there are too many other priorities in my life. Sounds like you might be in the same place.
<O:p</O:p

[Rob Russell]

Julio,

It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind that your family is more important to you than the enjoyment you get from riding the motorcycle. You are correct that riding a motorcycle is more dangerous than driving a car.

If you decide to sell the motorcycle, because your wife also enjoys the time you spend riding it together - why not look to put the money into something else you can do and enjoy together? You could buy a nice home theater system, a boat, a camper, put the money towards an RV - pick something that you and your wife decide would be fun to do together. Any of those is safer than riding the motorcycle and would allow you and your wife to pick another leisure activity that you could do as a family.

Just my opinion and - like the others - worth what you're paying for it.

Rob

[Mark Cothren]

It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind that your family is more important to you than the enjoyment you get from riding the motorcycle.

I agreed with Rob. It sounds like you just need confirmation that this is a wise choice/decision and you have my complete vote of confidence.

[Julio Navarro]

Thanks everyone, its alot easier to jump when someone else pushes you.

[Andy Fox]

Julio, go to your local ER/trauma center and ask them what their slang term for motorcycle is.

OK, I'll save you the trip: "organ transport".

....Most motorcycle accident victims die of head/brain injuries, so their organs often remain undamaged and are good candidates for organ donation.

[Frankie Hunt]

I too gave up riding as my family responsibilities increased. I got my first bike at 15 and kept one until I got married at 26. I used to ride a friend’s KZ1000 in 1980 a lot. I loved that bike. The freedom and enjoyment that a bike offers is very great. However as more people become dependant upon me, I just didn’t want to take any chances anymore. It was one thing when it was just me. It became another thing when I had a wife and kids that depended upon me.


I have had many close calls when riding, but the worst thing that ever happened caused me to be on crutches for several weeks. I consider my riding career pretty fortunate. I have the opinion that it isn’t a matter of IF but it is just a matter of WHEN and HOW BAD concerning motorcycle wrecks. Others have not been so lucky. I have seen so many tragedies involving motorcycles. My uncle broke his back, never to be the same again. A coworker laid his bike down, messing his leg up. He fought for about 10 years with that leg until it got so bad he had it taken off. A few years ago a neighbor was run off of the road by a car. His wife was on the back of the bike. He survived unhurt, she was killed. The list goes on…. As I get older I seem to have a better appreciation for life. Like others have said, you have to weight the consequences vs. the pleasure. I sold my bike and got a Jeep CJ5. The wife and I really liked to take the top and doors off and cruise the country side in the CJ. This was a replacement for our motorcycle experience. No regrets on getting rid of the bike.
<o>

</o>What would happen to your family if you were to die? What would happen to your family if you were only ½ dead with no income, medical expenses, etc…?
<o>

</o>You do what feels right, and don’t look back. Simple as that.

[Roy Wall]

Julio,

In agreeing with most everyone else........selling is the way to go.

For a memory, have a photo taken with the bike - and remember it was a certain "window of your life"..........that you and your wife enjoyed. It's time to move on to a different "window".....and get some more tools!

Embrace the change - and enjoy that precious family:)

[Julio Navarro]

I WAS sorta thinking of a Saw Stop....kinda, in the back of my mind...sorta...and a drum sander....it may even pay for a small trip to europe...who knows.

[Frank Fusco]

I was a news photograhper for many years and a volunteer fireman for quite a few more. After seeing many-many motorcycle accidents, I don't like getting within twenty feet of them, even when parked with engine off. They are inherently unstable and (IMHO) ultra dangerous on the road because of their tiny size compared to a car or truck. Car drivers perceive them as being much further away than they really are. I can't count the number of accidents I saw where a car pulled directly into the path of an oncoming motorcycle. The story was always the same. "I didn't think he was that close". Sell it, don't look back. Time with family outweighs all other considerations.

[Mark Singer]

I would give up the bike! There are many cell phoners driving around and it is a dangerous hobby and one that you can't control... I have given up many things as I got older...I drive diferently and do not surf in huge waves as I once did....just decide...and you won't miss it

[Lee DeRaud]

I gave it up in 1999 after 25 years of riding street bikes and 6 years of dirt bikes before that. I'd been tending that way anyway, just riding less each year.

Then a friend of mine died of a head injury: not on a motorcycle, but roller-blading. He was younger, fitter, and more athletic than me...and I realized that the bike wasn't getting any slower and I wasn't getting any faster: time to quit.

[John Shuk]

I gave up riding my ATV after hitting a 5 inch diameter silver birch going pretty fast in '02. I had a helmet on but busted up a mess of bones including a shattered kneecap and cracked vertbrae. It happened on my own land and thank God my wife was around to hear the wreck. I hope you never get to know how wonderful a sound approaching sirens can be. My son was 8 months old at the time and after thinking long and hard I decided I'd better do my best to stick around for him and the two that have blessed us since then. It's easier for me to live without my quad than for my kids to get by without me around. I don't discourage anyone from riding and my accident was my fault alone. I just choose to eliminate some of the risks in my life. One good thing is that the two months in a hospital bed set in my family room allowed me to watch New Yankee Workshop every morning on DIY.

[Mike Cutler]

Julio.

I could almost ride a motorcycle before I could ride a bicycle, started riding little Honda mini trails when I was about 7. I rode and raced dirtbikes as a kid in So.Cal. Bought a Kawi 900, and Z1R-TC at 18
I've raced the drags at Irwindale, and Pomona, on a stocker. I was an absolute maniac on a motorcycle. It was routine for me to be doing well in excess of double the speed limit on the highways. Had all the usual close calls with the cars in and out tof shopping centers. nothing fazed me. I was a pure adrenaline junky.

One sunday morning on I-95, in Ct, at about 0530. I was doing about 135mph. There was one car in the right hand lane way up ahead. Just me and one car on a 3 mile stretch of clear highway. At the last minute he cut across 4 lanes and forced me into a 5th lane, and eventually off the highway into the gravel. I probably hit the gravel at about 80-90mph. 30+ years of motocross and riding/racing came together for that brief 30 seconds, or I'd have been dead.
I sat on the embankment for about 45 minutes, just to get my act together to drive back home. I'd never driven a bike that slow on the road as I did that day going home.

I put 60 more miles on that bike after that day. Mostly just to make sure that all of the repairs to the front end were complete. I haven't been on one since.

I realized that there were alot of things I wanted to do in life. Places I wanted to go, things I wanted to experience. The motorcycle had to go.
I haven't missed it.

Put the bike away, sell it, whatever. Riding a bike in a half-assed frame of mind, or afraid is a recipe for disaster. That split second, or moment of hesitation will get you killed, or turned into a cabbage patch doll for the rest of your life.

Peace with your decision bro'

[Jason Roehl]

Julio,

I sold my bike several years ago for several reasons. I had a growing family, so it was one way to infuse some cash (and some woodworking tools :D ) into the household, but I just didn't have much time to ride it. I do miss riding now and then, but like Mike, I spent quite a bit of time on it in triple digits, so my risks definitely were greatly reduced when the bike went away. I'm pretty sure I'm not done riding, though. Occasionally, a friend will let me take their bike for a spin, and I figure that when the kids are out of the house, I'll probably get something I can ride long distance with the wife (she actually went out with me the first time because I had a bike!)

BTW, a friend of mine from church (and recipient of two kidneys over the years) calls them "donorcycles".

If you're going to be distracted with all those fears while you ride it, it won't be any fun. If you can be pragmatic about the risks and ride skillfully to avoid what you can, then keep it. Fun often involves some form of risk.

[Norman Hitt]

About 10 or so yrs ago, money was a little tight for a couple of months when my employer couldn't pay for a while. During this time, I had an offhand offer for my 1976 Centenial Edition Ltd Goldwing, and although I enjoyed riding it very much, and it was still in Pristine Condition, I realized it wasn't as much fun anymore because having to constantly dodge other traffic whose drivers were not paying attention and pull into your lane is not a face to face meeting I like. Quite a few Bikers had been killed in our local area in the previous two yrs and one of my neighbors, (a College Prof & Dept head), spent 4 1/2 months in the Hospital when he was run over while stopped at a traffic light and a driver came speeding around the corner and cut the corner too close, so I took the offer. I still keep my license current, and would enjoy a ride out in a more rural & scenic area, but no more city/high traffic area riding for me, and most likely, I'll probably never replace the bike.

Do what feels Right for you, and move on.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey Julio, sell the bike, it's only a bike, there are lots more for sale if and when you want to get back on at some time.

I'm a bike nut, been riding since I was about 8 years old, took a vacation from it when I was strapped for cash at Uni, and then when I first came to Japan, but not too long ago I owned six bikes, I'm down to only two now, but one is sold, and the other one will be as well, but, I'll be buying a smaller 250 cc street legal dirt bike soon, as I like to head off to the hills to ride the fire roads sometimes and go camping, not often, so the smaller older bike will do me fine.

There really are two kinds of people, those who ride, and those who don't, but the membership in one is not permanent, you can change it.

I'm much less into bikes than I was even 3 years ago, then I had a track bike, and I went to the race track all the time (Safer than street riding for sure), but now I'm at a different stage in my life, I like to spend more time around my wife and kids. The kids will be done with us sooner than we like to think about, and then, I'll be back to having more time and I'll do some more riding.

If you do get back on a bike, take some training, I don't know what is offered there, but take a school, and buy the best riding gear you can afford, boots, helmet, gloves, pants and jacket. I like the Aerostich Roadmaster, take it off in 10 seconds, and it is really good stuff, a bit hot in the summer, but so is pavement on your butt at speed :eek:

Remember.....

"You don't stop riding cuz you get old, you get old cuz you stop riding."

:D

BTW, I ride my 3 wheeled delivery scooter in Tokyo traffic every day, so I still ride!

[Bruce Benjamin]

Back in Dec. 2004 I was riding with a friend on dual sport bikes, (on and off road). I was following him and we got to our destination, an old abandoned mine. There were these water erosion trenches coming down to the creek that were about 12 to 15 feet high and the sides were vertical to near vertical. He went up one and turned hard at the top. I went right up after him but didn't know I needed to turn quite that sharp. I was only doing about 5mph but I went right off the side of the small cliff. I landed on sharp bowling ball sized rocks and right next to an old timber bristling with long, sharp, rusty nails. It was about 6" to the side of my neck. My right knee was destroyed breaking every bone and turning the tibial plateau, (in the words of my surgeon) to gravel. My left achilles tendon was ripped in half. Amazingly, other than those two injuries, I didn't get a single scratch or bruise or pain anywhere else on my body. Other than my knee being able to spin in any direction, you couldn't even tell I was hurt. Free helicopter ride!

Six hours of surgery later, (after a couple of weeks) and four days in the hospital to recover I was home and in a wheel chair for months. Then a walker for months. Then crutches for months. Then a cane that I still use from time to time. For the first month I was in my recliner for 23 hours a day. I spent 6 months in physical therapy and between that and working my knee at home I worked on that knee for at least 5 or 6 hours a day. I couldn't work anymore and my wife and kids had to take care of me for a long time.

I can no longer do anything I've ever done in the past to earn a living and it's drastically changed my life. I can work in my shop now for fairly short periods of time but not long enough to make a living at it. I loved motorcycles but never again. Not just for my sake but mostly for that of my wife and kids. That was and is still so hard on them that I can't imagine ever doing something like that again.

The friend I was riding with is an amazing rider and has never had a serious crash. But I'm just one of a very long list of his friends and acquaintances who've left a ride with him either in a helicopter or an ambulance. Whether he's on his Hayabusa or his KTM 950A or 525, he's a maniac asking to die but he just seems to be charmed so far. He doesn't have kids or I'd bet he'd change his habits.

Sell the bike, buy an RV. Live for your kids. No ride is as fun as participating in your kid's lives as they grow up. I can't hike with them anymore. I can barely go fishing with them. No more baseball, football, bicycling, nothing. It's not worth it.:(

That being said, it's good to be alive. My outlook on life has changed and now, more than ever, my kids are the focus of my life.

Bruce

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Geez Bruce, I'm sure glad you are still with us!

Too bad about the crash and the knee, knees are bad to hurt, as I'm sure you know too well.

I used to do that kind of riding when I was young and bullet-proof, but no more, easy fire roads for me, when I do go, which is not that often.

Julio, I think it all comes down to what you want to do, you know, as everyone else does, that people slip and fall in the bathtub, or on the stairs, some of them even die, but we all take baths, (well I hope we do) and we all still use stairs. If you are not feeling comfortable on the bike, then sell it, like I said, there are a lot of them for sale all the time, in the future, you can buy another one if you really feel the need.

Cheers!

[Tim Morton]

9 days ago on a friday afternoon at 3:00 I said "have a nice weekend" to a friend and coworker as he jumped onto his HD and slow drove out of the parking lot...it was a beautiful sunny day and fathers day weekend. All day we were talking about our kids and how they mean everythign to us....

1030 that night I get a call from the owner of the company....saying that Tim was killed 15 minutes after leaving work when a 88 year old woman pulled in front of his motorcycle....

I vote for selling the thing.

[Al Willits]

A different slant here, I rode for over 35+ years, I rode everything from Honda 50's to turbocharged 9 sec 150 mph+ drag bikes, in fact I built bike motors for years.

Same day as the Oklahoma bombing I had a brain access and almost died, after 6 months of rehab, I was able to continue my life.
I did so without the bikes, I wasn't sure if I could ride well enough and the wife said she'd like to keep me around for a bit more.

I have regretted not riding ever since, but it was a choice we made, sold the drag bike and street bike and on them warm summer eves the neighbor takes her Harley out for a ride, I get that look in my eyes again.

I could be wrong, but it sounds like you have already made up your mind already and just trying to justify it.
Maybe I can help, I considered myself a pretty fair bike rider and with drivers as bed as they seem to be getting, staying off a bike is definitely a smart move, especially with a family.

I have a permanent limp and arthritis from when a drunk came out of a alley and nailed me, I still kept riding after that, but knowing there could be price to pay, you have to decide how "safe" you want to live.

Al who hopes he didn't sound to corny :)

[Mark Pruitt]

Probably enough said by all but I'll add .02 anyway. One of the nurses I work with who is an experienced bike rider was injured when a vehicle suddenly stopped in front of her and she was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting it. She came away with only a broken leg, but that will have her out of work for three months or longer. She could have been killed or injured far more seriously and she knows it. Given the price of gasoline, I had begun considering a bike. My friend's accident pretty well chachanged my plans.

[Julio Navarro]

As always, you couldnt pay for this advice.

Thank you all for your kind and wise words.

Selling the bike has been on my mind 24 hrs a days for a few days now and as Stu mentioned, just cos you get rid of one doesnt mean you stop riding.

I figure, as someone said, when the kids are gone I can ride again.

So, with a bright shiny Stop Saw(had my eye on their new contractors model) in mind and assorted other sawdust converters I will be putting the bike up for sale soon.

Thanks all.

[Bruce Benjamin]

Geez Bruce, I'm sure glad you are still with us!

Too bad about the crash and the knee, knees are bad to hurt, as I'm sure you know too well.

I used to do that kind of riding when I was young and bullet-proof, but no more, easy fire roads for me, when I do go, which is not that often.

Julio, I think it all comes down to what you want to do, you know, as everyone else does, that people slip and fall in the bathtub, or on the stairs, some of them even die, but we all take baths, (well I hope we do) and we all still use stairs. If you are not feeling comfortable on the bike, then sell it, like I said, there are a lot of them for sale all the time, in the future, you can buy another one if you really feel the need.

Cheers!

Stu, I'm glad to be able to be here too. The thing about the type of riding I was doing is that it wasn't really extreme. I was basically just putting around. I didn't realize how narrow the top of the little ridge was or I might not have attempted the manuever. I'm not young or bullet-proof anymore either, (42) and I got most of my crazy stunts out of the way when I was a little younger either on road or mountain bikes.

At least for me, the difference between everyday activities such as taking a shower or whatever compared to riding a motorcycle either on the road or on the dirt is large and obvious. The everyday activities are a necessity but riding a motorcycle isn't. In the shower I don't have to worry about someone else making a mistake and taking me out. Well, that usually isn't a concern but ya never know what the wife has in mind. ;) The motorcyclist depends on others abilities, and defensive driving and luck will only get you so far. With the motorcycle, the risk of crashing without any outside help is greater because the skill level to operate a bike is greater than that required to perform most daily activities. And the cost of failure is typically much greater. If you fall down, even when going slow through a parking lot and you hit a patch of oil, (done that at 1mph) you will likely at least be a little bruised and maybe worse. The list of potential solo accidents is endless and boring...

For yourself, Stu, using a bike of some sort in a crowded big city probably makes sense. A persons living conditions will dictate the amount of risk a person has to take in their daily life. In a big, crowded city the benefits versus the risks of riding the motorcycle are greater than here in my reletively small town. Parking and traffic are never so bad that a motorcycle would make a significant difference. About the only real reasons to own one his recreation and, to a certain extent, economy.

My main point for my original post was that even if I was able to get back onto a motorcycle again, (I could ride a street bike) I know I might get into another accident and I couldn't put my family through that again. If I had been unfortunate enough not to have family around I would've had to be in some sort of long term care facility for months. Just getting up to go to the bathroom once or twice a day was excruciatingly painful for my heavily braced knee and repaired achilles. Getting food, cloths, washing, everthing else was heavily dependent upon my wife and kids. After about 3 months I was more mobile but still only barely able to use a walker then. Would I want to put my family through that again? I couldn't believe it when my wife actually asked if I was going to ride again. Huh? What a trooper.

It certainly is a personal decision based on a persons own comfort level but I had to go beyond that one and look at how another injury will weigh on the people around me. Man, do I want to go riding again, though! I need something else in my life that's at least a little dangerous or exciting. I still do a little Jeeping and that can be fun but these days it's just too expensive for my very limited income. Having fun means breaking parts for my style of 'wheeling. I guess I'm down to the choice of breaking expensive parts or breaking expensive and painful bones. :eek:


Bruce

[Frank Fusco]

A woman in my town was killed last night in a motorcycle accident. Riding double on a three-wheeled Goldwing with her husband (both retired), he hit some gravel and lost control. They flipped and she was killed.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey Bruce, I totally understand you decisions, and you thought process. I'm also 42, and I have a wife and two kids, we also run our own business, a liquor shop, that I have to work at lifting heavy stuff, so if I get hurt the problems are there too.

That being said, I will still ride.

A couple of years ago a guy got killed here on the track, he had a stupid dumb habit of not doing up his helmet strap well, and he blew a corner and went into the kitty litter, not a big deal, but when he came off the bike, his helmet popped off his head and he ended up dying right there, stupid mistake on his part, and he paid for it.

As you can imagine, that made the group of friends that went to the track all take long looks at what we were doing, myself included.

The one thing that stuck in my mind is what one guy from Scotland said, after this crash and death, his wife questioned him getting back on a bike and a track, he said "Bike are part of what makes us the blokes we are" and that is true, bikes have been part of my life since I can remember, I love working on them, I love talking about them, and I love riding them. I know the risks, I've seen it first hand, I've busted both of my arms riding, and one ankle, as well as a collar bone and about 5 or 6 ribs, I've seen guys badly busted up and one guy killed, but, I still love bikes.

I'm not a fast rider, anymore, I live by the motto ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) and I've got some of the best gear money can buy. I've taken over a dozen Honda Motorcycle School courses, advanced Street Riders Technical Training courses and it all helps, but you are correct, you can't stop that nut pulling out in front of you.

I'm know I'm not making any sense to the cagers out there, but to another biker like myself, they will understand what I'm talking about.

Some people get a thrill out of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, you will not catch me doing that!

Riding a motorcycle is a skill, one that needs to be practices and honed like any skill, a lot of the people who crash are not very skilled at riding a motorcycle. How many golfers go to shoot 18 holes after a winter lay off without first hitting the practice green or the driving range? You have to practice.

I ride my bike or scooter like everyone in a cage is trying to kill me, and if I give them a chance, they will kill me, this helps, but in the end, the only way to stay safe in traffic is to not drive in it, unless you have a spare Sherman tank around :D

It all gets down to personal choices and the risks you are willing to take, I mitigate these risks by the use of the best safety equipment, a bike in good condition and by practicing the skills needed (how many riders practice panic stops from 50 mph? I do!), but in the end, we can be taken out by someone else's mistake.

Sorry for the ramble.

Cheers!

[Jerry Olexa]

IMHO, SELL the bike!! Look what happened to the QB for the Steelers:)

[Steve Ash]

IMHO, SELL the bike!! Look what happened to the QB for the Steelers:)

This is what my face looked like after my accident, but I was wearing a helmet......sell the bike!

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Now it was not a full face helmet was it Steve :D

[Steve Ash]

No it wasn't Stu. 37 stitches later made me the handsome debonair good looking man that I am today though :D or maybe just another frankenstein:eek:

[Lee DeRaud]

IMHO, SELL the bike!! Look what happened to the QB for the Steelers:)You mean Ben Toothlessberger?

[Jim Bell]

Julio...why did you buy your bike in the first place? What has really changed? Sounds to me like your heart isn't really in it. If that is the case then by all means get your butt off it! I'm 60 next yr, started at the age of 12. Ya can't ride down the road with your head back at the house. Get it right or the next funeral you attend may be your own. Whatever you decide be safe.....either of these hobbies can hurt or maim you.
Jim

[Bruce Benjamin]

That being said, I will still ride.

I'm not a fast rider, anymore, I live by the motto ATGATT (All The Gear All The Time) and I've got some of the best gear money can buy. I've taken over a dozen Honda Motorcycle School courses, advanced Street Riders Technical Training courses and it all helps, but you are correct, you can't stop that nut pulling out in front of you.

I'm know I'm not making any sense to the cagers out there, but to another biker like myself, they will understand what I'm talking about.

Some people get a thrill out of jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, you will not catch me doing that!

Riding a motorcycle is a skill, one that needs to be practices and honed like any skill, a lot of the people who crash are not very skilled at riding a motorcycle. How many golfers go to shoot 18 holes after a winter lay off without first hitting the practice green or the driving range? You have to practice.

I ride my bike or scooter like everyone in a cage is trying to kill me, and if I give them a chance, they will kill me, this helps, but in the end, the only way to stay safe in traffic is to not drive in it, unless you have a spare Sherman tank around :D

It all gets down to personal choices and the risks you are willing to take, I mitigate these risks by the use of the best safety equipment, a bike in good condition and by practicing the skills needed (how many riders practice panic stops from 50 mph? I do!), but in the end, we can be taken out by someone else's mistake.

Sorry for the ramble.

Cheers!

Stu, you're absolutely right, the best safety equipment and the safest riding habits and skills go a long way towards keeping you safe. We've all seen the, "Squids" on the crotch rockets zipping in and out of traffic wearing only a helmet, shorts and sneakers and you know it's just a matter of time... A while back I went out with my buddy in his truck in the hills just outside of town to watch his stunt rider friends. There is a mile long straight stretch of deserted road where they were doing ~190mph passes and ~140 to 180mph wheelies. Stand up wheelies, backwards wheelies, stoppies, side by side, "Skiing", the works. It was entertaining to watch and nobody crashed but I was glad I barely knew any of them because I didn't like the thought of losing a friend. What did bother me a lot was the few times they did super-fast wheelies with their 17 or 18 year old girl friends on the back wearing only a helmet, shorts and a shirt. And this was all at about midnight. Lots of deer and other smaller animals that could easily wonder onto the road. Sure, they were all having a blast but how would their families have felt when they got that horrible phone call? Glad I didn't know them. Several of the bikes were, "Furred" from previous crashes. That means that after laying the bike down it's cheaper to cover the damage with fake fur than to replace the plastic and repaint. Ever see an idiot fly by doing way over a hundred while standing on his seat with no hands, in the dark? Insane!...But entertaining.

Stu, I'm glad you take every available precaution. I'm sure your family appreciates it too. If you're going to go fast and take chances, do it on the track where you won't get hit by a car and there are ambulances close by. Take care.

Bruce

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Hey Bruce, those stunt guy really PO me, big time, they give the sport a really bad name, and they act like giant brainless sponges on the road.

I have two daughters, and they way I'll solve the "Riding on the back of the bike" is simple, they will get their own licenses and bikes and training.

Cheers!