I need some honest advice...

[Bravehearted]

Last year I gained an interest in motorcycles. I have no clue why, but I got the bug bad. I did my research, lurked this site for a while and took two MSF classes to get my license.(couldnt do the figure 8 the first time). I then quit cold turkey because of the influence of family members and my own worry for my safety. I didn't even take the MSF card to the bmv to get it added to my license.

Still, I can't shake the interest. I've continued to lurk this site as well as read top to bottom, "Proficient Motorcycling". I know that the risk of injury are real, but no matter what I read I can't seem to guage how high the risk actually are and if I am comfortable with them. Reading "Proficient Motorcycling" really helped with this because it makes it seem that with reason, good jusgement, and experience the risk can become manageable.

But as I finished the book a good friend shared with me that her relatives' husband recently died on a motorcycle. Almost a few days later, my father shared with me that my uncle aslo died on a motorcycle. It's these 'close' stories that are really keeping me from going ahead with it.

I guess I am asking how you all deal with acknowledging the risk and how I should approach looking at it. I think my problem is that I never wanted to be the type of person to act like the risk don't exist just to make myself comfortable, and therefore are concentrating a lot on the negative possibilities.

Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance for your comments.

[CaptCrashIdaho]

At the risk of sounding cruel:

How many people close to you can you list as having died of a Heart Attack? Or Stroke? Or in a Car Wreck?

Close personal friend of mine died in a car wreck 1 year ago. He and his 3 sons. Gone. They were in a Chevy Suburban. So I should just never ride in one of those? Or is it a car issue? Cars kills lots of people. We just don't label them as "killed by a car" and we will point to motorcycle fatalities and say: "KILLED BY A BIKE".

It's like airplanes. You just can't be any safer than being on an airplane in the US. Odds of you getting killed in a plane crash are sooooo astronomicallly low it's nuts! You're probably more likely to be killed by a lawnmower than die on a commercial flight.

Yet when it happens we all freak out. Just like motorcycles--they're some kind of red flag. Motorcycle deaths are a fraction of the number of deaths in the US yet we focus on it.

My father died of Heart Disease and you'll never catch me pointing at a piece of bacon and saying "Crap like that killed my Dad."

Risk is intensely personal. Riding in a risky behaviour. Those that are Risk Adverse are both frightened by riding and curious/jealous that we can take the risk.

It's your call, my suggestion is: if you ride in state of fear you shouldn't be riding. If you ride unaware of the risk you shouldn't be riding.

Ride aware, ride alert, manage your risk and HAVE FUN.




I think I just ranted myself a little...

[Thumper]

Bravehearted, how many of those people took the time that you have to educate themselves on riding? Read the books, took the classes? How many were properly geared up? Just by doing those things, you reduce your risk somewhat, perhaps even significantly.

There's no way around it: riding is risky. People in cars don't see you as readily as they do other cars. They misjudge your speed. But you have a masure of control over your visibility, how you react to the traffic around you. You can do things to increase how well people see you by wearing bright gear. You can ride presuming no one sees you, and react accordingly.

CaptnCrash was right...people die from other things every day. A close friend of mine fell off the toilet, broke her back, and was dead two weeks later. I haven't stopped pooping because of it. You just have to figure out how much you're willing to risk, and only you can figure that out.

[Brackstone]

Life is too short to worry about what other people think.

The only thing IMO that would ever stop me from doing anything would be if my fiance` said she would leave me. And even that is just cause for pause.

[Bravehearted]

Thanks for the replies, they really help how I view the possibility of riding. I'm still not sure, but I am getting ready to enter another msf coarse. Time to look for a bike and gear.

I think it's more the opinions of my loved ones that have stopped me. I have a girlfriend that really supports me, but my relatives are really opposed. We'll see what happens this summer.

[the_sandman_454]

It can be as safe or dangerous as you choose to make it, for the most part.

How are you as a car driver? Are you particularly alert, scanning ahead, looking for potential obstructions in your blindspots, behind and in front of you? Do you push the speeds into excessive territory, try to make all the yellow lights you can, and so forth?

If you are an aggressive car driver, or an inattentive one, or you like to take chances in a car, you might not make a particularly safe motorcyclist, since you do have to pay attention to your surroundings, including what's coming up behind you or in your blindspots. You have to be able to quickly form a plan about which lane you want to be in and what portion of that lane to be in to give you the best visibility and escape routes.

You can further decrease your risk by wearing all the gear all the time, regardless how hot out it is, and how much more comfortable shorts, t shirt and flipflops would be in such weather.

Another way to improve your chances is to pick a bike that isn't too powerful to start off with, and don't let anyone else push you into riding faster or harder than you're personally comfortable with.

[Aamalthea]

I am going to chime in here too, even though I don't own a bike, but I did just get my learners permit and the class is in October for me (does a ::double yay::)

If you got the bug, and even though you know the risks and know what could possibly happen you can't fight the feeling that it's right....


...then it probably is right.
Just do it. Be safe, buy and wear your gear ALL THE TIME. Wear your helmet all the time. If you decide to ride a sport, then don't be a squid and do stupid crap on the highway. Just go do it. Sometimes, your soul says, "I want that" and you just have to comply. I am in the same situation, my mother is going to freak when my bf and I finally get our bikes and ride from Ohio to Virginia but you know what? I don't care.

There are a ton of people out there who get hit walking on the street. Don't let any of it scare you, just go out there and feel the wind under your helmet!

[ChemicalTaste]

If you can accept the risk of riding a motorcycle, then theres nothing to worry about.

[Bravehearted]

I've thought long and hard, and I'm going to do it. It's just on my mind to much and it will never completely go away. I'm going to get a list ready of safety gear and start looking at some suzuki dealerships for the gs500f.

The next available MSF coarse isn't until august, but I can get the gear and bike and add a permit. I've taken the coarse twice so I feel confident enough to get up early in the mornings to practice in parking lots until comfortable on my neighborhood streets.

Thanks for all the advice. I will be starting a new thread to get some ideas of good brands of riding/crashing gear.

[Bravehearted]

Just wanted to update. Today I placed a down payment on a 2008 Kawasaki Ninja 250R. So I am going ahead with it. Thanks again to all of you guys for your advice.