Total Motorcycle Community Forums

Sevulturus wrote:You could slip getting out of the tub tomorrow and end up dead or mentally mentally challenged for the rest of your life. Are you really going to let what could happen stop you from enjoying life?

No. But it's a good excuse to stop bathing.

Dragonhawk wrote:

Sevulturus wrote:You could slip getting out of the tub tomorrow and end up dead or mentally mentally challenged for the rest of your life. Are you really going to let what could happen stop you from enjoying life?

No. But it's a good excuse to stop bathing.

+1, where can I buy industrial strength deodorant from?

Dragonhawk wrote:

Sevulturus wrote:You could slip getting out of the tub tomorrow and end up dead or mentally mentally challenged for the rest of your life. Are you really going to let what could happen stop you from enjoying life?

No. But it's a good excuse to stop bathing.

I'll buy you some anti slip matts for the tub. The world needs you to bath dude.

I don't believe in "accidents". Even with collisions that aren't technically your fault YOU can usually avoid them. If some person in a cage doesn't see you, they aren't going to avoid causing a collision, you need to be the one to prevent it.

I know multiple people that have ridden for YEARS without a single crash. I myself have never had an "accident". I believe the most important thing is to get in the proper mind set EVERY TIME you get on that motorcycle before you ride. Remember that your goal is to get back home safely and that it isn't worth taking stupid risks on public roads to save a little time or get an extra thrill. (This can be tempting on a sportbike)

But still, anything can happen. A guy in Colorado this past year was struck by lighting while riding his motorcycle on the freeway and he died at the scene. Life is risk. Motorcycling will add to it.

isnowbird-
I don't believe in "accidents". Even with collisions that aren't technically your fault YOU can usually avoid them. If some person in a cage doesn't see you, they aren't going to avoid causing a collision, you need to be the one to prevent it.

Good point. But there are still "accidents" out there, in my opinion: Getting hit by lightening out of a clear sky would be one of them. Lightening can reach MILES out from a thunderhead.

I also know of someone who died, when he happened to be going under an overpass when the 18-wheeler above him lost its load of lumber over the side. Mashed the guy in his car like a bug. That too would qualifiy as an "accident" wouldn't you agree?

P

99.9999% of wrecks are caused by stupidity and/or neglect. There is the occasional space debris crashing to earth or lightning strike out of a clear blue sky. Those are acts of nature. Every other wreck is caused, even the person crushed by a load of lumber falling off a truck on an overpass wasn't an accident. The trucker failed to insure his load was adequately secured, causing the wreck. The dead person wasn't at fault, but, it still wasn't an accident. Even catastrophic equipment failure can usually be traced back to lack of maintenance or need of replacement.

I've survived over 600,000 miles on two wheels on the street, with one wreck. That wreck happened in the wee hours of the morning when riding down miles of straight, flat 2-lane highway with no structures or crossroads nearby at 15mph over the speedlimit when a speeding drunk with lights turned off hit me from behind. No way I could have seen it coming, but it still was a wreck, but not an accident.

Do not let fear dissuade you from riding. It sounds to me like you are the type of person who plans and executes rather than jumping in to things with both feet. That is a good thing. I don't think you fear riding, I think you fear crashing.

The exact same cognitive processes and personality traits that have allowed you to develop into a skilled and safe driver will allow you to develop into a skilled and safe rider. You just need a base of motorcycle-specific knowledge to think about. Take the MSF Basic Rider Course. Read a few books on street riding techniques. As you drive your car, think about how situations you encounter would require different techniques if on a bike.

Practice the techniques you think about on a small beginner bike in a secure location away from traffic. If I had no suitable location near my home, I would look for cheap old bike and a cheap trailer rather than a more expensive bike I'd have to ride to my practice site. Imagine traffic situations developing, and practice responding in a manner that will keep you from becoming involved.

Over time, your confidence in your ability to actively avoid crashing will increase. A time will come when you venture from the parking lot to quiet streets, then to a little more, traffic, then to country roads or highways, then to rush hour, interstate travel, group rides, and all the other fun things to do on a motorcycle.

First the bad news: The stats are against you. Here in the UK you are 35 times more likely to have a fatal accident on a bike than in a car. And the first six months are the most risky.

Now the good: Stats are undiscriminating. The more attention and care you put into riding the safer you will be.

Bikers ride an unstable vehicle. They need many more road skills than drivers. Remember that. Drivers do not respond to bikes in the same way they do cars. Remember that too.

Get some training. Then get in loads of riding experience. Then get some more training. Practice with your controls. Practice handling the bike. Notice the traffic situations you encounter and think about them afterwards (What did you do? What could you have done better? What might have happened if...?) Always look as far ahead as you can. Learn to read the road conditions. Learn to read other traffic. Speculate a lot on what might happen in the next ten seconds. Retain responsibility in difficult situations even those created by other road-users' stupidity. Try not to get into blame. Always have an escape route planned whatever the situation. Don't ride when you are tired/hungry/excessively cold/angry. Learn to relax on the bike. Get into the habit of doing these things automatically.

Then go home and have a beer.

If you can, get some offroading experience, and some non-competitive trackwork with a good instructor who is responsive to your needs.

Keep your bike in good condition. Wear comfortable, decently protective gear.

Think about what you need to do to be safe. Don't get preoccupied with your vulnerability. Be confident in the skills you have and don't pretend to those you haven't

That way, you stand a good chance of beating the numbers.