Nobody

I rode for almost 10 years in SF and have put roughly 80K miles on 3 different sportbikes. I can remember at least four times when I would have been killed or VERY seriously maimed if I wasn't extremely vigilant about being defensive and there's another few times when I came close to killing myself. But hell, you can get killed walking your dog across the street.

Check out the Harley accident victim on rotten.com to find out if you think the reward is worth the risk.

2kturkey

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chipster
[B]You know the one thing that scares me more than anything is being first at a light. I always flash my brake light hoping that the car coming up on me sees me. As traffic approaches I make sure the bike is in gear and I try to point the bike to a clear area just in case... Sometimes that is not an option. Seems like I have seen several bikers killed in the last couple of months in just this way. As small as a S2000 is... a bike is invisible to most cages.

Chipster

Triple-H; I read you post and had to chuckle. Your drop fits a couple of mine. It also fits drops that my partners have experienced. I just wonder does Mr. Murphy really only mess with clean bikes? I have never dropped a dirty sportbike!

AndyP

My one real wreck happened a couple of years ago when I was leaving DC with 4 other bikers. I was approaching a red light slowly and another biker was sitting at the light already. Before I came to a complete stop, the light turned green and the guy in front of me takes off. So I'm getting ready to get back on the throttle and some chics in a car blow their horn in excitement and I look over...right as I'm rolling on the throttle. Apparently, the guy in front of me stopped thinking it was one of us blowing the horn...cuz I nail him at around 35mph and took a nosedive into the pavement. Total out of pocket for damage to both bikes(we both had liability and I wasn't going to make a claim) was over $3500. Also messed my shoulder up pretty bad. I'll never get distracted like that again.

I think that fear is an integral part of riding safely. As long as you have some fear in the back of your mind, you are less likely to wreck because you maintain some common sense(look to suvh8r's post) and ride within your limits. Start off with a less powerful used bike and learn to ride it to it's full potential before moving up to a more powerful one. Also, it doesn't hurt to take things SLOWLY - one step at a time.

Motorcycling is NOT for everyone. If there's that much fear in riding and you haven't even started, it may not be for you. But, if you are learning to ride, the best thing you can do for yourself(aside from full safety gear and MSF class) is to read Keith Code's "Twist Of The Wrist 1&2". He explains the ins and outs of Motorcycling in a scientific manner, making the concepts of riding and physics easier to grasp. I highly recommend these books to anyone who wants to ride safer.

Globetro

Actually, that's not true. Statistically, most accidents happen in the 2nd year of riding... mainly because this is the time when your confidence has grown higher than actual skill level.

KamuiShirou

Another thing I noticed many riders going into motorcycling is because they want to "look cool"... and alot of times people who have never even been on a bike want to start off on a super sports bike that looks "oh so coool". This is also what leads to many crashes. Even experienced riders mess up when they try to "look cool"... i.e. do tricks and such. It has been mentioned before that you shouldn't worry about looking good while riding, because riding should be pure enjoyment on your part. You do this because you love it, not because you want to impress everyone on the road (who probably don't care anyways).

fanoftheliving

I've ben riding for about 5 years, and so far, knock on wood, no accidents. I've never dropped my bike. Currently I am on my third. Motorcycling is absolutely great - nothing like it. The hardest thing I've found is getting the right bike. There are a lot of machines for different styles out there. I really think that picking out the one that is right for you is an art form in itself. But this is off the subject.
My friend who rides with me (about the same level of experience as myself) crashed once - hit some gravel at 45 mph, dislocated his shoulder, NOT a pleasant experience. But he still rides! He has also dropped his bike a number of times, but here is the rub - if you have full fairing, then the damage is a lot more expensive if you have a bike without it - he has a CB750 - not a glamorous machine, but let me tell you, it is built like a tank.

ForcedInduction

[QUOTE]Originally posted by KamuiShirou
[B]It's pretty much a fact that dropping the bike is inevitable, and the greatest fear of many (if not ALL) parents is their child getting a motorcycle.

bayarea408

the only thang i am scared of is a Hayabusa (never rode a bike before, other than a SCOOTER 50cc)

drogers

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Acceleratrix
[B]I've wanted to get a bike for a long time now but after reading all of the posts on biking on this site, I'm really freaked out about it.