Should people be scared of riding?
04-02-2002, 11:56 AM
#21
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To me, m'cycling is just another controlled-risk activity. Yes, it is more dangerous than driving a big SUV. But it is just something I want to do. Most of us do plenty of things that are risky (more than not doing them, anyway) but we have various needs to satisfy.
When I first started riding it was legal to ride in CA without a helmet. And that's how I did it for years. I enjoyed the sense of flying. One in a while I'd be stunned by a giant bug or a piece of gravel to the forehead but that came with the ride. Now that I've been forced to wear a hat for a while I can't imagine riding without one. But riding still satisfies some urge I have.
Some people are probably uncomfortable with the "risk" of driving a small convertable, like our S2K's but not us. We live for the thrill...
When I first started riding it was legal to ride in CA without a helmet. And that's how I did it for years. I enjoyed the sense of flying. One in a while I'd be stunned by a giant bug or a piece of gravel to the forehead but that came with the ride. Now that I've been forced to wear a hat for a while I can't imagine riding without one. But riding still satisfies some urge I have.
Some people are probably uncomfortable with the "risk" of driving a small convertable, like our S2K's but not us. We live for the thrill...
04-03-2002, 07:11 AM
#22
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I'm sure almost everyone's heard of the saying "there are 2 types of riders, those who have gone down, and those who will." Just because you've never dropped the bike, doesn't mean someone else will have your luck. These things happen to all of us, even the best of us, and you always have to be prepared for it. That's what helps you to be an alert rider. Cocky attitudes mixed with shit luck will most definitely result in something bad. It's a good thing everyone I know that have been downed have all been experienced riders who wore the proper gears and such. The road is dangerous for squids unless they learn to lose that shit attitude of theirs.
04-03-2002, 07:25 AM
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I've been riding for over thirty years, and the one thing that you need is...know your limitations. Nothing is going to prevent someone else from causing an accident. Being alert and wearing appropriate gear can help. But to prevent a "self inflicted" accident, know your limitations. I have a lot of friends that ride, and the only time we seem to have a problem is when someone tries to do something that is a little beyond their capabilties. Riding every day and dealing with the situations that arise builds experience and confidence. Just make sure you know what you are capable of before you try something.
04-03-2002, 09:12 AM
#24
Some really good stuff posted here and some "annecdotal" info too. A bit of fear is a good "life preserver". If you think it can never happen to you, it probably will. If you think you're "invicible" and will "live forever", chances are you won't. There are no hard and set guarantees, only "bettering your chances". Worth repeating: Know your limitations, your bike's limitations and how these relate to the limitations presented by the motoring environment. Although you can't do much about your bike's limitations in it's delivered form, you can educate yourself through training and experience such that your "limitations" are more manageable. Also through training and experience, you can adjust to and to some extent "manipulate" the limitations of the riding environment. Be constantly aware of stuff. Learn from what's gone past, be on top of what you're riding in and through, always plan for what might enter your "bubble". Your neck should be trained to be a "swivel" (to see and assess everything around you), but also your mind must "swivel" into the immediate future and be able to weigh the odds and what you can do about it if it should happen.
Most certified bike training courses will result in an insurance discount equivalent to 3 years riding experience for the new rider so this should tell you something. I don't have numbers but a lot of M/C accidents happen before somebody dies. Of course, we all know of "somebody" who had an accident and "somebody" who has a life long injury. For interest, most accidents where a M/C is involved in a collision with another vehicle happens at intersections. Stats have shown that in these types of accidents, the quadrant of the bike that gets the most frequent damage is the front left. This is caused by the bike turning left and either running into or being run into by another opposing vehicle coming straight though the intersection. More commonly though, it's the M/C proceeding straight through the intersection thinking all is well and an oncoming vehicle turning left into the bike. (But officer, I didn't see him.) The next most interesting stat is: Most single vehicle accidents involving a M/C (where there is no other apparent vehicle involved) occurs in a curve. The motorcyclist was unable to negotiate the curve due to a combination of one or more of the following: too much speed going in, inability of the rider to lean properly into the curve (lack of counter-steering skills), inability of the rider to read the curve (changing radius curve or blind curve), inability of the rider to read the road surface (wet or loose materials), wrong positioning on the road or lane, wrong head positioning causing disorientation. The moral of this story is to slow down before the curve if you can't see the end of it or cannot determine road surface conditions or cannot see what (traffic) might be coming around the corner right at you. Just because there was no evidence of other traffic doesn't mean that there wasn't any. A "surprise" vehicle coming around a curve may cause you to crash but that vehicle will be long gone and not even know that you've crashed. Happy biking!
Most certified bike training courses will result in an insurance discount equivalent to 3 years riding experience for the new rider so this should tell you something. I don't have numbers but a lot of M/C accidents happen before somebody dies. Of course, we all know of "somebody" who had an accident and "somebody" who has a life long injury. For interest, most accidents where a M/C is involved in a collision with another vehicle happens at intersections. Stats have shown that in these types of accidents, the quadrant of the bike that gets the most frequent damage is the front left. This is caused by the bike turning left and either running into or being run into by another opposing vehicle coming straight though the intersection. More commonly though, it's the M/C proceeding straight through the intersection thinking all is well and an oncoming vehicle turning left into the bike. (But officer, I didn't see him.) The next most interesting stat is: Most single vehicle accidents involving a M/C (where there is no other apparent vehicle involved) occurs in a curve. The motorcyclist was unable to negotiate the curve due to a combination of one or more of the following: too much speed going in, inability of the rider to lean properly into the curve (lack of counter-steering skills), inability of the rider to read the curve (changing radius curve or blind curve), inability of the rider to read the road surface (wet or loose materials), wrong positioning on the road or lane, wrong head positioning causing disorientation. The moral of this story is to slow down before the curve if you can't see the end of it or cannot determine road surface conditions or cannot see what (traffic) might be coming around the corner right at you. Just because there was no evidence of other traffic doesn't mean that there wasn't any. A "surprise" vehicle coming around a curve may cause you to crash but that vehicle will be long gone and not even know that you've crashed. Happy biking!
04-05-2002, 03:50 PM
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you guys have got some stories....ill keep mine short...I went riding with a friend one day and he took a bling turn. My friend got hit by a car up highway 9 in CA while in a turn....he had a hole in his thigh from a peg, but walked away...still riding...GSXR...ive known of lots of people who have looped their bikes doing wheelies and have been fine...but then again ...other friends have just fallen off of bikes and died...(R.I.P.) 5 of my friends died last year in a span of 4 months...since then i havent really been banging any wheelies or indos...i just cruise...
04-10-2002, 09:24 AM
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People should be scared of living. Man, it's just too easy to die when you are alive. Myself, I lilve in a spherical nuclear shelter 2 miles underground, inside a padded bubble. I wanted a bike, but the logistical details of getting it down here could not be overcome. It gets pretty boring down here, anybody want to come visit?
04-10-2002, 01:28 PM
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No one should operate a machine that one is scared of. That's basic right?
With that said ... riding within your limits with confidence is key. Being focused is important on the road ... if you're scared, you can't be fully focused because you're worried about getting hurt. I don't think people should be "scared" of riding, but I think it better be damn respected because when it's not, that's when lives are lost and serious injuries can occur. Of course, even the best rider is subjected to the risks of riding and anything can happen at any time. The fact is: riding a bike is a serious risk and not for everyone ... and at the same time it is one of the most enjoyable things to experience.
With that said ... riding within your limits with confidence is key. Being focused is important on the road ... if you're scared, you can't be fully focused because you're worried about getting hurt. I don't think people should be "scared" of riding, but I think it better be damn respected because when it's not, that's when lives are lost and serious injuries can occur. Of course, even the best rider is subjected to the risks of riding and anything can happen at any time. The fact is: riding a bike is a serious risk and not for everyone ... and at the same time it is one of the most enjoyable things to experience.
04-10-2002, 11:18 PM
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well sometimes maybe a little fear is a good thing, because when people get over confident on the back of a bike that's when bad things start to happen. THey shouldn't necessarily be "scared" to ride, but maybe just a little cautious. It's like if a complete newbie is riding on a brand new bike... and is so scared that he would drop it, he stops having fun. Motorcycling should be fun, but still approached with caution... and that's why everyone will tell you to Ride Hard and Ride Safe
04-11-2002, 08:36 AM
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Great tongue in cheek reply, Alex M
A young buddy of mine was cut off on a residencial street a few years ago. (CBR600)Instinctively,he moved to the right to avoid this idiot, but ran out of room and struck a parked car.He went from a star athlete to a wheelchair bound parapalegic in that instant.That's not the story however. He told me later, as I was in a state of semi shock"If you live your life afraid of dying, you've lived your life DEAD! Don't give up on the fun things in your life." Now he's once again an athlete,(wheelchair, of course) runs his own vehicles, watercraft included, and has one of the foxiest ladies ever! Moral of the story, live life to the fullest, just don't take unneccesary risks.
No one can prevent the unforeseeable.
A young buddy of mine was cut off on a residencial street a few years ago. (CBR600)Instinctively,he moved to the right to avoid this idiot, but ran out of room and struck a parked car.He went from a star athlete to a wheelchair bound parapalegic in that instant.That's not the story however. He told me later, as I was in a state of semi shock"If you live your life afraid of dying, you've lived your life DEAD! Don't give up on the fun things in your life." Now he's once again an athlete,(wheelchair, of course) runs his own vehicles, watercraft included, and has one of the foxiest ladies ever! Moral of the story, live life to the fullest, just don't take unneccesary risks.No one can prevent the unforeseeable.