Has anyone ever gotten the idea....

[ricster]

Has anyone ever gotten the idea someones trying to tell you something? I have been aproached lately by customers friends and others on exerps of people crashing their bikes. The latest one was from a guy riding behind another biker..only the biker in front slams head on in a corner into an on-coming truck!! Anyway....is this a warning to heed?

[mepeck]

I'm assuming they're all cagers. (?)

Like, every other day, someone goes out of their way to tell me about someone they heard about that bought it on a motorcycle. My dad says, "Somebody got killed on a motorcycle last week." I said, "Somebody got killed in a truck out there on your road last week too." Dad said, "Be careful on that thing!" Sheesh! I mean, I understand peoples concern, to a point, but for crying out loud!

I figure, when your number's up, your number's up.

MP

BTW, Be careful on those things!

[pelon717]

People (normally non-riders) love telling riders horror stories. Ignore it. They're just being morbid and somehow convincing themselves that they'll outlive you because you live dangerously. One time a chain-smoker tried telling me about someone he knew who was killed on a bike.

I told him I'll ride to his funeral. A smoker telling me I take chances? Huh?

[dandrewk]

Every rider gets on the bike with a certain percentage of confidence and a certain percentage of fear. IMHO, we really need both.

Too much fear - not good to ride all tensed up. That leads to many more problems, and if you don't enjoy riding, what's the point?

Too much confidence - see SQUID. Nobody is invulnerable, and if you THINK you are, just wait.

Finding the equilibrium between the two - now THAT'S the trick. I think the proper balance comes with LOT'S of riding. The more you ride, the more you learn. Get on the bike as often as you can. IMHO, this INCREASES your odds of safer journeys.

It's not an easy thing. I have had two get-offs - both of which could easily have been worse. Recovering, physically and mentally, is a huge challenge. I plan on never having to do that again.

Listen to the scare stories. Read the posts. You CAN learn from other's mistakes. But don't think of them as "omens", only as tools.

[dolson]

This runs in cycles here. Shine it on with your best come back. I usually say thank you and I hope that they are very vigilant in watching out for motorcyclists.

[Beach]

I cop this as well in my work place as I'm the only person that has a bike as primary transport.

Everyone who hasnt been in a car crash will probably know someone that has been in one. Pretty much everyone has seen fatal car crashes on the television news.

The conversation usually goes like this:

Them: "I saw a bad bike accident on the way to work today. Those things are so dangerous. I dont know how you ride everyday in this city."

Me: "I ride because I love it. Have you ever had or know someone that has had a bad car crash?"

Them: "Of course!"

Me: "Did it ever make you consider giving up cars? Two thousand people a year die on ours roads in car crashes. Those things are so dangerous. How can you feel safe in a steel cage that could crush you in a crash?"

Them: "Oh. I've never thought about it like that..."

The other interesting thing is that with the price of fuel heading north, suddenly a motorcycle is a viable means of transport and maybe not so dangerous after all. I'm thinking of charging for the time I spend explaining the system and what bikes are good for novices.

Its amazing how the hip pocket nerve can change a persons point of view.

[dandrewk]

We are quicker and more nimble than cars. This can get us out of trouble.

We can stop a LOT faster than cars.

We have a much narrower profile than cars - we CAN share a lane with a car. We also have better and easier access to break-down lanes.

Of course... in a crash, give me a steel cage any day. But, theoretically at least, we should be able to avoid crashes better than cars.

[redmosquito1]

Well I had never heard crash stories till after I crashed. Which now it seems everyone knows someone who crashed and died on a bike, they must all know the same person. weird.

This is the most messed up one though - 2 guys leave a local bar, one is a local cop on a harley the other is on a crotch rocket. These 2 idiots were tanked and flying down a curvy road at night and guy on crotch rocket goes off road. Cop stops and calls in the accident then leaves, person who lives in the house where crotch rocket guy crashed goes out to see what all the noise was. They see a bike upside down and running, they find it odd there is no driver and start looking around. about ten minutes later they find the driver, headless laying in a ditch dead. Supposedly the cop was suspended and its still pending investigation, happened a few weeks back.

Thats really messed up though, I guess guy who found the body still has nightmares. messed up.

[dolson]

This is sounding like a 50's-60's song. Leader of the Pack

[dandrewk]

Originally Posted by dolson

This is sounding like a 50's-60's song. Leader of the Pack

The cop felt so helpless, what could he do?
Remembering all the things they'd been through

Ok, enuf irreverence. That was a sad story.