Motorcycling is a risky activity.

[kave]

When I was learning to drive a car I was 17 years old. I was involved in three or four car crashes as a result of inexperience in my first two years of driving (none since). All crashes were relatively minor, the worst being getting hit from behind by a car doing around 40kph while my vehicle was stationary. I was never injured as the result of a car crash, and I was always able to drive away afterwards. If I had the same crash as the one I have just described while on a motorbike instead of in a car I would not be riding away afterwards. If a crash like that on a motorbike fails to kill you you are either very lucky or very very unlucky, depending on your injuries.

Motorcycles are risky. You can minimise your risk by utilising safety gear, training, maintenance and the application of common sense but you can never make that risk disappear. The real question though is: do we really want the risk to disappear. Most of us live lives that are relatively safe and that is possibly a good thing, but risky activities can help us build character and teach us a lot about ourselves (as well as being a shitload of fun). There are other outlets available such as white-water rafting and skydiving, but many of these so-called extreme sports are prohibitively expensive. You may be able to participate in extreme sports as an occasional treat, but I certainly cant afford to fork out 200 dollars a day just to get my little dose of adrenalin.

Personally I do try to minimise the risk of motorcycling, but only to a degree. I ensure that my bike is well maintained, I wear all the gear (even if I'm just popping up to the dairy) and I am trying to develop good road awareness and motorcycling skills. Even though I take these steps to minimise risk I still indulge in the occasional bit of risky behaviour on the road. Sometimes I speed, sometimes I corner a bit faster than is necessary. When I do engage in risky activity I try to ensure that I do it in places where I am less likely to injure others (and in places where the long arm of the law is unlikely to find me). In urban areas I dont take the same risks that I take in the country, probably because negotiating Auckland traffic is sufficiently difficult and dangerous that I don't feel the need to up the ante. For me the thrill of motorcycling often stems from the risk, and if the risk was ever completely gone then I believe I would have to find another hobby.

I don't believe that I am the only motorcyclist that thinks or behaves like this. Motorcycling is a risky activity and most people understand this even before they get their first motorbike. In particular those of us that started motorcycling as adults as opposed to those who were put on motorbikes as soon as they could walk. People who start as adults often have had a lifetime of viewing motorbike accidents in the news, we have heard references to motorcyclists being temporary New Zealanders, have heard the third-hand horror stories. Even with all these warnings we still take up motorcycling. So motorcycling attracts people that are risk takers, people who on average are less risk averse than the general population.

I am certain that the fact that the people who ride motorcycles are risk-takers impacts on our injury and fatality statistics. The type of people who drive a car at 49kph in a 50 zone or who buy cars purely based on their crash ratings are unlikely to take up motorcycling. A timid motorcyclist is almost a contradiction. As a result of this I tend to avoid group rides. You see, on group rides there are too many people like me. Too many people trying to push the envelope of their ability, and when you put a bunch of people like that together then stuff can rapidly turn to custard. These days I stick to riding solo, 2-up or with a very small group of close mates of similar ability. I know others that are concerned about the attitudes that prevail on group rides but still attend. For them the social aspect of motorcycling is important enough to outweigh the increased risks.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we are all trying to find a balance between the risks we take as motorcyclists and the precautions we take. For some people the risk of wearing the minimum amount of protective gear is a part of what for them is the motorcycling experience, for some people (people like me) all the gear all (well... 99.99%) of the time is what they feel is a necessary mitigation of the risks involved, and others believe that you must only wear leather and spend a years wages before you are safely equipped to go out there. You get this same spread across all areas of motorcycling, people who feel the speed and handling of a litre sportsbike is a crucial part of their experience down to people who ride 400cc cruisers and believe that if you go over 120kph (or more than 45kph around a 45kph signposted corner) you will spontaneously combust. A lot of people on kiwibiker seem to take the attitude that anyone who takes more risks than them is a reckless imbecile, and anyone who takes more precautions is an overly cautious poofter. My opinion is each to their own. We have enough non-motorcyclists who would love to regulate us out of existance, we don't need the constant internal bitchfest that seems to go on around here. Feel free to inform people as to perils and pitfalls (education is crucial and may even make some reassess the risks they choose to take) but once you have put the information out there dont take it as a personal affront if people choose to ignore it.

[YellowDog]

I sort of agree with paragraph 5. But, if you are going to die, you are going to die. Do take reasonable precautions as stated, but don't make it the main feature in your mind.

I would certainly class myself as a 'calculated risk taker'. Everytime you lean into a corner, you are risking the potential pool of diesel taking you down and sliding you into the path of an oncoming truck. By riding regularly you gain confidence and ability. You learn to stay cool when things go quite wrong and can survive the experience. You can also learn a great deal from the experience of others. This site is good for that.

When you were learing, the guy would hit you up the arse may have blamed you for the accident. Maybe he didn't expect an inexperienced driver to be behaving as you did. The point that you make here is a valid one in that car accidents are forgiving, motorcycle accidents are not.

If you are on a motorcycle and your riding makes you vulnerable, you are likely to have an accident. Your example of sitting on 49kph in a 50kph zone and being an obstruction to other road users is a good definition of dangerous motorcycle riding. A car can do this, a motorcycle cannot.

Defensive riding is all about avoiding danger by reading the road and situations as they present themselves. Sitting in the blind spot of a car and then complaining when it pulls into your path is what the typical over cautious motorcyclist does.

The fact is that driving a car is easy and to pass your test you do not have to have a high degree of proficiency. You don't even need to know or understand how to use a gear shift. Therefore without further education, it is not reasonable to expect car drivers to understand why motorcyclists get so pissed off with them. And it is also why motorcyclists need to have vastly superior road skills.

If you are looking for a way to reduce motorcycle accidents and deaths on the roads, ask the government to allocate the same budget it spends on educating motorists not to drink and drive and also not to drive too fast; to allocate such a budget on televised motorcycle awareness campaigns. IMO - Such a project could educate car drivers on not using mobile phones not speeding and more imposrtantly being aware of other road users (and motorcyclists). When you see a car driver look over his or her shoulder, they probably also ride a motorcycle.

With such a campaign - IMO - you could kill several birds with one stone AND potentially save a lot of lives.

Ride safely out there.

[Str8 Jacket]

IMO, life is a risky activity...

[Genestho]

If you are looking for a way to reduce motorcycle accidents and deaths on the roads, ask the government to allocate the same budget it spends on educating motorists not to drink and drive and also not to drive too fast; to allocate such a budget on televised motorcycle awareness campaigns. IMO - Such a project could educate car drivers on not using mobile phones not speeding and more imposrtantly being aware of other road users (and motorcyclists). When you see a car driver look over his or her shoulder, they probably also ride a motorcycle.

With such a campaign - IMO - you could kill several birds with one stone AND potentially save a lot of lives.

Ride safely out there.


here's the sitch, it's as simple as motorcyclists need to lobby local road safety co-ordinators if they want to be able to make changes within their local communities.
'They' actually can't do anything without motorcyclists input.

Which is the main inhibitor, between motorcyclists and any proposed campaign. If you're willing to listen as well as contribute, you may find you'll learn a thing or two.

As said elsewhere, there are very few people involved in motorycling safety campaigns, that are motorcyclists. that is upto 'you' to change that.
Don't expect one thing to happen in one locality, and for it to be nationwide, as campaigns are funded by regions.

[gwigs]

Yellow dog has a good point about safety funding for bikes...we pay more ACC on our rego than a car and we deserve some sort of safety ads..i.e Watch Out For Bikes.

[jade]

Good post, very relevant to me as I am returning to NZ next week specifically to ride my bike for summer, Although I am still living the motorcyclists lifestyle (waking up in the middle of the night to watch motogp and buying multiple magazines per week) I have only ridden a bike twice in 8 months..

Life has been significantly risk reduced, havent spent countless dollars on my bike, havent crashed it and been injured or had to repair it and I havent had any fines for the first time in my life...
Although Ive recently spent 3k on my bike for when I get home It is definately in the back of my mind that I want to stay sunny side up, both from a health point of view as well as a financial point of view..
Roll on summer and stay safe..

[CookMySock]

Try taking up paragliding then and see how that goes. It's the same thing - do you want to glide down some grassy slope and come to a gentle rest at the bottom, or do you want to cane it up and down a ridgeline with wingovers at zero-level at each end? Whatever gets you that buzz isn't it?

The bottom line is, the road is never going to be the place for this. Yeah yeah we all do it and thats never going to change.

Even with paragliding its possible if not likely, to take your mate out with some stupid stunt. At least you are out of reach of harming the general public, that is until you are low-level stunting along some beach frontage.

The only way to fix this, is keep putting the price up until you reach some equilibrium.

Overall, I don't think it will change. The only difference I can make is with the nut on the bars. I'll do that much today, and tomorrow, because I have too much to lose now. I'll use every tool I have to invoke a paradigm shift among the people I love - they are the only people I have any influence over. The rest aren't my problem.

I'd love to one day achieve results giving training, but I don't think I'll ever get there, and if I did, I don't think I'd achieve results.

Good luck!

Steve

[onearmedbandit]

Too much thinking - not enough riding.

[Ixion]

. For me the thrill of motorcycling often stems from the risk, and if the risk was ever completely gone then I believe I would have to find another hobby.

I don't believe that I am the only motorcyclist that thinks or behaves like this. .

I have never understood this, myself, I am totally risk averse. But, each to his own.

[Danae]

Good post, and +1 to Yellowdog.

There are certain kinds of people who can and will ride motorbikes. You can't have an inattentive/absent-minded person riding a bike; they'll be gone within the week.

However a biker who is willing to focus, learn and understand how much thinking among other things is involved with riding will last.

Yes, many motorcyclists are in it for the kicks. Even though I am just learning, every now and then I lean enough into a corner to get that dropping sensation in my stomach and the adrenalin rush. But I say that a bit of risk-taking is fine, especially if you go about it in your way. Since motorcyclists need to be focused and thinking constantly, risk-taking becomes in effect less risky than if an inattentive person were taking the same risk.

[crazyhorse]

We already wrap our kids in cotton wool, and they are missing out on half the fun we used to have as kids - like jumping out of trees, flying foxes, etc, just to name a few.

You need to live a little. You could die just crossing the road. When your number is up, unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent it.

Life is full of choices, you can choose to buy a bike and ride 100% to the law, or as majority of us do, take risks here and there, and enjoy the thrill of it. At the end of the day, no one knows when the end will come, but you need to be able to live life and enjoy what you do. We cannot think of all the 'what-ifs' in life. Get out there and be happy doing what you do. :yes:

[Genestho]

We already wrap our kids in cotton wool, and they are missing out on half the fun we used to have as kids - like jumping out of trees, flying foxes, etc, just to name a few.

You need to live a little. You could die just crossing the road. When your number is up, unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent it.

Life is full of choices, you can choose to buy a bike and ride 100% to the law, or as majority of us do, take risks here and there, and enjoy the thrill of it. At the end of the day, no one knows when the end will come, but you need to be able to live life and enjoy what you do. We cannot think of all the 'what-ifs' in life. Get out there and be happy doing what you do. :yes:

I agree with all of this, Life is one big risk, and full of choices and PC BS!

However, the point over looked is, once you have a wee family of your own, your death does not affect you, as you are dead.

It affects your kids, and the ones left behind.
The ones that hose your blood and guts off the roads.
The ones that try to save you, and can't do anything except keep you comfortable until you see the white light.
Ain't reality grand.

[madbikeboy]

When I was learning to drive a car I was 17 years old. I was involved in three or four car crashes as a result of inexperience in my first two years of driving (none ....

Well, applying logic and humility to KiddieBiker. You seemed like such a sensible guy.

FWIW, I agree with the sentiment. I was talking with a mate who was explaining that in order to ride fast on the road, you just gas it. I'm faster than him on a track, but he's faster than me on the road. I'm happier with it being this way around. No more than 4/10ths on the road, don't gas it unless you can see the clear exit, and you have no right to use the road as a racetrack.

[Drogen Omen]

huh...???

what is the point of this thread...?

if you think biking is risky try mountainbiking... oh wait that risky also.
try road cycling oh wait that is risky also...
try driving a cage everyday... hmmm thats risky too.
sorry still dont see the point of pointing out that mitorbikes ar risky buisness... cause everything in life is risky...
:blank:

at the end of the day its choice. you choose to go faster ans faster, no one is turning the throttle for you...

the only hazard i can see is that cagers need to be educated more on driving...

they need to pass a cours and minimum of 150 hours with a driving instructor, also 15 is way too youg to be driving a car... i think the driving age should be atleast 18 and drinking age should be 21 and world peice will start next year and everyone should be ...!!! blah blah blah...!!!

[MarkH]

I have never understood this, myself, I am totally risk averse. But, each to his own.

I am a big risk taker!

Even right now I have on my desk (between me and the monitor) 2 tubes - one is 'Blistex Lip Ointment' cause my lips are chapped and the other is is 'Gorilla Ultra Bonder Super Glue'. One is white with blue and red, the others is blue with white and red. It keeps me on my toes and makes me pay attention.

I think I am just seriously addicted to risk taking!

[The Pastor]

<IMG SRC='http://redriverautographs.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/risky_business.jpg'>

[grbaker]

Dude, the "I'm gonna die" attude doesn't go with Motorbike riding.

You have got to be positive and realistic.

Think "I'm going to enjoy my ride" & mix in "That car is going to try and kill me" then find a nice balance.

[YellowDog]

IMO, life is a risky activity...
This is exactly right.

Vegetarians do get mad cow disease.

The monogomous do get aids.

People die through no fault of their own.

Shit happens.

IMO - Road users are Road users regardless of what they drive/ride and should be educated to a standard that enables them to cope with what the road can throw at them.

[bikergirl]

Too much thinking - not enough riding.

I agree!!!:clap: When I got my first bike I worked in a supermarket and parked my bike at the main door. One day I had an old git find me in the store to inform me that my bike made me a "temporary Kiwi" and after that he would pop in to see if I was still alive. Fu** that I say,you gotta die some time, I dont plan to but it may as well be on my much loved bike then hit by a drunk when crossing the road. :wari:

[jack_hamma]

I agree!!!:clap: I dont plan to but it may as well be on my much loved bike then hit by a drunk when crossing the road. :wari:

But you could be hit by that drunk when on your bike?

[MarkH]

my bike made me a "temporary Kiwi"

Next time someone comes out with that sort of shit just reply "just as your mortality makes you a 'temporary kiwi' also". Shit, there ain't no one that is going to be here permanently!

When I was 19 a cop told me that I was the sort of person that they refer to as a 'temporary kiwi', but since then younger & better & more careful people than me have died. I try to manage my risks and stay alive, but I fear that I wont be able to keep living indefinitely - that is just that way that shit goes!

[2wheeldrifter]

We all take a calculated risk when riding...

[metalslug]

Riding is a lot like cigarette smoking....at least the mentality...

Because of my job I deal with a lot of smokers, most of them think they can keep on doing it, get high and live like those 0.01% who smoked like a chimney and lived healthy till their 90s...

In a similar way we all get high from riding, the danger, the adrenaline, the freedom... and yet unknown danger lurks near and only so many made it in one piece till the end...

We all know the risk, but we choose to do it....

At least petrol is cheaper than going through packs of cigarettes and I get to keep my tooth nice and shiny ;)

[98tls]

Good post, and +1 to Yellowdog.

There are certain kinds of people who can and will ride motorbikes. You can't have an inattentive/absent-minded person riding a bike; they'll be gone within the week.

However a biker who is willing to focus, learn and understand how much thinking among other things is involved with riding will last.

Yes, many motorcyclists are in it for the kicks. Even though I am just learning, every now and then I lean enough into a corner to get that dropping sensation in my stomach and the adrenalin rush. But I say that a bit of risk-taking is fine, especially if you go about it in your way. Since motorcyclists need to be focused and thinking constantly, risk-taking becomes in effect less risky than if an inattentive person were taking the same risk.
Actually anyone can and will ride a motorcycle,as an old bugger thats been riding 38 odd years its a pleasure to read your post and long i hope you remember what you posted,in your motorcycling lifetime you will be dealt some bad hands,some, skill may see you through others no amount of anything will,yep its a risky business.What your post remnded me of was after 38 years of riding its the basics that this old fart stuggles with sometimes,as in be ALERT,no matter how long/how good blah blah you have been riding never stop concentrating on that one thing.At least it gives you a chance.:Oops:rant over.

[Danae]

What your post remnded me off was after 38 years of riding its the basics that this old fart stuggles with sometimes,as in be ALERT,no matter how long/how good blah blah you have been riding never stop concentrating on that one thing.At least it gives you a chance.:Oops:rant over.

I've heard from people who the only time they have crashed is when they were tired/zoned out.

I also don't recommend riding when you're sick...damn nearly made me crash a few times on the way back from Shelly Beach.

[98tls]

I've heard from people who the only time they have crashed is when they were tired/zoned out.

I also don't recommend riding when you're sick...damn nearly made me crash a few times on the way back from Shelly Beach. Sick:Oops:yea watch that specially after a rally..........Sunday mornings 100s of KMs from home with work on Monday suck.:whistle:

[Maki]

Motorcycling is risky. My wife will kill me if I so much as scratch the bike so I take great care.

************************************************** *******************

Do what makes you happy in this life. This may be your only one and you may not be here tomorrow.

[James Deuce]

Really Gay Picture of Tome Cruise Snipped
Indy buys a Steve McQueen bike and RM goes gay for Tom.

This IS a Pink Letter day for KB!