My beautiful addiction

[BIGBOSSMAN]

Way back in October 1986 as a carefree 22 year old my life almost ended whan I t-boned an errant Vauxhall Viva with my RG500, an accident that almost ended my life, left me in hospital for 3 months and modified my behaviour.
That was until April this year when I bought my ZX10R.
I've found myself slowly regressing back to the same bad habits, excessive speed and extreme lean angles through corners.
Am I crazy?? I have rediscovered my drug, the adrenaline hit that comes when you attack a set of corners/sweepers at maximum velocity. The problem is that my landscape has changed, I'm no longer the punky young kid with nothing to lose, I'm a father to a fantastic 13 yo girl, mortgagee, engaged to a fabulous woman, and my career is going places.
Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary

[Disco Dan]

Testosterone!!!

We are men. We must do man things. Ride bikes. Adjust our nuts. Drink beer. 'own' women.

just kidding ;)

Sounds like another "mid life crisis". Enjoy it. You only live once.

[kiwifruit]

I said guys I'm like you I like Monster Trucks too
Wanna see how many push-ups I can do?
I just wish I was queer so I could get chicks


Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me??
Gary

trackdays, club racing

[Sam I Am]

Track Days !!!!! they rock and teach you loads leaving yourself with nothing to prove on the open road as you will have gone so much faster on the track with way more lean angle. See you at Taupo !!!!
or there is tesiting track time at Pukekohe race track
all for only arround $100/120 per day

[Disco Dan]

We are top of the food chain.... we catch the bacon. Not the other way around. :2thumbsup

[Coldrider]

I am going to a funeral in the morning, a mate that was killed on his motorcycle last week. Makes me think, but no, can't give up motorcycles.
Just have to think 100% of the time on bikes.

[Karma]

you take a risk getting up in the morning, crossing the road, or sticking your face in a fan...

It's all about what level of risk is acceptable to you.

<img src=http://entimg.msn.com/i/150/nakedgun_dvd_150x150.jpg></img>

[07fatboy]

Way back in October 1986 as a carefree 22 year old my life almost ended whan I t-boned an errant Vauxhall Viva with my RG500, an accident that almost ended my life, left me in hospital for 3 months and modified my behaviour.
That was until April this year when I bought my ZX10R.
I've found myself slowly regressing back to the same bad habits, excessive speed and extreme lean angles through corners.
Am I crazy?? I have rediscovered my drug, the adrenaline hit that comes when you attack a set of corners/sweepers at maximum velocity. The problem is that my landscape has changed, I'm no longer the punky young kid with nothing to lose, I'm a father to a fantastic 13 yo girl, mortgagee, engaged to a fabulous woman, and my career is going places.
Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary

I have the very same Phsycalogical problem...I am at the point where i think i need to see a shrink....stay safe

[Zapf]

trackdays and racing still have their dangers. As some members on this site has experienced, as a result they are now unable to ride bikes.

perhaps looking at a different type of bikes would help. Something that doesn't have massive speed, but still gives you that experience.

[Spuds1234]

Way back in October 1986 as a carefree 22 year old my life almost ended whan I t-boned an errant Vauxhall Viva with my RG500, an accident that almost ended my life, left me in hospital for 3 months and modified my behaviour.
That was until April this year when I bought my ZX10R.
I've found myself slowly regressing back to the same bad habits, excessive speed and extreme lean angles through corners.
Am I crazy?? I have rediscovered my drug, the adrenaline hit that comes when you attack a set of corners/sweepers at maximum velocity. The problem is that my landscape has changed, I'm no longer the punky young kid with nothing to lose, I'm a father to a fantastic 13 yo girl, mortgagee, engaged to a fabulous woman, and my career is going places.
Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary

Its about discipline mate.

Next time you have the urge to go balls to the wall on the road just think about your wife, your kid, and all the shit they would have to go through if you hurt yourself or God forbid karked it out there.

Go do some track days if you want to go fast. You'll soon learn that fast on the track is a hell of a lot safer than going fast on the road. You unfortunatly never know what is around the next corner when on the road.

You probably dont need another Vauxhall Viva at this point in your life.

[bmz2]

dude, you are going though the change of life, at 40 you find yourself talking to yourself more , finding reasons way you should not do things and blamming your age , but get on two wheels and that goes out the door, think about buying a bike that look better going slow than fast and turns heads, buy some form of muscle bike, and play nice with the sportsbike:lol:

[MSTRS]

.... I am 43 years old.


Time to grow up. No-one says you have to grow old tho :niceone:

[DMNTD]

...perhaps looking at a different type of bikes would help.


Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me??
100% understand Gary...hence why I've sold the wickedest inline 4 road bike I've ever ridden/owned and bought the Superduke.
Far more fun where it counts (in the corners) and pulls almost as hard as what your ZX10 does.

[Grahameeboy]

Time to grow up. No-one says you have to grow old tho :niceone:

Who says we have to grow up............age is just a number..........I am 80% 18 and 20% 45..................the 20% is for my responsibilities........

[Grahameeboy]

100% understand Gary...hence why I've sold the wickedest inline 4 road bike I've ever ridden/owned and bought the Superduke.
Far more fun where it counts (in the corners) and pulls almost as hard as what your ZX10 does.

Did you say corners??

Yep with my RF (don't laugh) I found that it was too easy to just go fast and with the SV you can still go fast if you want but it is more fun.....

[BarBender]

Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary

The rush of riding a bike at speed is one thing...Track days help that to a degree...but I'm guessing that you're touching on what drives behaviour...
Dont know what the answer is for you Gary but I've been thinking and talking about the 'whys' with others for awhile now...


Hate - theres gotta be some of that in a person if they feel they have to fuck someone up...or put them in their place...or show them who's boss (for want of a better term)...
Riding on the edge as a means of feedback and validation of ones own worth from others and oneself
Inability to relax and or control ones own behaviour...
Addiction to speed
Closely related to speed addiction is the psychological dependency on adrenalin...or thrillseeking...adrenalin junkie...
Competition
While we dont like to admit it - but to take it to the next level and do crazy shit on the road, you'd have to have to some degree a disregard for yourself and others...
Lack of acknowledgement of risks and/or consequences...even after the spills
Mistaken belief in our ability and experience to date: Thinking we get through on 'skill' when it is in fact 'luck'
A combination of some or all of the aboveRemedies?...Dont know about you...
But something valuable I learnt some years ago in a book by Steven Covey was that behaviour is based on See - Do - Get. The results we get in life (our lot) are based on what we do (behaviours) which is in turn is based on what we see (our mindsets, mental paradigms, belief systems). Thats basic 101 Psych. However the key to it that if we want to change our results, you cant focus on behaviour and what you do. You have to focus on whats between the ears and challenge those beliefs that drive the behaviour. Its hard but thats what I've been trying to do.

You know me - so I hope you know Im not being patronising or trying to be Dr Pharken Phil. :rolleyes: I'm back on a bike for 3 years after 15 years off and this dilemna is real for me. Hopefully we can learn from each other.

Rona (41) :msn-wink:

[Grahameeboy]

How very perceptive...yes I did say corners.


I am into the details don't ya know

[DMNTD]

I am into the details don't ya know

However they seem to be misaligned with the truth in this case :lol:

[saul]

I bought the poulan:niceone: it's only a baby bike so I am nice and safe:devil2:

[Oakie]

Relax. The main thing is that you recognise there is an issue so in time the pendulum will swing to the point where a good balance between fun and safety is found.

[beyond]

dude, you are going though the change of life, at 40 you find yourself talking to yourself more , finding reasons way you should not do things and blamming your age , but get on two wheels and that goes out the door, think about buying a bike that look better going slow than fast and turns heads, buy some form of muscle bike, and play nice with the sportsbike:lol:


That's what I did. Bought a GSX1400 as it's meant to be an old geezers bike.
Trouble is I'm 50 and it didn't work for me :(

Even a big muscle bike goes like hell and corners amazingly well.

[BIGBOSSMAN]

Thanks for you kind words guys, I guess I'm a bit amazed at my regression back to old habits. Although I'm not the blind corner overtaking/ride as fast as you can in the wet/let's make her slide in 3rd gear exiting a corner type of rider I used to be - maybe there is a safety valve buried deep in my noggin somewhere eh!
Faarken love these bikes tho :2thumbsup

[Chickadee]

Trackdays sound like a good way to get things outta your system.

I would suggest a limited speed bike like a ginny fast, but hey you have to enjoy - and you've had something with more poke, which would be frustrating getting on a snail instead of a rocket.

Perhaps put something on the bike on your handlebars to remind you to be a good boy (when you have the urge to be crazy on the bike)

[HenryDorsetCase]

Way back in October 1986 as a carefree 22 year old my life almost ended whan I t-boned an errant Vauxhall Viva with my RG500, an accident that almost ended my life, left me in hospital for 3 months and modified my behaviour.
That was until April this year when I bought my ZX10R.
I've found myself slowly regressing back to the same bad habits, excessive speed and extreme lean angles through corners.
Am I crazy?? I have rediscovered my drug, the adrenaline hit that comes when you attack a set of corners/sweepers at maximum velocity. The problem is that my landscape has changed, I'm no longer the punky young kid with nothing to lose, I'm a father to a fantastic 13 yo girl, mortgagee, engaged to a fabulous woman, and my career is going places.
Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary



I hear you...... sell the tenner, buy a naked bike (you will feel like you're going quicker, due to no fairing....) buy a cheap bike and GO TO THE TRACK....

worked for me anyway... I no longer feel any need at all to hang it out in public (plus theres that restraining order....)..

[rainman]

does anyone have an answer for me??

Buy a cruiser? ;)

[vagrant]

I'm a father to a fantastic 13 yo girl


Put a picture of whats important to you in the tacho to remind you why you need to make home tonight.

[SVboy]

Oh puuuuleeze! We are a long time dead! [and I know some bikers end up dead earlier] BUT many of us bike for the buzz, the here and now, the thing that justifies bothering to stay alive. Live in the moment-sounds like you have a safety valve already, but geez, follow your own heart. Its clear you/we embrace lifes responsibilities, mortgages,children,relationships etc but bikes are the escape. Without the passion-perhaps we should all buy Toyota Corrollas, in order to practice for those motorised mobility scooters that seem to looming large in some peoples visions!!:bleh:

[oldrider]

Way back in October 1986 as a carefree 22 year old my life almost ended whan I t-boned an errant Vauxhall Viva with my RG500, an accident that almost ended my life, left me in hospital for 3 months and modified my behaviour.
That was until April this year when I bought my ZX10R.
I've found myself slowly regressing back to the same bad habits, excessive speed and extreme lean angles through corners.
Am I crazy?? I have rediscovered my drug, the adrenaline hit that comes when you attack a set of corners/sweepers at maximum velocity. The problem is that my landscape has changed, I'm no longer the punky young kid with nothing to lose, I'm a father to a fantastic 13 yo girl, mortgagee, engaged to a fabulous woman, and my career is going places.
Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary

Hasn't gone away in 68 yrs so looks like ya gotta learn to live with it! :headbang: (lol) Cheers John.

[fergie]

Relax. The main thing is that you recognise there is an issue so in time the pendulum will swing to the point where a good balance between fun and safety is found.

i agree , good comment. i sold my fzr 750 cause i was an accident waiting to happen!

[MD]

You probably dont need another Vauxhall Viva at this point in your life.

Now I'm as confused as Bigbossman. Do I buy the Viva, or Corrolla or mobility scooter mentioned on here.

I hear where you are coming from BBM. Like you I have the darling children, Wifey, pets, relatives... ..and mortgage. All things I want to return home to after a ride. Even the mortgage has a purpose so for some warped reason it appears on the list.

I like to ride every single weekend so the track day suggestions have little merit. I have done heaps of track days over the years, but they are still a hassle to get to, require prior arranging and availability is usually infrequent. No one can finish work early on a Friday and just decide, on the spur of the moment, to pop out for two hours to the local race track.

Even if you had a race track within half an hour of home who could go there once or twice every weekend? Unless you owned it you can't just turn up, open the gate and play. I used to live close to Ruapuna and we used to hire it mid week for evenings in summer. It was great fun but required pre-booking and getting mates to commit to turning up to share the cost.

So to get as much enjoyment out of your bike you have to ride it as much as possible, and that means on the road. The catch 22 is that more risk does return more excitment.
Speights moment - It's a hard road finding the perfect risk:reward balance boy.
If someone finds the answer, besides driving a Vauxhall Viva, let me know
Thanks
Mark

[The Stranger]

Yet when someone opens their bike up in front of me my natural instinct is to get past them and fuck them up.
Why is that, does anyone have an answer for me?? I am 43 years old.
Gary

Take out a big life insurance policy.

[surfchick]

it takes a mission dollop of self-control NOT to use the road as a proving ground if you spot another biker... might have to make the decisions to mellow in the face of of fellow bikers ahead of time and then stick to it -as in the spurr of the moment your instincts will always be to be alpha-male-top-diggity-dog :shake::motu: and gun it if there's the potential to catch and pass someone...which on your bike will always be a possibilty really. up to you...:rolleyes:

[Mark Pav]

The best drugs are found on race tracks............ Get ye to a track day. You will learn things you just cannot on a road.

[90s]

Just pick your time and place to open up the throttle.

You probably will find altough some of your old habbits are back, you are still not taking the same risks in the same places you would have all those years ago.

Having said that I have mentioned on another thread (the insurance one) that males mid-late 30s, inc. me, esp. if they have returned to bikes (like me) are one of the highest risk groups at the moment.

Back on a big bike sooo much more powerful than the ones earlier in our careers (not for me though, sadly :-( ), with much higher conrnering speeds and many get addicted to the power, push the limits and come acropper pretty fast.

I guess the first step if you survive the first few thrill-addicted weeks is to then ask the question you have. I think we can all have some fun on the roads when it all seems clear and we are well-protected etc etc. No risk? Hell no. Managed risk? Well like someone said earlier, everythings a risk.

A guy my dad was in the Navy with died when he flicked his bedsheet over his head making the bed, and it broke his neck when he flicked it back. Stats are full of crazy in-house accidents like this. Much more common than motorcycle deaths.
So take it easy, think of your resps. Then have some fun when the time and place are right.

[90s]

Stats are full of crazy in-house accidents like this. Much more common than motorcycle deaths.

In fact check out today's NZH:

"Gardening injuries landed 87,000 British people in hospital last year and included 6500 cases involving a lawn mower, 5300 involving a flower pot and 4400 involving secateurs, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents said."

I'd rather go out on a bike than be killed by a flower pot.

[_intense_]

all for only arround $100/120 per day

// *ahem* plus new tyres...

[avgas]

i know the feeling. i just have to keep telling meself to think of the loved ones and it all seems a whole lot more dangerous. the alternative is amputation.