Some reflections from a young guy - then till now

[R6_kid:Me]

Brett, you know as well as i do what is in your heart man. For me last weekend was bad enough with Motobob sustaining his injuries... this weekend put a real damper on things just as I was starting to get back into it. What I can tell you is that all those who have lost their lives or been injured recently wouldnt want you to give up your passion on their account of misfortune.

You know all too well that you could be taken any time, and that when your 'time' comes thats it.

What you have to think is that you are living your life to the max. If you are giving of yourself (i know you are bro, dont be so modest), treat your missus good and all the rest then you are doing good already.

For me biking is what takes me away from the shit stuff in life. Hell, even a shit evening of lane splitting will put a smile on my face after a shit day at work, especially when i get to pop a wheelie off from the lights at the end of the motorway. Biking is what sets me free, it sets me apart from 'the rest', its what makes me 'me'.

Riding is what makes you feel alive - but yes, it can kill you.

So that brings me to the balancing poing of your arguement - Is it worth it? For me, it is, and you can be darned sure that everytime i hit Coro it'll be with those blokes on my shoulder, and with the thought in my mind that if i dont leave room for error that it could be my end. Road riding is dangerous, i've found of late that i dont need to go 'fast' on the road to enjoy it, 7/10 pace is good, you get to see the scenery and the occasional corner can be taken at higher than posted speed and savioured. I've chosen to take my extreme riding to the track, no bullshit now, the really fast stuff stays in the controlled environment.

If for you, you cant weigh it all up and have your bike making you happy then maybe its not so bad for you to 'throw in the towel', no one will hold it against you bro, its a personal decision, and anyone that does hold it against you can get lost because its not their business. The good thing about biking is that it's always going to be here, you can pick it up later on if need be. I suggest you go for a ride down 'those roads' that you love, at legal speed, or maybe a little bit over and see if you still enjoy it, think about what you are doing and maybe push it a little bit on the odd corner. When you get home i'm sure you'll be on the same buzz, maybe not as intense, but you sure as hell wont be as tired! Either way bro, choice is yours... if you do choose out, lose some weight and i'll take you pillion sometime.

[Ixion]

there is much wisdom from someone so young this last weekend from hell makes me think is it really worth it?.

Yes. Yes it is.

[insane1]

as some one has said riding is not a hobby it"s a way of life .

[Ixion]

And, death .

[Motu]

I've never really thought about it to tell the truth,I'm kinda shallow.But I did pause for thought at 18.I bought my Chev Coupe off a guy I kinda knew (he was an apprentice a year behind me,so I saw him around Tech) and 3 weeks later he was killed as a pillion on a Commando....he went 30ft straight up and then down,no protective gear at all in those days.I'm very superstisious though,like most bikers.....always put the left glove on first because last time I did it the otherway I crashed,oh how I miss the kick through to clear the clutch plates,all part of the ritual before a ride...like Rossi squatting beside his bike.So I thought it might of been a killer car,y'know....like Christine,everyone who owned it died a horrible death.

I only kept the car 3 months and I'm still here.

Whatever it takes to ensure your survival....we all do it different ways.

[McJim]

I think the last few days have seen a lot of people doing a bit of soul searching. The human condition is to be fragile by definition - we are not robustly made. We can be taken by many things, crossing the road, a knife from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, cancer etc.

The important thing for me is that I want to live before I die - I don't think about my own mortality a great deal as it has a tendancy to spoil the quality of my life. For me riding a bike is has become a huge part of what makes me feel alive - as are my wife and children.

Tragic as the loss of the weekend past is, I firmly believe, from all that I've read, that these three souls truly lived before they died and we should celebrate those 3 lives well lived.

[Pumba]

It has really suprised me on how I have been feeling after the events of the last week, givin that I have never meet Bruce or Daryl personaly, and by reading peoples thoughts over the last few days I dont think I have been the only one. Riding for me is three things, a release from the worries of life, a way of meeting other people with a simular passion, and family bonding as both my pearents ride and my sister when se is in the country just loves sitting pillion.

These things are what makes riding for me special, however if I was to start being scared or dreading going riding I would give up the things above in a heart beat, as much as it may cause me pain, because I know if I think like I am going to die, or hert my syself and that is all I can think of that is what would happen.

Look at yourself, and ask yourself do you have these thoughts while riding. Only you can answer these questions

[MSTRS:Me]

So, odds are, you're going to die. Most bikers do a pretty good job of refusing to face that fact. Which is partly why they die.

No. It is partly why we keep riding.
On a more reflective note...Life is a terminal condition. If we go through life not doing things because of a fear of dying, then we never really live. And we are going to die sometime anyway. So what did we achieve by not living?

[TLDV8]

How many of you have reached the point where you really truthfully ask yourself whether the riding is worth the risk, and what did you decide and why?

Never given it a thought.What i have pondered lately is.... You ride your bike and 9 times out of 10 the destination is the place you left from,but you get to meet other folk along the way.
When you ride your bike you are always trying to get to the horizon but it keeps getting further away until you are heading for the horizon that was behind you when you left....... ....... I think i will just keep riding until something better comes along.I hope i see you out there too.

[pritch]

Late last summer we had a serious crash on a group ride to Whangmomona and back. That caused me to think.

The accident John (Inline4) had again caused me to think.

Last Saturday, a lovely day, I had a great backroads blast at a pace that had me concentrating so hard I was holding my breath. I had to remind myself to breathe several times. When riding like that, if something goes wrong, there aren't too many options...

Then I read the posts about the fatalities.

I'm sixty two and I'd like to be sixty three, there are still a lot of roads to ride.
I will not consider giving up riding but I think I should certainly give serious consideration as to how I ride.

[TLDV8]

Never given it a thought.

I guess i should have said consciously .. Subconsiously everyone would be aware of the possible dangers and give them some thought but not to the point where than became a danger in itself. ?

I remember going to a party sometime around 1977.... I was a newbie then on a Kawasaki S1 250 Triple...... I got talking bikes to a guy named Peter who wanted to get a Triumph 650 for his first bike, i suggested starting at the bottom and working up in size.
A few weeks later my Mum seemed upset one day when i came home from work.....A young guy who was always friendly and helped her pack the car (food stuff's warehouse) had been killed on his motorcycle,his name was Peter.

The last time i had an off,my TL had failed its WOF (forgot about no horn)..I would not have had time to return home and fit it and would not have ridden the next day without a WOF..... but was let off and said i would refit it asap....... I fell off the next day when technically i shouldn't have been there.

Who knows what may or may not happen when you come to an intersection ( life in general) and make a choice between turning left or right... Who knows how the cards might fall for good or bad,thats life.

[BarBender]

I am a person who, once i get into something, dive in head first. Such is biking. Many people on here are the same. How many of you have reached the point where you really truthfully ask yourself whether the riding is worth the risk, and what did you decide and why?

23 yrs ago I had a bike accident. I was 17 at the time and very lucky to come out with minor injuries. But the experience was serious and real enough for me to know what death looked like close up. In one weekend 3 years later I lost a friend and almost another to separate bike accidents. A couple of weeks later I decided no more. Upon reflection I can think of a number of factors that contributed to me making my decision. But the one that sticks out was the emotional burden I felt (largely generated out of then recent events) every time I got on a bike. Your body is on the bike but your soul and passion to ride is somewhere else. They’ll be a number of folk out there who’ll know what this feels like.

Two years ago at the age of 38 and with a loving wife and two babes in tow, ‘we’ decided that I should get back on a bike. It didn’t take long for me to get my groove back. However the real bonus during my time off was to rid some of the emotional stuff that I was holding. People ask me if I regretted having spent 20 years off two wheels. I say no. There is a season for everything and I’m thankful that I had the courage to make a decision that led to me to lead a completely different life and in the end lead me full circle to my love of bikes. In short I’m a better person on a bike.

Like you, the recent weekend has made me reflect. Getting on the bike on Monday and riding with the pillion pegs down brought back some sad memories. Admittedly I did think whether the risk was all worth it. Almost immediately I thought of my son. You met him at Kaiaua on Sunday. We have ‘Man Land’ time every Sunday and often that means a ride to get some fast food. He loves bikes and he knows that Dad loves bikes. I love taking him on rides with me because he reminds me so much of what I could have been and what I would have liked to have done as a kid. No one wants to see anything bad happen in this scenario. But if there is a risk then we'd gladly take it to spend time together. Obviously there’s more to our relationship than the Ninja in my garage - but the last two years have done more to pulling us together than any time previous.

This is my story. Its going to be different for most people but in the end I did make the choice to stop riding. I don’t regret it. I went full cycle and ended up back in the saddle anyway. The way time flies these days 20 years feels just like yesterday.

Good luck with your decision.


RIP to those who have left us.

[madandy]

Your chances of being involved in an accident may be a little higher on a bike and the severity of the injuries sustained in an accident are higher, sure...but riding a motorcycle doesn't guarantee you'll die because you chose to ride...You may die of heart disease or cancer or driving your cage to the shops one rainy night...
I like the point that's been raised by a few in this thread about reflecting on HOW they ride...that will go a long way to bettering the odds

I'm just looking for another bike after 18 months away from riding...and I aint put off by recent events...this latest spate of losses hurts more because they are KBers - and what a growing family it is...I haven't seen this depth of reflection following the deaths of non KBers before.

Best wishes on your deliberation mate and may you never regret which ever decision you make.

Andy

[slowpoke]

I'm at work at the mo and we've just had another bullshit ra ra meeting....but suprise suprise there was actually something useful mentioned at this one. Nothing mindblowing, but someone brought up some saying from a NASA manager, something about mankinds "natural aptitude for ineptitude" and how they try and redress every possible cause for failure.

It's just a reminder that sooner or later, it doesn't matter what we are doing, we are going to fuck up. It could be a complex task, or a simple no brainer, but a moments inattention, a distraction, an outside influence, equipment failure, change in conditions etc etc but something could go awry at any given moment.

Who hasn't caught a shoe or tripped on what seemed a perfectly flat surface? Who hasn't had a bit of food go down the wrong pipe? Who hasn't hit their head or stumbled on a KNOWN protrusion? Who hasn't misspelled a word they KNOW how to spell? I could go on and on but these are "no brainer" tasks that we screw up on a daily basis. Now think of the complex act of controlling an inherently unstable motorcycle (it's only got two wheels and won't stand up by itself) on a constantly changing surface whilst negotiating a series of hazardous and threatening situations where the penalty for a "failure to proceed" is astronomically higher. It's not a case of IF something is going to go awry but WHEN.

Whether we like it or not motorcycling is a gamble. The speed and attitude you ride with has a huge impact on the odds as to whether or not they are in your favour. The first rule of gambling is never gamble what you can't afford to lose.

Seeing as how our lives are on the line does this mean we should never ride motorcycles?

Well, it all depends on your own set of values. How important is motorcycling to you? Would your life be significantly different without it? Can you mitigate the risks? Are other people affected by your riding? Is it more about the people than the bikes? Do you more enjoy just working on bikes etc etc

Myself, I can't imagine being without a bike, even if I can't get out any where near as much as I'd like to (fuggin' work). Apart from my relationship with my partner it's far and away the high point of a life that has kind of been in limbo for the last year or so. Due to the nature of my work I don't have to commute so it's purely, simpley and completely hedonistic. Selfish in the extreme, 'cos in some form or other my family (partner and dog) would be better off if I didn't have this affliction. While I do my best to put their minds at ease (our dog still packs a sad everytime I get the gear out) I make damned sure they are looked after financially should the worst occur. Income protection and death/disability insurance are expensive but I'm buggered if they are going to suffer financially for something they gained no benefit from.

Each of us gets something different out of the experience and attaches varying importance to certain aspects, so make your own risk/benefit calculations and respond accordingly.

Oh yeah, if you ride your bike fast enough it'll last you the rest of your life...

[sunhuntin]

I try to live day by day without a grand plan in mind... enjoying as it comes and not get hung up with regrets.

If I die in a crash then be it, at least it would be doing something I enjoyed as opposed to in a sickbed unable to take care of myself.

This may be cynicle and nihilistic but that's how I am.

thats my thoughts exactly. id rather die on the road than in a bed, unable to move. i dont want to get old...i want to die young. my only regret is the damage the bike will receive when it comes.

ixion...i read your post about giving up now if certain things bother you. im not giving up, cos none of that bothers me. ive looked at crash pics and videos and it hasnt affected me in the slightest. i dont ride in a way that will bring early death, but i wont fight when it comes either.