Some reflections from a young guy - then till now

[dawnrazor]

Anyone who rides motorcycles, and keeps riding long enough is very probably going to die doing it. And like as not , die in a horrible messy fashion

Go check out some of the blood and gore crash pics that have been posted. The ones with riders ripped in half, and heads amputated and so on.

And now stop and think that if you keep riding, sooner or later that'll be you in those pictures.

If you can't stare down the face of that reality, dispassionately and objectively, and admit that you are going to die - give up biking. Now

If you can't picture your loved ones (mother/wife/partner/kids) having to go to the morgue to identify your mangled bloody dismembered body - give up biking. Now.

If you are a parent and you can't face up to admitting that your kids are going to grow up without their father/mother - give up biking. Now.

Sorry. That's the way it is. Reality.

Not inevitable. There are bikers who manage to ride for a lifetime and never get hurt. But the odds are way against you. You can push the odds in your favour, but most bikers aren't willing to do that.

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.

If you can't face it - give up biking. Now.

Me, I'm just going to keep riding. Until I die. I expect that'll be tomorrow.

Ixion - In general you are an unwavering voice of reason, but in this case, whilst I agree with what your saying, do you not think its just a tad early for the hard word.....

[Ixion]

t..
ixion...i read your post about giving up now if certain things bother you. im not giving up, cos none of that bothers me. I've 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.

Not suggesting anyone should stop riding. I won't be . But let the decision to accept the dangers that entails be a cold headed one. I've considered all those risks, accepted them, and decided it's worth it.

Life is about assessing odds. If we weren't willing to take any risks, we'd never drive car, walk down stairs, swim. All dangerous things. So long as the risks have been identified,and the odds objectively assessed and weighed against the benefits, riding (or any other dangerous activity) is a perfectly rational decision. But just don't stick your head (not your head personally, a generic head) in the sand and ignore the risks. They are there, they're real .I think it's worth it. But others might not. No shame to them in deciding that. Every persons situation different.

And I will do what I can to push the odds my way. The danger is real, I accept it , but I see no reason not to minimise it as much as I can. And, for me, if death come I WILL fight it - to the end.

[onearmedbandit]

Unfortunately we all have to die, might as well do it doing something you love. Either that or die knowing you lived your life the way you wanted. I'm not completely cold, I have a wife and 2 young children, who I care for more than anything. And so I try to limit the risks. But I'm not about to give up biking anytime soon because it might kill me.

[riffer]

Ixion, OAB and others, you're all correct.

We do this because we love it. Like all extreme sports, and let's face it, motorcycling IS an extreme sport, there are risks.

I have four great kids and a wonderful wife who would be gutted if I left them. And it's something I never want to happen.

But it may. UncleB has shown me that. And I make sure I have the maximum amount of life insurance I can afford. I'm also eternally grateful that AXA doesn't consider motorcycling dangerous until you do it on the track - kind of ironic isn't it?

I happily pay that $120 every month.

[Brett]

I am fully aware of the dangers of riding and have seen many graphic bike crash pics. I suppose this stage of life is more of a reflection than anything else. I dont think i would ever stop riding, road riding maybe, but i would then buy a racebike.

I know we are all going to die one way or another, and i would much rather die doing something that I love. I suppose one of the things i am struggling wihtt he most is my own mortality, which is an odd issue since i am a christian.(I dont want to go bringing any religious debate into this however)

While i think that the risks are huge, i just dont think i could live without riding, my enjoyment of life has increased since i started. Riding is just something unique. I WISH i didn't love riding, I WISH Icould find something to replace, and when the day comes I will, however riding is just so much of a passion. In fact, I am about to head out on one last ride on my ZXR before the new owner comes to pick it up!

Riding really is a big journey in life. You really get to meet some awesome people, and experience some really free moments.

[Sketchy_Racer]

I live to ride, I ride to live.

The thing that saved my life sure could take my life, but it was worth every second.

No thinking twice about riding. They ARE a way of life.

[Clivoris]

And now stop and think that if you keep riding, sooner or later that'll be you in those pictures.

Sorry. That's the way it is. Reality.

Not inevitable. There are bikers who manage to ride for a lifetime and never get hurt. But the odds are way against you. You can push the odds in your favour, but most bikers aren't willing to do that.

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.

Sorry mate. Simply not true. We may be more at risk than cage drivers of dieing in an accident, but how many motorcyclists die out of all the people who ride motorcycles? My best guess without any numbers would be 1%. My reading of your post is that if I ride I will die on a bike. If I ride, I may die on my bike but I think it is very very unlikely.

[Ixion]

Sorry mate. Simply not true. We may be more at risk than cage drivers of dieing in an accident, but how many motorcyclists die out of all the people who ride motorcycles? My best guess without any numbers would be 1%. My reading of your post is that if I ride I will die on a bike. If I ride, I may die on my bike but I think it is very very unlikely.

Anyone who rides motorcycles, and keeps riding long enough is very probably going to die doing it.
,,,
Not inevitable. There are bikers who manage to ride for a lifetime and never get hurt. But the odds are way against you. You can push the odds in your favour, but most bikers aren't willing to do that.
,,

Not many motorcyclists ride for very long. Most give it up after a relatively few years.

[Brett]

I live to ride, I ride to live.

The thing that saved my life sure could take my life, but it was worth every second.

No thinking twice about riding. They ARE a way of life.

Unfortuanately that is true, riding IS living. There is very little like the feeling of being in the groove and controlloing a bike well. But as I said before, it is also the people. They make the experience. Hence we feel more emotion for someone dieing whom we may have only spoken tofor half an hour than we do for someone we know equally well from another peer group.

[Clivoris]

I still believe that most riders who ride for all their lives die in their beds. To suggest otherwise doesn't stack up or match the evidence.