KB = Mourning

[90s]

So Frosty, still thinking of calling the racing a day but had your faith in biking in general restored?

[Boob Johnson]

To those talking about good, safe rides....we in the Hawkes Bay have enjoyed rides week in, week out, all over 'B' roads and we've had one crash that had nothing to do with pace or squid behaviour. A pine cone on the ride line that wasn't noticed until too late.

Same with us mate, been riding with a few different crews & without incident for over a year. Two weeks ago was the first ive come across, two of our crew came off on a "B" road after hitting un-sign posted gravel on a blind corner, wasn't goin fast, no squid behaviour, just a lil unlucky. I was behind them but had buttoned off because I wasn't comfortable with the level of sun strike so was well at the back of the pack otherwise I may have followed them into the bank

[madandy]

Bikers in NZ have been known as 'Temporary New Zealanders' for decades, sadly.
Like mass media in general, KB and the great WWW enables so many of us to come to know, or become associates of many and access news of peoples' untimely demise so much more easily than before.

I've said it before so I'll say it agaon but simpler.
Listen to the old riders! They might know something if they been enjoying bikes for 30+ years. If ya been riding a short time - STFU & listen to 'em.

[=cJ=]

Looking at the list of fallen, it's kinda unnerving aye.

Still, a good thing to keep in the back of my head to keep the overconfidence at bay...

[Ixion]

Have you thought about which hymns you would prefer ?

[Edbear]

Same with us mate, been riding with a few different crews & without incident for over a year. Two weeks ago was the first ive come across, two of our crew came off on a "B" road after hitting un-sign posted gravel on a blind corner, wasn't goin fast, no squid behaviour, just a lil unlucky. I was behind them but had buttoned off because I wasn't comfortable with the level of sun strike so was well at the back of the pack otherwise I may have followed them into the bank

Bikers in NZ have been known as 'Temporary New Zealanders' for decades, sadly.
Like mass media in general, KB and the great WWW enables so many of us to come to know, or become associates of many and access news of peoples' untimely demise so much more easily than before.

I've said it before so I'll say it agaon but simpler.
Listen to the old riders! They might know something if they been enjoying bikes for 30+ years. If ya been riding a short time - STFU & listen to 'em.

These two quotes are significant! BJ buttoned off because visibility was compromised and avoided a bin, the others didn't and fell off! Think about it! So even though they weren't going fast, and there was "no squid behaviour", were they riding according to the conditions and could they also have avoided the accident had they been more concerned with safety? Was this an "accident" or rider error?

[Boob Johnson]

These two quotes are significant! BJ buttoned off because visibility was compromised and avoided a bin, the others didn't and fell off! Think about it! So even though they weren't going fast, and there was "no squid behaviour", were they riding according to the conditions and could they also have avoided the accident had they been more concerned with safety? Was this an "accident" or rider error?

Yeah rider error of course has its place here but not everything is staunchly black n white. Was kinda unlucky as well as there was gravel on the apex of the corner that dropped away (hidden). I would imagine cars and or trucks had been cutting the corner & over time flicked up a lot of material. It can be a fine line between riding for safety & enjoyment sometimes.

[Edbear]

... It can be a fine line between riding for safety & enjoyment sometimes.

Agreed! I've had a few "moments" and I guess it's all about being human after all. Not criticising the guys who suffered the accidents as I don't know them or the circumstances apart from your post.

One could ride so "safely" as to take all the fun out of it and we all accept the risks of riding, (and driving), on the open road. I assume they were wearing appropriate gear, though and thereby avoided more serious injury.

[Boob Johnson]

Agreed! I've had a few "moments" and I guess it's all about being human after all. Not criticising the guys who suffered the accidents as I don't know them or the circumstances apart from your post.

One could ride so "safely" as to take all the fun out of it and we all accept the risks of riding, (and driving), on the open road. I assume they were wearing appropriate gear, though and thereby avoided more serious injury.

Yep both had full gear on which most likely minimised injuries. Yeah totally agreed on being over safety conscious, perfect safety is an oxymoron. But we can certainly strive towards it in a balanced fashion. Personally I ride for the pure enjoyment of doing so, not a commuter (anymore) so I like to do just that, enjoy myself & sometimes that means getting to close to that invisible safety net

[skidMark]

**origional start of thread post**

Yes Quasi it is hard logging on wondering if theres going to be a thread, or that phone call.

We accept the risk everytime we jump onto that seat of freedom.

We all know the risks, i know bikes will probably be the death of me, but i would rather ride and die. Than to have never known the freedom you gain from riding and lived longer.

Rayza/Backfires best mate (a good friend of mine also), rang me for a catch up, hey man how are you etc. Completely unknowing to his best friends passing in the very early hours of the same morning.

Telling him that his friend had died, was by far the hardest words i have ever had to say.

I never want to have to do that again, but with the amount of bikers i know, i know one day i shall have to.

Some people will not listen though. Some people will buy bikes they are not ready for, and you just have to prepare yourself as best you can for the time you hear they have passed.

I knew 0arbreaka wasnt going to survive on that gsxr600, i said before he bought it, do not jump to a 600 yet mate you will be dead within 6 months if you do

"nah, don't worry mate, i'll be sweet".

4 months later he was dead.

I knew it was coming, still hurt like hell, and i ask my self to this day is there more i could have done?

The simple answer is no.

I had to respect it was what he wanted, and i had no right to tell him what to do.

It is like my parents, me laying in hospital me mother almost in tears looking at me, looked me right in the eye and said

"No more motorbikes mark"

What was i to say?

"I can't give them up, they are what i live for"

To see the look i got back in your mothers eyes, it was heart wrenching. Most weekends when i would head out on the open road i would give her a hug tell her i love her and so on.

That wasn't the end of it, how did i know she worried?

Because she would almost everytime be standing in the upstairs window, and watch me ride away. She knows everytime i head off she may never see me alive again. I cannot promise her i will come home, because truth is you never know.

Make the most of your friends and family when you are around is how i see it.

My mother worries. She knows how i ride, but she knows its what makes me feel truely alive.

Living away from home now i think she worries a bit less because she doesn't always have to see me head off down the road.

This is life, you get one shot and thats it, make the most of it.

Skid.

[WelshWizard]

Yes Quasi it is hard logging on wondering if theres going to be a thread, or that phone call.

We accept the risk everytime we jump onto that seat of freedom.

We all know the risks, i know bikes will probably be the death of me, but i would rather ride and die. Than to have never known the freedom you gain from riding and lived longer.

Rayza/Backfires best mate (a good friend of mine also), rang me for a catch up, hey man how are you etc. Completely unknowing to his best friends passing in the very early hours of the same morning.

Telling him that his friend had died, was by far the hardest words i have ever had to say.

I never want to have to do that again, but with the amount of bikers i know, i know one day i shall have to.

Some people will not listen though. Some people will buy bikes they are not ready for, and you just have to prepare yourself as best you can for the time you hear they have passed.

I knew 0arbreaka wasnt going to survive on that gsxr600, i said before he bought it, do not jump to a 600 yet mate you will be dead within 6 months if you do

"nah, don't worry mate, i'll be sweet".

4 months later he was dead.

I knew it was coming, still hurt like hell, and i ask my self to this day is there more i could have done?

The simple answer is no.

I had to respect it was what he wanted, and i had no right to tell him what to do.

It is like my parents, me laying in hospital me mother almost in tears looking at me, looked me right in the eye and said

"No more motorbikes mark"

What was i to say?

"I can't give them up, they are what i live for"

To see the look i got back in your mothers eyes, it was heart wrenching. Most weekends when i would head out on the open road i would give her a hug tell her i love her and so on.

That wasn't the end of it, how did i know she worried?

Because she would almost everytime be standing in the upstairs window, and watch me ride away. She knows everytime i head off she may never see me alive again. I cannot promise her i will come home, because truth is you never know.

Make the most of your friends and family when you are around is how i see it.

My mother worries. She knows how i ride, but she knows its what makes me feel truely alive.

Living away from home now i think she worries a bit less because she doesn't always have to see me head off down the road.

This is life, you get one shot and thats it, make the most of it.

Skid.

Skid we all know the risk Dan ( Backfire/ Rayza) came from a line of riders His Gran my Ma rode a cotton in the 20's and his Granddad rode a Rudge, His mothers father rode a Norton, His mum has been rideing since her first bike in the 70's And I have been rideing since the 50's mainly BSA, Norton, RE's and trumpies, but over the years Also Yamaha, Honda, Suzuli and now Kawasaki, I have walked away from many downs and asked myself latter how the hell I did so, never a broken bone till 2 years ago.

The main thing is you ride for what ever reason takes you, in the earlier years it was because all my mates had motorcycles, we could not afford a car on 19/6 a week pay back then , both my Ma and Da never wanted me to ride, It was my Uncle that told me shortly after he lost his son in a Motorcycle accident, its not the bike that kills you its the way you ride and fall, always asume the other guy is going to do something that will hit you, position your bike so you can be seen, and any car at a junction unless you can eyeball him in the face assume hes going to pull out, well most of my life it has worked, I have slowed down a lot as it hurts more at my age when I step off the bike to get clear of it when I have lost it, the fat layers don't act as a cushion when you get older, so always ride with the attitude that some AH is out to get you and be prepared, some things you can never be prepared for like a front whell blow out even at 70 mph is bad enough but at 100mph plus you are going for a slide, so just make sure you have the padding and the leather to protect yourself, learn to role go to a Judo class get some training they show you how to land when thrown, you be amazed how it helps when stepping off a bike at 115mph, never even got a scratch that time, but now adays bit to old for the high speed stuff any more so give me some twisties to sling the bike around on, or even a bit of trials work ( classic that is, not up to this modern stuff rideing over cars ect.)

Even when you get to old age life is to short, so make every second count, because those lost second can never be regained.

[Genestho]

Sorry I didnt know the people this thread is attributed to, I heard of the accident at Puke, I cant bring myself to post in these threads.

And I hope my comment is not out of place or a thread killer.


The statisical cost of a life $3.8 mill per fatality. Yes there is a price to our life.

The stasitical cost of 4 lives 16 mill (ish) plus one serious (around 500 g's) and two minor (cant remember)

The true cost of lives - seven children loose a family member.

Three little dudes witnessing some extremely graphic stuff.

Their innocense lost, reality kicked in for them all too soon.

How many people lost a friend and family member? The ripple effect is huge.

My son is struggling to believe there is bad people out there. He thinks Gordon Armstrong was a "good boy" Hes frightened if hes not a good boy, then he'll do bad things - the utmost being killing 4 people. Christ.

The day Leon and Si and Toni were killed, Leon was getting back on the "horse" so to speak, 6 weeks earlier on the way to Paeroa being u turned in front of by a car, the 4th bike in a pack of 8 bikes.

We made it and we spoke of everything that was important to us.
I tried a gentle suggestion of shelving the bike for a while - the week prior to his death (yea right!) He loved it. Loved everything about riding.

He road from Palmerston North to the Coromandell many times a year having owned his bike for 10 years , and enjoyed the coroloop, and most back roads NZ had to offer. It was his passion like so many here. Strangely enough - they were killed on a main road.

As cheesey an cliched as it sounds, they were killed doing something they loved.

Lately we've talking about if only there was one extra red light, or a longer yarn when they fuelled up, they'd have made it home. When Im stuck in line somewhere I no longer stress, it really isn't important anymore.

Simple fact is - shit happens, think of all that you leave behind if your hooning.

Never stop loving what you do.
Find whats important whatever it is before you loose someone you love, or they loose you.

And rock it.

Our days are sure to come, no matter what you do.

[Unit:Me]

Well, my 15 yo boy is about to get his first bike, how do I feel about that? Being a rider (and driving for a living), scares the shit out of me. He has never driven (but has done a lot of trail bike riding so knows bikes at some level), so he has no road or traffic sense at all. Its a strange feeling. And the reason for him getting onto a road bike is purely due to his father (whom he lives with and yes there is a slightly bitter tone here) cant be bothered picking him up from soccer, work anymore, he is a long term rider to.
Jay has been here for the school holidays, and Chris and I have taken the opportunity to try to impress on him how desperately important it is to look at all cars around you with the attitude, they are out to kill you, and pointing out all the road hazards, and to wear as much protective clothing as possible, but to not rely on that as a total comfort zone.
People will continue to ride, everyday, and we all love it (and love to hate it when our dear ones get hurt).
Im totally focused on doing everything within my power to help my son have many happy motorcycling years, just as I have.

[WelshWizard]

Well, my 15 yo boy is about to get his first bike, how do I feel about that? Being a rider (and driving for a living), scares the shit out of me. He has never driven (but has done a lot of trail bike riding so knows bikes at some level), so he has no road or traffic sense at all. Its a strange feeling. And the reason for him getting onto a road bike is purely due to his father (whom he lives with and yes there is a slightly bitter tone here) cant be bothered picking him up from soccer, work anymore, he is a long term rider to.
Jay has been here for the school holidays, and Chris and I have taken the opportunity to try to impress on him how desperately important it is to look at all cars around you with the attitude, they are out to kill you, and pointing out all the road hazards, and to wear as much protective clothing as possible, but to not rely on that as a total comfort zone.
People will continue to ride, everyday, and we all love it (and love to hate it when our dear ones get hurt).
Im totally focused on doing everything within my power to help my son have many happy motorcycling years, just as I have.

Not much you can do bar ban him from rideing, or just give him the best of your knowledge, he will decide to either listen and learn or learn through time, remember you can't keep them in coton wool,
Lost my boy to bikes and now my daughter is learning to ride, all I can do is try and give advice, but its up to her to listen or not.

[Unit:Me]

Not much you can do bar ban him from rideing, or just give him the best of your knowledge, he will decide to either listen and learn or learn through time, remember you can't keep them in coton wool,
Lost my boy to bikes and now my daughter is learning to ride, all I can do is try and give advice, but its up to her to listen or not.

Sorry to hear about your boy, cant imagine.... as far as banning, as my son doesnt live with me its not really up to me. I just hope his father realises the position he is putting us all in by not being bothered to spend another 18months running our boy around, or, waiting six months while he gets through his car learners period before he can drive on his own.
Fortunately my son is a bit of a delicate lad, and not pron to being testosterone driven like most boys, so I expect he may be a little more sensible than most 15yo's.
How's ya girl going with her riding? Do you get out with her much? Im actually really looking forward to following my boy and seeing him ride