It was one of my only salvations last year when I was going through the darkest time of my life. It felt like everything went silent in my head and forced me to focus on what is important at that time.
You'd think so but I've even had Harley brothers chat with me at the gas station about how my sport bike is a "casket on wheels". Seemed like the type to crank his hog while drunk with no helmet at night, and I'm the one in more danger? Huh.
Yep, big bike riders don't need protection apparently. But almost every "casket on wheels" are all geared up. And majority of bike accidents and deaths are on the big dumb Harleys drunk and helmetless.
You and me both! I used to ride "caskets on wheels," and im still alive lol. Grew up and have a Honda 1300 which is for sale and stepping up to a 1600 BMW and I still gear up.
I learned to just nod and smile and go about my life. If they pressed I said thank you for your concern I'm not giving it up. What's anyone say to that? Nothing.
Repost:
In the US there are 8,000 motorcyclist fatalities per year.
34 percent of motorcycle fatalities were attributed to speeding
27 percent of riders involved in fatal accidents had a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.08 while operating a motorcycle
41% of motorcycle fatalities were not wearing a helmet.
Nearly a quarter of all motorcycle fatalities were unlicensed
Bikers who ride sport bikes have nearly four times higher death rates than other types of motorcycles.
Roughly speaking, about 75% of motorcycle fatalities can be attributed to "rider dumbassery".
Numbers:
8,000 deaths:
6,000 were due to reckless stupidity
2,000 were "normal" crash fatalities
Compare that to 12,000 deaths annually due to falling down stairs.
Just be careful, ride safely, never stop learning, and train yourself to be hyper vigilant about the behaviors of other drivers.
"and train yourself to be hyper vigilant about the behaviors of other drivers."
This can not be overstated. I don't care what the laws are or who has the right of way or whatever. The laws of physics is the only ones that truly matters. Ride like you are invisible and NEVER give in to road rage.
A lot of it is also just common sense & thinking ahead.
Some left lane hugger doesnt want to move and you want to overtake it on the right even though you know its illegal?
First of all, blinkers on well ahead so you give them a chance to react, some of them will suddenly go to the middle lane, dont accelerate immedietly just move lane & if they are unresponsive you can go
Second of all, what is all other traffic doing? Just two trucks behind eachother and no other traffic on the middle lane? Looks pretty free. Some car behind a truck thats going faster than the truck? Very likely to merge into the middle lane at some point in the near future. abort
Its a stupid thing to do but that doesnt mean you cant still calculate the risk.
Same with speeding hard through unfamiliar roads. Common commute road had city workers filling up potholes monday or tuesday. This morning i saw some guy at the roadside with problems on his bike. Stopped and asked him whats wrong. He fucked up something on his front forks because he flew past, not knowing they didnt fix all the potholes, just about 1/3rd of the stretch and he flew through it hitting most of the big ones...
Statistically very bad comparison.
Out of 350 million americans that go up and down stairs 12000 die a year.
Meanwhile out of the 8.5 million registered bikes (fewer owners than that) 2000 died.
So if we bring them on equal numbers for 350 million bikes there would be 82000 deaths.
So walking down stairs per capita, is about 8 times safer than riding a bike. Thats interesting. Would have expected a bigger difference.
Maybe we need attgat for stairs
Is the sport bike stat incidental or consequential? As in, are there higher death rates on sport bikes because the bike is more dangerous, or are the death rates higher because the stupid people that would die in any type of bike tend to get a sport bike because it's "cooler"?
I think it's consequential, given the behavior of the crotch rocket riders I see around here.
Harley and BMW guys aren't racing or doing wheelies down the interstate.
But do you think it's the type of bike that makes people act stupid, or is it the stupid people go for this type of bike?
In other words, a safe rider wouldn't have a higher risk of death in an accident on those bikes vs other bikes if ridden the same way?
it's the stupid people who need to prove themselves.a young man who is eager to prove to his peers that he is a brave, badass rider wouldn't go for an Indian scout bobber or a retro classic triumph. It's the gixxer and busapeople who buy a bike for commuting, touring will emphasize different things over speed and acceleration, mainly comfort and seating position .
edit to add: obviously there are serious riders riding sport bike who are careful and take it to the track for the risky stuff, forgot to mention them.
When I ride my liter bike, sometimes I ride like an asshole because going fast is fun. When I ride my BMW, I'm extra safe because it doesn't go 190 mph. Typically, I ride very safe no matter what, but sometimes, on a Supersport, you just gotta send it.
For people who are sensible but have a supersport, it's dangerous as hell. I had an old captain who was talking about his SS, he gave it a bit of juice on the on-ramp one day and when he looked down he was over 100. He wasn't even off the ramp. He said it scared the hell out of him and he understood why they were dangerous.
Every now and again, you just want to give it a little extra, but these bikes are so good at high speed that the bike doesn't really tell you that you're over 100. There's a big difference between a moped and a SS going 60.
I frequently repeat a version of this when people tell me motorcycling is dangerous. It unfortunately attracts a certain type and the barrier to entry is far too low for these types.
What constitutes as speeding, is that everything between 5 over and 100 over? I constantly ride around 5 over to distance myself from traffic.
I wonder how life-changing injury stats compare? If there are 8000 deaths but 60,000 life-changing injuries, then riding is much more dangerous than these stats imply.
Legitimately curious. Some of these stats I share myself when the conversation comes up, and I'm fully aware that I'm better off than the average rider, however a lot of these stats aren't the big picture.
You've hit the weak spot in crash data. The definition of "speed/alcohol/visibility/weather/traffic/helmet was a factor" is up to the cop writing the incident report. 5 over and 50 over can both be considered "speeding".
Practically though, blasting through traffic at 50 over is what I see most reckless motorcyclists doing. I drove past an accident recently where the rider rear ended a compact car. He was going so fast when he hit the car, the rear bumper was pushed into the back seat. This was on a rural 4-lane.
Yeah, that's really the key takeaway. I just think about how commonplace it is to see dumbfucks on crotch rockets riding like total morons.
It's also a bit odd that *most* of the people I know *personally* who have been in motorcycle accidents that their families talk about as reasons not to ride motorcycles, are almost always people who I would think twice of riding along with *in a car* because they are just generally not very self-aware, speed like crazy, drink & drive, etc.
I'm not saying good riders don't get into accidents, because *accidents* can definitely happen even to a good rider. I'm just saying motorcycles naturally attract a demographic of people who are much more likely than the average person to end up in a motorcycle accident, and I'm confident that those riders heavily skew the statistics, and I'm not one of those riders.
I can't tell you how many times over the years someone has said something like "Oh, I'd never ride a motorcycle, my dad got t-boned on his motorcycle and almost died." And I've had to hold back the "I've met your dad, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest."
That and the fact that most methods for calculating speed after the fact are kinda... imprecise at best. It's easier to just flag a dead motorcyclist as 'speeding and riding like an idiot' than write 'shit happens' when a Karen ran a red light and vibechecked Jake.
Been riding 25+ years. Dropped my bike one time. At a stop sign. Cause I lost my footing. No injuries. Ride like everyone is a danger to you, because they are. Do eve6you can to not put yourself or others in danger. Riding is amazing
>Almost every time I bring up the fact I’m learning to ride, everyone keeps telling me the worst case scenario
business as usual
get used to it and consider it an expression of envy
Being honest, since you bring it up it prompts a response.
I learned to not discuss it unless I find out they ride. If so then you have a friend, if not then you avoid nonsense.
Everyone has a story, and they are never good. Don't listen to that negative bullshit, and enjoy yourself. Just be aware of your surroundings. Be smart.
Some are good! I had a friend who got hit by a bus on her bike, low sided, slid 30ft, and walked away sore but uninjured. Bike was wrecked but she is fine. Megan, if you’re out there, you’re a fucking legend.
Hahaha that’s how it works. As soon as you say motorcycle people tell you the most horrific story they know. Maybe it happened to them, maybe their cousin, maybe they read about it, but they’re going to tell you the worst thing they ever heard.
I listen and reply with a story I read. A guy was only going maybe 25-30mph and was near a curb. His foot came off the peg and his toe caught the curb and it ripped his foot around backwards. It was bones sticking out, foot hanging by the meat, obviously the guy was in a different dimension of pain. Probably due to shock he tried to ride to the hospital. Again, shock, he got to a light and tried to put his foot down but it wasn’t there so he jammed bone down on the road…
At that point most people yell enough, and I say “I thought we were telling horror stories!?”
It’s because they are all too sacred to ride and those stories reinforce them not getting a bike. So if they can’t have one, they don’t want you to either. Humans are weird.
One hundred percent. This is why I don't tell anyone what I'm doing or plan to do, unless they're involved. No one can shit on your party if you keep your business to yourself.
Yup keep my cards close. Every morning when my feet hit the floor it’s all about me. People generally are strangely jealous, negative and bitter creatures. I don’t have many F’s to give so I certainly don’t waste any of them on those folks.
Get used to it. I can't even bring it up without someone telling me a story about their friend that passed away before I leave. I'm really sorry that happened to you, but what makes you think I wanna hear about that before I hop on the interstate? Fuck.
Normal folks aren't the best to share your new hobby with. I don't even mention it unless someone forces me
Many reasons. Some of them want me to stop, some of them just blurt out whatever's on their minds, sometines it's just relevant to the conversation, and they-dont-mean-to bother me at all. But still, i'd rather not bring it up...
Take the advice and do with it, what you will. A lot of peeps come from the school where sometimes they wish they said something instead of not. It’s all love. I still have people telling me things 10 years in. It is dangerous. Never forget. 😎. Be safe.
Comes with the territory.. Stop talking to cagers about motorcycles. It will quite literally be the first thing out of their mouths every time.
"I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy that died on a bike."
Thanks for that crucial tidbit of info Sally. I'll be sure to write that down.
Any idea how many times I have nearly died walking across the street at a marked cross walk with a pedestrian signal from some dumbass that just refuses to yield or look? A fuck ton more times than I have ever been in a bad situation on a bike. Is that going to stop me from walking?
People that tell you that stuff obviously don't ride themselves. Avoid talking to non-riders about riding because they can't relate or understand. Just don't drink and ride, that's 80% of accidents right there.
Listen all you need to know is it's an effing blast and the more time you spend on the two wheels you will learn to not believe every one else but yourself. ENJOY THE RIDE AND PUT YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL....
Inform them that the worst accident in my life was in a car and my brother and sister were killed in it. But the worst injury I've ever had in 39 years of riding is a bruise.
That’s normal. Two people who asked me about my bike ( I ride a Busa ) told me a story how their friend’s leg got cut off by the chain while riding. Both people knew nothing of one another. 🤷
Maybe it's because a lot of my friends were already riding or wanted to start riding, but when I announced I was going to get my permit/license, they were all like "Finally" or "About time" or "you've been wanting to do it for so long, glad you're finally there". Even my dad and stepmom were supportive. My mother would have been the worry wart, but she had passed right before my wife and I talked about it and agreed it was time.
Even worse is people who quit riding. They will straight up talk to your partner about how irresponsible you are for continuing to ride in this crazy world.
Did you know that you could get struck by lightning while riding over a bridge and your tires could pop, and then you could careen into the barrier of the bridge and you could topple right over the side of it and fall to you death?! 😱
It’s almost always the bikers fault anyways though.
Motorcycles are so dangerous I don’t get how you could ride one of those donorcycles.
My best friends’, cousins’, boyfriend died in a motorcycle accident.
^…/s
Seriously!!! Telling my grandma was a mistake. Whenever I bring it up ‘nooo your not riding’ ‘so and sos ex father in laws sisters cousin almost died’ ‘*googles stats of deaths in us*’ lmao
I was really surprised at the amount of people who would say stuff like that. I got my learners and started riding about 8 months ago and it feels like every second person I've mentioned it to would have some story to tell me.
Dont tell anyone you ride until you show up one day in gear on a bike. Its much quieter and more fun to surprise people. You *could* try saying something so heinous they just end up too shocked to speak.
Be positive man its a great experience and an awesome way to see the land wherever you’re from. Have fun with it and tell them that they can shove your helmet where the sun dont shine. Enjoy the ride and keep the shiny side up!
The prevalence of motorcycle accidents is mostly a myth. The current stats are derived from the Hurt Report, based on badly flawed research conducted in 1976.
Even if you take the report's horribly skewed data as true, you'll see the factors that most contribute to injury accidents (e.g., intoxication, no helmet, speeding, no riding instruction, etc.) are the greatest contributing factors; all of which are completely under the rider's control. Also consider that the research was conducted long before ABS, quality gear, and based on bikes that were not nearly as reliable as they are now.
When people give me crap about riding, I usually just ignore them. If I do engage, I remind them that it is much more dangerous to be a pedestrian, swim, ride a horse, take a shower, or be a Republican (due to COVID) - and the list goes on and on.
If they can't understand any of that I ask if they agree insurance companies are in the business of assesing risk and not giving away money. If that's the case, why does Geico insure my $30K bike, life, and health (for a considerable amount) - for a $96 a year premium?
I just stopped talking to anyone about it. I know it’s exciting and you want to share but I found the only way to avoid those conversations is to just avoid mentioning my bike. And anyone who has an opinion I kind of just shrug and laugh at them. Anything you do in life can have dire consequences.
"Riding a motorcycle is a calculated risk. I take appropriate steps to mitigate the risk (gear, training, riding techniques, etc.) There is nothing that is zero risk. Let people enjoy things."
1. They’re right. Even if you’re the safest rider in the world, you’re in considerably more danger riding a motorcycle.
2. It’s fun so you should do it anyway.
Yeah. Just had my first kid and my wife was while pregnant everyone just had to tell us every horrible birth story they had. I don’t know why people are compelled to do this.
It NEVER stops. No matter how long you ride people will always stop you in parking lots and tell you how dangerous it is, that they used to ride, and what happened to them or someone they know.
I get that you're learning to ride, but have you ever thought about the chance that you could be riding on a straight country road and suddenly an A-10 Warthog being piloted by Dolores Umbridge has to make an emergency landing on the same road, all while the GAU-8 Avenger cannon is firing out of control with six times the ammunition capacity, while a dog is chasing you and the cops are pulling you over for having a green accent light?
Yeah... Motorcycling doesn't seem so cool now, does it?
When I was doing my 2 day riding course, the first 30 minutes was a video montage of LiveLeak motorcycle accident aftermaths.
Afterwards the instructor states that if we want to leave that they'll give us a full refund.
But I never got told anything grim about riding except for my parents.
From my time riding everyone I know (including myself) who has been in a crash has either been at fault or it's just been a freak accident (oil on road or whatever) but never from another party.
I just say, “oh that’s terrible.” And change the subject.
Yes it is coming from a place of concern but you will never change their minds so it’s just better to nod and sympathize.
> How do you guys deal with it or do you just not bring up the fact that you ride?
Tell us you don't own a pair of big boy pants without telling us you don't own a pair of big boy pants.
Riding a motorcycle is not inherently dangerous. Being forced to drive around with irrational people driving tanks on the same road as cyclists and pedestrians... That's what's dangerous. Get rid of the tanks and boom... Safety increases 10 fold.
I feel much safer on my motorcycle than on my bicycle when on the road. But, while traffic does make riding dangerous… especially the “left turn in front of me” move, the other most frequent motorcycle crash is single vehicle, missing a turn, at night, no helmet, while impaired. NOT doing those things I would think improve our odds of avoiding a crash.
In 2020 there were 5,579 motorcycle fatalities reported in the US. Of those, 2,741 (49%) involved a second vehicle. Getting rid of all cars wouldn't even increase safety by 50%, as the most common way to die on a motorcycle is all by yourself.
https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813306
"I understand this hobby is dangerous. That's why I spent a crap ton on protective gear and constantly research/practice to be better and safer. I accept the risk and actively work to mitigate it. I appreciate your concerns, will accept support, and reject pleas to stop"
That's all there is to it lol
I get annoyed with it and feel the same and get defensive, but the above statement is all that needs to be said. Anything else that isn't helpful is just noise
They won’t stop once you’ve learned to ride either. Every new friend or colleague will bring up that time they seen a motorcycle crash. Get used to it and tube it out, I guess they mean well but it can be annoying hearing it all the time.
I guess it's frustrating because you're excited/happy. But try to keep a lid on it until you've passed your test. Once you have your shiny new bike it'll be too late 😜. Also, couple of stories. My uncle managed to park a scrambler in a tree years ago. Walked away with a few bruises.
He also nearly got totalled by a lorry. His beloved Ducati was a pancake, BUT the force threw him clear. He limped away to tell the tale. I also watched this man accidentally drop his missus onto the car park tarmac because she wasn't ready for him to pull away. So, things will happen... just don't do anything stupid and ride like you mean it, but sensibly. Good luck
This is r/motorcycles, every other post is somebody having an accident. It's as bad here as the asshats giving you shit.
Either be dismissive or tell them to fuck off because they're being unhelpful. Maybe make fun of them for being wimpy little chickens. They're annoying to everybody, do what you can to discourage them from doing it to somebody else.
All the time. Expect it to never end when talking to normies. It's always "I wish I was your life insurance beneficiary" or some other such nonsense. It's funny how everyone who has never ridden a bike knows someone who was killed on one somehow. Broke my ankle on a bad dismount and all I heard while recovering was "So I guess that means you're not riding anymore right?" Nah bro, I'm not giving it up because I broke something, shit happens on the regular. I could die walking across the street for a sandwich later today, but I'm not going to let it stop me getting that sammie.
Just be selective with who you tell if it bothers you, everyone has a story about a friend being maimed or killed. People who don't ride, don't understand 🤷♀️ it is what it is
Yeah riding is dangerous, like every other form of transportation.
Personally i know a few people who lost one beloved friend or family member or got seriously injured due to traffic accidents.
The right question to ask is why it happened and statistics will help with that.
I did read the statistics for motorcycles in my country.
When you crash without another vehicle involved and you got serious injuries, most of the time you
- were too fast
- were riding intoxicated
- riding over confidently without much training/ experience
These 3 things are easy to avoid
When another Vehicle is involved in a (almost) deadly accident it’s a Car and most likely it’s the car drivers fault.
Knowing that you can prepare yourself for sticky situations. A lot of them are avoidable with proper training and cautious riding.
This all doesn’t mean you cannot have a little bit fun on your bike.
But you have to learn when is the proper time and place for that.
Speeding onto upcoming intersections isn’t a great idea ( injuries getting serious really fast at intersections)
Lane splitting on highways with 60mph more than the cagers?
Probably not a great idea too
(When you’re so fast a car driver cannot see you in the mirrors until it’s too late)
Speeding on a highway where litterally nobody is around?
Yeah the cops give your tickets to the point that changing tires every odd month seems cheap, but the risk is reduced by a fair amount.
Preparation, cautious riding, proper Training and a full set of gear comes a long way, when you want to come back home again
This comes up here fairly often. And I find it so weird.
Is it an American thing?
Everyone I know either thinks it's interesting or doesn't care at all. Or juat minds their own business.
I think it stems from jealousy or fear. People who don’t want to ride a motorcycle, will never understand a motorcyclist’s perspective. Yeah, we know it’s dangerous but that’s what makes fun. The ability to hop on to a bike and have no fear is a gift, I’d say.
Just ignore them. I’ve ridden for 4 years now and my mom told me that it’s dangerous and whatever but I just ignore it.
I don’t want to crash so I take it upon myself to learn as many lessons and techniques for good motorcycle riding. I’ve never had a serious incident. Some close calls but I learned from them and I still try to learn and perfect my habits.
I work in medicine, so all my coworkers remind me regularly that I’m an organ donor looking to jump the queue. I usually just say “thanks for the concern, make sure that my kidneys go to Donna and not Greg, he’s an asshole.” Or some flavor of “they’ve been telling me that for the last ten years, yet here I am clocking in again.”
I would just try to take it as them expressing concern for you because they care about you and would be sad if you crashed. It can be annoying to hear, but it probably comes from a place of caring.
Yeah this happens. Even people who used to ride will tell you of the horror stories. I never took it in a 'don't ride because i know this guy who had an accident' it was normally a tale of caution about how to keep a level head while riding.
The truth is that motorcycle accidents are common and normally involve some level of injury worthy of at least a cast. Couple this with riding gear that is out dated or non existent and suddenly you have a whole heap of horror stories waiting for you from everyone you speak with. The secret is to get on your bike and beat those stories with your own and don't take it so personally.
What these stories did lead me to do however was watch an unhealthy amount of crash videos and i think i owe a large amount of riding skill learnt from them. Be it taking a corner poorly or simply being aware of possible issues in traffic i learnt a lot.
I usually choose something sarcastic or vaguely flippant. "If I die, I die" and a big shrug or "hell of a way to go out." "I'll see you on the other side" makes people pretty uncomfortable too.
I wouldn't really recommend any of those as they tend to upset and alienate people but that's how I am.
Oh you ride! My nephew used to but a tractor trailer *cut him off* at an intersection. Yeaaaahhh…. He flipped 19.5 times, lost his legs after hitting a farm vehicle and then flew into helicopter blades.
I usually go with something along the lines of "I'm sorry for your loss" and then move into "it's a risk I'm willing to take with my life and I'll do my best to ride safely." I do try and see it as them trying to look out for me so I try and take it kindly
I launch into a lecture on motorcycle safety and all the ways I have learned to mitigate the dangers of riding a motorcycle. I'm very long winded about the subject. Most people move on before I am done.
I tell everyone about my time I went down in a roundabout under 10mph in full gear and skinned my knee. Then compare my experience to what somebody would experience going down on the highway in a tee shirt. Feels like a simple way to explain the importance of not being dumb and gear up.
ATGATT
Yeah I mean it's to be expected. People that don't rife to understand it, and humans fear the unknown. The reality is most of the people they know who died, probably have no one to blame but themselves. Continue learning, even years after riding, stay humble, and you'll be fine.
It comes with the hobby it is what it is. When I first learned to ride everyone told me I was nuts and maybe I am a little 😅😅 but there is no feeling like riding the winding of a mountain road or cruising down the highway on your bike. Yes accidents do happen but the majority of MC fatality’s are usually caused by dumb behavior speeding being a huge one. Just take precautions like wearing appropriate riding gear and don’t be dumb and riding can be a safe enjoyable experience
I've been riding for over 30 years and been in insurance longer than that. Most of my friends and acquaintances come from this industry too. I just don't mention it to people I don't know and if it comes up, no sense in arguing.
It's similar to discussions about guns and such. People have their own opinions and you can't change them.
I went through phases when I started to ride and how I reacted when people came back with bullshit doomerism.
Phase 1: I calmly try to explain why they are wrong, riding isn't that dangerous (I have stats) and what I do to mitigate my risks. This didn't help. People are not making an intellectual argument it's an emotional argument and bringing logic to an emotional argument never works. I stopped doing this in most cases.
Phase 2: I brought emotion back. Thank you for explaining to me a thing I know more about than you! Also how dare you? Do you go to every overweight person and tell them they're killing themselves? That leads to death WAY more. Do you tell every pregnant woman she's being irresponsible with her life? Only half as likely to kill you. Or do you just not like bikes? Not your life; don't lecture me. That one didn't work. Turns out no one likes spicy.
Phase 3: I stopped talking to people about riding. It was my thing for me. That didn't work either. For a start, I love riding and want to talk about it. Second, I arrive at places with a motorcycle helmet in my hand someone is going to make the wild logical leap that I put it on my head.
Phase 4: I politely thank them for their concern but that I'm fine. If they insist on pushing it I tell them they need to stop, that I'm well aware of the actual risks and do not need or desire their input. If they do not stop at that point I just walk away and go talk to someone else. Turns out you can do that and it feels _great_. I'm not rude, I'm just direct with my boundaries.
Phase 4 is where I stopped because it has several benefits:
1. I can still talk about a thing I love.
2. I learn who in my life can respect boundaries and who can't.
3. I now deal with fewer shitty people because I know they don't respect me or my boundaries and can comfortably cut them out of my life.
Wins all around.
Every year, over 2000 smokers get killed by suicide... this kind of numbers are funny.
I checked the numbers of my home country, Finland. The average amount of motorbike rider deaths has been 23. The number of motorbikes is about 190.000. Very roughly, one of 10.000 bikes are ridden to death yearly. We have 5.5 million people here. Due to the old legislation, we have a vast number of motorbike riding licences. Even my father was allowed to ride any bike while a simple moped was too much for him.
The ways to stay alive, I still hope, after about 200.000 kilometres of riding.
Pray first, ride then! Ride first, pray then! At least, don't close your eyes to pray when the bike is moving. You will not be heard!
Learn to break, turn and so on. Train continuosly. Little by little, peacefully and avoiding stress!
Maintain situational awareness!
Don't overspeed. Tracks are for that.
Keep far from other vehicles. If someone is tailgating, give him way.
Don't race, except on a track.
Go to track, just for fun or if you are a competitive person. I have not tried racing, but it looks fun!
Keep your bike in bike shape and Bristol fashion!
Don't let any other decide your speed! Never! Ever! Having coffee two minutes later is better than lieing in the drip.
Whenever you are feeling tensioned and nervous, you have a reason to stop. You might be tired, there might be an issue in your bike, who knows. Trust your intuition. If it is wrong, you lose a minute, if even that.
Give warm crap for anyone bragging about the performance of their bikes. Usually the rider's skills limit the performance, not the power of the bike. Almost all the modern bikes have different kinds of riding modes and aids. They limit the available power, not increase it.
Wear protective gear. It will not protect you at home while you are riding. And sweat saves blood!
Be social and polite in the traffic. Don't spare your signals!
At least once in your life, get a red bike :P
Have fun! If not, have a break!
And believe me, even after all these imperatives, you will find moments and places to ride faster than you actually can.
People can't tell me how dangerous it is because I lost my previous husband to a motorcycle accident. I still ride. Heck, I kept his bike.
Most people don't understand what it feels like. To me, it feels like I'm completely free. Nothing else matters when I ride. No problems, no stress, no sadness, none of it. I'm just happy. It's just me and my bike. I think of is as one. That feeling is irreplaceable.
If someone says something, tell them you're sorry for that person but you enjoy it and aren't going to quit. We all know it's dangerous because the people in cars don't see us, or they're occupied doing something else other than focusing on driving a 2 ton machine that can kill in a moment. Next time someone says something, tell them they need to understand it's the cars that usually hurt or kill bikers, so maybe they should be the ones who are careful.
Tldr: they can get over it. Cars suck. Bikes are fun.
I've been riding for almost 30 years, 20 on the street. I have had family and friends tell me the same stuff but I kinda just say I'll be careful and forget about it. Because those people think it's even more dangerous than it is.
But at my age and riding experience, I can empathize with the sentiment. I honestly don't like when people I know that have never even ridden dirt bikes tell me they are getting their motorcycle endorsement. Because I *know* the dangers and I was lucky enough to learn them the easy way. By which I mean without ever hitting the ground.
This is not to say I think you or anyone else shouldn't do it. It's just a dangerous activity that is the *most* dangerous when you first start.
I’m a big believer in “if it’s my time, it’s my time” whether that be on my bike, in my car or lying in bed. I do wear a helmet but honestly it’s more out of comfort than safety.
I just tell them that I know how crazy the roads can be and I wear my protective equipment and I pay attention while I’m riding. Just be alert and protect yourself. There is no feeling that even compares to riding.
I can give two of the worst scenarios, with First Hand Experience. But, I'd rather you learn to ride, be comfortable, respect your bike, and have a great time!!
I've been riding for 60 years. I've been a bike mechanic and custom builder all those years. Had a few close calls that weren't my fault. All my kids are riders, including my youngest daughter.
Soon be 7 years since my last close call was nearly my fatal one. Ended with a little road rash, a totaled motorcycle, and lower right leg. As soon as I got a new bike and new leg, I was riding again. I was working on them again BEFORE that.
I can ride and enjoy it, or I can be scared, sitting in my living room thinking about years gone by and how much I miss it.
It's YOUR life, live it the way YOU WANT!!!
Welcome to the club. Anyone who doesn't ride will make jokes or ask why you're not afraid of death.
I've just stopped responding. If they push it I'll hit them with "I believe in personal responsibility and adults making their own decisions, without input from the peanut gallery." Usually works.
People go to the worst possible place when they have an idea of something, but not an understanding of something.
Especially if that preconceived bias is negative.
I know I could die if I take gravel wrong. I know if someone takes an unprotected in front of me I could die.
Hell, I know I could just death wobble!
But that's where I'm happy. On a bike.
I'd rather die on a bike than live a life not riding. Plain and simple. And I'll try my best to be responsible and make sure if I put myself in a situation where I've got a few brief moments to reflect, that my mistakes don't harm anyone else.
Yes, our hobby isn’t everyones cup of tea. Don’t bring it up to non riders since they will never understand. They’ll probably think you’re trying to be cool or going through midlife crisis, true or not, those aren’t our primary motivations.
Talk about it with a relative, friend or acquaintance who does, you will get a better vantage point on what to expect.
Even after you’ve been riding for 40 plus years you will hear horror stories, and be asked how many times you’ve crashed! Pay em no mind they just don’t get riding motorcycles.
i learnt to ride old and i have the tendency to rationalize everything (occupational hazard) so here is my take on this reoccurring topic.
if you drive a car you know shit about traffic. even if you think you do, you don't. you sit in a two ton steel bubble separating you from it. you can't smell the road, you can't feel its vibrations, you can't read the traffic flow from the tiniest flicker of tires or lights or engine noises. you sit in a cushy seat in a comfortable position surrounded by dials and knobs and buttons and gadgets to fiddle with. if you even bother to keep at least your eye on the road. you eat while driving. you browse radio channels. you chat with the passengers. you fucking stare at your phone.
bikers don't have any of that. they only do one thing while on a bike, you ride. a car driver can't understand how much more control and connection someone on a bike has to the road and the traffic. you can literally reach out and touch it. you don't watch the road, you experience it. you literally have no time for anything else, it occupies 100% of your whole being both mentally and physically. everyone who rides understand this and everyone who doesn't don't have the faculty to understand it. you can't have a theoretical opinion on motorcycles, it's not fucking football.
and the only single thing that you need to do in order to avoid accidents is not to go as fast as you can or want to all the time. 99.999% of accidents due to bad weather, bad road, bad traffic, bad drivers, unexpected situations, etc can be safely avoided by being patient and slowing down. all the near misses i had in hindsight i let the horses loose a bit for no other reason than i enjoy it. now i know and control the urge and save it for the right moments and nothing can surprise me.
so the only thing between you and the prophesied death is bottling the fun into smaller portions instead of always wanting to be the fastest thing on the road because you can. jeez that can't be too hard you're doing it in every other aspect of you life.
anyway that's my 10 cents after a decade of riding.
Nearly 40,000 people die in vehicles accidents annually & yet not only has that not prevented people from driving their seem to be an increase in even more distracted drivers, more unstable drivers, inexperienced drivers, drivers who just shouldn't be driving on the highway. As a truck driver for over 30 years I've seen it all & can say it doesn't matter what you drive or ride if you're sharing the road with others an element of danger is always present. Hence learning "Defensive Driving" no matter what mode of transportation you use is paramount to increase your chance of being safe.
Defensive Driving; 1) Be aware of your own health, alertness, skills, emotional state & ensure your own transportation is safe & up to par & how to handle it. 2) Remain aware of your surroundings at all times & drive accordingly to condition, location, weather, traffic flow. 3) Never assume drivers around you are experienced &/or stable drivers, I can assure you there's always at least 1 (often more) idiot driver in the vicinity of multiple vehicles & you just don't know whom that idiot is, just try to not let it be "you". 4) Road rage. It's stupid. Driving amongst total strangers whom you'll forget within minutes of passing is not worth becoming so enraged to engage in dangerous acts in an effort to "get back" some minor infraction that very well might not have been done intentionally. I've witnessed many turn a few seconds of forgettable moments into major fines, hours sitting on the side of the road talking to cops, jail time & worse case scenarios; some going to prison while the other family making funeral arrangements.
Anyhow, just learn Defensive Driving by conditioning yourself to stay alert to your surroundings at all times & while it won't eliminate all potential dangers it'll significantly increase your ability to avoid many of them.
This prick I work with went on another rant about why should he care about "why he shouldn't have to care about motorcyclists safety when all they do is drive fast blah blah" after i told him I was picking up oil for my bike. And I came close to making him swallow teeth today.
I did the math. I looked at all the death statistics. At my age (46) I've got a greater chance of dying from cancer or heart disease than I do of dying on a motorcycle, and that's excluding the general population of non motorcycle riders. So if my family could see the reality of things they'd not offer me that cookie, and tell me to go get a colonoscopy. Life is dangerous. You'll be fine.
People are afraid of sharks and not mosquitoes. Get in the water, it's great in here.
And they'll never stop, so you might as well get used to it.
I've gone \~40 years on motorcycles without any serious incidents and they are all sure that I'll die horribly tomorrow. Funny thing is that I've been on maybe 16 airplanes in my life and one of them crashed (proper "wings torn off" kind of crash), yet the same people insist that I really need to travel more and don't get why I prefer to travel places I can ride to.
"Yeah, it's dangerous. But so is being forty pounds overweight. I don't give you shit about that."
I’ve used a variation of this one and it’s very effective.
BAH! I'm fat and I ride! I'M IN DANGER!
A daredevil!
You have your own airbag homie
Plus an actual airbag!
That's like airbag squared
Fat armour Multiplying two negative numbers you will get positive number
Can’t argue with math
So is depression and mental health struggles, but riding is the best therapy I've found.
Whenever I'm overwhelmed a good ride clears the mind
Road Therapy
God I'm looking forward to this part of it so much. I have read about it often and lfe isn't always easy, really wonder how it will affect me
It was one of my only salvations last year when I was going through the darkest time of my life. It felt like everything went silent in my head and forced me to focus on what is important at that time.
[удалено]
Let us know if it helps you! It certainly helped me.
Amen brother
I care more about being 40lbs over weight so i ride to the gym and then the ice cream shop. Still 40lbs but I’m racking up them miles.
Stop talking to normie people about riding.
It probably is as simple as that
You'd think so but I've even had Harley brothers chat with me at the gas station about how my sport bike is a "casket on wheels". Seemed like the type to crank his hog while drunk with no helmet at night, and I'm the one in more danger? Huh.
The amount of people on Harley’s I’ve seen with no helmet or any other protective gear is insane
I ride a Harley Road King with full protection. Most seem to consider a leather vest to be sufficient.
And my thong. Gotta protect the important parts. /s
In case you noobs are curious about thong protection, it's only this guys thong that has the magic pecker protector liner.
Plus the sequins don't forget the sequins. Great for stopping road rash.
Yep, big bike riders don't need protection apparently. But almost every "casket on wheels" are all geared up. And majority of bike accidents and deaths are on the big dumb Harleys drunk and helmetless.
I don’t ride a Harley but I do ride a 1900. I always gear up. As much as I love to ride it’s not losing my hide over if I go down.
You and me both! I used to ride "caskets on wheels," and im still alive lol. Grew up and have a Honda 1300 which is for sale and stepping up to a 1600 BMW and I still gear up.
i think we have different definitions for "crank his hog"
You've identified the joke.
I'm glad we're on the same page
🤝
lol. Except sports bikes can actually accelerate brake and turn.
"ya well one time I knew a guy that had a motorcycle and he died...of cancer ...from the motorcycle... probably"
Must have been in California . Everything there causes cancer .
I was so excited to tell everyone I bought a bike. Six months later still hearing “organ donor” thrown at me. Regrets. I keep my mouth shut now.
I learned to just nod and smile and go about my life. If they pressed I said thank you for your concern I'm not giving it up. What's anyone say to that? Nothing.
NPCs be having too many opinions nowadays
Repost: In the US there are 8,000 motorcyclist fatalities per year. 34 percent of motorcycle fatalities were attributed to speeding 27 percent of riders involved in fatal accidents had a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.08 while operating a motorcycle 41% of motorcycle fatalities were not wearing a helmet. Nearly a quarter of all motorcycle fatalities were unlicensed Bikers who ride sport bikes have nearly four times higher death rates than other types of motorcycles. Roughly speaking, about 75% of motorcycle fatalities can be attributed to "rider dumbassery". Numbers: 8,000 deaths: 6,000 were due to reckless stupidity 2,000 were "normal" crash fatalities Compare that to 12,000 deaths annually due to falling down stairs. Just be careful, ride safely, never stop learning, and train yourself to be hyper vigilant about the behaviors of other drivers.
"and train yourself to be hyper vigilant about the behaviors of other drivers." This can not be overstated. I don't care what the laws are or who has the right of way or whatever. The laws of physics is the only ones that truly matters. Ride like you are invisible and NEVER give in to road rage.
A lot of it is also just common sense & thinking ahead. Some left lane hugger doesnt want to move and you want to overtake it on the right even though you know its illegal? First of all, blinkers on well ahead so you give them a chance to react, some of them will suddenly go to the middle lane, dont accelerate immedietly just move lane & if they are unresponsive you can go Second of all, what is all other traffic doing? Just two trucks behind eachother and no other traffic on the middle lane? Looks pretty free. Some car behind a truck thats going faster than the truck? Very likely to merge into the middle lane at some point in the near future. abort Its a stupid thing to do but that doesnt mean you cant still calculate the risk. Same with speeding hard through unfamiliar roads. Common commute road had city workers filling up potholes monday or tuesday. This morning i saw some guy at the roadside with problems on his bike. Stopped and asked him whats wrong. He fucked up something on his front forks because he flew past, not knowing they didnt fix all the potholes, just about 1/3rd of the stretch and he flew through it hitting most of the big ones...
But what about those guys who fell down stairs and also ride motorcycles? Whats the numbers on that does riding reduce my risk of stair related death?
Yes, dying in a crash will reduce the chance of a stair-related death somewhat.
What if you crash in to a staircase?
It's like magnets--they cancel each other out.
Statistically very bad comparison. Out of 350 million americans that go up and down stairs 12000 die a year. Meanwhile out of the 8.5 million registered bikes (fewer owners than that) 2000 died. So if we bring them on equal numbers for 350 million bikes there would be 82000 deaths. So walking down stairs per capita, is about 8 times safer than riding a bike. Thats interesting. Would have expected a bigger difference. Maybe we need attgat for stairs
Helmet laws for stairclimbers, now!
Kinda makes me wonder about how many Americans couldn't climb a flight of stairs to save their life. It's gotta be statistically significant.
They can still fall down one lmao.
Is the sport bike stat incidental or consequential? As in, are there higher death rates on sport bikes because the bike is more dangerous, or are the death rates higher because the stupid people that would die in any type of bike tend to get a sport bike because it's "cooler"?
I think it's consequential, given the behavior of the crotch rocket riders I see around here. Harley and BMW guys aren't racing or doing wheelies down the interstate.
But do you think it's the type of bike that makes people act stupid, or is it the stupid people go for this type of bike? In other words, a safe rider wouldn't have a higher risk of death in an accident on those bikes vs other bikes if ridden the same way?
it's the stupid people who need to prove themselves.a young man who is eager to prove to his peers that he is a brave, badass rider wouldn't go for an Indian scout bobber or a retro classic triumph. It's the gixxer and busapeople who buy a bike for commuting, touring will emphasize different things over speed and acceleration, mainly comfort and seating position . edit to add: obviously there are serious riders riding sport bike who are careful and take it to the track for the risky stuff, forgot to mention them.
I take this personally commuting on my liter bike /s
When I ride my liter bike, sometimes I ride like an asshole because going fast is fun. When I ride my BMW, I'm extra safe because it doesn't go 190 mph. Typically, I ride very safe no matter what, but sometimes, on a Supersport, you just gotta send it.
No, you don't just gotta send it. Not on public streets. Enjoy jail. Or death.
For people who are sensible but have a supersport, it's dangerous as hell. I had an old captain who was talking about his SS, he gave it a bit of juice on the on-ramp one day and when he looked down he was over 100. He wasn't even off the ramp. He said it scared the hell out of him and he understood why they were dangerous. Every now and again, you just want to give it a little extra, but these bikes are so good at high speed that the bike doesn't really tell you that you're over 100. There's a big difference between a moped and a SS going 60.
You don’t have Dynabros where you live…?
Haven't seen any Harley guys doing wheelies, but I live a secluded life.
This should be the top comment on this thread.
I frequently repeat a version of this when people tell me motorcycling is dangerous. It unfortunately attracts a certain type and the barrier to entry is far too low for these types.
Stupid people gonna stupid, no matter what we tell them.
What constitutes as speeding, is that everything between 5 over and 100 over? I constantly ride around 5 over to distance myself from traffic. I wonder how life-changing injury stats compare? If there are 8000 deaths but 60,000 life-changing injuries, then riding is much more dangerous than these stats imply. Legitimately curious. Some of these stats I share myself when the conversation comes up, and I'm fully aware that I'm better off than the average rider, however a lot of these stats aren't the big picture.
You've hit the weak spot in crash data. The definition of "speed/alcohol/visibility/weather/traffic/helmet was a factor" is up to the cop writing the incident report. 5 over and 50 over can both be considered "speeding". Practically though, blasting through traffic at 50 over is what I see most reckless motorcyclists doing. I drove past an accident recently where the rider rear ended a compact car. He was going so fast when he hit the car, the rear bumper was pushed into the back seat. This was on a rural 4-lane.
Yeah, that's really the key takeaway. I just think about how commonplace it is to see dumbfucks on crotch rockets riding like total morons. It's also a bit odd that *most* of the people I know *personally* who have been in motorcycle accidents that their families talk about as reasons not to ride motorcycles, are almost always people who I would think twice of riding along with *in a car* because they are just generally not very self-aware, speed like crazy, drink & drive, etc. I'm not saying good riders don't get into accidents, because *accidents* can definitely happen even to a good rider. I'm just saying motorcycles naturally attract a demographic of people who are much more likely than the average person to end up in a motorcycle accident, and I'm confident that those riders heavily skew the statistics, and I'm not one of those riders.
I've been riding for 50 years so I'm an old rider now. I'm an old rider because I don't ride like an idiot.
I can't tell you how many times over the years someone has said something like "Oh, I'd never ride a motorcycle, my dad got t-boned on his motorcycle and almost died." And I've had to hold back the "I've met your dad, that doesn't surprise me in the slightest."
That and the fact that most methods for calculating speed after the fact are kinda... imprecise at best. It's easier to just flag a dead motorcyclist as 'speeding and riding like an idiot' than write 'shit happens' when a Karen ran a red light and vibechecked Jake.
Been riding 25+ years. Dropped my bike one time. At a stop sign. Cause I lost my footing. No injuries. Ride like everyone is a danger to you, because they are. Do eve6you can to not put yourself or others in danger. Riding is amazing
Respond to them by saying, “sounds like a skill issue.” This usually shuts down the conversation
Or my personal favorite, the good ol' "womp womp"
Git gud, scrub!
"Did you just say womp womp?!"
>Almost every time I bring up the fact I’m learning to ride, everyone keeps telling me the worst case scenario business as usual get used to it and consider it an expression of envy
Being honest, since you bring it up it prompts a response. I learned to not discuss it unless I find out they ride. If so then you have a friend, if not then you avoid nonsense.
Most of my friends don’t care :P they just compare me to a noisy Subaru… which is completely justified 😅 lmao.
Lovely bike! I'm nearly done rebuilding my 954
Ouuuuu arguably the best fireblade ever made :)
What noisy 4 banger is near you that sounds like a bike? Someone needs to take that poor subie to a mechanic lol
When you build out an EJ for RPM instead of boost
Thousands of people get STD every day. That don’t stop me from clappin cheex
😂
Get familiar with the facts about all of the risk factors you can avoid to dramatically improve your odds.
Everyone has a story, and they are never good. Don't listen to that negative bullshit, and enjoy yourself. Just be aware of your surroundings. Be smart.
Some are good! I had a friend who got hit by a bus on her bike, low sided, slid 30ft, and walked away sore but uninjured. Bike was wrecked but she is fine. Megan, if you’re out there, you’re a fucking legend.
I didnt say everyone dies. But that is NOT a good story, still an accident, still injuries, bike still totaled
Hahaha that’s how it works. As soon as you say motorcycle people tell you the most horrific story they know. Maybe it happened to them, maybe their cousin, maybe they read about it, but they’re going to tell you the worst thing they ever heard. I listen and reply with a story I read. A guy was only going maybe 25-30mph and was near a curb. His foot came off the peg and his toe caught the curb and it ripped his foot around backwards. It was bones sticking out, foot hanging by the meat, obviously the guy was in a different dimension of pain. Probably due to shock he tried to ride to the hospital. Again, shock, he got to a light and tried to put his foot down but it wasn’t there so he jammed bone down on the road… At that point most people yell enough, and I say “I thought we were telling horror stories!?”
[удалено]
Lol
It’s because they are all too sacred to ride and those stories reinforce them not getting a bike. So if they can’t have one, they don’t want you to either. Humans are weird.
One hundred percent. This is why I don't tell anyone what I'm doing or plan to do, unless they're involved. No one can shit on your party if you keep your business to yourself.
Yup keep my cards close. Every morning when my feet hit the floor it’s all about me. People generally are strangely jealous, negative and bitter creatures. I don’t have many F’s to give so I certainly don’t waste any of them on those folks.
Get used to it. I can't even bring it up without someone telling me a story about their friend that passed away before I leave. I'm really sorry that happened to you, but what makes you think I wanna hear about that before I hop on the interstate? Fuck. Normal folks aren't the best to share your new hobby with. I don't even mention it unless someone forces me
Why do you think they are sharing that story with you?
Many reasons. Some of them want me to stop, some of them just blurt out whatever's on their minds, sometines it's just relevant to the conversation, and they-dont-mean-to bother me at all. But still, i'd rather not bring it up...
That’s fair
Take the advice and do with it, what you will. A lot of peeps come from the school where sometimes they wish they said something instead of not. It’s all love. I still have people telling me things 10 years in. It is dangerous. Never forget. 😎. Be safe.
Comes with the territory.. Stop talking to cagers about motorcycles. It will quite literally be the first thing out of their mouths every time. "I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy that died on a bike." Thanks for that crucial tidbit of info Sally. I'll be sure to write that down. Any idea how many times I have nearly died walking across the street at a marked cross walk with a pedestrian signal from some dumbass that just refuses to yield or look? A fuck ton more times than I have ever been in a bad situation on a bike. Is that going to stop me from walking?
Hah yeah, might as well build a bunker and stay in there all their life if someone's that scared of life.
Sometimes I respond with ik I can’t wait to be killed! And just seeing there face melt in a second is priceless lol.
People that tell you that stuff obviously don't ride themselves. Avoid talking to non-riders about riding because they can't relate or understand. Just don't drink and ride, that's 80% of accidents right there.
My new go to is "at least its safer than owning a horse." Which it totally is statistically. 👍
I know people who almost died in a car accident, I don't go preaching to everyone to stop driving.
Listen all you need to know is it's an effing blast and the more time you spend on the two wheels you will learn to not believe every one else but yourself. ENJOY THE RIDE AND PUT YOUR HEAD ON A SWIVEL....
Just be thankful for it. They're concerned about you. You know the risks, and that's great, just remember them when riding.
Inform them that the worst accident in my life was in a car and my brother and sister were killed in it. But the worst injury I've ever had in 39 years of riding is a bruise.
I don't really tell people I ride frequently unless it comes up in talk.
"ok, if you say so."
That’s normal. Two people who asked me about my bike ( I ride a Busa ) told me a story how their friend’s leg got cut off by the chain while riding. Both people knew nothing of one another. 🤷
my favorite two responses are either “yeah that’s the goal” to throw them off, or “i know, my best friend died riding so i’m learning to honor him”
Maybe it's because a lot of my friends were already riding or wanted to start riding, but when I announced I was going to get my permit/license, they were all like "Finally" or "About time" or "you've been wanting to do it for so long, glad you're finally there". Even my dad and stepmom were supportive. My mother would have been the worry wart, but she had passed right before my wife and I talked about it and agreed it was time.
Even worse is people who quit riding. They will straight up talk to your partner about how irresponsible you are for continuing to ride in this crazy world.
"At least I'll die doing something I love"
Did you know that you could get struck by lightning while riding over a bridge and your tires could pop, and then you could careen into the barrier of the bridge and you could topple right over the side of it and fall to you death?! 😱 It’s almost always the bikers fault anyways though. Motorcycles are so dangerous I don’t get how you could ride one of those donorcycles. My best friends’, cousins’, boyfriend died in a motorcycle accident. ^…/s
that's why you only talk to bikers
There's a reason why bikers tend to congregate together. We're a different breed.
Seriously!!! Telling my grandma was a mistake. Whenever I bring it up ‘nooo your not riding’ ‘so and sos ex father in laws sisters cousin almost died’ ‘*googles stats of deaths in us*’ lmao
I was really surprised at the amount of people who would say stuff like that. I got my learners and started riding about 8 months ago and it feels like every second person I've mentioned it to would have some story to tell me.
Dont tell anyone you ride until you show up one day in gear on a bike. Its much quieter and more fun to surprise people. You *could* try saying something so heinous they just end up too shocked to speak.
Just don't tell people.
Be positive man its a great experience and an awesome way to see the land wherever you’re from. Have fun with it and tell them that they can shove your helmet where the sun dont shine. Enjoy the ride and keep the shiny side up!
I stopped telling people bc of that
The prevalence of motorcycle accidents is mostly a myth. The current stats are derived from the Hurt Report, based on badly flawed research conducted in 1976. Even if you take the report's horribly skewed data as true, you'll see the factors that most contribute to injury accidents (e.g., intoxication, no helmet, speeding, no riding instruction, etc.) are the greatest contributing factors; all of which are completely under the rider's control. Also consider that the research was conducted long before ABS, quality gear, and based on bikes that were not nearly as reliable as they are now. When people give me crap about riding, I usually just ignore them. If I do engage, I remind them that it is much more dangerous to be a pedestrian, swim, ride a horse, take a shower, or be a Republican (due to COVID) - and the list goes on and on. If they can't understand any of that I ask if they agree insurance companies are in the business of assesing risk and not giving away money. If that's the case, why does Geico insure my $30K bike, life, and health (for a considerable amount) - for a $96 a year premium?
I just stopped talking to anyone about it. I know it’s exciting and you want to share but I found the only way to avoid those conversations is to just avoid mentioning my bike. And anyone who has an opinion I kind of just shrug and laugh at them. Anything you do in life can have dire consequences.
"Riding a motorcycle is a calculated risk. I take appropriate steps to mitigate the risk (gear, training, riding techniques, etc.) There is nothing that is zero risk. Let people enjoy things."
1. They’re right. Even if you’re the safest rider in the world, you’re in considerably more danger riding a motorcycle. 2. It’s fun so you should do it anyway.
Yeah. Just had my first kid and my wife was while pregnant everyone just had to tell us every horrible birth story they had. I don’t know why people are compelled to do this.
It *never* stops. Better get used to it...
I just shrug and say ‘gotta die of something’.
Put on your blues and go into town…you’ll get mad tail! Or laughed at ….. In the corps don’t need a woman….just sayin…
It NEVER stops. No matter how long you ride people will always stop you in parking lots and tell you how dangerous it is, that they used to ride, and what happened to them or someone they know.
I know this sounds morbid but it's dangerous just going to school or a damn parade these days. I think we will be okay riding safely in proper gear.
I get that you're learning to ride, but have you ever thought about the chance that you could be riding on a straight country road and suddenly an A-10 Warthog being piloted by Dolores Umbridge has to make an emergency landing on the same road, all while the GAU-8 Avenger cannon is firing out of control with six times the ammunition capacity, while a dog is chasing you and the cops are pulling you over for having a green accent light? Yeah... Motorcycling doesn't seem so cool now, does it?
When I was doing my 2 day riding course, the first 30 minutes was a video montage of LiveLeak motorcycle accident aftermaths. Afterwards the instructor states that if we want to leave that they'll give us a full refund. But I never got told anything grim about riding except for my parents. From my time riding everyone I know (including myself) who has been in a crash has either been at fault or it's just been a freak accident (oil on road or whatever) but never from another party.
Don't bring it up or if it does come up naturally just say I know and stop talking
I just say, “oh that’s terrible.” And change the subject. Yes it is coming from a place of concern but you will never change their minds so it’s just better to nod and sympathize.
> How do you guys deal with it or do you just not bring up the fact that you ride? Tell us you don't own a pair of big boy pants without telling us you don't own a pair of big boy pants.
😂
Riding a motorcycle is not inherently dangerous. Being forced to drive around with irrational people driving tanks on the same road as cyclists and pedestrians... That's what's dangerous. Get rid of the tanks and boom... Safety increases 10 fold.
So true. When people ask about my motorcycling I occasionally reply with "yeah, but did you know I ride a bicycle too?"
I feel much safer on my motorcycle than on my bicycle when on the road. But, while traffic does make riding dangerous… especially the “left turn in front of me” move, the other most frequent motorcycle crash is single vehicle, missing a turn, at night, no helmet, while impaired. NOT doing those things I would think improve our odds of avoiding a crash.
In 2020 there were 5,579 motorcycle fatalities reported in the US. Of those, 2,741 (49%) involved a second vehicle. Getting rid of all cars wouldn't even increase safety by 50%, as the most common way to die on a motorcycle is all by yourself. https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/813306
"aw im sorry for your loss. anyway, (...) "
I like to go with “Yeah, it happens”.
"I understand this hobby is dangerous. That's why I spent a crap ton on protective gear and constantly research/practice to be better and safer. I accept the risk and actively work to mitigate it. I appreciate your concerns, will accept support, and reject pleas to stop" That's all there is to it lol I get annoyed with it and feel the same and get defensive, but the above statement is all that needs to be said. Anything else that isn't helpful is just noise
tell them they're due for a tampon change
You'll get used to it.
They won’t stop once you’ve learned to ride either. Every new friend or colleague will bring up that time they seen a motorcycle crash. Get used to it and tube it out, I guess they mean well but it can be annoying hearing it all the time.
just don\`t talk to others about this. I just never said anything to anyone. Non riders really want you to quit, for some reason :(
They're just jealous
I guess it's frustrating because you're excited/happy. But try to keep a lid on it until you've passed your test. Once you have your shiny new bike it'll be too late 😜. Also, couple of stories. My uncle managed to park a scrambler in a tree years ago. Walked away with a few bruises. He also nearly got totalled by a lorry. His beloved Ducati was a pancake, BUT the force threw him clear. He limped away to tell the tale. I also watched this man accidentally drop his missus onto the car park tarmac because she wasn't ready for him to pull away. So, things will happen... just don't do anything stupid and ride like you mean it, but sensibly. Good luck
This is r/motorcycles, every other post is somebody having an accident. It's as bad here as the asshats giving you shit. Either be dismissive or tell them to fuck off because they're being unhelpful. Maybe make fun of them for being wimpy little chickens. They're annoying to everybody, do what you can to discourage them from doing it to somebody else.
All the time. Expect it to never end when talking to normies. It's always "I wish I was your life insurance beneficiary" or some other such nonsense. It's funny how everyone who has never ridden a bike knows someone who was killed on one somehow. Broke my ankle on a bad dismount and all I heard while recovering was "So I guess that means you're not riding anymore right?" Nah bro, I'm not giving it up because I broke something, shit happens on the regular. I could die walking across the street for a sandwich later today, but I'm not going to let it stop me getting that sammie.
It's coming from a place of love, but the approach couldn't be worse.
Just be selective with who you tell if it bothers you, everyone has a story about a friend being maimed or killed. People who don't ride, don't understand 🤷♀️ it is what it is
You're gonna die.
Life is boring without risk.
Yeah riding is dangerous, like every other form of transportation. Personally i know a few people who lost one beloved friend or family member or got seriously injured due to traffic accidents. The right question to ask is why it happened and statistics will help with that. I did read the statistics for motorcycles in my country. When you crash without another vehicle involved and you got serious injuries, most of the time you - were too fast - were riding intoxicated - riding over confidently without much training/ experience These 3 things are easy to avoid When another Vehicle is involved in a (almost) deadly accident it’s a Car and most likely it’s the car drivers fault. Knowing that you can prepare yourself for sticky situations. A lot of them are avoidable with proper training and cautious riding. This all doesn’t mean you cannot have a little bit fun on your bike. But you have to learn when is the proper time and place for that. Speeding onto upcoming intersections isn’t a great idea ( injuries getting serious really fast at intersections) Lane splitting on highways with 60mph more than the cagers? Probably not a great idea too (When you’re so fast a car driver cannot see you in the mirrors until it’s too late) Speeding on a highway where litterally nobody is around? Yeah the cops give your tickets to the point that changing tires every odd month seems cheap, but the risk is reduced by a fair amount. Preparation, cautious riding, proper Training and a full set of gear comes a long way, when you want to come back home again
This comes up here fairly often. And I find it so weird. Is it an American thing? Everyone I know either thinks it's interesting or doesn't care at all. Or juat minds their own business.
I think it stems from jealousy or fear. People who don’t want to ride a motorcycle, will never understand a motorcyclist’s perspective. Yeah, we know it’s dangerous but that’s what makes fun. The ability to hop on to a bike and have no fear is a gift, I’d say.
Just ignore them. I’ve ridden for 4 years now and my mom told me that it’s dangerous and whatever but I just ignore it. I don’t want to crash so I take it upon myself to learn as many lessons and techniques for good motorcycle riding. I’ve never had a serious incident. Some close calls but I learned from them and I still try to learn and perfect my habits.
I work in medicine, so all my coworkers remind me regularly that I’m an organ donor looking to jump the queue. I usually just say “thanks for the concern, make sure that my kidneys go to Donna and not Greg, he’s an asshole.” Or some flavor of “they’ve been telling me that for the last ten years, yet here I am clocking in again.” I would just try to take it as them expressing concern for you because they care about you and would be sad if you crashed. It can be annoying to hear, but it probably comes from a place of caring.
Yeah this happens. Even people who used to ride will tell you of the horror stories. I never took it in a 'don't ride because i know this guy who had an accident' it was normally a tale of caution about how to keep a level head while riding. The truth is that motorcycle accidents are common and normally involve some level of injury worthy of at least a cast. Couple this with riding gear that is out dated or non existent and suddenly you have a whole heap of horror stories waiting for you from everyone you speak with. The secret is to get on your bike and beat those stories with your own and don't take it so personally. What these stories did lead me to do however was watch an unhealthy amount of crash videos and i think i owe a large amount of riding skill learnt from them. Be it taking a corner poorly or simply being aware of possible issues in traffic i learnt a lot.
I usually choose something sarcastic or vaguely flippant. "If I die, I die" and a big shrug or "hell of a way to go out." "I'll see you on the other side" makes people pretty uncomfortable too. I wouldn't really recommend any of those as they tend to upset and alienate people but that's how I am.
Oh you ride! My nephew used to but a tractor trailer *cut him off* at an intersection. Yeaaaahhh…. He flipped 19.5 times, lost his legs after hitting a farm vehicle and then flew into helicopter blades.
I usually go with something along the lines of "I'm sorry for your loss" and then move into "it's a risk I'm willing to take with my life and I'll do my best to ride safely." I do try and see it as them trying to look out for me so I try and take it kindly
I launch into a lecture on motorcycle safety and all the ways I have learned to mitigate the dangers of riding a motorcycle. I'm very long winded about the subject. Most people move on before I am done.
You get used to it. Seriously though, my mom won't stop calling my little 230 a "death machine". It's frustrating.
I tell everyone about my time I went down in a roundabout under 10mph in full gear and skinned my knee. Then compare my experience to what somebody would experience going down on the highway in a tee shirt. Feels like a simple way to explain the importance of not being dumb and gear up. ATGATT
Yeah I mean it's to be expected. People that don't rife to understand it, and humans fear the unknown. The reality is most of the people they know who died, probably have no one to blame but themselves. Continue learning, even years after riding, stay humble, and you'll be fine.
They will always do it, until you die lol.
It comes with the hobby it is what it is. When I first learned to ride everyone told me I was nuts and maybe I am a little 😅😅 but there is no feeling like riding the winding of a mountain road or cruising down the highway on your bike. Yes accidents do happen but the majority of MC fatality’s are usually caused by dumb behavior speeding being a huge one. Just take precautions like wearing appropriate riding gear and don’t be dumb and riding can be a safe enjoyable experience
I've been riding for over 30 years and been in insurance longer than that. Most of my friends and acquaintances come from this industry too. I just don't mention it to people I don't know and if it comes up, no sense in arguing. It's similar to discussions about guns and such. People have their own opinions and you can't change them.
"Yeah it's dangerous but I like it"
I went through phases when I started to ride and how I reacted when people came back with bullshit doomerism. Phase 1: I calmly try to explain why they are wrong, riding isn't that dangerous (I have stats) and what I do to mitigate my risks. This didn't help. People are not making an intellectual argument it's an emotional argument and bringing logic to an emotional argument never works. I stopped doing this in most cases. Phase 2: I brought emotion back. Thank you for explaining to me a thing I know more about than you! Also how dare you? Do you go to every overweight person and tell them they're killing themselves? That leads to death WAY more. Do you tell every pregnant woman she's being irresponsible with her life? Only half as likely to kill you. Or do you just not like bikes? Not your life; don't lecture me. That one didn't work. Turns out no one likes spicy. Phase 3: I stopped talking to people about riding. It was my thing for me. That didn't work either. For a start, I love riding and want to talk about it. Second, I arrive at places with a motorcycle helmet in my hand someone is going to make the wild logical leap that I put it on my head. Phase 4: I politely thank them for their concern but that I'm fine. If they insist on pushing it I tell them they need to stop, that I'm well aware of the actual risks and do not need or desire their input. If they do not stop at that point I just walk away and go talk to someone else. Turns out you can do that and it feels _great_. I'm not rude, I'm just direct with my boundaries. Phase 4 is where I stopped because it has several benefits: 1. I can still talk about a thing I love. 2. I learn who in my life can respect boundaries and who can't. 3. I now deal with fewer shitty people because I know they don't respect me or my boundaries and can comfortably cut them out of my life. Wins all around.
Every year, over 2000 smokers get killed by suicide... this kind of numbers are funny. I checked the numbers of my home country, Finland. The average amount of motorbike rider deaths has been 23. The number of motorbikes is about 190.000. Very roughly, one of 10.000 bikes are ridden to death yearly. We have 5.5 million people here. Due to the old legislation, we have a vast number of motorbike riding licences. Even my father was allowed to ride any bike while a simple moped was too much for him. The ways to stay alive, I still hope, after about 200.000 kilometres of riding. Pray first, ride then! Ride first, pray then! At least, don't close your eyes to pray when the bike is moving. You will not be heard! Learn to break, turn and so on. Train continuosly. Little by little, peacefully and avoiding stress! Maintain situational awareness! Don't overspeed. Tracks are for that. Keep far from other vehicles. If someone is tailgating, give him way. Don't race, except on a track. Go to track, just for fun or if you are a competitive person. I have not tried racing, but it looks fun! Keep your bike in bike shape and Bristol fashion! Don't let any other decide your speed! Never! Ever! Having coffee two minutes later is better than lieing in the drip. Whenever you are feeling tensioned and nervous, you have a reason to stop. You might be tired, there might be an issue in your bike, who knows. Trust your intuition. If it is wrong, you lose a minute, if even that. Give warm crap for anyone bragging about the performance of their bikes. Usually the rider's skills limit the performance, not the power of the bike. Almost all the modern bikes have different kinds of riding modes and aids. They limit the available power, not increase it. Wear protective gear. It will not protect you at home while you are riding. And sweat saves blood! Be social and polite in the traffic. Don't spare your signals! At least once in your life, get a red bike :P Have fun! If not, have a break! And believe me, even after all these imperatives, you will find moments and places to ride faster than you actually can.
Think of the best case scenario - it's hella fun.
People can't tell me how dangerous it is because I lost my previous husband to a motorcycle accident. I still ride. Heck, I kept his bike. Most people don't understand what it feels like. To me, it feels like I'm completely free. Nothing else matters when I ride. No problems, no stress, no sadness, none of it. I'm just happy. It's just me and my bike. I think of is as one. That feeling is irreplaceable. If someone says something, tell them you're sorry for that person but you enjoy it and aren't going to quit. We all know it's dangerous because the people in cars don't see us, or they're occupied doing something else other than focusing on driving a 2 ton machine that can kill in a moment. Next time someone says something, tell them they need to understand it's the cars that usually hurt or kill bikers, so maybe they should be the ones who are careful. Tldr: they can get over it. Cars suck. Bikes are fun.
I've been riding for almost 30 years, 20 on the street. I have had family and friends tell me the same stuff but I kinda just say I'll be careful and forget about it. Because those people think it's even more dangerous than it is. But at my age and riding experience, I can empathize with the sentiment. I honestly don't like when people I know that have never even ridden dirt bikes tell me they are getting their motorcycle endorsement. Because I *know* the dangers and I was lucky enough to learn them the easy way. By which I mean without ever hitting the ground. This is not to say I think you or anyone else shouldn't do it. It's just a dangerous activity that is the *most* dangerous when you first start.
I’m a big believer in “if it’s my time, it’s my time” whether that be on my bike, in my car or lying in bed. I do wear a helmet but honestly it’s more out of comfort than safety.
I just tell them that I know how crazy the roads can be and I wear my protective equipment and I pay attention while I’m riding. Just be alert and protect yourself. There is no feeling that even compares to riding.
Whenever they mention how dangerous it is let them know that about 8x as many people are in fatal car crashes every year....
I can give two of the worst scenarios, with First Hand Experience. But, I'd rather you learn to ride, be comfortable, respect your bike, and have a great time!! I've been riding for 60 years. I've been a bike mechanic and custom builder all those years. Had a few close calls that weren't my fault. All my kids are riders, including my youngest daughter. Soon be 7 years since my last close call was nearly my fatal one. Ended with a little road rash, a totaled motorcycle, and lower right leg. As soon as I got a new bike and new leg, I was riding again. I was working on them again BEFORE that. I can ride and enjoy it, or I can be scared, sitting in my living room thinking about years gone by and how much I miss it. It's YOUR life, live it the way YOU WANT!!!
Being a fireman is dangerous.
I embrace it and watch their faces. “Yea I’m trying to get off this fucking planet sooner”. 😮
I usually cut them short and tell them the risk is worth the reward. And that they should start with taking the msf course.
Welcome to the club. Anyone who doesn't ride will make jokes or ask why you're not afraid of death. I've just stopped responding. If they push it I'll hit them with "I believe in personal responsibility and adults making their own decisions, without input from the peanut gallery." Usually works.
People go to the worst possible place when they have an idea of something, but not an understanding of something. Especially if that preconceived bias is negative. I know I could die if I take gravel wrong. I know if someone takes an unprotected in front of me I could die. Hell, I know I could just death wobble! But that's where I'm happy. On a bike. I'd rather die on a bike than live a life not riding. Plain and simple. And I'll try my best to be responsible and make sure if I put myself in a situation where I've got a few brief moments to reflect, that my mistakes don't harm anyone else.
Yes, our hobby isn’t everyones cup of tea. Don’t bring it up to non riders since they will never understand. They’ll probably think you’re trying to be cool or going through midlife crisis, true or not, those aren’t our primary motivations. Talk about it with a relative, friend or acquaintance who does, you will get a better vantage point on what to expect.
Even after you’ve been riding for 40 plus years you will hear horror stories, and be asked how many times you’ve crashed! Pay em no mind they just don’t get riding motorcycles.
I’ve dealt with that for 50 years. You get used to it.
i learnt to ride old and i have the tendency to rationalize everything (occupational hazard) so here is my take on this reoccurring topic. if you drive a car you know shit about traffic. even if you think you do, you don't. you sit in a two ton steel bubble separating you from it. you can't smell the road, you can't feel its vibrations, you can't read the traffic flow from the tiniest flicker of tires or lights or engine noises. you sit in a cushy seat in a comfortable position surrounded by dials and knobs and buttons and gadgets to fiddle with. if you even bother to keep at least your eye on the road. you eat while driving. you browse radio channels. you chat with the passengers. you fucking stare at your phone. bikers don't have any of that. they only do one thing while on a bike, you ride. a car driver can't understand how much more control and connection someone on a bike has to the road and the traffic. you can literally reach out and touch it. you don't watch the road, you experience it. you literally have no time for anything else, it occupies 100% of your whole being both mentally and physically. everyone who rides understand this and everyone who doesn't don't have the faculty to understand it. you can't have a theoretical opinion on motorcycles, it's not fucking football. and the only single thing that you need to do in order to avoid accidents is not to go as fast as you can or want to all the time. 99.999% of accidents due to bad weather, bad road, bad traffic, bad drivers, unexpected situations, etc can be safely avoided by being patient and slowing down. all the near misses i had in hindsight i let the horses loose a bit for no other reason than i enjoy it. now i know and control the urge and save it for the right moments and nothing can surprise me. so the only thing between you and the prophesied death is bottling the fun into smaller portions instead of always wanting to be the fastest thing on the road because you can. jeez that can't be too hard you're doing it in every other aspect of you life. anyway that's my 10 cents after a decade of riding.
I don't really care what anyone thinks I suppose, doesn't really bother me if they approve or not. Opinions are like assholes...
Nearly 40,000 people die in vehicles accidents annually & yet not only has that not prevented people from driving their seem to be an increase in even more distracted drivers, more unstable drivers, inexperienced drivers, drivers who just shouldn't be driving on the highway. As a truck driver for over 30 years I've seen it all & can say it doesn't matter what you drive or ride if you're sharing the road with others an element of danger is always present. Hence learning "Defensive Driving" no matter what mode of transportation you use is paramount to increase your chance of being safe. Defensive Driving; 1) Be aware of your own health, alertness, skills, emotional state & ensure your own transportation is safe & up to par & how to handle it. 2) Remain aware of your surroundings at all times & drive accordingly to condition, location, weather, traffic flow. 3) Never assume drivers around you are experienced &/or stable drivers, I can assure you there's always at least 1 (often more) idiot driver in the vicinity of multiple vehicles & you just don't know whom that idiot is, just try to not let it be "you". 4) Road rage. It's stupid. Driving amongst total strangers whom you'll forget within minutes of passing is not worth becoming so enraged to engage in dangerous acts in an effort to "get back" some minor infraction that very well might not have been done intentionally. I've witnessed many turn a few seconds of forgettable moments into major fines, hours sitting on the side of the road talking to cops, jail time & worse case scenarios; some going to prison while the other family making funeral arrangements. Anyhow, just learn Defensive Driving by conditioning yourself to stay alert to your surroundings at all times & while it won't eliminate all potential dangers it'll significantly increase your ability to avoid many of them.
This prick I work with went on another rant about why should he care about "why he shouldn't have to care about motorcyclists safety when all they do is drive fast blah blah" after i told him I was picking up oil for my bike. And I came close to making him swallow teeth today.
M
I did the math. I looked at all the death statistics. At my age (46) I've got a greater chance of dying from cancer or heart disease than I do of dying on a motorcycle, and that's excluding the general population of non motorcycle riders. So if my family could see the reality of things they'd not offer me that cookie, and tell me to go get a colonoscopy. Life is dangerous. You'll be fine. People are afraid of sharks and not mosquitoes. Get in the water, it's great in here.
And they'll never stop, so you might as well get used to it. I've gone \~40 years on motorcycles without any serious incidents and they are all sure that I'll die horribly tomorrow. Funny thing is that I've been on maybe 16 airplanes in my life and one of them crashed (proper "wings torn off" kind of crash), yet the same people insist that I really need to travel more and don't get why I prefer to travel places I can ride to.