Do you ponder on your own mortality?

[yambabe]

It's been a bad week. We have lost one forum member to a bike crash, and the husband of another. Another has been seriously injured, as has a friend off another forum. Several acquaintances, both forum and real-life, have had minor accidents in the last 7 days.

Speaking to a non-biking friend this weekend about these and other events, she said "I suppose you'll be thinking about giving up riding then, at least for a while?"

Well no, to be honest, not even for a moment. It hadn't crossed my mind. I've been out and about as usual this weekend scrubbing in a new set of tyres and just aimlessly riding around if I'm honest.

Now I've never had a bad "off" as a rider (although did have quite a nasty one as pillion, part of the reason I learned to ride and why I tend to ride so defensively I think), in fact I've had nothing more than a couple of drops due to ground/feet interface levels being not as expected, but I've lost a fair few friends over the years and spent a fair bit of time at hospital bedsides or homes trying to cheer up "the patient". I've been on the road (including my l-plates) for 6 years this year.

None of the stuff that has happened to others has changed my attitude to riding. I can't decide whether this is due to a totally unjustified belief that "it" can't happen to me, or if I am just being an ostrich and putting off the inevitable. Or maybe I am just an unfeeling bitch who doesn't truly give a shit about anyone else whatever words might come out of my mouth or my keyboard?

Recent news is obviously having some effect I suppose for me to even be thinking this way, but I haven't changed my riding because of it and I certainly don't want to stop riding. It's something that is so much a part of my life now that I can't imagine it not being there, or how I would adjust if that was the case.

I'm sorry if I'm rambling or being morbid. I just kind of wondered if I am alone in feeling like this?
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Sod falling in love, I wanna fall in chocolate.

[Barry_M2]

Nope, never. Why would someone else having an accident make me give up?

Would you stop eating if someone you knew died of food poisioning?

Would you stop crossing the road if someone you knew got killed doing that?

Its like all these threads that people post of some random biker being killed they happen to stumble over in the local paper, then you get everyone posting with 'RIP' for someone they dont even know!

To be honest, this thread will be just another argument like they all turn out to be as everyone has a different opinion.

But good question though.
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ZXR750R (M2) - For the road.
CBR1000 RR4 - For the track.
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[krebsy]

17:30 - Saturday, A5, Fenny Stratford roundabout (bottom end of MK/Bletchley) saw the aftermath of a smash. Looked like a biker came down the long right hander sweeping downhill dual carriageway section which suddenly tightens up and flicks left at the roundabout with far too much speed.

We were heading out for a potter on the bike and saw three police cars plus more arriving and an ambulance and what looked like the remains of a Honda sportsbike of some sort wrapped around the chevron sign. gave me a pause for thought, and later on when coming back past there was nowt left at the scene bar a wide scattering of fairing shards...

K.
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What's my New Year's resolution?

1280 x 1024.

[veeeffarr]

I'm sure if you frequented internet car forums, or any other forum as a matter of fact you'd probably find quite a few people being killed 'on the job'...

T

[TheDonUK]

Theres is a time and a place for thoughts like that, and it is most definitely OFF the bike,

We all accept the risks that come with biking, I am of the view that if your numbers up then its up, you can do everything in your power to prevent it but actually worrying or actively pondering while riding around will make it that much more likely to happen to you...

You have two options, Either do everything in your power to ensure you dont crash or get crashed into or quit riding...

[sagalout]

Dont mind admitting that I rode a bit slower yesterday, with recent events on this, and another forum, in mind.

Didnt enjoy it any less to be honest. I dont think it does any harm to recalibrate the senses every now and again.

[Pete.]

I never do it, and wouldn't consider giving-up biking. I work in a high-risk industry and if I thought like that I would never get out of bed.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[TheShaggyDA]

No, you're not alone. Only direct, personal experiences alter the way I ride or drive. It's not so much a "won't happen to me" thing as it is a collection of "stupid fucker, you won't do that again" experiences.

The further detatched you are from someone, the less it affects you. In descending order, there's

1. Me
2. Loved ones
3. People I care about
4. People I've met
5. People on the internet with whom I've interacted
6. Other people on the internet
7. People in newspapers
8. The rest of the world

To be honest, I stop caring past number 5. Even then, the most I'd feel would be "that's a shame, seemed like a nice bloke" - it wouldn't affect how I go about my day to day life.
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Current: CB500 Previous: CB100N, CB250RS, XJ900F, GT550, GPZ750R/1000RX, AJS M16, R100RT, Enfield Bullet

[i:6e3bfc7581]But still I fear and still I dare not laugh at the madman...[/i:6e3bfc7581]

[Finglonga]

Had a head on car crash 14months ago. I have not been on the bike since, people think its because i have lost the bottle to due to the smash. Truth is my feckin leg won't bend enough still to change gear and sit comfy on the bike.

Shit happens, life goes on, there is no use pondering what might happen live your life before its too late.
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Andy Sez....
F.Y.Y.F.F.

[iooi]

Nothing more certain in life than death.....

So when my number is up, i really want to be doing something i enjoy or at least know that i enjoyed my life. And not just pandered to the others who think you should not be doing what you enjoy.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[MarJay]

I do ponder on it, but its the fighter pilot mentality described by Tom Wolfe in the Right Stuff:

"It can't happen to me. He got hurt because he made XYZ mistake. I wouldn't have done that in that situation."

It won't stop me riding though, although it will stop me from being one of those superfast riders who doesn't seem to put any effort in and yet seems to be nigh on uncatchable.

I try to analyse my riding wherever possible and acknowledge mistakes, and learn from it. I think its about all you can do.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Blau Zedong]

Sure..sometimes I do, but never when riding. Don't have many near misses these days, but did have a hungry chav in his corsa try to share my lane head on the other day, which wasn't pleasant.

Feelings of doubt lasted about an hour - contemplated the situation and what could be done differently, then move on. Biking is high risk / high reward - you can weight the dice in your favour with good roadcraft etc - but travelling at speed without a tin box round you is never going to be safe.

In the end if you experience a personal tradgedy, and don't stop biking you probably "get" it so to speak.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[Visitor Q]

The people that die tend to be the aggressive riders.

At worst id ride a tad more defensive.

I personally believe your safer on a bike riding defensively then in a car. As you can remove your self from situations you deem unsafe.

Besides which, hundred times more die in car crashes. They just assume cos theres more on the road its fine.

I just dont want to die making some completely schoolboy error.

Edit: Oh and the reason its been a bad week is cos its the first hot weekends of summer, plus its been easter. Everyone racks out there sparkly superbike and go mad as they have to enjoy the sunshine. Same thing happens around october.
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China traffic/travel bike vid - When I make a sweeping statement, please add the word 'statistically' in to the sentence before you bitch...
From September 2014 to January/February 2015 I will not be using any English, nor reading any. As such, I won't be on here. PM at will, but I won't be checking/posting unless in emergencies. Certainly not for the first couple of months. Please berate me savagely if I break that rule...

[Itchy]

You have something to lose re-the life is good thread, thus you ponder over it,

Its why people with nowt to lose are much more dangerous, and faster riders, you should have seen Macca (a mate not Paul Mcartney) a few years ago after something 'nasty' happened to him I've never ever ever seen a GS500E being ridden that fast and hot around corners.
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Spain 2008France 2007Big one 2009 We all die. The goal isn't to live forever, the goal is to create something that will. In the end, your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.

[Kal]

My parents are now the oldest people in my family.

The others died by inches, literally in the case of my grandfather. My Nan took more than a decade. My Dads Mum didnt recognise him for the last six months.

It may be wrong but I don't want to go like that. I want to go quickly, being me just as hard as I can be.


Besides if I die then the House is paid for, my son will be able to afford University and he doesn't grow up around the Ex and I fighting old wars. So a bit of a result really.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[Dazbo666]

I find myself making a conscious ongoing effort to check and improve my riding so that I minimise the risk of making serious mistakes.
I also have a pretty healthy sense of self preservation (as well as a low pain threshold) and don't particularly fancy having any overnight stays in hospital... so that tends to make sure that I look after myself as much as possible
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1st bike (Sept'06 - May'10) : 1991 GPZ500S / Current bike (since Nov 2009) : 2003 Suzuki Bandit 600N
Word of the day : DILLIGAF

[palmer]

nearly been killed twice from riding motorbikes.
hasnt put me off them at all, i just respect them alot more.


ive known a few fallen bikers, and i know they wouldn't want anyone to give up their passion.

[Shay HTFC]

I just passed my CBT yesterday and at the age of 20 with my life ahead I have been thinking. I am definately going to go ahead with biking as I come here and love it, watch the touring around the globe and love it.
Its just hard when you have your whole family saying "Don't do it, get a car", your friends saying "My dad is a doctor and he says everyone coming in is a biker" etc.

However, after doing my CBT it just confirmed that I love bikes and my saving grace is that I am more interested in the touring and travelling than the full speed thrill that others love.
I guess the instructors are correct. Do everything in your power to spot potential hazards and don't put yourself in any needless danger.

And getting a car is pointless advice. When I think about getting a car, I just don't have any passion towards it, but a bike makes my heart beat and I just want to hit the open road on 2 wheels.

For this reason I will brave it out and risk injury and death even if it goes against the wishes of some of my closest family and friends.

[Barker-CBR 600]

Pretty sure it was on here that i read (from some englightened poster )

'Why tiptoe through life only to arrive safely at death'

and for me that sums it up.

We are all going to die eventually, of course no one wants it to be by some tragic accident or any earlier than is possible otherwise. But the way i see it when i die i want to know i lived, and if i love motorbikes and feel alive when i'm riding them then it seems silly to stop for something that isnt sure.

I think my perfect death would be to just get up when i'm all old go out on a ride and then just keel over at the side of the road. Nothing looming, nothing peticularly painful, no lasting suffering and no annoying anticipation. Die doing something you love

And riding carefully, many many many more bikers arent seriously hurt or killed on bikes than are. If it was other way round i'm sure it'd be different for all of us, but of all the people hurt there are hundreds who arent. So odds are in our favour. (sods law though, puts us all at risk!!!)

Anyways thats plenty deep enough for me on a monday afternoon when the sun is shining


(an Kal dont let your son read that might give him idea's... hehe)
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Previous - Gilera DNA50 / XVS125 Dragstar/Honda CBR 600F/GSF 650 Bandit
Current - 2013 Suzuki VZ800 Intruder
'Is this a rhetorical question?'

[eifion]

Indeed.

If you stopped doing everything that might possibly be a little bit dangerous because someone once died from it you'd never leave the house or get out of bed or do anything at all....

....which is a bit like dying anyway.

About 200 people die in the UK every year when they're hit by cars as they're walking down the pavement? Should we encourage our non-biker friends and family to give up walking down the pavement because it's so dangerous? No.

We do everything in our power to stay as safe as possible in everything we do, but also acknowledge that there is a certain level of risk that you can't eliminate every time you swing a leg over your machine. But there's a certain level or risk every time you step out of your front door for any reason
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SR125 -> 6 year gap -> SV650 -> Deauville -> NC750X -> Vstrom 650

[whoosh]

I think Sagalout summed it up for me ...time to recalibrate . I'm 18 months on from doing my DAS and I have started to push a bit harder over the past few weeks....in the better weather. I know on at least two occassions I made overtakes that were unnecessarily risky...... just to prove a point to car drivers

I think I also learned I ain't nowhere near ready for a sportsbike.

[Reppyboyo]

I`ve never really given it a thought.

Everything in life there is risk involved, just bikeing seems to carry a spotlight around with it.

I dont want to die young but if its my time, its my time.
Simple as that, I intend to enjoy bikeing until my end, be it tomorrow or in years to come.

[snapperslappe...]

[Luke_Retrofly]

If we all stopped riding becuase of the risks, we wouldnt be bikers in the first place.

Bikers know the risk when they take up the hobby/neccesity, we know the risks but still ride, because we are "bikers" and its all we know

Luke
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Flounced - Long overdue
Fuck you bitch I'm in the top 10 list I can do the what the fuck I want!

[Wooly R6]

I am not going to stop riding because someone dies in a bike accident!!! 99.9% of the time its the rider at fault anyway, usually because his/her skills are not upto what it could be!!!

Its whats inside your helmet that stops a crash in the first place!!!

I have had a few moments in the past few weeks where i wasn't going to overtake the car in front of me until i was sure there was a safe place to do so, but a bike came past me at high speed on two separate occasions.

If people want to take risks themselves, let them do it!!!
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R6 has been sold - 2004 Honda VFR VTEC now sold too - no bike at the moment