People trying to save you from motorcycling?

[Ste]

Ok, I seem to get lots of mates parents, and some people at college as well, telling me stuff like "I'd never ride a motorbike, its so dangerous", "Your so exposed, and vunrable in a crash", "I'm much safer in my car", "I just saw a bike accident, the guy was xyz and I think he died", "I just had a biker overtake me/ saw them doing xyz etc"

Do people not realise how annoying this gets? How many times do we see car crashes? I don't go round telling everyone who has a car to run for the hills as they are all going to die if they get in a car.

It's not like we don't know and understand the added risk of riding a bike, over driving a car!

Anyone got any smart come backs for this type of thing

[rant over!]

[irdawood]

ha u think thats bad... i have my mum and aunt saying they will buy me a car and pay for insurence if i dont get a bike

...but i still want a bike
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Please don't annoy the Karma

[irdawood]

also another thing i dont wanna be a smart ass and tell my mum that fuck it im gonna get a bike regardless coz i know the day i have a crash the first thing i will hear is 'i told u so'
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Please don't annoy the Karma

[SteveCRM]

One of my many stepdad's (mum got around a bit) had a farm, he got me to sign a contract (when I was about 11) to say if he gave me a motorbike to ride on the farm I would never ride one on the road, I signed it knowing full well it would not make a difference to me getting a bike for the road.

He picked my bike up the next day, I was so excited, would it be a trial bike or a crosser. he gets back to the farm with his horsebox and in it was my pride and joy to be. he opened the trailer and there it was a CG500 from the year dot, he said if I could fix it I could ride it anywhere on the farm. out came my halfords tool set The gearbox was seized and when I took the head off i could push my fingers through the soft green remains of the piston. I didnt bother anymore and the bike got stuffed in the back of the barn never to be seen again.

When I eventually got my first road (Honda MTX125) bike guess who I went to show it off to, lol he went nuts and raved on about the contract I just laughed at him and rode off

[retrofly]

hi
tell me about it ste i think every member of my family + extended made comments like the ones above and still do

Luke
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"The food was not undelicious"
-Homer Simpson (Exceptional beast : Underachiving Human)
www.geocities.com/retrofly

[G]

'If I was in an un-avoidable accident with your kids/partner/other loved one, would you prefer I was riding a bike, or a car with a reinforced 'saftey' cage or whatever?'

'I do ride fast sometimes, I'd much prefer that it's me that I'm putting at risk than someone else' - 'It gives me much better perception of what I'm doing and makes the roads generally safer because I have to consider my own safter before I make a manouver'

(Those are my opinion generally)

[retrofly]

hi
G debunking arguments once again lol

Luke
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"The food was not undelicious"
-Homer Simpson (Exceptional beast : Underachiving Human)
www.geocities.com/retrofly

[Scotty]

The bikes Faster and more fun.
And generally i'm insane so leave me alone.
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Regards
Scott

[Doddmaster]

Yes a lot of people say things like that and it does my head in. The worst ones are "My uncle/dad/best mate died on a bike x years ago, I hate them blah blah"

[one1895]

Yep me too... since i'm gettin an NSR soon my mums after me to sign a contract and promise that I won't speed, haha..
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Hull & Yorkshire Bikers - Sheffield & Yorkshire Bikers - Manchester Bikers - Nottingham Bikers

[Crazy Manx Man]

I do it at my own risk, no ones there except myself and the odd 30mph sign that pops up to really stop me.

hehe...I even raced my folks yesterday while they were in the cars

Although I do have friends that aren't allowed to ride because of the safety conscience parents, leaving me mostly doing a couple laps on my own
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Too Fast For Even The Plod To Keep Up With

[MuD]

Imho 'It's your life and your future...'

Parents think youngsters WASTE their lives having parties/sex/drugs and yes- riding bikes
But I see it rather than their jealousy and fear, firstly, because they never had half as much fun when they were growing up and secondly, because they're scared as hell that the child the invested so much time and money in, may end up not having a profitable job (due to lack of education etc.) to provide for them when they get older.
Having a bike further expands this risk- quite obviously making it possible they have to spend their elderly days in loneliness...

And who can blame them for that?

BUT, concerning the term 'wasting' I disagree completely- what the hell have we really got to waste? Endless days of sleep-eat-work-eat-sleep-until we get old too and have no more possibilities to entertain our lives?! We can think like that- oh, I finish college, get kids, work a bit and then when I've setteled, I'll start enjoying my life and doing this and that...what an illusion! This happens in what?- 5% of cases?!! Before you know it you're buried in work and family problems and soon you'll be telling your own kids not to ride bikes cause your own life is ending and all you can really ask for is a quiet death surrounded with people who loved you...

Just think a bit...live your life- it's the only one you've got!
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Woof!

[G]

I can see your point and agree with it some degree.

But I also know that if I hadn't been so lazy/useless a few years ago, I may well be happier now.

It could also be that the parents /were/ there themselves adn don't want you to make what they see as mistakes.


However as far as riding bikes goes, it's usually just prejudice.

[Annabella]

I think I have been incredably lucky. All respect to my parents, who really have let me get on with it.

Obviously, I know they worry, after all I'm their only "little girl". Both of them have been really supportive, Dad has helped me fix bit and run me around when the bike has been broken, retrieved crash damaged bikes from random parts of the country, towed bikes from various places - including G's.
Mum has offered opinions on leathers and bike colours, and generally supported me in every way - especially when I crashed the little NSR and she had to come and fetch me from Coventry and Warwick district hospital.....

So, from me to my parents - A BIG FAT THANK YOU!
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Avast! Pirates ahoy!
I did Cadwell!
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[MuD]

I really didn't want to say there's nothing to be thankful for.

I'm only insisting that, besides work and school (which are both very important indeed!) one must also strive for fun, which can be had in various ways older people, including our parents, may not understand or even put up with.
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Woof!

[Phoenix]

Well my dad (when he was around) said I could never have a bike, and believe me if he didn't want me to have one I wouldn't of got one coz he'd go as far as he felt necessary to prevent me riding it.

But I got my first bike when I was living on my own and there was no one to stop me, when my mum found out she didn't mind one bit and no one has ever said to me stuff stephen's mentioned. And if they did I wouldn't really care, it's my choice and I'll live with it. They should be more concerned with their lives than mine, and paying attention to the road coz if I do get killed on my bike it will 99% probability that it was some thick fuck driving their car into me that causes it.

[TiN]

It's true to say that motorcyclist's are more vulnerable, but it's usually because of this vulnerability that the bikers are often better motorists.

My mum is really the only person who has supported me, although everyone else in the family is scared of saying anything to my face anyway, so it doesn't really bother me.
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TiN
dotgems.net

[irdawood]

[jay12329]

I've wanted a bike since i turned 16, my mum has kept putting me off it. I started uni this year, and i have to live at home cus of health reasons mum has supported me cus its one of very few fredoms i have. I can drive a car, but given the choice ill get on my bike, i feel more of the road and im happier that i can feel what the bike and road are doing.
J

[roylee]

Just tell people that your only put yourself at risk and that more people die every year from fishing accidents (ture).
If that dose work tell them that they could get killed crossing the road so you don't think they should cross the road anymore.

Roy

[NSR125-Kid-UK]

[NSR125-Kid-UK]

AAAAAAGH I'm sick and tired of my bloody dad thinking he knows everything about bikes and what's best for me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
if there's ever a better example of someone trying to "save someone from bikes" i want to see it. Everything i say about bikes my dad'll either give me his opinion which i didn't ask for, or disagree with me, despite the fact that he has no previous biking experience, and knows S.F.A. about them!! all he knows about bikes is in his capacity as a cage driver and it's reeeeaaaaaaallllllllyyyy pissing me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sorry i'm just really REALLY pissed off!
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"I'm either going to teach andy to get his knee down, or I'm going to get him killed. One of the two" - Teaman

[Ste]

Parent's will do that My mum was quite cool with me getting a bike, as I don't live with her, and it means I get to see her more often , and she can hear me coming about 4 minutes before I arrive

My dad wasn't quite so easily persuaded, and was even less pleased when my little black bike changed over night into a big blue one His GF has a bike license, and is always looking at getting a bike again, so he was in quite a hard situation to say no.

What pissed me off quite a bit is how he thought I was saying I was going to get a bike in a effort to get him to pay something towards a car

I suggested to him to go and do a CBT, as it's only £85 and one saturday, but no luck

[M1ke]

Alot of my mates from college think im a nutter for getting such a huge bike at the age of 17, wasnt too bad when i just had the scooter but now i get comments from them about it all the time

I just ignore them though, i realise completely the risks that are involved and its my choice. I would rather die riding a bike than never have riden one at all

On the other hand quite a few of my mates are really jealous and want a bike even more since they went on the back of my bike

[zaknafien]

Get a bit of stick about it being unsafe but i never listen.

My dad keeps saying 'you want to get a car instead'... I think not.
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02 Firestorm.