The Safety of Biking... or Otherwise

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[Frappawotsit]

[Evil Hans]

Unless the half-awake twat in the car interprets the movement of your headlight as a "please pull out" flash.

Anything is possible.
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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[hellkat]

[chickenstrip]

[hellkat]

I think the only reason I did is because if I DIDN'T tell her, and it invariably got back to her, then I would be in the doghouse for NOT telling her
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Not nearly as interesting in real life.

[chickenstrip]

[Old Git Racing]

My experience is nothing you say will put their minds at ease, they just come to accept it eventually. My missus has but she still worries.

50 years of riding bikes has taught me a few painful lessons. It IS dangerous and your biggest tool for avoiding pain and death is observation. You need eyes in the back of your head nowadays. Treat everyone like they might be trying to kill you unless you are sure they aren't

Wear good gear, good brands, you generally get what you pay for and it may save your life. If you can explain the gear to the relatives they may be reassured you are as protected as you can be. I've had over 70 offs including racing, several over 100mph but good gear has protected me, especially helmets. I'm not saying I've never been hurt but it could have been worse.

I hope you enjoy your motorcycling, been my hobby for 50 years, done probably hundreds of thousand miles and I'm still here, bit bent and broken maybe but still ripping it up, good luck.

OGR
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2022 Tiger Sport 660 2019 Street Twin 2003 K3 gixxer 1000 1998 Srad 600 track hack

[slowasyoulike]

[Feasty]

If there's one tip that's always helped me, it's this: If you are moving faster than all the traffic around you, you only ever need to be worried about what's up ahead!

A mate recently splattered himself filtering, nothing broken but he's damaged and will have difficulty walking and bending over for a while (not like that!).
So he's made the decision biking isn't for him, after years of being in the saddle. Instead he's sold everything and bought a topless Merc, makes me shudder to think of doing that...
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Previous: Aprilia Habana Retro 50cc (beauty), Yamaha SR125 (fell apart), Honda XR125 (nippy little commuter), Honda SLR650 (Geewhizz), Yamaha Diversion 900S (Smoooooth) written off courtesy of a stupid escaped horse.
(7 year gap), BMW F650 (Relaxing ride). Aprilia Caponord ETV1000 (Big and bold). Yamaha FZS600 (got me in trouble too quick!).
Current: Yamaha TDM 900 (Comfy, light but big, power when needed).

[grr666]

To be honest, with some modern bikes with 6 axis IMU and intelligent lean sensitive ABS, slide control, anti wheelie,
TCS and often a variety of power modes to allow for rain and low grip riding it's never been 'safer'. Perfect excuse to
splash out on a brand new bike IMO, for safety reasons obviously....
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[xX-Alex-Xx]

[chickenstrip]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Good gear, good obs and positioning, and a wise head. I’m convinced I also mind-control drivers waiting to emerge from junctions (“Do not… do not!”) and that a hard stare helps. A planned evasive manoeuvre/ escape route is good too but not always practical. My greater fear is the stuff I can’t control or anticipate; deer and poor road surfaces, for example.

At work I was obliged to take an on-line (car) video driving test of the type I guess learners do these days where you have to spot the hazard. As a biker I’d spent my three chances to recognise the danger before the glaringly obvious one appeared. I had seen potential danger everywhere, including those unanticipated by the training developers. As a result I failed their stupid test. And yet I won…

[colin1]

Ride as if no one has seen you as a lot of them haven't.
Try to make eye contact at junctions as people notice you more if you stare at them.

Don't ride in groups with other bikes unless on the track.

The temptation to ride like an idiot is your biggest danger, not other road users.

Avoid braking mid corner. Brake before a bend and accelerate through.

I'm now a cager, and even though I used to ride a bike, even I'm not that aware of bikes sometimes, so most car drivers will not notice them a lot of the time.

Car drivers are used to seeing near misses as minor annoyances, but for you, each one could be fatal.
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colin1 is officially faster than god

[blamski]

really interesting to hear from you all. appreciate it.
my general message is that I feel safer on the bike than in a car because I can see so much of what is happening around me. I'm more focussed, more present and more in the moment than I am in a car.
30 odd years of driving has given me a decent road awareness, and the 'everyone else is an idiot' thing has been my motto from the beginning.
I also tell them that the CB500X I have now is a safer bike than the twist-n-goes or the little 125s I've been riding for the last 3 years. More visible and more capable of getting out of trouble fast.

But still... I accept that falling of it, or another bike, at some point in the future is pretty much inevitable, whether its my fault or someone else's.

Today I went out for my first ever long ride on twisty roads on a big bike (though for sure some of you might argue that this is not a big bike), and it struck me quickly how much I still need to learn.

Ride safe everyone... whatever your interpretation of safe is
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inexperienced but enthusiastic middle aged CB500X owner

[Abaaba]

Do more training, bikesafe, advanced rider training, I am road smart.........anything training you can afford really. keep checking your speed and fight off the urge to give it some beans

[kawakid]

Just changing the subject slightly,

Why did you do the A2 test? You're 54

The A2 test is typically for youngsters 19-23. In my opinion a pointless test and i've told my 19 year old to just wait until he is 24 and just do his DAS.

You're lucky people care about you. I remember 18 years back, riding to work and getting there (with Ls) and phoning the wife and she was like "Yeah and". When I have binned the bike, she dropped me off at the hospital, but didn't wait for me as in her words "You've hurt you arm, not your legs". (I walked home). {4 miles}
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I've a twin and a 4.

[MCN]

Motorbikes are not dangerous. I have three in the garage and it is perfectly safe to go in there.

Only dangerous thing is a fool on or around a motorbike.

Don't be a fool.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.

[Bhud]

[Nobby the Bastard]

Meh, there was no A2 or DAS when I passed my test. I passed on a 125 and that gave me the right to ride any size bike. No shits given.

Admittedlly, though, back then you had to employ someone to run ahead of you with a red flag....
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[Diggs]

[chickenstrip]

[Feasty]

[jeffyjeff]

In my experience, after you return home alive and well a few times, your mother will realize that riding a motorcycle does not equate to instant disfiguration and death. She will eventually become acclimated to you riding motorcycles, and it won't be such an emotional burden on her. Assuming that you make it home alive for the first few rides.
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History shows again and again how nature points out the folly of men - BOC