My bike days are over....possibly

[XS1954]

After reading about yet another crash (get well Soon Laura) and seeing "Trauma" on BBC1 the other day and nearly getting wiped out on my bike as well I am just wondering whether it is all worth it? I do enjoy the bike but I don't know if I am a true "Biker"

I feel at home in the car more than the bike. If I am having thoughts like these is it best to quit while I am ahead or do all new bikers feel like this?


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You're a cock.

[Ant]

Well i dont feel like that mate, but if your having thoughts like that then maybee put the bike in the shed for a bit and see if you miss it?
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04 ZX10R ~

[Robby]

I have similar feelings sometimes. The solution is to have a bike as an occasional toy and car for commuting.

[craigT19]

Monkey, just try not to think about it mate,

last year (just after i got my ninja) i watched my grandad crash and ultimately die right behind me on the m27...i can still remember every single second...because i saw everything in my mirrors.

I was giving up biking as of that moment, i couldn't bare look at my bike for weeks, and as it was the first ride me and my Gran dad had been on since i got the ninja, i blamed the bike...then myself, then motorcycling in general.

But after a while i missed it, biking is something i love, and ultimately i couldn't give it up..granted it takes a while, and it took a few bcf rides to Boxhill to get back to my old self, but given time..i was fine, and you will be too.

All the best
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Bikes owned :- 2001 nsr125, 1999 zx6r, 2006 yzf-r1, 2009 xmax 250, 2012 yzf-r1, 2015 MT-07
Current bike : - 2016 MT-10
BCF member pops. sadly missed 1945-2003

[scooby doo]

Take a week out and drive the car you will see that you have as many close calls in the car as you do on the bike just remember that the bike is more maneuverable than a car in a close situation
have felt the same on more than often than not but give it a week and you will be back hope this helps

[True Blue]

I agree with robby using a car for commuting if possible makes most sense to me. I prefer to go out on my bike at night and on the weekends when the roads are quiet(er).

I saw that biker on Trauma too. On a good note the guy was alright in the end . I don't think it's a bad thing to feel that way mate. If it makes you more aware when your out on the bike it can only be good
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Past >>>> Honda NSR 125 >>>> Suzuki GSXR 600 K1 >>>> Suzuki GSXR 600 K4 >>>>Kawasaki Z1000 DAF >>>>Suzuki RMZ 250 >>>> Current >>>> KTM Superduke R 1290 >>>>

[Phoenix]

[Flip]

I've always enjoyed being on the bike, never had any doubts about it. Maybe a bit of fear is healthy because you really have to respect the machine you on.
You can ride without riding like a twat, sticking to speed limits can be fun too! I've never pushed my 750 to the limits (although I've only had her a week) and maybe I never will. 105mph scared the shit out of me, fun though!

Maybe Ant is right and you should whack it the shed for a few weeks. See how you feel

[Ian (GPX)]

Monkeyboy1101, go and sort out an Advanced Riding lesson or two, or make a date with the local Police Ride Out center and take a ride out with the Police Bikers, both options will help you become a better rider, they will show / teach you to ride safe etc.

There is also a book you can read that the DSA produce, it's called 'Motorcycle Riding - the essential skills' and is what all Instructors are told to read / use.

[mr.z]

I have done more rideing than driveing but my mums an instructor so i have done a fair bit and am at a good standard, BUT i find a car no where near as safe feeling as a bike, why? You don't get much choice where to postition yourself on the road when in a box, on country lanes is would be equally easy for somebody to loose it on a bend and hit you, there is allot more scope to avoid it on a bike, probably not true but thats how it seems...

Allot of the being seen is down to positioning, and not being where cars dont expect you to be, i.e. filtering, i dont filter if cars are moveing or could move, people can change lanes too easyly and wont look before cutting somebody up to change lane... or if your behind a lorry, if your close up to the back before overtakeing the driver can't see you, if you overtake close to the side side the car in front of the lorry wont see you in the mirrors and could just come in front as you overtake...

Learn to read whats going on in ront, if you in the middle of a three lane motorway and the guy in the left lane is driveing up to something faster than it is going it its obvious he will be overtakeing, probably at the last minute with no indication, but you don't need one... drop back or get out of the way!

If you hang arround on car fourms you'd get the impression that cars are death traps as well... The media perpetuate the bikes will kill you horribly, its a big pile of **** statistics will read whatever you want them to, bike deaths may be higher than cars but allot are down to rider error and allot more could have been avoided and as such if you learn to watch out for what your doing you don't standy any more chance geting knocked off if you follow some advanced techniques...

Just my opinion, (somewhat ranty) but it gets my back up when people give it the, oh your silly haveing a motorbike they are dangerous bit X number got killed last year, which obviously means you will.
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>RidingSkills<->Tech Tips<->MyBikes<

[swaffs]

good points zero.

[True Blue]

[Harman]

My bike sits in the garage and has never mugged an old lady however a car did drive right into me last year so i joined the I.A.M I feel more confident so when a nutter trys to knock me off i will be better prepared.

[Bendy]

[XS1954]

Thanks for your opinions. Good points raised by all, especially by zero, True Blue and Bendy. I will keep the bike in the garage and so how long it takes me to want to go out again. I suspect not very long given the nice weather we have just had!
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You're a cock.

[kev]

If you don't enjoy it and don't feel safe don't ride one.

Its your choice in the end what you do so done let anybody try to make that decision for you.
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20:02:36 Jammy-R6: any holes a goal
20:02:48 kev: even if its a hairy mans arse
20:02:56 Jammy-R6: hell yes

[atom]

I've been riding my bike for about a week now, usually before I go out I'm a bit nervous (Rightly so I'm a learner and I'm out playing with the traffic in Edinburgh). I know the only way to get better is practice, last week I didn't ride out for one day and I really missed it. I love riding the bike, I've read the statistics and know people who have died and been maimed, ( my dad, he has a lot of skin grafts pins etc ) I think undoubtedly riding a bike is more dangerous than driving a car. But it wasn't safety that made me buy the bike it was enjoyment and excitement, being on the road and going fast, sometimes, and cornering and knowing about it because you can feel it. In the end on a bike it doesn't matter how good you are, because there's always somebody changing a CD/ putting makeup on a car, who can take you out, and walk away from it with nothing more than a dent in their bodywork.

[fastpaceinstr...]

i think an advanced lesson is a little optimistic for this young lad at the moment some training yes but advanced techniques? the book is a good option. "roadcraft" is the best book on the market

[Demonic69]

All I can say is we've got more members in hospital from a car accident than we do from bikes.
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Back on a Blade. Just feels so right.

[G]

Yea, see the sticky thread 'Some bad news', cars can also be 'dangerous' as such. It doesn't bear thinking what would happen if the car had caught fire, or many other things had slightly differently to make it even worse.

The next car driver that tells me how dangerous bikes are may well get punched in the face.

[Dup]

I dirve a car too. I feel a lot more safer on any bike.

As long as you don't ride like a moron then fine.

I like to push the car too fast becasue im in a shell and im not gonna hurt. On a bike your only endanging your self more than you are anyone else.

So ride, ride slow, ride carefull. Just expect the worst from car drivers.

My bike has made a me a great car driver, till i get in the 60 zones as i forget im in the car and a mk3 golf cannot outbreak a BMW

Your only at risk from cars really on the city streets. Just stick to 30 and not much can come more from it than a bump and a fall if you keep your eyes peeled.

I ride through Preston every day which has been compared to London on a small scare many times. I have had one accident. Only that was that stupid taxi driver thinking he get something out of me becasue im young and vonerable. Now he has no license

[Visitor Q]

theres a new belstaff add i read in superbike that reads 'you dont have to ride, you need to cos riding is an addiction to freedom' and its bloody true. I havent had a bike in a week after selling it and im going bloody insane, specially in this weather... and since ive passed my test. However i will get my goose soon then all will be hunkey dorey. But yeh i can not ride. Last summer when i was still 16 my derbi got taken away fromme for 3 weeks whilst they waited for bolts and so i had to ride uninsured, and unqualified on a 600 until i got it back just cos i couldnt cope with not riding around.

Altho i imagine most of that is the loss of independence as i have no car but still.... biking is bloody good fun.

We all get moments where we think oh fuck that was close, im king for it (or i was) altho i have never actually impacted another car at all but yeh biking is inherently dangerous, but so is driving. Just one gives you a feeling of being alive and mortal so you enjoy it more and you risk stuff less, and one makes you feel like a god cos you have crash bars and such i mean its ludicrous. You go into the back of a car at 3 figure speeds on a bike you might just fly over the top especially if your doing a stoppy at the time and if you in full gear would just slide down the road infront a get maybe a broken arm nothing much more, in a car youd be absolutely fucked. Now true at low speeds if you get hit in a car its nothing, on a bike you could get hurt but in car you cant avoid, whereas on a bike you can nip away from danger. Imean jeez i had some muppet in a transit van trying to knock me off deliberately (he didnt see me and nearly rammed me into a roundabout, we had an exchange of gestures etc, then he got mean) but he couldnt keep up with me through traffic at all and i was on a 50! Bikes get you away from dangerous situations so much better. Plus who ever heard of a biker killed driving sensibly? Or at least who ever heard of one killed by something he did wrong when driving sensibly, people die when other road users drive idiotically (i.e. fast or without due care) or when you do. If you dont wanna take the risk drive like you are on your bike practical test everywhere (allthough do less lifesavers cos sometimes they can be dangerous)

Anyway just my 2p worth

[Crazy Manx Man]

[Nij]

[Harman]

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