Are motorbikes safe. Is the risk of riding worth it?

[lifeisforlivi...]

[lifeisforlivi...]

[mentalboy]

[Teflon-Mike]

[Royski]

[Undinist]

[Easy-X]

Move sideways

Feeling unsafe on the road and don't want to be a statistic? Go off-road! Get a dirt bike and tool about fields and gravel at 10mph, lots of fun and most likely just broken limbs rather than red-smear death
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Freddyfruitba...]

[ThunderGuts]

Most stuff in life that is properly fun carries an element of risk . . . it's fun because of the risk and the fact you get through the activity without coming a cropper. I climb ice, motorbike, cycle 20 miles a day in and out of Manchester, drink more than the recommended units and enjoy my food. I suspect my undoing won't be the motorbike though.

As said, an advanced / IAM type course might be handy. I'm not convinced about the "biking isn't for you" argument; you've already racked up plenty of bike miles so I think you enjoy it (or can do). Other thing is the machine; maybe time for a change of pace, so rather than haring around B-roads, bumbling on back lanes on a RE or something?
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TG.

[Easy-X]

[steve the grease]

[mentalboy]

[DUCAUDI]

Everything we do in life carries risk. Even driving in your cage you're risking your life every time you go out on the road. Sitting in your house self-isolating you're still at risk, ok you're unlikely to be run over by a bus or knocked off your bike sitting in your house but you might have a brain clot or a plane land on your house. I wouldn't let it worry you. If you wanna ride a bike, go bungee jumping, sky diving or white water rafting then do it! Don't be reckless, look after yourself, mind your back, watch out for the dickheads and mitigate against them as much as possible with the correct speed, road positioning, reflective gear, defensive riding etc., do the things you enjoy, have a good life and just hope it's a long one x

I think I heard a statistic somewhere about there being a higher percentage of injuries and deaths for horse riders than motorcyclists. You wouldn't class that as a dangerous activity would you? It's just because there are so many more motorcyclists around than there are horse riders it skews the perception.

I will say this though - I'm glad I didn't get into biking until my 30s as I'm convinced I'd have been dead before I was 20 if I'd got into it at 16/17.

[Easy-X]

[DUCAUDI]

LOL!

I live in the country, my youngest takes horse riding lessons and my eldest is a professional jockey.

Although I was born and raised in Cambridge (proper inner city urban stuff, no leafy suburbs where I come from haha) so I like to think I can see things from both sides and make an informed decision

Yeah fox hunting is cruel but you're right the ends justify the means and it probably IS worth it in the long run if it means fewer TOBYs on our roads.
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2023 DucAudi Mehrstraße V4 Hechte Gipfel - "Objectively the best motorcycle ever produced" - "You can have any colour, as long as it's red"
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S

[steve the grease]

Motorcycles are dangerous , but there are ways of moderating that. It depends what is your idea of fun, mine is a bit of green laning and trundling down some country road like the Abergwesin common road ( check it out), where you would rarely meet another vehicle, on a modestly powered bike. Some people it seems, enjoy the adrealine rush of tearing down the westway at 140 pulling a wheelie. Thereagain several of my mates have died in crashes so it tends to focus the mind.
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All the above is my personal opinion, you can see my lips move, but I'm talking out of my arse.
I've been riding, and fixing , bikes for 50 years, in that time the more I learn, the less I am absolutely sure of.....

[Claud 14.7 to 1]

In my opinion someone riding carefully on a motorbike is safer than someone driving badly or recklessly in a car.

Or put another way, a sensible motorbike rode sensibly by a sensible rider I think is quite safe enough and I say that being quite a risk averse person by nature.

Most of it comes down to how the rider rides I think.

[Easy-X]

The "facts" (actually stats but you know what I mean) are thus:

Most accidents are a collision between a motorcycle and a car. Of these it's either down to rider error or the car not giving right of way. So if one were to a) ride safely and not be a dick and b) assume you lose right of way by riding a bike you'll (hopefully) never be involved in a road traffic collision.

Of the non-collision accidents, e.g. overcooking a turn and ending up in a hedge almost all are down to rider error. Mechanical failure, punctures and dodgy road surfaces barely make it into the statistics.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Teflon-Mike]

[spottedtango]

I think one of the major things I've learned that's kept me alive so far is always ride with something in reserve. The amount of times this has saved me is priceless.

So as long as you never go flat out on a public road, have a decent amount of hazard perception. id say your risks are very low and yes its worth it.

The feeling of riding home on a warm balmy night with the wind in your face is fantastic and then when you hit the city you can smell all the takeaway food, beer and warm oily smell of the bike as it heats up in town. Cant put a price on it.

[WreckTangle]

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Most people die in bed. Dangerous things, beds.

[Easy-X]

[Easy-X]

Also, "safe"

Safe as in physical well being, no broken legs, concussion etc.? More to life than that! You also have to keep your mental health "safe" too and as I often say: 20 years of doing it, car driving in London is depressing, motorcycles = pure freedom and joy in comparison.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[MCN]

No they are not safe if the person riding it is not competent to operate it.

Some people maybe should not ride motorbikes.
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Disclaimer: The comments above may be predicted text and not necessarily the opinion of MCN.