I've been interested in this particular scene for 2-3 years. Its always a thought that comes back. I like that particular transportation style as well as the gas savings. If I were to get one, it would be a ninja 250r.
Now I'm usually a carefree guy. If its something exciting, i might be a bit hesitant but I'd be the first to jump in. But I can't seem to shake off the risk of getting into a serious accident when on a motorcycle. I had a great family friend(15 years), that had a motorcycle accident and now he's mentally disabled. And thats why I've been hesitant to jump in.
I'm just wondering how do you guys reason it out? I understand accidents happen every day but in my eyes it seems like I'm putting myself, more in harms way by getting on a bike.
For me the joy of riding outweighs the danger, and I'll continue to ride until the day that's not the case. People often ask me why I continue to ride if I've been lucky enough to walk away from 6 crashes. I always answer that it wasn't luck that let me walk away. Each time I was fully geared up and did as much as possible to limit the damage up until the very last second. What does that mean exactly? My very first riding instructor told me that the number one mistake people do when they are going to crash is lock up. This is deadly, once you do that you're basically giving up and letting the outcome of the crash be decided by luck. A rider always needs to be prepared for emergency situations as much as possible. Always leave yourself with a comfortable margin of error. Ride as defensively as possible. Cars can't see you, period end of story. Ride that way and you'll be better off. Make yourself seen, stay the out of blind spots, approach intersections slowly, approach entering traffic slowly, always have an exit strategy ready. It seems like a lot of work but after a while all this becomes second nature. And it actually makes you a much better car driver as well. Another big thing is to never give up on the bike if your going to crash. Remember, you'll stop a thousand times faster the longer you hold the brakes. Which in turn will lessen your impact. Never purposely dump a bike because you're about to hit something. It will only cause you to hit that something much, much harder. Today's motorcycles are more capable then 99.99% of the riders that are using them. Remember that and trust your bike, and respect it. The second thing that my instructor told me is" Not everyone is able to ride a bike, as much as they might want to." Basically if you start riding and can't get comfortable within a reasonable amount of time on it then you should not be riding, you'll only hurt yourself.
Find a group of other more experienced riders and learn from them. I've found that the motorcycling community in general are a special breed of people that are always willing to help. That's one of the things that makes me want to ride a bike forever. It may sound cheesy but it's true. I think it's because riders all understand the dangers of riding and therefore are more willing to help others in there times of need. I've been on rides with people where someone has crashed and another rider went home over a hundred miles away to grab a trailer to come back and get the bike while we all waited with the guy. And everyone just met that day! Riding a motorcycle can be a very enriching experience.
Wear the proper gear, always asses the situation your in and constantly speculate on what your worst case scenario will be. Ride within your limits. Be vigilant! Be careful! and you will ride for the rest of your days happy.
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