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Anyone here ride choppers? I'm considering getting one.

I'll never understand the gloom and doom about "get a bike and you'll probably die" - it's the most tone-deaf, backwards thinking and alarmist opinions out there...

Guess what, you can also die in a car and if that happens, you can also drag 2-3 people minimum with you.
What's next, don't go swimming 'cause you can actually drown/get killed by a shark ? Don't get on a plane 'cause it may crash ? Don't get on a train 'cause they get derailed often taking out 40-60 people at a time ? The hell is this ?
The whole scare mongering "I knew X guy that as soon as he got his bike got killed" thing is just that, scare mongering, besides, IF that happens it's better to die doing something you love than having an accident on your 09:00-17:00 shitty job...

Having said that :
Puscifer Puscifer , forget about shitty choppers/customs/tricycles , they're needlessly expensive, they're needlessly heavy, they have God-awful/inexistent brakes, they have terrible suspensions and the only thing they're good at is turning fuel into a loud noise, they're - literally - a relic of the past both looks and performance wise and their main demographic is A) outlaws B) people pretending to be outlaws and C) dads /older gents having their midlife crisis...
I cringe everytime i see a guy riding an HD wearing tennis shoes, puffy synthetic jacket and open face helmet, to ride those things, you'd better look like a... pirate, It's just a "lifestyle" thing at this point.

Instead, If you're looking to get back into riding, get a bike that A) is lightweight B) has great brakes C) has both ABS and Traction control and D) has enough power as to have that "passive" safety ability (i.e, being able to just twist the throttle and do an overtake without scaling down 2-3 gears is considered as such).

There's SO many options out there that fit the description that's not even funny, but, here's a couple of suggestions :

- Ducati Scrambler
blundstone-presents-the-ducati-scrambler-to-the-winner-of-news-photo-1667903126.jpg


187Kg, great brakes (even though it features a single single disc) and 75hp.
It's lightweight, it's nimble, it brakes beautifully, can be taken on fire trails.
Perfect city bike, good-ish price, feels like a...bicycle (it's very, VERY easy to handle).
Comes in a myriad of colors/models/specs (Icon, cafe racer, classic, 1100cc etc).

- Ducati Monster :
One of the most iconic models out there and one with a myriad of MY's : there's the 1st gen 600-750-900cc (which are very old by today's standards) - and the beastly S4R/S4RS (also old).
Personally, the last "good" version was the 821/1200 variant (2014-2021).
The last 2 versions look nothing like a monster and are so homogenized looks-wise that they might as well be Yamahas...
A 696, 796, 821 and/or 1200 (If you can handle that power) are all great candidates...

796
ducati-monster-796-black.jpg


821
images


1200(S)
Ducati_Monster_1200s.jpg


Had both a 796 and a 1200S, amazing bikes but...very different, the 796 with its 800cc air cooled motor and 87hp was very manageable and easy to ride, the 1200S on the other hand needed experience/lots of saddle time since the bike was a beast, 145hp + brakes from the (then) Panigale 1199 (Brembo stylema) weren't/aren't a good option for noobies.
796 is also lighter (187kg) Vs the 1200 (210-ish Kg).

- Yamaha MT07-MT09 :
They're Yamahas so they're good, the MT weighs 184Kg while the MT09 194Kg, both have OK-good brakes, 74hp Vs 119hp.
Looks are subjective.

Triumph Trident 660 :
Great price to performance ratio/price, it's British so it looks good, 190Kg, 95hp (more than enough), OK brakes.
oe-trident660-my25-03859-ml.jpg


- Triumph /speed/street) Triple series :
That 3cyl motor is sw-ee-t, great brakes on both the 765 and 1200 versions, very nimble, fast and great looking, one of the most iconic street bikes alongside the Monster...
106hp for the Street Triple, 177hp for the Speed.
The Speed triple is a bike for experienced riders just like the MT09 and Monster 1200.
There's also "RS" and "RR" versions which are even better specc'd.

2025-triumph-speed-triple-1200-rs-colours.jpg


If you want something more "classic"/retro, there's also the Bonneville, speed twin line etc...
Not good money to performance ratio (not many hp, mediocre brakes, heavy) but...you'll get your classic looks If you're into that.
T100_900%20MY26_21435_JP_erabli



Anyway I could go on for another 10 pages and I wouldn't even be able to do a complete list for your case but, here's my opinion :

Don't get something just because it looks /you think it looks "cool", don't get a bike which is beyond your riding capabilities, some of these bikes have literally supercar performance and in the wrong hands (whiskey throttle/Don't know how to take lines/Don't know how to brake properly/Target fixation) mistakes can get costly (to say the least).

Again - and always depending on your riding experience- get something which isn't that powerful, is lightweight enough, has both ABS and traction control and a good braking system.

Riding is a wonderful thing and don't let anyone to deter you from it, It's basically free psychological therapy and there's not many things or other hobbies that can compare to it (besides surfing I suppose or other physical sports).

Get an easy to ride bike as to do some weekend trips and city riding and whenever you feel confident enough as to be an asshole, don't do it on public roads but instead book a track day.

Also - and I can't emphasize this enough - ATGATT (All the gear, all the time), a GOOD helmet is obviously the most important thing but don't skimp on some Good pairs of gloves, riding pants+ jacket AND riding shoes/boots.

Don't get a shitty HD, there's so many good and beautiful bikes out there that it would be a shame to waste money on one...

Cheers brother


More useful and interesting information here

Spot on regarding ATGATT. A lot of people seem to think a five-minute ride to the shop doesn't require gear, but the pavement doesn't care how far you're going. As for the bike choice, the Ducati Scrambler really does feel like a bicycle, it is super rider-friendly. It is way better therapy than trying to manhandle a 350kg Harley bagger at a red light.

If you are just getting back into it, the upright seating position on the Scrambler gives you much better visibility in traffic compared to being slouched back on a cruiser. Plus, having a bike that actually tips into corners without a fight makes low-speed maneuvers in the city way less stressful for your wrists and back. Modern electronics like cornering ABS on the newer models also provide a massive safety net that those old-school heavyweights simply can't match.
 
Spot on regarding ATGATT. A lot of people seem to think a five-minute ride to the shop doesn't require gear, but the pavement doesn't care how far you're going. As for the bike choice, the Ducati Scrambler really does feel like a bicycle, it is super rider-friendly. It is way better therapy than trying to manhandle a 350kg Harley bagger at a red light.

If you are just getting back into it, the upright seating position on the Scrambler gives you much better visibility in traffic compared to being slouched back on a cruiser. Plus, having a bike that actually tips into corners without a fight makes low-speed maneuvers in the city way less stressful for your wrists and back. Modern electronics like cornering ABS on the newer models also provide a massive safety net that those old-school heavyweights simply can't match.

Spot-fooking-on brother, spot-fooking-on...😉

Also, agreed on the Ducati scrambler and that's why it was my 1st suggestion, it's a do everything, go anywhere type of bike that A) won't break the bank B) it handles beautifully C) can actually tip/be driven aggressively (even with those Pirelli scorpions) D) it's not a "widow maker" like, say, a Speed triple 1200/Monster 1200/Super duke 1290/MT10/Diavel, besides, the old adage of "it's easier to ride a slow bike fast than a fast bike slow" still rings true 😉

IMO, it's a great bike to get back into riding and its modern-retro looks can satisfy people that are both into "classic" designs and also those looking for a more modern one, Its biggest strength though is that it really feels like a bicycle due to both its lack of weight AND sitting position compared to something like the Triumph or the BMW scramblers which in comparison feel like riding a tank...(lovely bikes though)
 
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Ive been riding for a good couple of years now and honestly I can't imagine life without it.
Infact I sold my car. It does wonders for my mental health.
Just dont ride like a dick, ride like your invisible and always try to predict what other drivers are gonna do.
If he looks like a dick then he probably drives like a dick.
Fellow rider here. This is the correct persepctive.
 
It was my dream in my teenager years, but that quickly died with the realization how risky it is. Chances are you're going to be in at least one vehicle accident in your life, because there's always some dumbass or blind driver out there even if you're super cautious yourself. It may not alawys be a big deal if you have an accident when you're inside a car, but it's always a big deal if you're riding a motorcycle.
 
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Not worth it. Had too many people come through the ER either from their own stupidity or the stupidity of others, mainly from their own stupidity. Had even more that were dead on the scene that didn't even make it to the ER.

Pass
 
They're great, but life expectancy is too low. Almost guaranteed to splat if you're a lifelong rider.
Lifelong rider here and still kicking. Got a few pins holding my skeleton together, along with some scars. This all happened when I was in my twenties. Young and stupid.
I live in an area where riding is seasonal, so I park my bike during the colder months, and look forward to Spring.

Most of the riders who get killed, are young dudes on sport bikes. Happens every year here.
There are lots of riders who live a long life. The best protection you can have when riding is between your ears. I ride like no one sees me, and they all want to run me down.
 
Not worth it. Had too many people come through the ER either from their own stupidity or the stupidity of others, mainly from their own stupidity. Had even more that were dead on the scene that didn't even make it to the ER.

Pass

Here we go again with the usual gloom and doom from someone who doesn't even ride.
With all due respect, you sound less like a voice of reason and more like an overly anxious aunt.

Yes, riding motorcycles carries risk. Nobody who actually rides is under any illusions about that. I've been riding since I was 16 and I'm now in my mid-40s so I'm perfectly aware that it's more dangerous than driving a car.

The thing is, hearsay and even pointing at statistics as if that settles the argument is a bit simplistic.

Nicky Hayden was killed while riding a bicycle, hit by a driver. Should we conclude that cycling is unacceptable?

Mike Hailwood, one of the greatest riders in history, died in the hospital a few days after a car accident, along with one of his children, are we supposed to ban cars as well?

Michael Schumacher was left in a vegetative state after a skiing accident. Should skiing be outlawed too?

Life is full of risk. Statistics can tell you the probability of something happening across a population but they don't dictate how any individual should live their life.

If someone wants to live as cautiously as possible, avoid every potentially dangerous activity and aim to die peacefully at 90 on their sofa, that's their choice, others though are perfectly comfortable accepting certain risks in exchange for experiences that make life worth living.

What I find tiresome is people who have nothing to do with a hobby and/or lifestyle lecturing those who actually practice it about how they should live, simply because hearsay or spreadsheet says it's dangerous.

Everyone already knows the risks. Riders accept them. The rest is just moralizing.
 
My friend/coworker would have been 41 on Sunday had he survived the crash he was in last June. He was riding his dad's bike he had fixed up and some lady (intoxicated with two kids in the car) decided not to yield and hit him. According to the police report the trees got in her way, but he died on impact. He loved bikes. I just hope you stay safe.
I'd love a bike, but having held a driving license for 16 years and witnessing first hand just how inconsiderate and dangerous most road users are in the UK I'd say it's a matter of when, not if, some imbecile would either end my life or seriously injure me. Sorry for your loss.
 
Hell yeah brother!!!

I'm getting my endorsement this Tuesday!

Looking at grabbing a Honda Rebel 500 as my first bike, I'm a cruiser fan and the 500 will future-proof me a bit as I get more confident. As opposed to going with the Rebel 300 just to have an easier start
 
Lifelong rider here and still kicking. Got a few pins holding my skeleton together, along with some scars. This all happened when I was in my twenties. Young and stupid.
I live in an area where riding is seasonal, so I park my bike during the colder months, and look forward to Spring.

Most of the riders who get killed, are young dudes on sport bikes. Happens every year here.
There are lots of riders who live a long life. The best protection you can have when riding is between your ears. I ride like no one sees me, and they all want to run me down.
Also to note...
Drunk riding is also a huge percentage of the fatalities. It's never pointed out in the statistics unless you look into it.

If you're sensible with good observation skills then chances are you will be fine.
 
Hell yeah brother!!!

I'm getting my endorsement this Tuesday!

Looking at grabbing a Honda Rebel 500 as my first bike, I'm a cruiser fan and the 500 will future-proof me a bit as I get more confident. As opposed to going with the Rebel 300 just to have an easier start
This was the bike I wanted as my first.
Absolute solid choice.
 
Here we go again with the usual gloom and doom from someone who doesn't even ride.
With all due respect, you sound less like a voice of reason and more like an overly anxious aunt.

Yes, riding motorcycles carries risk. Nobody who actually rides is under any illusions about that. I've been riding since I was 16 and I'm now in my mid-40s so I'm perfectly aware that it's more dangerous than driving a car.

The thing is, hearsay and even pointing at statistics as if that settles the argument is a bit simplistic.

Nicky Hayden was killed while riding a bicycle, hit by a driver. Should we conclude that cycling is unacceptable?

Mike Hailwood, one of the greatest riders in history, died in the hospital a few days after a car accident, along with one of his children, are we supposed to ban cars as well?

Michael Schumacher was left in a vegetative state after a skiing accident. Should skiing be outlawed too?

Life is full of risk. Statistics can tell you the probability of something happening across a population but they don't dictate how any individual should live their life.

If someone wants to live as cautiously as possible, avoid every potentially dangerous activity and aim to die peacefully at 90 on their sofa, that's their choice, others though are perfectly comfortable accepting certain risks in exchange for experiences that make life worth living.

What I find tiresome is people who have nothing to do with a hobby and/or lifestyle lecturing those who actually practice it about how they should live, simply because hearsay or spreadsheet says it's dangerous.

Everyone already knows the risks. Riders accept them. The rest is just moralizing.

lol, do what you want. I'm speaking as someone who had to call peoples family to tell them that they died. I am overly cautious because of my career. I see the worst of the worst. If you trust other drivers on the road that much to feel that confident, good for you and everyone else I guess. 😂
 
I'd love a bike, but having held a driving license for 16 years and witnessing first hand just how inconsiderate and dangerous most road users are in the UK I'd say it's a matter of when, not if, some imbecile would either end my life or seriously injure me. Sorry for your loss.
Thanks. The worst part is the lady who hit him had a laundry list of problems. 1. Fentanyl in her system 2. Open container 3. No license or insurance 4. Kids in the backseat and 5. A prior history with drug charges. The DA said she was working with the cops, so the charge of vehicle manslaughter didn't happen. This angers a lot of us because his entire existence is forgotten about. I've been sending emails to lawyers and DA's in other counties. They've already got a couple stories in the news. It's a mess. I remember talking to him about PS5 and Steam Deck. That was one of the things we had in common. He was the sales guy while I did the tech work. We had worked together in the field the week prior and the day before he passed we had a webinar together.

It took one joyride to end his life. His dad passed years ago, but he was so excited about getting his dad's bike fixed. He had gotten a few big wins at work and his life was starting to shine.
 
I'll never understand the gloom and doom regarding the "get a bike and you'll probably die" - it's the most tone-deaf, backwards thinking and alarmist opinion out there...

Guess what, you can also die in a car and if that happens, you can also drag 2-3 people minimum with you.
What's next, don't go swimming 'cause you can actually drown/get killed by a shark ? Don't get on a plane 'cause it may crash ? Don't get on a train 'cause they get derailed often taking out 40-60 people at a time ? The hell is this ?
The whole scare mongering "I knew X guy that as soon as he got his bike got killed" thing is just that, scare mongering, besides, IF that happens it's better to die doing something you love than having an accident on your 09:00-17:00 shitty job...

r2Ob7TLcV2MIdnOk.png

I mean, there's a REASON people say it. You are free to assume the risks, but calling it tone-deaf is ironic LOL.

Also, on an unrelated note, the term "cagers" might be the lamest term ever.
 
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Here we go again with the usual gloom and doom from someone who doesn't even ride.
With all due respect, you sound less like a voice of reason and more like an overly anxious aunt.

Yes, riding motorcycles carries risk. Nobody who actually rides is under any illusions about that. I've been riding since I was 16 and I'm now in my mid-40s so I'm perfectly aware that it's more dangerous than driving a car.

The thing is, hearsay and even pointing at statistics as if that settles the argument is a bit simplistic.

Nicky Hayden was killed while riding a bicycle, hit by a driver. Should we conclude that cycling is unacceptable?

Mike Hailwood, one of the greatest riders in history, died in the hospital a few days after a car accident, along with one of his children, are we supposed to ban cars as well?

Michael Schumacher was left in a vegetative state after a skiing accident. Should skiing be outlawed too?

Life is full of risk. Statistics can tell you the probability of something happening across a population but they don't dictate how any individual should live their life.

If someone wants to live as cautiously as possible, avoid every potentially dangerous activity and aim to die peacefully at 90 on their sofa, that's their choice, others though are perfectly comfortable accepting certain risks in exchange for experiences that make life worth living.

What I find tiresome is people who have nothing to do with a hobby and/or lifestyle lecturing those who actually practice it about how they should live, simply because hearsay or spreadsheet says it's dangerous.

Everyone already knows the risks. Riders accept them. The rest is just moralizing.
This!!
If you're not licking the edge of the envelope, then you're living life in the cheap seats.
 
lol, do what you want. I'm speaking as someone who had to call peoples family to tell them that they died. I am overly cautious because of my career. I see the worst of the worst. If you trust other drivers on the road that much to feel that confident, good for you and everyone else I guess. 😂

I know about the ER's terms like "organ donor", "donorcyle" and "bodybags" (referring to those wearing a one-piece suit), it's nothing new, and again, no matter if you're a nurse or doctor, the fact that you had to make calls to the deceased's relatives says absolutely nothing - you'd have done the same if you received an injured or DOA patient from a car accident, a train wreck or a helicopter crash, yes ?
What about during COVID ? I suppose you also had to make some calls to relatives, would that be a correct assumption ?

Now, I'm not trying to sound smarter than you - if, for example, you were a cardiologist it'd be extremely stupid of me or anyone else to start a debate since to be able to do so, I'd have to have specific knowledge /education about this very specific subject to do so, thing is, the "I had to make some calls" doesn't relate to science/medicine and it's also not an objective fact since again, there will come a time when you'll have to do the same exact thing involving a non-motorcycle related death, correct ?

Everything is dangerous...
-Skiing/snowboarding is dangerous
-Surfing is dangerous
-skateboarding is dangerous
-riding a bicycle is dangerous
-Snorkelling is dangerous
-swimming in the open sea is dangerous
-diving is dangerous
- taking a plane is dangerous
- taking the train is dangerous
- driving a car is dangerous
- Riding a horse is dangerous

...hell, even walking is dangerous nowadays since you can get shot/stabbed/mugged by a rando on the street or get clipped by someone that lost control of his vehicle taking you alongside him...

So, allow me to ask, what are we discussing here exactly ? Statistics ? Personal anecdotes ?
Riddle me this : In the US, yearly fatalities are around 13.000 for drivers and around 6.500 for riders, by your logic, cars = way more dangerous so we should stop driving them ? Now, want to use logic and statistics in this case ? - Of course the car fatalities numbers are higher since the number of cars in circulation is much bigger than that of bikes, still - and this is my whole point - I've never heard anyone saying "driving is dangerous" and "I had X friend dying as soon as he got his car"...

And this why I'll say again that everything else is just scaremongering, hearsay and doom and gloom.

You can say that...humans are fragile and...squishy little things® generally speaking, something that - especially people like you due to your profession - should be the first ones to acknowledge 😉

Yes, some things are more dangerous compared to others, trying to do an expedition to mount Everest for example holds way more danger than say, bungie jumping, skydiving or doing motocross , and yet, all can prove fatal.

Cheers
 
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I know about the ER's terms like "organ donor", "donorcyle" and "bodybags" (referring to those wearing a one-piece suit), it's nothing new, and again, no matter if you're a nurse or doctor, the fact that you had to make calls to the deceased's relatives says absolutely nothing - you'd have done the same if you received an injured or DOA patient from a car accident, a train wreck or a helicopter crash, yes ?
What about during COVID ? I suppose you also had to make some calls to relatives, would that be a correct assumption ?

Now, I'm not trying to sound smarter than you - if, for example, you were a cardiologist it'd be extremely stupid for me or anyone else to start a debate since to be able to do so, I'd have to have specific knowledge /education about this very specific subject to do so, thing is, the "I had to make some calls" doesn't relate to science/medicine and it's also not an objective fact since again, they will come a time when you have to do the same exact thing involving a non motorcycle related death, correct ?

Everything is dangerous...
-Skiing/snowboarding is dangerous
-Surfing is dangerous
-skateboarding is dangerous
-riding a bicycle is dangerous
-Snorkelling is dangerous
-swimming in the open sea is dangerous
-diving is dangerous
- taking a plane is dangerous
- taking the train is dangerous
- driving a car is dangerous
- Riding a horse is dangerous

...hell, even walking is dangerous nowadays since you can get shot/stabbed/mugged by a rando on the street or get clipped by someone that lost control of his vehicle taking you alongside him...

So, allow me to ask, what are we discussing here exactly ? Statistics ? Personal anecdotes ?
Riddle me this : In the US, yearly fatalities are around 13.000 for drivers and around 6.500 for riders, by your logic, cars = way more dangerous so we should stop driving them ? Now, want to use logic and statistics in this case ?
Of course the car fatalities numbers are higher since the number of cars in circulation is much bigger than that of bikes, still - and this is my whole point - I've never heard anyone saying "driving is dangerous" and "I had X friend dying as soon as he got his car"...

And this why I'll say again that everything else is just scaremongering, hearsay and doom and gloom.

You can say that...humans are fragile and...squishy little things® generally speaking, something that - especially people like you due to your profession - should be the first ones to acknowledge 😉

Yes, some things are more dangerous compared to others, trying to do an expedition on Everest for example holds way more danger than say, bungie jumping, skydiving or doing motocross , and yet, all can prove fatal.

Cheers
I just posted the statistics above. You are wrong in your thinking r.e. cars vs bikes. Your logic is terrible, TBH. Yes, life is fragile, so why would you choose an inherently more dangerous mode of transportation? You're free to do so, of course, but saying it ISN'T inherently dangerous is wrong, period.
 
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I know about the ER's terms like "organ donor", "donorcyle" and "bodybags" (referring to those wearing a one-piece suit), it's nothing new, and again, no matter if you're a nurse or doctor, the fact that you had to make calls to the deceased's relatives says absolutely nothing - you'd have done the same if you received an injured or DOA patient from a car accident, a train wreck or a helicopter crash, yes ?
What about during COVID ? I suppose you also had to make some calls to relatives, would that be a correct assumption ?

Now, I'm not trying to sound smarter than you - if, for example, you were a cardiologist it'd be extremely stupid for me or anyone else to start a debate since to be able to do so, I'd have to have specific knowledge /education about this very specific subject to do so, thing is, the "I had to make some calls" doesn't relate to science/medicine and it's also not an objective fact since again, they will come a time when you have to do the same exact thing involving a non motorcycle related death, correct ?

Everything is dangerous...
-Skiing/snowboarding is dangerous
-Surfing is dangerous
-skateboarding is dangerous
-riding a bicycle is dangerous
-Snorkelling is dangerous
-swimming in the open sea is dangerous
-diving is dangerous
- taking a plane is dangerous
- taking the train is dangerous
- driving a car is dangerous
- Riding a horse is dangerous

...hell, even walking is dangerous nowadays since you can get shot/stabbed/mugged by a rando on the street or get clipped by someone that lost control of his vehicle taking you alongside him...

So, allow me to ask, what are we discussing here exactly ? Statistics ? Personal anecdotes ?
Riddle me this : In the US, yearly fatalities are around 13.000 for drivers and around 6.500 for riders, by your logic, cars = way more dangerous so we should stop driving them ? Now, want to use logic and statistics in this case ?
Of course the car fatalities numbers are higher since the number of cars in circulation is much bigger than that of bikes, still - and this is my whole point - I've never heard anyone saying "driving is dangerous" and "I had X friend dying as soon as he got his car"...

And this why I'll say again that everything else is just scaremongering, hearsay and doom and gloom.

You can say that...humans are fragile and...squishy little things® generally speaking, something that - especially people like you due to your profession - should be the first ones to acknowledge 😉

Yes, some things are more dangerous compared to others, trying to do an expedition on Everest for example holds way more danger than say, bungie jumping, skydiving or doing motocross , and yet, all can prove fatal.

Cheers


Bro, do what you want lmfao. You don't need to write a thesis on the subject. All those activities are retarded lmfao. I have a stupidly fast and dangerous car and if it wasn't for me seeing what happens to morons who live dangerously, I'd probably be dead.

Do whatever you want brother. God bless.
 
I just posted the statistics above. You are wrong in your thinking r.e. cars vs bikes. Your logic is terrible, TBH. Yes, life is fragile, so why would you choose an inherently more dangerous mode of transportation? You're free to do so, of course, but saying it ISN'T inherently dangerous is wrong, period.

I also posted statistics ® Risi

For discussion's sake, please prove how am I "wrong" by dissecting my offensive (apparently) posts.

Also : why would someone choose something which is inheritedly more dangerous compared to something else ? well, you can't live your whole fucking life based on fear, and again, If you think that (as I said earlier) reaching 80 or 90 and dying on your sofa/couch by leading a "safe" life, well, More power to you, I won't judge that and I won't tell you what to do.
 
Bro, do what you want lmfao. You don't need to write a thesis on the subject. All those activities are retarded lmfao. I have a stupidly fast and dangerous car and if it wasn't for me seeing what happens to morons who live dangerously, I'd probably be dead.

Do whatever you want brother. God bless.
Amazing but...Okay
"lmfao"
 
I also posted statistics ® Risi

For discussion's sake, please prove how am I "wrong" by dissecting my offensive (apparently) posts.

Also : why would someone choose something which is inheritedly more dangerous compared to something else ? well, you can't live your whole fucking life based on fear, and again, If you think that (as I said earlier) reaching 80 or 90 and dying on your sofa/couch by leading a "safe" life, well, More power to you, I won't judge that and I won't tell you what to do.

Eh, my best friend when I was a kid had an older cousin that talked a lot like this to us too, "live life on the edge, don't live in fear, try everything man!" type. I've already outlived him by a half-decade now.
 
I also posted statistics ® Risi

For discussion's sake, please prove how am I "wrong" by dissecting my offensive (apparently) posts.

Also : why would someone choose something which is inheritedly more dangerous compared to something else ? well, you can't live your whole fucking life based on fear, and again, If you think that (as I said earlier) reaching 80 or 90 and dying on your sofa/couch by leading a "safe" life, well, More power to you, I won't judge that and I won't tell you what to do.
I'm sorry, can you point me to your post that contains stats? I only saw where you posted that there are more car accidents than bike accidents. Was there something more?
 
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Eh, my best friend when I was a kid had an older cousin that talked a lot like this to us too, "live life on the edge, don't live in fear, try everything man!" type. I've already outlived him by a half-decade now.

Touch, don't be patronizing man, it doesn't suit you.

I'm no idiot, Im no adrenaline junkie and I never was one of those "fuck it, carpe diem muhfuhgas !", still, when l like/love something I'll keep doing it, there's a difference between being blind to danger(s) and getting bored out of my goddamned mind due to taking 0 risks/being afraid of what it might be around the next corner.

I've made some choices in the last few years which made me sell my bike and let me tell you, I'm 10x miserable because of it.

It may come off as bullshit but, if you know you know ...
 
Touch, don't be patronizing man, it doesn't suit you.

I'm no idiot, Im no adrenaline junkie and I never was one of those "fuck it, carpe diem muhfuhgas !", still, when l like/love something I'll keep doing it, there's a difference between being blind to danger(s) and getting bored out of my goddamned mind due to taking 0 risks/being afraid of what it might be around the next corner.

I've made some choices in the last few years which made me sell my bike and let me tell you, I'm 10x miserable because of it.

It may come off as bullshit but, if you know you know ...

I think the main disconnect you're seeing here is you're approaching the question from a very different place than the OP is asking from. Where he is saying "Hey, (insert highly dangerous activity) looks like it might be fun, should I give it a go?" and you look at it as "(Highly dangerous activity) is my favorite thing and makes me very happy, should I continue to do it even though it's highly dangerous?" -- in which case a lot of people would likely have very similar opinions to you, if you weigh the risk vs. reward and decide reward is worth it, more power to you. But also be aware of the risks. Saying things like "well cars are dangerous, and planes too" are false equivalencies, and you know it.
 
I think the main disconnect you're seeing here is you're approaching the question from a very different place than the OP is asking from. Where he is saying "Hey, (insert highly dangerous activity) looks like it might be fun, should I give it a go?" and you look at it as "(Highly dangerous activity) is my favorite thing and makes me very happy, should I continue to do it even though it's highly dangerous?" -- in which case a lot of people would likely have very similar opinions to you, if you weigh the risk vs. reward and decide reward is worth it, more power to you. But also be aware of the risks. Saying things like "well cars are dangerous, and planes too" are false equivalencies, and you know it.

First and foremost, I appreciate the serious reply Touch.

Second, you may be right, but, OP said that he already had some motorcycle experience (motocross) hence my stance, If he was a dude in his '50s with no experience whatsoever I wouldn't even have chimed in, reason being, I've been through this shit countless times on the internet by being a member on motorcycle forums for almost 20 years now, usually, it's all about the ego, guys with expendable income (usually dentists 😁) wanting to buy, say, a 28, 000$ Ducati diavel, a 160hp beast of a bike as a 1st bike, something which most users would reply negative to that citing security/safety reasons due to a lack of experience to which the OP would say "BuT I HaVe ExPerienCe frOm FaSt CarS !!1" just like the ER guy a couple of posts above, I mean, shit, what can you say to that kind of guy? That he's stupid ? Dude is going to buy said shiny toy either way so...
Or what about a guy on monsterforums.org where he thought he'd look "cool" on a Ducati, went to the dealer, got a Ducati jacket (lmao), a Ducati helmet, gloves and shoes (lmao x 3) and got on his shiny (then) Monster 696 and shat his pants so much during the ride back home that he parked the bike never to be ridden again... at least the dude was super honest and that's something that I can always appreciate in a person...
Also, what about all those (friends of friends basically) that personally asked me what bike to get when they were about to buy a new one with zero riding experience ? Do you think that they listened to mine or other friends' opinions ? Of course not, the idiots went and bought 150hp crotch rockets either way...

What I'm trying to say Touch is that... you can't argue with stupidity, Darwinism is always gonna come into play at some point if you're not careful.

Regarding the false equivalencies bit now, I disagree man, my whole point is that everything can be dangerous - and I mean that literally.
Again, car sales are in the double to triple numbers compared to those of bikes, meaning, there's always more of them in circulation at any given moment compared to motorcycles leading to an obviously higher rate of accidents and even fatalities - and that's completely a logical and normal thing - what wouldn't be normal though would be to keep repeating "cars are dangerous and therefore not safe".

Same with planes, In fact, to tell you the truth, I'm scared shitless every time I have to take one, you know why ? 'Cause IF something happens, there's no escape from dying (except for some freak occurrencies like that one Indian guy escaping death a couple of years ago in that Indian airplane crash).

Anyway, agree to disagree, I'm just here to make discussion, nothing more, nothing less, It's just that I was never a big fan of aphorisms, doom and gloom and nihilism, hence my stance on the whole "omg, do X thing and you'll die ".

Cheers
 
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I mean, there's a REASON people say it. You are free to assume the risks, but calling it tone-deaf is ironic LOL.

Also, on an unrelated note, the term "cagers" might be the lamest term ever.
While the stats illustrated here paint a grim picture, what is rarely, if ever mentioned, is the level of competency of those riders.

How many of those motorcycle accidents/fatalities involved a rider who had a valid license and insurance? Meaning they went through the proper channels to get their endorsement and not just get a thrill?
Have any of those riders taken more than the bare minimum safety courses leading to acquiring their license?
Do they practice safe techniques and emergency maneuvers with any regularity?

We rarely hear anything about rider competency when crashes occur.

In Canada, at the beginning of riding season, we have no shortage of earlybird riders who dust off their rides from winter hibernation and immediately get themselves into trouble, often all by themself in a single-vehicle accident. Why? Did those riders take road temperature and road surface quality for granted? Did they perform a thorough maintenance check of their ride before the first outing?

Because riding a motorcycle is a perishable skill and, similar to flying aircraft, is not something to be trifled with.
You avoid problems by staying ahead of the machine. As soon as you fall behind you set yourself up for an accident.

There's no shortage of YT channels on motorcycle riders in various accidents. The majority of street rider accidents I've watched, the motorcycle rider has been at fault for egotistical behaviour, careless and/or reckless vehicle operation. If a rider doesn't want to be rear-ended, don't remove your side mirrors just to look cool. Leave at least one mirror in place to (literally) cover your ass ...

Eliminate the ego and carelessness and motorcycle riding becomes pretty straightforward.

If riding was that dangerous, why would police services worldwide have motorcycle divisions?
If more street riders adopted safer practices the stats might just improve.

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