Hard year

[epicrisis]

I just wanted to pause and reflect on the last year and it's events.

I've been riding street bikes since I was of legal age (and a little before that too), and this has been the most doubt & thought provoking season I've seen.

Every ride (save one) I went on this year had at least one wreck or in the least, mechanical breakdown that could have caused an injury. I went on three rides in a row in which I saw a rider go down in my mirrors behind me.

In the last week I have heard of 3 deaths (2 crashes) on one board (hayabusa.org), 2 more on another (suzukihayabusa.org) and one on sportbikes.ws in the last month (riding a Hayabusa). Each was unrelated and on a Hayabusa only. I’m not counting the other types of bike fatalities or stunter deaths. Of the 6 recent deaths, I knew and considered 4 of the riders friends, and knew them on a personal level. Hell, one of them was using my stock windscreen/handlebars and bar ends (went down on his bike and he didn’t have the dough to repair a lot of items, so I mailed them to him as a gift).

One of the deaths that occurred this week particularly hit home because of how much the guy who died reminded me of myself. Mike was within 5 years of my age and also owned and managed a computer repair shop.

It really scares me to think about the risks we take. Especially the ones I've taken this year (70+ MPH in a decreasing radius 20mph corner or 150mph in a sweeping corner with a passenger or 10o'clocking a 560lb bike with people I don't know behind me, for example). I’m not bragging…. Quite the opposite, I’m showing how stupid I’ve been lately. What scares me more is that despite my recent wreck and injury, the $$ and marital problems it caused and the recent deaths and crashes of my riding buddies, I still can't bring myself to stop riding. If I were this addicted to drugs or alcohol, I'd identify the problem and get some help.

I’m sure some of you, if not all, have had doubts about the safety and sanity of this sport. My question is this:

How do you justify the risks? Rationalize the addiction? Convince or reassure your SO it’ll all be ok?

 

[paineless4u]

I have to say I am leaning more towards getting off the streets all together. I simply have too much to lose. If it was just me I could handle the risk but my decisions and the risks I take affect my two kids and wife, not to mention family and friend. With that being said I am a little concerned about the recent rash of crashes and have to agree that I truely love riding but the risk is rising and at an alarming rate.

 

[The Big Red One]

Well I have a little diff approach to riding...I always have. I've never been a real screamer on a bike, I just like to ride through beautiful countryside, enjoy the sights and sounds...and loft the front once in awhile

I could almost be happy on a cruiser...as long as it had enough "oh s**t!" power to thrill me once in awhile (which they don't

). And I do like to hit the strip occasionally. And I can rail if need be..fairly well actually...but thats one area that I've never really had the urge to explore. My buddies pull away in the twisties....I just watch them and smile....and have no desire whatsoever to follow

I guess for me the rides about something else.....I think if your gonna do this thing for the long haul you gotta look at the big picture....its like gambling, if you push the envelope all the time for a long time...eventually your gonna lose. Thats just the odds

I just stay away from traffic...keep my bike in top shape...pick my spots to speed...and enjoy the ride. Its a beautiful world out there...especially on a bike, and you don't have to be afraid to enjoy it...just be careful

(PS) My SO knows my approach to riding...so even tho my buddies have gone down (one very recently in fact..he's alright tho..just some scrapes to him and the bike

) she doesn't worry about me...in fact she wants a ride like REAL soon!...lol.

One of the most disturbing wrecks I've ever been associated with was one a couple years back...a new riding buddy (great guy) and me were planning on a weekend ride...I called him up to make the arrangements for the upcoming weekend and he told me that he couldn't go, because he'd laid his bike down on a local twisty bit and was now paralyzed from the upper back down. I was speechless of course...I tried to say the right things...but really...what DO you say in a situation like that? He had been practicing for a summers worth of riding with the local sportbike club. He felt he wasn't "fast" enough to keep up. That made me think A LOT about priorities on a bike and where I really wanted to go with it. I will never give my riding up (been hit by a drunk driver once...now I stay outta traffic

) but I WILL compromise enough to keep alive AND retain the fun factor. In fact, in some ways I think I like riding MORE now that I don't worry about other folks riding and just enjoy mine  

<!--EDIT|The Big Red One
Reason for Edit: "can't type...arghh!"|1101968904 -->

 

[moondog]

Is this some sort of trick? You have read my mind.....I look back on my first year on the busa and wonder how I'm even here, let alone totally scratch free. I routinely pushed the envelope, hung out on the ragged edge and just rode like an idiot. 2 rear tires in less then 4000 miles. Six deaths in a town of 65,000.....countless accidents, one leaving a friend of mine paralized from the neck down. About half way through the season, I walked out of the hospital after visiting a good friend... six hours of surgery to repair a leg broken in 3 places and a totally smashed ankle. Finally said enough is enough, time to reel her back in. Stopped riding with the crazy folks, stopped riding to work, stopped the madness. Bought 1 mil life insurance policy she doesn't even know about. I'm officially retired from the ranks of the insane. Just too much to lose....don't get me wrong, I'm far from "goldwing" material, just moving to another level of hyperbike riding....



<!--EDIT|moondog
Reason for Edit: None given...|1101912890 -->

 

[MET]

I have 3 great sons, I ahve traveled the world,  I have been on many motorcycles, I have raced sport cars.  I have jumped out of moving buses, I have been on bicycles in NYC.,  I have caught an arrow in my mouth shot from a bow 30 feet away,  I have been hit by lighting,  I have been trapped in a fire,  I have been behind a semi-truck and had the trailer of the semi come loose heading directly for me,  I have been caught under water, I have been swimming with sharks, I have met 1,000's f people, I have made many friends, I have made less but many enemies.  I have loved many women, and have been loved by just as many.  I have forged long life friendships wth both men and women. I try to do what I love doing in life, it is not always possible, but I do as many things as I can manage in the short span called life.

Basically  I have lived a full life.  I do not have a death wish, but I do believe in my guardian Angel.  If my Angel lets go, I will let go and take my long trip to the after life.  I plan to be around for a long time and never take for grated my life or my Angel.



<!--EDIT|Ninja Eater
Reason for Edit: None given...|1101916067 -->

 

[sageronin]

Very well said NE ... we cannot go through each day of our life fearing death more than we are living each of those days to the fullest.

I justify the risk by accepting my mortality. I rationalize the addiction by knowing myself and what makes me happy. It will be okay because each additional day of happiness on this earth is a blessing for me.

 

[Cecil_Stringer]

I have 3 great sons, I ahve traveled  the world,  I have been on many motorcycles, I have raced sport cars.  I have jumped out of moving buses, I have been on bicycles in NYC.,  I have caught an arrow in my mouth shot from a bow 30 feet away,  I have been hit by lighting,  I have been trapped in a fire,  I have been behind a semi-truck and had the trailer of the semi come loose heading directly for me,  I have been caught under water, I have been swimming with sharks, I have met 1,000's f people, I have made many friends, I have made less but many enemies.  I have loved many women, and have been loved by just as many.  I have forged long life friendships wth both men and women.  I try to do what I love doing in life, it is not always possible, but I do as many things as I can manage in the short span called life.

Basically  I have lived a full life.  I do not have a death wish, but I do believe in my guardian Angel.  If my Angel lets go, I will let go and take my long trip to the after life.  I plan to be around for a long time and never take for grated my life or my Angel.

Yeah... what he said

 

[Relsek]

I've been waiting to address this issue, I'm glad you brought it up.

  First of all, if you were to sit at home and watch TV instead of interacting with people, you would know no-one and would never lose a friend because you would not have any. The more people you know, the more likely you are to lose someone you know. You would never have heard of Mike from California or Dionysis from Greece and you would never have felt the loss as we all do now.

  If you check out my personal web page, you will find out about another thing I like to do that many people find risky. I'll come back from one of my trips and share things (that I don't usually put on the web page, don't want to scare people) that go on in some of the countrys I visit. I think it was just after returning from Honduras where people live behind walls and razor wire out of fear of kidnappings and murders, that a friend asked me "aren't you afraid, going all these places? I would think it would be a lot safer to spend your vacation time here in the U.S." I thought about it and replied "If you have to die doing something, it might as well be something you love doing"
  I too have gotten carried away and done things on the bike that were a bit risky. These last few weeks have made me ponder that a little. I don't think I'm not going to stop riding out of fear though. Why, so I can sit on the couch, get fat and die of a heart attack? No thanks.

Kev



<!--EDIT|Kevin Kesler
Reason for Edit: None given...|1101950419 -->

 

[Cuffee]

I, too, love riding and often hear folk talking about people who died in motorcylce accidents. I often ride with a good friend of mine that is absolutely crazy. You should see him zip around the curves. Notice how I say see him zip around the curves....I DON'T. I take my time and just enjoy the ride. I guess what I am saying is that I ride within my limits! I just completed the motorcycle basic riding course and plan to take the advance riding course. How many of your riding buddies have taken those classes. I will bet not many! Also, I just recently went to FedEx field to practice braking, weaving, etc. How many people do that? I want to be the best driver that I can be! I am not scared! Also, if you believe in God....then you should know that you should not be afraid for God is with you!

 

[Aughtsix]

All men really die, but not all men really live...

Steve

 

[Aughtsix]

Also, if you believe in God....then you should know that you should not be afraid for God is with you!

However, The Almighty doesn't wink at stupidity - you reap what you sow...

Steve

 

[WWJD]

The ONLY safe, certian, comfortable, secure harbor is a padded cell. Who really considers that a life?

People say we touch the edge of death so we can really epxerience and feel life. Tis true

 

[Relsek]

All men really die, but not all men really live...

Steve

That's a great way of putting it Steve.

Kev

 

[ChronosWS]

There is no light without darkness, no happiness without sadness, no reward without risk. You cannot live if you are afraid of death.

It all sounds very trite, I know and I am sorry. However, in response to your question about how I justify the risks I take:
I do not need to justify them. I take them because it is my choice to do so. If you want to know why then read on.

I was not born to this earth a slave to anyone or a slave to safety. I need only answer to myself, and when I choose to ride and at times approach the limit, it is because doing so gives me pleasure and does not hurt anyone else. It is the way I give back to myself for all of the work I do and the suffering that exists in this world. Pleasure comes in many forms. Some of it is riskier than others, but the risk is all relative. Some people like to jump out of airplanes. Some like to base jump. Some don't like to do anything more risky than taking a walk along the beach. Does any of it need justification? Does living require justification?

Do you believe that if you take less risk today, you will live a more interesting life tomorrow? I know many people on here are of a religious bent. That will color your views on life and death differently than mine. If you believe that risking yourself in this life jeopardizes you in the next, then you'll think my actions foolish. If you believe that you were put here to serve others, or serve your God, or whatever, and that by risking your life doing that which you enjoy you are violating that service, then you'll think my actions foolish. If, on the other hand, you believe your life exists for YOU, then you should do what you enjoy doing so long as it does not deprive others of their equal right to go on enjoying THEIR lives however they choose. If you want to risk your life on your motorcycle, don't do it while you have a pssenger who does not also wish to risk their life. Don't weave in and out of traffic getting your thrills while risking the lives of those around you. But on an empty freeway?

It's *your* life. *Your* choice. *Your* risk. My opinion doesn't mean jack #### because I don't live or die by your choice. You do.

 

[PACIFICBUSA]

Sigh...

Choices, decisions, justifications. It's all relative...and yet Irrelevant. Paradoxical? Sure.

Epicrisis...I understand your concerns and your doubt. I've had a friend of mine go down this year, and I was coming up behind him. I've had to look into his face and see his life slowly passing from his eyes. I've had to see his brain sticking out of the back of his head...his cranial liquids flowing down the street. I tried to administer first aid and CPR...only to hear gurgling sounds coming from his head where the air was escaping from his fractured nasal cavity.

I've had to comfort his wife...and I had see his body in his casket. I escorted him one last time....and I had to live with that memory of his face staring blankly into the sky...his blood on my hands and my face.

I've also had my own tragedy...wrecking earlier this year and being so rashed up that I could not sleep on my back for three months. I was also getting sleep each day one dose of Percoset at a time. I've had to look at the bike that I loved and worked so hard for mangled and bent. I'm still living with the psychological scars that came with it. Remembering the front coming up...higher and higher...and then finally seeing tank. Rolling on the ground...feeling my hands and butt get numb. Seeing my shield on my helmet being ripped off...hearing my bike crash and tumble along the asphalt.

And now...the arduous task of rebuilding. Many people ask me why on earth would I ride again. I tell them the same thing over and over again: We live and we learn...and we are blessed. I choose to ride again....knowing the risks that the sport brings. I, like you, love the ride...and throwing a leg over the saddle again is the choice that I have made. All that we can do is be prepared to go down...whether we are able to walk away from it or not. It is all your decision, my friend. The question that you really need to ask yourself is whether or not you are willing to deal with the consequences of those decisions.

I know that sooner or later, I too will go down, be it on a bike, or in my car...or perhaps somewhere else. When it's my time, it'll be my time. All I can do is make sure that I'm squared with the house again. That doesn't mean that I'll live recklessly, but it also doesn't mean that I'm going to hide in a castle and pray that nothing's gonna happen.

If you love the ride and you give it up, then you will never be that happy again until you find something that you are as passionate about to replace it, if that is even remotely possible. An example? I loved sports growing up. Was thinking of going into NCAA III football, but things happened, and I was not able to fulfill that goal. I never thought that I would find something that would be able to replace sports, but then riding came along.

Now I was always interested in riding, but prior to this, I was never able to fulfill that goal. Now that I have, I know that nothing will be able to replace for a long time. Nothing has ever cleared my mind or given me that much sought-after "peace of mind". I have never known such tranquility and stillness of mind...and the relief from everyday stressors that it brought was previously inconceivable.

I will do my best to ride again...only this time around, I will be equipped with lessons that would benefit me to not forget.

If the bike is the cause of marital problems, then perhaps it is time to re-evaluate priorities. Yes, riding can be awesome and addicting, but it should not the sole driving force in our lives...most especially when we have family. As always, a compromise between the two of you should benefit you both.

I guess all I'm trying to say is that your decisions are your decisions, Epicrisis. Just be aware of the risks and be willing to deal with the consequences that come with those decisions. If you feel that you can't, then perhaps it is time to re-evaulate your values in life and then take it from there. Perhaps it may be time to retire the helmet.

But don't let that decison be governed by fear or the unwillingness to LIVE your life. Try to live your life so that there are no regrets...only learning experiences that should serve to further enrich your life and those of your loved ones.

When you really look at it, that's all it boils down to.

 

[Big Wall]

I have a wife and two kids and think about this topic sometimes. What I have decided that it comes down to is that we will not leave this life until we have done what we need to do here. Then we can leave in any number of different ways.