ugh
Be good
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 18,842
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From: Sloppy onshore junk.
Its unfortunate and the damages are typically greater because of the obvious but if you love doing it, I dont see whats going to stop you. Its risk vs. reward. Recognize that shit happens URYWHERE. Some people slip and fall, crack their neck, and become quadrapalegics when getting out of the shower or walking down apartment stairs...shit happens.
Tell your homey not to give up...just understand what can, and sometimes will, go wrong.
Tell your homey not to give up...just understand what can, and sometimes will, go wrong.
Last edited by CRAIGHIMSELF; Jun 19, 2009 at 05:55 AM.
Thread Starter
wanna run
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,561
Likes: 0
Sorry to hear. One of my riders recently went down due to a flat (mechanical error) at 55mph, his wife had to have surgery, not sure what the status is, but he is okay. Another members friend went down pretty hard and has been in the hospital for weeks, and another member owns a shop who lost an employee due to an accident.
Tons more, but you get the point. Its a risk we all take, and unfortunately, everyone will have their turn.
Ride safe.
Tons more, but you get the point. Its a risk we all take, and unfortunately, everyone will have their turn.
Ride safe.
Peace man, ride safe.Thanks to everyone for their good words.
It is much appreciated.
12:00AM Atlanta time...
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,561
Likes: 0
From: Prince Edward Island
I've been in a few accidents - all the result of careless drivers not looking for bikers- my father was seriously injured in one on a seperate bike at the same time. I don't always agree with the adage "not if, but when" but 90% of the bikers I know have been down. Some more than once. If it is going to happen, it is going to happen. You can't let it bother you - the good defiently outweighs the bad - just gotta try to keep the rubber side down.
I hope your friend pulls through and gets back on the bike. He'll be thought of.
I hope your friend pulls through and gets back on the bike. He'll be thought of.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,152
Likes: 0
From: Golden, CO
I've been down once, but it was my own damn fault. Out riding too late on a cold night in Januray, caught a patch of ice on a manhole cover while I was accelerating through a turn, and bit it. I was only going ~15 mph and had on full gear, but I still broke a wrist and bruised some ribs. Had some nice rash on my jacket and helmet chinbar, too.
But I recently stopped riding because of a couple of way-too-close calls I had with idiots on the higway. Back in March I was going about 60mph in the left lane on my way to work, and an idiot in a Volvo decided to merge across 4 lanes of traffic without looking and almost put me into the center divider. I moved to the inner shoulder (about 2 feet wide, but glad it was there at all), jammed on the horn and brakes, and barely missed getting clipped. That would have ended me.
About 2 weeks later I was riding to work in the HOV lane in an area with no left shoulder and a concrete center divider. The 3 lanes of traffic to my right were at a standstill. Speed limit was 45 on this street, but I was only going about 40 because I was wary of someone turning out of the regular traffic lanes into the HOV lane. Guess what -- someone pulled into the HOV lane right in front of me. I jammed on the brakes and missed ramming into them by a couple of feet, but if they had done that 1 or 2 seconds later I would have hit them square on with no way to avoid it.
After those 2 incidents -- added to the additional factors that I know the girlfriend worried about me everytime I got on the bike, I could use the money from selling the bike, and I didn't have a good storage situation -- I decided the risk/reward ratio just wasn't there for me. While I loved riding, I felt like sooner or later I would get into a serious accident. It just wasn't worth the risk to life and limb. :sad:
But I recently stopped riding because of a couple of way-too-close calls I had with idiots on the higway. Back in March I was going about 60mph in the left lane on my way to work, and an idiot in a Volvo decided to merge across 4 lanes of traffic without looking and almost put me into the center divider. I moved to the inner shoulder (about 2 feet wide, but glad it was there at all), jammed on the horn and brakes, and barely missed getting clipped. That would have ended me.
About 2 weeks later I was riding to work in the HOV lane in an area with no left shoulder and a concrete center divider. The 3 lanes of traffic to my right were at a standstill. Speed limit was 45 on this street, but I was only going about 40 because I was wary of someone turning out of the regular traffic lanes into the HOV lane. Guess what -- someone pulled into the HOV lane right in front of me. I jammed on the brakes and missed ramming into them by a couple of feet, but if they had done that 1 or 2 seconds later I would have hit them square on with no way to avoid it.
After those 2 incidents -- added to the additional factors that I know the girlfriend worried about me everytime I got on the bike, I could use the money from selling the bike, and I didn't have a good storage situation -- I decided the risk/reward ratio just wasn't there for me. While I loved riding, I felt like sooner or later I would get into a serious accident. It just wasn't worth the risk to life and limb. :sad:
Last edited by JGordon; Jun 19, 2009 at 09:31 AM.
Thread Starter
wanna run
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 4,561
Likes: 0
I've been down once, but it was my own damn fault. Out riding too late on a cold night in Januray, caught a patch of ice on a manhole cover while I was accelerating through a turn, and bit it. I was only going ~15 mph and had on full gear, but I still broke a wrist and bruised some ribs. Had some nice rash on my jacket and helmet chinbar, too.
But I recently stopped riding because of a couple of way-too-close calls I had with idiots on the higway. Back in March I was going about 60mph in the left lane on my way to work, and an idiot in a Volvo decided to merge across 4 lanes of traffic without looking and almost put me into the center divider. I moved to the inner shoulder (about 2 feet wide, but glad it was there at all), jammed on the horn and brakes, and barely missed getting clipped. That would have ended me.
About 2 weeks later I was riding to work in the HOV lane in an area with no left shoulder and a concrete center divider. The 3 lanes of traffic to my right were at a standstill. Speed limit was 45 on this street, but I was only going about 40 because I was wary of someone turning out of the regular traffic lanes into the HOV lane. Guess what -- someone pulled into the HOV lane right in front of me. I jammed on the brakes and missed ramming into them by a couple of feet, but if they had done that 1 or 2 seconds later I would have hit them square on with no way to avoid it.
After those 2 incidents -- added to the additional factors that I know the girlfriend worried about me everytime I got on the bike, I could use the money from selling the bike, and I didn't have a good storage situation -- I decided the risk/reward ratio just wasn't there for me. While I loved riding, I felt like sooner or later I would get into a serious accident. It just wasn't worth the risk to life and limb. :sad:
But I recently stopped riding because of a couple of way-too-close calls I had with idiots on the higway. Back in March I was going about 60mph in the left lane on my way to work, and an idiot in a Volvo decided to merge across 4 lanes of traffic without looking and almost put me into the center divider. I moved to the inner shoulder (about 2 feet wide, but glad it was there at all), jammed on the horn and brakes, and barely missed getting clipped. That would have ended me.
About 2 weeks later I was riding to work in the HOV lane in an area with no left shoulder and a concrete center divider. The 3 lanes of traffic to my right were at a standstill. Speed limit was 45 on this street, but I was only going about 40 because I was wary of someone turning out of the regular traffic lanes into the HOV lane. Guess what -- someone pulled into the HOV lane right in front of me. I jammed on the brakes and missed ramming into them by a couple of feet, but if they had done that 1 or 2 seconds later I would have hit them square on with no way to avoid it.
After those 2 incidents -- added to the additional factors that I know the girlfriend worried about me everytime I got on the bike, I could use the money from selling the bike, and I didn't have a good storage situation -- I decided the risk/reward ratio just wasn't there for me. While I loved riding, I felt like sooner or later I would get into a serious accident. It just wasn't worth the risk to life and limb. :sad:
Its therapy man. It keeps me strong and mentally alert. It helps me work out my anger issues, that healthy fear. That element of risk and reward, the release of spiritual toxins that I cant shake otherwise. No shrink could do that for me. Its a strange companion, motorcycling is. It makes itself necessary. When I took my hiatus (as mentioned above for stupid riding) I missed it. I thought about it even when I didnt see someone out on a bike. It was like cigs, you get over the inital pain but the desire is always there. The back of your head telling you, go ahead, light up - you need it. Twist the throttle and feel the freedom underneath you. You cant say no. Come home. Sound silly? Maybe. But it sure as fuck is real.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 5,152
Likes: 0
From: Golden, CO
Totally agree. There's no better feeling than that first time you turn onto an empty straightaway after being off the bike for a few days, twisting the throttle to the stops, and feeling the wind hit you, the pavement extending before you, and the world around you turning into an elongated blur.
I definitley miss it.
I definitley miss it.
12:00AM Atlanta time...
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,561
Likes: 0
From: Prince Edward Island
Totally agree. There's no better feeling than that first time you turn onto an empty straightaway after being off the bike for a few days, twisting the throttle to the stops, and feeling the wind hit you, the pavement extending before you, and the world around you turning into an elongated blur.
I definitley miss it.
I definitley miss it.
But family first, and you stopped riding for good reasons - but someday you'll be back!
2gr84u
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 3,690
Likes: 0
From: VIRGINIA
I had a call from a policy holder today, he has been on bed rest since march of this year because in early march while riding his harley a deer jumped out to cross the street but landed on his handle bars, driving him off a small cliff, resulting in nearly every bone from his waste down being broken, gotta five the guy credit, he could have been a pissed off bitter man, but he was really very pleasent.