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How do you excuse motorcycles dangers to your loved ones?

photographynut4

photographynut4

PEW
Joined
May 22, 2009
Location
Morgan Hill, CA
Moto(s)
Kawasaki 650R
Name
Brian
Anyone ever have to deal with loved ones telling them they motorcycle riding is too dangerous? Explaining to them that it all depends on your actions and your mind state. Anyone have a good quote or some article that I can read off of?
 
What kind of training have you gotten for yourself? I usually just rattle off the dozen or so track schools I've taken and tell them I've done my best to put as many tools in my toolbox as possible. Beyond that, I let them accept me for who I am and that's about it. Sorry if it keeps 'ya up at night mom but you should know after almost 20 years of riding this is who I am.
 
How do you excuse motorcycles dangers to your loved ones?
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I don't.

But life isn't safe - not if you're actually living.
 
"Oh, too dangerous? Okay then, I'll go back to driving as fast as I can at night, in the rain, on mountain roads..."

My Mom keeps bugging me for a ride, but I'm not confident enough to take passengers yet...
 
Well I only have my permit but I hate when friends or family are like, "well your gonna be goin a hundred fricken miles on the freeway and its gonna be dark and someone will hit you".

All I can do is tell them that I cant ride on the freeway or in the dark until I have proven my skills enough to get a license.

I keep telling then, It's all about my consciousness and how I react to situations.

Other people can throw obstacles at me but I have to be the one to make the decision as to what to do with the situation.
 
I show them that I wear the best gear that I can afford, and they know that I ride ATGATT.

If they are interested, I take them on a ride.
 
My loved ones know that I am safe but accidents happen. My entire family grew up riding my Uncles dirt bikes and now my Aunts and Uncles ride cruisers, a cousin has a xr650l in LA so I have a riding family but I have the only 'crotch rocket' hahaha
 
photographynut4 said:
Well I only have my permit but I hate when friends or family are like, "well your gonna be goin a hundred fricken miles on the freeway and its gonna be dark and someone will hit you".

All I can do is tell them that I cant ride on the freeway or in the dark until I have proven my skills enough to get a license.

I keep telling then, It's all about my consciousness and how I react to situations.

Other people can throw obstacles at me but I have to be the one to make the decision as to what to do with the situation.
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Get the best gear you can afford and wear it. Get as much training as you can afford and apply it. Keep your focus at all times and never, ever ride impaired in any way (emotionally, physically or mentally).

Then you swing a leg over and roll the dice...
 
FoolishMortal said:
Get the best gear you can afford and wear it. Get as much training as you can afford and apply it. Keep your focus at all times and never, ever ride impaired in any way (emotionally, physically or mentally).

Then you swing a leg over and roll the dice...
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Do everything this guy just said and that's about as good as it's going to get.
 
I told them, I wear full gear. Leather, and a helmet.

I guess they are more worried about if you were to fly off the bike and hit a car or something that the impact could hurt you.

I said, the part of the body that would be mostly damaged upon impact is the head and thats why I wear a helmet with the DOT and SNELL standards
 
Tim-That CX Guy said:
I show them that I wear the best gear that I can afford, and they know that I ride ATGATT.

If they are interested, I take them on a ride.
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:thumbup I took my mom (72) for a ride when she was here last October. I think she "gets it" now.

My dad, on the other hand, still freaks out about it. But hey, he's had 18 years to get used to the idea.
 
FoolishMortal said:
Get the best gear you can afford and wear it. Get as much training as you can afford and apply it. Keep your focus at all times and never, ever ride impaired in any way (emotionally, physically or mentally).

Then you swing a leg over and roll the dice...
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+1

I have my friends and family handle my gear, punch the armor, see my road racing boots, my gloves and helmet. I tell them of the dangers, and what I've done to reduce the risk. I have motorcycle safety and education books all over, and I am often seen reading them. I take motorcycle courses and tell them about what I've learned. I demonstrate my commitment to not riding while impaired, by taking the car on those occasions when I am not feeling 100%, for whatever reason.

You can never eliminate their worries, but you can demonstrate that you care about yourself.
 
i tell them that i have a loud exhaust which makes me invincible. also it saves lives.
 
Meh, there's no way to excuse the dangers because they are real. Even if you do everything right, it's still a possibility you don't come home. But hey, that's life. Just do what you love and do your best to not become a pancake sooner than necessary.

I had to go thru the same thing with my parents first for my rock climbing, then for the motorcycles. They don't agree with it still (and never will). But I think they get that these are part of who I am.
 
photographynut4 said:
I told them, I wear full gear. Leather, and a helmet.
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You have answered regarding gear, but not training. You said you have a permit. Have you taken the MSF BRC? Have you investigated other training possibilities?

I've been riding forever. Loved ones know it's who I am and it's what I do.
 
havent taken msf yet. Cant afford it right now with school. But I haven't gone on any long riders or anything yet. I have just been staying in the neighborhood working on all my skills. There are some hills by my house that I go up to and I practice my turning techniques and all that in the twisties. I know I am being safe I just don't know how to pass that on to others who think motorcycle riding is crazy dangerous.
 
The best way to handle these situations is to gather your family up. Do a gnarly burnout right in there face and then mash off doing a stand up wheelie. That will show them how kewl you are and they will get off your back. Oh ya shorts, tee shirt and sandles only otherwise you will come across as a paranoid unsafe rider and they will worry more.:twofinger
 
You have to first answer to yourself, knowing that your family and loved ones would be totally devastated if something were to happen to you. That means take riding as seriously as anything you’d ever do, in terms of constantly upgrading your skills, wearing the best gears, and riding in the safest and most responsible manners. Hopefully, that level of dedication would be evident to your family and loved ones, and would lessen their anxiety level.
 
photographynut4 said:
havent taken msf yet. know I am being safe. I just don't know how to pass that on to others who think motorcycle riding is crazy dangerous.
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To be real. It is crazy dangerous. Especially if you dont even have the basic fundementals of MSF. Take that shit. It may save your life one day. Not being over dramatic but the basic behaviours and habits that MSF instills in new riders is very valuable in keeping our asses alive out there.
 
I told them it's either this, or I jump out of airplanes.

The irony is that skydiving is safer than motorcycling, especially with those wingsuits. But you know how it is with people. Jumping out of an airplane always evokes danger more than riding a motorcycle would.:laughing
 
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