Thoughts on the Dangers of Riding?

[Escape pod]

For newbies the graphic street riding learning curve can/could be a little overwhelming.

 

[berth]

I've seen this young lady on her scooter.

Cute, little blue and white thing. Gonna guess a 125 or smaller.

She has her matching pink jacket and helmet.

And it reminds me of my old scooter.

A scooter is fun! Super light, super nimble, real easy to ride, grab the throttle and go. No ceremony, no clutch, no shift, just zoom about.

When you think about "freedom", a scooter has it in spades.

I imagine the modern electric bikes fill some of this need, but the scooters have a little more power, more range. Definitely a better citizen on a surface street.

But, now visualize someone like me, zipping around in my Klim Badlands gear. I pretty much ATGATT. Even if I just want to pop down to the gas station to fill up. I'm gonna wear the jacket anyway, I normally wear shorts around the house, so I need to put on pants to ride (no way I'm doing that in shorts), so may as well put on the riding pants. Shoes are off, boots are right there.

Next thing you know, gear up like the Michelin man for a 1 mile trip to the gas station.

But it sure SEEMS "overkill". "It's just the gas station!" Look at little Miss Scooter!

Yea, it is. But the risk is the same. The exposure is less (less time on the road), but I'm still dealing with 50MPH speed limits, traffic, etc.

I wish I could do that. "Be free(tm)".

But I know better. Gearing up is a inconvenience. Soft tissue, however, damage takes forever to heal.

Sure, I could get lighter weight gear, but I still have to don it. (Although I'm considering replacing my armor with the new Klim Rogue armor.)

And, when I'm on the bike, the gear mostly disappears anyway. Off the bike, not so much.

 

[andmc]

Everything has risk associated with it. Thoughtful people accept this, and make an informed decision whether to engage an activity and accept that risk.

Yeah, this is exactly what I'm going through with riding at the moment - trying to evaluate the risk and whether to engage. In getting back on the bike I went through and took steps to minimize risk (minimal city and freeway riding, full gear and airbag, not riding like an idiot) and decided to go ahead with it.

But now I'm starting to reexamine again and the part that's sticking out to me is the risk that's outside my control...mostly other people being idiots. Somebody on the freeway looking at their phone and smashing into me. Or not seeing me and pulling out in front before I have time to react.

I guess the calculus is also personal for each one of us. Where I'm at in my career with the risk I'm willing to take on with my body is something I have to figure out for myself. Later on, the more financial security and circumstances change, the riding calculus for me changes accordingly.

 

[budman]

Part of your risk mitigation is where and when to ride.

When: Commute time, weekend, early morning, night, late at night etc.

Where: Freeway, town, mountains, countryside, track, etc.

I never really drilled down on these but it is easy to understand why some have more risk than the others.

 

[gixxerjeff]

Mindset is a factor too.
I truly hate slabbing it, especially when I have sportier options, but....
Sometimes I'll just hop on the freeway as my *return to the barn* route.
There are times I kinda say to myself "okay dude, you got away with enough for today".
Knowing when to walk away from the table is an important part of the game.

 

[budman]

Mindset is a factor too.

There are times I kinda say to myself "okay dude, you got away with enough for today".
Knowing when to walk away from the table is an important part of the game.

This certainly applied for me at trackdays. There were many where THill was burning and skipping the last session for safety sake and a cold beer were had.

 

[N4teTheGreat]

One more run is how I tore my MCL snowboarding. Clearly I am not as good at this, though with motos I try to recognize when I'm tapped out and back off the pace a bit. Key word, try.

 

[Joe_13]

There are three kinds of motorcycle riders: those who have gone down, those who are going down, and those who are going down again.


If you ride long enough, the odds eventually catch up with you. Watch motorcycle crash videos on YouTube and you'll notice that the vast majority of accidents—often more than 90%—could have been avoided by the rider, even when another vehicle is involved.


Experience teaches you to recognize the situations that most often lead to trouble. The longer you ride, the more you learn to anticipate risks, stay alert, and ride accordingly.

Gambling theory disagrees. The risk isn't cumulative: Every ride is a new spin of the wheel, and not everyone is guaranteed to go down.
One thing's for sure: I will do my damnedest to prove that the "3 kinds of motorcycle riders" theory is false.

 

[tuxumino]

there are dangers then are dangers. When your 60+ fat ass gets passed like a tortoise on quaaludes by some Asian female half your weight and age then you'll know real pain. Modern medicine can fix just about anything physical, your ego heals much slower.

 

[Kurosaki]

Have owned half a dozen motorcycles in the last 10 years. Even rode across the country. So not a new rider.

Had one crash back in 2017. Topsided on an SV650 after hitting a pothole while leaning into a corner . Fractured my scapula. Took me a while to get back on the bike. But worked through the fear and have owned a number of bikes since.

To me there's nothing like riding. The feeling of accelerating through the twisties. Gets you out of your head and into the world, clears the mind.

But the more I am around bikes and bike culture, the more I hear about injuries. Pretty bad ones aren't uncommon. And I'm sure we all have had close calls, especially with other people driving like idiots.

I work with my hands and need my body to support myself. I love riding. But the risks of it are potentially life-changing (and not in a good way).

How do you guys balance these two sides of motorcycling? On one hand riding being one of the coolest things ever, but on the other hand potentially life-threateningly dangerous.

I don't balance it. I tell this to my friends who want my help/advice getting into riding. If you haven't accepted you might not come home in one piece someday, you probably shouldn't be riding at all. But having said that, if someone wants to call it quits for any reason because of the level of danger and safety, I totally understand that.

 

[Kurosaki]

Gambling theory disagrees. The risk isn't cumulative: Every ride is a new spin of the wheel, and not everyone is guaranteed to go down.
One thing's for sure: I will do my damnedest to prove that the "3 kinds of motorcycle riders" theory is false.

Yeah I never liked that 'theory'. If it were true, none of us should be riding in the first place. There's enough examples of people who have been riding for decades and never crashed. Especially if you exclude statistics from the race track and dirt track and just look at people who ride on the street.

Also even if a majority of riders have had an off, lot of times it's not that bad. People's egos get bruised more than their body or their bike.

 

[Holeshot]

But now I'm starting to reexamine again and the part that's sticking out to me is the risk that's outside my control...mostly other people being idiots. Somebody on the freeway looking at their phone and smashing into me. Or not seeing me and pulling out in front before I have time to react.

Perhaps updating your riding goals are worthwhile. When I say "goals", I'm thinking about working on a riding skill for each ride and not letting your mind drift off. Each skill can be a super simple thing: remembering which cars were where and then checking mirrors for your memory. Or trying to guess which lane cars will move into and when (and why). Traffic anticipation. Mirror, windscreen, mirror, gauge scan repetition. Good freeway exercises, IMO. On backroads; brake let off points and throttle acceleration points are kinda fun to focus on.

Just a thought on how to change the normal ride/ commute into something dynamic and engaging...more so than just cruising.

 

[GAJ]

Still a great resource for all riders and clearly written so a boon to new riders as well.

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well by David L. Hough is a comprehensive and essential guide for motorcyclists of all experience levels, focusing on sharpening handling skills, improving safety, and understanding the physics of riding. The book covers everything from basic operation and gear to advanced techniques like countersteering, handling hazards (weather, other drivers, animals), and group riding, with updated editions featuring new exercises and statistics. It's praised for making complex topics accessible and providing practical, real-world advice to help riders avoid accidents and build confidence.

 

[PaulR]

Thoughts on the Dangers of Riding Motorcycles

I started riding at 13 dirt bikes first, then “street riding” on those same dirt bikes because teenage logic is undefeated. I didn’t have much fear back then, and eventually I paid the price for that confidence… repeatedly.

Fast‑forward a few decades and I ended up in the hospital with a massively broken arm. My roommate for the week was another rider who had managed to break both arms, which really put my situation into perspective. Most visitors told me it was time to hang up the helmet for good. Except one.

He was a veteran rider with his own collection of crash stories and titanium upgrades. We talked about whether I should quit riding. He just shook his head and said, “I seriously doubt you’re done. You’ll be back on a bike.” And he said it with the kind of certainty only another lifelong rider can get away with.

He was right. It took a long time to heal, and the recovery wasn’t exactly a highlight reel, but once I was able, I got back on a motorcycle and I haven’t stopped since. Maybe if the injuries had been worse or limited what I could physically do, I’d have had no choice. But as long as I can ride, I’m riding.

Motorcycles have been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember. At this point, giving them up would feel like giving up a part of who I am. So the story continues two wheels, a few scars, and a whole lot of miles.
Just my thoughts on this….
PaulR

 

[greenmonster]

Like a lot of stuff in life, the more you overthink something the greater the chance you’ll talk yourself out of it.

“Should I call Sally for a date or text her?”
“What if I call and get her voicemail?”
“What if she doesn’t respond right away?”
“ I know a great sushi place, what if Sally doesn’t like sushi?”

“Oh forget it, now I’m too stressed out”.

Over analysis can lead to paralysis. Fear begins to look more comfortable.

This post #35. Just do it.

 

[ratpick]

Have owned half a dozen motorcycles in the last 10 years. Even rode across the country. So not a new rider.

Had one crash back in 2017. Topsided on an SV650 after hitting a pothole while leaning into a corner . Fractured my scapula. Took me a while to get back on the bike. But worked through the fear and have owned a number of bikes since.

To me there's nothing like riding. The feeling of accelerating through the twisties. Gets you out of your head and into the world, clears the mind.

But the more I am around bikes and bike culture, the more I hear about injuries. Pretty bad ones aren't uncommon. And I'm sure we all have had close calls, especially with other people driving like idiots.

I work with my hands and need my body to support myself. I love riding. But the risks of it are potentially life-changing (and not in a good way).

How do you guys balance these two sides of motorcycling? On one hand riding being one of the coolest things ever, but on the other hand potentially life-threateningly dangerous.

Just don’t think about it. I love to ride too much , will deal with whatever if it happens.

 

[tuxumino]

sneaking Sally through the alley

 

[Cornfish]

Still a great resource for all riders and clearly written so a boon to new riders as well.

Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well by David L. Hough is a comprehensive and essential guide for motorcyclists of all experience levels, focusing on sharpening handling skills, improving safety, and understanding the physics of riding. The book covers everything from basic operation and gear to advanced techniques like countersteering, handling hazards (weather, other drivers, animals), and group riding, with updated editions featuring new exercises and statistics. It's praised for making complex topics accessible and providing practical, real-world advice to help riders avoid accidents and build confidence.

I own this and "More Proficient Motorcycling". Both great books, and I think about things I learned in those two books on nearly every ride. I don't always follow every rule. but I do think about them as I break them. But I believe it is important to know the rules before you break them.

 

[andmc]

Sometimes I'll just hop on the freeway as my *return to the barn* route.

That's been my go to 'get home route'. I've felt far safer on the open freeway than the same distance going through town where people might not see me and pull right out in front of me

 

[andmc]

there are dangers then are dangers. When your 60+ fat ass gets passed like a tortoise on quaaludes by some Asian female half your weight and age then you'll know real pain. Modern medicine can fix just about anything physical, your ego heals much slower.

haha I feel you. But my main concern has been the physical injury. Financially I'd be really f***ed if anything serious were to happen, as my work as an arborist is pretty active. Even just a little ankle injury or something could set me back many thousands of dollars