"Be Careful"

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OK, does anyone else start to resent the "be careful" getting thrown at you every time the motorcycle topic comes up?

It's gotten worse lately, as an acquaintance in our circle of friends wiped out on his hog and got a concussion... then died.

He rode with jeans, bare arms and a barely-there skid lid.

I ride with an Arai full face, full body armor and upgraded spine protection. I've recently taken a safety course. I study and practice. My bike has upgraded lighting (nothing blinding) and a foghorn (and the stock horn, when I want to be "nice".)

It's gotten to the point I am deleting the comments on my Facebook posts. I share amazing (to me, anyway) rides with beautiful views, and get the same BE CAREFUL responses, as if saying it again and again is appropriate, like maybe I'll wise up and stop riding or something.

Sorry about the rant... maybe some appropriate (or inappropriate) replies might amuse me.
 
HF,

Very sorry for the loss of your acquaintance.

I love motorcycles, have had one since the 1970s, and have had a motorcycle drivers license since 1982. I will buy my five year old grandson a Yamaha Pee Wee 50 this summer. But I will not own a motorcycle at my age (late 50s). My skills are not what they were in 1980 when I rode a Yamaha at crazy high speeds in Florida. The risk because of my diminished skills are not worth it.

A very good friend of mine, also in his late 50's, got in a tragic motorcycle accident 18 months ago. This friend rode for over 40 years. Of special note, he spent multiple weekends per month as a motorcycle safety instructor. The accident appears to have been his fault. He credits his safety equipment for saving his life. But at the end of the day, diminishing skills may put aging motorcycle riders at increased risk. And is the reward worth the risk to family?
 
"And is the reward worth the risk to family?" Well... yeah. That's the attitude I'm talking about. We will all age-out at some point. As I'm getting older, I'm getting in better shape then I've been for years, and frankly, if I kick off now they're in better shape then if I did in my 30's.

"Seems simple, stop posting on FB." Sorry, while that was a rant, that wasn't a FB rant. I get it more in person than on FB. I was just pointing out that on social media I have an option that I don't have in person. If FB is not your thing, I'm OK with that, but that's not the topic at hand.
 
It sounds like you're doing what you can to BE CAREFUL OUT THERE. What concerns people is the things that you can't control like the person texting or the guy napping in his Tesla.

Again, if sharing with non riders is so aggravating just stop doing it. And honestly your answer that your family would be better off now than before is a bit flippant. Financially maybe. Emotionally? You've worked the risk/reward equation and riding wins. Not everyone gets it.

FWIW when my son was born I sold my street bike. I figured something could always happen that I wouldn't be around for him but not because I died on a bike. My choice.

Anyway, have great adventures! (y)
 
Like many adventurous things in life, riding motorcycles basically comes down to a risk vs. reward equation. If you enjoy it to the point you feel it's worth the risk, go for it.

I rode motorcycles from 1970 until 1997. I had one wreck that was my fault, that resulted in a broken toe. And like most riders, I had my share of close calls. I credit myself for being a very defensive rider for not being wiped out several times.

As I aged it became less enjoyable for me, and I gave it up for other things. So I see both sides of this. I rode both with and without helmets and leathers. Looking back it was foolish to ride without them. But overall I had many good experiences riding, that gave me a very enjoyable time on them. With good memories.
 
The last time I rode a M/C was two or three years ago. I have been watching the youtube videos on M/C riders running into things. Are the riders on drugs or looking at their phones while riding or not paying attention.?
 
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Like many adventurous things in life, riding motorcycles basically comes down to a risk vs. reward equation. If you enjoy it to the point you feel it's worth the risk, go for it.

I rode motorcycles from 1970 until 1997. I had one wreck that was my fault, that resulted in a broken toe. And like most riders, I had my share of close calls. I credit myself for being a very defensive rider for not being wiped out several times.

As I aged it became less enjoyable for me, and I gave it up for other things. So I see both sides of this. I rode both with and without helmets and leathers. Looking back it was foolish to ride without them. But overall I had many good experiences riding, that gave me a very enjoyable time on them. With good memories.
The basic M/C safety rule is to remember ever vehicle on the road is only there to,,,,,, kill you. You most likely will crash.
 
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I have been watching the youtube videos on M/C riders running into things. Are the riders on drugs or looking at their phones while riding or not paying attention.?
I don't know the stats, as far as if there's been an increase in motorcycle accidents. But the way I see many being driven, the accidents have to be more fatal. Overall motorcycle sales are somewhat diminishing over what they once were in years past.

That said, I have noticed that I'm seeing A LOT more aggressive riding lately, than I have in the past. This, coupled with much faster and more powerful motorcycles, are a combined recipe for disaster. This seems to be especially true with the high performance sport bikes, than it is with the older V twin riders.
 
The basic M/C safety rule is to remember ever vehicle on the road is only there to,,,,,, kill you. You most likely will crash.
I told my son the same thing (or a slightly less scary variation) when I was teaching him to drive-if you assume the other driver is about to do something stupid & dangerous, you won't be surprised when it happens. A fender bender in a car, a serious injury or fatality on a bike. Sad, but true.
 
I don't know the stats, as far as if there's been an increase in motorcycle accidents. But the way I see many being driven, the accidents have to be more fatal. Overall motorcycle sales are somewhat diminishing over what they once were in years past.

That said, I have noticed that I'm seeing A LOT more aggressive riding lately, than I have in the past. This, coupled with much faster and more powerful motorcycles, are a combined recipe for disaster. This seems to be especially true with the high performance sport bikes, than it is with the older V twin riders.
I love motorcycles. Owned a few before I had my drivers license. Still would like to get back into it.

But I agree, the ones I see these days are ridden very aggressively.

A few years back, one of my sailors was killed when his liter bike hit the back of a stopped garbage truck at about 100 MPH.

I don’t know how new riders are taught, or if they’re taught, but the way many of those bikes are ridden on public roads isn’t helping anyone.
 
I told my son the same thing (or a slightly less scary variation) when I was teaching him to drive-if you assume the other driver is about to do something stupid & dangerous, you won't be surprised when it happens. A fender bender in a car, a serious injury or fatality on a bike. Sad, but true.
A critical point for new drivers - you can be 100% right, and still get in a crash.

You must watch, and be ready, for the stupidity and mistakes of others.
 
I owned a few motorcycles in my day, including a BMW, K-series and a’ boxer’ that was my favorite. I also owned a Harley FXRT. Had one fairly significant tumble on a Honda 250 and that was a wake-up call. Now that I’m old and fragile, my two-wheel days are over. Back when I was riding, cell phones weren’t that prolific as they are now. Today, people on the phone when they should be driving, makes riding a hell of a lot more dangerous. 😐
 
I use to ride, my last bike being a Aprilia Shiver 750. Sold the bike when my wife and I tried to have a baby.

But I don't miss riding.

Too much of my time riding was spent in survival mode. Like virtually every second I was riding.

Like, I'm on the freeway and am about to pass a slow vehcile on a narrow bridge, if he does a lane change into me, I have no escape path or, I'm going through this intersection, where's my escape if someone blows a red-light?

Riding was no longer fun to me.

People drive faster and more aggressively today because todays vehicles as a whole are faster and handle better. A 2.7L F150 can overtake a slow vehicle a lot better than a 20 year old Triton V8 5.4 F150 can.
 
the same BE CAREFUL responses, as if saying it again and again is appropriate,
Like, "Have a nice day" or, "Thank you for your service".
The more automatically sayings are rattled off, the less sincere they are.

My favorite is when a server or maitre d' asks, "Is everything alright?", while walking past your table without even slowing down.

I thought about a BMW K1100 a few years back. However, I had already decided it would be left in the mountains (low population density) for seasonal use, thus condemning it to accelerated aging.
The bike I found was deep within a shop's remote storage place since the owner wasn't riding regularly.

And +1 on the condolences.
I had a coworker >GREAT GUY< who grew up on motorcycles. A rut/seam threw him down and sent a grip into his abdomen.
Treating his ripped bladder had him in diapers for a year. His liver was gauged so badly they thought he'd die in the hospital.

BE CAREFUL (couldn't resist).
 
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Some, maybe even most of this is well meaning... but you'll have those the hold themselves out as some sort of enlightened being when they don't or stopped riding... They would have you die in your recliner watching married with children or some silliness...

Take a rider safety course, wear appropriate gear, maintaining your ride, and enjoy life.
 
The OPs comments are not without merit; it is somewhat annoying when folks tell you to be careful, as if you needed them to remind you of the dangers and appropriate safety measures to take. Still - most of them mean well. It's just odd that if you drove a car on your vacation, they may say nothing about driving, but if you ride on your vacation, it causes them concern.

I started street riding when I was 18 (rode dirt bikes since I was a kid). I've ridden on the street in all 48 lower states. I used to ride everywhere; both for pleasure and to work. I lost track of my total bike miles ridden many years ago. I'm probably as well versed about the dangers of MC riding as anyone.

And I gave it all up two years ago. Sold my Victory and haven't looked back. Most assuredly, I miss riding! But not enough to overcome my common sense. It's not really any one thing that got me out of riding; it's a combination of things, all of which are no longer in my control:
- driver distractions are way up due to cell phones (this is a big one!)
- I'm getting older; my strength is less, even though I still work out
- I'm getting older; my reactions are slower and there's nothing I can do to sharpen them
- I'm getting older; my eyesight (peripherial vision) is changing and there's nothing I can do to improve it
- I'm getting older; my ability to recover from injury is lessening, and there's nothing I can do to change it
I can be as "careful" as possible, but I cannot do anything to change these things listed above; not in a meaningful way which would tip the scales back into my favor.

I have a "bucket list" that includes riding in all 50 States. So when I go to HI this year, I will rent a bike for a day just to check that box. Same goes for AK, some day soon. I'm willing to take the risk for a few days duration. After that, I'm done with riding all together.

I have supplemented my lust for outdoor freedom with a convertible; my 2019 MX-5 achieves much of what I desire with a tad more safety. Admittedly, all the "dangers" listed above are still present, but the risk level is lower because the cage surrounds me. The risks are not gone; they are just muted to a lower level.
 
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