"Be Careful"

[repairman54]

My wife and I are still riding in our late sixties, but we do not ride on weekends. Weekdays between rush hour near towns and rural now only since being retired. Most close calls I've had were on weekends when the cages are all in hurry and distracted. I've cut down on night riding also since Bambi's have become a bigger hazard over the years around me and I've ''grilled'' a few in my 4 wheeled vehicles.
Always have a real helmet on, no Tupper wear skid lids, and gloves also. I've had minor dumps and gloves are must to protect hands.
If you have the misfortune to go down at least with gloves on to limit hand road rash you can hold a remote and a barley pop LOL.
Sport bike riders on the street thinking they are on a track have gotten way out of hand. My advice is get a cheap track bike, join a club and do track days to really see how good you are where you can't slide under a guard rail or hit a tree. Urban riders are the worst, 90 mph wheelies on the interstate heading out of town and crazy lane changes is a common thing. Bike riding is not a video game.
I ride my snowmobiles harder than my street bikes and they can kill you quickly also with over 130hp on tap.

 

[Kira]

It's just odd that if you drove a car on your vacation,

....and towed a trailer, possibly for the first time, people might mention it too because it's more dangerous than just driving.
Just sayin'

 

[tnt_motorsports]

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.

FWIW @HangFire I have a couple friends that have bikes. I usually tell them to be careful as well. My intentions are not that they are being reckless but to watch out for other drivers. I see it very often around here in the summer where people ignore or are complacent to cyclists, both pedal and motor. I wonder if that is the same situation for you. Anyway enjoy your rides.

Just my $0.02

 

[andrewg]

After decades of off and on motorcycling with just about every conceivable bike size, I gave it up last year. I'm 60 now and just don't have the reflexes and courage to ride anymore. Too many close calls. I'm getting close to retirement and I want to live to see it. And no....I don't miss riding at all and tend to pat myself on the back for stopping.

 

[wpod]

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.

Astro, Roy Rodgers the Tv cowboy quote was posted in one of my daughters horse magazines and it read. When I was young and fell off of a Horse I bounced. Now at my age if I fell off a Horse I would splat. When I was 21 years old I crashed a bike at 125 mph it was a nice crash . Any way I went to work that night. At 70 years old if I crashed the same would Idie. As we get older it takes longer to heal or never being able to heal. I love riding M/C but now I don't.

 

[Astro14]

Astro, Roy Rodgers the Tv cowboy quote was posted in one of my daughters horse magazines and it read. When I was young and fell off of a Horse I bounced. Now at my age if I fell off a Horse I would splat. When I was 21 years old I crashed a bike at 125 mph it was a nice crash . Any way I went to work that night. At 70 years old if I crashed the same would Idie. As we get older it takes longer to heal or never being able to heal. I love riding M/C but now I don't.

Perhaps getting back into it at my age is a fantasy.

It’s been 40 years since I sold my last motorcycle. An RM-125.

But a buddy just got a K1600 GTL, wants to do some touring.

He‘s going to need some company, so…

 

[853okg]

Put me in the resentment camp. My favorite is when they inevitably say something like “My uncle is an emergency room nurse so I was never allowed to ride.” Then they tell you all about the squid on meth who got decapitated riding his GSXR under a semi.
They do the same with firearms. “When you see all the folks in Chicago General who get their limbs blown off with AK 45s you’d never own a gun!” Uh, okay. Enjoy your trip to Malawi.

 

[CCI]

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.

Good rant -- this is a thought-provoking thread.

I always regarded the "be careful" as gratuitous and condescending, and I usually just considered the source and blew it off. But now that you mention it, after hundreds of thousands of miles on a motorcycle with nobody monitoring my thus-far successful progress, maybe I won't let that pass anymore. Maybe next time somebody says "be careful" I reply, ""Y'know, I wasn't going to be, but just because you said so, I will see if I can avoid hitting any bridge abutments today."

 

[Jay Freddy]

People are weird about motorcycles.

A neighbor at my apartment complex complained to the front office that I had parked "too close" to their car, and they were "afraid to open their car door".

I was parked in the middle of a regular car-sized parking space, a full space over from their car...

These same people have given me the "be careful" admonishment before as well. I think they mean well, so that's how I take it.

A friend of mine lost her brother in a motorcycle accident, and if we ever get together and I'm on a bike, I have to hide the bike and helmet or she gets really emotional. This, despite the fact that her brother rode without a helmet or protective gear for years, and his favorite motorcycle activity was bar hopping...

I've had my share of close calls too. Life is a gamble. I try to avoid rush hour traffic and busy roads where people routinely drive like aggressive idiots. And I make sure I'm home safely before the bars let out.

I wear a full face helmet, gloves, and an armored jacket, but I'm not wearing $200 kevlar jeans... You gotta find the balance that works for you.

The majority of other bikers I see on the road are wearing significantly less gear than I do, and probably half aren't even wearing helmets.

I really wish the police would enforce the existing laws against phone usage while driving.

Rubber side down...

 

[repairman54]

Perhaps getting back into it at my age is a fantasy.

It’s been 40 years since I sold my last motorcycle. An RM-125.

But a buddy just got a K1600 GTL, wants to do some touring.

He‘s going to need some company, so…

My wife got her m/c license at 50 which is way past the fearless days of our youth. Was not comfortable on 2 wheels so she switched to a Spyder and is happy and in the wind.
We ride with 2 other couples occasionally and one couple are in their 80's, the other in the 70's. Both on Spyders riding 2 up. My Road King is starting to get heavy so I can see myself on a Spyder in the future. No traditional trikes for me, too unstable.
Enjoy yourself while you can, our last day is out of our hands no matter how hard we can try to delay it.

 

[Cujet]

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,

They are not wrong. Cell phone use and very busy streets have made an already dangerous activity, even more so.

Since 2008, the death rate rose 25% per mile ridden.

 

[Kira]

Since 2008, the death rate rose 25% per mile ridden.

Is that a national statistic....15 years to go up 25%?
Does that include what appears to be a huge increase in scooters and 2-wheeled delivery bikes?
Are the electric bikes included?

 

[barryh]

I sympathise with motorcyclists being resentful of the constant assumption that motorcycling is inevitably dangerous. Cyclists don't come in for the same comment even though they are far more vulnerable. Some of them go pretty quick down hill too. Frankly I wouldn't relish the idea of doing even 30 mph with only a thin layer of Lycra between me and gravel rash.

I don't believe motorcycling is inevitably dangerous, I've ridden motorcycles for most of the last 54 years and haven't had an accident since I was 17. In fact I've had more accidents in cars than bikes. Approaching 70 I don't feel particularly unsafe but I do ride conservatively. It's still fun and that's all that counts. I do know 70 year olds with very fast modern bikes and wonder how safe they are. I think it's an image thing that prevents them riding something more modest. In 1976 I owned the fastest mass produced motor cycle available at the time and it's a fond memory but I don't feel the need to repeat it now.

Yes other road users are a problem, the only thing I can do is be conspicuous as possible and avoid the peak commuting times when drivers are tired and just want to get home. Easily done in retirement. There's something of a parallel between what you wear and the size of bike you ride. When I gave up the black leather image in favour of a Hi visibility and a white helmet, it was a hard decision to make, but the reduction in near misses was so noticeable that I would never go back.

I honestly don't know when I'll stop riding, just hope I'll recognise when it's the right time.

 

[wpod]

Perhaps getting back into it at my age is a fantasy.

It’s been 40 years since I sold my last motorcycle. An RM-125.

But a buddy just got a K1600 GTL, wants to do some touring.

He‘s going to need some company, so…

Astro , Flying the plane is way better !

 

[Cujet]

Is that a national statistic....15 years to go up 25%?
Does that include what appears to be a huge increase in scooters and 2-wheeled delivery bikes?
Are the electric bikes included?

It does not include e-bikes, bicycles or 50cc scooters. Just the larger machines that are classified as motorcycles. It also includes the Slingshot and 3 wheel vehicles.

Another way to look at it. Here in FL, motorcycles account for well less than 1% of the vehicle miles traveled, yet 17% of all traffic fatalities.

I absolutely love riding motorcycles, and my idea of heaven includes a wonderful off road ride with a big bore, high HP, competition dirt bike, on glorious terrain. Back to the the OP, people that care about you and your safety will say such things. Tell them thanks, give them a smile and enjoy life the way you want. It should come as no surprise that real men, intelligent and capable men, often take huge risks. The motorcycle is generally not statistically among those huge risks.

 

[leadcounsel]

Like many, I owned a street bike for awhile and made the personal decision the risk was not worth any 'reward,' but I also didn't find any reward. Suiting up in leathers and helmet on a 90 degree day lost its appeal. Not being able to transport anything or anyone easily, converse, relax, or listen to music lost its appeal. Getting stuck in rainstorms and getting soaked or delaying travel, lost its appeal. Two near death events, which would have been non-events in a car, was the final straw for me. Never looked back, don't miss it.

Accident stats, and low survivability or high fatality rates on bikes, cannot be ignored.

I've never known anyone that died in a car accident, although there have been a few extended people such as in my school. But they'd have also died if on a bike. I have known a few people injured in car accidents, who would have crippled or killed on a bike. Most car accidents, you can walk away from. Car with a window down is fine with me.

But I've met several severely injured cripples, had a friend who was an amputee, girlfriends dad was an amputee, and a guy in my unit was smoked by a GMC Yukon died instantly, and several people in my more extended networks dead. On on bikes. Fender benders can cause serious injuries. T-boned, forget it. Basically if you get into an accident, no matter how trivial, it's a severe injury, amputation, or death. No thanks. I have known badly injured people who, if were in a car rather than a bike, would be totally fine.

I value life far, far too much to be on two wheels. YMMV. Enjoy it!

 

[leadcounsel]

But I don't miss riding.

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

Riding was no longer fun to me.

This captures much of my experience. Too many instances of white knuckled driving. Especially people who don't see you, pull out or merge and are a threat. Too much evasive action, constant state of defensive alert, etc. I found it just overly stressful, TBH.

 

[loneryder]

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 have a t-shirt that says on the back "sorry if my loud pipes are bothering your phone call". I used to get a lot of thumbs up from cagers.

 

[PWMDMD]

Astro, Roy Rodgers the Tv cowboy quote was posted in one of my daughters horse magazines and it read. When I was young and fell off of a Horse I bounced. Now at my age if I fell off a Horse I would splat. When I was 21 years old I crashed a bike at 125 mph it was a nice crash . Any way I went to work that night. At 70 years old if I crashed the same would Idie. As we get older it takes longer to heal or never being able to heal. I love riding M/C but now I don't.

I felt the same way about the last time I went skiing. I have a 17-year-old who can backflip like it's nothing and he's a phenomenal downhill and park skier. The last time I went it had been 10 or so years and I went to the top, looked down, and pictured myself running into a tree and dying or at least breaking a leg, and made my way down to the lodge and there I stayed. It just wasn't worth it anymore. Sadly, a 60ish-year-old guy died after hitting a tree last week.

 

[PWMDMD]

Two month-long rotations through the ED at a level one trauma center and I will never own a "donorcycle". In those two months, I saw a handful of motorcycle accidents and all were devastating and there were 2 or 3 fatalities.