Selling the Harley Today.

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In my opinion you made a great decision and should be very happy about it....and don't even glance back. Where I work (large facility) I know of two fellas about your age that rode all the time and were very safe riders. One, riding a Harley with his wife on the back, had a car turn right in front of him on an empty country road. Killed his wife. Another guy who was EXTREMELY safe and was known for his skill....was on a mountain road with a bunch of friends on a club ride. He was riding in the last position. On a particularly winding section the main group noticed that he was not following and lost sight of him. They all pulled off and one guy went back to look for him. A mile or two back he was found. He somehow road off the edge of a sharp corner (skid marks showing and lose gravel as well) and flew off a high embankment and slammed into a tree. Had to be airlifted out....took him six months to even know who he was....lost most of his mental abilities and ended up in early retirement. He was once a strong, capable man. Now he has the capacity of a five year old.
No....don't regret it at all. Yes, you can die doing many things. But at least you eliminated one. Many other fun and safe things to do in life.
 
Sad day to see it go, but I too have gotten to that point where I know personally too many people killed in motorcycle accidents that they were not at fault in. Three people in the last six years or so, and another couple that was seriously hurt and just getting back on their feet again after months of recovery.

I know enough people who've died in car accidents too, but the percentages are too high on the motorcycle side. Getting T-boned, or turned into by oncoming traffic is not the way I want to go...

Plenty of fun to be had in the new ride though, especially with our warm spring!
smile.gif
 
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
too many people killed in motorcycle accidents that they were not at fault in.


Not my mindset, I'm not a victim. - they are not accidents, and while the rider may not take the blame, there are a lot of things to stack in your favour. I don't like to ride in cities, but it's just what you are used to - do it everyday and it's not so bad.

I've just come back from a 300km ride on some of the best motorcycling roads in the world - I'm never selling my bike because I'm too scared to ride.
 
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
Sad day to see it go, but I too have gotten to that point where I know personally too many people killed in motorcycle accidents that they were not at fault in. Three people in the last six years or so, and another couple that was seriously hurt and just getting back on their feet again after months of recovery.

I know enough people who've died in car accidents too, but the percentages are too high on the motorcycle side. Getting T-boned, or turned into by oncoming traffic is not the way I want to go...

Plenty of fun to be had in the new ride though, especially with our warm spring!
smile.gif



True, neighbor to the West.

Silk: You don't know what a lot of drivers are like here... I trust it's far different there.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg
In my opinion you made a great decision and should be very happy about it....and don't even glance back. Where I work (large facility) I know of two fellas about your age that rode all the time and were very safe riders. One, riding a Harley with his wife on the back, had a car turn right in front of him on an empty country road. Killed his wife. Another guy who was EXTREMELY safe and was known for his skill....was on a mountain road with a bunch of friends on a club ride. He was riding in the last position. On a particularly winding section the main group noticed that he was not following and lost sight of him. They all pulled off and one guy went back to look for him. A mile or two back he was found. He somehow road off the edge of a sharp corner (skid marks showing and lose gravel as well) and flew off a high embankment and slammed into a tree. Had to be airlifted out....took him six months to even know who he was....lost most of his mental abilities and ended up in early retirement. He was once a strong, capable man. Now he has the capacity of a five year old.
No....don't regret it at all. Yes, you can die doing many things. But at least you eliminated one. Many other fun and safe things to do in life.


Sums it up well. Plus, I have little to no time to enjoy it much.
 
Coming back from the gun show yesterday, I watched a doofus in a Prius abruptly change lanes running a Dodge (Jeep?) Nitro completely off the road with the usual big cloud of dirt and debris as the victim vehicle spun and slid to a stop. This was a couple of minutes after the Prius nearly ran me off the road 'merging' unto the turnpike.

A bike would have had no chance - fatality or serious injuries at best. Prius driver drove on, badly, blissfully unaware of, or simply not caring about, the mayhem he just caused.

It's insane to ride a motorcycle on public roads. Been there, done that, never again.
 
Originally Posted By: Silk
Originally Posted By: MNgopher
too many people killed in motorcycle accidents that they were not at fault in.


Not my mindset, I'm not a victim. - they are not accidents, and while the rider may not take the blame, there are a lot of things to stack in your favour. I don't like to ride in cities, but it's just what you are used to - do it everyday and it's not so bad.

I've just come back from a 300km ride on some of the best motorcycling roads in the world - I'm never selling my bike because I'm too scared to ride.

You're not a victim yet.....and hopefully you may never be. I don't really know if your point was to use that word to describe all those that decide NOT to ride anymore....or that you think by having a mindset that you are not a 'victim' and not being scared....that somehow you'll never be injured or killed on a bike. There is only so much a person can do on a motorcycle to be safe. In my opinion those that ride them put WAY too much faith in the idiots around them and also in their abilities to 'avoid' accidents. There are just so many circumstances where being defensive on a bike will do you zero good. I used to ride as well. As I got older it was not worth the risk to me anymore. Call it being 'scared' if you wish. Just try and remember what fear is.
 
Ego also plays an important factor when thinking an accident won't happen to you when riding defensively and minding your own business.
 
Originally Posted By: LT4 Vette
Ego also plays an important factor when thinking an accident won't happen to you when riding defensively and minding your own business.

Good point. As a replacement for my former motorcycle riding I got into watercraft for a while. Great fun, much more safe if you follow the rules of operation, and has that same feeling of freedom...speed...and fun that bikes gave me. Even more fun actually.
 
Stay off the highway. Tiny back roads. Honda CBR250R and Honda Helix. Helix for shopping and pure relaxation and the CBR for a little excitement.
 
Originally Posted By: ex_MGB
Stay off the highway. Tiny back roads. Honda CBR250R and Honda Helix. Helix for shopping and pure relaxation and the CBR for a little excitement.



It's NOT just on the highway!

I was on a small 2 lane road and a lady fell asleep or whatever and was coming into my lane RIGHT AT ME!

I had to take the narrow, gravel strip and almost wiped out there too.

The problems & close calls are "everywhere". Crazy BAD drivers up here!
 
Originally Posted By: tpitcher
Originally Posted By: ex_MGB
Stay off the highway. Tiny back roads. Honda CBR250R and Honda Helix. Helix for shopping and pure relaxation and the CBR for a little excitement.



It's NOT just on the highway!

I was on a small 2 lane road and a lady fell asleep or whatever and was coming into my lane RIGHT AT ME!

I had to take the narrow, gravel strip and almost wiped out there too.

The problems & close calls are "everywhere". Crazy BAD drivers up here!




They are just about everywhere in the U.S. Dangerous as it is in a CAR.....I can no longer even imagine myself on a motorcycle anymore.
 
Yesterday I saw a guy crossing the street get hit by a car. This is twice now in a few years. Both were wearing sneakers. Today I threw away all my sneakers. I feel safer now.
Besides, I am 64 now and I am too old to be wearing sneakers.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
Originally Posted By: FowVay
I go to Germany just to drive flat-out on their autobahns.
Envy


+1
 
Originally Posted By: Win
Coming back from the gun show yesterday, I watched a doofus in a Prius abruptly change lanes running a Dodge (Jeep?) Nitro completely off the road with the usual big cloud of dirt and debris as the victim vehicle spun and slid to a stop. This was a couple of minutes after the Prius nearly ran me off the road 'merging' unto the turnpike.


This is one reason I like large cars: I will not GO off the road. I will simply HIT the Prius and let HIM go in the ditch.
 
Originally Posted By: Studebaker
Yesterday I saw a guy crossing the street get hit by a car. This is twice now in a few years. Both were wearing sneakers. Today I threw away all my sneakers. I feel safer now.
Besides, I am 64 now and I am too old to be wearing sneakers.

Sarcastic analogy I see. Not applicable....but whatever.
 
Does anyone else think it is safer to ride at night? I don't mean riding around town on a Friday or Saturday night when there might be drunks on the road, but just after night fall in general when there would be less traffic and your headlamps would make you more visible. It seems other cars rushing around and not seeing the motorcycle are the main hazzard.

Although around here it's not really that warm at night until around Summer time and nightfall would be pretty late at night.
 
Originally Posted By: andrewg

You're not a victim yet.....


I've been a victim a few times, and most often a victim to my own riding. I don't know your riding history, but in the game of how many crashes I might win by a long way. I don't come from my mindset by being a perfect rider who never does anything wrong...I'm like a reformed smoker. A motorcyclist's life is in their own hands, not the hands of others. If that means you stop riding then so be it, but it's not the way I'm giving up.
 
Originally Posted By: Silk
Originally Posted By: andrewg

You're not a victim yet.....


I've been a victim a few times, and most often a victim to my own riding. I don't know your riding history, but in the game of how many crashes I might win by a long way. I don't come from my mindset by being a perfect rider who never does anything wrong...I'm like a reformed smoker. A motorcyclist's life is in their own hands, not the hands of others. If that means you stop riding then so be it, but it's not the way I'm giving up.

I understand what you are saying.....and I think I also see a bit of bravado in your personality. Nothing really wrong with that. However....I disagree that a motorcyclists life is completely in their own hands. It's simply not. While much can be done to prevent or reduce the likelihood of accidents on a bike.....there is NOTHING you can do when the actions of others allows you ZERO preparation or response time. Nothing. It's as simple as that.
 
I'd even go a step further and note this isn't restricted to motorcycling. The reality is that things happen (insert your own saying there as the case may be).

Life is made up of a very long series of risks. We're constantly reviewing and adjusting based on our perceptions of risk. For some of us, the enjoyment, etc, of motorcycling is now outweighed by our percieved risk to ourselves by enjoying it.

And honestly, that's OK. Everyone's tolerance for risk is different.
 
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