HOW DO YOU, PERSONALLY, DEAL WITH THE RISKS OF MOTORCYCLE RIDING?
Do you think it’s bad karma to talk about motorcycle crashes?
Do you even contemplate the possibility that you might get killed riding?
Or do you simply not think about it at all?
Yes, I have my own opinions on the matter, as you can experience in the video. But since this isn’t a topic I’ve spoken with many other riders about, I’m more interested in what goes on in your noggin regarding your own while-you’re-riding concept of motorcycle safety.
Please add your feedback below where it says “Leave a Reply” (scroll to the bottom).
Yes, deer are a problem if you commute early in the morning. I have had to dodge a few. They have to be the dumbest animals on the planet.
I live in the interior of British Columbia and been riding for years. I can predict most things but my biggest fear is those Deer.
I also commute each day early in the morning and have made myself very visible with the new neon yellow vests. Must always be on your toes when commuting because most people are sleepy and not paying attention to much, let alone a person on a motorcycle.
I’m a daily commuter and if you are not prepared to be aggressively defensive then your going to get in trouble. Put your bike in the lane where it can be seen and always assume others don’t see you. Watch behind you as much as on your sides. Look far down the road and plan your lane changes as far in advance as possible. Ease into corners, even the ones you know, because someone may have covered them in gravel or grass. Wear your gear, yes even when it’s hot. You never want this ride to be your last.
+1 on everything you said Joe
I don’t believe in karma, so no, I don’t think talking about motorcycle deaths is bad karma. Do I ever “contemplate” being killed while riding? Well, yeah, it crosses my mind from time to time as a possibility, but “contemplate” seems like to strong a word for me. That sounds to much like dwelling on the possibility. Maybe it’s not, but it seems that way to me. It crosses my mind, I tell myself life is good but can’t last forever, sudden death beats the heck out of dying of cancer or some other illness that can cause months or years of suffering and though it may seem nuts to lots of folks, bottom line is, living or dying, I’m in the Lords hands. That doesn’t relieve me of personal responsibility. In fact, it heightens my sense of personal responsibility. But it does relieve me of fear and worrying that serve no purpose concerning something that may or may not ever happen. It most certainly relieves me of any dread of “bad karma” which I think makes me stronger, wiser and more able to enjoy this life while I have it.
I’m Ron’s Rip and Shred pard and I concur with many of the intelligent and brave comments in here. Point of fact is; what you don’t practice, you will not attain.
RIDE YOUR OWN RIDE, but move over when WE want to come through; it’s not a big deal.
PRACTICE cone riding. That, my bro’s, is the shizzit. You don’t practice anything, you WILL NOT HAVE the skills that allow you to push the envelope.
If you are a flower sniffer, just read the third sentence. I would NEVER ask anyone to outride themselves, nor will I DISS you for just cruising.
We have another plan; we ride, we ride hard, we take a few chances, but not in your oncoming lane, not pulling you along, not outriding our Mojo.
That will get you or someone else dead, as in NOT BREATHING NOW…
Said it; now allow flaming to begin: we ride OUR ride, at OUR abilities and speed. Just move the freek over, ok?
@Ron: … and if you stop by the side of the road, you’ll have enough time to clean your shorts while you regain your mojo.
I agree with the correct mental state for riding hard and safe.
My friend and I ride heavily modified Cruisers. We can keep up with crotch rockets on the Tail of The Dragon. But, only if we have our MoJo. That is what we call it. If one of us hits some gravel and slides a tire or something happens out of the ordinary to scare you while your adrenaline is fully engaged and you’re in full race mode. Then we totally cool it untill the MoJo returns. It’s strange how it has happened to us and sometimes it happens at the same time.
So we call it MoJo. It’s a state of mind that allows us to ride in full race mode through the North Georgia Mountains and beyond. Once you loose it slow down and cool off mentally.
I agree Bill. I myself have learned a lot from books, magazines, riding courses, and DVDs through the years. I’ll refine my thoughts by saying: the total acknowledgement/ acceptance of danger frees our brains to fully focus and execute our acquired skills moment-to-moment regardless from where we learned them. Conversely, denial of danger clutters the mind interfering with situational awareness. Sounds almost Zen-like doesn’t it? Clear the mind, allow true motorcycling enlightenment to be reached. Lol. As a simple example, let’s pretend we are approaching an intersection with a car waiting to enter it from the right. If we are in danger-self-denial (“oh,he’ll see me, it’s a high visibility day”; “he’ll never go, I’m a badass motorcyclist, I have rights!”; “I have loud pipes, he should hear me coming”), we won’t be prepared when that driver pulls out and hits us. If, however, we have fully recognized that motorcycles are inherently dangerous (no metal cage, remember?), then as we approach said intersection we will be proactive, cover the horn button, move our bike position further to the left, and be prepared to ‘countersteer left’ if the car pulls out. Now consider how these situations really occur: in a rapid yet sporadic sequence dozens of times a minute. See the value of a clear mind? Essentially: Greater danger acknowledgement= greater responsibility for one’s own safety
Agree 100% Bill well put..
Always be in learning mode and books and DVDs can help as well as talking to other bikers and sharing your own collected wisdom.
Hi Mark, oh yes, definitely with you that we need to use our brains 100%: focus, concentration, alertness, staying calm, and not getting ruffled. But we don’t need to figure out good riding practices for ourselves. There are some great books, DVDs, and courses that already explain motorcycle safety and good riding. What I think we need to do is to use all that collective wisdom and experience and put it into use every time we go out.
And it’s worth reflecting on what we did right, and what we didn’t when we go out, and constantly tune our riding as we gain our own knowledge and experience of this great craft.
But I still endorse what Norm has said..
There is a certain mental state required to reduce risk in biking.
That state accepts and actively works to conquer the risk..
Motorcycling is not just a fun outdoor experience. It is a full-on brain experience using all the brain faculties; balance, reflexes, concentration, situational awareness and as you have suggested Bill even intellectual pondering and learning from the wisdom of others. It all comes into play..
I wasn’t thinking about getting killed on two incidents. Both had a common denominator. I relaxed my guard and both cases involved being tired and on curves going a little fast. Mountain curves going downward is definitely not the same as flat Texas curves. 40 lbs. of saddle bags and duffle bags added to more instability on a curve. A balding rear tire added to another unsafe condition which I was unaware. I almost side swiped an on coming car coming toward me when I lost control for just a second!
The other time years ago I escaped snow in Colorado but dropped my guard because I relaxed thinking snow danger was past. I was going probably 50 mph when the curve sign was 40 mph max. I was on the curve when I barely went off the road onto the gravel shoulder losing traction. instinct and past experience made me not use my front brake while leaning on that curve. I got back on the road but for days I reflected on that close call.
So, don’t speed even a little on downward mountain curves. Speed & curves don’t mix. There is a serious reason why folks call some curves, “Dead Man’s Curve”.
Please Folks, Stop making a big deal out of crashing on a Motorcycle. Nowadays a Big Piece of a Air Plane could fall out of the Sky and Kill you. We cannot ride around while looking up in the sky the whole time or that could cause you to die.
Respect your Machine, Practice the Ride Like a Pro series of DVD’s as much as you can because when you can ride like Jerry the motor man you will be in the top two percent of riders in the Nation. That makes you a very safe Rider big time.
I have also learned to ride faster than the traffic is safer (fastersafer.com) Is very helpful.
Lastly, Pray!
God Bless You All
Hi Norm Quan, I’m not sure if we need to figure out motorcycle roadcraft with our own brains. There are some great books and courses prepared by the collective wisdom and experience of some of the best motorcyclists around such as police motorcyclists and senior testers. Following this sound advice means we don’t have to figure it all out for ourselves.
I freely admit to myself and others that motorcycling is inherently dangerous. No matter what gear you wear, no matter how “safe” the conditions, no matter how much experience you have, no matter how “careful” you are, the one major downfall of motorcycles is their lack of safety. Let’s all own up to this fact, both to riders, non-riders, acquaintences, and family members. Mainly, let’s admit it to ourselves. Once we do this, then when we get on our bike, our brains are free to concentrate on on the tasks at hand: body position, input control, visual discipline, hazard recognition, etc. Can you see the mental mechanism going on here? By acknowledging the danger, our brains now figure out all the ways it can to master the craft of motorcycling thereby increasing our control and reducing risk. There will always be that last several percent of danger remaining in motorcycling activity. Embrace that danger because it is what gives motorcycling the Adrenaline Rush most of us crave.
I agree with all the comments… mostly with the gut feeling… safe riders know when to say when.. happy rides to everyone…
Have been riding for over 40 years and can honestly say that I never think about it. I always “feel” my bike when I ride and rely on my riding knowledge, skills and ability that riding that long has given me. I average 25,000 miles a year, have ridden in all kinds of weather conditions and have never dropped my bike or been in a serious accident. I use all the safety gear and most important, I ride my own ride and never let anyone push me. Take it for what its worth.
Agree. I find my comfort zone and ride within it. I don’t obsess about what may happen; rather, I do think about what I can control and try to sharpen my skills and abilities to improve that control. Obsessing about being injured or worse is like looking off the side of the road on a tight corner; your bike will go where your eyes are looking. I am aware that if I misjudge that corner and focus my eyes on the cliff or rock face or whatever, then I will probably end up establishing a first-hand acquaintance with said cliff or rock face. So I’m aware of it but I focus on the skillls and abilities that will ensure I can carve the corner without establishing such an acquaintanceship. No, I don’t obsess on the dangers. Like Felix said, you’re born dying. Don’t stop living. Be aware of the dangers. Hone your skills. Exercise good judgement. Take care of your bike and gear. Practice ATGATT. And enjoy the moment.
I am not afraid to ride but I am careful when I do ride. I will not ride outside my ability or that of my bike or tyres. If I ride a road frequently and there is a stretch or corner of it that I feel uncomfortable with, I will practice there to find a better line or breaking point, or even check for safety area’s/zone that I can use when in trouble. The tyres on the bike I replace as a combo, does not matter what the condition of the better tyre is.
I don’t ever think about it before a ride. I try to be careful and watch out for the other guy, but if you stop doing what you love because there’s a chance you might die then you may as well be dead already. Stop taking in sugar, stop driving on the highway, etc, etc. Everything in this world is out to get you. You can’t stop living because you might die. I try to be careful when riding and I’ve had some close calls in my 46 years of riding, but not once have I ever considered quitting. That hasn’t even crossed my mind. Your born dying, but you can’t stop living.
Totally agree, Robert G. Easterling. Also if you are out with other bikers and they are driving too fast for you then don’t feel you have to take risks to keep up with them. If they won’t wait for you, then they are not worth riding with.
Never drive outside of your own limits or the limits of your machine. .
pretty cool article it really puts in perspective how fellow riders think, hopefully more questions in the future
i totally agree with kevin brown, i think it best sums it up for a lot of riders, being a recreational rider myself for over 40 years, if something does not feel right as a rider before my trip, i either cut ir short or clean my bike, just a thought dennis kranes
I am not a commuter and ride for recreational purposes.
When I am on the bike and I don’t feel connected and in the groove so to speak I cut the ride short. There is no point in having an unfocused rider in among blind cage operators.
No, I don’t think about the getting killed issue – that makes for a tense ride . Relaxed and vigilant riding is where its at.
I am very careful who I ride with. People that ride with you that have poor riding skills can kill you just like the guy driving a car. One of the first things I do when I ride with someone I haven’t ridden with before is to notice if they use their front brake at all times while stopping. You car also get clues from what they wear; such as no helmet. I have been riding regularly since 1965.
One other thing – I have learned if I’m not feeling very close to 100%, I delay riding until another day. Gut feelings – they are quite reliable !
I try to renew what knowledge I have by re-reading lots of articles, and comments of advice – especially after the long winter when I haven’t ridden lately.
But I do not dwell on it – what you think about obsessively, whether good or bad, is what will happen. I try to be prepared with knowing my fellow riders, and an escape route, but if it happens, then it does.
enjoyed reading comments, been a rider for 50 years, i beleive you fellows best summed it up, keep up the good insight and stay alert, happy riding