Need new perspective on riding.

I was a member of the forum years ago and have once again purchased a 1985 xj700n. I has been sitting outside for about 7 years in the elements and I have been working little by little bringing it back to life. A few weeks ago I was driving my truck to work and was unfortunate enough to see an accident directly in front of me involving a car and a bullet bike. As usual it was not the bikes fault but it was a real mess. This is not the first time I have seen an accident and I have been involved in accidents myself, but it really left me with a negative impact. The young girl that was the passenger looked alot like one of my daughters and this shook me up. Can you gentlemen in your wisdom give me some words of advice to get me back on the path to have some excitement and even courage to finish the project and get back on the road.

Neorvously waiting your responses.

 

Bottom line is it's a dangerous hobby/sport/pastime. One mistake can injure you or worse.

In my opinion anybody that isn't a little bit on pins and needles is more likely to get hurt. I know all of my close calls happened when I was too comfortable.

I hardly ever ride that I don't have to react to someone else's mistake. If I ever fail to anticipate the other drivers mistake I'll be in trouble.

In any case, finish the bike. That is in and of itself a pleasant pastime. If you decide riding isn't for you you can then sell it.

 

Don't ride on main streets, and ASSUME that some clown WILL run a stop sign, traffic light, pull directly out in front of you or over ONTO you, etc.

It's up to YOU to protect yourself when you are at such a huge dis-advantage being on a bike. Although the issue of guilt in traffic accidents can normally be determined, the concept of taking control of your situation and being hyper-vigilant for any possible dangers or potential dangers and taking proper actions is vastly unappreciated and ignored. ANY thought or conception of "rights"---i.e. the "right" to share the road, the "right" to proceed smoothly through a green sgnal without slowing down, etc. goes right out the window when you are out-weighed 10-to-1. YOU ARE A BUNNY, THEY ARE THE WOLVES, AND IF YOU GET CAUGHT FOR WHATEVER REASON YOU LOSE, PERIOD.

Super-paranoid and dis-trustful of your fellow humans is a great frame of mind to adopt as soon as the helmet goes on.

 

RIGHT ON LEN. I myself also try to avoid freeways/interstates because when it comes to a bike and an 80mph semi, you are the bunny and it is tyrannosaurus rex! The ONLY way to survive out there is to be SUPERALERT at all times because the idiot WILL come out of nowhere. Just because you are crossing an intersection with a green light doesn't mean a bozo won't just run it. I like to use a cager as a screen crossing urban intersections. In my 43 years riding street bikes, I've been in two accidents. One was my testosterone-riddled teenage self's fault, the other was technically not, but I hold myself responsible for not ANTICIPATING the clown in the Toyota. Of course, out here in the boonies we have deer too, which makes life interesting especially at dusk...all told however, this is the greatest pastime there is in terms of the peace it can bring to your soul, you just have to keep the brain on "11" all the time like a fighter pilot.

 

That is a good strategy, as long as there is the constant recognition and realization that your screen will become your enemy if they panic while crossing hte intersection in reaction to an oncoming car, etc. Of course, it's better to be hit at 10mpg (the relative speed difference of a swerving lane-changer) and allow them to take the brunt of the 2-ton punishment, but still..........

Very good analogy, role-playing in that way is a good mental exercise. Gotta watch for them bogeys and not let them get missle-lock on you!

 

Its true, riding can be dangerous, but I usually feel that I'm safer on my bike than in my car. Why? Similar to others who have already posted, on a bike you are hyperaware of your surroundings, if you're riding like you mean it. You're smaller than everyone else, but at the same time you're faster, more agile, better braking and acceleration, a better and more complete view of the road and everything on it, and you PAY ATTENTION, which is worth more than everything else on the list x2. In a car... sure you can ram headfirst into a brick wall at 45 MPH and (possibly) come out ok, but you can also drink coffee, talk on the phone, daydream, even fall asleep... you're disconnected from the road and everything else around you in a hundred ways that no good rider could ever tolerate on a bike. I'd rather make a thousand mile trip on a bike than a car any day, not just for the joy of riding, or even the gas milage, but because I can honestly say that I'm more confident that I'll arrive at the other end in one piece, because on a bike you are always proactive, wheras, in a car, even the best and most experienced drivers get lazy.

Maybe I'm a more alert rider than most (I doubt it! I consider myself average) or maybe I'm a bad driver (also unlikely, although I admit I have been saved on occasion by sheer dumb luck more than anything, I doubt I'm alone there).

In short, wear your helmet, check your tire pressure, and keep doing what you've probably always done; scan the road. Watch those rough spots, the patch areas that might be gravely, the overtaking truck with the wobbly wheel, the driver 1/2 mile away who seems to be falling asleep, the speed traps of course. As others have said, take personal responsibility for your own safety, and don't trust traffic laws to keep you safe. You'll be fine.

 

Well, folks ... I figure it's like this.
Every time you put-on the helmet, turn the key to ON and hit the Start Button; you're pushing all your chips into the pot betting you and the bike are going to come-back in one piece.

You make that bet every single time you flip-up the sidestand and put the Bike in motion.
To win the bet; you play for keeps.
You cannot afford to make one mistake.
You morph out of the relaxed mode into the ride mode.
Ultimately, you are responsible for yourself and being acutely aware of each and every other object anywhere near you; moving or not!

You have to be in control of the moment and several moments into the future to survive.
Fortunately, much of what you need to do, you will do on instinct. Because you have enough experience to know what lurks ahead that could place you at risk for losing the bet and permanently ending your turn to enjoy being a player ever again!

Tonight, you are back from playing the game; but know better than to count your winnings.
The whole bankroll gets played every single time you take your turn.

You go "All in" whether you go 'round the block or keep hoping to find an open gas station, soon.

It's always for the highest stakes.
You'd better know how to play well, because you need to react to every new situation in a heartbeat.

Even if the next time you mess-up is only your first; you can't afford to make that mistake because it damn well might be your last!

 

take a MSF course.
they can help teach evasive maneavurs

 

Although I don't usually feel safer on a bike like Peli, I just had an near death event last week on my way to work that kind of backs-up what he says.

I was just entering an intersection at 40mph with a cager as a screen 2 lanes to my right, when from approaching traffic center lane (not the turn lane) an obviously confused elderly woman swerves to make a left turn directly in front of me. It was as if she saw no one even though there was plenty of traffic.

Her poor hubby in the passenger seat saw me and probably filled his drawers. I squeezed that clutch lever, didn't even try to brake, swerved left and by some miracle just missed 'em.

Once I realized I made it, I thought OK now this is a dream, I'll be waking up in ICU any second or see the light at the end of the tunnel. Luckily it was real. But if I had driven my SUV that day, that old couple would be dead and I would have been in the hospital for sure.

Like Rick says, it's a gamble. Not just on bikes, but everytime you step out.

To stay on the alert, my riding mantra is "they're trying to kill me, they're trying to kill me..." I should probably use it when driving my cage too.

Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

I CAN'T say it any better then that..

 

I know where you're coming from, FR. When I was living in San Fransisco in the late eighties, I saw an accident that put me off bikes for a good long while.
I was driving a cab at the time, and a young woman was riding just ahead of me on a CB400F. We were both travelling at a pretty good clip along Dolores St., which is a wide, tree-lined boulevard. Approaching a green-light intersection, I noticed a car barrelling downhill from the right on the cross street. I just knew this guy wasn't going to stop. I braked, the girl didn't, and she was killed instantly. It was the most violent and disturbing thing I've ever witnessed.
After the accident, I found myself riding scared. The pleasure of motorcycling was gone, replaced by extreme tension and a sense of impending doom every time I threw a leg over. I sold my bike shortly thereafter, and didn't ride again for a couple of years.
Over time, the horrible images of that night faded, and my passion for bikes was rekindled. I started riding again, and I haven't stopped since.
Feel it out. If you find that riding brings you more anxiety than joy, move on to something else. If you really love being on the bike, stick with it. Take it slow, make a conscious effort to improve your skills, and build your confidence. Bear in mind that the overwhelming majority of reasonably safe and sane motorcyclists live to a ripe old age.
Whatever your level of skill and experience, riding will always be, to a greater or lesser degree, a risk/reward kind of deal. That is something we all have to come to terms with in our own way.

 

Like many of you, I quit riding years ago. I was lucky enough to not have witnessed anything horrific, but just seeing the idiotic moves drivers make on the road led me to a point where I wasn't going to replace the Honda I had sold.

Fast forward 20 years, I live and work well out of the city. Actually, very rural.

Since starting to ride again, I see EVERYTHING that is going on around me...front, back, both sides. Every car coming on an ajoining road is watched carefully, even if they appear to be slowing or stopping and I've got a strategy figured out long before I get to them as to what to do if they do something stupid.

 

about 10-12 years ago my brother was run off the road by a drunk driver. It was coming down a mountain up north and he ran through the side rail and fell into a 100ft ravine. He was in a coma for 8 months, had to learn how to talk, speak, read and write again.. Major major damage. (he's 100% fine now)

He still rides today - his words 'I am not letting one a-hole ruin this for me, I just have to be more alert"

Do what you love, love what you do!

 

Start out early Sat and Sun morning, 8;00 AM, on pre-planned country loops so the road won't surprise you, and 95% of traffic is still in bed.

I'm a biiiig bunny !

 

Amen. Dawn Patrol. Leave at dawn, not only is 95% of the traffic not even awake yet, the Sheriff patrol is still in the donut shop...and having a relatively safe place to ride my Norton is one of the reasons I live far out of the city.

 

Thanks all for the input. It has been insightful and informative. I will have to keep working on the bike and see what comes. Hope to be able to make some meaningful contributions to the sight in the future.

Keep smiling, it makes them wonder what you're up to.

 

Thanks for all the input. It has been insightful and helpful. I thank you for your suggestions the motivation. Especially your compassion and understanding. I guess I will keep working on the bike and see what happens.

Keep smiling, it makes them wonder what you're up to.

 

Good posts. I so agree with being hyper aware of the traffic and environment around you at all times. We have lots of wild life in Wisconsin and bad drivers. I don't completely relax knowing what may exist out there. I also know when I think I am so good that I can avoid everything out there, it is time to get off the bike for good. The battle with the wolves and the bunnies, the wolves will always win.

 

Very few things you do are without risk. People are unexepectantly hurt or killed from all sorts of events in all sorts of settings. Take the woman recently killed by a falling crane in NYC while sitting in her friend's condo.

If your fears outweigh your pleasure, don't ride. But let's face it, riding is FUN!! As the others have said, be hyper-aware and, if it suits you, wear the protective gear. (I do)

mikeg

 

Good advice all around....
One thing not mentioned... a lot of drivers will telegraph the fact they are about to something stupid..... use your intuition too..... if something about that guy beside doesn't feel right, keep an extra eye on him..... saved my bacon more than once

 

The analogy of a fighter pilot is Great!! (Are we using guns or missiles?)
The FUN factor has to be high or there is no since to ride at all!
For me I have loved to ride since my first trip on a Honda 50 Mini-Trail back in 1969.
I think we all go through cycles of fear and anxiety from time to time, 8O but as you mature to the fact of your own mortality, you realize that life needs to be lived!
It's not given to us to just be sitting on the sidelines.
There will be plenty of time for that if and when we make-it to 90, and when we do, then we can look back and say YES I did that and I loved it! :mrgreen:

 

The only thing I can think of is ride with confidence. Don't be afraid of speed if that is what you need to do to evade a dangerous situation. Also, there might be an intermediate/advanced riders class that can help you hone your skills before you get back on the road.

 

This is a great thread. I'd like to add to that it's a matter of balance, at least for me. I think riding without fear is just as dangerous as riding too fearful. A guy i work with just got a new 600 Shadow. It's been years and years since he's been on a bike (he's 60). I saw him after work coming through town as i was getting gas. Body stiff as a board, eyes directly in front of him, totally focused at 12 0'clock, unaware of his periphial area. He's had the bike for a month now, still wont drive the bike on the interstate, still wont go to the nearest city (20 mile trip).

Also if your too scared.........what's the point of riding at all.

Hope you all have many safe miles ahead.

 

You alll have a very good point to it all...I have been riding for about 15 years dirt and street. Look out for every one because no one is looking for you.

 

That very thing happened to me yesterday.....
My buddy and I were behind a guy doing 20 under the limit, speeding up and slowing down in the right lane of a four lane road. He looked as if he wanted to turn right and was lost.
I "smelled a rat" and backed way off of him. My buddy followed suit.
The dude was drunk, turned into the curb and spun out to the left across all four lanes.
Riding is too much fun to give up. I am a newb rider but have a 30 year very safe vet showing me the ropes.
His first words when I started was "be ever vigilant".

 

If you passed your MSF course and earned your endorsement, you're better trained than the average cager. Use what you've learned.

Just go hug your girls and tell them how much you love them. Then ask them if they want you to quit riding. I can't guess what they'll say, but I bet it will be an enlightening talk. And do finish the bike. Even if you don't use it, someone will benefit.