Who rides motorcycles?

[CalG]

I used to ride; had a HD sportster FLCH, Honda 350 I normally rode to work.
One day I was slowly passing an old pickup when the driver began pointing to his hood. He was tailgating an old car that had his left turn signal on, the pickup driver slammed on his brakes, which prevented me from slowing and pulling in behind him.
That did leave an opening to the highway berm for me as an escape route, but when I hit the crushed stone beside the pavement I lost control.
The next thing I remember was coming-to with a para-medic kneeling beside me. When I open my eyes he said "I thought you were dead".
The police report said the bike threw me 70' and I slammed into a Ford maverick, my head hit the top of the LF wheel and broke the A-frame, my left shoulder hit the corner of the body behind the LF wheel.
Amazingly, the ER sent me home with no broken bones, but my helmet was destroyed.
I did wind up requiring L shoulder rotator cuff rebuilt later.
When I was healed I rebuilt that Honda 350, then sold all my bikes.

Slowly passing.....

The deathnell!
I have a motoMorini 500cc bike that goes like a good 250.
Passing on two lane is an option.
When I stepped up to a BMW K75, I thought I had died and gone to heaven as far as passing options (time) goes.

Then I got the Honda VFR 800.

Passing at any speed is little more than wishing to do so.
60 to 90 mph acceleration is brutal! I no longer linger in the passing lane.

Horsepower is safety in these situations. I'm spoiled!

Get 'er done! Live to ride another day!

 

[JasperFrank]

Seen at Glasgow's, River Side Museum. Made my day.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Venerable Yamaha XT 250 is for someone looking for the simplicity of an air cooled bike. Not too high seat height from suspension.

My old boss rode one around the world, almost. He ran out of excess cash and time near the Russian border IIRC.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

The last 4 stroke dirt bike I rode before getting a new bike this last winter, was an air cooled Suzuki DR125 when I was 13.
I got this CRF250R and was blown away. Jeeeezis these things are powerful in comparison

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

I keep telling my buddy to go buy a brand new YZ250 2 stroke and leave it in the box. It will be a collectors item someday. Fill the inner bag with argon maybe and reseal. put a case of 2 stroke oil in the box with it.

 

[tradosaurus]

I used to ride; had a HD sportster FLCH, Honda 350 I normally rode to work.
One day I was slowly passing an old pickup when the driver began pointing to his hood. He was tailgating an old car that had his left turn signal on, the pickup driver slammed on his brakes, which prevented me from slowing and pulling in behind him.
That did leave an opening to the highway berm for me as an escape route, but when I hit the crushed stone beside the pavement I lost control.
The next thing I remember was coming-to with a para-medic kneeling beside me. When I open my eyes he said "I thought you were dead".
The police report said the bike threw me 70' and I slammed into a Ford maverick, my head hit the top of the LF wheel and broke the A-frame, my left shoulder hit the corner of the body behind the LF wheel.
Amazingly, the ER sent me home with no broken bones, but my helmet was destroyed.
I did wind up requiring L shoulder rotator cuff rebuilt later.
When I was healed I rebuilt that Honda 350, then sold all my bikes.

It's always amazes me that it takes a near death experience to a motorcycle rider before they realize how dangerous they are.
I was told it's not a matter of if you will wreck but how bad and when.

 

[Rockbadchild]

It's always amazes me that it takes a near death experience to a motorcycle rider before they realize how dangerous they are.
I was told it's not a matter of if you will wreck but how bad and when.

I believe every rider knows how dangerous it is. But we get comfortable, or unlucky, and sometimes things go wrong. Still, many of us choose to keep riding not out of denial, but because it's one of the few times we feel truly alive. And if you’re not feeling alive, are you really living?

 

[Hodado]

I rode from 14 years of age into my mid 20s. Had a variety of street and motocross style bikes. My last were the Kawasaki 900 Z1 and a Bultaco 360 Pursang.

I stopped riding when I figured out I was more often in the air than on the ground. With a baby on the way, I had to decide my obligations outweighed the fun of my hobby. I've missed riding and have tinkered with picking up a Can-Am Spyder in the last few years. Maybe ..... maybe not

I had a Z1 in 1974,sold it for a down payment on my first house,lucky to be alive fast bike

 

[scootr]

THe XT250 will be a local bike. It's 10 miles to town and lots of canyon and mountain roads to explore. For any highway travel I'd be looking for something bigger in the Cruiser line, like the Road King or Moto Guzzi I had in the past. At 71 I'm working at staying fit to enjoy they things that make life worth living like the wind in my face and dance with a bike down a windy road.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I love the XT250 for the property and quad trails but not for much more, maybe a Sunday drive if its less then a few miles but still just for this I don't want to sell it and I will keep it for ever as it will last for ever.

 

[Rockbadchild]

Simple search proves your theory wrong.

it is as far as risk of accident not death your right unless you go by death per miles or per used then the ladder are still more dangerous... you have to compare apple to apple...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Some people aren't made for 2-wheels.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

A buddy of mine owned a large 8 bay service shop. One lady customer tried lecturing him about the "child-abuse" he was doing, with his sons racing motocross.

He pointed out that her son was 85# overweight, @ 10 years old, after doing nothing but staring @ screens.

Rgds, D.

Yup, we all make choices. This life is temporary anyway. You can live it on your ass yelling at the sky, or actually doing something.

Most people will die from what they eat at some point anyway.

Most motorcycle deaths are attributed to speeding and alcohol. So don't drink or be a dumbass.

I will admit that I enjoy technical off road cycling to the hum drum public streets on my other three bikes. The roads are too sterile and mundane.

 

[BleedingOrange]

I can certainly agree some people should not own a motorcycle.
A few weeks ago, a 30s something guy in our neighbourhood called me to see if I would repair his damaged trailer. I of course, after seeing all the damage, had to ask what in the heck happened. He said he bought a brand new 2025 Indian 1200 cc motorcycle. I checked out the bike, and it was absolutely gorgeous. He has never been on or driven a motorcycle before. He says he was trying to learn how to drive it on his windy 150 foot driveway, and his mother was taking a video of him.
Somehow, he panicked while coming up the driveway, ran into his mother, who now has a huge chunk missing from her lower left leg, and is wearing a wrist brace. He then kept going, veered to the right, and ran into his 6x12 enclosed trailer. That caused him to rip a gash in his trailer side door, glanced off of that and then with the front bike tire hit the right fender so hard that it buckled the light aluminum trailer fender into the trailer tire so hard that it also bent the spindle back about a 1/4 ". This is a 3500 drop axle, not a flimsy lawn trailer. I just finished up replacing 2 fenders, so they would both match, had a new custom axle built and installed, and repaired the door with a new section of checker plate. After giving the bike a quik look, I,m guessing there will be several thousands of dollars damage repair on the front end of that as well. He is eventually going to trailer it back to the dealer he purchased it from, which is a couple of hundred miles from here, and have them go thru it to make sure it is repaired 100 % back to original. I asked if he had it insured, and they said they would not insure it until he has his licence. His trailer is only insured while it is hooked up to his truck. I wouldn,t be one bit surprised if this is around a 7K in total accident. I have a very bad feeling about this young man ever being a safe bike rider. He lost his dad a couple of years ago, so I,m trying to help him as much as I can. In hindsight, I wished he would of asked me for my opinion about him purchasing a bike, but he didn,t, not that he would of listened anyways. I,m 76 years old, and have owned and driven many very powerful bikes over my years of owning them. I have never had an accident, or even any incedent I would say was a close call. I was a very very cautious and alert driver, always leaving enough room so i had an escape area of some kind, even while driving in Montreal. At some point soon I am going to have a chat with his mother, to express my feelings and opinion to her, hoping she will understand my concern of this young man owning a motorcycle. The good thing is he won,t be getting his licence to be on the road for at least another year, so if I am lucky, his desire of ownership will fade while making huge payments on something he cann,t ride or enjoy. I am going to suggest he starts calling around for bike insurance quotes for a brand new driver. Hopefully that will be high enough to help him decide he made a huge mistake, and cut his losses and stick to driving only his truck.