Will everyone have a "mishap" sooner or later?

[flyingminno]

Alright well I don't think you have to ride with the fear that it will happen. I went down unexpectedly because I hit gravel at night, but no real damage was done and I believe it could have been prevented if I had the HID i have now or have slowed down.

Another case is my dad. He has been riding for 35+ years and has never set a bike down or been on the ground, which is an accomplishment, but is mainly due to his riding style. He is conservative and tends to avoid riding at night or at speeds most sport bike riders prefer. Not saying that he is slow or an old-lady type rider, he just prefers to have more manageable speeds and riding styles. It all boils down to the way you choose to ride.

 

[jay]

If I thought the way you just posted, I'd be dead.
This is on the Private Pilot's test and it's called the invulnerability factor.
The moment you think this way, you are a danger to yourself and everyone on the ground.

You don't need to obsess on safety, enjoy the ride but there is a term that we all should learn and understand. "Situational awareness". This will keep you safe while having fun. This is precisely what the stunt pilots use that fly at 200 mph upside down about 3 feet off the ground in airshows are using. They are 100% focused and aware of where they are in relation to their surroundings. Some of them can be heard laughing and whooping while doing aerobatics too.....

yeah spunky.. i am glad you did not thought like that..
can't agree more with you on situational awareness thou.. ride on the beltway and you will know all about it...! anyway.. ride safe and have fun all...

 

[Spunky99]

yeah spunky.. i am glad you did not thought like that..
can't agree more with you on situational awareness thou.. ride on the beltway and you will know all about it...! anyway.. ride safe and have fun all...

Jay, It was only this part I disagreed with.

think how well you are prepared to getaway with it...

In my experience you only get away with it for so long and then it happens...
That's why all my friends called me crash and burn in the dirt. I never got hurt and was always first if I didn't crash....which was often...LOL...

You cannot get away with that on the street with cagers....

 

[The Spin Doctor]

It takes two to tangle.

Accident stats show the most common accidents in urban environments are 'right of way violations' where the car driver is at fault...

But a skilled rider can see the situation developing and do something about it, not simply ride into a collision.

 

[Spunky99]

I do disagree with this a little. While I will say that most likely, yes you will at some point go down if you ride a motorcycle, it's NOT a guarantee. HOWEVER, you have to ride defensive and always be ready for it if it does happen. And that means wearing your gear all the time. I do know one rider who's been riding for 10 years and over 100,000 miles and has never had a bike so much as tip over on him. Like I said, I'll be the first to admit that's a rare feat. But it's not out of the question. I understand the idea behind the phrase is to encourage riders to always wear their gear and always be prepared. However, I think it can have some adverse effect on some new riders.

If a rider has spent 40 years and 1 million miles on the road but is still riding, he's in the accident pool even if he has never gone down.
Until you stop riding you at least have the chance to go down.

So the line you "will go down" is 100% correct until the rider hangs up his boots and gloves and never rides again. Then and only then the statement becomes incorrect. I don't know of a single motorcycle rider I've ever heard of that never went down until they buried him 6 feet under. I wonder what the odds are to ride a motorcycle all your life and never go down?

 

[RandiZ]

Physics and Probability

People a lot smarter than I have told me that I am more likely to be hit by the driver that never saw me than just about anything else. So when I moved to the FZ6R I got new gear with armor and always wear gloves. Even though every broken bone I've gotten I was nowhere near my bike -- including the collar bone from playing rugby and the ankle from falling down the stairs in my house.

But the laws of physics tell me that if my squishy body hits the immovable pavement or a 4000lbs vehicle at 60, 50, or even 40 mph my body will receive most if that force.

I can only ride for about half the time that I can drive my car all because of mental fatigue. It takes a lot more out of me to avoid problems on the bike. Sure it would be nice to hop on and enjoy without worry. I think the mental challenge is part of why I love riding.

 

[Spunky99]

I can only ride for about half the time that I can drive my car all because of mental fatigue. It takes a lot more out of me to avoid problems on the bike. Sure it would be nice to hop on and enjoy without worry. I think the mental challenge is part of why I love riding.

Try flying an airplane....Radio constant chatter, keeping separation, altitude, engine temp and oil temp, attitude, rudder pedals, yoke, OTHER AIRCRAFT that aren't talking to anyone and are in lala land.
It gets quite complicated and after landing you are spent....
Makes riding a motorcycle so much more simple. If you ride long enough, the bike and traffic will become second nature.

Enjoy

 

[dart1963]

If a rider has spent 40 years and 1 million miles on the road but is still riding, he's in the accident pool even if he has never gone down.
Until you stop riding you at least have the chance to go down.

So the line you "will go down" is 100% correct until the rider hangs up his boots and gloves and never rides again. Then and only then the statement becomes incorrect. I don't know of a single motorcycle rider I've ever heard of that never went down until they buried him 6 feet under. I wonder what the odds are to ride a motorcycle all your life and never go down?

I read an article a while back about a 60+ year old rider who has not yet gone down in his 40 years of riding... it was a great article, and I wish I could find it again.....

basically he, in the end, argues with himself... was he lucky, or a mature rider.. never pushing the bike, always taking a leisurely ride, never taking chances, etc...

in the end... it's like the quarterback saying he's never thrown an interception so he can't possibly throw one... but, if he plays long enough... the chances stack against him... and he, no matter his training/experience/luck, will eventually throw a ball that is tipped/read/mis-timed/etc. and intercepted...

 

[redwing-2001]

great discussion.
the only thing I could add is one of the ways to minimize your chances of a mishap (bike going down) is to keep your skills up to date. One of the best ways of doing that is to take a course to brush up skills. MSF courses go over risk, accepting it, identifying the factors, and dealing with it. There are more classes than just the Basic.
There are other organizations that offer classes as well.
The point is never stop learning and refresing your skills. It may just save your life some day.

 

[MIRIDER]

I know I started this thread to get more insight and learn from you guys and I am.
However, I must admit I'm getting some cold feet.
I don't think I'll let it stop me though. I wanna ride.

 

[porky45]

risk vs reward... the reward of riding is amazing. just use what you've learned here to minimize your risks.

 

[Sage]

I know I started this thread to get more insight and learn from you guys and I am.
However, I must admit I'm getting some cold feet.
I don't think I'll let it stop me though. I wanna ride.

There is risk in everything that we do in daily life. You just have to be prepared for anything that "could" happen.

 

[MIRIDER]

There is risk in everything that we do in daily life. You just have to be prepared for anything that "could" happen.

You're 100% right, but when I'm jamming the gas pedal in my vette, I have fiberglass and 4 tires around me. There is plenty of risk there too. I guess I'm used to that car and it will be a matter of getting used to a bike.

Maybe, I should go cruiser. I know sooner or later I'm gonna want to twist that throttle on the FZ6R.

 

[Sparkxx1]

You're 100% right, but when I'm jamming the gas pedal in my vette, I have fiberglass and 4 tires around me. There is plenty of risk there too. I guess I'm used to that car and it will be a matter of getting used to a bike.

Maybe, I should go cruiser. I know sooner or later I'm gonna want to twist that throttle on the FZ6R.

Get some track time then if you want to really twist that throttle, it'll be a heck of a lot safer than the streets

 

[Chucker]

I rode nothing but bikes for 5 years before getting my first car. After that, I was a courier in downtown Toronto for 13 years in a full size van or bigger. I have taken and taught many defensive driving courses, and I can tell you that there are a couple of cardinal rules that apply to both 2 and 4 wheels.

You need to always be looking for trouble and expecting that people will pull a bonehead move. I can't tell you how many times I've thought, "He's going to pull out in front of me.", and he did. I've watched others experience the same thing and T-bone the idiot. Wasn't their fault, but it was preventable and they paid for it. If you expect it, you'll take measures to avoid it, and probably will avoid it.

You always need to leave yourself an "out". Don't let yourself get boxed in. Don't tailgate, especially when you've got someone tailgating you. Don't shoulder check in traffic without ensuring you've got room to react to something when your eyes move back to the front. I'm sure everyone has experienced the shoulder check in traffic where everyone was braking when you turned back. If you didn't anticipate that, you're probably going to be in trouble. You also always need to be checking your mirrors when braking. One little move and you can avoid getting rear-ended, as long as you see it coming.

In a few 100K kms, I've gone down once. It was on my first sportbike, in a sharp turn, and I was in very poor form. Today, that same scenario would not happen, because I've learned. I've also dropped my bike in the driveway while turning sharply and hitting my front brake too hard. Lesson learned there too. The most embarrassing was falling over at a light because my workboot heel got hung up on my enduro's steel footpeg.

If you take it easy while you learn, drive VERY defensively, and anticipate others' mistakes, you'll avoid a lot of trouble. Also, doing something like this, as in asking more experienced riders for tips, is very helpful. After all, experience is the best teacher, but it's less painful if it's someone else's experience.