Am I going to die on a bike?

[AndrewDoesHair]

Maybe it's a complete faux pas to talk about this within a motorcycle community- please correct me if I'm out of line or breaking a motorcyclist code in talking about this. I don't know- I'm new... But as a newer rider, I get to hear from everyone I know, about their third cousin's godfather who rode a motorcycle for 20 years then got hit by a bus. In so many conversations, I've literally heard "dood, you're going to die on that thing" and it has gotten annoying to hear, very quickly. When I talk to my friend, who has been riding 40+ years, he says he still gets those comments, to this day. So what happened after the first 2 months, is I got depressed. I legitimately was concerned every day that I was spending my final hours, and I felt like I was in a dark cloud. I couldn't just stop riding, though. I wasn't personally convinced I was going to die, I was just believing what I'd been hearing. Plus, I had already invested in the bike, spent many hours working on it, taken an MSF course, gotten my M1 endorsement on my drivers license, and- well this is when I stopped feeling so depressed (though I still wonder about the exact statistics).

I know 10 guys who ride bikes. 2 of them never got their license, and ride completely self taught and illegally. 8 of them never took any kind of safety course, and while they passed the DMV test, they are self taught as well. 5 of them wear no more than a T shirt to ride. 3 have novelty helmets that aren't DOT or any other certified, and 7 don't wear a full face helmet. 3 of these guys rely on their bikes for daily commuting to and from work, rain or shine. I know that at least 2 of them don't have a problem having a beer or two then riding. So I hear that the statistics are high for motorcycle accidents, but I also now know that most of the motorcyclists I know are willing to stack risks that some others won't. And literally every horror story I hear about a motorcyclist includes rain, road rage, being tired after a commute from work, alcohol, a tank top, a novelty helmet, and even one story of a wafting candy wrapper slapping a guy in the face before he swerved off the road.

Do you guys worry? What gives you comfort on the road? Do you think the terrible reputation for motorcycle accidents is so because of that guy who never took a safety course, never got his M1, commutes home on a rainy night, tired from a long day of work, wearing a tank top and a novelty helmet, stopped for a few beers, rode pissed when a guy in a truck cut him off, and then a UFO falls out of the sky and crushes him? Or do you think Mr. Play It Safe is a big part of the statistic, too? Should guys like me just not ride, if I'm at all worried like this? Should I need to justify these things to myself, or anyone else?

 

[AndrewDoesHair]

PS: like I said, I have my DMV certification, and an MSF cert. But I also only ride for recreation, on days that I can clear my head and enjoy the ride- never when I'm pissed, or tired after work. I won't touch a drop of alcohol if I plan on riding, and I wear a full faced helmet, along with a padded (shoulders, elbows, back), motorcycle-specific leather jacket, heavy jeans (I'm a selvedge junkie), and very sturdy boots (Red Wing Iron Ranger). Is there anything else I can do to feel more safe? I even put reflective tape on my helmet, for that 1 in 10,000 random scenarios where the tape will get a drivers attention before he turns me into soup on the road...

 

[Hoofhearted]

If you worry about dying in a bike crash then don't ride. But the ultimate fact is one day in some manner you will die. People die in car crashes, plane crashes, boat sinkings, home fires you name it. There are hundreds of ways to die. A bike is only one of them. Riding a bike is supposed to be fun and enjoyable. If it isn't that to you then don't ride. I don't know of anyone who ever died in a chess game accident so maybe that might be the way to go for you. But to be honest I can't imagine going through life being terrified of everything. And viewing everything as a potential threat to my life.

 

[Tim]

I hope so. In about 50 years.

 

[Sonreir]

If you're looking for hard data, then yeah, you're more likely to die on a bike than anywhere else; sort of.
Most likely causes of death (in the US) is by traffic accident (at least until you're 40+). Motorcyclists are three times more likely to die in a traffic accident than a cager, though the incident of traffic accident (per capital) between cagers and bikers remains about the same.

Take that as you will.

 

[Maritime]

I hear it everyday, I still ride, a lot, I also AGATT to stack the odds more in my favour if I should have a crash. I have immediate family that hate motorcycles but drink enough they will be dead of liver failure way before I die in a bike crash. You did what I did, MSF, Full license etc. Fatalities on bike generally are because no helmet was worn and accidents bad enough to kill you with a helmet and full gear, you'd be dead in anything but a full size SUV. Ride, enjoy it, be as safe as you can be, but yes, bikes are more dangerous than cars, you will have the uninformed tell you "you are lucky to die in a bike crash, because otherwise your a parapalegic or a vegitable." So, could happen tomorrow crossing the street too. I actually need to ride, I find if I don't I feel bad, I have since I was a kid, it has always been something, bikes, 4 wheelers, downhill skiing, jumping off cliffs at the river swiming hole, shooting bb guns "you'll shoot your eye out" Motorcycles seem to just bring the nay sayers out louder for some reason. I was told I would never own a motorcycle by my dad, over his dead body. Well he is still alive and I own 3.

Cheers,

Maritime

 

[Corsair]

Re: Re: Am I going to die on a bike?

Maybe it's a complete faux pas to talk about this within a motorcycle community- please correct me if I'm out of line or breaking a motorcyclist code in talking about this. I don't know- I'm new... But as a newer rider, I get to hear from everyone I know, about their third cousin's godfather who rode a motorcycle for 20 years then got hit by a bus. In so many conversations, I've literally heard "dood, you're going to die on that thing" and it has gotten annoying to hear, very quickly. When I talk to my friend, who has been riding 40+ years, he says he still gets those comments, to this day. So what happened after the first 2 months, is I got depressed. I legitimately was concerned every day that I was spending my final hours, and I felt like I was in a dark cloud. I couldn't just stop riding, though. I wasn't personally convinced I was going to die, I was just believing what I'd been hearing. Plus, I had already invested in the bike, spent many hours working on it, taken an MSF course, gotten my M1 endorsement on my drivers license, and- well this is when I stopped feeling so depressed (though I still wonder about the exact statistics).

I know 10 guys who ride bikes. 2 of them never got their license, and ride completely self taught and illegally. 8 of them never took any kind of safety course, and while they passed the DMV test, they are self taught as well. 5 of them wear no more than a T shirt to ride. 3 have novelty helmets that aren't DOT or any other certified, and 7 don't wear a full face helmet. 3 of these guys rely on their bikes for daily commuting to and from work, rain or shine. I know that at least 2 of them don't have a problem having a beer or two then riding. So I hear that the statistics are high for motorcycle accidents, but I also now know that most of the motorcyclists I know are willing to stack risks that some others won't. And literally every horror story I hear about a motorcyclist includes rain, road rage, being tired after a commute from work, alcohol, a tank top, a novelty helmet, and even one story of a wafting candy wrapper slapping a guy in the face before he swerved off the road.

Do you guys worry? What gives you comfort on the road? Do you think the terrible reputation for motorcycle accidents is so because of that guy who never took a safety course, never got his M1, commutes home on a rainy night, tired from a long day of work, wearing a tank top and a novelty helmet, stopped for a few beers, rode pissed when a guy in a truck cut him off, and then a UFO falls out of the sky and crushes him? Or do you think Mr. Play It Safe is a big part of the statistic, too? Should guys like me just not ride, if I'm at all worried like this? Should I need to justify these things to myself, or anyone else?

From a Buddhist pov...(yes, I am) the only things we know about death is yes, we will die, and no we don't know when or how. I personally don't that it really makes much difference. Just be careful. It's all you can really do.8)

Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Toast]

Yes it's dangerous to ride a bike, there's no way to get around that. Ride defensively and not like an idiot on the street and assume everyone is out to kill you. Just lessen the risk by wearing the right gear, so many riders die needlessly because they weren't wearing a good helmet.

 

[Sonreir]

It's also worth noting that while the incidence of drunk driving is lower among bikers than cagers, the number of motorcycle accidents that involve alcohol (of any level) is nearly 50%.

When I'm on two wheels, I don't drink. Period.

 

[oldskool]

Thats what most people say and use as an excuse not to ride.I know guys that have been riding longer than I've been alive. Pay attention and never get comfortable. I asked an old guy for advice on riding safety and his response was "wear a damn good helmet cause skin grows back but your head won't" Life is short do what makes you happy even if it is a bit dangerous. i'm sure everyone will agree that there is nothing like 2 wheels.

 

[Steve F]

You could pop a blood vessel in your brain while squeezing out a turd on the crapper before you head out for a ride. There's risks in everything it's just a case of reducing them as much as you can and not thinking about the enivitable too much. BUT if you're not enjoying the ride then dont bother, reduce the risk and live a little happier

Now, I've taken risk number one for the day so I'm going to gear up and go for a ride while the sweepers are empty and the weather is cool and enjoy what looks like is going to be a warm Sydney Summer day

Cheers
Steve

 

[adwriter73]

I think about this a lot too. But, like you've pointed out, a lot of people ride carelessly and that's where a lot of the statistics come from. You can't do that. You can't ride on autopilot like many people do in a car. I don't have a sip of alcohol if I plan to ride. I don't even ride if I'm slightly tired. Or if my mind is focused on other things. People often say, "it doesn't matter what you do, it's others you have to worry about." True. But if you aren't paying attention to what others are doing around you, then it's you who is being careless.

 

[broncoboy79]

I usually just tell people this.." Hey everybody dies, it's a circle, at least it'll be doing something I love."

 

[crazypj]

I only think about it when I'm sitting watching TV or responding to messages like this.
no one lives forever and you always hear crap about 'he/(she) died doing what they love'
They don't usually say that about crack heads or heroine addicts though ;D
I'm far more worried about being made paraplegic or quadraplegic, (brain damage won't normally count, what you don't have you don't miss )
saying that, after 40+ yrs riding, worst 'accidents' I've had were in last 15yrs, doing demonstrations while teaching (and I don't mean stunt demo's)
Personally I feel a lot safer on bike as I pay way more attention to whats going on around me.
(if you get bored riding and use 'earbuds' to listen to music, maybe your doing something wrong?)

 

[f22hb]

Thats a good point about drunk riding. I've know of two people personally who've died or been killed.
One was drinking and he uh, missed a corner I guess, so don't drink.
The other got hit by a drunk, which you can't always prevent.
I'm like everyone else, I drive with the assumption that everyone is out to kill me and I take extra time especially on the freeway, to note who is behind the wheel also. That lady driving the suv one hand talking on a cell the other holding a smoke, you might keep an extra eye on lol.
The fun outweighs the danger, if it doesn't then quit. It's just like any other drug

 

[Wahoo650]

Wear the proper gear, attend an MSF rider training course, don't ride like a complete idiot. Then go out and enjoy the ride. Shit happens in life- some good - some bad. Can't control all of it, so do what you can to make yourself safe. Someone else already said it, don't ride scared. Ride prepared. I sound like an AMA/MSF commercial.

My .02, Matt

 

[Drewski]

Ya... what everybody else has said about being trained, protected and riding safe is what I would echo.

We we're born to live and die. I choose to live my life accepting the risks associated with motorcycling. To me, wrapping myself up in bubble wrap and never leaving the house isn't living.

As well. If you purely look at stats, more people die in bed than any other place, so it could be argued that THAT'S the most dangerous place to be.

 

[beachcomber]

In the 60's there were a loose bunch of around 500 bikers who congregated at one time or another at our local race track - "The Bye-Pass".

I recall 2 dying as a direct result of a bike accident - one caused by the rider [ lost control ] and the other hit a car that pulled out of a side junction.

During the same period - 3 died after work related accidents, one died from a heart attack [ aged 24 ] whilst helping his father in the garden, one fell off a ladder while cleaning windows and broke his neck.

So on balance I'd say it's safer to ride a bike than work, dig gardens or do household chores ................

If you're concerned about dying, you certainly won't enjoy what life you have.

Listen to Bill Shatner's ditty - "You're gonna die"

 

[teddpage]

I get that line of crap all the time. "Motorcycles? Those things will kill ya!". Like many others have said, so will a lot of things...smoking, crossing the street while texting, etc. etc.
As for being "trained", its all a load of crap in my opinion. Its too easy to get any sort of license here in the USofA. Go riding...period. Time on the bike will make you a better rider. Dont hop on your (insert small bore bike here) and go riding with a bunch of meatheads on their R1's and Gixxer 1000's (we know tons of these get wadded up a year, considering the amount of front ends that are available on eBay). Go riding by yourself. Take it easy at first. Before you know it you will be super comfortable. I never took an MSF course. I taught myself to ride dirtbikes, and progressed onto my dads CB450. I recently did a racing licensing course, and was passing guys in the "advanced course", riding Ducati's on my brothers Honda 919.

I guess it all boils down to, if you enjoy riding, FUCK the naysayers and do what ever makes you happy. We all die eventually.

 

[boost190]

I agree, if you love it and it makes you feel happy then by all means ride it (that probably applies to more than just bikes in most peoples eyes) yeah we are all gonna die and yeah I've heard and said the whole "atleast they died doing what they love " ( i lost one of my very best friends from high school this past summer when a kid hit him head on on his bike ,and i know for a fact that he loved every sec of riding and i feel sure that phrase applies to him) In my opinion the phrase is all a matter of the persons perception ,yes i would love to live for 70 or more years and ride the whole time,but noone knows when they are going to die ,so in my view, on a motorcycle isnt a bad way to go be it today, tomorrow or 50 yrs from now! So the long and short of it is ride it if it puts a smile on your face.