riding addiction, and risk home-brew's coach...

[lucydad]

All,

I have been thinking about Home brew's thread on the demise of his friend and riding coach.  Someone mentioned:  we live in denial about the riding risk.  Truly, that point is true for me. 

But, I am addicted to riding a motorcycle. I started at age 12 or so.  Man do I love the machines, the sensations, the speed, you know.  Take it away and I get grumpy fast.  Need my fix at least once a week. These days I am not happy unless I get in around at least 200 miles a week and sometimes it is closer to 400 depending on time and weather, and HQ demands (Ms LD, and or Alzheimer's clinic for her dad).

Left turn risk is a huge issue here in Houston. Last Saturday I took the Triumph for an over 300 mile loop out west.  It was damn hot.  The last 20 miles are on a FTP road, and I swear there was a left turner cage/truck, or car desperately wanting to enter the road every half mile.  Wears me out, and at the end of the ride, with the heat:  I realized I was dancing on my personal edge of risk tolerance.  I did stop for hydration and a break before the final push home.

A lot of my riding involves situational awareness:  including my own body and fatigue.  My safe limit is about 300 miles especially on congested roads, with the incessant chaos of cagers and the threat of intersection or left turner collisions.  It is stressful. 

Hence, if I do the OK trip in October:  I will avoid city congestion, and ride no more than 200 miles/day.  We will see if I can get my shit wired before the event.  Life has been incredibly stressful the last 2 weeks.  Long story short:  major house repairs, Alzheimer's care, and the remaining days at work horrid, and setting up the switches for the actual October 5 retirement.

Enough for now.  I am glad Friday is coming.  I really, really need a weekend and a Guzzi romp.  Might check out the Audace Saturday, not sure if I can squeeze it into my schedule.

Ride safe!

[ITSec]

I can't say I agree with the assertion that we deny the risk of riding. As an information security specialist for the last few decades, and a current consultant on risk management (ISO 31000), I have a different take. Consciously or not, we make a decision that the risk is acceptable for the reward we receive.

The more informed we are about that decision, the more awareness we bring to addressing the inherent risks, the more consciously we make that choice, the higher quality the choice becomes. That means ATGATT, and refresher courses, and careful maintenance and operation, and participation in the riding community to maintain awareness. It means recognizing your own current status and limitations, be it how much sleep you've been getting, reaction time, dehydration, vision, and so on.

I tell my clients that the purpose of risk management discipline is to give them freedom - because the better you understand your current risk profile and your openness to the acceptance of risks, the more freedom you will have to consider and choose between new options and opportunities.

That includes riding, and new forms of riding.

[oldbike54]

 Greg , once you clear Houston there won't be any traffic between you and the Ouchita Mtns .
 No risk denial here , accepted years ago that the event can happen anytime , but... W/O motorcycles ,death , jail , or a mental institution were in my near future by 20 .

  Dusty

[Moto Fugazzi]

All,

I have been thinking about Home brew's thread on the demise of his friend and riding coach.  Someone mentioned:  we live in denial about the riding risk.

Recently, a friend told me: "The difference between motorcycle and moped riders is that motorcycle riders aren't afraid to die, and moped riders don't care how they die."
Ken

[fotoguzzi]

I love motorcycling.. here's my 5 minutes of why..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Lwzsg7pfLQ
It's scary out there but I can't quit.

[Doppelgaenger]

I agree with this, I have to ride at least every 3 days or so or I get antsy. That's never really a problem since my only working vehicle right now is the Breva (I have access to my gf's car too) so I ride on a daily basis and I always put safety over speed. Here in WA people are relatively good drivers, if you put on your indicator people will almost invariably let you in, so there is some comfort in that.

I went 2 years without a motorcycle when I moved up here, I spent one whole year on craigslist looking for Guzzis while financial backing for the purchase got itself into place. I can't really live without a bike in my life at this point, winter doesn't stop me even though the cold is pretty bad...

We all have to take risks in life, this is one that is worth taking for me.

[Lcarlson]

I don't think many serious motorcyclists are in denial about the real risks of the sport. It's part of the deal. But would we want it to be completely safe? I'm guessing, no. It wouldn't be the thing we love.

[rodekyll]

I'm in the greater seattle area now.  I agree with the above assessment of WA riders.  I've seen numerous examples of heads-up/collision avoidance over the past few days - folks on bikes riding VERY well and defensively.  I also have NOT experienced near the jackassery and loud pipe/get-back whip culture that I was observing in the Midwest all week.   

[Texas Turnip]

I don't worry and my first bike was a Harley 74 back in 1959 when I was 16. I never wear ATGATT. The seat belts don't work in my '76 GMC or '83 Chev PU.

I eat what I want and ain't gonna suffer by eating steel cut oats, tofu,blah, etc.

Life is a risk as I said to myself when I picked up a stripper by the name of Oleo from the club.

My uncle didn't drink, smoke, exercised and was in church whenever the doors opened. He's walking out to get the mail and dropped dead from a heart attack. Only 67.

I think there is a big lotto in the sky and when your number is up you are out of here.

Relax, enjoy.
Tex

[John A]

I thought about it yesterday after following a string of eight cars, the front one pulling a trailer through some hilly twisty road along the  Mississippi ,going about sixty. There was room to pass a few of them and nobody in line made a move to pass. I know the road well so when it got to the straight section between Diamond Bluff and Hager City, I walked by 'em all. Looked at the speedo once, halfway by: 105. I recall thinking on the risks, deer, rear tire,law enforcement, the other drivers and me on a sidecar that I built. It was my first one so its a little cobby but works well. Maybe this winter I'll build another one, a little nicer with what I learned on this one. As far as the risks go, I'm with the old Turnip farmer!

[Perazzimx14]

If I came back from every ride as stressed out as LD I'd quite riding. If you continually worry about what "can" happen you'll never enjoy what "is" happening.

[Rough Edge racing]

   What I said about me being a good car "wheelman", but I was never more than an average bike rider. The reality of not being killed but being maimed was never a lost thought...
   My reflexes are not as sharp at 68 years old so some of my riding thrills have been replaced by building surprisingly successful  land speed racing bikes.
 The thrill of acceleration and cornering that only comes from a powerful bike is still there however. But nowadays I ride only a few hours a week on mostly rural roads with little traffic.

[DCWCALI]

We've accepted the risk the first moment you swing a leg over.

It's about mental sanity and riding is one of the very few things that centers my world.  When I can't ride on two wheels,  I will move to three!!!

[sparrowhawwk]

A friend of mine used to have an embroidered cushion strapped on the back of his motorcycle.  It read "You won't see a motorcycle parked outside a psychiatrist's office".

[wymple]

I'm pushing 67 and 44 years of riding. Been taken out by car and deer with no chance of avoiding either. After the 2nd deer last fall, I have this nagging thought in the back of my head that this might be my last season. As it is, I'm no longer the least bit interested in how fast a bike is, as long as I have decent acceleration. I worry mostly about it's weight. I find I am riding "adjusted for age". It was all 2 lanes in years past, now I ride the 4 lanes. I'm no longer comfy riding in the dark. I don't do excessive heat or deliberately chance rain like I used to. When I ride with the boys I bring up the rear and don't care where they're going. I avoid traffic as much as I can, lucky to live in Iowa. A friend stopped by from Virginia on his way West. I warned him that the state motto here is "turn signals optional". He replied that we don't need any, we have no traffic. I quit looking for, or thinking about long trips. The longest I did last year was not 200 miles 1 way, and this year I will do the Mo-Kan, which is only 196 from my house. I think about trailering to stuff and riding around when I get there. I used to have a bit of disdain for that idea. Old age and a tired butt, along with a bad back plays with your head.