Thinking of a Motorcycle...Stupid Decision?

[Slava]

Well I alluded to this in another thread, but I'm thinking of getting a motorcycle. I guess I'm partly thinking that its a bad decision, but I figure I would hear from the CP Oracle while I ponder this decision.

I would buy used, and wouldn't buy a crotch rocket, but instead something a little bigger. I don't have much in the way of experience so I would get licensed and go from there I suppose.

Advice? Critique? What say you?

[Dan02]

It's not smart, but it's fun

[4X4]

The question of whether it's a stupid decision or not is something only you and people that know you can answer. Are you a total space cadet when you're on the road like my dad? Bad idea to ride a bike. Are you constantly alert and prepared to drive twice as defensively as you did in a car? You're a good candidate for a bike.

[algernon]

I've heard EMT's calling them 'Donor Cycles'.

At least at home in Canada there are helmet laws.
Nobody wears helmets down here, not even on a Vespa! If I were on a Vespa though, I'd wear the full-face style helmet for the obvious reasons.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by algernon

I've heard EMT's calling them 'Donor Cycles'.

At least at home in Canada there are helmet laws.
Nobody wears helmets down here, not even on a Vespa! If I were on a Vespa though, I'd wear the full-face style helmet for the obvious reasons.

Where are you?

[algernon]

Denver for now.

[nfotiu]

I'll never forget a friend of a friend I had when living in Victoria who lost his leg in a motorcycle accident. The physical and emotional problems he had after were so hard to watch. I couldn't help but think if I was in his shoe, I'd be regretting that decision to get a bike every moment of every day for a long time. If I had a friend who died on a bike, I don't think it would have made as much an impression as living around that guy.

I also knew a girl who was dating a guy for a week, and he wrecked his bike with her on the back. She was in the hospital for six months with severe back and other injuries. It was a year of recovery after that before she could even get back to a half normal life. I just can't imagine how bad the guy must have felt.

I think I could deal with the risking my life part of it (at least before I had kids), but the risk of leaving yourself with some miserable injury for the rest of your life always kept me from even entertaining the idea of a motorcycle.

[mac_gurl]

My bf had one, and I wasn't ever scared of his driving, cause he's very cautious and alert, but i was scared of all the other drivers on the road that don't pay attention to bikes.

[HelloHockeyFans]

Yeah, it all depends on how you are I think.

I rode when I still lived in Vancouver... albeit without a license, but then, over half of the people I rode with didn't have their license either (not that it makes it better). Point is, given the opportunity, I still managed to hold myself back from really gunning it down a clear stretch of highway, while others around me had no issue with blazing down Knight Street bridge at 200+ kph...

You'll know best just how far you'll take it on a bike... if you're planning on getting a Harley or something, then it's definitely safer than say if you were planning on getting an R6 or something...

Without even riding you should be able to ask yourself whether or not you can ride on a highway and go speed limit or slightly over but still within reason, or if you'll just shoot down the highway given a clear stretch of road going at 180+ kph...

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Originally Posted by algernon

I've heard EMT's calling them 'Donor Cycles'.

At least at home in Canada there are helmet laws.
Nobody wears helmets down here, not even on a Vespa! If I were on a Vespa though, I'd wear the full-face style helmet for the obvious reasons.

If you were driving a Vespa you should also get your Vagina looked at..

[metallicat]

I would love a bike as well, but I don't think I'll do it. The memory of a dead biker laying on the road has stuck with me.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

Originally Posted by nfotiu

I couldn't help but think if I was in his shoe, I'd be regretting that decision to get a bike every moment of every day for a long time.

I see what you did there...

[algernon]

Originally Posted by Mean Mr. Mustard

If you were driving a Vespa you should also get your Vagina looked at..

Douché, kind sir. Well played.

[MelBridgeman]

its not a stupid decision if you are not stupid about it.
unfort there are stupid drivers out there.

[Dan02]

Originally Posted by Dan02

It's not smart, but it's fun

perhaps i shall elaborate. One of my Uncles spent over a year in a body cast because a guy driving a cement truck couldn't see him and turned into him, nothing he could do about it no matter how defensive he was driving.

[BuzzardsWife]

My x husband was a motorcyclist, but he still managed to hit 2 people on motorcycles. My friends husband begged her for a motorcycle for years. She bought one for him on his 40th bday. He died that night on it. My friends son lost his face 3 years ago on one. I could go on and on with stories. I hope you drive careful. It's not the motorcyclists fault in most cases its the other guys fault because motorcycles are just hard to see. Have fun but beware of other vehicles. My cousin also killed a kid on a motorcycle in his gravel truck. He was backing up and the kid couldnt get out of the way fast enough and my cousin had no idea he was there. Just so happened it was my co-workers cousin he killed, so it was a very uncomfortable time at work.

[Slava]

I guess a lot of my reservations are touched on here. I am not a complete idiot and I wouldn't be "that guy" ripping around and weaving in and out of traffic. I think that I'm pretty cognizant on the roads as it is and I would expect that would only increase on a bike.

I guess the other driver issue is something that you live with though...there is only so much you can do sometimes. That is easy to say right now I guess, but after a bad wreck that might be little solace! I figured that a bunch of you guys either do ride or rode before...so how bad is it in terms of other drivers not noticing you and such?

[HelloHockeyFans]

Originally Posted by Slava

I guess a lot of my reservations are touched on here. I am not a complete idiot and I wouldn't be "that guy" ripping around and weaving in and out of traffic. I think that I'm pretty cognizant on the roads as it is and I would expect that would only increase on a bike.

I guess the other driver issue is something that you live with though...there is only so much you can do sometimes. That is easy to say right now I guess, but after a bad wreck that might be little solace! I figured that a bunch of you guys either do ride or rode before...so how bad is it in terms of other drivers not noticing you and such?

It is a pretty big problem I have to admit, since most drivers are looking back for cars and often don't notice the bike in their rear view... the key is to be aware I think... you need to be extremely aware of your surroundings and be ready to get the hell out of the way if some idiot decides to change lanes right into you because he didn't see a car there... it's not too hard actually to slip out and away from the danger since the bike is so small relatively, but the problem is some riders just don't see it coming.

[flylock shox]

Try it out, try different kinds of bikes, take a course, and see if you like it. I've got my license, and I have absolutely no desire to ride a motorbike ever again. Not because of any bad experiences (though I've had 2 crashes in about 20 hours of total riding), it's just not my thing. I much prefer my car and my bicycle.

[Azure]

Well, you'd save a lot of money on gas, thats for sure.