Too many accidents

[Red Ryder]

Hey Scott, I feel what you mean brother. Been in two bike wrecks, totalled one, the other is minor. Five car crashes, tottaled 3. The last one was head onto the cement divider wall on I-69 & I-75, car flipped end for end several times, and ended up in the ditch covered in snow, they found me 8 hours later. Yea, I'm on Barrowed Time. I truly believe that the good Lord takes us when it is our time. And if we are lucky, we don't suffer to much. I to have lost friends due to bike wrecks. Even seen a close friend get hit from a drunk cager from behind and thrown 100' to his death, holding him in my arms trying to get him alive. For a long time (14 years) I did not ride because of that. Finally, after all the kids were about grown, I realized I needed to Face that Ghost, and Live Again. I needed to do something I used to Love, and here I am on this site with all these wonderful people. Been ridding again for three years and Love Ridding. My only regret is that I gave it up for all them years. Later-

 

P.S. You would be missing that "Pretty One".

[Guest KitCarson]

Hi Ya....Scottie: Meant to say Hi couple weeks ago......was too busy messing with tires!!

 

Hey this day in age I think you would have to be brain dead not to be concerned with riding a motorcycle . All of us are.......anyone who says they are not is telling a story. But it is just a calculated risk we all chose to take. Life is full of them.......I understand all your feelings about concerns of a bike on the street now days.......I have them at times....everyone does.........thing is I have rode now for gosh...long time......since age 25 or so.....not daily but at least every week.......and have not had any incidents other than red faced ones.........I do try to think about defensive riding every time I get on one......no do not let it consume me.......just taught myself to be aware.......very observant....to watch all the time.......at the stops or intersections......I run to the right track if by myself..keep the bike in gear.......just in case that one behind me does not stop........if in the left lane of four lane........try to let a car enter the intersection ahead of me......follow it through......a lot of things I have just done and thought about until they become just what I do........

 

Yes it is a concern........that we all have.........but not much fun to sit at home and watch everyone else out riding..........that pretty spring day.......birds are singing early of a morning.......sun is turning orange as it comes up.........one can hear the sound of the bike engine come to life........yea ........you are hooked.........just like we are.

[Tartan Terror]

Hi Ya....Scottie: Meant to say Hi couple weeks ago......was too busy messing with tires!!

 

Hey this day in age I think you would have to be brain dead not to be concerned with riding a motorcycle . All of us are.......anyone who says they are not is telling a story. But it is just a calculated risk we all chose to take. Life is full of them.......I understand all your feelings about concerns of a bike on the street now days.......I have them at times....everyone does.........thing is I have rode now for gosh...long time......since age 25 or so.....not daily but at least every week.......and have not had any incidents other than red faced ones.........I do try to think about defensive riding every time I get on one......no do not let it consume me.......just taught myself to be aware.......very observant....to watch all the time.......at the stops or intersections......I run to the right track if by myself..keep the bike in gear.......just in case that one behind me does not stop........if in the left lane of four lane........try to let a car enter the intersection ahead of me......follow it through......a lot of things I have just done and thought about until they become just what I do........

 

Yes it is a concern........that we all have.........but not much fun to sit at home and watch everyone else out riding..........that pretty spring day.......birds are singing early of a morning.......sun is turning orange as it comes up.........one can hear the sound of the bike engine come to life........yea ........you are hooked.........just like we are.

Hey Kit, I hear you brother. Scary thing is that no matter how aware you are you can never see everything and if you see it can you get out of the way? Life is full of chances and poeple play lotto, gamble, and do all kinds of other things. I want to enjoy my time here. Get out on the Bike, Fish off the boat and be alive. Took a little while but I shook off the dust. Maybe it was all the Guinness that flushed it all out! LOL

 

Scotty

[VTirelli]

I too, had second thoughts about the wisdom of putting myself and my wife 'out there'. I wondered if it was worth the risk I thought of Leslie, TomE and all the others that we know who we lost, or almost lost. Then I thought of them and how they went doing what they loved. In my daily life as a LEO, I sonetimes have to put it 'out there', in my 'spare time' as a volunteer firefighter / EMT, I've done the same. I get enjoyment out of all of it and can't imagine my life any other way.

So, I will continue to ride..........and I will ride until I can't anymore. And I will do it in honor of those who have gone before me, and know that they are looking over my shoulder and enjoying the ride.

[ediddy]

Every time I get on my bike I wonder, is today the day I will go down? When my wife is on the back I am concerned for her. If something happened and she was killed or lost a limb I don't know if I could ever forgive myself. But I also know that the only way to be sure nothing happens is to stay in the house all the time. I can't live my life and not enjoy something I love. A friend on mine recently had a friend come down to Georgia from Maine to get out of the cold weather for a while. They were on the golf course enjoying a round of golf and the guy from Maine started to swing his club when his feet slipped and he landed on his back on the concrete cart path. He has been in a coma since and the doctors have now said they have done everything they can do and it is in God's hands. Would you quit playing golf? A friend on mine was in an auto accident this week and one person was killed. Would you quit driving a car. I am still concerned everytime I ride my bike but I can't stop living.

[Orrin]

This is a good thread. I have reread it several times and these are all comments that we need to think about. When you loose someone you love (friend, relative,or spouse) it is hard to go on, but you owe it to their memories to live to the fullest. They would want that. Yes, a motorcycle is risky, but so are a lot of other things in life. Love is risky too. But here is the nut. It is more risky to waste your life not living it than to cherish every moment.

 

My best to Gary, Scot, Don, Yammer, and all of the others out there that make this site so "risky". I would feel terrible if we lost Venturerider.org.!

[Princess M]

Life is not measured by the breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away.