Hang Up Your Helmet

this is understandable. but the bst's will beckon you garage art!!

 

I've ridden in sub freezing temps numerous times. If not dressed properly, it sucks hard. However, with a heavy, high neck leather jacket, heavy gloves, and heavy jeans, I'm fine unless I'm just cruising at highway temps for a long time....but then again, I ride a rather "warm" Duc.




Mark

 

my 955 Daytona could be ridden in the cold...it threw off heat that could fry an egg. none of my dukes throw off much heat.

 

There is riding gear for any climate. A long trip is one thing but getting suited up like that for short hops just isn't worth it. You can stay warm and dry as a bone if dressed correctly.
For 50 miles it isn't worth the trouble but for a 500 mile day you can stay warm and cozy.

 

Ha! Yep. Didn't have to wear wind pants when on mine. Was nice. Until summer...

 

I still have my Busa.

I have four kids and a wife .

 

No wonder you ride a two-wheeled death trap!




Mark

 

I buy a handful of bikes each season, then when it starts to get cold sell them all and consider myself lucky I didn't die. Rinse and repeat, do it every year. I love riding, and I'm very conservative on the street but have so many close calls with other drivers. I was just at the dealer looking at bikes yesterday, thought the Ducati scrambler was already out.....

 

I hung the helmet up in 2009 when I knew I found the women I was going to marry. For me the risk I was taking would now effect her life and I couldn't do it any more. The F355 replaced it less than a year later so that took a little of the sting out of it.

Nothing is like riding though. Fond memories.

 

to each his own
40 years,its part of my life
it's nothing new about the risks but for me the rewards are worth it.

 

Gotta be a typo....



Nothing like it in the world. I'm building my track hauler right now and will build my trailer next. I plan on spending half a year doing track days across the US.

I've lane split a few times and I'm guilty of riding on the shoulder in stopped traffic. I have to admit, the amount of angry drivers that try to swerve into you and kill you is quite alarming. So much anger!

Anyway, here's the craziest street video I've ever seen. Maybe this is the type the OP intended his rant for...

[ame]http://youtube.com/watch?v=-Gb0cNY3q9I[/ame]

 

Ridden on and off since age 7, gaps seem to be not longer than 5 years. Cars are great, but nothing comes close to the directsness a bike, maybe waterskiing but at age 50 I can only slalom so much.

That all being said, immortality feeling is gone. I ride a lot less. Partialy its an awareness of the consequences, but more so its an awareness of the idiocy on the road. Seriously for most people a car is at best an appliance and an annoyance in that it takes time to get where they are going and distracts from texting, not good for those of us on bikes.
Will autodrive cars one day make ridign much safer? will it be allowed?

So yeah I ride, but on quiet spring/fall weekends when it feels right, mostly on roads I know. Each time I do I am reminded why I love it so much. Apart from the riding experience motorcyles are just really cool machinary, and entertaining in their variance.

One big factor no one here seems to mention. Riding a bike keeps you sharp and alert, probably keeps you younger sgarter and more alert, staves off oltimers, so probably extends lives of those who dont crash..

 

So... you don't ride horses, do you? More dangerous than motorcycles, you know.

And you're never going to allow your children to learn to drive, right? Because inexperienced teen aged car drivers are more likely to be seriously injured or killed than licensed, non-drinking motorcycle riders.

Etc, etc, etc...

 

Your family will miss you too as you age in senility from not challenging your brain and keeping sharp.

 

Stop enjoying your motorcycles....die anyway.

On one hand, I totally get the meaning of the OP.
On the other hand our time here isn't a practice run. The few things we find we enjoy NEED to be enjoyed while we can.

I have riden bikes and quads since I was 5. I've had so much fun doing it. I've crashed and hurt myself a few times. I've achieved multiple regional championships and loved every minute getting them. I no longer ride, at the moment, but miss it.

We can all get hurt when we least expect it. I ended up having back surgery due to a herniated disk shoveling snow. You never know, so all I can offer is try to enjoy what you enjoy, but be as safe as you can doing it.

 

I came down the Palisades Pkwy in NJ one October/November afternoon watching the guy riding with me turning up the heat on his electric vest while I froze.

Bought one and wired it in the next day. Can get heated gloves, vest, jackets, socks, etc...they all daisychain together.

Keep the core warm, or do it all. (I have a beach house so my riding season was Spring/Fall for the most part)

Lets u cut down on layering and bulk, too. I will never be w/o this stuff again...LOL

Gerbing Thermovelocity Protection | Gerbing Thermovelocity Protection

 

My dad is 56 and he water skies 5 nights a week. I don't want to hear any excuses lol

 

I think the majority of horrible motorcycle injuries and fatalities are the result of riders making poor choices, but some are car drivers simply being unaware of riders. Here are a bunch of nasty motorcycle accidents (viewer beware). What portion could have been avoided by riding sensibly?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggQkd0o_7ZA

Ride sensibly and use your head, and certainly protect your head!

 

As I get older, (I'm 52) I have become acutely aware that more people than not are driving with their phone in their hand texting, reading, and talking. I have a 2007 FXDWG and I hate riding in the DC / Metro area because of this. I am well trained on a motor and ride very defensively but I limit my riding to back roads and weekends. I just don't want my life to end because someone is answering an "OMG" text. Not too much to ask.

 

Well put my man. NOVA's stress and pace are my #1 reason for tapering. Northern Neck, it's drunks in huge trucks, and two-lane roads through cornfields (no visibility through turns) was the finisher.

As horrible as it sounds, I really don't have any sympathy for those who stunt and trick in public without proper gear. I want no suffering for any of my fellow humans, but when you make that choice, you are off The Fate's strings.

I still deeply feel the pull and will leg over again when I can, but for now I'm glad to rebuild my flight or fight reserves.

 

MD has some fantastic roads for the weekends....and awful congestion during the week. When I was working in NOVA I rode to work once... that was enough. I save my CBR for the weekends.

 

That's just plain stupid. The person riding that bike is going so fast there would be no time to correct for possible obstacles or tire blow out, whatever.

One of my accidents happened at maybe 50 mph. I slid across the pavement wearing workout clothes (no leathers) and was nearly squashed by oncoming traffic. It sucked, but I rode again. At 100 mph or more, I'd be road pizza.

Ride like that on a track, but on public roads you are asking for trouble (see the video from the helmet cam from the guy killed in the UK...)

Stay safe!

 

Wow, that's scary for sure.