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/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> Concerns - one extreme to another /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1080672174 Message started by AlisaB on 03/30/04 at 10:42:53 |
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Title: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by AlisaB on 03/30/04 at 10:42:53 My hubby bought me my 2003 Savage a couple of weeks ago. Although I am so thrilled and excited to have it, I am also scared and worried about the safety issues. I have two small children (1 and 4) and love them so much. I always worry . . what if. It is so hard to love to ride so much but constantly think about having a wreck. I am healthy now and have two healthy kids. Why would I want to take a chance?? One minute I want to keep the bike and ride worry free. The next minute I want to sell it and not take any chances on not being here for my kids. With my last bike 15 years ago I always went back and forth too; finally heard to many horror stories and sold it. I have really enjoyed riding it the last couple of weeks. I am taking the MSF course next month before I ride out from my neighborhood. There are several people in my church who ride (including three women) and we have a riding club. I am just driving myself crazy!! Anyone else ever feel wishy washy like me?? |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Gregski on 03/30/04 at 13:07:27 I am 31 years old and have a 2 1/2 year old son. My wife is 5 months pregnant with a baby girl. In February I bought my 1999 Savage on a VISA cash advance. Its hard to find time to ride, but when I do get a chance I ride while humming "Born To Be Wild"! smiling ear to ear. We made a few rules: 1. No commuting to work 2. No riding on the freeways 3. No riding at night 4. No passengers 5. No riding in the rain I do what I can to be safe. I completed the motorcycle safety class, and recommend it to everyone starting out, or getting back into riding. I wear heavy jeans, boots, leather gloves, denim or leather jacket, and a full faced helmet... even though my brother says I look like Marvin the Martian on the small thumper. I am thinking of getting a yellow wind breaker type jacket instead of black, to be more visible, I may also replace my black helmet with a white one to be more visible. Notice, I am just stating what works for me, as this is a very tough call, of course we love our family, heck even our own lives and well being, but my motto is I rather regret for doing something, rather than regret not doing it! If your husband rides too, this could be your time to spend together, you could be killing two birds with one stone. Is it dangerous, sure... is flying to visit grandma for Thanksgiving dangerous, sure... |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Elk OIl on 04/02/04 at 14:04:05 Alisa, remember one thing above all when you're riding: It is up to YOU to avoid accidents. With your life and safety squarely in your own hands, it makes getting trained and educated much easier because you're removing the responsibility from other drivers to keep you safe and you're taking 100% of the responsibility yourself. You can't get better motivation than that! Read everything you can get your hands on. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycling" and the two "Proficient Motorcycling" books by David Hough are bikers' bibles. Absorb and inhale what is written on those pages. Get and stay trained by thaking the MSF course as many times as you like! Take the BRC every year if you want, and the ERC annually as a refresher. Limit yourself to parking lots and practice endlessly until you feel better and better about your abilities. Always stay humble on the saddle. Do not ever let your guard down when you're on your bike, ride as if you were invisible, silent and as big as a car. And always wear the very best safety gear. The accident rate for motorcyclists is only about 1.5% of all riders (as opposed to over 5% of car drivers!) so statistically your odds of getting in an acident are lower than if you were in a car. I can understand your fear, and I would certainly support anyone who is afraid to ride out of concern for their family. The choice is yours, obviously, but your odds of getting in a motorcycle accident decrease substantially when you take the above suggestions. Ride safe always. You are the most important person in the world to someone! |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Kropatchek on 04/02/04 at 16:02:16 Just ride the d...m thing ;D |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by AlisaB on 04/02/04 at 18:14:13 LOL Kropatchek ;D |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Kropatchek on 04/03/04 at 06:05:14 Forgive my ignorance, :-[ what means LOL? |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by AlisaB on 04/03/04 at 06:52:11 Laugh out loud ;D |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by AL_DOWN_UNDER on 04/09/04 at 14:46:38 THE OTHER DAY I WAS NEARLY RUN DOWN BY A 4 WHEEL DRIVE WHILE I WAS TRY ING TO GET INTO MY CAR . AL DOWN UNDER >:( |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by savagethumper on 04/09/04 at 18:57:46 I completely understand. I have two boys, and I live near a big city, so the fear is there. But, I do what I can to be extra careful. I never go without a helmet, and a protective clothing. And just because you have a wreck, doesn't mean you're dead or crippled. I'm living proof. I had a front brake lock up in the gravel and I wiped out and skinned and burned my arm, but it wasn't anything horrible. I had a friend, (a Harley mechanic) hit a car turning in front of him, at 55mph, and all he did was dislocate a shoulder, and get a little road rash. And the fool wasn't even wearing a helmet. :P Just be careful, and enjoy riding with your friends. :) |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by River on 02/17/05 at 16:49:52 An applicable quote from the Sufi Poet, Rumi: "Move within, But not the way Fear makes you move." Keep your head on your shoulders, stay alert and be responsable for your own safety. ^o^ |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Paladin on 02/17/05 at 17:39:13 AlisaB wrote:
Last things first -- Don't, that's your husband's job. you might check to see if he's taken out a very large life insurance policy on you. A motorbike 15 years ago, puts you 30+. I shall assume that 15 years ago you were young and inexperienced on the road. It is a good thing to not ride when inexperienced. As of now you have two possibilities: 1. You have not had any accidents in the past 10 years, no close calls, the cops mostly ignore you. You have learned defensive driving. 2. You have had accidents/close calls and are on first name basis with the traffic cops. You might reconsider the bike. The MSF course is good -- even if you have driven accident free with Bell System bi-annual safety refresher courses for the past 30+ years. (counting me there were three old PacBell Technicians in my MSF class. (I don't think the instructor believed us when we said yes, we regularly drive 14+ seconds ahead -- Ma Bell calls it the Long View.) With the small kids I'd be tempted to get a sidecar. My Uncle picked me up at Heathrow in '58 with a hack. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Savage_Rob on 02/18/05 at 05:33:43 I am 42 and also have a family. I too had about a 15 year hiatus from riding and I went about it this way: (1) I took the MSF course as a refresher. (2) I took out additional life insurance. (3) I wear good quality safety gear. (4) I stayed off the freeway for a few weeks until I was accustomed to the bike and felt comfortable riding again. (5) I keep the bike in good condition - especially tires and brakes. (6) I ride as often as possible. The more experience you have, the better rider you become. (7) Whenever possible, I practice specific skills like swerving to dodge obstacles, quick stops, etc. I limit myself to relatively isolated places for some of this, though obstacle dodging can be practiced with trash on the road, manhole covers, etc. (8) I don't plan to ride to/from work in inclement weather though I have taken joyrides in the rain just for the fun of the ride and to hone my skills under those conditions. (9) I don't do stunts. Those morons standing on the seats of their egg-bikes while doing 75 MPH on the tollway are street-pizzas waiting to happen. I just hope they don't take anyone else with them. Finally... if you don't enjoy it, don't do it. If you are worried to the point of distraction, you should not put yourself and those around you at risk. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Greg_650 on 02/18/05 at 09:03:39 AlisaB wrote:
I will admit that just like anything, I have good days and bad days. Sometimes, I feel really "one" with the bike and will ride very well. Other days, I don't feel "on top of my game" and feel sloppy. On those days, I ride cautiously. It is all about riding within your abilities and always riding defensively. When you finish your MSF course, you'll have a better understanding of your bike and your abilities. If you ride as they will teach you, and always wear good protective gear, you won't drive yourself crazy. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by thehoghunter on 02/18/05 at 12:07:48 Disclaimer: I'm not a insurance agent or associated with any insurance company. That being said, here's some more to think about. If you have an accident, you may not die. So more life insurance, while good, isn't enough. You need to make sure if you are disabled where you can't provide for your family that they aren't "stuck" in a bind. Don't know what else is needed, but you definitely should consider long-term care insurance. If you can afford it (my wife's and mine together is $120 a month), it's something you should start while young (cost won't be as high - I believe it stays the same). Long-term care is something I believe is needed by around 75% of population (at some time in their lives). Once you need it, it's too late to get it. You have to have it before you need it. I stopped riding when my kids were young. Not because I wanted to, they just seem to do a good job of using up all the money (sold the bike before they came around due to being sent overseas in the Army). When I thought about getting back into motorcycles maybe 10 years after, I looked at the traffic and thought, "No freaking way!". Now that I finally got back into it, I have no problems with the traffic or with the "if I die" thing - I'll be doing what I love to do. My wife understands that. The only thing I worry about is the what if's - but not when I'm riding. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Old Geezer on 02/18/05 at 12:48:33 Everyone has made excellent comments. I would add a couple. Like someone said, consider that you are invisible, stay aware of your surroundings, avoid high traffic streets and riding in rush hour if possible. One very simple thing that can reduce your risk, position yourself in the lane where you are the most visible to other drivers. For example, if you are riding down a street with a lot of side streets, ride as close to the center of the lane as possible. Thattaway, cars on the side streets will be more apt to see you. And, during daylight hours, ride with your high beam on. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by sunny on 02/18/05 at 13:07:56 i am the single parental unit for eight kids, six are still at home. i took the msf course last march, and purchased my very first bike in april. yes i have alot to lose, as do my kids. that's why i always ride safe. i have health insurance and a life policy. i also always wear protective gear, and do my own bike maintenance. i also don't worry about what may or may not happen. i live for today because this is the only day i have. and when it comes down to it, i try to make sure that : 1. i have no regrets. 2. i don't allow anything to cause me to be resentful of my kids, they don't need that. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by savagethumper on 02/18/05 at 13:32:16 A single parent for eight kids???? My respect for you just increased ten fold. How do you do it? I want to pull my hair out, and I'm married with 3 kids. I had no idea. When I stopped by your house a while back I noticed there were no boys around, please tell me there not all girls. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Susan on 02/18/05 at 15:39:30 As people have pointed out, we all face risks each and every day -- some risks are in our control and lots of risks aren't. Personally, I want to live each day to the fullest and, for me, that includes riding. Only you can decide what makes sense for you. If you decide to keep riding, I'd encourage you to do everything you can to be safe BUT don't drive yourself so crazy that you don't enjoy the ride. Riding should be exhilarating and enjoyable. Good luck! :) |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Ed L. on 02/18/05 at 16:04:41 I just happened to find the handbook given out when i took the MSF last year and the first thing that is covered is Risk Awareness, Risk Acceptance and Risk Management. Motorcycling can be dangerous but with proper training the risk is greatly reduced. Take the course, pay attention and pratice what they teach. The most important point is that you ride within your abilities and have fun. ;D |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by sluggo on 02/18/05 at 16:52:08 Ed L. wrote:
truer words have never been spoken. that is rule #2 of 2. rule #1 RIDE AS IF YOU WERE INVISIBLE, THAT, BECAUSE YOU ARE. :( |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by sunny on 02/18/05 at 17:49:07 savagethumper wrote:
close. seven girls and one boy. he's child number 6, too. we sort of spoil him, and sort of not. i suppose he will see it as a mixed blessing when he grows up. |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by savagethumper on 02/18/05 at 17:51:59 Just think of all his sister's friends that he'll have access to. He'll either be a player, or need psychiatric help. ;D |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Red_Wine on 02/22/05 at 04:01:02 savagethumper wrote:
I could give him some help with those girls when he grows up, and save you Sunny some real money on shrinks... ;D RW |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by Michael on 02/22/05 at 09:12:00 savagethumper wrote:
HAHAHHAHAHAHA GOOD ONE |
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Title: Re: Concerns - one extreme to another Post by bobo383 on 02/22/05 at 21:02:43 I'm a much better driver on my Savage than I am in my Suburban. After riding a bike in traffic, I've slowed waaaaaay down even in the Sub. A few years ago was the first time I ever rode a mortorcycle -- a little Honda XR80. It spooked me to ride a dirt bike, since I grew up on three wheelers. But then I bought some bikes and me & the kids started riding on 2 instead of 3. Then a friend let me ride his HD. It spooked me to get on a road bike, as the steering was waaaaay different than a dirt bike, especially on a big twin DynaWide Glide. Then I got a Savage and it spooked me to ride in traffic (legally anyway) in the Dallas-FtWorth metroplex - no such thing as no rush hour here. It spooked me the first time I took my kids on the Savage. It spooked me the first time I got caught in the rain and had to ride in it for 30 minutes to get home. Oddly enough, it spooked me the first time I rode with a helmet and gloves - felt numb and deaf. Never had a helmet growing up. But then again, it spooked me to have kids (5 now), get divorced, remarry, fly in a plane, trust other people, go to church again, and a bunch of other things that the good Lord gave us plenty sense to make it through. You'll be fine if you keep your head on straight and don't get c0cky with it. You were designed by your Manufacturer with remarkable adaptability. |
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