The answer is going to be different depending on a lot of factors such as:  What kind of riding do you do, at what speeds and distances, in what kind of traffic, and do you wear full gear and have good training/experience, etc.  

Also consider that your overall picture of motorcycling is going to be heavily biased to the negative, because of your job.  Nobody calls the paramedics to inform them that they just had a great ride.

I have two kids and the answer for me is "very responsible, and possibly more responsible than not riding" because riding motorbikes is a thing that keeps me sane and happy, and able to be a good father.

Just my opinion, but I sold my dirtbike in 1993 about 2 yrs before I got married. Had a daughter born in each 1998, 2002, 2007, then twin boys in Feb 2009.

I picked up my first used street bike in July 2009. I've been riding that bike to/from work and occasionally on a weekend since then (weather permitting). Initially my wife (an RN) was not too fond of the idea, but as long as I promised to always wear at least a helmet she would be OK with the bike.

There's been a few "pucker" moments that have scared the bejezzus out of me, but I learn from them and continue to ride.

Only just this summer, my wife has taken an interest in riding 2up with me for an occasional date night or such. She finally realizes how much fun it is to ride but agrees this bike is a bit small for the 2 of us.

I was amazed when she suggested that maybe I will need a bigger bike so we can ride together, but she didn't want to sell this one because she thinks she might want to learn to ride it herself.  

I say, keep riding if that's what you want to do, but always keep it in your mind that now more that 1 person is relying on you making that ride back home each and every day  

Ride On!!!  

I learned to love riding as a youngster because my father had motorcycles from the time I was in diapers.  It's your decision, but I'd never give it up.

Look at it this way. Bike or car, If you crash or get hit, you can get hurt bad or die either way. But I'm betting your not gonna quit driving a car. I say keep on riding, just be a little extra cautious. Obviously, don't drink and ride. Personally, I choose to not wear a helmet, but if I had little ones at home, I probably would.

I've mentioned it before, because its something that has stuck with me.  In the safety training course, they compare riding with climbing a ladder.  Your level of risk-taking is different from everyone else's.  How high you climb the ladder and how much risk you accept is up to you.  The higher you climb, the more risky it is, the more damage that can be done.  Maybe now with a little one depending on you, just back off a rung or two...

I live in a fairly rural area where the local paper serves two counties and four motorcycle accidents have been mentioned in it this past spring.  They were mentioned because the rider was killed or in one case left with serious brain damage.  None were wearing helmets.  All were the fault of the motorcycle rider and none were at high speed.

I have personally known several guys who died on motorcycles.  One messed up at an intersection and headed for the tree lawn and saddly drove under a stay wire for a power pole, it caught him under the chin.  A close relative was found in a coma in a ravine, he was wearing a helmet but the strap was apparently not fastened, it took him about a decade to die.  A family friend, a middle aged guy was cleaning out his garage and on a whim ran his sons tiny little dirt bike down the road just to run some fuel through the carb.  They found him in a ditch dead of head trauma, no helmet.  Another friend failed to negotiate a curve at night, no helmet.

I had a head on collision with a car at about 55 mph and survived, I was wearing a helmet.  I dumped my bike this summer and broke two bones and will be laid up for several more weeks, I was wearing a helmet.  My brother and I had lots of motorcycle wrecks when we were young and have broken lots of bones but not any heads.

Is it risky, I think so but I know guys who have ridden all their lives on a regular basis and have never even dropped a bike.  When I had kids growing up I quit riding, now that I am retired I started riding again and intend to keep riding, as soon as these bones heal.  One thing I am certain of is that a good helmet saves lives.

LarryC wrote on 08/23/11 at 14:45:50:

Ok, can you predict this?
You are traveling down a 3 lane one way street with left and right turn lanes in the left lane.
You know this street so you are traveling the right speed to time all the lights.
You come to an intersection with a red signal, and parked in the middle lane is a car waiting for the signal.
What happens?

Next,
You are traveling down a 1 lane each way road.  
The car in front of you goes into the left turn lane.
What happens?

And we've all heard the stories of some distracted driver blowing off a stop sign T-boning whoever was crossing.  Almost happened to me too.

You can't predict everything.  You will have to react as if your life depends on it... it does.