Riders: Talked out of buying my first bike.

[gemini]

Arggggg Matey, one them thar' pirates here..... however, I have no fringe, no wallet chain, no handle bar streamers,
and I wear a helmet. Just wondering if you wouldn't rather dress as a pirate, sit upright to ride, and have the ladies
wanting to jump on the back of your bike for a ride? Or, maybe you prefer to dress in skin tight leathers head to toe
(Dominatrix style), and ride with your head down and your rear up........ to each his own. It's all perspective.
I don't really care what anyone rides (except I have no interest in Vespa's etc), I'm just glad more folks are riding.

Given the OP's marital status and his wife's strong association of "motorcycles=kills the men I love and I can't handle the same thing again..." I doubt attracting the ladies' attention would rank very high on what bike to choose if his wife were ever emotionally OK enough with it for him to get one.

The perspective of this one lady is that a Harley is too loud, too slow, too much vibration, and too likely to leave parts along the road. A Gold Wing is too expensive, too heavy, and might as well be replaced with a small convertible which would probably weigh as much. Anything with monkey bars is ridiculously uncomfortable and unladylike and the extreme sport bikes are just as ridiculously postured in the other extreme. If you're gonna go through the risk and trouble of riding a bike, I think it should be fast, smooth, maneuverable especially on the bends, and should look cute to boot! If you're gonna do something, do it all the way!

I'm with Warhammer, the sport-styled standards are a great balance between the extremes. As long as they have nice paint jobs, that is!

Wow. Sounds like you have lots of experience with loud, slow Harleys that vibrate too much and have parts falling off at frequent intervals along the road.
I'd probably suggest a better maintenance program for your bike. Guess it shows how ones life experiences riding can differ. Gold Wings are very nice road bikes. Not very sporty for around town, but great on the Hwy. I think the touring Victory is nice too, but, I have never driven one myself, only talked at length with a owner/biker. BMW makes a nice touring rig too.
I ride a Harley, it's as fast as I care to go, smooth ride, no problems with twistys, but I wouldn't say I look "cute" riding it.
Which make, size and model of bike do you ride? I'm always interested in others with more experience and what they ride and why.

[Purplehood]

The whole "get a Harley" issue is simply a new take on the "get a 1911" issue.

Where I see an important similarity is how both preferences are tempered by a need for awareness and education on both.

[RPBrown]

Although I started the "get a Harley" portion of this thread, I relly dont care what others ride. Our group has Harleys, Yamaha's, Kawasaki's, Suzuki's, 1 BMW, 1 spider, and from time to time even a Vespa type scooter. We do kid each other about what we ride but its just that, kidding. I am also glad to see more people riding. I ride 10k-15k a year on average, both in town and on the road. Yes the hiway is safer if you know your limitations.

However, you still should be ever so vigilant to your surroundings. If you treat your riding as you do your carrying, with eyes open and aware of your surroundings, you will most likely be okay. Just dont get complacient.

Yes there are a more people killed now but there are also a lot more riders now than ever before. All motorcycle sales went up close to 30% over any record years when the gas prices got so high a few years back.

But you still have to watch out for the texters, readers, and otherwise distracted drivers.

So for those that do ride and those that dont, be safe out there. Be aware and use your head.

[Purplehood]

Having once been an avid rider, I try to watch out for them when I drive my car more so than I might.

[edmart001]

The whole "get a Harley" issue is simply a new take on the "get a 1911" issue.

Where I see an important similarity is how both preferences are tempered by a need for awareness and education on both.

Once again I find myself agreeing with Purplehood.

As I've said twice, there's a lot of preference involved. And, the perceptions of many people are formed from their experiences or what they've heard which often does not consider the fact that the manufacturers are constantly changing things.

For example, many percieve the Goldwing as being too heavy, difficult to handle and slow. They may not realize that the current generation of Goldwing is 20% lighter while having a 20% larger engine than the previous generation. Today's Goldwing is much faster, more powerful and nimble than any previous version. It's still not a sport bike. But it does have a bigger engine than Honda puts in the Civic car at about one third the weight. And, with the horizontally opposed engine, the center of gravity is very low allowing it to handle like a much lighter bike as long as one doesn't lean too much. And, everything that is high up on a Goldwing is plastic Tupperware which doesn't really weigh anything.

I find that the old adage about "it ain't so much the arrow as the indian" is also true with motorcycles (and firearms for that matter). I've never had any trouble keeping up with peg dragging sportbikes on very spirited rides. I'll always offer to ride tailgunner to "not slow anybody down", but often get worried looks when they notice how close those two big headlights might get in their mirrors. I don't do anything dangerous, and they may get around some curves a little faster, but I can generally make up the gap very quickly.

Having said all of that, it's still not a beginners bike. I still recommend the SV, or the dual sport version that Warhammer rides. Same basic bike but hung with frame and suspension for some off-road capability.

[Warhammer]

[quote="RPBrown"]
However, you still should be ever so vigilant to your surroundings. If you treat your riding as you do your carrying, with eyes open and aware of your surroundings, you will most likely be okay. Just dont get complacient.
[quote]

+1 million!!! When I taught MSF classes on base in Japan, I told students to remember that half the cagers out there don't even know you're on the road, and the other half are trying to kill you! Ride like you're invisible and never assume the other guy sees you and is going to give way to you. Motorcycling can be fun and rewarding, but you do have to be aware of the dangers and actively work to mitigate them at all times.

As for teasing folks about the bike they ride, I'm all good with it as long as it stays good-natured teasing. I like to tease my buddy who rides a BMW about how much more he paid for his Beemer and my DL1000 still has 150 more cc's of engine. A little playful ribbing between friends is always fun, whether talking bikes, guns or what have you. It's just when people start to live their "my bike/gun/whatever is the only REAL brand and everything is poop" mentality that I cease to have any use for them.

[Purplehood]

...

However, you still should be ever so vigilant to your surroundings. If you treat your riding as you do your carrying, with eyes open and aware of your surroundings, you will most likely be okay. Just dont get complacient.

...quote]

+1 million!!! When I taught MSF classes on base in Japan, I told students to remember that half the cagers out there don't even know you're on the road, and the other half are trying to kill you! Ride like you're invisible and never assume the other guy sees you and is going to give way to you. Motorcycling can be fun and rewarding, but you do have to be aware of the dangers and actively work to mitigate them at all times.

As for teasing folks about the bike they ride, I'm all good with it as long as it stays good-natured teasing. I like to tease my buddy who rides a BMW about how much more he paid for his Beemer and my DL1000 still has 150 more cc's of engine. A little playful ribbing between friends is always fun, whether talking bikes, guns or what have you. It's just when people start to live their "my bike/gun/whatever is the only REAL brand and everything is poop" mentality that I cease to have any use for them.

OMG, those BMW bikes are sweet. I haven't rode one for years (they were uglier back in the 90's) but they rode like they were on a rail. I always loved cruisers though I had a couple of Rice-rockets from time to time.

[randomoutburst]

My husband also wants to get a bike, and I asked that he not because I'm worried about his safety. I know he's a safe driver, but so many other people on the road are not. Many don't look for motorcycles and a lot of them drive recklessly.

I'd prefer to have my husband alive and in one piece than mowed down by an ignorant driver. I know keeping him off a bike doesn't make him invincible, but I've witnessed accidents involving motorcycles and even have a friend who was in a motorcycle accident...and it never seems to turn out well for the biker.

I can't tell you what is best, but it sounds like her father's death was traumatic enough that it left a big mark on her. Talk it out with her.

[glbedd53]

I used to ride in my teens, wasn't scared at all. I am now. I have been a passenger in my daughters car too many times. She texts, tailgates, and textgates. She is not the only one. I see things when I'm in my truck that give me chills every day, ain't no way I could enjoy a bike again. You can take that safety course all you want but that didn't help my co worker from the wrecker that hit him from behind while he was sitting at a red light. I'm sure he remembered everything from the safety course while he was lying in the hospital. Wrecker driver was talking on the phone and looking at a clipboard. The only way to protect yourself from something like that is to have some steel around you. I'm sure that the years I rode made me a safer, more alert driver. It's almost like a 6th sense, like I can tell what they are gonna do before they do it. I'm 57 years old and I've never had a wreck, my fault or otherwise. I'm gonna go thank the Lord now and find some wood to knock on.

[Beiruty]

I am keep this thread for Bikers and start one for roadsters!

[E.Marquez]

I used to ride in my teens, wasn't scared at all. I am now. I have been a passenger in my daughters car too many times. She texts, tailgates, and textgates. She is not the only one. I see things when I'm in my truck that give me chills every day, ain't no way I could enjoy a bike again. You can take that safety course all you want but that didn't help my co worker from the wrecker that hit him from behind while he was sitting at a red light. I'm sure he remembered everything from the safety course while he was lying in the hospital. Wrecker driver was talking on the phone and looking at a clipboard. The only way to protect yourself from something like that is to have some steel around you. I'm sure that the years I rode made me a safer, more alert driver. It's almost like a 6th sense, like I can tell what they are gonna do before they do it. I'm 57 years old and I've never had a wreck, my fault or otherwise. I'm gonna go thank the Lord now and find some wood to knock on.

I'm sorry to hear about your co worker.

But I must say, part of the training one receives from an experienced riders course, and learns is vital over the years.. is.. To know what is behind you at a stop light, sign or restricted turn.

You always leave yourself an out.. and are ready to move that direction. You keep your eye on the rear mirrors till you have a few cars built up behind you at a complete stop.
Still even then it can happen I admit, drive in a auto trans car, falls asleep, misses the brake and steps on the gas, etc ..

But doing the above is the 90% solution. Bottom line,, arriving alive at the end of the ride is the riders responsibility. if you ride thinking others will control there vehicles, obey the traffic laws and pay as much attention to others around them as the rider should be.. You will end up being a road traffic accident statistic.

[edmart001]

I agree with Bronco78. When each of my sons started riding I had them take them MSF course and get their licenses, then I rode with them for weeks on uncrowded country roads. One of the things I emphasized every time we got on the bikes and again when we got off is this:

"When riding a motorcycle, you may well be in the right, but the chances are that you are still going to be the one who gets to be dead if things go south. And, it won't matter to you who's at fault if you are dead. The safe motorcyclist must take the responsibility for every other vehicle on the road and assume everyone else is trying to knock him down."

Some people have told me that they can't enjoy the ride if they have to ride with that type of attitude. I've always replied that they should probably rethink the entire idea of motorcycling...

[C-dub]

I agree with Bronco78. When each of my sons started riding I had them take them MSF course and get their licenses, then I rode with them for weeks on uncrowded country roads. One of the things I emphasized every time we got on the bikes and again when we got off is this:

"When riding a motorcycle, you may well be in the right, but the chances are that you are still going to be the one who gets to be dead if things go south. And, it won't matter to you who's at fault if you are dead. The safe motorcyclist must take the responsibility for every other vehicle on the road and assume everyone else is trying to know him down."

Some people have told me that they can't enjoy the ride if they have to ride with that type of attitude. I've always replied that they should probably rethink the entire idea of motorcycling...

I do not enjoy my ride as much when in traffic for that reason. The rider that stops looking around is the one that gets hit. The only time I can enjoy my ride is out on country roads and even then I'm watching out for animals. I've avoided just about everything from squirrels to deer and a couple of birds.

[Oldgringo]

Everybody is going to die sooner or later from one cause or another.

Back in the 70's my BIL was killed on their big Honda in Nashville by a drunk who pulled out in front of him. My little sister (age 24) couldn't cope with her loss and killed herself a couple years later. I told my boys to not even think about asking for a motorcycle while they lived at home and they didn't. Even so, my youngest son (age 12) stepped in front of a car on his way home from school on the Monday before Thanksgiving in 1981. He was DOA at the hospital. Thankfully, he was not left in some sort of vegetative state from his carelessness. Back in the 50's, a school bus pulled out in front of me on my Harley 165 and I hit it almost head-on. It wasn't my time to die but it was my time to quit riding motorcycles. My 65 year old brother has a bike and his wife will not ride with him. I wish him well.

Everyone is going to die sooner or later from one cause or another. There is no reason to put oneself at risk to accelerate the inevitable. Few of us live alone in our little sphere, there are others who care about us and who suffer in our wake.

I suggest the bike purchase decision be made by unanimous accord. Good luck and God Bless.

[glbedd53]

I agree with everything you said. Plus, the increased traffic from when I used to ride, then the cell phones and other distractions just make it an undue risk for me (and my wife). I could make a fairly long list of people I personnaly know who have been injured or killed on bikes in just the last few years. An ex-boyfriend of my daughter and a guy my age that I know are both vegetables now without any real hope of getting any better. On a bike you are at the mercy of too many other people and you have to depend too much on luck. I always think about the law of averages and the more miles and years you ride it seems to me , the more the odds are against you.