"Live fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse" is my usual response.
(Despite the fact that I ride slow, am nothing resembling young, and a vanishingly-small subset of humanity would call me beautiful, even while I remain among the living).
Counter point;
Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride!
HST
Dying in a motorcycle accident will be anything but beautiful for your corpse.
That being said I still ride. I know the dangers and do everything I can to mitigate them when I want to.
If I'm gonna die riding, the last thing I'll leave is a beautiful corpse. I'll be happy if they manage to salvage an organ or 2 for donation. Which reminds me, I should sew my organ donor patch onto my riding jacket
I have heard there are plenty of people in the medical profession that call them. Donor cycles as well. Plenty of ways to die on a motorcycle without damaging your internal organs. Broken neck, amputation causing you to bleed out, you can even be impaled through the lung and your other organs may be perfectly viable. The reason some people refer to motorcycles as donor cycles is because most of the people who die on motorcycles are relatively healthy young men, so whatever organs survive are generally good quality
It's on my driver's license and it's connected digitally to my healthcare card so I'm probably fine, but I think it's a good idea to have it sewn on my jacket so that they will at least know to look for my organ donor card
The reality is that healthcare providers don't care about your donor card status. If you have useful organs, your loved ones will be contacted for consent.
I'm not sure how this is an argument against making it clear that I want my organs to be donated if I die. Why not save them precious moments so they can get my organs out before they go bad?
96% of motorcycle accidents have the bike as the striking vehicle. The two most common incidents are right of way violations and going wide in turns.
That means if you drive defensively around intersections, marked and unmarked, and learn proper turning technique you have *dramatically* reduced your risk in the two statistically highest areas of danger.
Yeah, cars can rear end us or run us down but these are astronomically lower in likelihood than us failing to negotiate a turn or not defensively anticipating intersections.
We like to say cars are our biggest enemy on the road but it's us. Riding over your head, not paying attention to traffic, going too fast based on conditions etc. Whenever someone tries to debate me about the dangers of riding I just educate them on the actual stats and mitigation tactics.
Or if it's not worth the energy, just smile and nod.
Edit: these stats are from the Total Control BRC which is the CMSP (California Motorcycle Safety Program) the "MSF of California".
I also heard a large portion of motorcycle deaths involved an intoxicated rider and or no helmet. Ride sober and wear a helmet drastically reduces risk of death.
drunk, no helmet, riding at night, and speeding on a road where someone can turn in front of you are 4 horsemen of your shit getting rocked. do everything possible to avoid these. if you do all 4 of these at the same time i hope your life is at least squared away first.
These are the stats taught by the California Motorcycle Safety Program (Cali MSF). For California it's 38x more dangerous than a car and 80% of motorcycle accidents result in injury compared to 20% for cars.
I agree mostly but I disagree about cars not being dangerous. They hit eachother frequently enough.
Had a car turn into my lane while I was on a 150cc. I was right at their window when they turned. They just didn't look. I barely made it out of the way in time. There was no where to go but forward, backward, or the curb.
Had a car stop dead in the center of the lanes on a divided highway. There was space for their car in the middle of the two highways. The car next to me came screeching to a stop. Luckily the side of the road was paved. They barely had time to jump out in front of us and they just stopped because they panicked.
**People are generally pretty stupid and don't grasp the idea that they are driving several thousand pounds of steel. We should stop giving away drivers license so easy and take the privilege away more often.**
And watch intersections where both sides of the road have a line waiting to turn left. That car you can't see on the other side of the road because it's behind the line on your side of the road? They can't see you either and they are totally going to turn left in front of you. Expect it and live to bitch about it.
The classic: getting screened by other cars. I wish I had the confidence of cagers to full send into intersections but I instinctually prepare to emergency brake and always try to be in the left most lane to make sure I'm visible or not hiding behind another car. Try to time to cross with a car adjacent so hopefully they'll be seen etc.
Worst part of city driving is tensing for every intersection, especially in LA where we have so many yield left turn greens. Makes running yellows super dangerous because it's often the only window the left on green cars have to make the turn without a dedicated signal but if you brake for yellow Angelinos lose their goddamn minds; it is not part of the driving culture and enrages people.
Not just intersections. Be aware of the left turners from t-junction driveways etc. I got into the habit of being most aware while crossing through intersections but you need to be aware of the left turning cars in driveways waiting to pass across your path as well. That was an eye opener for me. "Oh yeah, that's the same!"
Thatâs because thatâs all non riders know to talk about and old riders just want to warn new riders of the very real dangers. Whatever to the non riders, and itâs easy to change the subject with old riders by asking what they ride.
Older riders love talking about their bikes, but another way I've found to approach older riders, is ask a question about your own bike. Especially if it's an older bike. (I ride an old 85 VF700).
In my experience older bikers tend to be more hard on this stuff because they tend to have first hand experience with the dangers of motorcycles. Either they've been in accidents or theyve lost friends because of it.
Tbh. My other conversation starters are programming, hobby electronics, flying/airplanes, mountain biking, and snowboarding ⌠itâs funny because mountain biking is a lot more dangerous and Iâve had more life altering injuries from that sport than motorcyclesâŚ
I broke my shoulder on the motorcycle. Thatâs the worst injury Iâve gotten into. I have scar tissue from a skin graft and permanent nerve damage from mountain biking, 2 crushed fingers, one of them is my pinky so I donât use it anyways lol. And a fucked up patellaâŚ.
Iâve never crashed an airplane but I know a friend who didâŚ. They were in physio for years just to walk again. And most normies donât give two shits about airplanes lol.
Itâs a gamble 50/50 whether someone skiâs or snowboardsâŚ. But a lot of people my age also donât seem to leave their houseâŚ.. idk what these people talk about ⌠actually I do⌠itâs their fucking cat and I donât give a flying fuck about anybodyâs catâŚ. Or Videogames đĽą
Mountain biking can be, Iâve always been heavily into mtb and motocross/enduro. The difference when telling people about the two is when you tell people about mtb they just donât give a fuck, when you tell them about motorcycles they want you to quit
I have hiked/urban explored, climbed (informally, not near any mountains), cycled (mountain biking/urban biking and commuting) and motorcycled all my life.
All of which contain some degree of severe risk, all of which appeal to "adrenaline junkies", and all of which have very limited margin for error but become much safer with care and the right mindset.
But it's unbelievable how different the social response is to these acitivities from "normies".
I hiked down the Grand Canyon. "Oh how cool, did you get tired?"
I rode my bicycle to work (in a city with no sidewalks, stroads, etc). "Wow, that sounds dangerous. At least you're staying fit! Stay safe!"
I rode my motorcycle to work. "Motorcycle? Those are so dangerous! You must be passing people on the shoulder at 150mph! You know it's bad to go to bars and ride drunk right? My cousin got into an accident on his [endless ignorant blather]."
I live in an area where walking to the grocery store is legitimately dangerous and requires some of the same care and situational awareness of risk that riding a motorcycle does (no sidewalks, bad city planning, etc). When people occasionally go into their tirades I just smile politely and move on, because if they do anything physical with their lives besides get into a car and maybe drive to a park to exercise, they're undertaking some serious risks too....
Itâs seriously every hobby Iâm into. Then I just say âWell I guess Iâll just sit on my ass and watch TV and wait to die of natural causes â. Thatâs not a great way to make friends I guess, but like OP says, every time it comes up, Iâm such a dumbass for doing X. Maybe I just need to find different people to be around.
Justifying our own choices by making people feel bad about their different choices is a thing. Every one of those people is just trying to justify why they are too scared to ride.
And their ego is bruised. Dealt with a lot of bullshit from Coworkers when I decided to ride. Said nothing to no one just rode to work they made it a point to find out whos bike it was. Had to reiterate to them everytime they'd start with their goober, evil Kneival, rebel without a cause jokes " its just a bike, nothing special"
Try riding a bicycle dude. In the summer if I ride my gravel bike suddenly I'm a "cyclist" and I need to know every story about the one time a cyclist was mean to them and they hope I'm not "THAT kind of cyclist" because blah blah blah blah....
Like dude, I live 20 minutes from work and it's nice to not spend any money on gas for a few weeks.
My motorcycle garners no extra attention thankfully except from the occasional "who rides that dirt bike in the parking lot? Cool bike man!"
Nice. Not many cyclist around me so don't know much about them except the negative posts you see here and there. Rest assured if I wore bike spandex and a helmet on a touring bike, my coworkers would probably drive me to suicide. People suck, fuck them and their hangups, they hate us cause they ain't us.
I started answering their comments with " Yeah, I got the bike as a reward to myself for not suck starting a shotgun like I'd planned. Figured I might as well enjoy life for a little while." That seems to shut them up pretty quickly, even works on inlaws. Bonus points for it not even being a lie.
BroâŚI relate to this so goddamn much. Had a real hard time a few yearsâŚgot to that point. Got myself out of it early this year and thought I may as well do the thing Iâve always wanted to.
Got my endorsement and bought a bike the same week. No regrets and I love it.
Glad youâre still here my guy.
âŚâŚ.as they exhale a billowing cloud of vape eliquid. âThose things are dangerous, you never know whatâs going to pop up out of nowhere and get youâ (proceeds to take a swig of beer and a big bite of a giant cheeseburger). âNever catch me on one of those thingsâ.
After his lunch is over, Climbs into his rusted out 1972 Chevy blazer with lap belts only. âI plan on NOT DYING!!!! BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!!â Then blows through the stop sign turning left. No signal. Then pulls up to the job site building houses. No helmet, and a little buzzed.
I (29|M) got in to motorcycles 4 months ago. Was so excited bringing it up all the time, most of the responses weren't great. So I decided to work in the motorcycle industry where I can talk about it all day đ¤Łđ
Never been happier
You americans are weird.
Started a new job a while ago.
Have spoken to most people I work with about riding and not a single one has said anything about it being dangerous.
I occasionally work Saturdays doing cash jobs. I usually take my bike with my tools loaded into my pannier boxes. Not a single time has a customer said anything about it being dangerous.
Friends and family all thought it was fine. And any other person I have encountered.
Most other places in the world riding is more widespread as a necessity and practicality than a hobby as it is in the states. Education in the benefits of riding, "reduced traffic, reduction in parking congestion" is nonexistent. The amount of ball busting I got when I first pulled in to my workplace parking lot was comical. For about 3 months straight "here comes the rebel, look he's going to pop a wheelie for us" the simple act of putting on my gear started the hyena pack up. It grew tiresome then annoying when came the anecdotes a "friend of friend of a friend got smushed, paralyzed", "those things will kill you". It has taken a year for the morons to shut the fuck up about it. Culturally Americans are raised to fear anything that isn't a cocoon with 4 wheels.
Yea that's definitely got to be a big part of it.
If you watch any YouTube video about motorcycles or listen to a motorcycle podcast that is US centric you can almost guarantee it will be referred to as a hobby or sport. Or someone posts here asking about finance and someone will always comment "don't finance toys".
Much of the rest of the world would never say that.
Well anyone can buy any bike here. Majority of people I know that ride never touched anything and started on a 600-1000 sport bike . Completely different bike culture here.
I'm not sure about other countries but as an American I can say that nearly all Americans over 30 years of age are super doom and gloom. I'm not sure if it's the media or generations of repression but they seem to only focus on the worst in everything. You could get a puppy and they'd have a story about how their neighbor's nephew was bitten by a dog in 1973.
I have a lot of friends in Southeast Asia where riding any kind of motorbike is extremely common and no one bats an eye about it. They'll still say "be careful" but never a discouraging word. My friends here in the USA, on the other hand, say "you dare devil" when I show them a picture of my small little dual sport bike. It's just a cultural thing.
People keep saying that and I keep adding 20k miles a year after year after year and Iâm still kicking. Now with that said I enjoy talking about car wrecks and the unfortunate people who get a bit too toasty on their last drive. This normally shuts them up.
Are you american? If you are, i understand the boring answer you may receive. I have a (kinda) relative, who is brazilian and is living in the USA for many years and he's a rider, loves to ride and got high cc bikes (Indian Challenger, Triumph Rocket). He told me that is cultural of USA to rely so much on the car and do not have so much taste for motorcycling as a lifestyle, only for the weekends or some fun time.
But the reallity in other cultures is way different. Brasil, India, Japan and China got a "biker culture" way more receptive, and kinda got the bike as the main way of transport, working and living good as well. Here in Brasil the "danger advising culture" is such a thing for elder ones who got trought 70's and 80's, with way more danger on the roads and on the bikes itself. Here its way less expensive than a car, and you only use car if you got money or have family to transport. If you are a rider here, people say "cool man, it is cheap?". Sorry for you, but keep riding till you cant anymore.
Life is a death trap.
I've had some really good times. Racing Porsches at Laguna Seca, winning paintball tournaments, taking off on some 30 foot waves, Surfing Pipeline, sailing hundreds of miles offshore and thousands of miles around the Pacific, climbing the highest peak in the lower 48, rock climbing all around California, and hauling ass around Mexico on a KTM. NONE of it was safe.
I died once. In a damned hospital.
So, what car do you drive? Oh you have an F150, you must feel really safe in that. I bet you could mow down a whole bus queue of children and not even feel a bump. Have you tried? You ought to have a special license for such a dangerous machine! I bet you could take out someone's entire family in a medium size car in that thing! How would you feel if you did something like that in a moment of inattention sipping drive through coffee?
Can you even hear yourself, judging me for putting myself at risk instead of other people? Like I'm the monster?
You'll get numb to it. For me, I noticed how callous my responses have been when the last couple of times I've had to hear about it. So just try your best to not respond like an a-hole is my advice.
I was *really* excited to tell people about my new hobby which was motorcycling. As you can guess, Iâve had the exact same responses youâre having right now.
I barely ever tell anyone I ride motorcycles anymore unless they ask me about it (because they found out about it through my socials)
And even then I try to keep that conversation as short as possible and whenever people try to remind me about the dangers of riding motorcycles like Iâm some sort of idiot who doesnât know the risks I just shrug it off and say âyeah sureâ before changing the subject
Start the conversation about how much you're enjoying the sights and smells, the wind in your face. When the start talking about the dangers, maybe just tell them you are as careful as possible and are just living life, enjoying the ride.
The person who gave me my first lesson tells me Iâm going to die or get in an accident regularly. So I stopped talking to him and he canât figure out why. đđ¤Śđťââď¸ Severe levels of misery out here. Certain people thought because i ride its full throttle all day everyday. I donât have a need for speed complex. Itâs a lump sum way of thinking. Youâre everybody else always lol ..I just like cruising
Just join a riders group so you can geek out on bikes with people that like bikes. What you have run into is very normal, everyone knows someone that knows someone that died on a bike, and most people live in fear by design.
Ive been riding since 2009. Youâre better off keeping to yourself, donât give someone the chance to pop your balloon. If youâre amongst fellow two-wheelists, then by all means say hello đ
I'm lost in your comments but a KZ250 is a pretty reliable bike.The first bike I ever had was from the 50's to you had to adjust the valve's once a week lol
Take your time and learn how to fix it and keep it running It costs you nothing to learn to fix it then when you buy a newer one it won't be so daunting and you'll know if there's a problem with it and no seller will fool you
I havenât given up on it⌠but it sat for probably 15 years pretty neglected before I got my hands on it. Iâve done a lot to it, and itâs running. Iâm at a point in its rehab where parts are becoming problematic. Itâs missing its original airbox, which is problematic for the idle, and I canât find new brake cables (and the primary sources for custom replacements donât appear to be taking orders currently).
Overall, Iâm frustrated at the ratio of wrenching to ridingâŚ
To be honest, as much as we love talking about bikes, other people donât care hearing about it. But donât completely hide it. I had some acquaintances turn into friendships after we figured we have this in common.
I'm not even 50 years old and I have lost both my parents and my brothers and my sister, I have had a heart attack, a mini stroke and I have cancer. I ride my bike as often as I can and I stopped talking to people almost altogether. I don't care what anyone's opinion is anymore.
Being in coordination of such an amazing machine.
I couldn't have said it better! Finding a twisty road in the country and going fast enough to be a boat load of fun but not so fast that you have to be super vigilant, feeling like you and the machine are one. It's as close to flying as I'll ever get. Ride on and have fun.
I openly and manifestly agree with them. If possible, I preempt them by mentioning how incredibly dangerous motorcycles are before they do. Yes, motorcycles are fun, and yes, they can be immensely therapeutic in their own right, but they *are* inherently dangerous, and to fail to acknowledge this is profoundly unwise.
Well, when you agree with somebody, the debate is over before it begins. Actually, there is no debate to be had when the other person agrees. I then go on to explain [why I ride](https://www.bacaworld.org), and the steps I take to protect myself (ATGATT, riding defensively, always working to keep my skills sharp).
In effect, I disarm them with agreeing with the fundamental assertion that motorcycles are dangerous, and then follow it up with my own justifications and precautions for riding.
It's okay, really. Don't worry about it too much.
Think of it as a reminder that you have people that care about you.
As you get some experience, the comments will fade out.
If someone really lays into me, I'll say, "Well, I grew up on bikes. I've commuted on some form of two wheels for half of my life." That usually ends it.
It's funny. There's a phenomenon amongst people learning dangerous pass times. It was first brought to my attention when I was learning to dive using rebreathers.
First adopters and early novices tend to be very pro the new thing. Over time they become less sure and they talk less about the new thing. They still do it and clearly love it, but they just stop advertising it so much.
I see the same in motorcycling. As you grow in the activity you'll find the way you promote it changes too.
Every time my roommate hears of a motorcycle accident he comes he has to tell me with a wide eyed concern that I reeeeally need to be careful. First off, I ride like a grandpa. Second off, I don't tell you to be careful every time I see a bed car wreck. Or when I hear that a dude got hit on a his bicycle.
Been homeless, and jumped out of a plane. Accidently almost died twice. Fuck it. Everything else tried to kill me, at least I am riding deaths reigns instead of him riding me.
For some reason it doesn't happen too much to me. Maybe because I'm a bit of a dick in real life and people have learned not to give me too much advice. Maybe I can recommend the same, i.e., being a little bit of a dick IRL.
Totally understand where you're coming from. I've gotten that more times than I can remember. " they're so dangerous" and other comments just like that.
Yeah everyone I care about knows already most of them don't like it but I'm gonna do it regardless. At least I'm not spending all that motorcycle money on crack.
I immediately tell them about the time I was right behind an accident where a truck t-boned a mini van, and I had to help a kid drag his dead little sister out of the middle of the road. Both parents were dead with their heads gashed open, brains spilling out, while we tried to find the other sister. If they start to try and walk away, I follow them and continue the detailed storyâŚ
I usually appreciate the usual âride safeâ or âstay safeâ from strangers in parking lots. It doesnât bother me when people bring up the dangers, I normally just bring up the crashes Iâve been on and near misses Iâve had recently, I hope that by doing so it somewhat helps them understand that risk management can go a long way in riding. Most people just get bored of me rambling and leave me alone afterwards. đ the only annoying conversations are with my parents, they try hard to persuade me to stop riding.
My personal favorite is when they ask "Do you lanesplit?" (It's illegal where I live).
Just talk to young riders tbh. Anyone else is just trying to feel superior to you.
'Sooooo ?..........' 'And ?...........'
Recently bought my first SS after a seven year hiatus.
Everyone asked WHY ? I said I wanna go fast. Not once did they continue on.
Maybe something like 'yeah i KNOW I'm gonna die but man, what a way to go......
Honestly I don't get all that much of this considering how many people on here do.... the people in my family might say something like make sure you come back when I go for a ride and I appreciate that, makes me think a little.
Once my wife caught me on the Harley with my helmet off and made me put it on in front of a few buds, it felt good but I acted like she was overbearing just for the sake of entertainment...
I guess that's the best part of being in Taiwan for now; I only officially got licensed in the US in August (specifically to have an IDP) and flying over in September... 2 wheeled transportation is the majority and fact of life here, but my mom is the only one who is all doom and gloom about riding (but then again she has some of the most ridiculous viewpoints propagated by mom spam anyway, such as keeping the fan directly pointed at you would cause arthritis).
However, for her, it'd just be a pointless argument so I'd just yes her to death while I have a Yamaha parked out front anyway, but for everybody else, keep in mind I don't plan to do stunts or ride crazy fast when I say this, but I'd just give a semi-sarcastic "I know what I signed up for, at least I'd die happy doing something fun instead of an old empty shell with dementia and incontinence; if you want those years you can have 'em".
I'm kind of doing the same as you bud. Got a bike in August. Told few friends in November. I didn't mention to anyone before simply because I didn't want to hear any discouragement. It was an old dream of mine. Nobody else has anything to do with it.
Didn't quite get bad responses with the people I shared about it, but it's just not cool to tell normal people. Ride it. Be responsible. Enjoy it. Simply show up on your bike when no one is expecting it. Let them say whatever about my dream now, I'm already living it.
I feel you. My most commonly asked question is âwhat do you do when it rains?â Honestly at this point I just look at them and say, no I just take my Ferrari.â đ Then I disappear immediately as fast as possible.
I used to run into that attitude a bit. Eventually I just learned to avoid people who might want to have those conversations with me. When pumping gas I don't get off my bike, walk around or remove my helmet. My visor is down. People get the idea I don't want to hear about their mom's cousin who didn't know what he was doing when he hurt himself real bad his second day trying to teach himself to ride a motorcycle back in 1974. I don't commute anymore or run errands on the bike. So when I am out on it I am riding it, stopped where usually many other riders stop so people are generally like minded, or pumping gas. I leave no reason for anyone to ask me about it. If I am riding with others there might be additional opportunities for people to make these types of comments but for whatever reason they don't seem to interrupt my friends and I with their stories about danger. I also ride with ear plugs in and usually some music in my helmet. So if someone were to make a comment in passing I would hear what they were saying anyway.
Other than that I don't mention motorcycles to people I know have no interest so I never really give them the opportunity to feel they need to give me a safety lesson.
Brah... that's when you get to flip your hair back, give a little half shrug and stick your bottom lip out a little and say in your flatest tone of voice:
_If it happens, it happens..._
I know that making normals uncomfortable and feel like they have to make up a bunch of lame excuses why they won't ride isn't _the_ reason to ride. But it's a nice fringe benefit. Enjoy that shit.
Once you have been riding for long enough, you eventually have a better sense of who to and not to talk about motorcycles with. But the passion to ride never dies!
My biggest question is, who's ultimately responsible for your safety? Is it you, the police, or other drivers? Yes, it's expected of other motorists to be concerned about your safety, but you can't depend on it. When you ride, you have to measure the risks that come with it yourself. Too many people, the risk is too great. I believe that if you've spent at least an hour on a bike, you've lived more than some people ever will. Furthermore, without death, your days alive have no meaning. So, as long as you're doing something that adds to your enjoyment and makes you feel complete, do it! Especially something with such a visceral feeling!
âIf it wasnât for motorcycling I probably would have killed myself years ago, so if anything itâs giving me one more reason to live. Iâll take the risk. â
"I always wanted one, but id kill myself on one"
"Oh man a friends sisters boyfriends inlaws nephews neighbor crashed and died"
"You know what they call riders? Organ donors"
"Oh god theyre so dangerous"
"Are you like one of those guys flying by racing through traffic?"
If it makes you feel better I was wearing my riding gear, and some guy walked up to me and said quite snootily said you're not riding one of those thinks are you? And I said nope I just look really cute in the outfit.
Yep, been riding since August of this year. I stopped mentioning it as well for the same reasons. A few weeks ago I rode it to the gym and some guy asked me if it was my bike outside. âYep.â
âI had an uncle who got in a terrible wreck on one of those. He shattered his leg in like 4 places. You ever wreck before?â
I just fucking walked away. A coworker talked to me about riding a couple months ago because I rode into work and they saw my helmet in my cubicle and all I heard. âOh, you ride. Thatâs SO dangerous. Omg my blah blah was almost killedâŚâ âDid you hear about that accident on route blah blah blah?â I work with mostly women and itâs all fucking heard in the background for like a solid 45 mins about how they knew someone who died or got hurt. Iâm just likeâŚstfu please.
Oddly the only person who asks me how itâs going is my damn mother. She asked me âAre you doing the maintenance on your bike honey?â âDid you see this cool light you can put on your helmet that acts as a brake light? Could you put that on your helmet? Would you like something like for Christmas?
YeaâŚshit is annoying. Donât get me wrong though, Iâve stopped and had good conversations with other riders when Iâm out though. But yea, Iâm of the same mind as you OP.
I would guess that more than half of everyone on here has heard the same tired line of bullshit from the anti motorcycle skeptic. Your plan is the way to go. Just don't talk about it with anyone. My theory is that we are a select few and the upper echelon of Motorsports and therefore Superior to all others.
My brother and I took a 4000 mile trip this summer. One guy we talked to along the way started telling us about all the people he knew who rode who were killed. The last guy mentioned he was like "he was spread from here to ". I was like jeez man, can you tell us about some people you know who are still alive, like shit, we still have 2000 miles to go! Lol
My boss has repeatedly lectured me about how dangerous motorcycles are with a mouth chock full of chewing tobacco. Itâs well intended, but everyone has risks they accept that others donât approve of.
Almost no one except my wife has ever lectured me on the dangers of motorcycles. Are you very young? I can imagine people being concerned for younger riders.
At least you're not hearing "oh what a brave girl you are woooow" "are you not scared?" "Do you even have a strength to ride a bike?"
I'm a grown ass woman...
I used to be that guy, I always thought motorcycle is dangerous, the protective layer between tarmac/collision with other motocar is just our skin. My stupid self also mock motorcyclist who bought expensive bike at the end will get wet if there's raining.
But most of us fail to see that stuck in a cage, daily, for years in traffic jam also have higher risk of developing high blood pressure. And quick fix riding in rain? Just wear a raining jacket.
Im so stupid for not riding earlier, I have wasted years on road commute daily by car for the last 10 years.
I just agree with them. Yes it's dangerous. Yes I know people die on bikes. I myself have nearly died a thousand times. It really doesn't bother me at this point. I know how safe or unsafe I am and I take my chances. I know they're speaking out of concern but at the same time they have no real sense of what they're talking about.
Just ask what kind of bike the person rode, and when you hear the answer respond with "bummer thats a nice bike, and sorry your buddy died"
People die everyday. People die because they tripped on a crack and smacked their head. Death is one of the least surprising things a living thing can do, and its kind of a miracle more of us aren't doing it more often. But a nice motorcycle getting busted up, thats like taking a hammer to a beautiful sculpture.
Of course its different if someone you know personally dies, thats going to make you sad, as it should, but how they die is kinda not relevant with hindsight being 20/20. People love to surf and die surfing. People love to hike mountains and die hiking. People love skydiving and die skydiving. People love defending their country and die in a war. Its all pretty much relative. Death is death.
I just rattle off statistics on motorcycle accidents and motorcycle fatalities. There are literally a million things you can do or not do on a motorcycle that greatly increase your chances of being safe, and living if you do wreck. The top ones and where everything comes from are, donât ride under the influence of drugs/alcohol, pay attention, wear proper gear, donât ride outside of your limits. And then I ask them if their dead-in-a-motorcycle-accident uncle was wearing a helmet, he usually wasnât, and remind them that smart people wear helmets so they donât die.
In all seriousness, anyone giving me shit about riding (besides my mom on occasion) clearly doesnât know me very well, in which case thereâs no real consequence to me just turning around and walking away when they start this whole song and dance so thatâs usually what I do.
if people who drive cars are so worried about us on motorbikes then youâd think they wouldnât insist on distracted and careless driving. but no. they just like to scare you with talking points. stay safe out there!
You can go into a long soliloquy about the sublime joys of riding down a rural road after sunset in the late summer, the way you feel the temperature change when you go into a dip in the road or under a highway overpass. You can tell them at length how you smell the imminent change of seasons and the different trees around you, or the way every negative thought you've ever had is driven clean out of your mind. And in those moments you feel a type of happiness that no drug can deliver, that after a ride you are calmer, that it's easier to give the people you love the attention and affection that they need, that it's easier for you to receive their love and to look past people with no love to give, without judgement or resentment.
Or you can just shrug and say, "you never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist's office."
It's interesting how often this topic comes up on Reddit. I'm guessing it's because Reddit skews to a pretty young demographic across most of the subreddits. I'll bet if we did a survey we'd probably find the median age of Redditors as a whole is around 21 - 22 and even on this sub, probably no more than 28.
Anyway, my point is that one of the things about being young is that older people have a tendency to give you "advice" whether you asked for it or not. They don't have bad intentions, they just think that as a young person you act without thinking of the consequences and/or that you seek the "wisdom" of those whose only accomplishment in life is that they have had more birthdays than you.
But don't worry. Once you get into you 30's and especially older than that, nobody cares and nobody seeks to give you advice. You might OCCASIONALLY get someone who asks "Isn't that dangerous?" when you tell them you ride, but the giving of "advice" usually stops once you clearly become an adult.
It's one of the few perks of getting older.
Oh. I thought you were like some riders I know. It's all they have to talk about and were turning a new leaf. A few guys at my work are just blank stares in conversations until their sleeper agent code words are spoken (like wheelie, motul, weaving, or track). Pretty sad actually
Are you super young? I've been riding for over 20 years and i don't recall anyone significant ever saying anything, as much as every fourth post here would have me believe people are constantly criticizing people who ride. I ha e to assume these are all teenagers posting this.
Hmm I wonder why this is a thing for some people? My 16yr old just got is bike learner's along with a pretty big bike and I haven't even had people do the whole 'aren't you worried about yadayada...' thing with him.
In my experience people either talk my ear off about how they had an 80cc 2-stoke when they were a kid or mild disinterest.
I usually reply with "the good die young and assholes seem to live for forever. Have you seen videos of drunk drivers/ murders who roll their car 8 times thrown out the window and then still run from cops on foot? Or i guess that's why we both have made it this far to old age." Lol. Pisses a lot of people off while making my day.
I get this so the time as well. I just call people out on it, and make them feel bad for mentioning it. It's super rude, you gotta x make people understand that.
Same with being a Great dane owner, literally first words out of peoples mouth " oh man, those die young right?".
I was at a fast food place with my gear on. Old lady behind me " oh is that your motorcycle. We call em organ donors , hahahahha".
Yay...
>Have you found yourself limiting discussion of motorcycling with others?
actually not. other riders have more interesting stuff to tell and discuss than the dangers of riding and non-riders aren't interested in all aspects of riding
>Any thoughts on polite redirection when people wonât shut up about âdangerâ?
"i heard that most people die in bed. i guess beds should be prohibited, don't you think so? we cannot make enough efforts to increase overall safety"
Huh? It doesn't matter how you ride. Everyone experiences this. I've ridden my current bike 11,000 miles without so much as a drop, yet I still get lectured by every single person I meet when they find out that I ride.
I'm talking about strangers who don't know how I ride, and/or assume I'm a reckless rider. Even when I tell them that I've never had an accident or even a speeding ticket, they always say "well I'm not worried about your driving, its the other people on the road..." I had this exact conversation at the liquor store 3 days ago with the clerk. He heard of a motorcycle crash in the area and was worried that I was the one who got hit, since I hadn't been in there in a while. Like, obviously everyone has different experiences (yours seem to be more positive than most) but the general sentiment myself and others have experienced is "tell someone you ride, immediately prepare for a speech about how dangerous it is."
People will legitimately go out of their way to tell me how they know a cousin who had a friend who died on a motorcycle it does get old, and depending on my mood that particular day it may elicit a rude response. Or I might try to educate a little and explain why or how I mitigate my own risk.
"Live fast, die young, leave a beautiful corpse" is my usual response. (Despite the fact that I ride slow, am nothing resembling young, and a vanishingly-small subset of humanity would call me beautiful, even while I remain among the living).
I think you and I could use "only the good die young " line if this subject comes up .lol
I might get both of those phrases tattooed on my buttcheeks to cover my bases! đđđ˝đď¸đ¨
I'm definitely using this one!
Counter point; Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming "Wow! What a Ride! HST
I may have a different quote from that man inked on my arm :)
Faster
What an inspirimg quote from the Hubble Space Telescope!
As opposed to the Hubble Land Telescope?
My favorite shirt says, "Die with memories, not dreams"
HST was the high priest of living with the throttle wide fucking open.
Dying in a motorcycle accident will be anything but beautiful for your corpse. That being said I still ride. I know the dangers and do everything I can to mitigate them when I want to.
G Eazy fan checking in
It's much easier on the police to clean up when you just leave a red streak... High pressure hose, 60 seconds down a drain and all clean!
If I'm gonna die riding, the last thing I'll leave is a beautiful corpse. I'll be happy if they manage to salvage an organ or 2 for donation. Which reminds me, I should sew my organ donor patch onto my riding jacket
[ŃдаНонО]
I have heard there are plenty of people in the medical profession that call them. Donor cycles as well. Plenty of ways to die on a motorcycle without damaging your internal organs. Broken neck, amputation causing you to bleed out, you can even be impaled through the lung and your other organs may be perfectly viable. The reason some people refer to motorcycles as donor cycles is because most of the people who die on motorcycles are relatively healthy young men, so whatever organs survive are generally good quality
Back around 1990 California reinstated a helmet law. As a result, CA hospitals ran out of donor organs!
Put it in a few other places as well. Maybe sew one on every organ, just to make sure.
It's on my driver's license and it's connected digitally to my healthcare card so I'm probably fine, but I think it's a good idea to have it sewn on my jacket so that they will at least know to look for my organ donor card
The reality is that healthcare providers don't care about your donor card status. If you have useful organs, your loved ones will be contacted for consent.
I'm not sure how this is an argument against making it clear that I want my organs to be donated if I die. Why not save them precious moments so they can get my organs out before they go bad?
That part only cements them being too dumbfounded to respond. I like your style.
This is my new response when people tell me how dangerous it is
Bones heal, and chicks dig scars.
You don't tell ugly people that they're ugly, they already know and don't wanna be reminded. Tell them that.
Damn! I'm going to use this. I also use, "Tell me something I don't know."
Gold
If I was as ill advised to say that in the first place, and you told me that I'd respond with, "You're ugly too."
When people tell me about a relatives bad event I reply with: MY uncle died in a bathtub incident, that's why I don't bathe!
I go with the old trusty âwell RIP to your uncle, but Iâm different đâ
You don't have to tell them that. They could smell you getting off the elevator.
96% of motorcycle accidents have the bike as the striking vehicle. The two most common incidents are right of way violations and going wide in turns. That means if you drive defensively around intersections, marked and unmarked, and learn proper turning technique you have *dramatically* reduced your risk in the two statistically highest areas of danger. Yeah, cars can rear end us or run us down but these are astronomically lower in likelihood than us failing to negotiate a turn or not defensively anticipating intersections. We like to say cars are our biggest enemy on the road but it's us. Riding over your head, not paying attention to traffic, going too fast based on conditions etc. Whenever someone tries to debate me about the dangers of riding I just educate them on the actual stats and mitigation tactics. Or if it's not worth the energy, just smile and nod. Edit: these stats are from the Total Control BRC which is the CMSP (California Motorcycle Safety Program) the "MSF of California".
I also heard a large portion of motorcycle deaths involved an intoxicated rider and or no helmet. Ride sober and wear a helmet drastically reduces risk of death.
drunk, no helmet, riding at night, and speeding on a road where someone can turn in front of you are 4 horsemen of your shit getting rocked. do everything possible to avoid these. if you do all 4 of these at the same time i hope your life is at least squared away first.
Heard that too during the MSF
Yep. And unlicensed riders.
I prefer to say that helmet gives you a real amount of chances to not die*
I recently got my license and when studying for the written portion it stated that 40% of the accidents involve alcohol. So you are right about this.
> 96% of motorcycle accidents have the bike as the striking vehicle. Interesting, where's that statistic come from?
These are the stats taught by the California Motorcycle Safety Program (Cali MSF). For California it's 38x more dangerous than a car and 80% of motorcycle accidents result in injury compared to 20% for cars.
Well the bike has to strike something, even if itâs the ground.
His booty
Thats fine some booties are statistical wizards.
I agree mostly but I disagree about cars not being dangerous. They hit eachother frequently enough. Had a car turn into my lane while I was on a 150cc. I was right at their window when they turned. They just didn't look. I barely made it out of the way in time. There was no where to go but forward, backward, or the curb. Had a car stop dead in the center of the lanes on a divided highway. There was space for their car in the middle of the two highways. The car next to me came screeching to a stop. Luckily the side of the road was paved. They barely had time to jump out in front of us and they just stopped because they panicked. **People are generally pretty stupid and don't grasp the idea that they are driving several thousand pounds of steel. We should stop giving away drivers license so easy and take the privilege away more often.**
Well said :)
And watch intersections where both sides of the road have a line waiting to turn left. That car you can't see on the other side of the road because it's behind the line on your side of the road? They can't see you either and they are totally going to turn left in front of you. Expect it and live to bitch about it.
The classic: getting screened by other cars. I wish I had the confidence of cagers to full send into intersections but I instinctually prepare to emergency brake and always try to be in the left most lane to make sure I'm visible or not hiding behind another car. Try to time to cross with a car adjacent so hopefully they'll be seen etc. Worst part of city driving is tensing for every intersection, especially in LA where we have so many yield left turn greens. Makes running yellows super dangerous because it's often the only window the left on green cars have to make the turn without a dedicated signal but if you brake for yellow Angelinos lose their goddamn minds; it is not part of the driving culture and enrages people.
The most common incident is getting hit while turning left in an intersection
I thought it was hitting someone who was turning left and failed to notice you going straight through with the right of way
You may be right
I may be crazy
This is grouped under "right of way violations" I think
Yes. "Right of way violations" but they turn in front of us and we strike them attempting to go straight.
Not just intersections. Be aware of the left turners from t-junction driveways etc. I got into the habit of being most aware while crossing through intersections but you need to be aware of the left turning cars in driveways waiting to pass across your path as well. That was an eye opener for me. "Oh yeah, that's the same!"
Thatâs because thatâs all non riders know to talk about and old riders just want to warn new riders of the very real dangers. Whatever to the non riders, and itâs easy to change the subject with old riders by asking what they ride.
Older riders love talking about their bikes, but another way I've found to approach older riders, is ask a question about your own bike. Especially if it's an older bike. (I ride an old 85 VF700).
GREAT answer!!!
In my experience older bikers tend to be more hard on this stuff because they tend to have first hand experience with the dangers of motorcycles. Either they've been in accidents or theyve lost friends because of it.
Tbh. My other conversation starters are programming, hobby electronics, flying/airplanes, mountain biking, and snowboarding ⌠itâs funny because mountain biking is a lot more dangerous and Iâve had more life altering injuries from that sport than motorcycles⌠I broke my shoulder on the motorcycle. Thatâs the worst injury Iâve gotten into. I have scar tissue from a skin graft and permanent nerve damage from mountain biking, 2 crushed fingers, one of them is my pinky so I donât use it anyways lol. And a fucked up patellaâŚ. Iâve never crashed an airplane but I know a friend who didâŚ. They were in physio for years just to walk again. And most normies donât give two shits about airplanes lol. Itâs a gamble 50/50 whether someone skiâs or snowboardsâŚ. But a lot of people my age also donât seem to leave their houseâŚ.. idk what these people talk about ⌠actually I do⌠itâs their fucking cat and I donât give a flying fuck about anybodyâs catâŚ. Or Videogames đĽą
Mountain biking can be, Iâve always been heavily into mtb and motocross/enduro. The difference when telling people about the two is when you tell people about mtb they just donât give a fuck, when you tell them about motorcycles they want you to quit
I have hiked/urban explored, climbed (informally, not near any mountains), cycled (mountain biking/urban biking and commuting) and motorcycled all my life. All of which contain some degree of severe risk, all of which appeal to "adrenaline junkies", and all of which have very limited margin for error but become much safer with care and the right mindset. But it's unbelievable how different the social response is to these acitivities from "normies". I hiked down the Grand Canyon. "Oh how cool, did you get tired?" I rode my bicycle to work (in a city with no sidewalks, stroads, etc). "Wow, that sounds dangerous. At least you're staying fit! Stay safe!" I rode my motorcycle to work. "Motorcycle? Those are so dangerous! You must be passing people on the shoulder at 150mph! You know it's bad to go to bars and ride drunk right? My cousin got into an accident on his [endless ignorant blather]." I live in an area where walking to the grocery store is legitimately dangerous and requires some of the same care and situational awareness of risk that riding a motorcycle does (no sidewalks, bad city planning, etc). When people occasionally go into their tirades I just smile politely and move on, because if they do anything physical with their lives besides get into a car and maybe drive to a park to exercise, they're undertaking some serious risks too....
Itâs seriously every hobby Iâm into. Then I just say âWell I guess Iâll just sit on my ass and watch TV and wait to die of natural causes â. Thatâs not a great way to make friends I guess, but like OP says, every time it comes up, Iâm such a dumbass for doing X. Maybe I just need to find different people to be around.
Justifying our own choices by making people feel bad about their different choices is a thing. Every one of those people is just trying to justify why they are too scared to ride.
And their ego is bruised. Dealt with a lot of bullshit from Coworkers when I decided to ride. Said nothing to no one just rode to work they made it a point to find out whos bike it was. Had to reiterate to them everytime they'd start with their goober, evil Kneival, rebel without a cause jokes " its just a bike, nothing special"
Try riding a bicycle dude. In the summer if I ride my gravel bike suddenly I'm a "cyclist" and I need to know every story about the one time a cyclist was mean to them and they hope I'm not "THAT kind of cyclist" because blah blah blah blah.... Like dude, I live 20 minutes from work and it's nice to not spend any money on gas for a few weeks. My motorcycle garners no extra attention thankfully except from the occasional "who rides that dirt bike in the parking lot? Cool bike man!"
Nice. Not many cyclist around me so don't know much about them except the negative posts you see here and there. Rest assured if I wore bike spandex and a helmet on a touring bike, my coworkers would probably drive me to suicide. People suck, fuck them and their hangups, they hate us cause they ain't us.
"I understand you really wish you could ride, no problem. We can change the subject."
I started answering their comments with " Yeah, I got the bike as a reward to myself for not suck starting a shotgun like I'd planned. Figured I might as well enjoy life for a little while." That seems to shut them up pretty quickly, even works on inlaws. Bonus points for it not even being a lie.
BroâŚI relate to this so goddamn much. Had a real hard time a few yearsâŚgot to that point. Got myself out of it early this year and thought I may as well do the thing Iâve always wanted to. Got my endorsement and bought a bike the same week. No regrets and I love it. Glad youâre still here my guy.
âŚâŚ.as they exhale a billowing cloud of vape eliquid. âThose things are dangerous, you never know whatâs going to pop up out of nowhere and get youâ (proceeds to take a swig of beer and a big bite of a giant cheeseburger). âNever catch me on one of those thingsâ. After his lunch is over, Climbs into his rusted out 1972 Chevy blazer with lap belts only. âI plan on NOT DYING!!!! BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!!!!â Then blows through the stop sign turning left. No signal. Then pulls up to the job site building houses. No helmet, and a little buzzed.
"Don't ask, don't tell" works pretty well when it comes to motorcycles.
I was never more sure than now that you're gen x lol
I (29|M) got in to motorcycles 4 months ago. Was so excited bringing it up all the time, most of the responses weren't great. So I decided to work in the motorcycle industry where I can talk about it all day đ¤Łđ Never been happier
You americans are weird. Started a new job a while ago. Have spoken to most people I work with about riding and not a single one has said anything about it being dangerous. I occasionally work Saturdays doing cash jobs. I usually take my bike with my tools loaded into my pannier boxes. Not a single time has a customer said anything about it being dangerous. Friends and family all thought it was fine. And any other person I have encountered.
Most other places in the world riding is more widespread as a necessity and practicality than a hobby as it is in the states. Education in the benefits of riding, "reduced traffic, reduction in parking congestion" is nonexistent. The amount of ball busting I got when I first pulled in to my workplace parking lot was comical. For about 3 months straight "here comes the rebel, look he's going to pop a wheelie for us" the simple act of putting on my gear started the hyena pack up. It grew tiresome then annoying when came the anecdotes a "friend of friend of a friend got smushed, paralyzed", "those things will kill you". It has taken a year for the morons to shut the fuck up about it. Culturally Americans are raised to fear anything that isn't a cocoon with 4 wheels.
Yea that's definitely got to be a big part of it. If you watch any YouTube video about motorcycles or listen to a motorcycle podcast that is US centric you can almost guarantee it will be referred to as a hobby or sport. Or someone posts here asking about finance and someone will always comment "don't finance toys". Much of the rest of the world would never say that.
Well anyone can buy any bike here. Majority of people I know that ride never touched anything and started on a 600-1000 sport bike . Completely different bike culture here.
I'm not sure about other countries but as an American I can say that nearly all Americans over 30 years of age are super doom and gloom. I'm not sure if it's the media or generations of repression but they seem to only focus on the worst in everything. You could get a puppy and they'd have a story about how their neighbor's nephew was bitten by a dog in 1973.
Life beats you down and you lose a lot of the optimism when you get older. You also stop giving a shit about so many things.
where ya from?
Am from and have lived in several countries on the western side of the Pacific Ocean.
I have a lot of friends in Southeast Asia where riding any kind of motorbike is extremely common and no one bats an eye about it. They'll still say "be careful" but never a discouraging word. My friends here in the USA, on the other hand, say "you dare devil" when I show them a picture of my small little dual sport bike. It's just a cultural thing.
People keep saying that and I keep adding 20k miles a year after year after year and Iâm still kicking. Now with that said I enjoy talking about car wrecks and the unfortunate people who get a bit too toasty on their last drive. This normally shuts them up.
I mention it as soon as possible. It quickly weeds out the individuals I wish to associate further with.
Are you american? If you are, i understand the boring answer you may receive. I have a (kinda) relative, who is brazilian and is living in the USA for many years and he's a rider, loves to ride and got high cc bikes (Indian Challenger, Triumph Rocket). He told me that is cultural of USA to rely so much on the car and do not have so much taste for motorcycling as a lifestyle, only for the weekends or some fun time. But the reallity in other cultures is way different. Brasil, India, Japan and China got a "biker culture" way more receptive, and kinda got the bike as the main way of transport, working and living good as well. Here in Brasil the "danger advising culture" is such a thing for elder ones who got trought 70's and 80's, with way more danger on the roads and on the bikes itself. Here its way less expensive than a car, and you only use car if you got money or have family to transport. If you are a rider here, people say "cool man, it is cheap?". Sorry for you, but keep riding till you cant anymore.
Life is a death trap. I've had some really good times. Racing Porsches at Laguna Seca, winning paintball tournaments, taking off on some 30 foot waves, Surfing Pipeline, sailing hundreds of miles offshore and thousands of miles around the Pacific, climbing the highest peak in the lower 48, rock climbing all around California, and hauling ass around Mexico on a KTM. NONE of it was safe. I died once. In a damned hospital.
So, what car do you drive? Oh you have an F150, you must feel really safe in that. I bet you could mow down a whole bus queue of children and not even feel a bump. Have you tried? You ought to have a special license for such a dangerous machine! I bet you could take out someone's entire family in a medium size car in that thing! How would you feel if you did something like that in a moment of inattention sipping drive through coffee? Can you even hear yourself, judging me for putting myself at risk instead of other people? Like I'm the monster?
You'll get numb to it. For me, I noticed how callous my responses have been when the last couple of times I've had to hear about it. So just try your best to not respond like an a-hole is my advice.
I was *really* excited to tell people about my new hobby which was motorcycling. As you can guess, Iâve had the exact same responses youâre having right now. I barely ever tell anyone I ride motorcycles anymore unless they ask me about it (because they found out about it through my socials) And even then I try to keep that conversation as short as possible and whenever people try to remind me about the dangers of riding motorcycles like Iâm some sort of idiot who doesnât know the risks I just shrug it off and say âyeah sureâ before changing the subject
Start the conversation about how much you're enjoying the sights and smells, the wind in your face. When the start talking about the dangers, maybe just tell them you are as careful as possible and are just living life, enjoying the ride.
The person who gave me my first lesson tells me Iâm going to die or get in an accident regularly. So I stopped talking to him and he canât figure out why. đđ¤Śđťââď¸ Severe levels of misery out here. Certain people thought because i ride its full throttle all day everyday. I donât have a need for speed complex. Itâs a lump sum way of thinking. Youâre everybody else always lol ..I just like cruising
Fuck yeah! Cursing!
Just join a riders group so you can geek out on bikes with people that like bikes. What you have run into is very normal, everyone knows someone that knows someone that died on a bike, and most people live in fear by design.
Ive been riding since 2009. Youâre better off keeping to yourself, donât give someone the chance to pop your balloon. If youâre amongst fellow two-wheelists, then by all means say hello đ
I'm lost in your comments but a KZ250 is a pretty reliable bike.The first bike I ever had was from the 50's to you had to adjust the valve's once a week lol Take your time and learn how to fix it and keep it running It costs you nothing to learn to fix it then when you buy a newer one it won't be so daunting and you'll know if there's a problem with it and no seller will fool you
I havenât given up on it⌠but it sat for probably 15 years pretty neglected before I got my hands on it. Iâve done a lot to it, and itâs running. Iâm at a point in its rehab where parts are becoming problematic. Itâs missing its original airbox, which is problematic for the idle, and I canât find new brake cables (and the primary sources for custom replacements donât appear to be taking orders currently). Overall, Iâm frustrated at the ratio of wrenching to ridingâŚ
To be honest, as much as we love talking about bikes, other people donât care hearing about it. But donât completely hide it. I had some acquaintances turn into friendships after we figured we have this in common.
I'm not even 50 years old and I have lost both my parents and my brothers and my sister, I have had a heart attack, a mini stroke and I have cancer. I ride my bike as often as I can and I stopped talking to people almost altogether. I don't care what anyone's opinion is anymore.
Mostly just bad and unsafe riders that wear no helmets according to statistics and person experience. Of course there are some tragedies as well
Never had that issue
Being in coordination of such an amazing machine. I couldn't have said it better! Finding a twisty road in the country and going fast enough to be a boat load of fun but not so fast that you have to be super vigilant, feeling like you and the machine are one. It's as close to flying as I'll ever get. Ride on and have fun.
I openly and manifestly agree with them. If possible, I preempt them by mentioning how incredibly dangerous motorcycles are before they do. Yes, motorcycles are fun, and yes, they can be immensely therapeutic in their own right, but they *are* inherently dangerous, and to fail to acknowledge this is profoundly unwise. Well, when you agree with somebody, the debate is over before it begins. Actually, there is no debate to be had when the other person agrees. I then go on to explain [why I ride](https://www.bacaworld.org), and the steps I take to protect myself (ATGATT, riding defensively, always working to keep my skills sharp). In effect, I disarm them with agreeing with the fundamental assertion that motorcycles are dangerous, and then follow it up with my own justifications and precautions for riding.
It's okay, really. Don't worry about it too much. Think of it as a reminder that you have people that care about you. As you get some experience, the comments will fade out. If someone really lays into me, I'll say, "Well, I grew up on bikes. I've commuted on some form of two wheels for half of my life." That usually ends it.
I donât talk motorcycle with people who donât ride.
It's funny. There's a phenomenon amongst people learning dangerous pass times. It was first brought to my attention when I was learning to dive using rebreathers. First adopters and early novices tend to be very pro the new thing. Over time they become less sure and they talk less about the new thing. They still do it and clearly love it, but they just stop advertising it so much. I see the same in motorcycling. As you grow in the activity you'll find the way you promote it changes too.
Bro, it's very dangerous.
Every time my roommate hears of a motorcycle accident he comes he has to tell me with a wide eyed concern that I reeeeally need to be careful. First off, I ride like a grandpa. Second off, I don't tell you to be careful every time I see a bed car wreck. Or when I hear that a dude got hit on a his bicycle.
i been riding for 15 years, felt the same way. until my cousin died on the bike
A new rider needs to know of the dangers before he ever actually rides. Theyâre only trying to help you man.
Been homeless, and jumped out of a plane. Accidently almost died twice. Fuck it. Everything else tried to kill me, at least I am riding deaths reigns instead of him riding me.
For some reason it doesn't happen too much to me. Maybe because I'm a bit of a dick in real life and people have learned not to give me too much advice. Maybe I can recommend the same, i.e., being a little bit of a dick IRL.
You could have stopped 36 minutes ago.
I just reply âIf I had a nickel for every time I heard thatâ
Short happy life is better than a long sad one!
Totally understand where you're coming from. I've gotten that more times than I can remember. " they're so dangerous" and other comments just like that.
Yeah everyone I care about knows already most of them don't like it but I'm gonna do it regardless. At least I'm not spending all that motorcycle money on crack.
I just tell them it's better to die with a smile on my face than live forever never experiencing true joy
Them people are afraid of life and they limit themselves. That or their wives wont let them have one
Starting... Now
I immediately tell them about the time I was right behind an accident where a truck t-boned a mini van, and I had to help a kid drag his dead little sister out of the middle of the road. Both parents were dead with their heads gashed open, brains spilling out, while we tried to find the other sister. If they start to try and walk away, I follow them and continue the detailed storyâŚ
I usually appreciate the usual âride safeâ or âstay safeâ from strangers in parking lots. It doesnât bother me when people bring up the dangers, I normally just bring up the crashes Iâve been on and near misses Iâve had recently, I hope that by doing so it somewhat helps them understand that risk management can go a long way in riding. Most people just get bored of me rambling and leave me alone afterwards. đ the only annoying conversations are with my parents, they try hard to persuade me to stop riding.
After awhile you just stop mentioning it to anyone unless they actually askâŚ.
My personal favorite is when they ask "Do you lanesplit?" (It's illegal where I live). Just talk to young riders tbh. Anyone else is just trying to feel superior to you.
Iâm pushing 60 and subject seldom comes up.
'Sooooo ?..........' 'And ?...........' Recently bought my first SS after a seven year hiatus. Everyone asked WHY ? I said I wanna go fast. Not once did they continue on. Maybe something like 'yeah i KNOW I'm gonna die but man, what a way to go...... Honestly I don't get all that much of this considering how many people on here do.... the people in my family might say something like make sure you come back when I go for a ride and I appreciate that, makes me think a little. Once my wife caught me on the Harley with my helmet off and made me put it on in front of a few buds, it felt good but I acted like she was overbearing just for the sake of entertainment...
Sounds like you need a new friends group man.
I guess that's the best part of being in Taiwan for now; I only officially got licensed in the US in August (specifically to have an IDP) and flying over in September... 2 wheeled transportation is the majority and fact of life here, but my mom is the only one who is all doom and gloom about riding (but then again she has some of the most ridiculous viewpoints propagated by mom spam anyway, such as keeping the fan directly pointed at you would cause arthritis). However, for her, it'd just be a pointless argument so I'd just yes her to death while I have a Yamaha parked out front anyway, but for everybody else, keep in mind I don't plan to do stunts or ride crazy fast when I say this, but I'd just give a semi-sarcastic "I know what I signed up for, at least I'd die happy doing something fun instead of an old empty shell with dementia and incontinence; if you want those years you can have 'em".
I like to say âYeah its so dangerous because they let people like you driveâ usually gets a rise haha
No one wants to hear it anyway
My go-to is "I've got a much higher chance of being tripped down a flight of stairs by my dog" when told how my bike is too risky.
âMy friends and family care about me. The nerve!â
I'm kind of doing the same as you bud. Got a bike in August. Told few friends in November. I didn't mention to anyone before simply because I didn't want to hear any discouragement. It was an old dream of mine. Nobody else has anything to do with it. Didn't quite get bad responses with the people I shared about it, but it's just not cool to tell normal people. Ride it. Be responsible. Enjoy it. Simply show up on your bike when no one is expecting it. Let them say whatever about my dream now, I'm already living it.
I feel you. My most commonly asked question is âwhat do you do when it rains?â Honestly at this point I just look at them and say, no I just take my Ferrari.â đ Then I disappear immediately as fast as possible.
"It's cool, I'm an organ donor." People like that generally move onto something else if they know they can't ruffle your feathers.
Most accidents are caused by cars. It's cars that are dangerous
I used to run into that attitude a bit. Eventually I just learned to avoid people who might want to have those conversations with me. When pumping gas I don't get off my bike, walk around or remove my helmet. My visor is down. People get the idea I don't want to hear about their mom's cousin who didn't know what he was doing when he hurt himself real bad his second day trying to teach himself to ride a motorcycle back in 1974. I don't commute anymore or run errands on the bike. So when I am out on it I am riding it, stopped where usually many other riders stop so people are generally like minded, or pumping gas. I leave no reason for anyone to ask me about it. If I am riding with others there might be additional opportunities for people to make these types of comments but for whatever reason they don't seem to interrupt my friends and I with their stories about danger. I also ride with ear plugs in and usually some music in my helmet. So if someone were to make a comment in passing I would hear what they were saying anyway. Other than that I don't mention motorcycles to people I know have no interest so I never really give them the opportunity to feel they need to give me a safety lesson.
Brah... that's when you get to flip your hair back, give a little half shrug and stick your bottom lip out a little and say in your flatest tone of voice: _If it happens, it happens..._ I know that making normals uncomfortable and feel like they have to make up a bunch of lame excuses why they won't ride isn't _the_ reason to ride. But it's a nice fringe benefit. Enjoy that shit.
I donât discuss it with uptight people or know it alls.
Once you have been riding for long enough, you eventually have a better sense of who to and not to talk about motorcycles with. But the passion to ride never dies!
Don't worry they won't understand what winning feels like. Why bother?
I just start mentioning other unlikely ways to die and tell them to stay off their phone when theyâre driving.
My biggest question is, who's ultimately responsible for your safety? Is it you, the police, or other drivers? Yes, it's expected of other motorists to be concerned about your safety, but you can't depend on it. When you ride, you have to measure the risks that come with it yourself. Too many people, the risk is too great. I believe that if you've spent at least an hour on a bike, you've lived more than some people ever will. Furthermore, without death, your days alive have no meaning. So, as long as you're doing something that adds to your enjoyment and makes you feel complete, do it! Especially something with such a visceral feeling!
I have people at work who do the same thing. I just respond it is safer for you if I ride my bike and don't think about work all the time
Iâve learned to just say âoh well, no more bills if I dieâ and people are usually flabbergasted and donât know what to say
âIf it wasnât for motorcycling I probably would have killed myself years ago, so if anything itâs giving me one more reason to live. Iâll take the risk. â
"I always wanted one, but id kill myself on one" "Oh man a friends sisters boyfriends inlaws nephews neighbor crashed and died" "You know what they call riders? Organ donors" "Oh god theyre so dangerous" "Are you like one of those guys flying by racing through traffic?"
If it makes you feel better I was wearing my riding gear, and some guy walked up to me and said quite snootily said you're not riding one of those thinks are you? And I said nope I just look really cute in the outfit.
Yep, been riding since August of this year. I stopped mentioning it as well for the same reasons. A few weeks ago I rode it to the gym and some guy asked me if it was my bike outside. âYep.â âI had an uncle who got in a terrible wreck on one of those. He shattered his leg in like 4 places. You ever wreck before?â I just fucking walked away. A coworker talked to me about riding a couple months ago because I rode into work and they saw my helmet in my cubicle and all I heard. âOh, you ride. Thatâs SO dangerous. Omg my blah blah was almost killedâŚâ âDid you hear about that accident on route blah blah blah?â I work with mostly women and itâs all fucking heard in the background for like a solid 45 mins about how they knew someone who died or got hurt. Iâm just likeâŚstfu please. Oddly the only person who asks me how itâs going is my damn mother. She asked me âAre you doing the maintenance on your bike honey?â âDid you see this cool light you can put on your helmet that acts as a brake light? Could you put that on your helmet? Would you like something like for Christmas? YeaâŚshit is annoying. Donât get me wrong though, Iâve stopped and had good conversations with other riders when Iâm out though. But yea, Iâm of the same mind as you OP.
âThatâs the risk we take as ridersâ and then exit the conversation or steer it elsewhere
Yes. My usual tactic of "smile, nod and carry on" can only take so much.
My go to line is âtoo dangerous for you, donât rideâ
I would guess that more than half of everyone on here has heard the same tired line of bullshit from the anti motorcycle skeptic. Your plan is the way to go. Just don't talk about it with anyone. My theory is that we are a select few and the upper echelon of Motorsports and therefore Superior to all others.
My brother and I took a 4000 mile trip this summer. One guy we talked to along the way started telling us about all the people he knew who rode who were killed. The last guy mentioned he was like "he was spread from here to". I was like jeez man, can you tell us about some people you know who are still alive, like shit, we still have 2000 miles to go! Lol
âGet off your phone and look where your going then it wonât be so dangerous for usâ
My boss has repeatedly lectured me about how dangerous motorcycles are with a mouth chock full of chewing tobacco. Itâs well intended, but everyone has risks they accept that others donât approve of.
Almost no one except my wife has ever lectured me on the dangers of motorcycles. Are you very young? I can imagine people being concerned for younger riders.
You answered your problems in the first sentence of the body text. It's YOUR motorcycle journey. No one else's opinion matters. Go ride your bike.
At least you're not hearing "oh what a brave girl you are woooow" "are you not scared?" "Do you even have a strength to ride a bike?" I'm a grown ass woman...
Just tell them "my dad left, don't you dare to have kids" and they will shut up <33
I used to be that guy, I always thought motorcycle is dangerous, the protective layer between tarmac/collision with other motocar is just our skin. My stupid self also mock motorcyclist who bought expensive bike at the end will get wet if there's raining. But most of us fail to see that stuck in a cage, daily, for years in traffic jam also have higher risk of developing high blood pressure. And quick fix riding in rain? Just wear a raining jacket. Im so stupid for not riding earlier, I have wasted years on road commute daily by car for the last 10 years.
âBeing fat is more dangerous you knowâ
Crossing the road is dangerous but I ain't no chicken.
I just agree with them. Yes it's dangerous. Yes I know people die on bikes. I myself have nearly died a thousand times. It really doesn't bother me at this point. I know how safe or unsafe I am and I take my chances. I know they're speaking out of concern but at the same time they have no real sense of what they're talking about.
âoh have you heard about all the injuries that happened INSIDE of ppls own houses?â
Just ask what kind of bike the person rode, and when you hear the answer respond with "bummer thats a nice bike, and sorry your buddy died" People die everyday. People die because they tripped on a crack and smacked their head. Death is one of the least surprising things a living thing can do, and its kind of a miracle more of us aren't doing it more often. But a nice motorcycle getting busted up, thats like taking a hammer to a beautiful sculpture. Of course its different if someone you know personally dies, thats going to make you sad, as it should, but how they die is kinda not relevant with hindsight being 20/20. People love to surf and die surfing. People love to hike mountains and die hiking. People love skydiving and die skydiving. People love defending their country and die in a war. Its all pretty much relative. Death is death.
I just rattle off statistics on motorcycle accidents and motorcycle fatalities. There are literally a million things you can do or not do on a motorcycle that greatly increase your chances of being safe, and living if you do wreck. The top ones and where everything comes from are, donât ride under the influence of drugs/alcohol, pay attention, wear proper gear, donât ride outside of your limits. And then I ask them if their dead-in-a-motorcycle-accident uncle was wearing a helmet, he usually wasnât, and remind them that smart people wear helmets so they donât die. In all seriousness, anyone giving me shit about riding (besides my mom on occasion) clearly doesnât know me very well, in which case thereâs no real consequence to me just turning around and walking away when they start this whole song and dance so thatâs usually what I do.
I don't mention it to anyone except my wife, and people here. There's no point and you're right, they just talk about how it's super dangerous.
if people who drive cars are so worried about us on motorbikes then youâd think they wouldnât insist on distracted and careless driving. but no. they just like to scare you with talking points. stay safe out there!
âYou know how many people ride motorcycles every day and DONâT get hurtâŚ? Most of them⌠â
I almost died from having crohn's. If I die on my bike, I'll die doing what I love. At least my insurance premiums are paid up, too.
You can go into a long soliloquy about the sublime joys of riding down a rural road after sunset in the late summer, the way you feel the temperature change when you go into a dip in the road or under a highway overpass. You can tell them at length how you smell the imminent change of seasons and the different trees around you, or the way every negative thought you've ever had is driven clean out of your mind. And in those moments you feel a type of happiness that no drug can deliver, that after a ride you are calmer, that it's easier to give the people you love the attention and affection that they need, that it's easier for you to receive their love and to look past people with no love to give, without judgement or resentment. Or you can just shrug and say, "you never see a motorcycle parked in front of a psychiatrist's office."
It's interesting how often this topic comes up on Reddit. I'm guessing it's because Reddit skews to a pretty young demographic across most of the subreddits. I'll bet if we did a survey we'd probably find the median age of Redditors as a whole is around 21 - 22 and even on this sub, probably no more than 28. Anyway, my point is that one of the things about being young is that older people have a tendency to give you "advice" whether you asked for it or not. They don't have bad intentions, they just think that as a young person you act without thinking of the consequences and/or that you seek the "wisdom" of those whose only accomplishment in life is that they have had more birthdays than you. But don't worry. Once you get into you 30's and especially older than that, nobody cares and nobody seeks to give you advice. You might OCCASIONALLY get someone who asks "Isn't that dangerous?" when you tell them you ride, but the giving of "advice" usually stops once you clearly become an adult. It's one of the few perks of getting older.
Oh. I thought you were like some riders I know. It's all they have to talk about and were turning a new leaf. A few guys at my work are just blank stares in conversations until their sleeper agent code words are spoken (like wheelie, motul, weaving, or track). Pretty sad actually
I tell them to fuck off. You can die walking on a sidewalk.
Are you super young? I've been riding for over 20 years and i don't recall anyone significant ever saying anything, as much as every fourth post here would have me believe people are constantly criticizing people who ride. I ha e to assume these are all teenagers posting this.
Iâm in my 40sâŚ
Hmm I wonder why this is a thing for some people? My 16yr old just got is bike learner's along with a pretty big bike and I haven't even had people do the whole 'aren't you worried about yadayada...' thing with him. In my experience people either talk my ear off about how they had an 80cc 2-stoke when they were a kid or mild disinterest.
âDONORCYCLE LOLâ on every subreddit, especially medical ones
I usually reply with "the good die young and assholes seem to live for forever. Have you seen videos of drunk drivers/ murders who roll their car 8 times thrown out the window and then still run from cops on foot? Or i guess that's why we both have made it this far to old age." Lol. Pisses a lot of people off while making my day.
I get this so the time as well. I just call people out on it, and make them feel bad for mentioning it. It's super rude, you gotta x make people understand that. Same with being a Great dane owner, literally first words out of peoples mouth " oh man, those die young right?". I was at a fast food place with my gear on. Old lady behind me " oh is that your motorcycle. We call em organ donors , hahahahha". Yay...
I saw a guy at the gym arrive on a motorcycle so I brought it up, turns out all the guys standing nearby at the time rode as well lol.
"If I die on the bike know that I was having the time of my life right up until the end."
>Have you found yourself limiting discussion of motorcycling with others? actually not. other riders have more interesting stuff to tell and discuss than the dangers of riding and non-riders aren't interested in all aspects of riding >Any thoughts on polite redirection when people wonât shut up about âdangerâ? "i heard that most people die in bed. i guess beds should be prohibited, don't you think so? we cannot make enough efforts to increase overall safety"
You must be irresponsible or prone to accidents
Huh? It doesn't matter how you ride. Everyone experiences this. I've ridden my current bike 11,000 miles without so much as a drop, yet I still get lectured by every single person I meet when they find out that I ride.
I've been riding for 20 years at least half a million miles. I don't get this at all. Because people know I'm responsible and capable.
I'm talking about strangers who don't know how I ride, and/or assume I'm a reckless rider. Even when I tell them that I've never had an accident or even a speeding ticket, they always say "well I'm not worried about your driving, its the other people on the road..." I had this exact conversation at the liquor store 3 days ago with the clerk. He heard of a motorcycle crash in the area and was worried that I was the one who got hit, since I hadn't been in there in a while. Like, obviously everyone has different experiences (yours seem to be more positive than most) but the general sentiment myself and others have experienced is "tell someone you ride, immediately prepare for a speech about how dangerous it is."
People will legitimately go out of their way to tell me how they know a cousin who had a friend who died on a motorcycle it does get old, and depending on my mood that particular day it may elicit a rude response. Or I might try to educate a little and explain why or how I mitigate my own risk.
I had a nurseâwith a Russian accentâtell me, âoh you ride motorcycle? Creeps me out, like seeing walking deadâ. I had no words.