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Originally Posted by Brad the best
most motorcycles have there headlights on all the time .
your not going to sell your bike just because of that video are you david ?
i would rather die doing something i love then go to sleep one day and not wake up .
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I'm selling it for a few reasons, but not that reason.
1. Most importantly, I have a son and a wife who need me.
2. I bought a convertible roadster that is essentially a motorcycle with four wheels. 0-60 in 4.9 seconds and almost 1G cornering. (yes, I know there are bikes that are much faster)
3. My wife has never cared much for me riding a motorcycle.
4. Motorcycles have no protection in case you get in a wreck..even with a helmet and leathers you can still or receive serious injury, permanent debilitations or die.
5. Although I love riding a motorcycle, I just don't feel safe enough and I keep seeing myself getting in a serous wreck eventually. For me, the risk is not worth the reward. I have no criticism for those who do ride...just ride safely. There is not much that is more fun than riding a motorcycle.
6. If the average IQ is 100 then that means that half the drivers on the road have double digit IQ's. That alone scares the hell out of me. I just feel better with some frame rails, sheet metal and airbags protecting me from these people.
I think the most important factor in keeping a rider safe is the riders attitude. If you do things on a motorcycle for big thrills and the adrenaline rush, then you are eventually going to get into big trouble. Yes, you can get away with it hundreds of times, but eventually the "thrill riding" is going to catch up to you. All it takes is one simple mistake to kill yourself. I am just as guilty of thrill riding as anyone else who gets on a bike. The temptation to make things more exciting is always there.
The other factor is that drivers of cars are looking for other cars and not motorcycles. There are probably at least 20 cars on the road for every one motorcycle therefore drivers are just not looking for motorcycles. In a sense, you are lucky when they see you. I have a bright yellow helmet and a bright yellow motorcycle jacket and still, there were dozens of incidents where I was not seen and had to make a defensive maneuver in order to avoid a collision. There is absolutely nothing a rider can do about drivers who are not looking for motorcycles other than wearing bright clothes and positioning ourselves for maximum visibility.
In my twenties I certainly felt more immortal than I do now in my mid 40's. On one hand I like the thrills and the experience of riding and on the other hand I don't want to risk losing what I have health wise. It's hard to sell my bike but I do want to keep my health...life is precious and I need to be there for those who need me.
One last thing...for those who don't ride. DON'T TAILGATE A MOTORCYCLE. You won't get there any faster by tailgating! That probably pissed me off more than anything. I could just see myself getting squished like a bug between two cars from some dork who is on his cellphone one car length behind me. Observe the "Two Second Rule"...you should be no closer than 2 seconds behind the vehicle ahead of you. 3 seconds is even better. (Yes, I did move over to the side as a way out in case the clown behind me was late on the brake pedal.)