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By admin, November 3, 2008 9:40 pm

Motorcycling accidents.. biking…OPINIONS please?

Yesterday I read ANOTHER newspaper article about a crash in th UK, two motorcyclists dead, 25 yr old car driver arrested for dangerous driving..etc etc…
I really want to start biking, it’s not something on a ‘whim’ I’ve wanted a bike since I was 15, (35 now)..
What scares me is the accidents I hear about CONSTANTLY, I have a young family, would I be being , I dunno, ‘reckless’ by following my dream of biking?
I don”t want anyone having a go because I would be a ‘beginner’, I just want some thoughts from experienced bikers.
Would YOU do it all again, given the chance?

Oh!Im still chancin’ it. Starting and stopping can be learned in a day. feeling comfortable doin’ it, another 20 hrs….mastering it, you never stop learning. Read all these answers here and nobody said anything about the most important thing you need to survive on a motorcycle…….
Automatic reactions. Like bein at the
zoo, standing in front of the rattlesnake cage…tap the glass, the snake strikes, even w/ the glass between you…you automatically jerked away, no thinkin to it. Now days
cell phones, multitaskers, an idiots, still. None of which, are lookin out for you. You have to be aware of everything thats goin on around you at all times. Create good habits. Watch head position, use their mirrors to look at them, look at their front tire, watch whats goin on way up front, to your sides, an rear. where you goin if something happens? This all becomes habit, pretty quick. Close
calls…think about what you would have done, everytime…dont let all this thinkin scare ya. Soon enough youll be smellin the coffe, feelin the wind an enjoyin the view, because these habits are now on auto-pilot.
One final example…true story. July 4,
1979, Los Angeles. Goin for a 40 mile ride, by the beach, thru some hills, 11am b 4 goin to pick kids up for,the 4th {independence day here}. Got about 60 yds dn the road, 32mph, when a wetback made a lefthand turn in front of me, w/ 25 ft between us an stopped, people crossing in her path.
Locked the brakes up..not goin in front of car…big curb, people at bus stop, bad idea….go behind the car, maybe?? if she didnt stop, another car makin a turn, visioned my leg gettin hooked on back of her car, squeezin between the two. Go on wrong side of st. not enough room an oncoming traffic. nx option…lay bike dn, an slide face 1st into side of car, not really enough space, an I dont like that result….by now, still upright, and gonna hit this car…any options left….right, left, cant stop, well yeah, you always haveta have one more….
Superman-it over the car!!! unlocked brks, put feet back, an at impact, pushed off. Yes, my handlebars were loose enough, so my body weight moved them forward with me, an didnt split me like a chicken. I landed face 1st, 15-20 ft on the other side of the car. even though it was a summer day, I still had a leather jacket an short gloves on. Got my arm underneath my face, resulting in only minor scratches. After a body check, got up kinda bowl-legged, cause my boys put a dent in my gas tank…..
But I walked away..at the time, this was my 3rd, an worst accident. None of the 3…were my fault. Oh!! almost forgot a most important fact…all that happened in about 2 seconds

Car Crashes – Newspaper Articles