All you riders be safe out there.

[Stanley Rockafella]

Just sold the last of my bike gear this afternoon. Sure hope the new owner of my armour jacket is safe out there!

[AntiScope]

2011 for me bud, 2nd fathers day without him. Just gotta be thankful they went doing what they loved, can't ask for a better ticket out of this world IMO.

this.

[emerson.]

feeling bad for riders is great and all but if people would just pay attention most accidents wouldnt happen.. just yesterday someone pulled out in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes.. followed them to a mcds and blew up on them. maybe theyll pay attention next time

[peytonracer4]

this almost makes me want to get rid of my bike. stuff like this is just awful. especially for someone so young.

[MJCRO]

Threads like this make me not want to get a bike lol.

I've also seen riders struck on two occasions. One of them I found out later didn't make it. Be safe for all those who ride on here.

[Exodus_2pt0]

feeling bad for riders is great and all but if people would just pay attention most accidents wouldnt happen.. just yesterday someone pulled out in front of me and I had to slam on my brakes.. followed them to a mcds and blew up on them. maybe theyll pay attention next time

That's the point, you cannot rely on others for your own safety. The only person who is going to save your ass out there is yourself.

Since you cannot control the other people on the road is the reason why many decide to stop riding... Myself included.... That, and deer. (see OP)

[Q5Quint]

I remember driving to the beach when I was maybe 18 and seeing a cycle wreck.

Ambulance was there with paramedics around the guy...he was just in the road screaming with his helmet on as I drove by in me old 318is.

That delayed motorcycle purchase for about 4 years.

We ride a lot of bicycles here in town and everybody gets hit at some point. A friend of mine got crushed by a suv full of football players who actually got out and tried to fight him. He was a big dwarf looking guy at like 220 or so covered in tattoos, huge beard etc, and only maybe 5-6" or so it would have been a good match not considering he just got knocked by a escalade running a stopsign. He was probably yelling and pretty mad as well which would only encourge football players.

Anyway he rides with a .45 now in case football players decide to run him over agian. Of course they got off without any ticket or anything.

Same thing happend to another friend where a car pulled out and hit him then just drove off, but got stuck at the light 50ft up ahead. So he picks up a rock and fastballs it through their back windshield. Not the best move but if you just crush somebodys $2500 mountainbike you can assume they are pretty mad, considering it cost more than my e30.

TOO LONG: People in cages run over people on bikes. Sad Fact.

[Vtec?lol]

This is why I gave it up. Lost a good friend 3yrs ago due to a car pulling out in front of him. Shook me up and I kept my bike garaged for a good year before selling it. It's good fun but not with this generation of drivers. I'll probably get a nice harley when I retire. I might even get a track bike and start taking it there! that would be a great way for some bikers to blow their load and stay off the street.

[IronFreak]

I had many street bikes, all progressively getting more extreme. Last one I owned was a full race RC51, layed it over doing about 90 around a turn when my rear tire caught wet pavement. Seriously messed me up. Fixed and sold the bike and got into choppers. Built one, but after that wreck I didn't enjoy riding much anymore. Coming that close to dying makes you think about priorities.....

[Wh33lhop]

I love motorcycles, and love riding them, but I made a decision never to own one many years ago. Have lost one buddy and almost lost another, neither were their faults.

No thanks--I'll stick to cages.

[Ryan Stewart]

You definitively have to accept that there is considerably more risk. A fender bender is easily a fatality on a bike. I live in leather and my massive SNELL/STAR/Etc complaint helmet to help as much but Ive had a few friends have some nasty accidents from women turning left in front of them so I am.

The biggest thing is to look at the wheels, not the eyes. People will look directly at you and still pull out in front of you.

[decay]

That "you might die at any moment" feeling is part of the fun.

[cale]

I think if you're consistently experiencing a "may die at any moment" sensation, you've either never been in a legitimate close call or you ride far too aggressively all the time. I'm not criticizing, just saying that such a feeling is quite rare and when you experience it, it's awe inspiring. Once in a car and once on my downhill bike have I had the slow-mo, realization with the end experience and it's not something I'd do for fun.

[Exodus_2pt0]

^ Agreed.

Looking death in the eye is not fun.... At all... It's waffling scary.

[decay]

On the contrary- it comes from having a few of the actual "moments" (some on the bike, some not) and realizing that they really can happen at _any time_- gear first, hypervigilance after.

edit: you can read that as- if you can't identify a life-threatening moment every time you ride, then you aren't paying enough attention.