That's it for me!!

[Sam_Fear]

That wasn't directed at you so much Blacksheep, as some of the others. I don't blame you at all. I don't ever want to ride a bike in my own town - I usually have to avoid a idiot every couple days in my junky loud F150 - a bike would be too much work staying out of all the morons way. Even my wifes 2002 Explorer is harder to stay safe in - driving that is like being invisible compared to my trucks. So a bike? - no way. Loud pipes won't even save you from stupid.

Come to think of it, more of our accidents at work (UPS) tend to be out in the countryside than in the city. Usually they GET rear ended while slowing down or run off the road by oncoming or turning traffic. And that's in a big brown truck!

But really, some cities (or rural areas for that matter) are more dangerous for riders than others. It's the driving habits, the road disrepair, and the street layout. Examples: New England seems to understand that idea of the left lane is for passing only, but it's totally lost on most Midwesterners. I wouldn't even want to drive a car around some of the retirement communities! Out towards my parents farm, the farmers on tractors tend to think they have the right of way to turn on in front of you. 75 Miles away, where I live, the farmers tend to see things different. It all depends.

 

[Hydrocarbon Rocket]

I was just in a bike crash on July 20, on a 2 lane state road. I had just entered the 45mph zone and was only going 42mph. I saw a car stopped at a stop sign from a side road so I slowed down a bit to make sure she saw me. She looks straight at me so I proceeded to go on. She waits until I'm 10 ft away and pulls right on out. The bike hit between her left front bumper and tire. The bike and I both went over the hood and ate some pavement. My head light left a perfect imprint in the top of her hood with out breaking the headlight glass. All it done to me was skint me up a bit with a massive bruise to my hip from where my wallet was. It bent the forks back on bike about 2", wadded up the fender, bent the handle bars down and broke the mirrors. I took my pocket knife and cut off the fender and my wire pliers that I carry in the other pocket and bent the fender brace out of the tire. Then bent the handle bars back within reach and drove it home. If me or the bike had been normal, neither of us would have survived.

It has put me to thinking about getting rid of it. I also think If I had not stopped and got my bike to go get the $.79 part that I was needing for the truck I was working on, I would have been in the truck which has a 2800 gallon propane tank strapped to its back. The propane tank on the bike is only 8 gallon. Maybe it was meant to be that way.

I think we can all make decisions to lengthen or shorten our time but, a man could roll out the bed tonight and break his neck. The final call is out of our hands.

When I ride my bike, it takes so many of the other worries that I have on my mind away, that it almost evens them out a bit. Plus, its still kinda thrilling. I may change my mind in a few more years. I find as I get older, a lot of things change.

 

[Rev Tex Devlle]

sold mine last summer, i have owned 12 harleys and i love them but i am done,, rats till the end! i feel safe weather i am or not!

 

[sgtpontiac]

HCR you are one lucky dude......

Man.... you must have somebody upstairs looking out for you..... you dodged the bullet on that one.... I can honestly say that I've never liked riding....had a bike once for two weeks...one wasp off the helmet and down my shirt..stung me 6 times before I could get the darn thing stopped, off and pull the shirt off....probably a funny site for the other drivers....crazy guy stripping down on the side of the road.... rode the bike home, sold it two days after.....end of my MC experience.....

 

[rainman]

Been riding 35 years or so!! Been down a couple of times, (nothing serious).
Dodged countless idiots over the years!!!

I'll never stop riding, even though I have slowed down considerably the last few years. I guess I'm one who figures when it's you're time, it doesn't matter what you're doing!!
To each his own!!!

Having said that, sorry to hear about your losses!!

 

[EnglishBob]

Last 'loss' of a friend was so weird it was scary.
He was in a group of riders sat at a 'T' junction with lights on red when a pickup rear ended him and pushed him under a semi.

 

[Binky's Clown College]

yeah I too gave up riding after loosing three buddies, a cousin in a coma for a couple of months and years later still not the same. Was fun while it lasted, but with a couple of close calls on top of thier deaths I decided it was time to quit betting the odds

 

[CB_Chief]

inattentive drivers

Here in the south central US the drivers who scare me the most are the ones who can't seem to function without their player blaring in their earbuds while driving. I pulled up beside a 20-something at a stoplight earlier this week and I could hear the music from his IPod earbuds. There is no way that he could tell if an emergency vehicle was coming.

 

[blacksheep]

Here in the south central US the drivers who scare me the most are the ones who can't seem to function without their player blaring in their earbuds while driving. I pulled up beside a 20-something at a stoplight earlier this week and I could hear the music from his IPod earbuds. There is no way that he could tell if an emergency vehicle was coming.

Hey Sam, I didn't take that anyway but the way you meant it man. And to the last poster, I don't care what anybody says, but I think ear buds are almost as distracting as anything else. I do appreciate everyones comments, and I think I'm gonna bury up in another project with some pof the money from the bike proceeds.hehehe

 

[sammy]

Agree. and see both sides

just moved to houston, from ark for work and Think I will leave the bike back home....as bad as I miss it allready.......been riding for 30 yrs, and thought I was gonna leave the hooptys behind instead of the bike .....If I can find any kind of car sceen down here I will bring some of the jaloppys ....entirely too much texting at 70mph down here...Sammy

 

[Old Iron]

Get hold of Tripper he'll fill you in on where they're at

 

[TiredIronGRB]

BTW...wrong forum...