i guess you could say i'm questioning your advice....but i'm really not

[jserio]

why do i see all the time when a new rider posts intrests in getting a bike the first thing everyone says to them is that they will crash so they should buy used?  kinda disheartening to hear experienced riders tell me that just because i don't have much experience i'm "going to crash". or something like "you will drop it". how bout, you may crash at some point...get good gear. used bikes are cheaper. go with that mindset. us new riders have enough to be concerned with without you guys telling us we are going to crash. like target fixation i think. if you look at something long enough, you'll hit it. same with this whole "you will crash" mindset. enough people say it, you think about it more and more until BAM...it happens. anyways. just my lil rant for the evening.

[ben2go]

most of us have been there and know it's going to happen in the first few months.we probably should phrase it a little more encouragingly.

[yamahonkawazuki]

aye jserio perhaps it could have been phrased better but as a new rider, usually or odds of a crash or mishap ie laying bike down kickstand errors etc etc etc is somewhat higher. but i generalised it into crash

[bettingpython]

Crashing, it's a matter of when not if. Hence the best piece of advice a noob can be given before the buy a used bike bit is, dress for the crash and not the ride. No one is immune and it will happen more than once if you ride bikes for very long. I went 14 years with out a wreck and then did it not more than 200 feet from my house pulling out to go to work last fall.

[manofthefield]

Plan for the worst, hope for the best.

Sometimes saying "you will crash" is a bit extreme, but for some people, it takes that to make them realize that this is a dangerous sport and we should do everything possible to prevent that, ie. training courses, wearing all the gear, and practice.  And a large portion of new riders DO go down.  If nothing else, a new rider is extremely likely to have the bike tip over at a stop or while rolling it around and that will damage it too.

[frankieG]

i have been riding since the early 70's and i have crashed dozens of times.  i don't think it matters if you get a new or used bike it is just going to happen.  just like a fender bender with your car, it is just the way it is.

[jserio]

wow. thanks guys for the posts. i thought for sure you guys would have the guns blazin at me for my post. like i said, i wasn't trying to be disrespectful to the experienced riders here. i respect your wisdom and insight. after all, you guys haven't ridden as long as you have and survived without learning something right?

[bettingpython]

...you guys haven't ridden as long as you have and survived without learning something right?

Now thats funny. I have actually met people who do not learn from helpful suggestions or multiple experiences. There are those who just are not meant to ride. It's not for everyone.

[sanjay]

Crashes aside, tipping the bike over slowly because of uncertain footing or kickstand issues or whatever is pretty common when you're learning.  I've done it many times, and it was much more painful on the pristine engine casing and bar ends of my second bike than the already scratched first one.  It's even worse scratching up a pristine fairing. 

[Mk1inCali]

Nothing worse than going out on a new-to-you (brand-new off the showroom is even worse) bike and tipping it over on some stupid error.

It takes most people (I work at a MC shop and that's one of the questions I ask everybody I see, "Have you ever dropped a bike?", and have only had 2-3 people say that they haven't dropped/crashed one yet) a few bad experiences to learn to get into the habit of double-checking the kickstand is secure, that the bike is leaned over enough (but not too much) when parking on hills, etc etc.

It's a process.  Hell, I ran my GS out of gas the other day and was coasting down a hill riding side-saddle, while pushing it to the nearest station, and my stupid boot kicked it into 1st gear, which locked the rear tire and I dropped it over on the right side away from me.  I'm probably not going to ride it side-saddle down any more hills. 

One girl I know has crashed/repaired a GS500 (her first bike) 3 times, her current 600RR has been salvaged from a crash, then rebuilt, then crashed 2 more times (broke her leg once, the other time popped her spleen) and she has also totaled out/rebuilt her flat-mate's CBR1000RR.  She isn't the quickest girl out there, in terms of speed on the bike, and in common sense...Sad to see.

[ledfingers]

i know the reason i bought used and i think why it's always suggested, is it's far easier to get good on a bike that can take the cosmetic abuse without abusing your wallet too much. if you get an older, used bike, you have room for error and since you are new, it's helpful to have that. it's like added piece of mind, you know? don't fret about crashing/dropping, just pay attention to what you're doing at all times. hell, it only took me 3 months to lay it down. i knew it was my mistake, i learned from it, fixed the bike and moved on. i'm a better rider for it. but i'm not broke from fixing the bike, either...

[yamahonkawazuki]

yup j, also the day you tip the bike over, it will happen at some point, easiest way to pick it back up,  do NOT face it or stopp down , it will WTFPWN your back, walk up to the downed machine, turn so your back is facing it, take both hands, grab solid surface ( like frame rails)give solid upward pressure, not quite lifting, but close, and walk backwards, until machine is almost at sidestand angle, then take your right hand ( or whichever one is toward the front of teh bike, reach around and get ahold of teh bars, and carefully turn around, while keeping ahold of bike, allthewhileraising bike to almost vertically upright, then take foot and deploy kickstand, my skinny ass has picked up a goldwing 1800 and a harley bagger this way, and i weigh in at 140 lbs, and am not muscular, trus t me j, if youre not applying this to picking up your bike, youll be helping to pick up a downded riders bike somewhere alongh a ride

[nastynate6695]

why do i see all the time when a new rider posts intrests in getting a bike the first thing everyone says to them is that they will crash so they should buy used?  kinda disheartening to hear experienced riders tell me that just because i don't have much experience i'm "going to crash". or something like "you will drop it". how bout, you may crash at some point...get good gear. used bikes are cheaper. go with that mindset. us new riders have enough to be concerned with without you guys telling us we are going to crash. like target fixation i think. if you look at something long enough, you'll hit it. same with this whole "you will crash" mindset. enough people say it, you think about it more and more until BAM...it happens. anyways. just my lil rant for the evening.

Sorry my  friend but crashing is just part of our lifestlye..There is the old saying "theres two types of riders,,those that have crashed and those that will." 
This said fact rides in the back of all of our minds when we go out riding.  We dont let it detract from the fun and enjoyment but it helps keep our common sense about us.   This fact will be better understood when one of two things happen.. Either you drop the bike yourself  or you watch the guy in front of you go down and pray to god you left enough space between the two of you that he doesnt take you out also.

Its not that we are trying to put a bad taste in your mouth  or get on you about riding.  Its just that we have been there done that  and dont want to see it happen to other riders.  So the best way to get it through most of the time is cold hard truth.

But like i said earlier  just because we mention it we dont let it detract from the enjoyment.   

[Jarrett]

Riding is not for everyone.  Crashing/wrecking, dropping the bike, and everything in between is scary to think about, but it's a fact of life.  I had my first one 7 days ago and I'm still limping around.  You should take a MSF course before you decide you want to ride. 

[dgyver]

The thing about crashing or going down is that after you have a few they are not that big of a deal. Your confidence can increase after a down if you know why you went down. The only way to know your limits is to excede them. Sometimes pushing them is the only to find them. That which does not kill you only makes you stronger.

[Jake D]

And dgyver would know!  He is luck to survived at least one of his crashes. 

Crashing sucks.  But it happens.  The reality of it is, a crash can save your life.  The lessons I learned in my first crash will never, ever be forgotten, and I can say that I am a much better rider for having been down.   Grabbing way too much front brake in a panic situation is one mistake I'll never make again.  Having learned that could pay off big time down the road. 

Here is the really good news: the longer you ride, the more experience you get.  The more experience you get, the less of a chance you have of getting in an accident.  Sure, some accidents aren't avoidable, but you'd be pretty damn surprised at how few of them aren't avoidable. 

[VTNewb]

I've been riding for about 4 years on the street now and no crashes. I spend 70% of my peg time on dirt, and oh boy do I crash on dirt. I try to limit my crashing to the dirt side I guess.