Psychological Warfare and the GS500.

[Foxtrot Tango]

My name is Foxtrot Tango, and I am not here.

This is going to be a long-ish post and it may not make much sense, but bear with me. Any and all criticism is welcomed. If you have acute AD/HD, scroll to the bottom and my question is in bold.

The idea first came to me, like all proper inspiration, after a long day of toiling over calculus problems in college. Idly browsing Wikipedia, I came upon the picture of a Honda 919. It was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

Motorcycles, to me, fell into two categories: candy-colored plastic spiky things ridden by shirtless, helmetless future splattered goo, and chromed-out unmuffled farting rumbling things ridden by fat hairless apes, complete with ape hangers. The motorcycle culture of South Florida is lacking in substance and style.

But the 919 was something else. The picture is still there, thankfully. No Speed Racer fairings. No garish GSXR9000RR TURBO VTEC bodywork. Tasteful accents of chromed metal with a black frame. Round headlight not squinting into the distance like the apex of bad Japanese design. No ape hangers. No skulls or Iron Crosses. Just...a motorcycle. An ordinary, manly, attractive machine. It was at that point I realized I liked motorcycles. I read on. What's this -- a "standard"? Performance AND comfort? What sort of performance -- oh my... I did the math. Power-to-weight pales in comparison to the double integrals I was used to, and the results far more soul-stirring. So this thing was beautiful AND fast? How can I get on one? This is better than a Mustang....

Life intervened, knocking me back to reality: college student with no money of his own. Not independent from parents. And here I encountered the problem. Everybody knows someone who's passed away while riding a motorcycle. Sometimes it's closer than comfortable. For Mom, it was a cousin. Mom is not a trophy wife. She is not a desperate housewife. She's a Queen Victoria, a Margaret Thatcher, an iron lady. Her word is law. Period. So even now, the law is: No motorcycles. They're death and dangerous. Father is a doctor. Sees the aforementioned splattered goo arrive in the ER. Says he once saw one guy who survived the crash, then died later of an embolism. Motorcycles are death and dangerous, part two. This is the mindset I was raised in; what they still believe. But the two-wheeled heresy has taken me in. I want to ride.

I fell in love with various motorcycles. First the 919, then the sultry SV650, which looked even better. This was the gateway drug to my current dream, a Buell XB12Ss or XB12R. Ugly -- especially the Ss -- but the triumph of function over form. An engineer's wet dream. But I also read what it took to get that far. You need safety gear. Leather, leather, leather, and a bright helmet for your nugget. You also need education. Rider training. Dirt bikes were banned (see last paragraph) so the only time I've been on two wheels was a bicycle. And I'm clumsy. And finally, you can't just start on that 1203cc corner-carving machine. You'll end up as the aforementioned red goo. So enter the starter bikes.

The GS500 was only natural to fall for, especially in naked form. To me it looks better than any Ninja 250 or 500. Just enough power to get the job done without getting into too much trouble fast. Better than a lawnmower-engined 250 for my 250 lbs of weight. Capable of highway speeds no sweat. And cheap. I want one. As soon as possible.

Life's changed. I graduated and am now employed in glorious Southern California. Mecca of motorcycle riding. Here, people aren't suicidal. Leather jackets (!!!) and helmets are standard. Mom and dad are far away enough to not know, and they will not know. And I'm making money. This year, I should be able to afford one -- I never liked the idea of digging into debt for anything I didn't need. I've begun buying gear -- got an Alpinestars jacket. I've found an MSF course in the area. I've analyzed my driving habits and seen where I can improve, where I can be safer -- to translate that for when I'm on two wheels. I've even been losing weight to fit better in leather pants. (At 240 and dropping. Lost two pant sizes so far.) I've prepared for riding for maybe a year and a half now, reading, researching, and now buying. But there's one thing I can't prepare for.

Fear.

Cars are suicidal. Crumple zones are where the machine sacrifices its own life to absorb energy to save you. Airbags and seat belts keep the fleshy cargo intact in case that fails. Well, most of the time, anyway. You can't out-engineer stupidity. Crash at 100+ MPH and you will end up as less-splattered red goo. Text while driving and  at best, you rear-end someone and your insurance goes up. At worst, you go off the side of a cliff and Newton embraces you at 32 feet per second squared. But as a whole, nobody denies that filthy cagers like me generally walk away from accidents.

Motorcycles are another story. First, cagers look THROUGH you to see if any other cars are coming at them. Most dim-bulb drivers persist in this state forever. And they vote, too. Think about that for a few moments. Anyway, you're invisible. Period. Bright colors can help -- or they'll just make people even more erratic. I've heard some urban California riders go in stealth mode and wear dark colors to lane-split. I've read the contact patch between the tires and the pavement is about the size of a postage stamp. Loss of grip is easy if the road surface changes. I've read about lowsides and highsides. Or how you can lose control if you hit a pothole or something and you twitch, and open the throttle....

But the unfortunate fact is, even if you are doing nothing wrong and wearing all your gear, you can be killed for reasons entirely beyond your control, and this is more likely than if you're in a car. And this is what scares me. One texting sixteen-year-old who rear-ends you as you stop for traffic on a highway, some sand or grease on a sweeping high-speed corner, or what a very intelligent and accident-free driver (me) did this morning -- accidentally violate someone else's right of way and pull out for a right-hand turn instead of stopping and letting the car by-- in any of these situations, you can be toast.

How do you deal with the fear? I love motorcycles, I love the GS500, and I want one. But I'm still afraid of it.

[codajastal]

Fear on a motorcycle is paramount to staying alive!! You DO NOT want to lose this because if you do you WILL DIE. I have been riding for more than 30 years and am still afraid of being on the road and this it probably why I am still alive today.
I have come off bikes more times than I care to remember and the most I have suffered is burn marks and a few minor broken bones BUT if I had no fear I would probably have been going faster or whatnot and may be dead now.
Fear of other people on the road is also paramount here as this keeps you looking out for the next driver trying to kill you so you are always alert.
Get on the bike and enjoy the ride and think about that and not what COULD happen.
NO FEAR = PROBABLE DEATH
I LOVE FEAR BECAUSE IT KEEPS ME ALIVE.
Sorry for the rant
Oh yeah this is my opinion only and may not be other riders.

[adidasguy]

Ah, you're at the "squid riding" age. That where you feel invincible and want to ride as fast as you can and road rage is an unknown phenomenon. I was there.

In LA/Hollywood. 85 year old Asian driver who was to old to drive and could barely see over the steering wheel started to cone into my lane (I was right most lane, he was 1 lane in). I honked. He went back. As I tried to pull ahead, he came again and kept coming. Clipped my tail of the CB650 and down I went. I lived (obviously). I was very lucky. No helmet. Shorts. Light jacket. if I wasn''t a gymnast and knew how to roll, I probably would have been dead.

Lesson learned? 30 years later and getting back into bikes (after other half died suddenly and didn't want me to have a bike) I realize that I should have slowed down because the cager was clueless. OR I should have really gunned it. Anyway, I now know how lucky I was to have survived. The bike was under his front bumper. He was so clueless he tried to drive on with a bike under his car. There was an off duty cop behind me.

So, now I ride like an old man. That is, I ride cautiously. I ride the speed limit (or what traffic does because going slower than traffic doers cause a hazard). I remember once dropping my Yamaha 250 because of oil on the road and a curved trail of spilled gas when in LA.

Now I watch the road. I believe that no one will see me. I can never allow any road rage or ant feeling of "It's my lane" cause me to get into danger. If something happens - or there is a rude cager, I force myself to "smile and nod". If they want to force their way in, OK. They will eventually hit someone - just not me.

It can be hard to control the emotions. if they want to cut in - then I let them. maybe they get there 5 seconds sooner. OK. That's their way. I want to live. I do not want my bike damaged.

I have ridden on Vashon Island. Really fun and  beautiful. It is an island, so if you get lost you really can't get lost. that's one thing that makes it fun. However, with our weather, there can be unknown things in the road - like leaves - wet leaves - quite similar to ice or KY on the road. So I ride SLOW when I come to the turns. I can't see whats around the corner so I go SLOW - like an old geezer. But Hey - I'm riding and I want to enjoy the ride and I don't care if you think I am going slow or being too cautious.

So....
1. I am on a bike and no one can see me
2. Cagers can't see me and are known for road rage or just being pushy in their driving
3. I will be submissive. If they want intpo my lane - OK. You can have it.  \
4. The way cagers drive, I know they will have an accident or get a ticket. They will NOT have an accident with me.
5. I will stay clear of these squidly cagers.
6. I will NOT i.e. NEVER drive like a squid. I can watch True TV Worlds Dumbest and see what will happen if I drive like a squid.

I want to live to ride another day so I will be a meek, cautious biker and enjoy life and my bike.

Maybe I'm old enough to appreciate life and a safe way to ride my GS500's. Many, maybe MOST riders never have a serious accident. If you stay calm and do not let them "get to you" and "control your rage", you will be fine.

Generally I am a calm rider. My accidents are:
1. Falling over on ice at ISU in the middle of winder on my first bike, a Kawasaki 125
2. Hitting the back of a Corvette due to not paying attention and wearing "halter boots" with the square toe that did not fit well between the engine and the brake pedal so I couldn't hit the rear brake and looking back, my ignorance that the front brake is the important one, not the rear. Chalk that up to ignorance and not paying attention. Because if that, I had to repair the car and could not buy a new oscilloscope with my tax refund.
3. Dropping the bile going around a corner where a car spilled gas (during the gas shortage time when cars would top off the tank and forget the gas cap).
4. Then the Hollywood freeway and the ancient Asian driver.

So now, only one incident. A month after getting Suzi I was bumped in a parking lot at the gym. Nothing serious. But it reminded me that they can't see me.

So, how do I deal with it? I am cautious and always remember that I am invisible and I want to live another day.

I I ever feel uncomfortable - I DO NOT ride. If too wet, too cold or the road is unfamiliar and I do not feel good about it, I choose not to ride. Never ride above your comfort level.

Riding above your comfort level is when you will get into trouble.
Riding when you feel invincible will get you into trouble.

[neodude112320]

Being a new rider, ive come to realise that you dont so much need to 'fear' being on the road but you do need to respect the dangers of being on the road. You need to get your confidence up, i did this by riding as much as i can and by riding in groups so i could watch and learn from more experienced riders.

Sent from my LG-P920 using Tapatalk

[Bluesmudge]

I've had a crash 3 out of the 4 years I have been riding. Maybe stay away from this sport. After it kills me, your are next!!!!


In all seriousness, my crashes were all noob mistakes. I made them all before I had even turned 21, and survived all of them because I had good gear. If you are smart you can probably do better than me. Just buy good gear. Seriously.

[Twisted]

Every rider should have fear. When you fear something it means you have an element of respect there as well. You should have little bit of fear when crossing the road. No one wants to get run over so they do the obvious and look before they cross. It is not the act of riding my motorcycle that scares me but that of getting hurt in an accident. So I therefore ride and to the best of my ability in a way as to try and not too.

[slipperymongoose]

I've only been riding just on a year after being caged all my life. I've got a young family so I'm always thinking of them as i ride in the back if my mind. riding is all about risk management. Go through the what ifs before you twist that wrist. Sometimes you don't have time to go through that. That's when you work on an automated response, for me I shoulder check, indicate, mirror, shoulder check then move over. I've tought myself to only move over if the road is clear the whole time. Same with my riding position, I ride where I can be seen but always assuming no one can see me so I leave space if something goes wrong. Thirdly I wear all my gear all the time, if I can't be bothered wearing it il take my car. Finally and probably the most important I don't ride like I'm Casey stoner, Valentino Rossi, and mick doohan combined. Doing that will get me killed so I ride where I'm comfortable and 99% of the time it's within the law.

[tt_four]

I'll definitely read your whole post, but I'm at work right now and don't have the time.

My simple answer to that question is that you're more vulnerable on a motorcycle in a crash, but as the same time you're more violent/destructive when you're in a car, and that's just not something I'm ok with. You can be an alphamale about it and say 'screw anyone that comes in my way, I'm buying the biggest car I can find', but it's a fine line between protecting yourself, and being an ass that doesnt' care about anyone around them. I'd rather just spend my energy to be as good as I can be at getting through traffic and avoiding dangerous drivers, and at least have a clear consciense knowing that when I see a motorcycle flattened by an SUV, that I wouldn't have been the one responsible for the vehicular homicide if I was involved.

[ninjeff]

Wow. Well written post OP. Nicely done.

Great question too; How to deal with the fear.
I haven't been riding that long myself. And, truth be known, i've had one "off" in my few years of riding. Car in front of me slammed on his brakes to avoid the car that pulled out in front of him. I grabbed a handful of brake myself, and managed to avoid the car. I didn't, however manage to avoid the fact that my rear tire had lifted ever so slightly, and came down crooked. WHOOP! right off the bike i went.  Casualties of the ordeal? One pair of Icon gloves as i ripped the palms bracing for impact on the concrete.  Bumped my head (was wearing a  helmet though!) and the bike landed on my ankle.....but i was wearing riding boots with ankle protection. So, i walked away clean. The bike had some scuffs on the bar ends, but was relatively fine. I rode it home actually.

(( side note on this. The car behind ME, honked at me as he went around me and the bike on the ground. Apparently, having to stop for 30 seconds while the event occured had inconvenieced him in some manner. Seriously. Honked. Then went around me.
Hope is not lost however, as the guy behind HIM {so 2 cars behind me and the accident} not only stopped, but pulled perpendicular in the street to prevent traffic from going around, got out of his truck and ran over to me. I had already gotten the bike back up, and was trying to start it. HE was quite worried, asked if i was ok, did i need to borrow a cell phone, offered to get the bike in the back of his truck and take me where i needed to be, and pretty much wanted to make 100% sure i was ok. I told him i was, pulled the bike to the side of the road to give it...and myself....a once over, and let him pass. As he passed i noticed a "start seeing motorcycles" sticker on his bumper. Turns out, fellow bikers are everywhere. Even in cages. )))

I realized, at that moment, that everyone goes down eventually. Everyone. You will. I promise.
Even if you have everything figured out, for yourself and riding..... the cars around you....don't.  They don't see you, don't care about you, and most importantly they are bigger than you.
You never realize HOW big some of these SUVs are until they come screaming by you at twice the speed limit on a road.  Seriously. Cars are big.

But, despite the fear, you'll enjoy it. You'll crave it. You'll dwell on it. Then you'll learn to manage it.
You'll learn to watch other people IN the cars, not the cars themselves. You'll see cues from other drivers you never would have seen before. You'll learn to make split second decisions and learn to deal with the fact that you, my fired, are in hostile territory.  Its a scary place. Especially after you go down the first time. And my off was pretty tame.  In that split second though when your lying on the road you realize how incredibly small you actually are, and how awesome it is that you wore a helmet today.

Don't worry though. BECAUSE ITS WORTH IT.  You ask; how do you manage the fear? Well, for me, its with good gear and an eagle eye to my surroundings. I know i didn't cheap on gear, i also know it works. I trust it.
But its a "last resort" kind of thing. Before my gear, i trust my instincts. 9/10 times it is right, and just so long as i dont spend the extra second questioning that sudden voice in my head that says "i dont think she is paying attention, hang back and get ready to brake" i will be ok. And so will you.
As with most stuff, reading and knowlege is power. Read all you can on the subject of RIDING a motorcycle. You'll have plenty of time to read the mechanics of bikes, spend your time reading about how to properly RIDE. Relish not the mechanics, but the ACT of riding. Learn to be the best rider you can be, and the fear will manage itself.
On that note, if you ever find yourself NOT afraid, quit riding. All it means is that your end is coming.

[Flux Maven]

I haven't been riding that long myself. And, truth be known, i've had one "off" in my few years of riding. Car in front of me slammed on his brakes to avoid the car that pulled out in front of him. I grabbed a handful of brake myself, and managed to avoid the car. I didn't, however manage to avoid the fact that my rear tire had lifted ever so slightly, and came down crooked. WHOOP! right off the bike i went.

I used to do stoppies on my bmx bike when I was a kid... It was a lot cooler back then. I also had to slam on the breaks to avoid a car a few months ago and when the rear tire came off the ground I thought I was done for. Luckily someone must love me because I managed to get both wheels on the ground without laying it over.

I'm still afraid for the next time I have to grab a fistful of front brakes.

[Ourea]

[POST HAS BEEN REMOVED BY USER]

[ninjeff]

I haven't been riding that long myself. And, truth be known, i've had one "off" in my few years of riding. Car in front of me slammed on his brakes to avoid the car that pulled out in front of him. I grabbed a handful of brake myself, and managed to avoid the car. I didn't, however manage to avoid the fact that my rear tire had lifted ever so slightly, and came down crooked. WHOOP! right off the bike i went.

I used to do stoppies on my bmx bike when I was a kid... It was a lot cooler back then. I also had to slam on the breaks to avoid a car a few months ago and when the rear tire came off the ground I thought I was done for. Luckily someone must love me because I managed to get both wheels on the ground without laying it over.

I'm still afraid for the next time I have to grab a fistful of front brakes.

It took me by surprise because i had never done one before.  I probably could have managed it but i was so worried about avoiding the car i didn't even realize it was happening (the stoppie) until i was coming down sideways.
In retrospect my issue was two fold.
1. I was coming home from work just cruising along. We had all green lights and, admitting it, i was not 100% ready for an emergency. Just chugging a long at 45 mph with one hand on the bars and the other on my leg. 2 second rule  was in effect for the car in front, but.....
2. When the emergency happened i had to take a split second for my brain to get in to oh$%^& mode. Then, i shifted far too much of my weight forward while doing the emergency stop.  I should have been focused not thinking about what was for dinner.

[Toogoofy317]

I get asked this alot from folks at my church. These guys are my family since I don't have any and I know they pray for me while on my bike and to be quite honest I believe it works. Every morning before the first ride I say a small prayer. Some will say this is corny but I don't believe it at all. Lets give you one small example the other day I was getting ready to leave my subdivision was waiting at the red light I was a little impatient. A lot of people will say this the dumb thing to do but I do it anyhow after a vehicle is behind me I put it in neutral. Why? Because that makes me a half a second slower off the line and in Florida everyone runs the light right when it turns. So, I put the bike into gear and Flick just dies (no lurch like you left the clutch out just dead). WTF you little turd I just rebuilt your top end why are you dying?!?!? I hit the starter he fires right up just as I'm pulling out a car flies through at probably around 100MPH (speed limit is 45) only time I've been thankful for my bike dying otherwise I wouldn't be writing this right now.

Now with that said which most you've probably stopped reading by now. I do have a certain amount of fear as others have said it makes you respect the bike and the road. I've had two incidents on the road one bone headed one bad luck. The bone head one just got out of hospital (mistake #1 I shouldn't have been riding in the first place) I was in a hurry (mistake #2) I left my boots at home out of hurriedness (mistake #3). I was at a red light and ran out of gas some nice kid while I was in the hospital reset my trip meter and I didn't know I was on reserve. My bright idea was to hop off and push at the same time get the momentum didn't put the kick stand down. When I got off the pavement was uneven and I lost my balance right ankle caught under left side of bike. 3 torn ligaments 5 weeks of crutches and 3 months of PT before walking without major pain. My second incident not sure how I could have prevented it. Was riding down 192 45mph and the car in front of my kicks up a piece of tire the size of a softball and nails me in the shoulder. The armor in the jacket did what it was supposed to do and took the brunt of the blow it knocked my hand off the throttle but I kept him up. My first though was "That wasn't as bad as I thought it would be" but a couple of minutes later my fingers went numb. So, rode into the ER separated shoulder. That too was a lot of fun but could of been alot worse.

Other than good gear the best mod I ever did to Flick was a 139 db horn if you don't see me you will hear me. Just yesterday I was riding to school on I-4 I had the unfortunate luck of being in the center lane when your worse nightmare starts to occur. Both trucks start going for the center lane  and I'm in it I dropped the clutch and start laying on the horn apparently both heard me as they went back to their lanes. I'm sure if I didn't have that horn I may have been a trucker sandwich. You gotta keep your head on a swivel and always prepare for the worst possible scenario so you can avoid it. I had that fear in the back of my mind and was able to get out of the situation if I didn't I might not of responded in time.

Biking is the most relaxing thing I do and wouldn't trade it for the world!

Mary

[KnuckleBallz]

I'm gonna have to disagree with the "fear keeps you alive" stuff. I'd say it's knowledge/awareness of the situation & dangers of riding that keeps you alive. DO NOT RIDE WITH FEAR. This will cripple you. A scared rider is a dangerous rider.

I'd check out Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist Vol.2 for some good advice on the subject. Fear triggers survival reactions, which in turn cause you to do things that compromise your riding, for example tensing up, getting tunnel vision, chopping the throttle midturn. Check it out.

Also what's the fun of riding if you're scared all the time? I want to feel fulfilled when I get home from a ride, not relieved. 

[SAFE-T]

First off, most motorcycle crashes are the riders fault ~ going too fast and getting yourself in a situation you can't handle. Secondly, if you avoid over-exuberance you may still crash, but the results are likely to be less serious, such as the incidences others have noted in their posts. Thirdly, you are 14 times more likely to be killed in a motorcycle collision than in a car, for reasons you already clearly understand. If you keep in mind that probably 95% of all traffic 'accidents' are attributable to driver error, that leaves a lot of room for you to mitigate your risk through better driving yourself in terms of your riding skills ~ this means a combination of knowing what to watch for, when and why, plus good operator control skills. You may still die, but at least you will have lived while you had the chance

[dam]

I'm gonna have to disagree with the "fear keeps you alive" stuff. I'd say it's knowledge/awareness of the situation & dangers of riding that keeps you alive. DO NOT RIDE WITH FEAR. This will cripple you. A scared rider is a dangerous rider.

I'd check out Keith Code's Twist of the Wrist Vol.2 for some good advice on the subject. Fear triggers survival reactions, which in turn cause you to do things that compromise your riding, for example tensing up, getting tunnel vision, chopping the throttle midturn. Check it out.

Also what's the fun of riding if you're scared all the time? I want to feel fulfilled when I get home from a ride, not relieved. 

I do not fear riding. There are a few things that cause some concern like loose/slippery stuff in the road, critters that appear suddenly, etc. Fear can cause you to make mistakes by affecting your judgement. You can overcome fear with experience. When riding I try to stay calm and enjoy the ride. The last thing I'll say is no matter what the situation, DON'T PANIC!

[fraze11]

This is a great discussion.  I love reading other people's opinions and perspectives on stuff like this   So here's mine; Fear is a funny thing and I personally think no 2 people deal with fear the same way.  When I first got on a motorcycle I was scared and the fear was very real, no question about it.  Fear is typically eliminated by experience; your level of fear for something is drastically reduced when you understand it.  ie: I'm no longer afraid of the dark The same logic can be applied here, your fear is simply of the unknown and lack of experience and the only thing that fixes that is time.  For me that's one of the most enjoyable parts of the fear journey, when I think back to my first ride where I was white knuckled, hanging on for dear life while doing 60kmh down the road it was one of those occasions when both fun and fear collided ... and what a feeling that is.  It's also incredibly fun to watch your fear dissipate the more you ride and as time goes by.  Just like your first day of school.

Everyone lives life by their own code but for me I've always lived by the mantra that if I were to let my fear of something deter me from doing it...I'd probably never do anything, or I would sure miss out on alot of fun stuff.  That's not to say there aren't things I won't do, but I certainly don't let fear rule my life.  So MANY people think I'm crazy when they find out I ride.  I find there's this bizarre stigma that motorcycle riding = death.  You have to maintain a certain level of fear in anything you do that presents some element of risk -  I recently watched the Motorcycle Documentary 'Faster' and recall both Wayne Rainey and Valentino Rossi saying something very similar to that about fear.  Even they get scared. 

I also believe (and some may argue this point) I personally don't think riding a motorcycle is for everyone.  It requires a certain level of co-ordination and understanding that some people have an incredibly hard time grasping and as a result their fear is never overcome...which in my opinion is dangerous.  If you are "gut twistingly" afraid every time you throw your leg over a motorcycle, I think that's a recipe for disaster, your focus is immediately compromised. 

Riding requires your COMPLETE and absolute attention and focus at all times. 

[ohgood]

My name is Foxtrot Tango, and I am not here.

This is going to be a long-ish post and it may not make much sense, but bear with me. Any and all criticism is welcomed. If you have acute AD/HD, scroll to the bottom and my question is in bold.

...words....

what a very intelligent and accident-free driver (me) did this morning -- accidentally violate someone else's right of way and pull out for a right-hand turn instead of stopping and letting the car by-- in any of these situations, you can be toast.

How do you deal with the fear? I love motorcycles, I love the GS500, and I want one. But I'm still afraid of it.

welcome, long time lurker, student, FT

almost 40, kids, wife, houses, student-again, not stupid, but not doctor material. reality is my friend, no tickets in ohhhh, 9+ years, 5 of which have been on motorcycles, about 50,000 miles under my belt. introduction over



2-3 months ago, for the first time, i ran wide in a turn. it was a spirited ride on my drz, on a very nice secondary road. spirited means, barely above speed limit. i mis-judged a decreasing radius LH turn, and exited to a nice open grassy shoulder, missing a large rock and creek behind it. the bike was fine, i was shaken. speed was not a contributor, it was just plain bad judgement and poor depth perception from a heavy astigmatism.

fear -

keeps you safe. fear keeps you safe. fear, keeps you s a f e.

i've taught my kids that fear is a nature feeling made to bring our attention to a dangerous situation, and the need to act accordingly to minimize the risk of being hurt. the dark can be scary for three and five year olds. going fast down a hill on a bike, similar. fear, makes them realize that yes, there -is- something to be afraid of, even if it is familiar and predictable. bumping into a chair in the dark and stubbing a toe is a good example of a reason to be attentive, just like a skinned knee is a reminder of how going too fast can lead to instability and pain.

fear is keeping me safe.

i've found that exploring trails on two wheels has a much lower chance of being a fatal accident than sharing roads with idiots texting with their phones instead of driving. in all my road miles, i was never hurt. since beginning in the dirt, i've broken tibia twice, and now have to broken/bruised radius. the number of miles per injury is very low in comparison dirt:road. the enjoyment is also hugely different. keeping the skill level and riding conditions in mind while watching how others attack a problem is working fairly well (aside the broken bits) so far.

I love YOU and dad are right about the road. completely right. it is unsafe. it is to be feared, and not just the other drivers, as i learned recently. with so many distractions in a car, it's a wonder anyone makes it to work alive each morning. cell phones, lcd screens, noses to pick, clothes to change ('ve seen this first hand), teeth to floss, etc.

where is -your- balance ? do you have the maturity to keep the urge to twist and smile at bay ? do you trust anyone (yourself included) to pay 100% of attention at the task at hand ?

let down your guard in a car and you might be hurt. on a bike, it's guaranteed. the fear is in place to get your attention. use it.



** the short answer **

i use the fear of not seeing my kids again to keep me safe.

[redhawkdancing]

Before: Say a prayer

During: Enjoy the ride

After: Give thanks

[dam]

Before: Say a prayer

During: Enjoy the ride

After: Give thanks

Now that sounds like a plan