BM08

Id love to own/ride a bike, but this is the main reason i wont ever own one.

And before anyone says it, YES you could be hit by a bus just as easy, i do know that.

Lee_R21Turbo

iTrader: (1)

I'd love a bike......but I've pretty much done the same as Chip and in effect 'banned' myself from having one due to knowing that I'd either kill myself....or someone else would do it for me unfortunately - due to other motorists not paying attention!!!

My girlfriend often rides pillion on other peoples bikes & I do worry sick about her when shes out & about - but I wouldnt try and stop her doing it because at the end of the day its her choice plus she enjoys it. Just hope I never get 'that' phone call!!

markk

iTrader: (2)

ive been riding bike for over 10 years and had from a 125cc scooter (which is still my daily commute) to a ZX12R with 170hp at the rear wheel, and the bikes are not at all dangerous, 99% of accidents can be avoided by riding to the correct conditions, i ride in all weathers, last week i set off from home to work and within 4miles i had to wipe the snow from my visor to so i could see !

people get on bikes with no resepct for the condition they are in, bikes would never be banned at all.
if you think biking is dangerous try 100mph though the forrest in a rally car!

RobL

ill never get on a bike to be honest, on the roads anyway
a good friend of mine was killed a few years ago he wasnt speeding,someone pulled out on him and he went over the car and broke his neck
ive also got another mate whos lucky to still have both legs attached to his body after a bike accident
to dangerous

badnews

well i have had a few bikes in my time i have had many a spill and lost a few mates to them. i had them from a kid and learnt the hard way so grew to respect them and the way to ride was defenceive all the time. i love bikes and i want one now xb12 buelle is what i fancy not fast but a laugh. my biggest problme is the mrs works in A&E and hates them and had the unfortunate task of dealing with a friend who passed away on his bike and now she get real upset when i say i will have another. so i think it will be a boat insted

madsi

i think alot of accidents are peaple new to bikes and not realising how quick the new bikes are and not using their weight to corner,seen loads riding round corners sat rigid on the bike.on the accident side of things this is probably a good example,in 1995 2 of our lot were killed and 5 seriously injured (including me) si killed in car and colin on bike,out of the accidents only one was down self inflicted(flipped his yzf) the rest of us taken out by other peaples mistakes.i ended up going racing instead and didnt get another road bike till 2000 and christ the roads were alot busier and in a worse state,so back to the track again now.few mates still have bikes so i get to play a bit and the roads are even busier now and peaple still dont seem to realise when they pull out in front of you why we shake fists and swear at them.the speed of the new 1000's is an issue as well,my mates r1 felt fast to me so new riders and the dreaded born again wont know whats hit them.i do think if youve ridden bikes since were young you develop a sense of knowing what to look for,like at junctions you know when your going to get pulled out on.and its the same in the car you just seem to spot thing as if still on the bike,im sure the other bikers on here know what im rambling about.

Pete frst

the trouble with bikes these days is 'ARE YOU' good enuf to ride them?,sure they're makeing them easyer to ride but you really have to be at the top of your game if your going to take one out,if you,ve never ridden one its hard to get what the fuss is all about,just the awsome 0 - 60 times in small bikes,let alone litre +,i dont think i,ll go back to a sports bikes now,ive been lucky in the past,and harleys/hogs take up to much road to enjoy for me as much as i love the look of them,might go back to enduro,nice 450,still fast enuf for some fun,but not scarey fast,take em off the tarmac and on to some soft grass...............

Chip

iTrader: (3)

If I get another road bike, it will be a crosser type bike but on road tyres and i'll have my fun arsing around jumping over stuff etc and pulling fairly low speed wheelies rather than getting a 180mph+ superbike

Andy_R

iTrader: (3)

Its the danger, the exhileration, the freedom that I enjoyed most - I've encouraged more than just a few mates to go for it when they have asked for my opinion on getting a bike. Sure accidents happen and the dangers are very real especially when you've had a bit of an off - its all in your attitude to risk I guess!

-beefy-

iTrader: (6)

personally i love bikes,

was born and raised with them in my family , had a dt 50 and worked up , just last summer i had a ninja , going up to a r1 hopefully this summer,

never really had any major accidents where i was at fault, fell off my enduros and crossers so many times its not worth counting ,

only accident ive been invloved in was my old man bought a barnd new transalp for the the dealership , had a few issues witht the rear spoked wheel ,

after a 400 mile round trip heading home around 80 mph , the back wheel collapsed , disintergrated ,and highsided me and my father ,

he kind gripped the bike as it spat us, where i ( according to the people behind us ) got kick into the air around 12 feet , and then bounced about 80- 100 feet down the road from where it kicked me off ,

i got up to my knees and looked for my dad , then collapsed . they put me on a backboard , to my to ponty hospital for x ray ,

dad tore most the ligaments on his left leg , i got away with few brusies ,

we got home around 7 hours later , and 7 hrs ten min later i was riding up and down the front on my bros cr 250 ,

i was adamant i was going to get bk onto a bike ,


there only as dangerous as the rider , or lack of rider knowldge and yes whilst accidents out of our hand will happen its no different to any walk of life,


beef

Chip

iTrader: (3)

Definately, i like taking risks that I can manage/control myself, and other road users when you are on a bike, doesnt fall into that category IMHO.

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

Andy_R

iTrader: (3)

wheelie school for you this spring Mr Lamb

Lambchop

iTrader: (1)

haha you can show me on the gixxer

S1rst

Of course we all know that bikes 'can' be dangerous, like many other things people choose to do in life. Most exciting things have an element of risk and danger so its all part and parcel.

Getting my bike licence was the best thing ive ever done! I dont know why i didnt do it sooner to be honest. Nothing better than a nice ride out on a summers day. Your problems are pushed to one side while your on a bike, and your mind is set on the next corner instead. Such a stress reliever.

In fact, the suns out now so im going a for little ride.

S1rst

Thats just what i did mate. I got a WR 450 thinking it would be a 'safer' option for the winter than my gixer. How wrong was i! Front wheel in the air all the time, and it just loves speed bumps! Ive got more chance of losing my licence on the WR than i have on the gixer.

I planned on selling my gixer and keeping the WR but the bikes are like chalk and cheese and i really cant say which one i like better. It turns out ive been able to keep both now though so ive got the best of both really.

Lowson

I have never really been a big bike fan. Not because of the danger or that but was always into 4 wheels and more. One day i was playing about on a 125 ThumpStar and after that i thought to myself, i think i'd love a bike. A few months later i went for my licence and got it. The fact i now work with a good few bikers kicked me into getting it too. That was September last year. I bought and still have an FZR600. It's a 1991 model and therefore getting on a bit but it is mint (when clean ) and does have a good dose of power. I absolutely love having a bike now and in the space of a few months now like bikes as much as i do cars and other things. My bike is one of the best things i have ever bought and being 24 now, i do think to myself, i wish i did this earlier. I am still building my confidence up and only ride to MY limit. I feel as long as i'm careful and don't try to be stupid i should be safe. Plus the obvious reasons of getting places quicker and parking are good. Having the wind blowing in my face on the way to work is also good to wake me up

foreigneRS

like this you mean?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWaq0zOaAVU

you don't need to hang off the bike to make it go around a corner. leaning off just means that the bike doesn't need to lean quite as much to get around the same radius at the same speed (or can get around the same radius at a higher speed).

virtually all accidents on corners are due to rider error, not that the bike wasn't capable of getting around the bend. panic sets in and you tend to brake or fixate on the outside of the corner, rather than concentrating on getting around. personally, that is why i do trackdays, to know what the bike is capable of so i know that i can get out of trouble one day.

on the road, you shouldn't be anywhere near the limits of the bike unless you can clearly see. you need to be able to stop in the distance that you can see.

as for getting hit by cars pulling out of junctions, although the driver is largely to blame, the biker needs to ride defensively to protect themselves from this happening. speeding does not just mean going over the speed limit (which is a limit, not a guide) - it means going too fast for the conditions. approach junctions with caution, postion yourself correctly in the road, maybe weave a little to draw attention to the moving headlight, and plan your escape (maybe down the road they are turning out of).

your reactions when faced with this situation will also largely dictate the outcome. panic brake and lock the front wheel for too long and you are going down. emergency braking needs to be practised.

as said, those who ride day in, day out and year long probably have a better feel for grip and are less likely to have rusty skills.

Ginge !

thats such a true thing, its also the same with cars, i span at the ring as rather than following what i was doing i could feel the car sliding outwards on a bend and was washing out into the barrier so i just tapped the brake like a idiot and the car span

bikes are dangerous but alot of accidents are rider error,, not planning enough time to stop should the worst happen,,, its YOUR life that someone is gonna finish

you see someone playing with a gun would you wait for them to accidently shoot you or would you get out of there before it could maybe happen

ive had 4 mates die on bikes with that said and one cousin, all of them was some sort of self blame,,,even my cousin who slipped on black ice came off and broke hes neck, one of em died last year on a bike touring holiday, they was ment to come to the ring with me last year too but decided to to a bike holiday instead and one of em lost it on a bend and went into a barrier chest first after comming off the bike and died on impact

Chip

iTrader: (3)

I figure im more likely to have an accident but less likely to be killed on something like a WR, lol

Lucky lad

madsi

that jap cops a good vid,you can see him using his upper body lots my point was that the ones weve seen are more rigid or tened up

Magnex20011

Im a little guy maybe 5'4 - 5'5 and weight 9 stone ish ... i ride an r6 and with me on it it's a death machine.... the accelaration is madness. Any slip up will result in death.... Bikes are VERY dangerous. The human body isnt designed to take impact. YES they are great and amazing and FUN, but i do worry about getting hurt. ITS A BIG reality. In fact im getting rid soon... time to move on sometimes its just not worth it.

Fudgey

iTrader: (4)

i passed my DAS end of 2006 and bought a yam thundercat 600cc, 100bhp.

rode it without any probs for 6 months in all weathers, had a few near misses etc and dropped it once trying to park (slipped on wet moss )

then 6 months later in the begining of july i got taken out buy a woman making an illegal right turn. not only did she not check her blind spot, she also said she didnt even look in her mirror...

that resulted in a 45mph T bone. it really made me think about life and how easy it is to loose, i have a 16 month old boy now, and at the time the wife was pregnant with him.

i have not rode a bike now for almost 2 years, as i think i got away lightly as i did use to ride like a cunt on a few occasions.

if i did get another bike id get a crosser, and take it off road.

rs-tuner

iTrader: (1)

ive had lots of bikes just bought another one today in fact . i dont ride on the roads in this country very often its just to dangerous i save it for track days and when i go to the ring for two weeks of the year. if you ride over here you have a choice to ride so slow to be safe and keep your licence or go that fast you go to jail for speeding or worse and end up in a big accident.

900ss

Most say getting back on them again is mad and I thought the same aswell after a big off into the side of a car
But as the years rolled on I changed my view

Yes I still ride like a kunt, but think about it afterwards now lol

Mark V8

iTrader: (2)

Sold my last bike that made 209bhp at the wheel because I rode it like a twat and thought my luck was going to run out sooner or later

Now I keep thinking of selling my EsCos parts and buying another

Mark

Big G

I will be lucky to use bike to 60% of its potential on the road, but fuck me it makes me grin like a mong on E EVERY TIME I get on the thing

The bikes are safe enough, its the numpties piloting them or the numpties in the cars which are the danger.

Big G

I nearly bought a WR back end of last year, my mate put me off because he said I will be a proper nob on it like he was with his

Rab

I did the bike thing about 10-11 years ago. I discovered that while it may be fast and utterly thrilling, it is also way more dangerous than a car. I was very lucky to only injure my back, and not kill myself. I'll stick to cars.

Hope Godzilla recovers, fingers crossed.

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

So this isn't the best choice for a first bike then?

Seademon

One of the best things new riders can do is a track day, you get free class room tuition and get a feel of what your bike can really do in terms of cornering etc. I did the Bikesafe course aswell where you spend the day with the police and they assess your riding & show you some good techniques - well worth the Ł25 inc lunch! Hardest bit of the day is when they say 'Just ride how you normally would'

foreigneRS

agree with that

even if she was clearly at fault, filtering at 45mph seems a tad excessive

RWD_cossie_wil

iTrader: (9)

Not being rude here mate, in the eyes of the law you are 100% not at fault, but did you REALLY put yourself in a position that you thought you were safe? ... If I filter it is only slowly, covering the brakes all the way, as if someone does something stupid then it is YOU that is going to come off worse!!

My Flight instructor had a good point when talking about rights of way etc, he said No point in having "He was totally in the right" on your headstone!

As foreigneRS has said, you have to ride defensive, and expect people to do utterly mong things ....

I do worry when I am on the motorway, doing 70/80 Mph on a congested section, and see bikes cutting in and out of cars at 90+, if you ride that way you are bound to get squashed sooner or later! Also seen a bike ride between two articulated lorries that were side by side on the A419 , braindead riding if you ask me ...

AndyGranger

I had my 1st bike at 3 could ride it by 3 1/2 and never been without one since and i,m 30 now
Been racing since i was 11 and only ever broke my wrist in the school boys
They are as dangerous as whoever is holding the handle bars as said in this thread earlier road position is a big factor in accidents but more in my opinion drivers who can,t use mirrors!!
In my opinion EVERYONE should be made to go on a bike simulator before doing ANY driving test to be made aware just how important it is too look before you pullout of a junction/overtake etc.

AndyR1

iTrader: (1)

i ve rode bikes for 34 years , ive had 3 roads crashes in that time all have been hospital jobsand months in hospital ,ive raced track and motercross and the crash i had at launed abbey tilton on the hill left me with a lot of plates and over a year off work and i still ride my r1 how it shoud be lol

Captain500rs

I've always wanted a bike motocross and road bike,brother has just sold his zx-6 and bought a blackbird and come round other day on it lovely bike.just know if i got one i would end up either seriously injured or dead. know i would just have it flat out all the time, brother reckons i would not be like that tho, suppose thats why i have cars at least if a crash ive something round me

rabmc

Gulp...

Passed

Rich_w

These are the sort of people that spend their entore lives worrying that other people are having fun. Risking their lives.

fuck em. mainly in the arse

S1rst

Agree 100%! In the few years ive been riding its made me a much better/safer driver aswell. Not just the fact that im more aware of bikers, but the fact that you anticipate potentoal problems BEFORE they actually happen. Why they dont make everyone do a course as part of the test i dont know.

rabmc

Passed my test over a month ago now, still trying to get funds together for a machine though, a big part for me is the fact cars are far too expensive to run these days, performace ones anyway, just not worth the hassle!!

Im going to try and be "sensible" as i know the implications if even a minor accident happens, i work for myself so everything would go down the swanny if i was laid up for weeks>moths or whatever!

Im just looking for some honest fun, runs away for the weekend etc etc and try and not think too much about the bad side of it, got starship mileage under my belt on just general road driving so this all comes into play i think!

The more the goverment push these adverts on bikes etc i really think those help alot!!

I would put myself off getting one if i thought too deep into it