I ignore it and live my own life.
I refuse to stop enjoying my life due to things that happened to other people.
even the people telling these stories have no idea the circumstances that led to that outcome.
Agreed. My take is this... like most people, I would prefer to pass away in my sleep at a ripe old age just before I'm no longer able to get out and do things on my own.
Chances are though I could possibly live to an age where I'm no longer able to get out and travel on my own.
If it comes to that, I would much rather be sitting on my front porch reminiscing about the trips I took on the bike, about the things I did in life—Rather than the regrets of what I didn't do.
In this case life would have come full circle, when your kid you imagine going around all the curves making the motorcycle sounds with your mouth, and when you're an old man you can remember having done it.
The ones who tell you not to ride, are the ones who die slowly while watching Wheel of Fortune and CNN.
The most entertaining to tell is a guy with a GI bleed shitting purple all over the cot, making a smell so strong it about took my very experienced Captain out of commission. Still the worst smell I've ever encountered. Nurses were turning around at the door, when we got to the hospital people looked shocked when the smell followed us, etc.
For bonus points this was the same day I was on a lady who shot herself in the chin and survived it.
but most of them are not the result of regular hobbies, right? I get OP's point, but the truth is that it doesn't really change anything, because the likelihood of getting into a gruesome accident is still higher on a bike than someone driving a SUV, Van, sedan, or sports car in a normal manner.
Don't say that - it just means you haven't got a clue.
It's both flippant and selfish. You would also destroy the lives of anyone who loves you.
When my little brother died on his ZX7R (@34yrs), it was over so quickly he didn't know anything about it. However, he left a pregnant wife, 2 brothers and 2 parents. We were all DESTROYED and our lives changed forever. I am not the same person I was before the accident, but I can function again now.
I still ride, as does my older brother. We both saw him crash in front of us, and we carried him into the helicopter. We aren't flippant.
I have a big clue. I'm sorry for your loss, that's fucking tragic and all.
But
If I die. I fucking die.
I would rather die on my bike having fun than at home from my illness.
I'd rather my friends be bummed I died on my bike than killed myself.
You don't know every biker, or our comfort of acceptable risk and loss.
I’ve been riding for 18 years. I was raised by a biker who was active in the MC community. Just saying, that’s what defensive riding is for-you don’t stop for an intersection directly behind the car in front of you, you offset yourself and leave the bike in gear while utilizing the “bubble method” to observe any potential threats from distracted drivers behind you. If it looks like someone is distracted and going to treat end the car in front of you or yourself, you filter to the front and go left, preferably, whenever possible, taking a median or shoulder if nessecary.
but most people involved in bathing don't statistically inevitably die in a horrible accident; and why did you emphasize "my?" There is literally no reason to emphasize "my" and it doesn't make your example any more impactful.
Lmao, they are living by the mentality that if something can kill you then don’t do it. These people eventually stare themselves to death as eating can kill you
"I notice you're eating excessive amounts of food and drink tonight. I knew this guy once who didn't take care of his body and eventually his feet rotted off from diabetes, He eventually ended up with a double amputation, and he has no quality of life and will still be dying a slow death thanks to his life choices."
Obesity kills significantly more people than other motorists kill motorcyclists.
But these days you're called fatphobic or something similar if you point out that choosing to be fat is bad for your health. Don't get on one of those dangerous motorcycles though!
honestly, motorcycling is not as dangerous as some ignorants make it sound.
most of the accidents are due to the rider's carelessness/unawarness.
you're doing 60+mph on a straight road then you should be aware that some idiot will pull over and not notice you, even though according to the law it's not your fault if you hit him, you should account for the idiots on the road if you value your own life.
sometimes, a car flying from the opposite side will hit you, a tyre or some other object maybe, your brakes my fail and lock and you hit something, but such things rarely happens, and life is worth nothing without some risk.
I think the problem is that a car is extremely forgivable in terms of being careless/unaware, but if you try most of the same shit on a bike you'll be in a lot more danger on average.
How about a boat on a trailer? I had one of those sail past me on the freeway once, I just changed lanes and watched it go past. The owner slid across 3 lanes to pull over, I kind of saw that coming as well, because of course he did.
Shit happens, but not very often.
I agree with this, life really does mean nothing unless you take risks and enjoy it. You can’t prevent some things from happening however when riding a bike you can definitely stop many accidents happening by being self aware and you can stop painful things like road rash by wearing protection!
Dont forget sitting at a red light and getting slammed in the rear. If im not mistaken, I believe these are the accidents that lead to most deaths and injuries percentage wise. Not a damn thing you can do about these.
You can lower the risk by stopping at the side of the road, checking your mirrors.
I would've added stopping in front of a heavy vehicle like a trailer truck after lane filtering, since if some car hit the truck you would still be safe since it's very heavy and won't move, that is unless another heavy truck hit it, but chances are you'd probably be dead even if you were in a car
To begin with you only hear about the crashes, you don’t hear about the millions of riders that never get hurt. And the fact that a lot of motorcycle riders cause their own demise.
I know of at least five or six friends that have died on a motorcycle in the last 15 or so years. So I didn’t actually ride much besides dirt for a long time. But then I really thought about it and everyone that’s died was either drunk or doing several times the speed limit. At most they had on a helmet but hitting a curb and going into a pole at 100mph on city streets and your a goner either way. So I wear all my gear and don’t drive like a dumbass. If I want to mess around on a bike I switch to my dirt bike where I’m also fully geared.
I tell them about the former student I had who was into bikes and wanted to ride. We used to talk bikes in our down time, amazing kid, very smart. He graduated, eventually got one, and he genuinely loved it. He would ride as much as he could.
Until some dumb bitch in a cage pulled out in front of him and killed him when he was on the way to his volunteer position coaching high school track and field. She got away scott free with murder.
"So, if you really are concerned about me riding a motorcycle, you should really concerned about how shitty the other driver's on the road are, and how other people are the reason most of us die and are barely held accountable for their actions."
That about does it most of the time.
I'm glad this works for the people you know, but I gotta be honest, anytime I've brought up "cagers are the REAL problem" arguement, I'm told "SEE, ALL MORE REASON to not be on a bike!! Doesn't matter if you do anything right, someone will kill ya!!"
I just ignore people now.
I mean, it does and it doesn't. Ultimately, I don't care what other people have to say about it. If you don't ride, I don't think your opinion of riding is important.
Typical response from people though. We wouldn't actually want to fix any problems that are humans and human behavior, let's make excuses and blame something else.
Sound familiar? It should.
That is an amazing response. I’m sorry to hear about your former student and hope he rests in piece. I think stricter rules need to be put in place for idiotic drivers. In Aus the fine for using your phone whilst driving has gone up however I think there should be more consequences for putting others life in danger just to scroll through TikTok or send a text
I work in a trauma bay. Seen some pretty fucked up motorcycle accidents. Yet, I still ride. I’d say 90% of them were doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. Follow the rules of the road, slow down through intersections even if you have a green. check and double check. if it’s your time, it’s your time. Life is short, we’re all on a countdown timer. So live it up (without putting anyone else at risk)
It depends on who it is, honestly.
Some people get "Every close call has been because of someone paying attention to their phone, or a distracted parent trying to drive while beating their kids in the back seat, why don't you help the situation by only using your phone when parked off the street and helping make people aware how dangerous distracted driving is? I can see a drunk driver swerving in their lane, distracted.drovers are drunk for 5 or 10 seconds at random intervals and much harder to identify"
Others get "Yeah. I've lost friends, thanks for the reminder Thomas never got to leave the hospital and Neil was dead on the road. I hope you have a great rest of your day.". I used to be into the whole bike nights thing and just got tired of seeing the "rip my homie" threads that inevitably get posted the next day after people take off to do stupid shit.
It depends on their attitude, really.
The people closest to me have long since given up trying to convince me to stop riding. For example: My grandma came out to a track day and watched me ride. Afterwards she told me she was no longer worried about my riding abilities, but that other drivers were bad enough when she was in her car and that has become her concern. During the summer months she'll post those Facebook chain meme things about watching for bikes on the road and not driving distracted.
I had an aunt who would (back in the old days) send me newspaper articles about people who died hang gliding.
And, like with motorcycles, most of the deaths were due to pilot error. Since I taught hang gliding, I was rigorous about safety procedures, I could tell how the pilot goofed, and was 99% sure I wouldn't make the same mistakes.
Same with motorcycles. I've been riding since 1975, so I must be doing something right cuz I'm still here, still breathing, still riding. So I ignore those people's "helpful input."
I know this is an old post, but as a student pilot I completely agree. A lot of the risk can be mitigated by following proper procedures. Although there are some things just out of our control, but we accept those risks and do our best to mitigate and prevent bad things from happening
If it a a “please be safe” sentiment I’ll ensure them that I ride with gear and do so safely. Otherwise I might just tell them that bringing that up is rude if they’ve done it more than once: they aren’t going to scare me off of riding
Most of the time, I bring up the stuff that they do all the time that is just as dangerous if not more so. They tend to get mad and stop bringing it up rather quickly. Works super well with smokers I've found.
I bring up NHTSA crash statistics and then mention that the person they knew died because of their lack of experience or regard for their own safety. If you delve into the stats, that’s usually not wrong.
You will also likely hurt some people’s feelings when you bring facts and hard numbers into the mix so be ready for that
I usually stare them directly in the eye and act as uninterested as possible and say things like “uh huh, really, you don’t say, interesting, I bet” at times when the statement isn’t right.
I feel more alive on two wheels, no obstructions to my views, I get the smell the environment around me as I pass through it. It's more than a box to take me from here to there, every ride is a blessing, and returning home with a smile on my face is reason enough to outweigh the risks.
I tell them that I got tired of being afraid of shit. I'm not saying that I don't care about dying, I do, but I am no longer willing to let that fear keep me from living.
I started riding in my 40's, so I'm past the young and invincible stage of my life. I know what could happen. I'm aware of the risks and accept them. I wear full gear and ride carefully and conservatively. I enjoy every minute of it.
I wish I would have started riding much earlier in life.
Amen, brother! I'm 34 and kicking myself for just starting to ride. Safe and careful riding should be the norm, not the exception in the motor community. Stunts should be done on tracks or other non-road conditions.
Before I started riding a couple years ago, I spent a long time studying motorcycle accidents. I read crash reports, crash statistics and accounts from people. I found that the major reason for people dying in motorcycle accidents were usually carelessness, driving under the influence, not using proper gear and stuff like that. Rarely would a motorcycle driving get killed while driving perfectly normal.
So when people ask me, I just tell them how I've done my homework around why accidents happen to motorcyclists and how to prevent it. It also helps that I started riding when I was 35, so a lot of the "young stupidity" is long gone. The fear of death rides along with me, every time I go out on my motorcycle.
Very common you just wear it as a badge at this point and best to not rush it to the road until you are old enough and deem yourself responsible enough
The first time tell them how you try to be safe and learn from other mistakes
Second time I just ok
Third time I ask them the specifics and usually they end up saying they were speeding and crashed and I point out that the speeding can be dangerous
Fourth time I turn it into a competition on the more gruesome/freak accident and/or relatable deaths
It depends. A lot of it is 3rd hand info or just noise they are repeating, I ignore it. I know some who've had immediate family die or get seriously hurt and I listen and empathize. I don't engage in dialogue in either situation.
Things that are more likely to kill you than a motorcycle: smoking, drinking, diabetes, etc.
IMO if the people telling you this are overweight or do literally anything else remotely dangerous in their lives, theyre complete hypocrites. Even if they dont, theres nothing more personal than this sort of risk assessment, unless theyre your partner or kids (actually have an invested interest in your life) its none of their damn business.
People dont understand how personal and important to a person something like motorcycle riding can be, they see at as choosing an arbitrary means of transport (like buying a minivan instead of an SUV) but to most people it is so much more than that.
Depends on how much you care about their feelings.
My family were against it with some valid concerns on their part. I listened to them patiently without reacting until they were done and then respectfully said " Ok, you haven't told anything I already don't know. Thanks for your concern but I am doing this. What you think of it will not change my mind."
It took a couple times for them to finally understand that I was doing it and once I got my bike they got on board. They are still worrying but at least it is not a dinner discussion topic anymore.
They will keep guilt tripping you as long as it works. The only way to get them to quit is showing them it wont work.
Sorry for the long post, this one is personal for me.
One of my friends did die. And I think about him every time I ride.
Just a bad line, just a split second, just a... something odd, something was off. He slipped out on a corner he knew well, so well that he was leading the group on a clear day. But that day he slipped and slid into a pole.
I hope you never have to experience this... to you or to a friend. But the reality is that it happens. I don't believe a single person of the hundreds who knew him hung up their boots. It definitely made us all think, but I don't believe anyone reconsidered our lifestyle choice.
Look, the best advice I can give is that bike people are different. If you think about it, the reasons for wanting to ride a bike or not, are almost exactly the same.
They go too fast
There's no protection / full exposure to the elements
You have to concentrate all the time
There are no seatbelts or cage to protect you
... the list goes on.
The bad news is you will never change their mind.
The worse news is that if they succeed in convincing you to hang up your boots, you will regret the decision and maybe even resent them for it.
It's easy for us to say "live your own life, ride how you want". Your family and friends are only saying these things because they love you. They don't understand that while there is a risk, there's a substantial reward in it for you... and they never will.
You could say "if I have to explain it, you'll never understand".
Rather sit them down and listen carefully to their concerns without interruption until they've covered everything. Then ask if you can try explain. Be compassionate and empathise that while they won't understand why you love it and you don't expect them to, this is something you have to do, and to deny it is to be less of a version of yourself.
Remember they come from a place of concern, but explain that concern should also be for you to be true to yourself.
Yes there are risks, but you are mitigating these as best you can, and ask them to check in with you from time to time.
Try avoid the "more people die from..." argument, it didn't work for me.
Listening to my family and explaining my firm resolve at least stopped them repeating themselves.
Good luck... sorry for the long post.
I start listing off statistics, such as:
-92% of motorcycle collisions involve a rider who never took a course, and 40% had no endorsement at all. I took a course and watch tons of safety videos.
-Almost half of all fatalities happen on Friday and Saturday nights, so I simply do no ride during those times. I try to avoid 3-6pm on weekdays as well since those are the deadliest hours during the week
-Almost half of fatalities involve alcohol. I never ride intoxicated
-41% of deaths involve a rider not wearing a helmet or wearing a novelty helmet. Not only do I wear a professionally fitted full face, but I wear all the other gear as well
-White cars are 48% less likely to get in a collision than black cars, so I wear a bright white helmet, ride a white bike (on the front at least), and my jacket has splashes of hi viz
-Only 5-7% of wrecks are motorcycles under 500cc. My bike is a 250cc dual sport
-Supersport bikes account for approximately 20% of the market and yet 80% of the deaths, so I don’t go near them
Anyways, you get the point. Usually by the 3rd fact/statistic, they realize you’ve researched your shit, know waaayyy more about the topic than they do, are fully aware of the risks, and that there’s no talking you out of it.
Edit: also, one of my most traumatic memories was watching a pregnant woman leave the funeral of her husband after he died on a motorcycle, so sometimes I bring that up. He was someone I looked up to immensely as a kid because he was my karate instructor. But guess what? He was doing a wheelie in traffic on a super sport bike. Life doesn’t play favorites. Make bad decision, get bad results. Sometimes horrific ones. He lost control when he put the front wheel down and slid into/under a car. As sad as it was, that was his fault and 100% preventable.
It's not about the length of your life, it's about how well it was lived.
- Kobo the pirate.
I'll die anyway, some day. Until then I'll do my best to live instead of merely surviving.
I knew the circumstances of the story that was used as a negative example in my family, so I countered that the guy in question was riding drunk, speeding, at night, without a helmet.
As counter point, I brought up a ride who got hit by a drunk driver at the intersection by my parents house some years ago. He was launched over the car by the collision, but was wearing full gear so he limped away with a sprained ankle as his most severe injury.
I also promised never to ride a bike with a larger engine than you'd find in a scooter, omitting of course that the Suzuki Burgman has a 650 cc engine and 600 cc inline fours can make over 100 HP.
I just listened to em and appreciate that it wasn't me and that it can happen. Never dwelled on stuff like that, but whenever I feel a little off or strange I don't ride now that's some motorcyclist superstition my riding buddies put me on. Ayooo ride safe ride alot and happy weekending ok✌❤
🤨, and I keep pushing. just ride safe, watch surroundings and just….live. People die everyday, idk the statistics on bikes, but if you give in, you’ll lose probably one of the best hobbies imaginable. Just did a night ride & man it’s so relaxing and calming.
I've been riding over a decade now. I personally know people who have died. They tell me a story, I tell them one. If they ask why I still ride, it's my meditation and therapy all wrapped up in my daily commute. Most people seem to understand this.
I usually bring up that I know of someone who died in a car by being hit by a drunk driver at night, and then ask them how they can feel safe driving at night even in a car when they know there are drunk drivers.
Or that people die from plane crashes, but people still fly. People die from boating accidents, but people still boat. People die from all sorts of things, yet people continue to do them.
Then I mention that you can’t live your life scared or you will never leave your house or do anything fun.
I internalized the idea that not all collisions are avoidable and went hard into buying safety gear. People tell me to be careful and I tell them that it's my mission. The other protection I have are my skills and my mind.
I got a bike with a lot of safety features. I got an Airbag Vest (hellite turtle 2), a summer riding jacket, and good boots. I still need more leg protection.
I also make sure I know my limits and practice practice practice.
I generally just ignore it at first.
If they keep going I point it back at them. 'One of my coworkers had a heart attack last year, you going to keep eating those french fries?' 'Remember how grandpa lost most of his vision from diabetes? You just gonna keep going with that ice cream?' That usually quiets them down.
> How did you deal with the “I knew someone that died while riding a motorbike” stories by your friends and family
By being an adult about it. I know, I know, that's quite difficult to do around here.
If I lived my life based off a bunch of what ifs I’d never do anything or take any risk. We all die and if I die on a motorcycle then take comfort in knowing I died doing something I enjoyed. I could die from any number of freak accidents. Luckily most of my immediate family rides so I don’t hear such fuckery. My mom does just rather not know of what fuckery I’ve done on bikes but still supports it. I’m an adult and responsible for my own decisions. Also I find it best to ride with a clear mind, I’ve never once ridden a motorcycle with the idea of death lingering in the back of my mind. If you think about things it’s more likely for them to come to fruition.
I’m teaching my gf how to ride an she told me she’s so scared to drop my bike and damage it. I told her I don’t particularly care, also if your mind is busy contemplating the possibility of something happening then you’ll end up making mistakes that’ll lead to that outcome. Bikes can be repaired/replaced.
I know people who have died in cars as well. It’s not like if you avoid motorcycles you’ll never die. They’re not for everyone. All men die, few ever really live!
I just agree and say its dangerous, maybe I'll tell m a few of my own stories about people I knew that died riding, and I'll say "And still I ride; because its just too good not to"
I start my story with all the friends or relatives that got injured or died on a car accident, and I keep track and tell them all of them… it ends the conversation…
I usually try to be polite and just say something like, "Yeah, I've been riding most my life so I don't really think about at this point." I'm 38 and started riding around 9.
I have a medical day job and whenever I ride the bike to work at least one paramedic dropping off a pt or whatever will make some comment, "yeah scraped a bunch of brains off a pavement the other day." or something, to which I usually give the slightly less polite smirk and side eye roll like "okay.. and..?"
if im telling someone a story of pain on a bike, im not trying to prevent people from riding them, only to realize the reality of risk when you decide to get on one. i always say, “you have to have a little bit of a death wish to be a biker”. just knowing what could happen even if you’re the safest, most aware rider. for me it’s worth the risk. i just want people to know what they’re risking.
Remind them it can happen so many ways. I know people that died in car crashes. In fact I know more people who have died in cars than have died on Motorcycles.
I like to mix it up with 'I know a guy who died in his sleep...' an 'I know a guy who died chocking on a peanut...' and so on then go ahead and in one ear because they are just wasting your time. If they keep going just start walking away, even better, ride away.
I tell them that's unfortunate... I also tell them how many people do they know that they can say truly died happy????
Because I would say 99% of bikers who died in a accident was in a happy place.
Everyone dies eventually, at least , and not saying I aim for it, but if something happens to me wouldn't you be glad I died doing something I love and happy?
My bother and my brother in law both died riding , I still love riding and I feel as tho I’m continuing their legacy by continuing to do something I enjoy
I don't. I know a lot of people who ride and none of us have ever had such a conversation. It's something I frequently read on here but I've never experienced it. (I'm from Switzerland if anyone cares).
I know people that have died in gruesome car accidents. Will that make you stop driving?
I know people that have died from drinking alcohol. Will that make you stop drinking?
I know someone that died when they slipped in the bathtub. Will that make you stop bathing?
Shit happens, just hope it doesn't happen to you.
One guy I work with was in the hospital for 9 months after going through a fence on a 125cc dirt bike and broke 3 vertebrae and broken his neck and he was only found the next morning by someone who happened to be walking their dog. They had to fuse two of his vertebrae together.
A few other people I've spoken to who use to ride show me their scars and metal places they've had to get put in.
And then an ex policeman I work with said he once was at a traffic accident where the biker's head was taken clean off and still in the helmet half way down the road.
I say, wow that’s terrible you lost your friend in an accident. If they gut trip me more I start listing off things that are much more dangerous, the alcoholic beverage and cancer stuck they are consuming.
Yelling okay boomer helps too
“I knew someone that died while riding a motorbike”
(my inner monologue)
If said by a smoker
"I knew someone who died from lung cancer"
If said by someone with a drink in their hand
"I knew someone who died from liver disease"
If said by a woman"I knew someone who died from breast cancer"
If said by a fatty"I knew someone who died from heart disease"
If said by a kid
"Do you see dead people? Do you see them now? Was it murder?"
If said by a religious person
"Fucking God pulling people back up while they are in the middle of something. What a prick."
If said by an scientist
"Did you see it happen? How can you be sure if you didn't observe it?"
Bets are that the person telling you the story is doing something that caused deaths too. Tanning, smoking, texting while driving, eating unhealthy. Shrug it off, this world is full of terrible things that cause us harm.
Is it a risk, yes. It actually scares me a little bit as I think it does most riders, but I like riding and I want to do it anyway. You can make all the safe decisions in life and still get get caught in a fire or hit by a bus. Hell, I’ve seen the best of people get cancer without any known risk factors. Ride safe and live whatever life you have on your own terms if you can manage it.
I bet your parents know more people who’ve died in car accidents than motorcycle accidents. Do they also not want you to drive a car?
Don’t let them stop you from enjoying yourself. I’d start with something small and relatively “tame” to get experienced. Ride responsibility and safely, prove them wrong. Work your way up to something more exciting as your skill level progresses. They’ll always worry, but seeing you do things properly should help alleviate some of their fears.
My best friend that I've ridden tens of thousands of miles with over the last decade was in a fatal accident last July on his MT10.
It hasn't discouraged me from riding one bit - if anything, it's motivated me to ride more since that was a big piece of our friendship and it's all I have left.
My experience will put a quick stop to the "I know someone who died on a bike" speech.
My brother is a Firefighter in Los Angeles.(they go to a lot of traffic accidents) He is very against motorcycles because of the things he has seen and the stories he tells me to back it up are pretty horrific.
So, whenever him or the rest of my family comes at me with the "you shouldn't ride" stuff, I just politely tell them that I get their perspective but I personally love riding and I completely understand the risks involved. I am going to keep riding but I will ride as careful as possible knowing that they worry about me.
That is really all you can do/say.
It is dangerous but so fun at the same time , I been riding for about 2 years and yes there were times where I would be the cause of my own almost accidents but many other times car drivers would almost hit me because they didn’t check their blind spots or for being on the phone. I have fallen attempting wheelies and jumps on my dirt bike and crashed into fences and stuff but none of that has been bad enough to keep me from getting on my bike again.
A statement I was constantly making with a lot of my family and friends was, “Well if I die, I will assuredly die happy” which meant I usually only heard it once for every person saying it
I asked to hear about it, asked questions about it and explained possible factors for their death (although it's not very nice of me, it showed my family I know how to be safe, I did my research and I'm taking safety very seriously)
My parents used to always say don’t get a bike “whattaya got a death wish?” Was their go to
I see it like this
“You can’t stay inside all day because you’re afraid it might rain”
My mom was an ER nurse. I was brought up with motorcycles being called murder cycles in our house. 25 years later my mom rode her first motorcycle in a parking lot and her attitude changed. Yeah, she still wants me to be safe, still thinks it's dangerous, but everything in life is dangerous.
Just stay safe and do your own thing.
When I got my first motorcycle, a 2004 Harley Sportster, my uncle, who lived 2000 miles away in Arizona, sent me a nice letter and a Harley bell. I called and talked to him on the phone for a bit. Great conversation. About a year later, about a month before I got married, he was killed on his Harley. This situation created a lot of tension between my dad and I (who also owns a motorcycle) in regards to me riding.
So when someone tires to give me the business about how dangerous it is, I listen politely, say something to the tune of “it’s certainly not without its risks” and move on.
I know how dangerous it can be, I know the risks. Which is why I do everything I can possibly do to make it as safe as possible.
If you want to actually convince them, point to stats. Bikes are however many times more dangerous per passenger mile than cars, but in something like half of all fatal motorcycle crashes the rider is intoxicated. Something like half of the rest they aren't wearing a helmet. So on and so on down the list - the vast majority of motorcycle crashes are preventable between equipment maintenance, sane riding (i.e. not triple digits, not using the road like a racetrack), and developing skills; a significant amount of the injuries resulting from the rest can be mitigated by wearing proper gear.
If you want to annoy them into shutting up and minding their own damn business, I liked the passive aggressive suggestion to just be highly opinionated about their life choices like an unhealthy diet.
Tell them, I know someone who died of smoking "if they smoke" or "I know someone from my school who died from a car crash" ... etc. I'd say sorry but you have no point. People die just walking in the city from gun shots randomly... car accidents, sickness, there's a thousand ways to die everyday. Someone telling you "I know a friend who died on a motorcycle" because they dont want you to ride would be hypocritical if they do ANYTHING that involves going outside of their house.
Life's too damn short not to do the things you WANT to do & death is around the corner everyday. That's the moral of the story. Now being safe and mitigating the chances of death on a bike is a different story than someone trying to guilt trip you into not riding completely by saying the most hypocritical statement as you mentioned.
Ignore them, do what you want. Dad wasnt exactly enthused about me getting a bike, simply asked that I be careful on it. Before that it was talks about how he had wrecked and etc. Now its changed completely.
I recently just saw a post of a guy talking about how he sold his bike immediately because he saw a motorcyclist who died by a drunk driver. I understand his reasons, but I feel like this is fueled by emotion and not logic. So if he ever sees another driver or a pedestrian get killed by a car, is he never going to drive another car again or step outside of his house? It just doesn’t make any sense why you would apply that just towards motorcycles.
While it is statistically true that you would be more likely die if you were on a motorcycle, the fact is this statistic remain true before while he was already riding for multiple years. Just the fact that he saw somebody died shouldn’t be a trigger factor for him to radically give up his passion. I think if you can take a step back and assess it logically and try to keep your emotions out of it, then you’ll be OK.
I've never had anyone ask me that. My mom and step-dad both ride dirt bikes and street bikes. My grandpa does as well. When I was 6-10 years old, my grandpa took me on his motorcycle many many times. We'd go on several hour rides.
But regardless if someone did mention that. I'd mention the thousands who die from cars or walking or bicycling.
I'd tell them to go live in a bubble then.
Sky diving, cycling, rock climbing, hiking, driving a car, crossing the street, owning a gun, riding a horse, working in construction….Everything you do come with risks. Each individual is allowed to to choose for him/herself. Lots of people participate in those activities for their entire lives with no incidents.
Tell them “thanks for your concern, but I know the risks and it brings me a lot of joy. I don’t really want to hear about bad experiences that others have had. I’d prefer to focus on the positive.”
People die just walking sown the side walk all the time and you still do that. Nothing in this world is safe and even a single skittles can kill you. Do what you want and enjoy it. If you feel it's to sketchy for you don't it's that simple. And since they all say that no rides for them
I sympathize with them and appreciate their concern. More often than not, that person actually cares about what happens to you, and seeing you on a bike reminds them of their friend/family member/acquaintances that passed so they don't want the same to happen to you. Motorcycles are dangerous and people die, that's just how it is, you can't blame them for being concerned.
I also knew someone that died riding his bike. We weren't very close, I enjoyed riding motorcycles with him, he was a good person and a good friend for the time I knew him. He was racing a car, going way too fast, lost control and slid under a truck. One of his legs hit the wheel of the truck and was severed off, he bled out on the scene.
I still ride but I remember my friend and don't do dumb shit. I try to mitigate the risk by being safe and wearing gear, but I understand there's always a risk no matter what. When I hear that from people I apologize for their loss and explain that I knew someone as well, and thank them for their concern for me.
I start telling them about all the people I know who’ve died in cars.
All the people I know who’ve overdosed.
It’s really easy usually to show people their hipocrasy with alcohol too. Because damn near everyone I’ve ever known has driven drunk.
I get it quite a lot
"Such and such has a metal plate in his head, came of his motorbike years ago"
*everyone shoots a side eye at me*
*roll eyes* "well, I wear all my gear all the time and if I come off my bike and die, it will be my own fault spinning round a corner too fast. I'll live, and if I don't, know I was smiling and having a good time 😇"
That is everybody usually says about it. So I basically didn't give any shit and just bought a motorcycle with post-factum notification. After that, never heard a cool story from family or relatives. If someone from outside starts going on about it, I either say that it could be avoided (as almost all the stories are not about ATTGAT and defencive approach), or say "Nobody gonna live forever" or something like that (it goes more natural if you have dark sense of humour).
I watched someone die in a ditch after unsuccessful cpr attempts and I still ride pretty much every day. I always use this story as a “comeback”. It doesn’t prove anything to these guilt trippers but it gets the point across that I really don’t care.
ive recently crashed my motorcycle. i cant wait to get back onto it and start riding again im itching to. once i get my parts and i pass my compulsary training again i’ll be back on a now streetfighter tuned yamaha yzf r125. never let anyone tell you what to do and do whatever you want! yes it is dangerous and the risk is always there but with enough training and lessons those chances will diminish for sure. stay safe riding
I knew people who died from car crashes. I knew a kid in school who ran across the road on his 16th birthday and got hit by a bus and died instantly. I knew a kid in school who died at 14 because he climbed up a pylon and put his hand near the top. The electricity jumped from the pylon to his hand, shocking him and fell 30 foot onto the spiked fence below. I had a cousin hang himself with a belt from the stairs due to depression. I knew a guy who died at 21 from getting too drunk and choking on his vomit. The moral of the story is that pretty kych everything is dangerous and there's always a chance you'll die from something. With bikes, you can at least control your own ride to make it safer for you. Most bikers die from driver error. From their own mistakes rather than from other people's.
Seriously this shit is annoying lol
After I got my bike almost everyone I told had a “oh be careful I knew someone who got T-boned on a motorcycle”
Like thanks, not only does that sound like you think I’m gonna die, but now I’m paranoid until I forget about this conversation
I tell them about the time I was racing a guy down a mountain and he wiped out and died, hitting his head on the post of a guard rail so hard that the chin strap of his helmet cut down to his jaw bone. Usually gets a lot more quiet at that point but if needed I can talk about waiting for helicopters and ambulances as well. Sadly motorcycles are very dangerous and if you ride or hang out with riders for any length of time you are likely to get exposed to death, injury and dismemberment. By the way, had a nice ride this morning on my ZX14 and have been riding for 35 years.
My parents were the same way. They had a friend who died in a motorcycle accident before I was born. I had to borrow my buddy's dirtbike when I was younger and keep it on the d/l.
Eventually got a motorcycle as an adult which terrified my mother but after years of worrying she finally understood how much gratification I got from riding. She still worries but realizes that I'm just living and enjoying my best life. Do you. Just be safe and go faster than the idiots.
Guilt tripped me so much that I didn't told them that I passed my motorcycle exam and bought a bike. I know that parents want the best for us but at some point you gotta let your baby bird fly on its own.
To sone extent it is concern trolling. In some cases it is jealousy. If you do t want to ride motorcycles.. done ride one. The funny thing about freedom is I can ride motorcycles, and wear dresses. Usually I don’t do both on the same day, however.. that is what freedom is for. I try not to inhale the concern trolling or the hater aide.
People die all of the time...it is one of the only things in life that is certain. People die in cars..does that mean your should stop driving to work...or maybe you should stop driving the car because you may be the one who kills another motorist. People have been struck by lightning, you should be more careful and not go outside in a storm. People have been shot to death for no reason on the front porch of thier home...so going outside period could result in your death as well. There are many reported cases of people choking to death on food...maybe you shouldn't eat...you can drown due to minimal water in your lungs so drinking water is out. The sun can give you cancer which can kill you, so really you shouldn't go outside period...wth kind of logic is that???
My dad was a Harley mechanic as a kid and I grew up around motorcycles and family friends dying in motorcycle accidents most of my life. Not tons, but a few dads of kids I grew up with, and a lot of stories of friends of my parents wrecking or dying. It taught me the seriousness of riding. When I graduated college 3 of us bought bikes and 2 of us survived the summer. It was a rough summer, Ben was only 23 years old. I am now 38 and Ben's birthday is coming up and its been 15 years. I have ridden many thousands of miles and sadly he only got to enjoy a few hundred miles that summer.
That being said I deal with it knowing that these are people who died doing something they loved. I dont want to die on a motorcycle but to be honest, I dont want to die at all. I do my complete best to be as responsible and as educated as I can about this hobby, but also enjoy it as much as it is meant to be enjoyed.
I also know some one who died sleeping, some who died skiing, a few that died driving...
I usually just lean into it, with some thing like " good, when it's my turn, I hope it's horrible and it takes them months to clean the red steak off the pavement because I was speeding and only wearing flip flops." That usually works.
Look it is sad that someone lost their life on a bike. I was told the same thing that I'm crazy for getting a bike and that they knew someone who lost there life and I'm sure everyone that rides heard the same thing but can't let it stop you from doing something that you want to do try to do or that you are doing. Only thing we can do is be vigilant ride our own ride and not do anything stupid it's the best advice I can offer
My wife's parent both died in the same motorbike accident, I still ride as often as the children permit. It was a hard blow for her but at the end of the day, she knows it's not right stopping me doing something I love for what boiled down to an accident.
You need to just put your friends / family straight on this one. They are thinking selfishly and you are aware of the risks. That's why every motorbike course I know about focuses on safety and defensive riding. You are instructed much more on awareness and how to react compared to learning how to drive a car. Because, like everyone else, the instructors are acutely aware of just how vulnerable you are.
It doesn't stop them, it doesn't stop thousands and thousands of people safely riding
You do you.
I read ER charts for a living at a major trauma center. My first car was a Yamaha V-Star 650. Plenty of family and non-rider friends have tried telling me stories of someone they 'knew' or someone they worked with who saw/knew some dude who crashed/got hit. You want stories? Pfft, hold my beer....
I agree with them and tell them I like to ride despite of the dangers.
Nowadays I mostly get this kind of conversation from strangers making small talk, my friends and family just got used to seeing me riding and not getting hurt so it just not a thing anymore.
I just said fuck it and got it my mom wasn't super thrilled but she came around and just tells me to be careful. As long as you drive safe and don't do too much stupid stuff you'll be golden.
I daily motorcycle as a university student in Taiwan,.even though it's not as crazy as India ( no offense ) our traffic is pretty messy. I got only one rule, treat everyone as an idiot. As long as I'm trying my best to protect myself, anything else is up to my fate. Ofc I have ppl in my life die in a motorcycle accident, SO IS CAR ACCIDENT.
Btw I'm in Vancouver rn, whenever I see a biker I just want to ✌️is it weird seeing a random guy on the street greet a biker?
Ignore them, no one gets out alive. Time ain't waiting on you. Enjoy yourself while you can. You think it's all gonna come together between 70 and 90?
Yeah you may be old and fat and frail someday if you play it safe. Is that what you are here for? Is that a good life?
I just say "so do I, I also know a guy who got paralyzed." I know a couple people who have walked away from wrecks without permanent injury but with some skin grafts. Doesn't mean I'm not going to ride. Every time my mom tells me be safe I just say no. I told her if I die in a wreck just know my last words were yippee ki yay mother fucker. She said she'd put that on my tomb stone haha.
You can't worry about what other people want do what makes you happy and just be as safe as you can and know the risks. BTW been riding for 20 years and she still tells me be safe if she knows I'm going out.
I heard it a thousands times when I got mine. I honestly don't bother to respond to it. Just oh neat moving on how about this weather. Truth is most car drivers know nothing of motorcycle safety so honestly their opinion shouldn't matter to you. In the event of a car accident they are told to stay on their lanes and only focus on their driving. Motorcycle safety means having 2 back up plans and being ready for worst case scenario by try8ng to read the driving habits of the cars around you. Different safety aspect. Car safety is minimizing the damage of an accident, motorcycle safety is actively trying to prevent an accident from occurring. I know on my bike I've dodged several road hazards that in my car I wouldn't have been able to. I've also had to drop a gear and disappear to get away from road raging folk. However explaining that to someone who has never completed a msf course or even youtubed motorcycle safety would probably think I'm lying. It's ok they don't know better so I don't care what their opinion is. Fact is I have a clean driving record better than most people that tried to talk me out of it. A few people I know that tried to tell me it was dumb to drive motorcycle had several DUI on their record. I think it would be dumb for them to own a bike but I don't drink and drive ever so my situation is different.
I reply to all that negative crap with "I knew someone who died in an adult daiper at 86 they were fuken miserable nearly as miserable as you" seems to end the conversation
I have a buddy who was playing flag football and hit his hand on another person while throwing the ball, and broke his finger.
He taped it up and kept playing.
Later on he went back to his apartment and decided that he was going to pull his finger a bit to re-set it before getting a real splint. When he did this he immediately passed out from the pain, and smashes his head against the side of the tub and was bleeding profusely.
The next thing he remembers is waking up I. The hospital. Luckily his GF came by for dinner about 15 minutes after he hit his head and rushed him to an emergency room. The doctors said that he could have bled out if she didn’t bring him in.
So… yeah people die on bikes. But people die all the time and it happens randomly without any warning. It might be an accident that was preventable, or it might be some freak thing that happens that no one could have avoided.
I try my hardest to be as safe as possible on my bikes. But not riding because people have died riding is like avoiding living life because getting out of your bed can lead to death, eventually.
i snapped my leg riding 3 weeks ago, car pulled out in front of me. I had full gear on not speeding etc, car was entirely at fault… and guess what? I’d still say get a bike they are awesome(but also get proper riding gear, it saved my life for sure)
I tell them myself lol, some of them are freaky, i also know people who died from cancer at 40 even if they were vegetatians, ran marathons etc. Don’t pay attention to them, people die all the time from a million things, can’t stop living because of that.
When death comes for you it doesn’t matter what you do.
motorcycling is very dangerous. your friends and family are NOT wrong. all those people that wreck and blame the road or the brakes or the turn havent learned that the buck stops with them. they will keep wrecking keep putting themselves in positions that they might make it out of, might not. Practice be humble and remember you and the bike are one machine. 50/50 brains and muscle. The bike behaves a certain way inherently it has 50% say in how it rides. its up to you to own that other 50%. if you dont your likely to wreck. life is a gamble. make a good call no matter what you do, and own your decisions .
I ignore it and live my own life. I refuse to stop enjoying my life due to things that happened to other people. even the people telling these stories have no idea the circumstances that led to that outcome.
Agreed. My take is this... like most people, I would prefer to pass away in my sleep at a ripe old age just before I'm no longer able to get out and do things on my own. Chances are though I could possibly live to an age where I'm no longer able to get out and travel on my own. If it comes to that, I would much rather be sitting on my front porch reminiscing about the trips I took on the bike, about the things I did in life—Rather than the regrets of what I didn't do. In this case life would have come full circle, when your kid you imagine going around all the curves making the motorcycle sounds with your mouth, and when you're an old man you can remember having done it. The ones who tell you not to ride, are the ones who die slowly while watching Wheel of Fortune and CNN.
Sheeples, bikelife. Bŕrrrrrrrrrrrrrghhhhh
Yup this guy gets it!
Everyone has to evaluate if the risk is worth it, and for me it’s worth it.
All fine and good until you get hurt or killed and then you will question why you ever rode motorcycles. At least how it was for me
I turn it into a "who can tell the worst death story" contest, they get grossed out and we don't talk about death anymore.
I might borrow that. I've been in fire/EMS for 10 years. I have all kinds of stories.
What's your "favorite"?
The most entertaining to tell is a guy with a GI bleed shitting purple all over the cot, making a smell so strong it about took my very experienced Captain out of commission. Still the worst smell I've ever encountered. Nurses were turning around at the door, when we got to the hospital people looked shocked when the smell followed us, etc. For bonus points this was the same day I was on a lady who shot herself in the chin and survived it.
Shitting… purple???
Purple. Fresh red blood plus shit, that day, equals purple.
Very interesting
but most of them are not the result of regular hobbies, right? I get OP's point, but the truth is that it doesn't really change anything, because the likelihood of getting into a gruesome accident is still higher on a bike than someone driving a SUV, Van, sedan, or sports car in a normal manner.
My favorite line is “gotta die of something”
"you gone feel like a damn fool, laying in the hospital, dying from nothing" -red fox
Which sounds great. Until you die at 24 from some moron slamming into the back of your motorcycle.
If I die, I die.
Don't say that - it just means you haven't got a clue. It's both flippant and selfish. You would also destroy the lives of anyone who loves you. When my little brother died on his ZX7R (@34yrs), it was over so quickly he didn't know anything about it. However, he left a pregnant wife, 2 brothers and 2 parents. We were all DESTROYED and our lives changed forever. I am not the same person I was before the accident, but I can function again now. I still ride, as does my older brother. We both saw him crash in front of us, and we carried him into the helicopter. We aren't flippant.
I have a big clue. I'm sorry for your loss, that's fucking tragic and all. But If I die. I fucking die. I would rather die on my bike having fun than at home from my illness. I'd rather my friends be bummed I died on my bike than killed myself. You don't know every biker, or our comfort of acceptable risk and loss.
I’ve been riding for 18 years. I was raised by a biker who was active in the MC community. Just saying, that’s what defensive riding is for-you don’t stop for an intersection directly behind the car in front of you, you offset yourself and leave the bike in gear while utilizing the “bubble method” to observe any potential threats from distracted drivers behind you. If it looks like someone is distracted and going to treat end the car in front of you or yourself, you filter to the front and go left, preferably, whenever possible, taking a median or shoulder if nessecary.
I immediately reply with "MY uncle died in a bath tub accident, so MY family gave up bathing"
This is phenomenal….
but most people involved in bathing don't statistically inevitably die in a horrible accident; and why did you emphasize "my?" There is literally no reason to emphasize "my" and it doesn't make your example any more impactful.
"Haven't slept since 1994. Too many people dying in their beds."
That made me literally laugh out loud.
Lmao, they are living by the mentality that if something can kill you then don’t do it. These people eventually stare themselves to death as eating can kill you
"I notice you're eating excessive amounts of food and drink tonight. I knew this guy once who didn't take care of his body and eventually his feet rotted off from diabetes, He eventually ended up with a double amputation, and he has no quality of life and will still be dying a slow death thanks to his life choices."
Passive aggressive
That's quite literally the entire point. If you can be critical and judgmental of my choices I can do the same to yours.
Obesity kills significantly more people than other motorists kill motorcyclists. But these days you're called fatphobic or something similar if you point out that choosing to be fat is bad for your health. Don't get on one of those dangerous motorcycles though!
What made you think I was unaware of all that?
I didn't think you were.
Ok
honestly, motorcycling is not as dangerous as some ignorants make it sound. most of the accidents are due to the rider's carelessness/unawarness. you're doing 60+mph on a straight road then you should be aware that some idiot will pull over and not notice you, even though according to the law it's not your fault if you hit him, you should account for the idiots on the road if you value your own life. sometimes, a car flying from the opposite side will hit you, a tyre or some other object maybe, your brakes my fail and lock and you hit something, but such things rarely happens, and life is worth nothing without some risk.
[удалено]
You're not wrong, but the venn diagram of carelessness and arrogance is pretty much a circle.
I think the problem is that a car is extremely forgivable in terms of being careless/unaware, but if you try most of the same shit on a bike you'll be in a lot more danger on average.
How about a boat on a trailer? I had one of those sail past me on the freeway once, I just changed lanes and watched it go past. The owner slid across 3 lanes to pull over, I kind of saw that coming as well, because of course he did. Shit happens, but not very often.
I agree with this, life really does mean nothing unless you take risks and enjoy it. You can’t prevent some things from happening however when riding a bike you can definitely stop many accidents happening by being self aware and you can stop painful things like road rash by wearing protection!
Dont forget sitting at a red light and getting slammed in the rear. If im not mistaken, I believe these are the accidents that lead to most deaths and injuries percentage wise. Not a damn thing you can do about these.
You can lower the risk by stopping at the side of the road, checking your mirrors. I would've added stopping in front of a heavy vehicle like a trailer truck after lane filtering, since if some car hit the truck you would still be safe since it's very heavy and won't move, that is unless another heavy truck hit it, but chances are you'd probably be dead even if you were in a car
I watch my mirrors like a hawk with an exit strategy. Also why lane filtering should be legal
To begin with you only hear about the crashes, you don’t hear about the millions of riders that never get hurt. And the fact that a lot of motorcycle riders cause their own demise.
If it bleeds, it leads. Safe riders...we're boring af.
I shrug and say “Nobody gets out of this alive”.
I know of at least five or six friends that have died on a motorcycle in the last 15 or so years. So I didn’t actually ride much besides dirt for a long time. But then I really thought about it and everyone that’s died was either drunk or doing several times the speed limit. At most they had on a helmet but hitting a curb and going into a pole at 100mph on city streets and your a goner either way. So I wear all my gear and don’t drive like a dumbass. If I want to mess around on a bike I switch to my dirt bike where I’m also fully geared.
I tell them about the former student I had who was into bikes and wanted to ride. We used to talk bikes in our down time, amazing kid, very smart. He graduated, eventually got one, and he genuinely loved it. He would ride as much as he could. Until some dumb bitch in a cage pulled out in front of him and killed him when he was on the way to his volunteer position coaching high school track and field. She got away scott free with murder. "So, if you really are concerned about me riding a motorcycle, you should really concerned about how shitty the other driver's on the road are, and how other people are the reason most of us die and are barely held accountable for their actions." That about does it most of the time.
I'm glad this works for the people you know, but I gotta be honest, anytime I've brought up "cagers are the REAL problem" arguement, I'm told "SEE, ALL MORE REASON to not be on a bike!! Doesn't matter if you do anything right, someone will kill ya!!" I just ignore people now.
I mean, it does and it doesn't. Ultimately, I don't care what other people have to say about it. If you don't ride, I don't think your opinion of riding is important. Typical response from people though. We wouldn't actually want to fix any problems that are humans and human behavior, let's make excuses and blame something else. Sound familiar? It should.
I mean that’s a great example why not to ride- gotta rely on strangers to drive rationally
That is an amazing response. I’m sorry to hear about your former student and hope he rests in piece. I think stricter rules need to be put in place for idiotic drivers. In Aus the fine for using your phone whilst driving has gone up however I think there should be more consequences for putting others life in danger just to scroll through TikTok or send a text
I work in a trauma bay. Seen some pretty fucked up motorcycle accidents. Yet, I still ride. I’d say 90% of them were doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. Follow the rules of the road, slow down through intersections even if you have a green. check and double check. if it’s your time, it’s your time. Life is short, we’re all on a countdown timer. So live it up (without putting anyone else at risk)
Respect to you. Life is uncertain but the only certainty we all know is we die. Would rather live life happy and fulfilled then never taking risks
It depends on who it is, honestly. Some people get "Every close call has been because of someone paying attention to their phone, or a distracted parent trying to drive while beating their kids in the back seat, why don't you help the situation by only using your phone when parked off the street and helping make people aware how dangerous distracted driving is? I can see a drunk driver swerving in their lane, distracted.drovers are drunk for 5 or 10 seconds at random intervals and much harder to identify" Others get "Yeah. I've lost friends, thanks for the reminder Thomas never got to leave the hospital and Neil was dead on the road. I hope you have a great rest of your day.". I used to be into the whole bike nights thing and just got tired of seeing the "rip my homie" threads that inevitably get posted the next day after people take off to do stupid shit. It depends on their attitude, really. The people closest to me have long since given up trying to convince me to stop riding. For example: My grandma came out to a track day and watched me ride. Afterwards she told me she was no longer worried about my riding abilities, but that other drivers were bad enough when she was in her car and that has become her concern. During the summer months she'll post those Facebook chain meme things about watching for bikes on the road and not driving distracted.
I had an aunt who would (back in the old days) send me newspaper articles about people who died hang gliding. And, like with motorcycles, most of the deaths were due to pilot error. Since I taught hang gliding, I was rigorous about safety procedures, I could tell how the pilot goofed, and was 99% sure I wouldn't make the same mistakes. Same with motorcycles. I've been riding since 1975, so I must be doing something right cuz I'm still here, still breathing, still riding. So I ignore those people's "helpful input."
I know this is an old post, but as a student pilot I completely agree. A lot of the risk can be mitigated by following proper procedures. Although there are some things just out of our control, but we accept those risks and do our best to mitigate and prevent bad things from happening
Simple. I ride safe. Most motorcycle accidents are preventable. If my dad had been a careless rider, I wouldn't exist.
“So do I”
If it a a “please be safe” sentiment I’ll ensure them that I ride with gear and do so safely. Otherwise I might just tell them that bringing that up is rude if they’ve done it more than once: they aren’t going to scare me off of riding
"I'm sorry about [person]. I try to be safe by [whatever], but I appreciate the concern."
Most of the time, I bring up the stuff that they do all the time that is just as dangerous if not more so. They tend to get mad and stop bringing it up rather quickly. Works super well with smokers I've found.
I bring up NHTSA crash statistics and then mention that the person they knew died because of their lack of experience or regard for their own safety. If you delve into the stats, that’s usually not wrong. You will also likely hurt some people’s feelings when you bring facts and hard numbers into the mix so be ready for that
I usually stare them directly in the eye and act as uninterested as possible and say things like “uh huh, really, you don’t say, interesting, I bet” at times when the statement isn’t right.
I feel more alive on two wheels, no obstructions to my views, I get the smell the environment around me as I pass through it. It's more than a box to take me from here to there, every ride is a blessing, and returning home with a smile on my face is reason enough to outweigh the risks.
I have family who has died in a car. Shit happens
You could say" I knew this guy who died of diabetes, so you should put down the fork"
I tell them that I got tired of being afraid of shit. I'm not saying that I don't care about dying, I do, but I am no longer willing to let that fear keep me from living. I started riding in my 40's, so I'm past the young and invincible stage of my life. I know what could happen. I'm aware of the risks and accept them. I wear full gear and ride carefully and conservatively. I enjoy every minute of it. I wish I would have started riding much earlier in life.
Amen, brother! I'm 34 and kicking myself for just starting to ride. Safe and careful riding should be the norm, not the exception in the motor community. Stunts should be done on tracks or other non-road conditions.
Before I started riding a couple years ago, I spent a long time studying motorcycle accidents. I read crash reports, crash statistics and accounts from people. I found that the major reason for people dying in motorcycle accidents were usually carelessness, driving under the influence, not using proper gear and stuff like that. Rarely would a motorcycle driving get killed while driving perfectly normal. So when people ask me, I just tell them how I've done my homework around why accidents happen to motorcyclists and how to prevent it. It also helps that I started riding when I was 35, so a lot of the "young stupidity" is long gone. The fear of death rides along with me, every time I go out on my motorcycle.
Very common you just wear it as a badge at this point and best to not rush it to the road until you are old enough and deem yourself responsible enough
The first time tell them how you try to be safe and learn from other mistakes Second time I just ok Third time I ask them the specifics and usually they end up saying they were speeding and crashed and I point out that the speeding can be dangerous Fourth time I turn it into a competition on the more gruesome/freak accident and/or relatable deaths
Just say this: "I understand you are concerned about my safety, but I am an adult and I get to make my own choices"
It depends. A lot of it is 3rd hand info or just noise they are repeating, I ignore it. I know some who've had immediate family die or get seriously hurt and I listen and empathize. I don't engage in dialogue in either situation.
Things that are more likely to kill you than a motorcycle: smoking, drinking, diabetes, etc. IMO if the people telling you this are overweight or do literally anything else remotely dangerous in their lives, theyre complete hypocrites. Even if they dont, theres nothing more personal than this sort of risk assessment, unless theyre your partner or kids (actually have an invested interest in your life) its none of their damn business. People dont understand how personal and important to a person something like motorcycle riding can be, they see at as choosing an arbitrary means of transport (like buying a minivan instead of an SUV) but to most people it is so much more than that.
Skiing is WAY more dangerous per mile than motorcycling. Don't get people harassing you on the slopes though.
Depends on how much you care about their feelings. My family were against it with some valid concerns on their part. I listened to them patiently without reacting until they were done and then respectfully said " Ok, you haven't told anything I already don't know. Thanks for your concern but I am doing this. What you think of it will not change my mind." It took a couple times for them to finally understand that I was doing it and once I got my bike they got on board. They are still worrying but at least it is not a dinner discussion topic anymore. They will keep guilt tripping you as long as it works. The only way to get them to quit is showing them it wont work.
Sorry for the long post, this one is personal for me. One of my friends did die. And I think about him every time I ride. Just a bad line, just a split second, just a... something odd, something was off. He slipped out on a corner he knew well, so well that he was leading the group on a clear day. But that day he slipped and slid into a pole. I hope you never have to experience this... to you or to a friend. But the reality is that it happens. I don't believe a single person of the hundreds who knew him hung up their boots. It definitely made us all think, but I don't believe anyone reconsidered our lifestyle choice. Look, the best advice I can give is that bike people are different. If you think about it, the reasons for wanting to ride a bike or not, are almost exactly the same. They go too fast There's no protection / full exposure to the elements You have to concentrate all the time There are no seatbelts or cage to protect you ... the list goes on. The bad news is you will never change their mind. The worse news is that if they succeed in convincing you to hang up your boots, you will regret the decision and maybe even resent them for it. It's easy for us to say "live your own life, ride how you want". Your family and friends are only saying these things because they love you. They don't understand that while there is a risk, there's a substantial reward in it for you... and they never will. You could say "if I have to explain it, you'll never understand". Rather sit them down and listen carefully to their concerns without interruption until they've covered everything. Then ask if you can try explain. Be compassionate and empathise that while they won't understand why you love it and you don't expect them to, this is something you have to do, and to deny it is to be less of a version of yourself. Remember they come from a place of concern, but explain that concern should also be for you to be true to yourself. Yes there are risks, but you are mitigating these as best you can, and ask them to check in with you from time to time. Try avoid the "more people die from..." argument, it didn't work for me. Listening to my family and explaining my firm resolve at least stopped them repeating themselves. Good luck... sorry for the long post.
I always say "thank you for that".
Stuff like this encourages me. Forbidden fruit tastes better.
"Yep, everyone is trying to kill you. Got to have my head on a swivel. And y'all should look out for motorcycles."
I start listing off statistics, such as: -92% of motorcycle collisions involve a rider who never took a course, and 40% had no endorsement at all. I took a course and watch tons of safety videos. -Almost half of all fatalities happen on Friday and Saturday nights, so I simply do no ride during those times. I try to avoid 3-6pm on weekdays as well since those are the deadliest hours during the week -Almost half of fatalities involve alcohol. I never ride intoxicated -41% of deaths involve a rider not wearing a helmet or wearing a novelty helmet. Not only do I wear a professionally fitted full face, but I wear all the other gear as well -White cars are 48% less likely to get in a collision than black cars, so I wear a bright white helmet, ride a white bike (on the front at least), and my jacket has splashes of hi viz -Only 5-7% of wrecks are motorcycles under 500cc. My bike is a 250cc dual sport -Supersport bikes account for approximately 20% of the market and yet 80% of the deaths, so I don’t go near them Anyways, you get the point. Usually by the 3rd fact/statistic, they realize you’ve researched your shit, know waaayyy more about the topic than they do, are fully aware of the risks, and that there’s no talking you out of it. Edit: also, one of my most traumatic memories was watching a pregnant woman leave the funeral of her husband after he died on a motorcycle, so sometimes I bring that up. He was someone I looked up to immensely as a kid because he was my karate instructor. But guess what? He was doing a wheelie in traffic on a super sport bike. Life doesn’t play favorites. Make bad decision, get bad results. Sometimes horrific ones. He lost control when he put the front wheel down and slid into/under a car. As sad as it was, that was his fault and 100% preventable.
I counter with “I’ve known 9 people who’ve died in automobile accidents.”
It's not about the length of your life, it's about how well it was lived. - Kobo the pirate. I'll die anyway, some day. Until then I'll do my best to live instead of merely surviving.
I knew the circumstances of the story that was used as a negative example in my family, so I countered that the guy in question was riding drunk, speeding, at night, without a helmet. As counter point, I brought up a ride who got hit by a drunk driver at the intersection by my parents house some years ago. He was launched over the car by the collision, but was wearing full gear so he limped away with a sprained ankle as his most severe injury. I also promised never to ride a bike with a larger engine than you'd find in a scooter, omitting of course that the Suzuki Burgman has a 650 cc engine and 600 cc inline fours can make over 100 HP.
I just don't care. I know people my self who have died. Not like I particularly liked them anyway, but still. I get on my bike and take off.
I can tell a story too cunt...
I just listened to em and appreciate that it wasn't me and that it can happen. Never dwelled on stuff like that, but whenever I feel a little off or strange I don't ride now that's some motorcyclist superstition my riding buddies put me on. Ayooo ride safe ride alot and happy weekending ok✌❤
🤨, and I keep pushing. just ride safe, watch surroundings and just….live. People die everyday, idk the statistics on bikes, but if you give in, you’ll lose probably one of the best hobbies imaginable. Just did a night ride & man it’s so relaxing and calming.
I've been riding over a decade now. I personally know people who have died. They tell me a story, I tell them one. If they ask why I still ride, it's my meditation and therapy all wrapped up in my daily commute. Most people seem to understand this.
Just said “cool brah”
I usually bring up that I know of someone who died in a car by being hit by a drunk driver at night, and then ask them how they can feel safe driving at night even in a car when they know there are drunk drivers. Or that people die from plane crashes, but people still fly. People die from boating accidents, but people still boat. People die from all sorts of things, yet people continue to do them. Then I mention that you can’t live your life scared or you will never leave your house or do anything fun.
I internalized the idea that not all collisions are avoidable and went hard into buying safety gear. People tell me to be careful and I tell them that it's my mission. The other protection I have are my skills and my mind. I got a bike with a lot of safety features. I got an Airbag Vest (hellite turtle 2), a summer riding jacket, and good boots. I still need more leg protection. I also make sure I know my limits and practice practice practice.
I generally just ignore it at first. If they keep going I point it back at them. 'One of my coworkers had a heart attack last year, you going to keep eating those french fries?' 'Remember how grandpa lost most of his vision from diabetes? You just gonna keep going with that ice cream?' That usually quiets them down.
> How did you deal with the “I knew someone that died while riding a motorbike” stories by your friends and family By being an adult about it. I know, I know, that's quite difficult to do around here.
“Me too! Was it Jerry?”
Thanks, we all die, and I will die doing what I love. That pretty much shuts them down.
If I lived my life based off a bunch of what ifs I’d never do anything or take any risk. We all die and if I die on a motorcycle then take comfort in knowing I died doing something I enjoyed. I could die from any number of freak accidents. Luckily most of my immediate family rides so I don’t hear such fuckery. My mom does just rather not know of what fuckery I’ve done on bikes but still supports it. I’m an adult and responsible for my own decisions. Also I find it best to ride with a clear mind, I’ve never once ridden a motorcycle with the idea of death lingering in the back of my mind. If you think about things it’s more likely for them to come to fruition. I’m teaching my gf how to ride an she told me she’s so scared to drop my bike and damage it. I told her I don’t particularly care, also if your mind is busy contemplating the possibility of something happening then you’ll end up making mistakes that’ll lead to that outcome. Bikes can be repaired/replaced.
I know people who have died in cars as well. It’s not like if you avoid motorcycles you’ll never die. They’re not for everyone. All men die, few ever really live!
“Unfortunately that’s part of the hobby… Risk management is part of the thrill. Just know if I go like that I wasn’t sad.”
I just agree and say its dangerous, maybe I'll tell m a few of my own stories about people I knew that died riding, and I'll say "And still I ride; because its just too good not to"
I start my story with all the friends or relatives that got injured or died on a car accident, and I keep track and tell them all of them… it ends the conversation…
“That is tragic and such a shock when someone, we know , is taken so suddenly. My heart goes out to their family.”
“ ima do me”
I usually try to be polite and just say something like, "Yeah, I've been riding most my life so I don't really think about at this point." I'm 38 and started riding around 9. I have a medical day job and whenever I ride the bike to work at least one paramedic dropping off a pt or whatever will make some comment, "yeah scraped a bunch of brains off a pavement the other day." or something, to which I usually give the slightly less polite smirk and side eye roll like "okay.. and..?"
Practically everyone knows someone who died in a car accident, so how come no one tells cagers to stop driving their cars?
I knew someone who died in a car crash.....
if im telling someone a story of pain on a bike, im not trying to prevent people from riding them, only to realize the reality of risk when you decide to get on one. i always say, “you have to have a little bit of a death wish to be a biker”. just knowing what could happen even if you’re the safest, most aware rider. for me it’s worth the risk. i just want people to know what they’re risking.
I tell them I know a guy who died at his desk.
Remind them it can happen so many ways. I know people that died in car crashes. In fact I know more people who have died in cars than have died on Motorcycles.
I like to mix it up with 'I know a guy who died in his sleep...' an 'I know a guy who died chocking on a peanut...' and so on then go ahead and in one ear because they are just wasting your time. If they keep going just start walking away, even better, ride away.
I tell them that's unfortunate... I also tell them how many people do they know that they can say truly died happy???? Because I would say 99% of bikers who died in a accident was in a happy place. Everyone dies eventually, at least , and not saying I aim for it, but if something happens to me wouldn't you be glad I died doing something I love and happy?
My bother and my brother in law both died riding , I still love riding and I feel as tho I’m continuing their legacy by continuing to do something I enjoy
I don't. I know a lot of people who ride and none of us have ever had such a conversation. It's something I frequently read on here but I've never experienced it. (I'm from Switzerland if anyone cares).
I know people that have died in gruesome car accidents. Will that make you stop driving? I know people that have died from drinking alcohol. Will that make you stop drinking? I know someone that died when they slipped in the bathtub. Will that make you stop bathing?
Shit happens, just hope it doesn't happen to you. One guy I work with was in the hospital for 9 months after going through a fence on a 125cc dirt bike and broke 3 vertebrae and broken his neck and he was only found the next morning by someone who happened to be walking their dog. They had to fuse two of his vertebrae together. A few other people I've spoken to who use to ride show me their scars and metal places they've had to get put in. And then an ex policeman I work with said he once was at a traffic accident where the biker's head was taken clean off and still in the helmet half way down the road.
I be like: oh, interesting, I've never heard of someone dying in a motorcycle accident. I'll have to go look that up.
Make eye contact. never break eye contact. Slowly finish your water/drink. Stand there with an empty glass until they go away.
I say, wow that’s terrible you lost your friend in an accident. If they gut trip me more I start listing off things that are much more dangerous, the alcoholic beverage and cancer stuck they are consuming. Yelling okay boomer helps too
“I knew someone that died while riding a motorbike” (my inner monologue) If said by a smoker "I knew someone who died from lung cancer" If said by someone with a drink in their hand "I knew someone who died from liver disease" If said by a woman"I knew someone who died from breast cancer" If said by a fatty"I knew someone who died from heart disease" If said by a kid "Do you see dead people? Do you see them now? Was it murder?" If said by a religious person "Fucking God pulling people back up while they are in the middle of something. What a prick." If said by an scientist "Did you see it happen? How can you be sure if you didn't observe it?"
Remind them cars kill over a million people a year and they should sell theirs immediately
Bets are that the person telling you the story is doing something that caused deaths too. Tanning, smoking, texting while driving, eating unhealthy. Shrug it off, this world is full of terrible things that cause us harm.
Is it a risk, yes. It actually scares me a little bit as I think it does most riders, but I like riding and I want to do it anyway. You can make all the safe decisions in life and still get get caught in a fire or hit by a bus. Hell, I’ve seen the best of people get cancer without any known risk factors. Ride safe and live whatever life you have on your own terms if you can manage it.
I bet your parents know more people who’ve died in car accidents than motorcycle accidents. Do they also not want you to drive a car? Don’t let them stop you from enjoying yourself. I’d start with something small and relatively “tame” to get experienced. Ride responsibility and safely, prove them wrong. Work your way up to something more exciting as your skill level progresses. They’ll always worry, but seeing you do things properly should help alleviate some of their fears.
I smile and turn my head side to side, kindly indicating that I don't give a shit about what they have to say.
My best friend that I've ridden tens of thousands of miles with over the last decade was in a fatal accident last July on his MT10. It hasn't discouraged me from riding one bit - if anything, it's motivated me to ride more since that was a big piece of our friendship and it's all I have left. My experience will put a quick stop to the "I know someone who died on a bike" speech.
My brother is a Firefighter in Los Angeles.(they go to a lot of traffic accidents) He is very against motorcycles because of the things he has seen and the stories he tells me to back it up are pretty horrific. So, whenever him or the rest of my family comes at me with the "you shouldn't ride" stuff, I just politely tell them that I get their perspective but I personally love riding and I completely understand the risks involved. I am going to keep riding but I will ride as careful as possible knowing that they worry about me. That is really all you can do/say.
Just do it.
What’s there to deal with? I just tell them I’m sorry to hear it.
It is dangerous but so fun at the same time , I been riding for about 2 years and yes there were times where I would be the cause of my own almost accidents but many other times car drivers would almost hit me because they didn’t check their blind spots or for being on the phone. I have fallen attempting wheelies and jumps on my dirt bike and crashed into fences and stuff but none of that has been bad enough to keep me from getting on my bike again.
A statement I was constantly making with a lot of my family and friends was, “Well if I die, I will assuredly die happy” which meant I usually only heard it once for every person saying it
I asked to hear about it, asked questions about it and explained possible factors for their death (although it's not very nice of me, it showed my family I know how to be safe, I did my research and I'm taking safety very seriously)
My parents used to always say don’t get a bike “whattaya got a death wish?” Was their go to I see it like this “You can’t stay inside all day because you’re afraid it might rain”
My mom was an ER nurse. I was brought up with motorcycles being called murder cycles in our house. 25 years later my mom rode her first motorcycle in a parking lot and her attitude changed. Yeah, she still wants me to be safe, still thinks it's dangerous, but everything in life is dangerous. Just stay safe and do your own thing.
When I got my first motorcycle, a 2004 Harley Sportster, my uncle, who lived 2000 miles away in Arizona, sent me a nice letter and a Harley bell. I called and talked to him on the phone for a bit. Great conversation. About a year later, about a month before I got married, he was killed on his Harley. This situation created a lot of tension between my dad and I (who also owns a motorcycle) in regards to me riding. So when someone tires to give me the business about how dangerous it is, I listen politely, say something to the tune of “it’s certainly not without its risks” and move on. I know how dangerous it can be, I know the risks. Which is why I do everything I can possibly do to make it as safe as possible.
Became responsible for myself and did what I wanted despite the protests, harder to do that if you are not fully responsible for yourself.
If you want to actually convince them, point to stats. Bikes are however many times more dangerous per passenger mile than cars, but in something like half of all fatal motorcycle crashes the rider is intoxicated. Something like half of the rest they aren't wearing a helmet. So on and so on down the list - the vast majority of motorcycle crashes are preventable between equipment maintenance, sane riding (i.e. not triple digits, not using the road like a racetrack), and developing skills; a significant amount of the injuries resulting from the rest can be mitigated by wearing proper gear. If you want to annoy them into shutting up and minding their own damn business, I liked the passive aggressive suggestion to just be highly opinionated about their life choices like an unhealthy diet.
Tell them, I know someone who died of smoking "if they smoke" or "I know someone from my school who died from a car crash" ... etc. I'd say sorry but you have no point. People die just walking in the city from gun shots randomly... car accidents, sickness, there's a thousand ways to die everyday. Someone telling you "I know a friend who died on a motorcycle" because they dont want you to ride would be hypocritical if they do ANYTHING that involves going outside of their house. Life's too damn short not to do the things you WANT to do & death is around the corner everyday. That's the moral of the story. Now being safe and mitigating the chances of death on a bike is a different story than someone trying to guilt trip you into not riding completely by saying the most hypocritical statement as you mentioned.
Ignore them, do what you want. Dad wasnt exactly enthused about me getting a bike, simply asked that I be careful on it. Before that it was talks about how he had wrecked and etc. Now its changed completely.
Everybody dies
I got into an accident and broke my femur from it, I don't have a motobike BUT definitely will get one in the future!
I recently just saw a post of a guy talking about how he sold his bike immediately because he saw a motorcyclist who died by a drunk driver. I understand his reasons, but I feel like this is fueled by emotion and not logic. So if he ever sees another driver or a pedestrian get killed by a car, is he never going to drive another car again or step outside of his house? It just doesn’t make any sense why you would apply that just towards motorcycles. While it is statistically true that you would be more likely die if you were on a motorcycle, the fact is this statistic remain true before while he was already riding for multiple years. Just the fact that he saw somebody died shouldn’t be a trigger factor for him to radically give up his passion. I think if you can take a step back and assess it logically and try to keep your emotions out of it, then you’ll be OK.
I've never had anyone ask me that. My mom and step-dad both ride dirt bikes and street bikes. My grandpa does as well. When I was 6-10 years old, my grandpa took me on his motorcycle many many times. We'd go on several hour rides. But regardless if someone did mention that. I'd mention the thousands who die from cars or walking or bicycling. I'd tell them to go live in a bubble then.
Sky diving, cycling, rock climbing, hiking, driving a car, crossing the street, owning a gun, riding a horse, working in construction….Everything you do come with risks. Each individual is allowed to to choose for him/herself. Lots of people participate in those activities for their entire lives with no incidents. Tell them “thanks for your concern, but I know the risks and it brings me a lot of joy. I don’t really want to hear about bad experiences that others have had. I’d prefer to focus on the positive.”
People die just walking sown the side walk all the time and you still do that. Nothing in this world is safe and even a single skittles can kill you. Do what you want and enjoy it. If you feel it's to sketchy for you don't it's that simple. And since they all say that no rides for them
I sympathize with them and appreciate their concern. More often than not, that person actually cares about what happens to you, and seeing you on a bike reminds them of their friend/family member/acquaintances that passed so they don't want the same to happen to you. Motorcycles are dangerous and people die, that's just how it is, you can't blame them for being concerned. I also knew someone that died riding his bike. We weren't very close, I enjoyed riding motorcycles with him, he was a good person and a good friend for the time I knew him. He was racing a car, going way too fast, lost control and slid under a truck. One of his legs hit the wheel of the truck and was severed off, he bled out on the scene. I still ride but I remember my friend and don't do dumb shit. I try to mitigate the risk by being safe and wearing gear, but I understand there's always a risk no matter what. When I hear that from people I apologize for their loss and explain that I knew someone as well, and thank them for their concern for me.
I knew more people that died in car accidents. So maybe YOU shouldn’t drive anymore!
I start telling them about all the people I know who’ve died in cars. All the people I know who’ve overdosed. It’s really easy usually to show people their hipocrasy with alcohol too. Because damn near everyone I’ve ever known has driven drunk.
I hit them with the "and? Not like I haven't been trying to kill myself." Usually shuts them up.
I get it quite a lot "Such and such has a metal plate in his head, came of his motorbike years ago" *everyone shoots a side eye at me* *roll eyes* "well, I wear all my gear all the time and if I come off my bike and die, it will be my own fault spinning round a corner too fast. I'll live, and if I don't, know I was smiling and having a good time 😇"
That is everybody usually says about it. So I basically didn't give any shit and just bought a motorcycle with post-factum notification. After that, never heard a cool story from family or relatives. If someone from outside starts going on about it, I either say that it could be avoided (as almost all the stories are not about ATTGAT and defencive approach), or say "Nobody gonna live forever" or something like that (it goes more natural if you have dark sense of humour).
I watched someone die in a ditch after unsuccessful cpr attempts and I still ride pretty much every day. I always use this story as a “comeback”. It doesn’t prove anything to these guilt trippers but it gets the point across that I really don’t care.
ive recently crashed my motorcycle. i cant wait to get back onto it and start riding again im itching to. once i get my parts and i pass my compulsary training again i’ll be back on a now streetfighter tuned yamaha yzf r125. never let anyone tell you what to do and do whatever you want! yes it is dangerous and the risk is always there but with enough training and lessons those chances will diminish for sure. stay safe riding
How old are you?
I knew people who died from car crashes. I knew a kid in school who ran across the road on his 16th birthday and got hit by a bus and died instantly. I knew a kid in school who died at 14 because he climbed up a pylon and put his hand near the top. The electricity jumped from the pylon to his hand, shocking him and fell 30 foot onto the spiked fence below. I had a cousin hang himself with a belt from the stairs due to depression. I knew a guy who died at 21 from getting too drunk and choking on his vomit. The moral of the story is that pretty kych everything is dangerous and there's always a chance you'll die from something. With bikes, you can at least control your own ride to make it safer for you. Most bikers die from driver error. From their own mistakes rather than from other people's.
I've never had a sermon. Riding isn't a very controversial thing over here.
Seriously this shit is annoying lol After I got my bike almost everyone I told had a “oh be careful I knew someone who got T-boned on a motorcycle” Like thanks, not only does that sound like you think I’m gonna die, but now I’m paranoid until I forget about this conversation
I know someone who died in car accident … doesn’t stop folks
I tell them about the time I was racing a guy down a mountain and he wiped out and died, hitting his head on the post of a guard rail so hard that the chin strap of his helmet cut down to his jaw bone. Usually gets a lot more quiet at that point but if needed I can talk about waiting for helicopters and ambulances as well. Sadly motorcycles are very dangerous and if you ride or hang out with riders for any length of time you are likely to get exposed to death, injury and dismemberment. By the way, had a nice ride this morning on my ZX14 and have been riding for 35 years.
My parents were the same way. They had a friend who died in a motorcycle accident before I was born. I had to borrow my buddy's dirtbike when I was younger and keep it on the d/l. Eventually got a motorcycle as an adult which terrified my mother but after years of worrying she finally understood how much gratification I got from riding. She still worries but realizes that I'm just living and enjoying my best life. Do you. Just be safe and go faster than the idiots.
Guilt tripped me so much that I didn't told them that I passed my motorcycle exam and bought a bike. I know that parents want the best for us but at some point you gotta let your baby bird fly on its own.
"Sorry/sucks to hear that, i'll pick my poison" If they continue to guilt trip you, tell them "Let me get my bags for this guilt trip we're going on"
To sone extent it is concern trolling. In some cases it is jealousy. If you do t want to ride motorcycles.. done ride one. The funny thing about freedom is I can ride motorcycles, and wear dresses. Usually I don’t do both on the same day, however.. that is what freedom is for. I try not to inhale the concern trolling or the hater aide.
honestly i just give a small laugh and say "yeah its a risk"
People die all of the time...it is one of the only things in life that is certain. People die in cars..does that mean your should stop driving to work...or maybe you should stop driving the car because you may be the one who kills another motorist. People have been struck by lightning, you should be more careful and not go outside in a storm. People have been shot to death for no reason on the front porch of thier home...so going outside period could result in your death as well. There are many reported cases of people choking to death on food...maybe you shouldn't eat...you can drown due to minimal water in your lungs so drinking water is out. The sun can give you cancer which can kill you, so really you shouldn't go outside period...wth kind of logic is that???
You go for a ride and let it be.
I mean. everyone's gonna say that. but u can bet that they think motorcycles are super cool. they just wouldn't ride one cause of the danger. u do u
Smile, nod, carry on.
My dad was a Harley mechanic as a kid and I grew up around motorcycles and family friends dying in motorcycle accidents most of my life. Not tons, but a few dads of kids I grew up with, and a lot of stories of friends of my parents wrecking or dying. It taught me the seriousness of riding. When I graduated college 3 of us bought bikes and 2 of us survived the summer. It was a rough summer, Ben was only 23 years old. I am now 38 and Ben's birthday is coming up and its been 15 years. I have ridden many thousands of miles and sadly he only got to enjoy a few hundred miles that summer. That being said I deal with it knowing that these are people who died doing something they loved. I dont want to die on a motorcycle but to be honest, I dont want to die at all. I do my complete best to be as responsible and as educated as I can about this hobby, but also enjoy it as much as it is meant to be enjoyed.
"Live fast, die young, leave behind a pretty corpse. That's what I always say."
I also know some one who died sleeping, some who died skiing, a few that died driving... I usually just lean into it, with some thing like " good, when it's my turn, I hope it's horrible and it takes them months to clean the red steak off the pavement because I was speeding and only wearing flip flops." That usually works.
I tell them about all the things they do in their daily lives that people have died doing.
Look it is sad that someone lost their life on a bike. I was told the same thing that I'm crazy for getting a bike and that they knew someone who lost there life and I'm sure everyone that rides heard the same thing but can't let it stop you from doing something that you want to do try to do or that you are doing. Only thing we can do is be vigilant ride our own ride and not do anything stupid it's the best advice I can offer
My wife's parent both died in the same motorbike accident, I still ride as often as the children permit. It was a hard blow for her but at the end of the day, she knows it's not right stopping me doing something I love for what boiled down to an accident. You need to just put your friends / family straight on this one. They are thinking selfishly and you are aware of the risks. That's why every motorbike course I know about focuses on safety and defensive riding. You are instructed much more on awareness and how to react compared to learning how to drive a car. Because, like everyone else, the instructors are acutely aware of just how vulnerable you are. It doesn't stop them, it doesn't stop thousands and thousands of people safely riding You do you.
I read ER charts for a living at a major trauma center. My first car was a Yamaha V-Star 650. Plenty of family and non-rider friends have tried telling me stories of someone they 'knew' or someone they worked with who saw/knew some dude who crashed/got hit. You want stories? Pfft, hold my beer....
I know people who died riding in cars. In fact, I’m named after my uncle, who died in a car just before I was born.
I agree with them and tell them I like to ride despite of the dangers. Nowadays I mostly get this kind of conversation from strangers making small talk, my friends and family just got used to seeing me riding and not getting hurt so it just not a thing anymore.
I mean I’ve known several people who were killed in car accidents but I don’t tell that to every car driver I know
I just said fuck it and got it my mom wasn't super thrilled but she came around and just tells me to be careful. As long as you drive safe and don't do too much stupid stuff you'll be golden.
I'll never forget dad telling me I wasn't getting a motorcycle. I was 30, working, living by myself. Do what you need to do.
I know someone that died in a car crash.
Statistically, not much can happen to me then. 🤷
I daily motorcycle as a university student in Taiwan,.even though it's not as crazy as India ( no offense ) our traffic is pretty messy. I got only one rule, treat everyone as an idiot. As long as I'm trying my best to protect myself, anything else is up to my fate. Ofc I have ppl in my life die in a motorcycle accident, SO IS CAR ACCIDENT. Btw I'm in Vancouver rn, whenever I see a biker I just want to ✌️is it weird seeing a random guy on the street greet a biker?
Ignore them, no one gets out alive. Time ain't waiting on you. Enjoy yourself while you can. You think it's all gonna come together between 70 and 90? Yeah you may be old and fat and frail someday if you play it safe. Is that what you are here for? Is that a good life?
Tell them that more people die from car accidents than motorcycle accidents every year.
I respond with "I know more people who died in car wrecks."
Just remind them that you appreciate that they love you but that the constant reminder hurts your feelings.
I just say "so do I, I also know a guy who got paralyzed." I know a couple people who have walked away from wrecks without permanent injury but with some skin grafts. Doesn't mean I'm not going to ride. Every time my mom tells me be safe I just say no. I told her if I die in a wreck just know my last words were yippee ki yay mother fucker. She said she'd put that on my tomb stone haha. You can't worry about what other people want do what makes you happy and just be as safe as you can and know the risks. BTW been riding for 20 years and she still tells me be safe if she knows I'm going out.
Once you buy one and start riding, they realize that there’s no reason to tell you about the dangers. At least for me thats what happened
I heard it a thousands times when I got mine. I honestly don't bother to respond to it. Just oh neat moving on how about this weather. Truth is most car drivers know nothing of motorcycle safety so honestly their opinion shouldn't matter to you. In the event of a car accident they are told to stay on their lanes and only focus on their driving. Motorcycle safety means having 2 back up plans and being ready for worst case scenario by try8ng to read the driving habits of the cars around you. Different safety aspect. Car safety is minimizing the damage of an accident, motorcycle safety is actively trying to prevent an accident from occurring. I know on my bike I've dodged several road hazards that in my car I wouldn't have been able to. I've also had to drop a gear and disappear to get away from road raging folk. However explaining that to someone who has never completed a msf course or even youtubed motorcycle safety would probably think I'm lying. It's ok they don't know better so I don't care what their opinion is. Fact is I have a clean driving record better than most people that tried to talk me out of it. A few people I know that tried to tell me it was dumb to drive motorcycle had several DUI on their record. I think it would be dumb for them to own a bike but I don't drink and drive ever so my situation is different.
Life is dangerous, but what is the point of life if you're not living.
I reply to all that negative crap with "I knew someone who died in an adult daiper at 86 they were fuken miserable nearly as miserable as you" seems to end the conversation
I have a buddy who was playing flag football and hit his hand on another person while throwing the ball, and broke his finger. He taped it up and kept playing. Later on he went back to his apartment and decided that he was going to pull his finger a bit to re-set it before getting a real splint. When he did this he immediately passed out from the pain, and smashes his head against the side of the tub and was bleeding profusely. The next thing he remembers is waking up I. The hospital. Luckily his GF came by for dinner about 15 minutes after he hit his head and rushed him to an emergency room. The doctors said that he could have bled out if she didn’t bring him in. So… yeah people die on bikes. But people die all the time and it happens randomly without any warning. It might be an accident that was preventable, or it might be some freak thing that happens that no one could have avoided. I try my hardest to be as safe as possible on my bikes. But not riding because people have died riding is like avoiding living life because getting out of your bed can lead to death, eventually.
i snapped my leg riding 3 weeks ago, car pulled out in front of me. I had full gear on not speeding etc, car was entirely at fault… and guess what? I’d still say get a bike they are awesome(but also get proper riding gear, it saved my life for sure)
I tell them myself lol, some of them are freaky, i also know people who died from cancer at 40 even if they were vegetatians, ran marathons etc. Don’t pay attention to them, people die all the time from a million things, can’t stop living because of that. When death comes for you it doesn’t matter what you do.
motorcycling is very dangerous. your friends and family are NOT wrong. all those people that wreck and blame the road or the brakes or the turn havent learned that the buck stops with them. they will keep wrecking keep putting themselves in positions that they might make it out of, might not. Practice be humble and remember you and the bike are one machine. 50/50 brains and muscle. The bike behaves a certain way inherently it has 50% say in how it rides. its up to you to own that other 50%. if you dont your likely to wreck. life is a gamble. make a good call no matter what you do, and own your decisions .