Originally posted by: bR
Wrong bike.
i agree. to be more specific, have you ridden a bike before? are you experienced? I have a friend who went to a gsxr600 for his first bike. According to him it was hard to handle, he went to a cbr600 and it was a lot easier for him to control the acceleration. becareful man.
Considering that i am as heavy and as tall as i am, i dont think i want to buy a bike that i will grow out of in the next 4 to 5 years. Yes, there is this itch saying go get one... and i have ridden before, just on dirt. I know its a whole new animal, and i know how dangerous it is. But i also know that i want to live my life too. I dont want my son to grow up fatherless either. Its a hard decision.
You are probably right, i probably shouldnt have come here and asked this question.. but i thought i would get some decent replies and i feel like i have. But i have also gotten some moronic replies. My car insurance for one will be 40 bux a month full coverage. I already have a helacious (i think i spelled that right) life insurance policy.
Yea i probably am in a midlife crisis mode for some reason... but then again, what is living life if you arent truly living it? I think i have done well for myself. I own my own home, i have an awesome job, i make plenty of money. I have a beautiful wife, with a child on the way. College education... etc. I feel like i have it all. So why not go ahead and get something im sure i will enjoy? Other than the fact that there is a possibility i can get hurt. The probability is there... since its my first street bike.
Just stuck deciding on what i should do morally. Probably sink the time and money into the family, but then again, there is always me too. When do i think about myself? When is it PC to think about myself? when i am old and grey and half limp? NO.
You are probably right, i probably shouldnt have come here and asked this question.. but i thought i would get some decent replies and i feel like i have. But i have also gotten some moronic replies. My car insurance for one will be 40 bux a month full coverage. I already have a helacious (i think i spelled that right) life insurance policy.
Yea i probably am in a midlife crisis mode for some reason... but then again, what is living life if you arent truly living it? I think i have done well for myself. I own my own home, i have an awesome job, i make plenty of money. I have a beautiful wife, with a child on the way. College education... etc. I feel like i have it all. So why not go ahead and get something im sure i will enjoy? Other than the fact that there is a possibility i can get hurt. The probability is there... since its my first street bike.
Just stuck deciding on what i should do morally. Probably sink the time and money into the family, but then again, there is always me too. When do i think about myself? When is it PC to think about myself? when i am old and grey and half limp? NO.
Hayabusa Rider
Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
- Jan 26, 2000
- 50,879
- 4,268
- 126
Once again you fall back on insurance rates to determine what is dangerous. Perhaps I misread your posts and don't care about injury but just the insurance premiums? I don't think so.
I was more interested in pointing out that there are many dangerous things one could engage in and from an injury standpoint raise the same concern. I picked out woodworking because I do this for a hobby, and have had the "pleasure" of listening and seeing wounds caused by routers, table saw kick backs etc. It's like sitting around a bunch of old vets comparing bullet wounds. Kind of funny in a way.
In 2001 52,000 people were injured by table saws and the like alone. Maybe that is not worth your attention, but it IS significant.
What is more important is that people realize that ALL activity has some associated risk. Just sitting on your fat ass munching down a fistful of power bars has risks. Not much, but non zero.
This is entirely between him and his wife. He ought to consider the risks and make reasonable choices. You and others ought to not try to duck issues, and label one activity safe because you say it is so, and another dangerous because you say so.
I think either is a fine choice and I do both. I have also lived longer, and have done some hellaciously dangerous things NOT of my choosing. Is it wise? Maybe not, but he is going to die of something. Let it not be of old age hiding under a bed.
When you have kids there is no "you", only the kids. That is my opinion, of course, and yours may be different.
Get the bike. Have fun. Let's hope your wife never collects on that fat insurance policy.
Good luck.
When is it PC to think about myself? when i am old and grey and half limp? NO.
You became a parent, and took on the responsibilities that go with that. If you've got adequate coverage, then ride without fear. Your family will move on and be comfortable when you're gone. It would suck if they had to cart you around in a wheelchair though... But, I guess there's more types of insurance for that possibility.
From my experience, the risk is WAY too great. You telling me you don't have any friends who have died yet? I live in the suburbs, and it's just as dangerous as anywhere else from what I've seen.
You became a parent, and took on the responsibilities that go with that. If you've got adequate coverage, then ride without fear. Your family will move on and be comfortable when you're gone. It would suck if they had to cart you around in a wheelchair though... But, I guess there's more types of insurance for that possibility.
From my experience, the risk is WAY too great. You telling me you don't have any friends who have died yet? I live in the suburbs, and it's just as dangerous as anywhere else from what I've seen.
HomeBrewerDude
Lifer
- Jan 18, 2001
- 14,465
- 1
- 0
You think about yourself AFTER the baby is born, and after you have taken a Motorcycle Safety Course, and after you finish the upgrades to your house you mentioned.
I could see why you might want to start weekend riding, but commute riding? Maybe its just me, but that doesn't sound like much fun.
I agree the kids take 1st place. No question. However, its not like i am going to be going 150 down the highway... i do want to have some fun though. The upright position is the most agile position... and the easiest to get out of the way of danger if need be.
Becoming a parent is something we chose to do together... and i am 100 percent vested in that decision. I just dont think that life ends when you choose to have a family. Thats whats wrong with this situation... in 1 hand you have the danger of leaving your family either poor, or without you or 2 you live life with a new toy and have fun with it. but maybe its just that.... a new toy.. and toys for myself is something that can probably wait.
The msc is without question the first thing i am doing....
Becoming a parent is something we chose to do together... and i am 100 percent vested in that decision. I just dont think that life ends when you choose to have a family. Thats whats wrong with this situation... in 1 hand you have the danger of leaving your family either poor, or without you or 2 you live life with a new toy and have fun with it. but maybe its just that.... a new toy.. and toys for myself is something that can probably wait.
The msc is without question the first thing i am doing....
If you were talking about chainsaws, I might agree, but powertools are not nearly as life threatening as riding bikes. I know hundreds of people who operate machine tools, as well as power tools. I've seen a couple serious injuries, but no deaths... or anything close to death! I've known only a relatively few riders, and three of them are dead. One local kid lost a leg, and the gal I mentioned has a husband who has been out of work for three years, and has nerve damage in his leg. My brother rides a bike, and I worry about it all the time, but there's nothing I can say that will get him to quit. Hell, he got rear-ended 20 years ago in Houston, and his best friend died in his arms... I don't know what else it would take to get him to quit!
You'll be on the road a lot and in all kinds of weather. Even if you are careful that's still a big risk. Personally I would err more on the side of caution, although I do understand the attraction.
Hayabusa Rider
Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
- Jan 26, 2000
- 50,879
- 4,268
- 126
Well now that we have calmed down maybe we can talk about this rather than showing who has the bigger e-balls.
As he posts, I give him little chance. That's because of the bike he selected. If he act's prudently and gets instruction, chances are he will be fine. Like I said, I have been riding a long time. Don't you think I know people who have died doing this too? Statistically more than half of injuries occur in the first six months. It's a no brainer as to why. It is also true that there are two kinds of riders. Those who have gone down, and those who are going to.
That said, due precaution and practice means in the real world that he will have an excellent chance of reaching old age without serious injury. I am not minimizing the loss to those who you knew. I am saying that because bad things happen doens't mean it happens to many. There is the question of what line gets drawn where. I won't argue that a head on with a truck is more dangerous than a cut finger, but I will say again that this is a personal matter and if done prudently, motorcycle riding is a reasonably safe past time.
A cycle is a high risk vehicle no matter country or city, no matter how safe YOU are. It's an unnecessary risk, and even selfish in view of your responsibilities.
I live in the country myself, and just this year have had to spend hours weekly visiting my neighbor across the road while he's been recuperating from a cycling accident, nearly immobile and unable to do much for himself while his wife was at work or school. I'm a rider myself, or at least I used to be. Rode mine across the U.S. a couple of times even. Sure there's some pleasure in it, but not on par with the other things that'll be gone from your life if something goes wrong.
I live in the country myself, and just this year have had to spend hours weekly visiting my neighbor across the road while he's been recuperating from a cycling accident, nearly immobile and unable to do much for himself while his wife was at work or school. I'm a rider myself, or at least I used to be. Rode mine across the U.S. a couple of times even. Sure there's some pleasure in it, but not on par with the other things that'll be gone from your life if something goes wrong.
Years ago, before I had kids, I commuted to work on a motorcycle and after the initial thrill wore off it became a real drag. Some days hotter than hell and others cold enough to freeze your gonads. Then there are the days when you ride to work only to find it's raining like a mvtherfvcker when you get off. Then you have to decide whether to ride home in the rain or call the wife and have her fight traffic to come pick you up, leaving the bike in a parking lot.
Riding for pleasure on the weekend is great. I hope to do it again some day when my youngest is grown. Commuting sucks.
One other thing, my wife likes riding even more than I. If I told her I wanted to buy a bike today she would pull out the checkbook and pull me towards the car.
I will wait.
Riding for pleasure on the weekend is great. I hope to do it again some day when my youngest is grown. Commuting sucks.
One other thing, my wife likes riding even more than I. If I told her I wanted to buy a bike today she would pull out the checkbook and pull me towards the car.
I will wait.
Kelemvor
Lifer
- May 23, 2002
- 16,928
- 8
- 81
If you can afford to buy the motorcycle and also pay for raising a child, go for it. Motorcycles are only dangerous when the rider doesn't have enough experience to keep himself out of trouble (assumign you don't get hit by a drunk in a car or something). No difference between getting one now or getting one later. If you die you'll always leave someone very sad whetehr it's a parent, spouse, child, etc.
Sorry Smitty, but this subject does hit too close to home. Too serious for me to leave alone, and too serious to get snippy about. Hell, who is going to bother listening to someone raving?
I don't want the danger to be diminished because I was stupid enough to go off half cocked, so I apologize. I hope Adam does some serious soul searching before making the decision. I honestly think that's why he asked in the first place.
Good luck to you AND him!
I don't want the danger to be diminished because I was stupid enough to go off half cocked, so I apologize. I hope Adam does some serious soul searching before making the decision. I honestly think that's why he asked in the first place.
Good luck to you AND him!
Triumph
Lifer
- Oct 9, 1999
- 15,031
- 14
- 81
If you do decide to ride, buy this book, Proficient Motorcycling by David Hough. It's regarded in motorcycling circles as required reading for everyone who rides a bike. It can't hurt to pick up the follow on book, either.
And considering your size, IF you do decide to buy a bike, I'd say get either a smaller displacement cruiser or the Suzuki SV650. Big guys don't look out of place on cruisers, and the SV650 will have more than enough power for you, but not so much that you'll get in trouble. The SV is a very well respected bike.
And considering your size, IF you do decide to buy a bike, I'd say get either a smaller displacement cruiser or the Suzuki SV650. Big guys don't look out of place on cruisers, and the SV650 will have more than enough power for you, but not so much that you'll get in trouble. The SV is a very well respected bike.
Ornery, I like Winston and in most things agree with him. I don't particularly care for you, not that you will lay awake at night worrying about it, but in this case I stand on your side of the line.
I am not going to call names or argue with anyone, I learned from personal experience the dangers of riding a motorcycle.
I would like to ride again some day, but not until my last child is self sufficient.
Have a good day.
I am not going to call names or argue with anyone, I learned from personal experience the dangers of riding a motorcycle.
I would like to ride again some day, but not until my last child is self sufficient.
Have a good day.
Don't do it. No matter how safe you are, or what kind of bike you have, its the other folks out there in cars and trucks you gotta worry about. I parked my street bike when I was 22 after I ditched it getting out of the way of a MAC truck which never saw me at a stop light - thank god I saw him in my rear view coming at me.
For the sake of your wife and kids I think its just to risky. I'm 45 now and I have both a 4 wheeler and a dirt bike I ride for pleasure but I don't go where cars and trucks go - too may idiot drives out there for me. In my lifetime I've just seen to many folks killed or maimed on bikes when the auto driver was at fault. Sorry, but I got two kids in college depending on me.
For the sake of your wife and kids I think its just to risky. I'm 45 now and I have both a 4 wheeler and a dirt bike I ride for pleasure but I don't go where cars and trucks go - too may idiot drives out there for me. In my lifetime I've just seen to many folks killed or maimed on bikes when the auto driver was at fault. Sorry, but I got two kids in college depending on me.
MattCo
Platinum Member
- Jan 29, 2001
- 2,198
- 2
- 81
I think your decision was made before you created this post, you just wanted validation. I am in the exact position as you (30 with a baby on the way) and I wouldnt do it. Just seems to risky to drive that many miles every day.
If you do decide to go for it, you ought to get an insurance policy and name the posters in the thread as beneficiaries, that way we would be happy either way... you live to take care of your family or we get money. Then we would be all for it.
-MC
If you do decide to go for it, you ought to get an insurance policy and name the posters in the thread as beneficiaries, that way we would be happy either way... you live to take care of your family or we get money. Then we would be all for it.
-MC
Hayabusa Rider
Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
- Jan 26, 2000
- 50,879
- 4,268
- 126
Originally posted by: Ornery
Sorry Smitty, but this subject does hit too close to home. Too serious for me to leave alone, and too serious to get snippy about. Hell, who is going to bother listening to someone raving?
I don't want the danger to be diminished because I was stupid enough to go off half cocked, so I apologize. I hope Adam does some serious soul searching before making the decision. I honestly think that's why he asked in the first place.
Good luck to you AND him!
I can understand that, so "it's all good as they say". Just try to remember that I'm not your enemy. If you were I would have to call "certain people" to off you :Q
No real harm done to either of us "ornery" people
TRENDING THREADS
-
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)- Started by DisEnchantment
- Replies: 25K
-
Discussion Intel Meteor, Arrow, Lunar & Panther Lakes + WCL Discussion Threads
- Started by Tigerick
- Replies: 23K
-
Discussion Intel current and future Lakes & Rapids thread- Started by TheF34RChannel
- Replies: 23K
-
-
Facebook
Twitter