How My Risk Equation Has Changed

[garyahouse]

Several years ago, I was strongly considering this same thing. I had a beautiful machine, a 91 Suzuki GSX1100G (naked bike w/driveshaft), but it sat in the shed. I rarely rode it, and when I did it was just to keep the battery alive and the gas from going bad... maybe an hour every couple weeks. I didn't know exactly what happened, I just DIDN'T want to ride any more: maybe it was frustration with traffic, or the weather, or the bike itself wasn't good enough, I don't know.

After 6 months of wrestling with the idea, I sold it, figuring I'd done the right thing: it needed a good home and I needed the peace of mind that all that money wan't wasting away in the shed.

However, I forgot something. I didn't realize it, but there was something in my blood, something that would not be put to rest. To quote the words of Simon and Garfunkle's "The Boxer," ... 'TILL HE CRIED OUT IN HIS ANGER AND HIS SHAME, I AM LEAVING, I AM LEAVING, BUT THE FIGHTER STILL REMAINS." In the song, a frustrated boxer quit the ring, but he was still a fighter in his heart. For me: I realized that something vital was wrong and I needed to find out if another bike might fix it. I reasoned that the problem might be that I needed a better machine, so I bought an FJR.

Oh my soul. It was as if I died and went to motorcycle heaven. There was such a huge difference between anything I'd ever experienced... and the FJR, it was like breathing celestial air. I couldn't stop riding it, I enjoyed it so much. And 2 1/2 years later, it's still a thrill to just walk out to the garage and look at it. What an amazing piece of equipment. I have my own personal amusement park, I can ride it any time I want, there are no payments and I still love it as much as I did the first day I got it.

So you're considering leaving the ring. For some, it's the right thing to do. For me, I just needed a new set of gloves.

Just my opinion.

Gary

darksider #44

 

[Knifemaker]

When I first read this , I have to admit I wanted to post Daniel Daly's quote:

"Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?"

Reason being I went through sorta the same feeling last year on a ride into work. It hit me I could die out here (in crazy morning traffic)

This put me on a whole weeks worth of thought about the very possible outcome of meeting an inattentive driver.

I questioned the whole "riding a motorcycle" concept. I thought about getting something like a Can Am Spyder ...(as if that was some how safer...)

The whole thing bothered me for almost two weeks. Then one day I had he day off from work and took the bike for a short (80 mile) ride. The roads were fairly clear as most folks were at work. I was pushing the bike through a turn kinda hard and the "scary thoughts" returned. I hadn't come to any conclusions yet, but the fears and questions still seemed to be, at this moment, kinda ruining my buzz.

It was then that I thought about the total of miles I have put on two wheels in the last 40 years of riding a motorcycle and why right now, right here on this lovely day riding a bike suddenly now became a question.

I then remembered the quote above. (To be truthful, I remembered it as a line from the movie "Starship Troopers" , which was the same basic question really)

Do I want to live forever? Do I now not venture out, but sit on soft couches eating healthy foods, gun at my side in case of trouble and only travel in some huge Detroitmibile?

At some point before I tossed the bike over for the next turn, I realized I love riding a motorcycle, and I was just being paranoid about my own mortality. I then just said to myself if I was meant to die on my bike it was better than going most other ways.

Yes, I'd like to live forever....but I guess I realized not riding was making the "living" part less enjoyable.

 

[TomInPA]

Since I first posted in this thread, I moved 2800 miles away from my bike and have not seen it since about November 17. My risk equation has totally changed as a result, and being far from the bike, I don't have to think about it, unless I'm reading this forum.

Hans, I would be willing to ride your bike to Pennsylvania to give you the same sense of relief I have felt. It would be the best fly and drive to know I was helping a friend. (suppressing desperation as snow and hoards of yinzers surround me on the local freeways).

Did you know that proper highway etiquette is to stop at the end of the freeway entry ramp? I never knew.