Ducati Monster Forum

Well, it's time to hang up the helmet for a while.

My first wreck was an example of everything going wrong at once... nothing much could be done about it.

My second, I was riding above my skill level and damn near killed myself.

Today, a guy was halfway into my lane in the middle of a blind corner.  Tried to avoid him, ended up low-siding and slid the front tire into his rear wheel.  Luckily, I got up with a sore shoulder and he stopped.

That being said, I've got a wonderful new wife and a kid on the way.  With this kind of history, I think it's time to hang up the helmet for say, 20 years or so.  With any luck, I'll be able to keep the monster and have a shining example of Ducati (and personal) history to rebuild and play with when I've raised my kids and have a few less responsibilities.

Stay safe out there everyone.

Damn cager! Im glad to know your alright. Congratulations on the wife and baby! [thumbsup]

Hate to hear a fellow rider take this route, although I can understand your reasoning.  Best of luck with your family and your future, and perhaps one day you will ride again  [Dolph]

Glad you're ok!!!!! [thumbsup]

Hope you'll still hang out here to update us on your baby and your brewing
 [beer]

  Thats some ship to happen ... you could slow your butt down and a life time of bad luck could be out of your way from here on out... ride safe .

To each their own but...if you have crashed three times in three years I would guess you just need some (more) training (MSF) and possibly to slow down and ride more defensively.

TRACK BIKE TIME  ;D ;D ;D

 [roll]

Glad you survived the encounter today mate.

Glad you're ok mate.

I wish you the best.  Nothing wrong with the choice your making.  I've gone through obsessions with activities in my life and then at times moved on.  The choice was never as well defined as yours.  I usually just made a change without a real plan.  Enjoy the family.  If you ever need to come back, we'll still be here. 

I 2nd both of these sentiments!!!

and congrats on the baby and many years of happiness as a family!

glad you came out alright with the accident, and i personally think that if/when i finally start a fam, that will be the time i give up riding on the street... that being said, i can see track riding as a pretty solid compromise btwn fun and safety :)

Tell ya what, take a look at this:

http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Monterey+ca&daddr=36.52862%2C-121.81922+to%3A36.39662%2C-121.65002+to%3Ajamesburg+ca&hl=en&ll=36.457378%2C-121.706682&spn=0.003137%2C0.008256&sll=36.497769%2C-121.789455&sspn=0.100322%2C0.264187&geocode=Fa55LgId7Ai8-CmR-7VwUuSNgDFePUrYCUlI7g%3BFexhLQIdrC-9-CnZi2Da0u-NgDEn1Z2KRsfjzA%3BFUxeKwIdnMS_-ClrHfNVPoqNgDGPmGOJ_nLswg%3BFS32KgIdzrDA-CnD_fHcUHaSgDGSfRLIRUxsYw&mra=dvme&mrsp=1&sz=13&via=1%2C2&z=18&layer=c&cbll=36.457432%2C-121.706784&panoid=YUf9SBTcRTt_iD1mh4y_Tw&cbp=12%2C310.69%2C%2C0%2C0 (http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Monterey+ca&daddr=36.52862%2C-121.81922+to%3A36.39662%2C-121.65002+to%3Ajamesburg+ca&hl=en&ll=36.457378%2C-121.706682&spn=0.003137%2C0.008256&sll=36.497769%2C-121.789455&sspn=0.100322%2C0.264187&geocode=Fa55LgId7Ai8-CmR-7VwUuSNgDFePUrYCUlI7g%3BFexhLQIdrC-9-CnZi2Da0u-NgDEn1Z2KRsfjzA%3BFUxeKwIdnMS_-ClrHfNVPoqNgDGPmGOJ_nLswg%3BFS32KgIdzrDA-CnD_fHcUHaSgDGSfRLIRUxsYw&mra=dvme&mrsp=1&sz=13&via=1%2C2&z=18&layer=c&cbll=36.457432%2C-121.706784&panoid=YUf9SBTcRTt_iD1mh4y_Tw&cbp=12%2C310.69%2C%2C0%2C0)

That's just about the view I had when I noticed a make the beast with two backsing SUV in my lane.  I was on the inside of the turn already because I had been dodging cars that were cutting corners all day.  I was maybe doing 5 over at the fastest, and had already slowed to make it through the turn.  How much slower should I have gone? How much more "defensively" could I have ridden?

I'll admit that my get-off at DiTR '09 was entirely my fault.  The one before, my fault too for riding down a road I didn't know that well late at night.  This one? THERE WAS AN SUV IN MY LANE IN A BLIND CORNER.  Again, PLEASE, tell me how to defend against that one.  After '09 I've slowed down. I've seldom gone more than 5 over since then, and I've never pushed as hard as I used to.

Everyone else, thanks for the "well wishing."  I'm not gonna drop off the face of the earth, I've got a classic bike that I need to restore for the next 20 years or so  [thumbsup]

Ahh yes, the Magical MSF course that teaches you how to look into the future. Do they also teach you Self-of-Entitlement and Rampant Condescension? I've ridden with Punx, he is beyond anything the MSF Brc or Erc or Arc  can teach.

Punx, only the best dude. Good luck with everything for you +2. And I third the opinion on the Track bike. You come from a racing family and already have the trailer and access to the best tracks on the country, You NEED to do this ;)

Sorry to hear about the latest drop. Glad you didn't get hurt and the driver stopped. Very sportsmanlike of them. Most would just keep going. >:(

Do what you feel is right. This isn't a contest. I've had several friends hang it up, all for different reasons. I hold nothing against them. Why should I? It's their life. Hell, my wife wishes I'd hang it up... even before I broke my neck. Now she really does! [laugh]

Not sure how you defend against this last one. Had that happen to me ages ago in Arkansas. My first wife and I were 2 up on my old R100RS BMW and went into a sharp turn on a tight two lane road. Two country boys were side by side in their trucks having a chat while driving down the road! [bang] Came this close to being a hood ornament on the truck coming at me in my lane. No contact and no crash. Thankfully I had a nice flat shoulder and run off to stop on. My wife was so shaken up I thought she was going to throw up! It took me an hour to calm her down and get her back on the bike. We cut that weekend ride short and rode home.

Good luck with your decision. Don't get rid of your gear. You might change your mind down the road. [thumbsup] [Dolph] [beer]

Track days  [Dolph]

I cant' wait 20 years for your comeback - I'm too old for that [wine]

Sorry. Wasn't meant to come off the way you took it. Of course sometimes there is nothing you can do but apparently the other two times there were. So if you have only had one "real" accident and you have learned from the other get offs, why quit? As someone said earlier, the odds are with you.

track days are safer. Youve got the bike all ready. The bike isnt the problem. Public roadways are!

I'd ridden street for 22 years (and dirt for 32) in Southern California and I learned stuff in each MSF class when I took them (10 years ago). Any training is good training. Even when the rider "is beyond," whatever the class may teach. There is such a thing as "perishable skills." If the skills aren't practiced regularly, your ability to use them when needed diminishes. So emergency braking and collision avoidance are good things to practice when coming up to a stoplight with no one behind you or at the end of a dead end road.

As far as looking into future? Every rider should be doing that. I expect that no one sees me even when I look them in the eye, there is a vehicle coming at me around every blind corner, the cars I'm splitting don't know I'm there, and every car in the left turn bay is going to turn in front of me.

Sometimes nothing a moto can do? Absolutely.

I'd say switch to track or off road. If you hang it up you'll just be rustier and with slower reflexes when you try it again and traffic will probably be worse.  Spend a decade on tracks of various descriptions and then hit the road again with that huge bucket of skill.

I've had cages in my lane many times and have avoided them all without incident so far.  Not saying its always possible, but looking ahead as much as conditions allow, trying not to out-ride your line of sight and being able and ready to take dramatic evasive action always helps and will keep you out of trouble in almost all situations. 

Believe you me, when the kid is old enough for dirt bikes (assuming he/she wants to) we will be buying dirt bikes.


I spent most of yesterday dodging people cutting corners (blind and otherwise).  This particular corner had being blind, narrow, tight, extremely rough/uneven, and half filled with BMW.  Just turned out that particular combination happened to be too much.  Probably could have done something different to have made it out fine... but that's not what happened.


Yeah. I'm terribly sorry I took it as someone talking before thinking, or thinking they knew everything that went on when they clearly had no make the beast with two backsing clue.  BTW, I have taken MSF courses.  One a year in fact.  Was due for a class/trackday in November.

Why quit streetbikes? Because two more feet towards the front of the car and my kid could have been born with out a father.  I don't want to risk that.  It's not worth it to me.  I used to ride stupid, and it bit me in the ass.  I changed that, was fine for two years, then other people bit me in the ass.  I can't control them, and the stakes are too high.  I'll pick the monster back up when the kids are off on their own in the world.

Totally respect your decision Punx  [thumbsup]

Again, I'm really glad you're ok.

1st - Glad you are OK!

2nd - Nothing wrong with your decision.  I takes a heck of a person, and a good husband and father, to give up something that he loves to put his family first. 

I think that Brian made a very good suggestion:

 

Having three children (ages: 6,4,1.5), my house is pure chaos.  My bikes are a huge sanity break.  If you keep your stuff, you will have the option. 

 I would also suggest giving it a couple of weeks and see if your views are the same.  And, if you haven't done so, talk to your wife about it. 

Good luck with the new baby!

Good rider or bad, your fault or not, if you decide to hang up the helmet it is time to follow that decision.  At least for the time being.  The decision can be reversed.  Track days only is a good option, and seems to be gaining popularity here in the NYC Metro area.

 

I think it's a very responsible decision you're making for you family...........good on ya!


We all know that regardless of how safe or skillful a rider you are, you're inherently more vulnerable on a motorcycle. We all manage that risk the best we can and when you get to the point that the risk doesn't feel worth the reward anymore, it's absolutely the time to take a break or hang 'em up.

good luck man. dont know if anyone else has said it, but i hope you hang around the forum from time to time!

TRUTH


I have 4 terrors and feel the same. Then a gain I don't have a car so not riding is not an option.

Live by your own rules... and best of luck with your decision [thumbsup]

I'm liking the track day only option. About as safe as you can get and you pretty much are in total control. Ride fast, ride slow, no idiots in cars, no cops/tickets, no gravel in turns, immediate EMS help (usually). What's not to like? But I do encourage you to take time off. Go ahead. Say "that's it, I am done with this". Then wait a few weeks or months and reflect.

Talking to my wife is not an option [bang] hopefully it is with yours. I am assuming that this is really your idea and she's not "forcing" it on you. Look up "force" in the dictionary and there's a pic of my wife. [laugh] Fortunately for me she has never found a way past my "I've been riding longer than you've been alive" defense. [laugh] Always nice to have a younger wife... you can always whip out that old age and treachery routine. ;D Nice...

Still, good luck to you and please hang around. Even if you don't ride again this board will help you de-tox and keep your sanity. [clap]

If I told the wife I was hanging up the helmet she would probably take me out to a steak house for dinner! Like others I would suggest you take some time off first.  Even if you told the wife you want to give up you just may change your mind. You may not and either option is all good.

Honestly, the track option is pure PITA.  I did that for a couple of years and it gets old quick to load up all your shit up the night before, get up at the crack of dawn, drive for a couple of hours to listen to the same pep talk at 8am just to go back to the pits and wait  around for you turn to go up.  It's the "hurry up and wait" game.  Not to mention the cost! Entries to the track (around $10) + cost of the track day ($250 to $120 depending on the track) + tires! Plus lodging at some rat hole hotel in some god forsaken place (Parumh NV anyone?). F-that!  Nothing beats opening the garage door and being on the road in 2 minutes.

Good luck man!

I don't think so - but perhaps you and Lu could offer a 200-level course?  I can drop by as a guest speaker.

 ;D

*kidding, kidding!

Cheers,
Adam

 [popcorn] ;D

PFFFFT. We offer only advanced, graduate level Condescension courses ;)

That makes sense - for people like you.  ;)

Cheers,
Adam

haha, the phrase "for people like you" added to the end of any sentence makes it the most condescending thing to say ever.

"hey man, your bike is amazing... for people like you"

"omg, that was the best sex ever... for people like you"

You are correct, nothing at msf is going to help keep ANYONE ALIVE. Simple fact, a motorcyclist is 36 times more likely to be involved in a FATAL motor vehicle accident compared to Car drivers . No educational course changes this.  Now, with that said. You could do some track days. Personally I find them INFINTELY more safe than day to day street commuting. 1. full leathers. 2. EMS , FIRE, track marshalls, rider coaches at all times. 3. NO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. NO BLIND CORNERS. You get the idea.  You may go down at the track.. but your not going to get run over by  a truck AFTER going down. Most times, when you go down at the track, the only thing thats hurt is your PRIDE and WALLET.    Youve probably made a very wise decision. Congrats on the new famliy.. thats all that really matters!

I disagree, and so did Professor Hurt. Any training, including the MSF, is going to help a new rider avoid some rookie mistakes. The moto vs car statistic is meaningless in this discussion without more data.

Findings from the Hurt report:

#2: Approximately one-fourth of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.

#4: In the single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slide-out and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.

#24: The motorcycle riders involved in accidents are essentially without training; 92% were self-taught or learned from family or friends. Motorcycle rider training experience reduces accident involvement and is related to reduced injuries in the event of accidents.

#28: Motorcycle riders in these accidents showed significant collision avoidance problems. Most riders would overbrake and skid the rear wheel, and underbrake the front wheel greatly reducing collision avoidance deceleration. The ability to countersteer and swerve was essentially absent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_findings_in_the_Hurt_Report (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_findings_in_the_Hurt_Report)

I'm happy I gear up completely before pleasure rides.  Saved my skin  [thumbsup]

First, congrats!  It don't get no better than having kids and watching them grow up.

Now my .02 you prolly don't care about.  If you're hanging it up due to a close call, maybe you should rethink.  Take a break and by the time you get the ride back together have another go.  There is risk and close calls in all things.  If you ride defensively and with decent gear, have at it, it's all about managing the risk.

If on the other hand it just doesn't feel right, then it's time to take a long break.  You cant make good decisions and manage the risk if your head aint in it.  That would definitely be time to step back and have a good think, off the bike.

FWIW I made significant changes to my riding and other behavior when I found out I was gonna be a dad.  But I didn't hang it up.  I stayed in the sport and today both of my sons are avid riders.

Thanks.  Kind of surprised you picked up on that.

Cheers,
Adam

+ whatever it is up to now on the track bike.  [thumbsup] I sometimes consider giving up street riding...mainly due to our shit weather though, as I have more miles in the rain than not, and I also rarely get to moto commute anymore due to daycare duty.

I think I'll always have a track bike though...WAY more fun than street riding IMO. You might even consider amateur racing with your local club.  [evil]

Glad you're OK.  [thumbsup]

haha, damn, you're good at this.

Aaaaw, such a quaint little saying isn't it?

;)

Quaint saying... for people like you.  [cheeky]

From most people, I would consider that a compliment.

Cheers,
Adam

topic....

Personally hanging up my Helemt for even a year would be like being castrated , actually if i was to die on my bike may family would be very sad but they would be financially much better off  and secure , and they would know that daddy died doing something he loved , thats might be a comforting thought as I go out with my boots on ,
my wife would rather i was a happy rider than a depressed grumpy old sod but i am 53 so may be thats true ,

I helps that  my wife and 2 of my daughters including the 12 yr old ride bikes as well so they know the joy and the risks.

But whatever works for each individual and gives you happiness .

Enjoy your family! you can always get back in the saddle anytime.That's a decision you can only make.Congrats with the upcoming baby.