Dealing with Fatalities...

[Jaman]

So I got the call.  A friend of mine was killed in a motorcycle accident this weekend.  He was likely going too fast, and from the report, it sounds like he may have been riding "erratically" - not sure if alcohol was involved, but not out of the realm of possibilities.

The friend that called to give me the news, occaissionally rides, and was with him that night, before they went their separate ways.  He is selling his bike, and never riding again.  He called me to tell/ask me to be careful.

I can't stop thinking about the family aspect.  My buddy is survived by a lovely wife & daughter.  I have the same.  I know that we cannot control other riders, drivers, conditions, etc.  We take risks everytime we take a breath, walk the streets, put on a helmet & throw a leg over, whatever.  I accept those risks, and do what i can to minimize them (most of the time)

That being said, i love motorcycles.

The freedom, independence, messing with my bike, cleaning, gearing up for a ride, all aspects.  I can't ever imagine what life would be like without it.
Something less than living, I suspect.

My wife, who strongly dislikes/fears motorcycles for the safety aspect, supports my love of them.

That is all.  No sympathies please, just wanted to express my love for a lost friend, the women & bikes in my life.

RIP, my friend.

[1313]

Ride on my friend.

[Fox]

I currently don't have kids, but when I do I would not want them to grow up without a father. That being said I also love riding a motorcycle. I will probably only do track days once I have young'uns of my own. Maybe something to consider on your end.

[cyrus buelton]

Sorry to hear about your friend, God's Speed.


I just found out one of my employee's fathers got into a serious accident yesterday on his bike. He was life flighted to the hospital where he remains in critical condition with a fractured skull, bleeding around his brain, broken ribs, and numerous other broken bones.

Come to find out.............he wasn't wearing a helmet. 

I just hate seeing accidents like this where the serious head injury could have been prevented / reduced if the rider was wearing a helmet, but to each their own on how they ride.

[NAKID]

You gotta do what you gotta do. My dad and brother in law gave up riding after my accident. It happens. Somethings you have control over, others you don't. Only you can make the right decision. Which ever you chose will be the right decision, for you...

[Norm]

The loss of a young father and husband is truly the worst tragedy of all. You live how you want to and take into consideration the family around you, but there is no right or wrong answer. I have some personal experience here and I still ride, I compare it to what I might do if the accident had happened in a car.

[corndog67]

You can continue to ride, or not.   You can insure yourself up to the eyeballs.   You can ride the next 30 years and not have a problem.   You can get hit by a truck this evening.   Things are going to happen.   Yesterday at Pismo Beach/Oceano Dunes Recreactional Vehicle park, about 15 miles from where I live, an EMT search and rescue guy on a quad was run over and killed by an ambulance, according to the news this morning.   Accidents are going to happen.   Car accident.   Industrial accident.   Getting struck by lightning.   I suppose if you choose not to take any risks at all, you might be a bit safer.   But we are all involved in an individualist sport.    We can choose to ride safely, not drink and ride, wear the gear, and still get killed.   Some people are going to live recklessly their entire lives and never get a scratch. 

It's each individuals decision. 

[scduc]

I hate stories such as this. But from a famous movie I qoute " get busy living or get busy dyeing." I have to say that I am a miserable S.O.B. when I am not able to ride. Some people need certain things in life just to get by. I 'll continue riding until my body no longer allows me to. This being said if you have kids you have certain responsiblities. And riding inappropriately is no better than dinking and driving a car or playing with guns. The law of averages will catch up with you.

[ab]

RIP.

Tough decision we all make and ponder ongoing basis I suppose.  I sometimes wonder if I would continue to ride if I had a family.  At this point, I can say I will ride always but I do not honestly know what I would do if wifie and kids are in the picture.   I will probably be miserable not riding....

[Got Duc]

This sport is dangerous

We all know this. Yet we continue to ride.

It is tough to be reminded of this. Last year I did CPR on a biker. I was first on scene and helped all the way until he was in the ambulance. This young man passed away at 21 years young. The incident shook me really bad. I considered giving up the bikes. I let the bikes "rest" for a while and got back to it a few weeks later. I was shakey at first and it took a while to gain confidence. But I got through it.

[trenner]

When I rejoined the ranks of the motorcyclist last year after a (ohmigodhasitbeenthatlong?) 15-year hiatus, I thought about this risk/reward thing quite a bit, and considered what I'd tell my brother, or my mother, or my wife, if they ever had to stand over my grave because of a motorcycle accident.

I wrote this.  It's not everything that I'd want to say, but it's a start.  Hopefully it'd make 'em laugh, too.

[EvilSteve]

RIP

Very well written trenner.

My greatest fear is the pain my death would cause my wife. We both skydive, I ride also, these things make our lives richer and therefore make our lives together richer. Life can be as much or as little as you make it. Do what is right for you and honor your friend's memory.

[Dietrich]

I wrote this.  It's not everything that I'd want to say, but it's a start.  Hopefully it'd make 'em laugh, too.

Excellent writing there.....loved it and intend to pass it around to a few I can think of...Thanks!

[Howie]

RIP, Jaman's friend.

Jaman, no need to make up your mind now.  Give yourself a while off the bike if needed, it's all about balance and you are the only one who can figure that out. 

When I rejoined the ranks of the motorcyclist last year after a (ohmigodhasitbeenthatlong?) 15-year hiatus, I thought about this risk/reward thing quite a bit, and considered what I'd tell my brother, or my mother, or my wife, if they ever had to stand over my grave because of a motorcycle accident.

I wrote this.  It's not everything that I'd want to say, but it's a start.  Hopefully it'd make 'em laugh, too.

Good read, thanks!

[CMDRDAVE]

I wrote this.  It's not everything that I'd want to say, but it's a start.  Hopefully it'd make 'em laugh, too.

My thoughts exactly if I could put them into words, great writing.

I can't stop thinking about the family aspect.  My buddy is survived by a lovely wife & daughter.  I have the same.  I know that we cannot control other riders, drivers, conditions, etc.  We take risks everytime we take a breath, walk the streets, put on a helmet & throw a leg over, whatever.  I accept those risks, and do what i can to minimize them (most of the time)

With a new (second) daughter, I think about this often.  For me it is all about risk tolerance.  I mitigate risk at at work, I do it at home, and I do it while riding.  Luckily I recently found trackdays.  Now I can enjoy my self in a controlled and relatively safe manner on the road and still enjoy myself at speed in a relatively safe manner on the track.  Does this remove all risk, absolutely not.   It never can.  But it reduces it to an acceptable level for me.  Only you can find an acceptable level for you.  I had thought about giving it up but I know I would only find my way back.

Jaman, no need to make up your mind now.  Give yourself a while off the bike if needed

+1, take time off if needed.  It is easy and cheap.  We will be hear waiting for you either way.