If your gonna ride, your gonna fall down!

[psycledelic]

I hear this a lot and was just curious what the general thought was.  I just can't bring myself to expect that I will eventually crash.  I also can't bring myself to erase the last 1/4 inch of my chicken strips.  Maybe coming to terms with the first would sort out the second. 

[Scottish]

I've been downed at highway speed. It's sucks and I drive defensively to avoid it happening again. I wear gear in case it does happen again. If I thought I was going to go down again and there was nothing I could do about it though. I'd stop riding. It doesn't make sense to do something that your certain will hurt you at some point. That's why I quit drinking and smoking, it was obviously detrimental to my health.

[ArguZ]

Well....today it was close...
Driving through a little forest and suddenly there was this branch on the street.
Doing the obvious , not breaking, not changing course I run over it...
The bike jumped a bit twisting the handle and I mentally wet my undies.
The freaky part was that I suddenly realized the speed I will kiss the asphalt with
Not to mention the trees behind the curve.
But...nothing happened and 15 minutes after I was back on track...
Anyway...if its a matter of time I try to enjoy every minute before...

[eltristo]

I've never gone down at speeds faster than about 10 mph, and that was because of snow.  This means I have dropped the bike while stopped (though not since I was a newbie) and never at real riding speed.  I am probably a little more cautious than necessary; I tend to give myself enough leeway to accommodate the unexpected.  You know, gravel, oil, decreasing radius turn, a car on the wrong side of the road, aliens, etc.  I've also gotten lucky.     I don't want to say ride like you can't crash, but I certainly wouldn't recommend focusing on the negative.  I don't want to crash and presume I won't.  Hopefully I won't be proven wrong.

[monsterduc]

I've been riding over 10 years and had my first get off a couple of years ago.  Fortunately, I was on the track and obviously in full gear.  I lowsided at about 50 mph...on a rental ZX-6R.   

Darn four bangers!   

I've been really lucky on the street.  [knocking on wood]

[m0t0g0th]

on days when i have that feeling, i don't ride.
every other day i look at the Monster as i approach and feel invincible, fast, clever, alert and mighty.  ...and then i gear up for the real world.   

[weemonster]

Theres no reason why you should go down.

but  if you ride around with th attitude that sooner or later you will fall off then  hell yeah you are gonna fall off.
probabllly sooner rather than later

[Capt baz]

40 years in october, riding motorcycles. down once in 1973. not my fault, cage making an illegal left turn. 11 months in balboa naval hospital. it ended my naval career, i was lucky.  

[NAKID]

Theres no reason why you should go down.

but  if you ride around with th attitude that sooner or later you will fall off then  hell yeah you are gonna fall off.
probabllly sooner rather than later

You're right, there is no reason you should go down. Except that you can't controll everyone else on the road. Vehicle accidents happen every day, even though there is no reason they should...

[printman]

Have I low-sided, yes. Luckily it was at a slow speed pulling out of a parking lot (frost and cold tires)

I was fully geared and the only thing hurt on me was my pride, and a good charlie horse to the shoulder. 

I ride 3/4 geared or better. Would like to be 100% but have not found a good summer pant yet to wear over work clothes.

I can't control everyone else, I just try to be seen.

[IZ]

If you go out with that thought, something usually happens.  Never let it enter your mind!!

You ever play baseball?  Do you go up to the plate with the thought in mind "I'm going to strike out" ??  No, you don't.  But..if you do, you're probably going to strike out, right?  

Case in point..one summer while in little league, I had that thought in mind when I went up to bat.  I struck out every friggen time that season.    The next couple seasons though, I struck out minimally but got at least 2-3 hits every game.  THe power of positive thinking.  

Anyway..crashing..

Yes, it can happen.  Dress for it.  But don't think about it.  Too many other things to pay attention to on the road!

    



 

[onederer]

I've said those words. and it's not that i want nor truly expect it to happen. But it is the reason that I ride defensively and wear the gear to minimize the damage when it does happen.

it keeps me on my toes. i don't use it as an excuse to ride like a douchenozzle.

[ROBsS4R]

I don't jump on my bike every day and say you know what.... I am going to crash sooner or later however it is a fact of riding.

Do the people who say No think they are invincible or Experts for all riding situations and conditions 

[krolik]

I don't go out riding thinking "I'm gonna crash today", but I gear up in the unlikely event that I do. 

[PizzaMonster]

I hope I never go down but I might some day.  I usually think about it before a ride for at least a few seconds.  But I don't allow myself to focus on those things while riding.  In my mind to do that would be to allow your confidence in your riding to be compromised.  

So often when reading an accident thread it seems that a bit more confidence to pull off an evasive manouver or push the bars just a little harder might have gotten someone clear of trouble.  (Having said that I know that sometimes there just isn't any way out when something suddenly parks itself in your personal space.  I don't mean to slight anyone who has been in this situation).  I think my biggest problem in riding is listening to that little gremlin who makes me target-fixate at just the wrong time or refuses to just let me allow my bike to work through a corner on its own.

Riding definitely involves skills but to me it also involves playing mindgames with yourself.  You have to maintain a fine line between your confidence level and your self-preservation instinct.  If your mind isn't in the right place while riding then you better park the bike until it is.  I don't think mulling over when your next accident is going to happen is a good way of accomplishing this.

Just my impression of things peeples......  Someday maybe I'll take an advanced riding course and see if there is any merit to my ideas.