Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
It is your decision, and yes riding is dangerous and possibly getting more dangerous due to distractions and bad training.
you can mitigate some of the danger, wearing a good 1 piece armored riding suit, good helmet, gloves, boots. There are air bag vests too. Riding schools give you more tools avoid a crash. Reading and watching defensive driving instructional materials. There are lots of things, even simulators now
Bike choice and condition are important,some even have have leaning ABS and stability controls. Those bikes are not Harleys and some of them will not associate with you. You are not race rider skill, and you are not on a race track. So swallow some pride and stack the deck in your favor. Loud pipes do nothing for you. Wheelie skills have limited benefit when you have to dodge someone.
There is always a point of no return when if the other vehicle pulls out now you can not avoid it. you need to be conscious of that point and position your self to make that area as small as possible.
Pretending everyone else will try to kill you, knowing the possible escapes and the focus necessary to implement it can take out some of the fun, or it is simply part of the game. I hate having to suit up for battle before every ride. But I still ride. Keeps me sane.
I personally feel more exposed on the bicycle. Spandex has very little abrasion resistance. Yet i do that for my health.
I made the decision not to ride when my daughter was at home. Now I ride again. Both kinds. Something will get you someday, all I can hope it that it is not painful.
Rod
While I appreciate your response, I don't think you read all my content in this thread. I know all about gear, and I wear it. It scored a save when I hit the deer in 2015 on one of my Ducati's. Walked away from that one, the deer not so much, he took some damage, a young male with antler sprouts. Been a full buck or doe I likely would've not emerged as well. Totaled the 2013 Ducati I was on.
My 2016 Ducati had cornering ABS that took into account lean angle and all that. Traction control, you name it. DSP they called it for Ducati Safety Pack. When you encounter gravel in a curve and leave the roadway none of that stuff helps which it didn't help when that happened, what got me was a pvc marker post for a buried utility line. Struck it when off roadway in an already out of control state, causing bars to turn full lock and I high sided off the bike at that point at I don't know what speed maybe 30 - 45mph. Based on injuries my brother a career fire/rescue paramedic in Indianapolis area believes I cart wheeled after high siding. To the time I struck pvc post to the time I awoke on my back in the weeds and sticks about 20' from roadway, I have no memory of anything at all it's a blank.