Originally Posted by johnsnowkornar
Originally Posted by JPowell490
I am a bit late to this thread, it here is my take. I have been riding for 41 years, I am 44 now. Yes, I count all the years in dirt bikes as well. I have never been in a wreck on a street motorcycle and I have been riding the streets since I was 14 and riding to school on a DR Suzuki.
I have also, never worn protective gear. I might wear a textile jacket or a leather jacket depending on the weather, or if I need pickets for cell phone etc. My riding gear in the summer consists of a t-shirt, jeans, and whatever
the shoes I have lying around. I wear the best helmet in the business, a full face Arai Corsair X.
Riding a motorcycle is not dangerous at all. If you are constantly on the lookout, behind you when you are riding and stopping, in front of you, to the sides, etc. No car of other vehicle will hit you.
If you have it in your mind that "everyone will wreck at some point", you have already succumbed to that thought, and yes you will wreck. You just chucked all your confidence out of the window.
I get pulled out on, stopped in front of, vehicles trying to tbone me at a red light trying to beat the yellow, almost daily. Yo known why that's never happened to me? I ALWAYS, look both ways before I go at a light. I ALWAYS look all around me at all times.
I also ride one of the fastest bikes ever built. A Kawasaki Ninja zx12r. Do I ride it like I am at the Isle of Man TT? No, I don't. Do I like to cruise in a straight line at 140 for a short while on a barren interstate? Yes I do. I don't ride the twisties trying to prove I am better than the guy behind me. Why don't I?
I love my bike and I cherish it. I would never push it to the edge of cornering and possibly wind up on the pavement.... It would crush me to be that stupid.
Don't buy or ride any motorcycle if you fear it before you get on it. It isn't for you.
OP, sell your bikes and enjoy your wife. Your times up.
What are the fastest street bikes?
I don't doubt the truth or the depth of belief of a word of your post. But having said that, you've discounted the extent to which you've been enormously lucky and replaced it with a belief that you're infallible. The last thing I want to do is jinx you. I don't always ATGATT, but like you I always wear a helmet. And I practice "separation" like it's a religion. I've had one serious crash, not life threatening but a sporting number of broken bones, over maybe 250,000 miles of riding.
I used to fly airplanes, and when that got too expensive I took up motorcycles. I don't care for cruisers. I ride sport-touring, sport, and streetfighter bikes. Like airplanes need to be flown, bikes need to be ridden. Both deteriorate and become unreliable and unsafe when unused, and pilots and riders alike become unsafe when they don't practice the skill. So ultimately, I can't dispute the value of your advice to the original poster. But that aside- stay confident brother but keep practicing what you preach too!