Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

I am not a scaremonger - I really am not. But it seems the incidents of motorcycle accidents are becoming far too common.

Two years ago a friend and fellow chimney sweep lost his leg in a car/bike collision. Now, I just received the news another sweep, a friend, was killed when he lost control of his Harley. So sad. This was the third mortorcycle fatality in a week for the Minn/St Paul area.

"Michael McFarland, 48, was on the HOV ramp from Minnesota 100 north to Interstate 394 east, when his Harley Davison hit a wall about noon on Friday, the Minnesota State Patrol said. McFarland flipped over the wall, but the bike continued down the ramp."

Here is the news video. http://kstp.com/news/stories/s964969.shtml

If you ride - please be careful. Minimize your risks as much as you can.

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

I have had a healthy respect for motorcycles for several years. Have not been on one since 1996. That was the year my father-in-law, an excellent rider, was killed along with one of his friends in a motorcycle crash. He had ridden since he was 16 and had also raced bikes. It is not necessarily the carelessness of the motorcyclist as it is the person in the cars and trucks that are not paying attention or looking out for motorcycles.

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

Eurkea,

I know what you mean. I love riding my motorcycle more than any other hobby or passtime I have but the danger does bother me. I am not worried about my riding ability as I am super careful and am always very alert to the enviroment around me. What worries me is the things I can't control like people in cars & trucks, deer, things in the road, etc.

I have decided to sell my motorcycle to use the equity to pay down some bills (can you tell me almost being out of a job scared me?) but it is killing me. I am waiting until next month to really put it out there for sale so I can enjoy it a little this summer. Everytime I ride my will to seel it weakens though, LOL!!!

I have two bad shoulders, a bad knee, and an assortment of other ailments that worry me also. You don't want anything to go out on you when you are holding up an almost 700 lb motorcycle!

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

I sold my bike at the end of 93' and never really looked back. I got it out of my system.

My fiance wants me to get one.....or else someday she'll get one her self(...right, lol). I ask if she thinks she'd like to wrestle with a car.

Doesn't matter how good of a rider you are.

And the streets in my area get more and more congested every year. lousy drivers aswell.

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

been there done that, down twice, survived both with nothing serious.always wanted a harley. no time to ride in the summer now.[benefits of being self employed contractor] lots of time in winter, love snow sledding and atvs , lots safer, if anyone gets killed, which they do, it almost never involves anyone else except them a tree and lots of stupid !

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

We sold the Harley last year to pay on our building fund pledge. We rode for four years and LOVED it. But it was time to let it go. Right before we had to sell it, we started seeing motorcycle wrecks everywhere, including one right in front of us where he went up under a truck - not pretty. Then I had a dream about a motorcycle wreck that really shook me, so I was ready to sell it by that point.

However, we do miss the fun and it was one hobby that we enjoyed together. So..........this year we bought a cheap little Audi convertible, and we run around in it. Same feeling (almost) with way less danger and no helmet hair!

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

I don't ride but as a nurse I've seen the ones who have been injured. I freak if someone doesn't wear a helmet!

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

A convertible is just as dangerous as a motorcycle.

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

helmets do help at low speeds mine did but at 60 or 70 doesnt seem to matter

Re: Motorcycle Riders Be Careful
 

NO WAY! It's much easier to lay down a motorcycle than to lose control of a car. Gravel or debris doesn't affect driving in a convertible.

Also, people in other vehicles tend to not see cycles and cause wrecks because of it - they can see a convertible just like any other car. So on those two points, I say it's much safer than a motorcycle.