[kriskulseth]

Do you guys ever think about if riding however much fun it is, is worth it? My buddy was just paralysed in a rafting accident and it has really made me take a different look at it... I use to have the attiude that fuck it I love to ride and im not going to not do the things I love because of the risk of getting injured bad is up there... I was there when he was paralysed and with him everyday at the hospitol since and its just put a total different spin on things for me... I cant imagine being paralysed the rest of my life and not being able to do the things I want especially being just 21... I dont worry about my skill just about the other drivers... But then again if its not riding it will be something else I'll be doin to get that rush so who knows...

 

[Guest]

if i ever get in a wreck, i want it to be where i recover 100%, or just not make it at all

i really dont wanna be fucked up like that for the rest of my life

 

[motostunter]

I Have wrecked a few times,
#1 - cut off and laid bike down at 45
#2 - rear ended at a stop light
#3 - end over end at 65

I still ride, yes it is worth it. No other feeling like it in the world.

--Nate

 

[adamJ]

Would you rather be paralyzed in a minivan accident or at work and never had a rush in your life b/c you were too afraid to do anything fun? accidents happen even during the most mundane of activities. but it's still up to how you blance hapiness against risk.

for me, as long as i can manage to make a life worth living, before it's over or limited i'll be happy.



and here's atleast one example of some who likes riding so much he didnt' stop even after he was paralyzed http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=266113

 

[wharthog3II]

Your friend's situation is the perfect example of why not to give up riding. You can be hurt in any number of ways, to give up something that is loved just because of the "what ifs" doesn't make sense because you might still be injured in another way.

 

[burtonsbs5114]

i completely agree w/ the posts above, like wharthog's. My manager at my summer/winter break job likes to give me shit aobut riding. Its in a friendly, jokingly way. He tells me im gonnadie, and i always reply, id rather die doing something i love, and being happy, then die just some mondane way.

 

[Sanjose636]

In the words of Tyron (Crackhead on Chappel Show) " Gotta play to win." If I couldn't ride or sling the dick, put a bullet in my head cause that ain't living.

 

[reintr0ducing]

i guess it all depends on the person. my buddies cousin just gave up riding b/c someone cut him off and he laid his bike down. i crashed and rode my bike home with the only thought of "how much will this cost to fix?"

 

[FightingFalcon]

people look at it the wrong way.....if they crash they look at that one ride and say "was it worth it"? as opposed to saying, was your entire experience worth it?

tomorrow i could wake up and the ceiling could fall on me. i could slip and break my neck in the shower. i could get cancer and slowly die....

my brother's best friend just died of cancer tonight. kid was extremely healthy and never did any drugs. he was hit with a rare form of cancer a couple years ago that no doctor could cure. only a few hundred people are hit with it a year.

meanwhile, my friend lost his leg because he was "horsing around" (hate to use that term but cant think of any other one) after school one day and his leg accidentally went through a window.

who knows what tomorrow has in store for you. my friends ask me why I do it....why add risk to your life? i never answer because they dont understand. but id rather die at age 21 and have LIVED than die at age 80 and wonder what the FUCK i did with my life....

 

[Three Sheets]

i just wrecked doing a 100+ and broke hella shit and i want to get another bike. maybe its selfish, but riding is something i enjoy doing so im going to do it.

 

[Maineac]

I watched a friend recover from a broken back suffered playing ice hockey, I watched another die of cancer. I'm still playing hockey, and I started riding a year ago - accidents happen all over the place, you need to enjoy life while it lasts.

Would I change my mind if I had kids depending on me? Perhaps. But for now . . . where did I leave my helmet?

 

[hokie636]

Keep riding bro! Enjoy it while you can. If you don't you'll look back later in life and regret it. It's not about what if's, if that was the case people wouldn't achieve anything in life.

 

[99Ninja6r]

Don't sell your bike because of fear. The day you sell it, you could die in a car accident, you never know.

When you ride, try and minimize your risk:

KNOW the road. Ride down it slowly first and keep an eye out for gravel and other hazards. You never know whats around the next bend or over the next hill.

Pretend you are INVISIBLE. When coming to an intersection, EXPECT that car to pull out. Look at your escape routes and be prepared.

Learn to READ other drivers. pretend its a sport and you are playing defense. know their next move. feel the flow of trafic and know the goals of the other drivers (example: drive as safely as possible; pass every car on the road; eat breakfast while talking on the phone). 99% of all stupid moves can be predicted. take mental note of their driving style and watch their head and hands to know if they are going to lane-change right in front of you.

Don't pass on the double yellow. Its not worth it, you'll just get stuck behind another slow idiot.

Use (not so)common sense. Don't speed through towns or residential areas. don't wheelie over blind hills.

Always wear your gear. (sometimes I don't when I know I won't be going over 30 mph just a couple blocks away)

Don't give up something that you love for fear of getting hurt. Just try to do it as safely as possible. example: I don't stop doin' my girlfriend for fear of pregnancy, I've got protection and she takes the pill.

 

[killer2600]

A quote comes to mind with all of this "Get busy living, or get busy dying"

 

[iroman]

Unless a rider has some degree of mental retardation, I am almost sure that 99.99% of all riders are aware of the risks involved in riding a motorcycle; if they are not, they've got plenty of people around them that remind them of the risks. So everytime we hop on our bikes, turn the key, and take-off onto the roads, we assume that risk and its consequences. It's not a matter of whether it's worth it or not, it's a matter of whether you allow fear to rule the way you live. If the latter wins, then the best thing to do is never leave your home. Unless you commit suicide, you don't choose the way you are going to go, people have died from tripping on a crack in the sidewalk or choking on a small piece of food, should we stop walking on sidewalks or eating??? It's a bit of a stretch, but the truth is that when your time comes, there's no way around it...

If you truly are questioning whether it's worth it or not, then I say maybe it is not for you.

 

[carlos durrah]

I think if you believe something strongly enough, it will come true. if you sit on that bike and the first thing you think about is the risk of dying that day, then you are putting yourself at a much greater risk than the guy that gets on thinking about enjoying the ride. to me, riding is hell of a lot more mental than physical. you really have to believe in yourself and love what you are doing out there on that road. I have to agree that if the the fear of dying crosses your mind more than the excitment of riding; no offense but perhaps you should find a safer hobby.

 

[richo6r]

Guys, guys, don't ever quit doing the things you love to do for fear of having an accident. deadly accidents can happen anytime,anywhere whether you're riding a scooter or a Ford Excursion, even taking a walk in the park.

Just to put it on perspective:

A friend's mom had been giving cancer a fight for like 15 years, last month she slipped in the tub and died. Rest In Peace. She'll be missed.