Advisability of occassional riding

[cv_rider]

Recently, I've been doing some soul-searching on if the risk-reward ratio of motorcycling adds up for my lifestyle (weighing heavily on that is having a 5 and 7 yr old). I have this niggling concern that something awful is down the road if I keep logging too many miles. I've considered some actions, ranging from continuing to focus on safe riding and ignore those concerns; to selling the FZ6 and bailing out of motorcycling for another decade or so; to reducing the time I spend on the motorcycle. The last idea is the topic of this thread.

With the hectic life associated with having young kids, it's hard to carve out time to do weekend trips. Most of my riding is commuting, which is still so much more enjoyable than the cage. But it's probably also the most dangerous time - crowded freeways, fast speed, all the usual hazards. One way to reduce exposure would be stop commuting on the motorcycle. That would leave me only occassional weekend rides. I'd maybe get out once or twice a month.

So I wonder on people's thoughts about being such an infrequent rider. While less miles is less opportunity for something to happen, it also means dulled skills and less predictable emergency behavior. I know a guy who rides only irregularly like that, but has decades of habits already built up. I've only logged about 12k miles in 2.5 years of riding. Even recently, as schedules resulted in no commuting for two weeks, I found I was getting out of practice. In one instance, I was on the fwy, and I thought for a moment someone was merging into my lane. I intended to brake, but instead pulled the clutch! I had been riding a bicycle much more than a motorcycle, and a bicycle habit seeped into my motorcycle behaviors (as left lever is front brake on a bicycle). Got me to thinking that perhpas you've got to stay at it regularly if you are going to do it at all.

Comments, please.

 

[alanrim]

Swap the brake levers over on the pushbike, shouldn't be too hard to do.

 

[DefyInertia]

Stop commuting on the bike

Just do weekend rides

Do a track day or two per year or some other advanced riding course to INCREASE your skills. Things like grabbing the brake are second nature to a seasoned rider regardless of how infrequently they ride.

Sleep good at night and enjoy your time with your family.

Another option is to buy a nice sportscar to tour in...

I could type about this for hours...but I'm just not up for it...this was a topic I had hoped we could discuss if we ever got a chance to ride together.

 

[rsw81]

Just for point of clarification, you've been riding for 2.5 years and have a 5 and 7 year old. This means you bought the bike while having a 2.5 year old and a 4.5 year old. How are things any different now than they were back then?

I know a lot of the guys on this forum are going to disagree with me, but I don't plan to keep riding when I start having kids for the exact same reasons you mentioned. The risk of leaving them father-less is not worth the enjoyment the bike brings me. I'll likely pick up riding again when the kids are old enough to fend for themselves (16-18ish). So if you asked me, I'd say you shouldn't have been riding in the first place 2.5 years ago.

Given that, I do love to ride and I ride as often as humanly possible (almost daily). I'm extremely glad I've gotten the few years of riding that I've gotten so far and don't plan to stop until kids come into the picture. It's a hard addiction to kick.

 

[rsw81]

Stop commuting on the bike

Just do weekend rides

Do a track day or two per year or some other advanced riding skill to INCREASE your skills

Sleep good at night and enjoy your time with your family.

Another option is to buy a nice sportscar to tour in...

Not a bad compromise.

 

[lonesoldier84]

In the opening weeks of the season, I personally am shaky on the bike. (mind you we have a 5 month off-season) This makes me go slower and ride MUCH more catiously. Just because your skills are lacking doesnt mean you are a hazard. As long as its combined with a "ride-scared" attitude u should be ok. Obviously you will try to ride with confidence but you wont be pushing bad situations.

a BIG +1 for track days. Seriously, just go to some. Get track-training. even if you have NO plans to race ever, it will expand your bike control a million-fold. Seriously, im not exaggerating. a MILLION-FOLD.

Beyond that, keep commuting if u like, but make time every week for a 2 hour ride saturday mornings or something. It will make you a much happier person and a better rider.

Personally I find I can work on my skill-set when riding solo. I pick roads and drills I want to do that day.

Isnt life great to be so worried about something so phenomenal as riding motorcycles? I used to dream about having a motorcycle when I was a kid......taking part in all of this....I feel so warm inside.....(maybe thats just the beer? ROFL)

[P.S. Innis & gunn is the best beer ever]

(edit: this was my 2000th post!! yay!! least it wasnt wasted on my usual spam.... )

 

[Kriswithak]

Its a bit of a hard subject really.....
Your worrying about the risks of riding, but can I ask a few questions:
Whats your diet like, do you exercise properly, what car (if you have one) do you drive, do you smoke, do you drink much, what industry or job are you in? Depending on the answers to these questions there might be many other items on the priority list that should be higher than determining the risks of riding a motorcycle.

Motorcycling is dangerous.
Something people forget is that the most dangerous activity most people undertake in their life is actually driving a car. People never consider this however. On a bike it is more dangerous, but the same as with a car there are many things you can do that will greatly reduce these risks.
If you don't ride often, and notice your riding skills becoming an issue then you have already picked up on a worrying area, whether it would be safer for you (and everyone else) that you use a car instead is another question altogether.
Also if you look at people riding bicycles, they are the most dangerous users on the road (here in Sydney Australia at least), they always run reds, they totally ignore road rules, they always filter then hold back traffic, they are just generally total morons. Not sure if its the same where you are, and hopefully your not like this but to me most bicycle riders are utter morons with a total disregard for everyones safety, the road rules, and just general intelligence. (you might notice a bit of bias here)

The first thing you need to ask yourself is how do you ride. If its aggressively then your more likely to be putting yourself at risk. If your the opposite and a very meek rider the same applies. Do you speed, or sit below the speed limit alot. Are you confident, do you ride in all conditions. What kind of road quality are you facing, what kind of traffic, are there any particularly risky areas while commuting? Have you had lots of accidents, lots of incidents, lots of close calls?
Do you have full protective gear - the quality stuff too, not a 90$ helmet and just a jacket.
Do you keep your bike in tip top condition.
Do you do training courses to try and improve your skills and learn new ones.

Personally I took the risks of riding into account when I got into it, I see a changed perspective when having kids as a bit strange. I mean did it not matter if you died BEFORE you had kids?
I however feel riding to be one of my passions, not just a means of transport, so obviously I am a bit biased towards it and I don't have kids.

Also I noticed last year they released figures showing scooters had a much lower accident rate than motorcycles (and much much lower fatalities), and a bit of research seemed to indicate this was because scooter riders took less risks, where not as aggressive, and just generally rode in a more balanced fashion (probably slower too). More recent govt figures did however seem to contradict this when they started saying how dangerous scooters are (but didn't compare them to motorcycles), but all government research is done with a conclusion already penned so I take them with a pinch of salt. The govt also doesn't differentiate between scooters and motorcycles, and are the masters of misrepresenting data and statistics.
Also last year I read an interesting article that actually pointed out that while motorcycle fatalities are considered a very high % of accidents its actually not the case because figures don't actually take into account minor motorcycle accidents. They are simply not recorded, so when you look at the figures here (Aus) that a motorcycle is 10x more likely to die in an accident blah blah blah(since this is worked out by motorcycle fatalaties / all motorcycle accidents) your not actually looking at anything like an accurate figure since only serious motorcycle accidents are taken into account. If all small accidents WHERE taken into account (as they generally are for cars due to insurance, medical reasons, and other factors that force it to be recorded) it was hypothesised that the huge figure that makes motorcycling more dangerous would probably be alot more realistic and alot lower. Unfortunately our systems just don't support recording motorcycle accidents because apparently the police and government don't care as long as no one was hurt.
Anyway I think I'm starting to ramble. It IS still dangerous.

You are either a rider who is constantly learning, aware of their weaknesses and shortfalls, but overcoming them by skills, experience and good riding tactics and strategies, as well as hedging your bets by having good protective gear, riding in the safest fashion, and keeping your bike in the best condition so it won't cause any problems.

Or you are just a driver on a motorcycle.

To me from your post you seem to be VERY aware of the risks and your personal skills, which is a good sign. If you are aware of problems you can fix them, or avoid them becoming an issue altogether. Someone on this forum has a VERY good signature that explains this better.
Its up to you to decide whether stopping riding is the answer, or riding less, or just continueing as before.
If your looking at becoming a weekend warrior your probably just as if not more at risk, you will be riding less, meaning your skills will dull, you will probably be out doing bigger rides on faster roads at the same time.... recipe for disaster unless you are an extremely careful and skilled rider anyway.

 

[C-bus Biker]

With a 9 y/o daughter and two sons under 5, I think about this often. I started riding as a low-cost tool to commute. It's developed into a passion from that point. I don't have the luxury of weekend trips/touring or really all that much pleasure riding. But I start my work-day off with a smile and cap it with another. Be safe and mitigate those risks through proper gear, smart riding, and be very, very paranoid. It is dangerous and I can't imagine anyone will criticize you for hanging up the helmet for a few years.

 

[Jman]

Search your feelings Luke.....no seriously - I feel that if you focus on the possibility of something bad happening it will do two things: 1) Increase the likelihood of something bad happening 2) Reduce your enjoyment of riding

I understand where you are coming from in regards to your children. For me, it is a knee-jerk reaction not to live my life in fear of bad things happening. I know there is a balance of using sensibility towards risk factors as well. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Powerman]

Get life insurance. Whether you drive a car, walk, ride a motorcycle or breath, life is a gamble. If you worry while riding it no longer becomes fun. My brother died at age 17 of a heart attack and my other brother died of cancer at age 29, so you never know.

 

[RJ2112]

......

I know a lot of the guys on this forum are going to disagree with me, but I don't plan to keep riding when I start having kids for the exact same reasons you mentioned. The risk of leaving them father-less is not worth the enjoyment the bike brings me. I'll likely pick up riding again when the kids are old enough to fend for themselves (16-18ish). ........

....... It's a hard addiction to kick.

I stopped when my son was born, and started riding again when he was 12. By then, he understood yes sir/maam, please and thank you and had seen me as a positive role model on a daily basis. Pretty much covered the basics he needed me to be there for.

From that point forward, there was a bit more 'me' time available, and I went right back to riding.

Never kicked the addiction, never wanted to.

 

[chemicalsmile]

My father was actually killed when a car pulled out in front of him on his bike. My brother and I were 3 and 4 and it was very hard on my mother. She was forced to give up on having a normal life in exchange for working constantly to support and raise two boys on her own. I suppose you think I'm retarded for riding now...most people do... Anyway, my father's family has always rode, never stopped and I sort of grew up around it and that's how I got into it. I love riding but I don't have kids yet. When/if I do, I'm switching to the track. I know a few guys who have done this and I think it's very admirable - the joy you get out of riding on the street, no matter how much you love it, is not worth altering the futures of multiple people for the worse.

 

[ANLR21]

CV, as others have noted, the simple fact that you are concerned clearly indicates that you're conscious of the hazards, but again, being an occasional rider doesn't mean you're a dangerous one. Get some track time in, get some training, it will pay off!!

There's risk in everything we do. You're right to be concerned on behalf of your young kids, but as the father of two in college, I still have the same concerns. Anything that affects me affects them as well, and I sure want to give them the best start in life possible. Doesn't stop me from riding, but I'm not dragging knees anymore either.

Go with what works best for you.

Safe travels

 

[FLuK28]

You could always take up dirtbiking and teach your children about riding. I have a friend who bought his 4 year old son a 50 with training wheels lol. It's cute.

My parents never supported me when I was younger and wanted to ride. When I was little all I dreamed about was riding a dirtbike or ATV. They thought they were too dangerous and would not buy me one. So I saved up every penny I had and bought a used Yamaha PW 80 on my own at the age of 9. I gave that bike to my brother 2 years later and bought a yz80 My little brother and I were stuck on our own to learn about riding and fixing our bikes. Having someone there to guide us along the way would have probably saved us a lot of headaches and broken bones lol.

It's a personal and respectable decision no matter what you decide to do.
In the end you will do what you feel is right and shouldn't have to justify your decision to anyone but yourself.

I would highly suggest buying 2 atvs and taking the whole family on weekend getaways. You get to spend time outdoors, with the family and ride!

 

[abacall]

^^That was going to be my suggestion as well. When kids come, the street bike goes in favor of a dirt machine. Then I can take them with me camping, and go for little rides. Hell, they'll one day get their own little machines. :rockon:

 

[Norm]

Very thoughtful topic. Thanks. I didn't start riding till my kids were older (12 and 15). I have now put on about 30,000 miles, mostly in the past 3 years. Each time I hear about the "motorcycle" stories I re-think my passion for riding. I considered trading my bike for a Mini-Cooper just this past week. But I love riding and when I'm on the bike I never think about the down sides of riding. I am of the belief that with riding I will be safer "all in" or "all out." I rode through the New England winter last year, to work and for pleasure, even as my wife yelled "You're a crazy bast@#d" as I saddled up. Riding often keeps me sharp. But with your young kids in mind my heart tells me to recommend you trade your bike in for a stick shift car. My two kids were and still are the best part of my life.


Or just get out, ride often, live for today, and stop listening to old guys on the internet.

 

[lonesoldier84]

I stopped when my son was born, and started riding again when he was 12. By then, he understood yes sir/maam, please and thank you and had seen me as a positive role model on a daily basis. Pretty much covered the basics he needed me to be there for.

From that point forward, there was a bit more 'me' time available, and I went right back to riding.

Never kicked the addiction, never wanted to.

I love this logic. Someone get that man a beer.

 

[jmerch44]

Get life insurance. Whether you drive a car, walk, ride a motorcycle or breath, life is a gamble. If you worry while riding it no longer becomes fun. My brother died at age 17 of a heart attack and my other brother died of cancer at age 29, so you never know.

I agree! After two tours in Iraq, a horrible roll over accident and working in a prison everyday, I firmly believe that you go when its your time. You're gonna die on the day your're suppose to die, whether thats on a bike or in your big armored suv. This is purely my opinion, and I have no idea what you're religious beliefs are. I place my life fully in the hands of the lord because he's the only reason I made it this far. If riding isnt that important to you, then you should hang it up. Why risk your life for something that isnt a passion anyway(if you believe you control your own fate). If it is a passion, just leave anything that qualifies you as a squid in your past and start riding like an adult ( I dont btw, LOL). Whatever your choice, I wish you the best of luck.

 

[Norm]

I agree! After two tours in Iraq, a horrible roll over accident and working in a prison everyday, I firmly believe that you go when its your time. You're gonna die on the day your're suppose to die, whether thats on a bike or in your big armored suv. This is purely my opinion, and I have no idea what you're religious beliefs are. I place my life fully in the hands of the lord because he's the only reason I made it this far. If riding isnt that important to you, then you should hang it up. Why risk your life for something that isnt a passion anyway(if you believe you control your own fate). If it is a passion, just leave anything that qualifies you as a squid in your past and start riding like an adult ( I dont btw, LOL). Whatever your choice, I wish you the best of luck.

Good advice and thank youu for your service!

 

[zmeiaspas]

I don't have kids and my advice would really be worthless but all I know is that living in Cali and not riding is a crime against humanity.