Thinking of quitting street bikes...anyone one else on the same page? (speeding, ABS)

[Vf6cruiser]

Two separate bike deaths this morning in SoCal......both in car pool lanes........and this is light Sunday morn........should not be happening......tough place to ride

[HappyRider]

Originally Posted by Blondebaerde

You just described I learned how to ride on offense, not defense which IMO is stupid: very few battles, day to day, are won by reacting to the enemy or waiting for him to take the initiative.

I feel the same way. You have to make THEM fear you. Take command of the road, push ahead, press on. Timid riders are in far more danger of getting run over. Hesitate at your own peril.

[StealthRabbit]

Lost a 57 YO friend yesterday.

Center punched by a 'red-light runner' (car)

Broke his Indian in half, so it was a direct hit.

[willc86]

Originally Posted by Ttark

^^ What allo66 said.

OP, look into a multisport or better yet an enduro; do the roadworthy and registration on it. See if you can get a trade-in for your current roady. It'll serve its function as a dirt bike/trails bike plus you will still have a street-worthy bike in case you need it. Don't just give up on one type of riding because you're concentrating on another. It's better to have something and not need it right away than to need it right away and not have it.

And yes, if you want to live life the hard way you can make a motocross bike roadworthy but it involves modifications (sometimes extensively, depending how far your state's DMV's head is stuck up its ass) to the bike to get it roadworthy. It's doable; not something to be considered lightly but it's lots of fun once it's ready to go. Been there, did it. Ever wanted to go straight from the road into the trails and back home again without missing a beat changing bikes?

i have 4 dirtbikes already haha. I definitely get my fix offroading! rather get bruised, cut, sprains and fractures vs death at this point so I think I might call it quits on the road. been still daily riding, and still no close call (knock on wood) but its those factors you cant control...someone runs a red dead light...car from other lane runs into ours, etc. i know chances are super low...like a stick impaling me on the trails..super low


but I think I might trade in my bike for a 701 husqvarna and just use that to trail hop and do "some" road riding. I mean I know the chances of crashing is very low if you are very careful, aware, keep your distance, and use saftey measure

[cvetters63]

This was my bike for a few years:






As much as I enjoyed riding, it felt like damn near no one could see me. I even had a guy in an F150 pull up at a stop sign, look me in the eye and pull out in front of me so close that even reacting quickly, I bounced off his door. He then got startled and had a "where'd you come from" look in his eyes. This was back in the '90s before people were all distracted by cell phones. Nowadays, it seems just too problematic.


I still want an '88 Honda Super Magna, though. But I get all my open air thrills in a convertible these days. More stable and more meat around me in case of "other driver stupidity."

[motordavid]

^ Nice Honda 600 Scoot above...I still have my 1987 Honda Hurricane 1000, since new.
Although I had been riding 21+ years when I bought it back in May '87, it was my first really 'go fast' bike.

Until a couple years ago, I rode it often, though diminishing in trip length/frequency.

It is one of my 3 m/cycles in the garage, and I may sell it to a local Indie who has eyed it for years, at a very low price as its 'value' is slim via used m'cycle mkt.

I can still ride it, but at 72, I don't bend like I used to and its 'comfort level' which was minimal in my younger years is now arduous in feel. Helluva m'cycle though, esp for its time and was/is damn fast and handled well, and nothing ever 'broke'.

This scoot may be 'gone' soon, and thinking hard about the remaining two M/Cs, as I consider giving up the exhilarating and enjoyable hobby/sport I have enjoyed for 56+ years...
GL, mD

[hapaleeretired]

Motordavid, take a Goldwing for a test ride.
Due to my wife's poor health she had to give up "nagavating". It's something we took up so we could recreate together and had a blast doing it for thirty years.
But, I don't enjoy it as much and do most of my riding locally which is becoming more dangerous every day.
This was punched home last Friday when a 22 year old female hit the rear of our Subaru with 2800 miles on it. "Her brakes jammed". Collision center agreed with me...….she didn't touch her brakes. Wife is sore (has had three back surgeries and JUST gotten over a neck surgery) but is doing OK. (NOT signing any medical releases). But, had that been me on my bike I'd be dead.
Pulled up beside a guy on a Harley last hear and told him I loved his Tee shirt and had to have one" HOW'D YOU LIKE THAT CELL PHONE SHOVED UP YOUR ASS?
Always said that when I got scared of it I would give it up.

[motordavid]

^ Of my three current m/cycles, one is a '94 GW Aspencade, that has hauled me & my CEO all around NY,NE, the Maritimes, Upper Quebec, and 5 coast to coast trips. Still runs very well, but it may depart my garage also, as we don't m/c trips these days; the VetteVert is 'almost as much fun' and more comfortable.

I have ridden dozens of newer GWs as many of our friends have the later iterations.

I do like the current 'slightly stripped' down base GW, for cruising around our mtns...

I may toss both my '87 Hurricane 1000, the '94 Gold Wing and keep my '75 HD Shovelhead.

[hapaleeretired]

Ever ride Nc181 from Morganton to Jonas Ridge?
If not, ride it, stop at Christa's and tell 'em I said hello.

[ACRizona]

Back in some-small-town 1955, I was hit by a car while riding my Cushman scooter. My leg was broken.
For the next 50 years, everytime I saw a chrome bumper, my leg would ache.

Today, I'm too old to challenge big-city-traffic,,, and modern cars don't have chrome bumpers !

I still have my off-road-enduro-bikes safe in the garage. The Harley is gone. I am a AMA Life member. What is a Ninja ?