Traded the VFR in towards an 05 Mercedes E55 (Arguably faster than alot of bikes). I loved the VFR (best bike for my riding style hands down) but was running on very little time to ride it with a busy family and work lifestyle.
Tipping the desicion scale for me.....My last ride was a bit sobering for a dad of four. One of the young guys riding with us in the Texas hill country lost control of his bike (R6) and crashed bad. He rode past his limits or his bikes (or both), but wore all of the gear. I did not see the wreck, just the before and after. The guy who saw the wreck happen said his bike looked like it went into the wobbles (probably at ludirous speeds), then flipped and they met a guardrail. (It was hard for the witness to tell the exact cause since he saw it in his mirror.) He lost his left arm at the shoulder, lost his left foot at the ankle, broke both legs, broke the remaining arm, had head injuries, and severed his spleen. He is only in his mid 20's and luckily is not supporting a family. I had only met him at the begining of this ride, but could see the signs of no fear of the inevitable. This happened about 2 and a half months ago and he just got out of the Hospital about a week ago.
It woke me up thinking about my family trying to get by with me holding them down in the hospital under some serious bills even with great insurance. I loved riding, loved the VFR, but need to get some kids raised before I get too selfish. I was slow in the straights, but really enjoyed the "spirited" twisties.
Thanks to all of you for the information and entertainment on this site.
Ride safe, enjoy, and see you in a dozen or so years back in the Texas Twisties!
Everyone must do what they think is right...for themselves...for their families...whether that means riding below your abilities, or simply giving up the sport. It takes a real stand-up individual to really be themselves standing on their choices no matter what. Congrats, and Good Luck.......... :fing02:
It sounds like you're making a smart decision, I witnessed a similar accident and it's hard to get those things out of your head when riding.
Enjoy the E55 and make sure you set aside alot of money for new tires they go through them pretty quick especially if you're not very careful with the loud pedal :biggrin:
I gave it up for a few years after a close friend lost his lower left leg to a drunk driver. It took me several years to enjoy bikes again. Enjoy the Merc.
I understand trying to minimize your risks and no doubt getting off the bike should help, but remember, anything can happen anytime.
I've spent a lot of the last year visiting my mother in Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. She is young (63) and was very healthy until leukemia was found. Anyway, I've been a lot of great people there... young and old, rich and poor. The thing is that they were all surprised to get sick and none of them thought that it would happen to them. So, enjoy everyday and don't be afraid of living to the fullest. That said, I really respect your concern for your family responsibilities.
Well, the E55 and its 469HP (yes, almost 500!) should keep you entertained until you get back on a bike.
Sorry to hear you're hanging it up for awhile, but congrats on the sweet new wheels! :)
I think a healthy dose of fear is a good thing. I did a 300-mile ride in some great Ohio twisties yesterday and didn't have one butt-pucker moment all day. Yes, I rode semi-conservatively, and I still had a blast. I have too much to lose to risk it all by trying to ride faster than I should.
That being said, I can't give this up. Yes I'm taking risks everything I ride, but I also took a risk Friday night by choosing a nice juicy steak for dinner instead of a healthier grilled chicken salad.
My point is that I choose to live life to its fullest. I respect anyone who decides riding isn't worth those risks, but motorcycling is in my blood. It would take something monumental for me to give it up.
[image: View Post]slowf2337, on Oct 6 2008, 09:18 PM, said:
I gave it up for a few years after a close friend lost his lower left leg to a drunk driver. It took me several years to enjoy bikes again. Enjoy the Merc.
enjoy the MERZ, as I'm sure you aint pushing a Mercury. (sorry, but thats a rookie cop mistake):rolleyes:
anyway look at it like this:
any positive step taken for the sake of your family is a good one and un-reproachable. Good luck and maybe you will be back on a 2015 VFR-RR
I stopped riding for about 5 years after our youngest was born (partly due to having to drive the kids to school every day). Anyway, it just didn't feel right. The good news: the kids are older, and it's great to be riding again.
Never say never.
Everyone has responsibilities and must draw that line in the sands of risk where they think it should be. No one can tell you where it should be. I would never be so presumptuous as to tell another person what they should or should assume as a risk. All of us must do what our inner voice tells us to do, but don't let that voice become a nagging fear of dieing, ruling your life. Life is to be lived. That's why it's called living, not existing.
There's a reason people seek out things that scare or thrill them. It's part of the human condition. Whether it's a roller coaster or a haunted house at Halloween, sky diving or hauling ass around twisty roads on a motorcycle, everyone seeks it out in some form. Some are content to watch a scary movie. Others play Russian roulette. Most of us fall somewhere in between. Some of us are not comfortable with the risk vs. rewards of the thrills we love because of outside influences. Then we are forced to take a step back because we love the outside influences more than our thrill seeking passion. There's nothing wrong with that.
That being said, here's some food for thought. This isn't directed towards you personally. It's just how I see life from behind my own beady little eyes.
1. I left work today at lunch time and there was a car pulled up to the curb half way down the block with the hazard lights flashing. The driver was standing in the street leaning against the left front fender looking at his feet. As I passed by, I could see a woman sitting on the curb by the right front fender holding her leg and crying while a couple of people were comforting her. It was obvious that she had stepped into the street and been clipped by the passing car and everyone was waiting for the Military Police and ambulance to arrive.
2. About a year ago my mother was on a step stool in her kitchen reaching for a dish on a high shelf. The step was maybe a foot off the ground. Somehow she managed to fall off of it and broke her ankle. The bone was poking out and there was blood all over the place. After an ambulance trip and a week in the hospital having surgery to put a plate and screws in to patch her back together, she was on crutches for a month or so before she could walk again.
3. Last March, my dad got out of bed one morning to go to the bathroom and collapsed from a brain hemorrhage. He never regained consciousness and passed away 15 days later.
None of these people were engaging in particularly hazardous activities, but they all met face to face with an unexpected turn of events that either changed their life or ended it when they least expected it. There are no guarantees in life except that you will one day meet your maker. Maybe it will be when you get out of bed to use the bathroom. Maybe you'll be sitting in the comfort of your home reading this forum when a meteorite comes out of deep space to snuff you out, or a drunk crashes into you while you are watering the flowers in the front yard. There's no telling.
One of my greatest fears is being 80 years old and saying to myself with the sad resignation that will come with the realization that I am no longer physically capable of doing some things; "I should have done this" or "I should have tried that".
We only get to go on this ride called life once. We better ride it with our eyes wide open. We don't have the luxury of getting back in line and riding it a second time because the first time around our eyes were clenched shut with fear. If I get killed or maimed in the process, that's part of life too.
Good luck and enjoy the short time you have with your kids while they are growing up. I'm pretty sure you will be one of the guys that realizes that you never got motorcycling out of your system and return to it again when the time and circumstances are right for you.
See ya in twenty years. I'll be the old gray wrinkled bastage on that ancient 2006 VFR waving at you when you ride by. :fing02:
Congrats on thinking of your family first, as we all tend to think of our own desires way too much these days. Post up a quick picture of that new Mercedes(naturally with a VFR in front of it)
[image: View Post]RRW, on Oct 6 2008, 08:14 PM, said:
Everyone has responsibilities and must draw that line in the sands of risk where they think it should be. No one can tell you where it should be. I would never be so presumptuous as to tell another person what they should or should assume as a risk. All of us must do what our inner voice tells us to do, but don't let that voice become a nagging fear of dieing, ruling your life. Life is to be lived. That's why it's called living, not existing.
There's a reason people seek out things that scare or thrill them. It's part of the human condition. Whether it's a roller coaster or a haunted house at Halloween, sky diving or hauling ass around twisty roads on a motorcycle, everyone seeks it out in some form. Some are content to watch a scary movie. Others play Russian roulette. Most of us fall somewhere in between. Some of us are not comfortable with the risk vs. rewards of the thrills we love because of outside influences. Then we are forced to take a step back because we love the outside influences more than our thrill seeking passion. There's nothing wrong with that.
That being said, here's some food for thought. This isn't directed towards you personally. It's just how I see life from behind my own beady little eyes.
1. I left work today at lunch time and there was a car pulled up to the curb half way down the block with the hazard lights flashing. The driver was standing in the street leaning against the left front fender looking at his feet. As I passed by, I could see a woman sitting on the curb by the right front fender holding her leg and crying while a couple of people were comforting her. It was obvious that she had stepped into the street and been clipped by the passing car and everyone was waiting for the Military Police and ambulance to arrive.
2. About a year ago my mother was on a step stool in her kitchen reaching for a dish on a high shelf. The step was maybe a foot off the ground. Somehow she managed to fall off of it and broke her ankle. The bone was poking out and there was blood all over the place. After an ambulance trip and a week in the hospital having surgery to put a plate and screws in to patch her back together, she was on crutches for a month or so before she could walk again.
3. Last March, my dad got out of bed one morning to go to the bathroom and collapsed from a brain hemorrhage. He never regained consciousness and passed away 15 days later.
None of these people were engaging in particularly hazardous activities, but they all met face to face with an unexpected turn of events that either changed their life or ended it when they least expected it. There are no guarantees in life except that you will one day meet your maker. Maybe it will be when you get out of bed to use the bathroom. Maybe you'll be sitting in the comfort of your home reading this forum when a meteorite comes out of deep space to snuff you out, or a drunk crashes into you while you are watering the flowers in the front yard. There's no telling.
One of my greatest fears is being 80 years old and saying to myself with the sad resignation that will come with the realization that I am no longer physically capable of doing some things; "I should have done this" or "I should have tried that".
We only get to go on this ride called life once. We better ride it with our eyes wide open. We don't have the luxury of getting back in line and riding it a second time because the first time around our eyes were clenched shut with fear. If I get killed or maimed in the process, that's part of life too.
Good luck and enjoy the short time you have with your kids while they are growing up. I'm pretty sure you will be one of the guys that realizes that you never got motorcycling out of your system and return to it again when the time and circumstances are right for you.
See ya in twenty years. I'll be the old gray wrinkled bastage on that ancient 2006 VFR waving at you when you ride by. :fing02:
:+1:
Well put Mike! I like to think of it as a calculated risk/reward type thing.
Hey Chingadero,
What a classy way to sign off. Good example for all. Enjoy your pursuits. There is no reason to belabor the passing of one passion for the next. Motorcycling can be unforgiving to those who do not recognize when it's time to move on or slow down. Have a great time with your new passion.
Bob
Even after so many years of riding accident free (knock on wood!) I still catch myself sometimes pushing the envelope too close for comfort sometimes like coming in too hot into a curve and having to throw the anchors down hard that I swear, I'm lifting the rear wheel on my bike. I end up kicking myself right after and then then telling, sometimes shouting to myself inside my helmet that I'm so stupid for goofing up. But I still end up doing the same stupid thing again a few rides later, regardless. The excitement of the ride and getting caught up in the "red mist" is something that's just always there ready to pull us into stupid riding technics like a mermaid does a sailor. We just always have to remind ourselves as much as possible that this is a dangerous sport and we have to keep our heads together as much as possible, if we are to survive.
Stay safe and keep the shiney side up everyone!
JMOs
Unfortunatly a wreck in the hill country is pretty common thing, at least they got to him in a reasonable enough time. Everyone loves riding out there, including me when I lived in San Antonio, but I would always give the same speech if I took some one up there. Ride your own ride, we will all stop and wait until we have everyone before we go on. Before I left San Antonio, I stopped taking people up there because I was afraid of them getting hurt. I am by no means Valentino Rossi, and I enjoy riding with faster riders because of the challenge, but I know when enough is enough. Sorry to hear about you hanging it up. I don't think you'll want to cruise 337, or Park Road 37 in the Merc, but you could always blast down 211.
End of thread · 22 posts recoveredWayback Machine snapshot 12 Apr 2010