I took my first ride at about 6 years old on the back of my uncle’s motorcycle in Pakistan. You think drivers here in the U.S. are scary? Drivers in a third-world country are downright terrifying. Regardless, I was hooked. I grew up watching Ponch ride around on his Kawi in ChiPs and had a BigWheel that looked just like it. One of my friend’s stepdads owned a softail and I remember we used to just go out to the garage and stare at it.. we weren’t allowed to “touch” the Hog. I’ve had a long love affair with motorcycles. I always wanted one, and against my mother’s wishes, I finally got one when I was about 21. I can’t even remember how many I have owned now.
If you’re not really passionate about it, and you don’t feel like you need to do it.. don’t do it. There’s plenty of other fun and probably less dangerous things you could pursue. Like the fellow above recommending jet skis said.
But if you were to choose to ride.. I have to tell you, it is an exhilarating feeling of freedom and spirituality all rolled into a two-wheeled package of rubber, metal, and exceptional power-to-weight ratio.
A lot of folks on here keep saying, it’s not about you.. it’s the other people on the road you have to worry about. Yes. That is true, but as a motorcyclist, you can’t just expect people to do the right thing. Your level of attention needs to be many times higher than what it is when you drive a car. On a motorcycle, lots of things can kill you. Things you wouldn’t even think about in a car. Like debris on the road, improper tire pressure or a blowout, an oil spill, and most of all the inattentive drivers. As a motorcyclist, you have to be extra vigilant, and anticipate everything that could go wrong. I have had close calls. I am sure every rider has, but there’s a level of attention and respect for the machine as well as understanding your limits that keeps close calls from becoming disasters.
Some folks said that safety courses don’t cut it. You still need to take a safety course. And then practice and exercise good judgment. Know your limits. Know yourself. Are you pretty clumsy? Maybe don’t ride. Do you have a good sense of balance? Are you a good bicyclist? Know how to drive stick? You might do just fine. Safety courses are important, basic level and advanced. When your life is on the line, you can’t expect others to be looking out for you, you have to look out for yourself AND the other rider/driver/obstacle/whatever.
Safety gear is incredibly important. Helmets make the difference between life and death when the accident comes. Not all accidents are crazy 90 mph with the rider flying thru the air and dying or ending up in a vegetative state. People cite that old saying about 2 types of riders.. those that have been down and those that are going down. Sure. A lot of riders have been down at 5mph in a parking lot. Wasn’t necessarily glamorous but it serves as a reminder to pay attention. I wasn’t always the best about wearing a helmet. Everyone always wants to look cool. When I had my first kid, something changed. I began wearing a helmet religiously. I stopped worrying about keeping up with my friends if they were riding in a manner that I felt was unsafe. As long as you pay attention, gear up, and ride your own ride, you ought to be fine.
Motorcycles are extremely agile vehicles if you learn to ride and maintain them properly. The sad reality is that many motorcyclists learn how to ride and are prepared for normal conditions, but never think about practicing accident avoidance. Most people learn how to ride straight, turn, and stop.. but don’t bother learning how to swerve, or how to stop quickly and suddenly.. or.. how to speed up to avoid an accident.
I’ve got 2 sons. One is 2 and the other one is 4. I wouldn’t try to force them to like motorcycles, but if they one day decided they’d like to ride.. I would consider myself blessed to be able to ride alongside my boys.
You don’t have to be a statistic. If you use your head. Choosing to ride is a very personal decision and no one can really tell you what to do. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!
Edit: I ended up buying the Harley from my friend’s stepdad
If you’re not really passionate about it, and you don’t feel like you need to do it.. don’t do it. There’s plenty of other fun and probably less dangerous things you could pursue. Like the fellow above recommending jet skis said.
But if you were to choose to ride.. I have to tell you, it is an exhilarating feeling of freedom and spirituality all rolled into a two-wheeled package of rubber, metal, and exceptional power-to-weight ratio.
A lot of folks on here keep saying, it’s not about you.. it’s the other people on the road you have to worry about. Yes. That is true, but as a motorcyclist, you can’t just expect people to do the right thing. Your level of attention needs to be many times higher than what it is when you drive a car. On a motorcycle, lots of things can kill you. Things you wouldn’t even think about in a car. Like debris on the road, improper tire pressure or a blowout, an oil spill, and most of all the inattentive drivers. As a motorcyclist, you have to be extra vigilant, and anticipate everything that could go wrong. I have had close calls. I am sure every rider has, but there’s a level of attention and respect for the machine as well as understanding your limits that keeps close calls from becoming disasters.
Some folks said that safety courses don’t cut it. You still need to take a safety course. And then practice and exercise good judgment. Know your limits. Know yourself. Are you pretty clumsy? Maybe don’t ride. Do you have a good sense of balance? Are you a good bicyclist? Know how to drive stick? You might do just fine. Safety courses are important, basic level and advanced. When your life is on the line, you can’t expect others to be looking out for you, you have to look out for yourself AND the other rider/driver/obstacle/whatever.
Safety gear is incredibly important. Helmets make the difference between life and death when the accident comes. Not all accidents are crazy 90 mph with the rider flying thru the air and dying or ending up in a vegetative state. People cite that old saying about 2 types of riders.. those that have been down and those that are going down. Sure. A lot of riders have been down at 5mph in a parking lot. Wasn’t necessarily glamorous but it serves as a reminder to pay attention. I wasn’t always the best about wearing a helmet. Everyone always wants to look cool. When I had my first kid, something changed. I began wearing a helmet religiously. I stopped worrying about keeping up with my friends if they were riding in a manner that I felt was unsafe. As long as you pay attention, gear up, and ride your own ride, you ought to be fine.
Motorcycles are extremely agile vehicles if you learn to ride and maintain them properly. The sad reality is that many motorcyclists learn how to ride and are prepared for normal conditions, but never think about practicing accident avoidance. Most people learn how to ride straight, turn, and stop.. but don’t bother learning how to swerve, or how to stop quickly and suddenly.. or.. how to speed up to avoid an accident.
I’ve got 2 sons. One is 2 and the other one is 4. I wouldn’t try to force them to like motorcycles, but if they one day decided they’d like to ride.. I would consider myself blessed to be able to ride alongside my boys.
You don’t have to be a statistic. If you use your head. Choosing to ride is a very personal decision and no one can really tell you what to do. Best of luck to you in whatever you decide!
Edit: I ended up buying the Harley from my friend’s stepdad
If you feel uncomfortable getting the bike and your gut tells you it's not a good idea, then don't get it. Otherwise, take a safety course...practice, practice, practice, ride safe, and have fun. Life is short...
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