I want to get a motercycle. A Crotch Rocket. My Dad is semi-supportive of my desire to, and the rest of my family is against it. The only reason my dad is for it, is because he had a motercycle for about 15 years. Anyway, he told me that he would be supportive, would pay for instruction classes, and would probably take it for a drive with me, but then he told me “there are two kinds of motercyclists: Ones that have fallen, and ones that will.” Sure, this scared me a little, but I still want to do it, and was wondering if there was any validity to this statement. What percentage of motercylists eventually fall down (My dad has once)?
Donorcycles.
I think the word you’re looking for is “Motorcycle”.
I have been riding for a year. I wouldn’t think of riding a bike if you haven’t taken a rider saftey course. In California there is an excellent 3-day course endorsed by the CHP. In fact, by taking the class, you can lower your insurance and skip the DMV riding test.
I did some research last year and found this resource to be an excellent reference for why motorcycle accidents happen and who the victims are statistically speaking.
http://www.bmwscruz.com/tech/tech006.html
I encourage you to remember the number one lesson “Do not ride over your abilities”. This means take it easy on the crotch rocket and you should be fine…
I have been riding street motorcycles consistently for about 8 years. I have fallen once turning around at about 1mph in a dirt parking lot, turning around at about 1mph on a sandy spot, and turning around at about 1mph in a muddy spot.
I ride smart, I am VERY aware of other vehicles, I do not pop wheelies, speed excessively, weave in and out of traffic, do tricks of any kind, or otherwise act in ways I consider dangerous. And I feel like I have been lucky not to have an accident, cars CANNOT see you. In my opinion, folks on crotch rockets are more likely to do dangerous things. I have yet to see crash data including motorcycle style.
My wife won’t let me have a motorbike (actually not true, she would just be exceptionally unhappy if I did); she used to work as a nurse in an orthopaedic ward and a significant proportion of her patients were victims of motorcycle accidents being put back together.
“Ah yes”, I said “but I bet most of the accidents were caused by cars.”
“Mmm”, she replied “and when you are being scraped off the road that statistic will make you feel better?”
Yes and No. Most riders I know, though not all, have had some sort of accident. The type of accident varies though. I’ve been down a couple of times, mostly due to crap on the road, oil, wet road etc.
I would take the class. That will reduce your chances of having a seroius accident. Also be careful of the type of bike you ride. There’s NO need for most people to have a bike that can do 180mph+. A 600cc bike will be just as good and be more forgiving.
Next is good clothing. Boots, jacket, helmet pants. I tried the other day for the first time to take a ride sans jacket. It was hot and humid. I wanted to know the difference with and without a jacket. I found no real difference in how hot I was, that and the sun will not be kind to you after a few hours. So no matter what someone tells you a jacket and pants are a good thing.
I’ve been thinking about all the accidents I’ve heard about lately and most have been due to road conditions and not other cars. I will say though that I do not hang out with a lot of sport bikers so my perspective is skewed. I will however not tell you about the accident involving the guy doing 150+ in a 45 zone. Then again you’re here so I would think that you wouldn’t be that foolish.
I have been riding for about 6 years, mostly “crotch rockets” (proper term is “sportbikes”), and I have been racing them for 3 years. I have crashed at everything from just a few mph to about 120 mph (on a track), but in all but one case was minimally hurt. That one, at about 50 mph, I broke my wrist. The lack of injuries is due to my wearing the proper protective equipment. Jeans offer virtually nil protection, by the way. I know.
My first accident was after riding for all of 3 weeks. My second one was about 3 months into my riding career, and it totaled the bike. Unless you’re just putting around, afraid to learn how to actually ride the bike, you will crash. Get a cheap, used bike, so you don’t mind a few scratches.
And take the course.
I also recomend a rider safety course. It will help you be aware of dangerous situations that arise and let you know how to best deal with them to hopefully avoid an accident. I used to ride regularly and have only dropped my bike once. I was riding an inexperienced passenger and she went to put her foot down at a stoplight. The unexpected weight shift caused me to drop it. Other than that I have not had any accidents. Good luck and be careful.
John
Also, any of the newer 600cc sportbikes will kill you just as fast as a liter class bike. Stay away from the r6, GSXR-600, and CBR600F4.
Look for an older CBR F2, or a FZR-600.
I agree with your dad. It is not a matter of if but when. I always wanted a bike so I purchased one the first chance I got. I was careful and I did not do dare-devil types of things. Wrecked anyway. Thank God I was wearing a helmet. Only a few stitches and a nasty strawberry. Sold the bike.
After a few years, I forgot what that felt like so I bought another bike. This guy pulled out in front of me as if I was invisible. I slid and laid it down or I should say, it laid itself down. Damaged the bike but I escaped uninjured. Sold the bike.
My best friend’s brother was killed on a bike. A lady I teach with has just returned to work after taking almost 4 months to tend to her son. He is currently in the halo (sp?)… the thing they drill and attach to your skull. He was in ICU for what seemed like forever.
Nobody could have talked me out of getting a bike. So… take the class and be respectful of your life. You are not invincible. I strongly encourage you to not use a bike as your primary means of transportation. This puts you on the road when conditions are unfavorable.
Strongest Advice / Warning People will not watch for you or see you. Automobile drivers just don’t look for motorcycles. It is almost like being invisible. NOT INVINCIBLE!