Crashes in the news & significant others

Blackfin

Blackfin

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On my way into work this morning (took the STi since major thunderstorms were rolling through KW this morning) I came across a closed intersection: motorcycle meets car.

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It happened at ~7am. Road would have been fairly quiet at that time. Some accounts say the Goldwing was trying to beat a yellow while the Ford Focus was turning left, not a good combination. Driver was unhurt, rider was airlifted to Hamilton with serious injuries.

Me -- with my M1 and MSF course under my belt and about a week's riding experience on a new CBR500R -- and my wife will be watching the news together tonight and when this story, showing the smashed bike and crumpled Focus, flashes up I will feel the steely glare of my wife's fears and trepidations about me riding burning a hole into my head.

How do others deal with this -- i.e. significant others seeing road carnage? I know riding is more dangerous than driving but feel that simply slowing down, risk management and situational awareness can go a long way to making it somewhat less hazardous. How can I ameliorate some of her fears besides trying these rational arguments?

Changing the channels is not an option :)
 
you ride you take a risk. This is the unfortunate reality. In fact if you drive walk, ride the train, you take a risk. The level of risk and the potential implications becomes the sliding scale.

You yourself are the only person that can determine what level of risk you wish to accept. This is also why some people ride full face, open face, ATGATT, short and flip flops...

My wife also rides, so the discussion is simplified, but she always tells me, if I plan on doing anything stupid and screw up, do it good...
 
I see posts like this and I quickly check off who I know that ride a wing and live in the kw area.

You do what you can to limit your risk and either park it or keep riding.
 
We all take a risk each time we get out of the house...just some risks are greater than others. With the news always going on recently about motorcycle crashes and all that fun stuff, when my wife brings it up...I just tell her the insurance is paid up, and she'll be taken care of! LoL

Of course all we can do in the end is be as vigilant as we can and keep our eyes and wits about us while riding and watching out for the other idiot drivers and riders on the roads.
 
Accidents will happen and as a rider the risk of serious injury goes hand in hand with riding. I went down for the first time about 2 weeks ago. I am still relatively new to riding and have about 20,000km under my belt. I'd been riding all day and was less than 2km from home, just on the way to switch to cage. A few pieces of gravel changed my plan. I where ATGATT and wasn't going that fast but way I landed I cracked 4 ribs and my forearm got a hairline fracture.

Loved ones will worry about you riding, there isn't much you can do about that. Hard to "argue" that a dangerous sport isn't hazardous. One little mistake can cost you everything on a bike but you could also do everything right and still be hurt or killed.

None of my friends or family ride so one of the most common questions I have received in the last 2 weeks is "Soooo... now are you going to sell the bike and stop riding?". I usually respond with something to the effect that if I could pull the clutch in I'd be riding now.
 
I allways look back at any close calls I have had and try to learn from them,speed is my enemy,being visible,being aware of traffic are the main things I do to keep safe.
 
Blackfin said:
How do others deal with this -- i.e. significant others seeing road carnage? I know riding is more dangerous than driving but feel that simply slowing down, risk management and situational awareness can go a long way to making it somewhat less hazardous. How can I ameliorate some of her fears besides trying these rational arguments?

Changing the channels is not an option :)
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@Blackfin,

well my wife knows I always ride carefully. I always wear a full set of gear.. boots, jacket, gloves, riding pants. I recently bought new leg protection after having hit a car last year when I went over the bars. Luckly for me the only injury was a small scrape on my shin when I hit the bars on the way over. Doesnt take much to Write off a motorcycle! The worst part of the accident was having to call her to tell her I was in one!!

When I used to commute or ride though the GTA in rush hour, I always wear a RevIt Hi-Viz vest. <-- This makes a huge difference. It was easy to see. My older bikes used to have running lights, my current has two headlights. I try to ride defensively as taught back in NZ when I was 19. I know "how to slide" - we were taught the concepts of it back in my NZ advanced riding course through the NZ MOT. It came in handy a few years ago when I low sided and slid down the road. I was able to control to a degree which way I travelled!.

My wide hasn't said much, never told me not to ride, as she knows I am the biggest critic and I will beat myself up about things anyway.. lol! Having been down, like a lot of riders here, I know how things can end up so I do my best.
But the rider is one side of the equation, the other is external factors.. other drivers, road conditions, pedestrians even other riders...


btw - my wife tells me about other riders she's heard from friends who have had accidents etc. The last one was a guy in his late 40s riding his frist motorcycle (Large Cruiser). His white Fonzie TShirt didnt save much of his skin...
 
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its the image you show to her. If your attitude is one of resposibilty and respect for most things, and you speak out on safety etc when you see other riders doing odd stuff, it will at least give her comfort you're not a ********* on one when you're out.

mine hears me criticize unsafe riders all the time and knows i'm critical about it myself...plus she knows i actively practice riderskills and defensive techniques...

and to top if off, she's been on with me and i make it the most comfortable and safe feeling experience it can be...once she felt that, she's less worried about my part in the game. But my 'part' in the game also helps against the 'other parts'....

good luck...not an easy thing to get over - but also, she doesn't need to see motorcycle carnage every chance it's around - hated that early in the career- non riders always felt the need to send fwd emails on the 'perils of riding'....hate that crap.
 
That's a Hyundai Accent not a Ford Focus. Not sure why that's the first thing that stuck in my head....I've got issues. :glasses9:

My wife let me get a bike this year.....it's been 18 since I wrote off my FJ1200....and been with her for 17. She just gives me the "look" anytime motorcycles are in the news. You just have to do your best to be safe, but sometimes bad things just happen to good people. Hope that rider is recovers and will be OK.
 
Brant Bandit said:
That's a Hyundai Accent not a Ford Focus. Not sure why that's the first thing that stuck in my head....I've got issues. :glasses9:
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Hmph. Good catch.

Thanks for the feedback guys. Much appreciated.
 
nearace said:
I allways look back at any close calls I have had and try to learn from them,speed is my enemy,being visible,being aware of traffic are the main things I do to keep safe.
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Ditto to this ^^^. Every time I ride I learn something. I'm also open to constructive criticism, especially from more experienced riders who I respect. Riding for me is not about speed; never has been. I prefer to wear a hi-viz jacket/vest; white helmet (which has a light on the back). I try to constantly scan the road while riding.

OP, as others have said, and as you know, riding a motorcycle can be risky. Do everything you can to keep yourself save. You cannot control the actions of others. All you can do is assure your spouse that you are a responsible rider. Whatever is going to happen, is going to happen.
 
How do others deal with this -- i.e. significant others seeing road carnage
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You should try having a former Emergency Room nurse as a GF....:rolleyes:

But she used to ride and relies on my 45+ years of staying upright on pavement as reassurance...puts up with my aches from the occasional off road tumble.

I'm always alert at yellows - recipe for stupid from many directions.
 
None of my friends or family ride so one of the most common questions I have received in the last 2 weeks is "Soooo... now are you going to sell the bike and stop riding?". I usually respond with something to the effect that if I could pull the clutch in I'd be riding now.
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Hehe good for you...back on the horse and all.

Good idea from this is get some off pavement experience....ride some dirt roads so you understand how your bike handles on uncertain surfaces, braking etc and ideally even better take an offroad course. Make a far better rider.

Glad it wasn't worse but damn that was quite a list of injuries.
 
It's as much what you don't do as what you do do. For instance I try not to ameliorate my safety sphere by relying on a window sticker. Especially the rear window, then it's probably to late. As evidenced by a nasty to and fro on this very forum.
 
My wife knows i'm pretty responsible when I commute to work. She knows I gear up 99% of the time.
In-fact, my wife was the first one to encourage me to get back on the bike after witnessing me highside on my bike.

She hasn't told me once to not ride anymore, even after all the news of all these accidents. Perhaps my life insurance has something to do with it. :dontknow:
 
My husband wasn't crazy about me buying a bike but he knew it was my choice. I had a rough 2013, hadn't ridden in 15 years, always knew I'd get back on a bike around midlife crisis (came very early for me), the timing was right.

I'm a great rider/ driver and he knows that. Doesn't keep me safe from things happening but helps. Key is to make sure you are visible on the road.... Always assume other car can't see you especially at intersections. Example if there is a truck next to you and you can't see one side of traffic and light turns green for you, don't move until that truck makes a move.... Someone can be gunning a red light (courtesy of humber college training 15 years ago).

Ride safe.... And be alert
 
Hey MacDoc,from what i've read on this forum,I thought you were an old dog. What are you doing with a nurse GF? and what does your wife think about that ?
 
MacDoc said:
You should try having a former Emergency Room nurse as a GF....:rolleyes:

But she used to ride and relies on my 45+ years of staying upright on pavement as reassurance...puts up with my aches from the occasional off road tumble.

I'm always alert at yellows - recipe for stupid from many directions.
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I hear that. Mine used to be a doctor and worked in emerg enough times to see mashed up bikers come in, brains turned to pudding and any other horrible things you can think of.

She's ridden with me before but doesn't anymore anymore. She's fine with my riding, but I know stories like this make her worry.

suzuki2000 said:
My wife also rides, so the discussion is simplified, but she always tells me, if I plan on doing anything stupid and screw up, do it good...
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Come back with your shield, or on it, eh?
 
Blackfin said:
On my way into work this morning (took the STi since major thunderstorms were rolling through KW this morning) I came across a closed intersection: motorcycle meets car.

image.jpg


It happened at ~7am. Road would have been fairly quiet at that time. Some accounts say the Goldwing was trying to beat a yellow while the Ford Focus was turning left, not a good combination. Driver was unhurt, rider was airlifted to Hamilton with serious injuries.

Me -- with my M1 and MSF course under my belt and about a week's riding experience on a new CBR500R -- and my wife will be watching the news together tonight and when this story, showing the smashed bike and crumpled Focus, flashes up I will feel the steely glare of my wife's fears and trepidations about me riding burning a hole into my head.

How do others deal with this -- i.e. significant others seeing road carnage? I know riding is more dangerous than driving but feel that simply slowing down, risk management and situational awareness can go a long way to making it somewhat less hazardous. How can I ameliorate some of her fears besides trying these rational arguments?

Changing the channels is not an option :)
Click to expand...

All I can tell you is that this is the #1 type of (often fatal) accident for motorcyclists. That when you approach an intersection you should assume any left turning driver does not see you and respond accordingly, mainly by slowing right down and leaving yourself an out. Do not EVER count or car drivers to do the right thing.
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