Ultimately you have to come to a decision that both you and your spouse can live with. If she is honestly worried like you say she is then you should seriously consider getting out. It's not fair to her to have her worried like that every time you leave for a ride. It absolutely would suck for you, but you aren't JUST you anymore. Imagine the rolls were reversed and your wife had a hobby that had very real risks involved and you were worried for her safety. How would you feel if she told you to just suck it up and accept it? It probably wouldn't go over very well. I'm in the same boat as you. Wife, 2 small kids. My situation is a little different though in that my Wife used to ride her own bike (pre kids) and understands my love for riding and she has a real first hand understanding of the risks involved and is okay with me continuing to ride. I can say that I do get those pangs of guilt some times when I'm up before everyone else and leaving for a ride and knowing I won't be home until bed time. I work every other weekend as it is so our weekends together are special and it's hard to carve out enough riding time that makes the expense feel worth it. I've honestly considered selling my ST1300 for a Grom just so I can keep a bike around and keep my insurance valid but that I won't be upset if I don't ride much. I won't feel like a beautiful bike is sitting there not getting the riding it deserves and costing me what it does to insure and maintain. If I had the Grom the insurance would be super cheap and if I only put 1000km on it per season it wouldn't bother me like it does when I only put 3k on my ST. Then when the monkeys are bigger and don't want to hang out with their dorky Dad anymore I could swap back up to a bigger bike and not have to restart the whole insurance game.
I think you're doing the right thing by staying away from it. Motorcycles are wonderful and I've loved every minute on them over the past 22-23yrs but I wouldn't continue to ride if it was upsetting my family as you described. There are plenty of other hobbies out there to feed your soul. Just dabble in different ones until you find something you love.
Well put. The hard part is when the person opposing an activity is overprotective or has a fixation on what is dangerous. Those fears can be imprinted on young impressionable minds.
The chart doesn't include the participant hour rate but it points out a lot of other ways to die. Drug overdose and suicide are two that are hard to forecast. Of course death isn't the only consideration. A crash can result in catastrophic life altering injuries, para and quadriplegic situations permanently affecting the family.
The chart is also USA based where helmet laws are different.
A weird thought. If riding is the highest risk thing you do is there a tendency to let your guard down when doing less risky things?
Do you have an ATGATT attitude when climbing ladders, working with power tools, driving the cage etc?
"you know you could die any second here, right?" <- Every time I get in the passenger seat and my wife or daughter is driving.
I feel way safer on my motorcycle and always have.
Totally 100% true. When I got rid of my bike the first time, the next week that ******* idiot killed all those people in North York on the sidewalk. I work in that building. 3 of my colleagues were almost hit during their walk and had to jump out of the way as the van barreled towards them. I happen to take a different route for a walk, and was back in the office (different route, different time than every other day) when it happened. My buddy saw the shoes still in the air when the impacts came.
I bought a different bike 2 weeks later. However, this was before baby #2. This time my reasons were somewhat different. Barely see them in a month, and taking time off felt selfish. Obviously safety was a consideration.
Man some of you's really left your balls at the alter! My wife would never tell me to stop riding,what kind of vehicle to drive etc etc. If anything she told me to get back into it as she knew how much it meant to me. Marriage is a compromise, I cant stand when I hear men say "happy wife happy life"
Guess I'm lucky I don't have a controlling wife.
Man some of you's really left your balls at the alter! My wife would never tell me to stop riding,what kind of vehicle to drive etc etc. If anything she told me to get back into it as she knew how much it meant to me. Marriage is a compromise, I cant stand when I hear men say "happy wife happy life"
Guess I'm lucky I don't have a controlling wife.
Not sure that anyone actually said their wife TOLD them that they have to stop riding. I know for sure OP didn't have that dictated to him by his wife. I know mine was ****** when I sold the bike as she knows how much it meant to me.
It was totally my decision to give up riding. Anything happens to me, it falls on her with 2 kids and her ailing mother. She's worried when I go out, for sure, but not enough to make me stop riding. But if 'worried' means 'controlling' in your world, that's fine too.
Not sure that anyone actually said their wife TOLD them that they have to stop riding. I know for sure OP didn't have that dictated to him by his wife. I know mine was ****** when I sold the bike as she knows how much it meant to me.
It was totally my decision to give up riding. Anything happens to me, it falls on her with 2 kids and her ailing mother. She's worried when I go out, for sure, but not enough to make me stop riding. But if 'worried' means 'controlling' in your world, that's fine too.
My wife never asked me to stop. She did suggest that I spend the same on life insurance as I did riding. I decided to hang up the gear for a few years, mostly because I wanted to be sure to enjoy my kids growing up.
Not sure that anyone actually said their wife TOLD them that they have to stop riding. I know for sure OP didn't have that dictated to him by his wife. I know mine was ****** when I sold the bike as she knows how much it meant to me.
It was totally my decision to give up riding. Anything happens to me, it falls on her with 2 kids and her ailing mother. She's worried when I go out, for sure, but not enough to make me stop riding. But if 'worried' means 'controlling' in your world, that's fine too.
I understand what your saying 100% as I too had those thoughts and sometimes still do but man you cant stop living either. I have my life insurance topped to the extreme to be sure my wife and kids are taken care of should something happen. I work shift work, drive allot at night in bad weather on dark backroads shared with animals and drunks, do I quit my job? The risk is no different IMO.
Like I said in a past post, my riding is down to a minimal these days, a quick lesiouly rip to burn off some steam and clear the mind.
I've wanted a bike since I was 16, but with Asian parents that's not happening. When I finally decided to take the course (while I was under their roof), I almost got killed before I was even on the bike. Fast-forward to 26, girlfriend at the time whom I've been with for 7 years pushed me to get the bike as it was something I've always wanted. Mom wasn't happy, but I was, and I am no longer under her roof so can't stop me. Now the wife just let's me ride as long as it's safe to do so outside, mom has accepted the fact as I'm an adult. I think if it's a passion, and you're mature enough to ride, noone can and should stop you. I rather die riding and knowing I enjoyed my life, than sit at home and do nothing and watch drama. Now if I had kids.. I'm pretty sure I'd be in the same path, just riding a bit less cause of errands etc. Bye for now, going for a ride ??
People always say don’t ride motorcycles because it’s too dangerous but no one says don’t stop skiiing , bicycling , or being a fat unhealthy pig , don’t drink and all those things kill way more people over all then bikes do. This is the most ridiculous conversation for an adult to have with another adult .
If you search for "asia scooter traffic" on youtube there are some crazy videos that show how dangerous it is to ride there. You'd think riding in Canada wouldn't be a concern compared to that!
If you search for "asia scooter traffic" on youtube there are some crazy videos that show how dangerous it is to ride there. You'd think riding in Canada wouldn't be a concern compared to that!
This right there! Imagine telling your spouse that she/he is a fat unhealthy pig and you want them to eat better and exercise. Yet, there's no hesitation for a spouse to tell the other not to ride a motorcycle. (Of course I am not implying this relates directly to the OP since I don't know either of them, lol)
This right there! Imagine telling your spouse that she/he is a fat unhealthy pig and you want them to eat better and exercise. Yet, there's no hesitation for a spouse to tell the other not to ride a motorcycle. (Of course I am not implying this relates directly to the OP since I don't know either of them, lol)
100% agree with this one. There was something I saw on reddit recently...."Plus sized women admit to not being attracted to overweight men."
WTF....why do women call themselves 'plus sized' but men are immediately 'overweight'? Anyway, plus sized, overweight, fat pig...it doesn't matter. A friend of mine told me last week that over 4 years ago I called him 'fat' out of concern, and he's still upset. I felt ****** about it, but the concern stands. 25yrs old at 220lbs...I guess I could've been nicer in my words.
100% agree with this one. There was something I saw on reddit recently...."Plus sized women admit to not being attracted to overweight men."
WTF....why do women call themselves 'plus sized' but men are immediately 'overweight'? Anyway, plus sized, overweight, fat pig...it doesn't matter. A friend of mine told me last week that over 4 years ago I called him 'fat' out of concern, and he's still upset. I felt ****** about it, but the concern stands. 25yrs old at 220lbs...I guess I could've been nicer in my words.
I'm not saying that I'll never swing my leg on another motorcycle, I'm just saying times gave changed and just need to be more aware of **** going in around us as rider and drivers for that matter. The problem is a good majority of people who are behind the wheel dont even know that they are. This is because they're to busy on their phones texting instead of driving. But I must say riding for the 10 years I have it has made me such a better driver.
I'm not saying that I'll never swing my leg on another motorcycle, I'm just saying times gave changed and just need to be more aware of **** going in around us as rider and drivers for that matter. The problem is a good majority of people who are behind the wheel dont even know that they are. This is because they're to busy on their phones texting instead of driving. But I must say riding for the 10 years I have it has made me such a better driver.
over 2/3 of motorcycle accidents are rider error. Take race courses and learn ( if you haven’t already) ......riding on the street with no one teaching you and not learning to brake suddenly from high speed or steering drills doesn’t mean anything. There are riders with 25 years street experience who are awful riders. The myth that’s it’s the car drivers causing motorcycle accidents is BS. As I said it’s mostly rider error period.
The following are the 10 most common causes of motorcycle accidents:
Unsafe lane changes. A driver risks colliding with a motorcyclist when he or she fails to check his or her blind spot or signal when changing lanes.
Car doors. Some motorcycle accidents occur when a driver opens the door of their parked vehicle in the path of an oncoming motorcycle.
Speeding. A leading cause of all types of auto accidents, speeding reduces a vehicle’s chance of seeing and reacting to other drivers in time to prevent a collision. The higher the speed, the greater the impact and the more severe the consequences.
Driving under the influence. Drivers who cause accidents because they were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may face both civil and criminal liability.
Lane splitting. Driving between two lanes of traffic is called “lane splitting.” This practice is not legal in Florida and is especially dangerous for inexperienced riders.
Sudden stops. Rear-end accidents resulting from following too closely or an abrupt stop can result in serious injury or death to a motorcyclist.
Inexperienced drivers. Inexperienced drivers are likely to make unsafe moves on the road that could compromise the safety of other motorists.
Left turn accidents. Right of way errors or misjudgments of distance while making a left turn are common causes of injury and death to motorcycle riders.
Dangerous road conditions. Crumbling pavement, potholes, debris, and a lack of necessary signals and signs can all increase a motorcycle rider’s chances of losing control of his or her vehicle.
Motorcycle defects. The manufacturer of a poorly designed or manufactured motorcycle part can be held liable for any injuries or deaths arising from use of the defective part.
Guys you are preaching to the choir, rinomato1 wants to ride and feels safe enough doing it, it's the wife that has the problem :| Dude that rear ended me was trying to get a better look at my brand new bike, it worked :/ he turned me into a hood ornament.
over 2/3 of motorcycle accidents are rider error. Take race courses and learn ( if you haven’t already) ......riding on the street with no one teaching you and not learning to brake suddenly from high speed or steering drills doesn’t mean anything. There are riders with 25 years street experience who are awful riders. The myth that’s it’s the car drivers causing motorcycle accidents is BS. As I said it’s mostly rider error period.
The following are the 10 most common causes of motorcycle accidents:
Unsafe lane changes. A driver risks colliding with a motorcyclist when he or she fails to check his or her blind spot or signal when changing lanes.
Car doors. Some motorcycle accidents occur when a driver opens the door of their parked vehicle in the path of an oncoming motorcycle.
Speeding. A leading cause of all types of auto accidents, speeding reduces a vehicle’s chance of seeing and reacting to other drivers in time to prevent a collision. The higher the speed, the greater the impact and the more severe the consequences.
Driving under the influence. Drivers who cause accidents because they were driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs may face both civil and criminal liability.
Lane splitting. Driving between two lanes of traffic is called “lane splitting.” This practice is not legal in Florida and is especially dangerous for inexperienced riders.
Sudden stops. Rear-end accidents resulting from following too closely or an abrupt stop can result in serious injury or death to a motorcyclist.
Inexperienced drivers. Inexperienced drivers are likely to make unsafe moves on the road that could compromise the safety of other motorists.
Left turn accidents. Right of way errors or misjudgments of distance while making a left turn are common causes of injury and death to motorcycle riders.
Dangerous road conditions. Crumbling pavement, potholes, debris, and a lack of necessary signals and signs can all increase a motorcycle rider’s chances of losing control of his or her vehicle.
Motorcycle defects. The manufacturer of a poorly designed or manufactured motorcycle part can be held liable for any injuries or deaths arising from use of the defective part.
I don't think 2/3rds are rider error, the number is closer to 50%. Alcohol is the single largest factor, about 40% of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve alcohol use by the rider. If you count multi vehicle MC crashes, left turners make up close to 80% of MC collisions and in almost all cases the driver is at fault. No brainer as to how to improve your odds here.
About 30% of all motorcycle crashes are a result of left turning drivers failing to give right of way. Training, experience in defensive driving can bring this close to zero for riders.
Another important factor in MC crashes are the number of unlicenced riders that crash. Dirty riders make up as much as 30%, a much higer percentage than dirty car drivers.
There will be accidents and some very good riders will be victims -- I know too many, about 1/2 the fallen riders I know were killed by careless motorists, the other 1/2 by their own mistakes. My feeling is the average rider is pretty safe on a MC as long as they don't drink and ride and practice defensive riding.
Logically and financially, it doesn't make sense to buy one, pay for insurance for maybe 5 or 6 times she'll ride in a year.
I could ride it I guess but I've only had 1 bike at a time. Will the 2nd one get much usage is another thing.
I could take this opportunity to buy something to tool around, like grom but she wants ninja 300. Not a bad bike, but I think grom might be more fun for me lol.
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