power corrupts
the better I tune into my iron horse the faster it goes
the better it behaves, the worse I behave
its getting too easy
I get drunk on power
addicted to adrenaline

I don't like when people talk about the dangers of bikes, or the dangers of anything too much. Obviously we accept certain dangers, make our plans and leave the rest up to chance/god/karma/(insert philosophy here).
I'm quite occupied with my mortality at the moment, and I think its quite important. thats why I'm asking you guys what you think.

the strange thing is I wanted to upgrade. But I'm already worried about myself on a VFR400.
I've been riding about 2-3 years.
I'm becoming quite a beast, just whacking it over into corners, and doing things that were too complicated for me before, hardly needing to think. I'm pleased, but it also scares me.

I used to regard myself as a very safe rider, but I see myself taking too many opportunities, a half a second thought to whether something is okay or not, then suddenly I'm committed to the action, 3 seconds of adrenaline, then afterwards I'm wondering "was that OK?"
I'm not considering things carefully enough, far ahead enough. I'll think to myself 'can I get past this car etc with enough time.' If the answer is yes, I go for it, but then I find myself moving down the same road at 4x the speed, and probably 2x the speed I'd normally travel on that road if there were no obstructions in my lane, and then I think to myself 'If a car or a person ran across the road or something, I'd be fucked.'

I know these things, I know one is supposed to consider everything carefully, all the time. But one needs to keep doing it. And somehow I just stop doing it occasionally. Thats the problem.

Lately I wonder a lot. Bikes are awesome, but how the fuck do you stay alive riding them for 60 years?
Slow the fuck down, slow the fuck down?
I'm confused at this point.
I like having a fully functional body, and I wouldn't trade that for the joy of riding.

People used to tell me "bikes are dangerous" and I'd say "its mostly up to you". now thats mostly the problem.

If I ride very conservatively in traffic, and then give it the beans when things are open, then I think I'd have a fair chance of a lifetime of riding unscathed.

My one friend gave up riding road bikes. He said he would have killed himself if he kept riding them. I thought he's an idiot and said "Why don't u just have some self discipline". Haha. easier said than done.

I could just decide to be a slow rider. Its also an ego thing. I feel the urge to be competitive. Often I find myself riding above my comfort level trying to leave other riders behind. For my stupid ego.

If I'm brutally honest...
I ride fast for adrenaline and the enjoyment of the movement, its like a dance, its like expressing yourself through motion. Its an awesome feeling.
I pass cars and riders for ego, and for the feeling of freedom that nothing is holding me back.

I wouldn't say bikes are dangerous, it's the people riding them.

You can have plenty of fun and still be safe.

You've pretty much summed it all up. It's about weighing the odds and managing risk.

It sounds like your riding pretty reckless from time to time, sooner or later it'll catch up with you.

Is the quick overtake of the car infront really worth it when you can wait and extra minute and get a better view of the road.

The longer you ride the more you get to know the road, other drivers, the limits of yourself and your bike and you go with it accordingly.

Sure theres always going to be the 'x-factor' like that diesel spill on the road, a pot hole you didn't notice etc etc.

I threw one of my bikes down the road the other day due to such things.

Needlesly taking risks though isn't ever going to lead anywhere good.

If you want some good adrenaline like that save it for a race track.. if you bin it on a main road god knows what's gonna happen.

A lot of it is down to the individual, your own personality. I don't think anyone, myself included can honestly say they've never done somethign stupid. But theres a difference between people who do it all the while and people who sometimes have a lapse

Remember dude you have a duty of care to other people on the road as well as yourself, you wouldn't feel too good waking up every morning if you'd binned it and killed somone else becuase of your actions.

Besides.. when you get on a track street riding doesn't compare.. especially on a 400!

Ride safe!

Thanks man!

I'm gonna let that soak in and read this again tomorrow.

Peace

Reading that made me think of those long summer days, long since passed...

Riding every day on a slow bike does make you appreciate a good bike a little more.
My other ride is probably too quick for road use really. I know people say "they're only as quick as make them", but it's a fact that the SP1 doesn't like to go slowly!! It's the truth officer.
I can't wait for the roads to warm up a bit and I can use the bike a little more, it really wants to be ridden, and probably better than I could ever dream of.
Looking forward to the RAF Cosford meet, although I can already feel my legs hurting!

Get out there and ride...sensibly.

totally agree wiv neo on this

i once was out hackin with my cousin it was an early sunny sunday morning, we were racing like idiots overtaking cars like they were standing still ,knees on the floor when ever we could,
we came round a bend and come up behind a line of 4 or 5 cars and moved out to take them, the first car at the front of the row decided to turn right into a concealed drive just as my cuz was about to get past and it cutt him off,
the vision of what happened next will stay with me forever, he went smack into the rear corner of the car (opel manta) and the sight of a million pieces of shimmering plastic exploded in the air as he summersaulted over the top of it and tumbled down the street like a rag doll,
his bike looked like someone tied it in a not and the car well that was fooked , i was right behind him at the time, we were probly goin about 90 when he hit the car and to this day i cant work out how i managed to miss and swerve round the crash,
that alone keeps me grounded i always cringe a bit when i over take now as car drivers just dont look for you or see you , i think ahead twice now as i never used to think at all ,
my cuz well he split both knee caps and broke his wrist , so lucky to say the least,
the odd bit about the story is that the little bit of glass i pulled out of his nose while we were waiting for the ambulance turned out a day later was from the face of his watch

dont worry, just when you think you are getting a little crazy on the bike, someone else will be a little more crazy.

started working in central london recently so seeing a lot of crazy/dangerous shite. now i like to make progress in traffic, more so that some i think (judging by the amount of bikers i overtake) but yesterday i had a guy on a DT125 funking fly past me, a good 15MPH quicker than me through traffic.

i am sure people see me and critise my riding but i sped up for a while and then let him off. Adrenalin is an addictive thing, i get it from wheeling which is illegal, dangerous to myself and others, and damaging to the bike, but so what. for those tiny seconds i am happy

I've been looking for a solution to the question "How do you make sure you'll always ride safely and never just get drunk on adrenaline?"
I think I've found it...

I read a famous motorcycling quote today

Faster, faster, faster, until the thrill of speed overcomes the fear of death. ~Hunter Thompson

I think thats the problem.
So one just has to make sure that the fear of death is greater than the thrill of speed.

Another quote comes to mind
If you ride like theres no tomorrow, there wont be.

Heres a quote I'll make up on the spot.
Save some juice for tomorrow - Lope

haha

I was feeling very lost and confused, but I think I'm happy now. (I can keep riding, and I know what to do)