Two Wheel Dilemma

[MinutemanCO]

Allright. Thought I'd run this dilemma by you guys. There's nothing like adding to the misery of the people around you to really endear yourself to them.

I've been a motorcycle rider for decades. I've owned six bikes within the span of my 43 years. Today I own... exactly zero. My wife is a rider as well. We both decided that upon having children, the bikes would go away for a while. We wanted to stay alive and raise our kids without the spectre of devastating collision looming over our noggins.

Now for the dilemma - the kids are a bit older and our attitudes are changing. Call it a mid-life thing. We stepped into the local Harley dealer yesterday. To our surprise, we found out that Buell motorcyles has just recently gone out of business and the remaining brand new bikes are being highly discounted. We can pick up a couple of $12,000 machines for $7,000 a piece. That was nothing to sneeze at. My wife's always wanted a Buell. My gig is more along the lines of a massive Fat Boy. Either way we were presented with a decision.

Now for the question for you all - what would you do?

All opinions will be welcome... reasonable or not.

[American Patriot]

I quit riding a bike after an accident in DC where a blowout on the rear tire caused me to lose control. I managed to somehow prevent myself from getting hurt, and basically rode a downed bike into a curb at about 30 mph before being thrown.

So - my opinion? Bikes are for those, in this day and age who want to ride them and contend with dumbasses who don't look out for you, want to run you off the rode or simply think you're some part of a biker gang. I won't ride one again.

All that said, I say "Go for it".

Life is too short to remain safe

[MinutemanCO]

Yeah, I hung up my helmet a number of years ago after everyone I knew was involved in an accident or two. I even witnessed a pickup-on-motorcycle head on collision. The biker didn't have a chance. In my limited ability to analyze the problem at hand, I figured I was next in line for a devastating event. I couldn't get off my ride fast enough. That was a long time ago and my confidence has been well restored.

Decisions, decisions.

[Toad]

I owned a Harley for about 2 years before finally getting rid of that lemon. Bled me dry. Seriously, that bike could not stay running. '84 Sportster 1000, bought it 2 years old in '86. Tranny issues, piston issues, electrical... you name it. I know, I know. It's American made and everyone puts it up on a pedestal. My experience with it made me sell it and buy a BMW 650, which I ended up owning and riding the next 12 years.

There was an Indian I was looking at the same time as that Harley. Wish to God I had bought that Indian.

[Backstop]

Short version: Bikes are freaking dangerous, mostly because of idiot drivers.

Long version:

1977, I'm in NW Florida doing something, can't remember what. Lady pulls out of the mall from my left, and ends up running me off the road. Think I may have been exceeding the speed limit just a bit. I went across about 4 sets of railroad tracks before I got the bike under control. Finally fixed the bike and sold it.

Stuck to dirt bikes after that, but always planned on getting a Harley someday.

Got divorced in 2000, and someday arrived.

I drove it for 2 months, and just didn't really get any pleasure out of it at all. It was very disappointing, especially after waiting all those years. So I sold it.

Again man, bikes are dangerous. Seems like a bunch of people get killed around here. The auto drivers around here are really bad.

If you folks get one, please be careful.

[American Patriot]

I'd point out something... we don't have helmet laws here in CO. Nearly EVERY bike rider that is killed here isn't wearing one, either.

A good friend of mine who used to be in charge of our computer center was killed on a leisurely drive back out the mountains a few years ago. The lady riding with him was sent skidding across the asphalt. Mel hit a guard rail and was killed. He was wearing a helmet I understand.

I don't know many of the details other than we lost a Vietnam Veteran and a good friend to all of us that day. The computer center is named in his honor now.

I've seen about four motorcycle accidents occur in front of me here in Colorado.

Back in Virginia many years ago, before I started riding, a neighbor was out with his brand new bike.

He was basically going around and around the block, practicing on the bike, I guess. He was at it for a good two hours. My oldest son, who was then about two and I were trying to fly a kite to no avail, and when the man came round the corner the last time there was a God-awful racket and I looked up to see the bike on it's side skidding at about 30 MPH across the street and right into a curb.

The man was half on the bike, half on the ground. When he hit the curb he was thrown forward and took the windshield off the bike in pieces. I yelled for my wife, told my son to remain where he was and ran to help.

I asked him his name and told him not to remove his helmet. He couldn't give me correct responses to my questions so I told him to stay there and yelled for my wife to call 911 - which she already had done.

After a moment I noted his left arm, and his wrist watch band (metal) was cut like a knife had cut it. I pulled back the sleeve of his wind breaker, which was elastic, and his arm was cut from wrist to elbow and squirted me with blood.

I did the only thing I could think to do and made him sit, put his arm up and I compressed the (later I found out) artery that was sliced. He'd have died had I walked away. The ambulance arrive momentarily and they took over.

A few days later I found out he had broken his other arm, cut the left one severely, broken several ribs, broken both legs, or feet (he was in casts on both legs) and had a concussion from that incident.

And he didn't hit all that hard, and had on a helmet.

One last thing... drivers here in Colorado are the most contentious idiots for a piece of asphalt I've ever seen. They will run bikes off the road if they get the chance.

So - while I DID say "Go for it, Life is short"... remember to use CAUTION!!!!!!!

[MinutemanCO]

There's no question cycles are dangerous. Seems like you hear of an accident almost every day in the summer here in Colorado.

A number of years ago, there was a report of a motorcycle accident up Boulder Canyon that was particularly gruesome. An older couple was riding together on their BMW touring bike one fine summer day. They were coming down the canyon from Nederland. Two or three young men on racing-style bikes were flying up the canyon. One of the young guys fell behind his buddies and decided to catch up by passing a number of vehicles utilizing the opposite lane (oncoming traffic). Anyone who drives the canyon knows that this is just trouble waiting to happen. The kid accelerated up the hill and met the older couple on their BMW coming down. They impacted. The details weren't clear, but the older male rider was decapitated and his passenger hurt severely. The kid was unhurt. I lived in Nederland at the time and remember passing the accident scene that day. There was an extensive blood stain, as you might imagine.

I think I just talked myself out of this decision, along with the help of others here, for another three or four years. Maybe I owe you guys my life.

[Malsua]

A guy I work with was killed on his Harley. I sold my 650 Nighthawk for half a cord of firewood to a kid who used to cut my grass. I think it was my Bike he ended up dying on, not entirely sure.

I had a rear wheel slip out in pee gravel going around a corner. A road came in at that point and cars drug the gravel out. I didn't dump it, but it was close enough that I said that's it. Never rode it again. I rode motorcycles since I was 12 and gave it up at 30 just like that. I've made mistakes and dumped my dirt bikes and even hurt myself some. On the street at 35 around a slight curve and I went wobbly and by the grace of god got it back in shape. That was my clarion call.

[Toad]

I did have a wipe out on my Beemer. Summer, construction season... took a corner a little too fast and hit a sand patch a crew left behind. Front wheel decided to follow the laws of physics and inertia since it no longer had road traction and took me sliding across 2 lanes of oncoming traffic. Fortunately traffic was light and I wasn't hit. Unfortunately I ended up in a pile of broken glass in a gas station parking lot. More unfortunately, no one stopped, the station and next door businesses were closed, and I had to drive myself on the bike to the ER to pull out glass and clean asphalt from road burns. My youthfull need for speed was cured that Sunday morning. I blame myself mostly. I was going too fast because I was late for work. But even if I was going slower, that pile of sand right in the middle of the corner would still not have been good.

Were I to get a bike again, it would be a dirt bike just for off road and fun.