Be Comfortable Riding or Don’t

I heard the other day that an acquaintance that rides with the PGR was selling his bike. His reason, “...to dangerous...”. In the Indiana PGR and locally we have had 4 or 5 deaths that are motor cycle related this year.

I know riding a motor cycle is dangerous. But is it any more dangerous this year than last year? I don’t think so.

So, what has changed? Why does a long time rider think there are more accidents or that it is more unsafe now than before?

Four years ago I personally knew 4 maybe 6 people that owned motor cycles. I did not own one, wouldn’t until the kids were mostly grown. The guys I knew rode only in great weather. The temperature had to be over 76 and below 90, no chance of rain, they left after 9 or 10 in the morning and were home way before dark.

Now... heh. I know at least a hundred riders and have acquaintance knowing (they know me and my name but I can’t remember theirs) for over 200. And these guys (me included) RIDE.

Some mornings we are up and on the road before 0400. There have been days that I didn’t get home till after mid-night. Rain, shine, fog, sleet, cold or heat. The only thing we won’t start out in is snow but if it starts once we are on the road.... we keep going, slower, but we keep going.

Is riding more dangerous now than before, no. We, the comfort and non riders of yester year know more riders than before. Those 4 or 6 guys might ride 10k miles all together in a season, the 100+ I know now will ride 10-12k miles each.

Hummm... what’s my point? Did I have one? Right now I’m not sure.

I will say this, if you are uncomfortable riding, for any reason. Stop.
If you are wigged out because a friend from Illinois was found dead along the road. Bike and body off in the grass found by chance by a jogger the next morning... Stop.
If the fact that a car swerving to go around another car turning right crosses the double yellow and sends another friend to the hospital in a coma eats at your stomach... Stop.
If knowing a drunk driver, semi unconscious can come up behind another acquaintance, strike his bike, knock him down, drag him a quarter of a mile under the pick-up truck killing him freaks you out... stop.

You’re gong to hurt yourself and maybe someone else. Maybe me.