Why I Sold My Harley

[PhxMJ]

I owned a Harley VROD for about 6 months until I realized that I can't control the idiocy of other drivers on the road ... in a car, you have a chance, on a bike, you do not.

I sold the Harley as I figured the risks out weighed the enjoyment.

Anyway, I saw this disgusting video today and I realized I made the right decision.

RIP to this poor guy.

WARNING * WARNING * WARNING
Video is extremely graphic -- DO NOT WATCH if you don't want to see a human life obliterated for no apparent reason. If you love riding motorcycles, you probably don't need to see it ...

TRUCK VS SCOOTER!- Video

[kurtyordy]

my dad's accident cured me of wanting to ride.

However, if you watch this video closely, the dude on the scooter cut off the truck.

[PhxMJ]

Huh? Did you watch the same video I did? The truck overtook the scooter -- they both started in the same lane. Truck driver 99% to blame.

[kurtyordy]

I saw scooter to right of truck and then crossing over to the left side of the truck to turn left. I do not think the truck ever saw him.

[RealOG]

I have ridden for a long time and elected to stop riding when I got married. Risk was too high.

Bottom line is motorcyclist need to pay extreme attention when riding. Not only do they need to account for all of their actions, but they need to account for everyone elses actions on the road. On a bike, even the slightest bump can cause a fatal accident.

[Russ H]

Best advice I ever got when I rode:

On a motorbike, you are INVISIBLE. Pretend that NO ONE can see you-- literally.

I rode like this, every time I got on a bike (I owned 3 bikes, in succession, put over 20K miles on them).

It saved my life, more than once. I'd be buzzing down the road, and see an oncoming car or truck. I'd say to myself "Remember, you're invisible-- they could turn right in front of you".

And they did-- or they passed another car and were in my lane, coming straight at me, head to head, at 60 MPH.

Since I was "pretending" I was invisible, I had already worked out an escape route well before I had to make the split-second decision that saved my life.

I finally did stop riding (bought a Porsche instead). Had a close call with a dump truck that I survived. To this day, I still can't account for how I survived.

I'm OK w/other people riding bikes (well, maybe not my kids, yet). But it's not for me anymore.

-Russ H.

[Sparlin]

PhxMj "Huh? Did you watch the same video I did? The truck overtook the scooter -- they both started in the same lane. Truck driver 99% to blame."

I have to agree. The truck is at fault. Apart from not scanning ahead and slowing down, he is a professional driver (commercial trucker). He is supposed to be better than most drivers. Second point, CHECK YOUR REAR VIEW MIRRORS. The scooter rider did look, but by then it was too late. Everyone assumes that danger is ahead of them. A lot of people die because the fail to look behind them.

[Redshft]

I'm in a bit of a rush right now so I can't really go into this as much as I'd like right now.

Obviously I am a motorcycle rider and I am passionate about it. I realize that I am without a doubt putting myself at risk every time I throw a leg over the saddle. What Russ said is absolutely right, you have to ride like nobody else can see you. I ride like this every time and implement S.E.E. every opportunity I have. S.E.E. stands for Scan Evaluate Execute. Whenever I spot a potential hazard (somebody on their cell, two people talking, woman putting on makeup in car, etc.) I do everything I can to get them out of my danger zone. If that's not possible, I make it a point to make sure they see me. I never ride in people's blind spots, I downshift a gear if I have to to make sure they hear me, anything I can do to make other commuters aware of my presence is something I'm constantly doing. If I feel someone is tailgaiting me, I let them know to back the F*** UP!!

[mtnman]

I have struggled with this over and over again.

I have ridden quads all my life, and love flirting with trees. I must admit, the best thing about them is they're stationary; until you hit one.

Many of my friends have rockets, which I ride occasionally, but have never been able to pull the trigger on getting my own. Though the temptation is always there, as I love toys.

They free my mind, but something has always held me back from this one.

[PhxMJ]

I'm in a bit of a rush right now so I can't really go into this as much as I'd like right now.

Obviously I am a motorcycle rider and I am passionate about it. I realize that I am without a doubt putting myself at risk every time I throw a leg over the saddle. What Russ said is absolutely right, you have to ride like nobody else can see you. I ride like this every time and implement S.E.E. every opportunity I have. S.E.E. stands for Scan Evaluate Execute. Whenever I spot a potential hazard (somebody on their cell, two people talking, woman putting on makeup in car, etc.) I do everything I can to get them out of my danger zone. If that's not possible, I make it a point to make sure they see me. I never ride in people's blind spots, I downshift a gear if I have to to make sure they hear me, anything I can do to make other commuters aware of my presence is something I'm constantly doing. If I feel someone is tailgaiting me, I let them know to back the F*** UP!!

I think this best sums it up ... all this extreme care and diligence took the fun out of riding. When asked why I sold my bike, I told my GF "Because I can't relax -- I need to be 110% atuned to everything around me 110% of the time".

The moment I "relaxed" and absorbed the essence of riding was the moment I wasn't being cautious.

[bflbob]

I have to agree. The truck is at fault. Apart from not scanning ahead and slowing down, he is a professional driver (commercial trucker). He is supposed to be better than most drivers.

Ugh...that sounds like an attorney talking.

That's like the dumb law that bars are responsible if someone gets drunk in their bar and causes an accident. They are professionals at serving drinks and should know when someone is too drunk to serve.

In my mind, the drunk is just as professional. Most likely, they even drink on the weekends, making them a 24/7 learner. He knows what happens after he drinks that first beer...and the second...and...

The difference is that the bar has insurance and deeper pockets. That's what makes them responsible.

I looked at the video a few times, and it looks like both made dumb moves. The truck veered to the left, then the bike started to head (left) to the line and the truck pulled right. It is hard to tell if the bike braked, or if the truck failed to. I can't say who was avoiding who, but the truck was destined to be the winner.

[bflbob]

Did anyone else notice that the first car in the center lane went straight in a left turn lane, or that the truck behind him made a sudden lane change in the curve?

I'm beginning to question if there wasn't something blocking traffic just out of view of the camera.

[Sparlin]

Ugh...that sounds like an attorney talking.

That's like the dumb law that bars are responsible if someone gets drunk in their bar and causes an accident. They are professionals at serving drinks and should know when someone is too drunk to serve.

In my mind, the drunk is just as professional. Most likely, they even drink on the weekends, making them a 24/7 learner. He knows what happens after he drinks that first beer...and the second...and...

The difference is that the bar has insurance and deeper pockets. That's what makes them responsible.

I looked at the video a few times, and it looks like both made dumb moves. The truck veered to the left, then the bike started to head (left) to the line and the truck pulled right. It is hard to tell if the bike braked, or if the truck failed to. I can't say who was avoiding who, but the truck was destined to be the winner.

I'm talking from the viewpoint of someone that used to conduct Federal Inspections on trucks. People in that profession are trained to be more observant. Just like you would expect an average driver to be more careful around a kid on a bike.

Granted, the bike operater should have been more cautious. My contention is that the truck driver is operating a piece of machinary that out weighs that bike by at least 30x . He can't stop on a dime. Although his vantage point was high and the bike was low, he should have been more attentive (as should the bike rider). Regarless of opinion, it was the trucker that broke the law. Although that appears to take place in Japan, I'm quite sure they have similar laws regarding following too closely.

[Redshft]

They free my mind

That's the key right there. Once you get away from traffic and on an open road by yourself or with other riders...it's meditation. It's a get away from the daily hustle and bustle and a chance to relax.

I think this best sums it up ... all this extreme care and diligence took the fun out of riding. When asked why I sold my bike, I told my GF "Because I can't relax -- I need to be 110% atuned to everything around me 110% of the time".

The moment I "relaxed" and absorbed the essence of riding was the moment I wasn't being cautious.

Again, I've been busy today so I can't elaborate as much as I'd like right now.

This is the exact reason most riders stay away as much as possible from traffic. Most riders you'll find on the back roads enjoying the ride instead of putting up with the BS city traffic throws at you. The real fulfillment of riding comes from getting away from everyone. Just like driving an exotic. If you're putting up with some idiot kid in their Honda Civic trying to race you or college girls driving beside you to take pictures, you can't enjoy it. If you're worried about SUVs riding your ass, you're going to get tense and be turned off from driving it. It's the open highway and isolated twisty country roads where you get to enjoy it....and of course the race track

Thanks for posting the video though, I feel videos like this create awareness for both ends. It reminds riders to be careful, and hopefully reminds "cagers" to drive respectfully around bikers and give them their space.

[PhxMJ]

This is the exact reason most riders stay away as much as possible from traffic.

Understood ... I've also stated that I hate driving my Lambo in traffic; I prefer no traffic and an open desert road. The "hey look at me I'm cool" fascination wore off many years ago. I can't remember the last time I Lambo'd on a Friday or Saturday nite. Nope, Ill take 7am when all the tools are fast asleep.

[JScott]

I did the same thing MJ did. I owned a bike for 6 months, and during that time I was dating an emergency room surgeon...between the horror stories she would tell me and the horror stories from other (good meaning) people, I just could never enjoy riding. It was constantly stressful, which as a couple riders here have mentioned, defeats the purpose of riding.

So, I sadly got rid of the bike...

As for whose fault it was, I'm gonna go with the truck driver; assuming the driver *EVER* saw the scooter, from that moment on, it was his responsibility to stay clear (if the truck driver NEVER saw the scooter due to the scooter-driver's fault, that's a different story).

[JScott]

Ill take 7am when all the tools are fast asleep.

By "tools," I assume you also mean cops...

[neverfastenough]

I've been wanting a motorcycle for quite some time now. What's been holding me back from buying one? I know that I'll probably kill myself on one, so I've stayed away. Living in the Bay Area now, it just doesn't make much sense. Too much traffic everywhere.

[Bilgefisher]

As a motorcycle rider, I am very cognizant of bikes on the road and give them a wide berth, but these damn scooters are impossible to detect. The surge of scooters is resulting in a huge problem out there. Most of these scooter drivers treat them like a bicycle and do not follow the rules of the road. You cannot see them, cannot hear them and only know they are there when you hit them. I nearly killed a guy about 2 years ago. He was behind me and then shifted to my blind spot in the bike lane. I turned without knowing he was there and nearly ran his ass over. Luckily the hairs on my neck were standing on end I felt something wasn't right and I was in alert mode before my turn.

One thing I credit the service for is mandatory safety training for motorcycles. I believe that scooters drivers should not only be licensed and follow the rules of the road a motorcycle does, but mandatory safety classes before riding anything that goes faster then 25 mph.

*Listen up*
If you have never taken a safety class for a bike or scooter , shame on you. Yes I said it. I'm calling out any rider on this forum who hasn't taken the course. What the fuck is wrong with you. Do you really not care about your family, friends and yourself that much that your not willing to spend $500 to save your life. Oh but you've been riding all your life. And? Are you so damned arrogant that your not willing to learn possibly one thing that will save your life. If so, your a fucking idiot. In my class we had folks who had ridden 35 years and still learned life saving techniques. It teaches you to do like Russ said. Pretend you are invisible and do everything you can to make yourself visible. You should be worn out mentally every time you ride, because there is that much thinking involved all the time. Learn to be a defensive rider and realize it doesn't take much to kill you. Of the five people I know killed and the other two dozen injured in bike wrecks, two caused the wrecks.

If I pissed you off, I'm cool with that. If your going to get defensive and justify not taking the course because I called you out, I'm certainly not cool with that. You lost all respect in my book because you let selfish pride get in the way of intelligence.

[ITA]

I saw a picture of a rider post-accident where his chin was basically obliterated and his tongue was hanging out in the void, he was supported by hospital folks on both sides and had the most unforgettable look of total fear in his eyes. Saw this once 10 years ago and never forgot it.

Cars (especially new ones) do protect you a little bit better.

I wonder what's the safety rating for Lambos and the like? Not very good, is it?