fltc Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 SWMBO and I traveled over 100,000 miles by motorcycle, we took one or more fairly long trips each summer from Phoenix to Yellowstone 4-5 times, to the east coast twice, to the Puget Sound area once, to California many times, etc. etc. Sadly, illness (arthritis) and age (I passed 70 years ago) have forced me to stop riding but we miss it so much...... Once we were heading south over Lizard Head pass in Colorado and she commented, "You couldn't see this in a car!" It's true, Robert Persig said it best in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance (it's in the philosophy section of your bookstore, that should give you a hint it's not about motorcycles or maintenance or zen....) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zen_and_the_Art_of_Motorcycle_Maintenance "You see things vacationing on a motorcycle in a way that is completely different from any other. In a car you’re always in a compartment, and because you’re used to it you don’t realize that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You’re a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame." "On a cycle the frame is gone. You’re completely in contact with it all. You’re in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming. That concrete whizzing by five inches below your foot is the real thing, the same stuff you walk on, it’s right there, so blurred you can’t focus on it, yet you can put your foot down and touch it anytime, and the whole thing, the whole experience, is never removed from immediate consciousness." I've traveled coast to coast many times in a car and on a motorcycle, Persig is ABSOLUTELY right, it couldn't be more different!
carhill Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 I know a number of men like fltc who are/have been life-long riders and ride often, whether alone or with their wives, both locally and cross-country. I don't ride myself but would have no problem dating a lady who rode, as long as safety was her job #1. Whenever I'm driving on the freeway and see the lane splitters on crotch rockets going 80-90 mph, those are the people I *wouldn't* be dating, regardless of gender. OP, if you have reservations about or an intrinsic dislike of riding, go with that and pass on this potential. I think that's a healthy respect of reality. Different paths
Lady vs Panda Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 Would you date someone who drives a car? That's a higher risk activity than riding a motorcycle, believe it or not. Don't take my word for it, check with the nhtsa. I did. Here is a direct quote from the site: Per registered vehicle, the fatality rate for motorcyclists in 2007 was 6 times the fatality rate for passenger car occupants.
carhill Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 (edited) Some statistics in .pdf format This is from 2006. I found the fatality rate per mile to be shocking. Be safe out there, riders. The statistics don't clearly indicate responsibility for injuries and fatalities, as nearly all riders are at a severe disadvantage when facing a negligent/inattentive operator of another type of motor vehicle, for incidents involving such. Edited September 22, 2010 by carhill
skydiveaddict Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 Some statistics in .pdf format This is from 2006. I found the fatality rate per mile to be shocking. Be safe out there, riders. The statistics don't clearly indicate responsibility for injuries and fatalities, as nearly all riders are at a severe disadvantage when facing a negligent/inattentive operator of another type of motor vehicle, for incidents involving such. True words carhill, but I dont care anymore riding is too much fun
Star Gazer Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 Harley, yes. Sportbike, absolutely not.
Lemontang Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 There was a time when I was in a relationship with a girl that had a kid and I would never have considered riding. But as soon as that relationship fell through literally the 1st thing I did was buy a motorcycle (amazing what an engagement ring will buy you these days ). So I'm fairly new to the bike scene as it is (but longtime downhill MTB rider which I think is more dangerous IMO). But either way it was no issue to me. If anything I've done courses, read the books and watched the safety dvd's just so as not to become one of the 14% of Australian road fatalities that are motorcyclists. If anything I find bikers to be better on the road than car drivers, because they have to be more alert and are less distracted. I've also met a lot of girls who 'love' bikers, so I dare say you bailing will be of no loss to him since a biker lover will quickly replace. ...but then I also drive a convertible. So I get to feel the wind all the time anyway. Would you date someone in a convertible? Bare in mind if the car flips or we drive under a trucks trailer, we're screwed.
CLC2008 Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 I have my reservations with regard to motorcycles in general, but they certainly aren't enough to warrant a yes or no decision to date someone.
carhill Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 In support of those who ride, I recount the life and times of a notoriously crazy motorcycle rider who was married for 45 years (until his wife's death) and raised four children. He's better known as the pilot of the X1 and as a retired brigadier general in the USAF and is still alive and kickin' at the ripe old age of 87. Thanks, Chuck, for sharing the crazier side of life and showing that risk-taking can be a path to longevity, a longevity surely augmented by the loyal love and support of his long-time wife, Glennis. To me, that is the key, finding someone compatible with one's personal journey through life. Perhaps, for the OP, what riding represents is contrary to that compatibility. If so, good on her for recognizing it.
fltc Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 I did. Here is a direct quote from the site: Per registered vehicle, the fatality rate for motorcyclists in 2007 was 6 times the fatality rate for passenger car occupants. Numbers from 2008 (latest year) Automobile fatalities = 26,791 Motorcycle fatalities = 5,312
Ruby Slippers Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 I would. One of my older brothers was a rider and let me sit on the front and drive his big, scary bike when I was 7! (His hands were right there in case I messed up.) And yes, he had a few accidents, one really bad one in particular. He was a risk-taking teenager and took off for a short trip down the road one day in nothing but shorts, crashed, and got terrible road rash all over his body. Eek! When the weather permits, my bike (bicycle) is my primary mode of transportation, and biking is basically as risky as motorcycle riding. So I have no room to talk.
Enema Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 Numbers from 2008 (latest year) Automobile fatalities = 26,791 Motorcycle fatalities = 5,312 I think you're missing the point mate. The stats posted says that there are six times more fatalities for bikes, per "registered vehicle rate". ie. Adjusted as there are many times more cars than bikes on the road. eg. If there are 100,000 cars on the road at any time, but only 5,000 bikes, 20,000 car fatalities would be equivalent to 1,000 bike fatalities in terms of "registered vehicle rate".
Stung Posted September 22, 2010 Posted September 22, 2010 Numbers from 2008 (latest year) Automobile fatalities = 26,791 Motorcycle fatalities = 5,312 Yeah, those are the bare bones numbers, but they don't mean that motorcycles are safer than cars. I think you are forgetting to account for the fact that there are way more cars than there are motorcycles.
Recommended Posts