How do you justify the risk of riding?

[Helmetdance]

Q. How do I justify the risk?
A. Everybody dies.

My own philosophical take: Whether you ride or don't ride live the few days you have to the fullest, and always be prepared for death.

[Briman71]

It's Zen man!! Bikes are less than cars, and that makes them and those that ride them so much more.

By riding bike you are exercising minimalism. They are less of an impact on the environment to manufacture, they leave less of a carbon footprint in operation and every one of us gets to practice "riding meditation" or maybe "riding zazen."

Riding centers us and makes us better people, even off the bike.

I like to ask this... How do you justify driving a car? For some it is essential. Moms with babies, elderly with failing health etc. But when I am riding and I look around me and see all these people, driving alone, or maybe with one other adult with them, driving along in their 1 to 2 ton monster i ask myself why do they choose to burn excess petroleum? Why do they choose to half attentively or inattentively operate that thing that will kill me if they hit me when I am trying to be conscious about the environment and be a minimalist? Is it selfishness? Laziness?

If you think about it, if everyone rode bike or trike, all of a sudden, motorcycling isnt that dangerous. Its the cars that make motorcycling dangerous.

[Loki]

Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
—Janet Rand

[Nirvana]

Bear with the philosophical slant on this one. But it is important. As I see it, anyway. Allow me to quote something I just came across while reading 'Lila' (for the second time) by Robert M. Pirsig. This is a guy who did some serious riding, so I do give importance to his words, and recommend his books.

The quote:

... Phaedrus had told Rigel carefully, "I think what we're buying with these boats in space, nothingness, emptiness ... huge sweeps of open water ... and sweeps of time with nothing to do ... That's worth a lot of money. You can't hardly find that stuff anymore.

- Taken from page 9, 'Lila - An Inquiry Into Morals' by Robert M. Pirsig, Author of 'Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'

(Hint: Substitute 'Motorcycle' for 'Boat' and you might see what I'm trying to hint at.)

If it doesn't ring a bell, well 'Never Mind'.

[roadstar-rich]

Originally Posted by SoCalRider07

This is an excellent question, and one I am facing now that I am moving forward with a bike. I presently drive a small sedan, but plan to sell it and put a down payment on a new two-wheeler. A motorbike is economical, enjoyable, and requires little space. Even though my sedan is by no means large, the limited space I deal with in spots like Newport Beach, the Spectrum, San Juan Capistrano, or Belmont Shore make me yearn for the simplicity of a few feet instead of a dozen. With fuel prices now approaching four bucks a gallon, a new sporty Suzuki making 50 mpg is very convenient.

First I doubt that a motorcycle will really save a lot of money for you considering all that's involved, from insurance, gear, maintenance and even gas it isn't going to save you a bundle. I usually go more miles than necessary and take trips just to take a trip so wind up spending a good amount on gas even if I do get 40 mpg, I just do more miles.

Regarding risks on a motorcycle, it's been covered in detail but just to add that I look at it in light of what the real risks are for my type of riding and don't think it's too much greater than any other sport if practiced conservatively. Go 100 mph on the freeway doing wheelies and you have a different set of risks than I would ever have.

[windkey]

Originally Posted by Loki

Risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing.
The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing and is nothing.
They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live.
Chained by their attitudes, they are a slave, they have forfeited their freedom.
Only a person who risks is free.
—Janet Rand

What a great quote! Thanks, Loki

[Tomg]

Several references have been made to everybody dying.

Well, it is true that everybody dead has died, but it's not over yet, it's not a hundred percent. Everybody hasn't died yet. We're still here. Quit putting so much stock into anecdotal evidence.

Who knows, maybe you won't . . .

[Wanderlust]

A couple of my favorite quotes by Teddy Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”


“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

[BJay]

I ride and accept the risk associated with it simply because I like it. The reward is simply worth the risk. Of course, I want to "spend" as little as possible and get the most out of it, so I focus a lot on risk mitigation.

I figure if people can justify jumping out of a perfectly good airplane I can justify riding a bike. It's not complicated really.

As for people who claim motorcycling is too dangerous, they're right. It is too dangerous, for *them*. Just like jumping out of an airplane isn't worth it to me, riding a bike isn't worth it for them. I respect that and expect others to respect my decision on biking.

[xjon]

justifying the risk of riding....I work in the OR and see all kinds of things. I finally realized one day when a patient came in needing his leg worked on. I asked the docs if it was a motorcycle accident (as I always do) and they said he was walking into a 7 eleven and a car in the parking lot was placed in gear instead of reverse and pinned him to the wall. I figured if he can loose a leg just walking into a convenience store, then it was meant to be.

Another time a lady inside Jenny Craig lost her life because a car rammed into her "inside" Jenny Craig. So I justified that if I am meant to live with one leg, be paralyzed from neck down, or be dead, then it will happen whether I am riding, walking, or shopping. Fate, I believe in it. I also don't push it. Not that much, atleast.