I see a lot of Donors!

[bob109]

I often wonder why folks will offer their "opinion" with such conviction on the internet, and yet won't speak to others in person in the same way. I for example, have long held beliefs about everything. They are all well thought out opinions and are the most correct opinion in the world..... I have the choice to engage, or not.
So in short, I'm right, you're wrong, and that's it. That being said, I don't have to tell you about them! so, live and let live means mind your own. don't care and nothing but MY experience can change my mind.

I just had it out with a door to door religion salesman and i'm a little wound up. Ended with " we got our own brand of crazy, don't need yours"

Those door to door religious salesman are politely told that I've done away with the "operator" and now "dial direct"

[jlyon]

Hey Guys,

I'd like to offer my perspective...

We each, in our ordinary, every day regular lives, make life and death decisions. When crossing a street, with or without the benefit of a "green" light for pedestrians, we almost always engage our speed-time-distance computer as we look at traffic around us. We calculate, at the speed of thought, the probabilities of making it across safely, and we either correctly act on that information, or we do not...

The same could be said for even the concept of riding a motorcycle, a vehicle that inherently comes without the protection of various amounts of steel / aluminum / carbon fiber / air bags / etc around us to provide protection. It is ALWAYS a calculated risk every time we climb on / in /over our beloved two-wheeled vehicles.

Like someone on here said, we all go out horizontal at the end of the day... the question, it seems to me, is do we enjoy and live the days we do have to the fullest between the opening of our lives and the closing, or not... I personally would like to finish my turn on this big blue marble in one of three ways:

1. In my sleep of a massive coronary / stroke that takes me instantly
2. Have the same said coronary while on the downhill stroke emdedded with a beautiful woman
(Please pardon the obvious joke about coming and going at the same time)
3. Or doing something I so dearly love - like riding my motorcycles for instance...

I lost my 2nd wife in a motorcycle accident in 2008. A young woman of 17 years of age, with a whopping 54 days of having a motor vehicle license, made a incorrect speed-time-distance calculation, and against the red light impulsively acted on that decision... It proved to be the wrong decision. We live in a helmet-required state, and Joanne was wearing hers. Because her injuries were of the internal organ kind, there was only but a scratch on her helmet, and a small bruise on her stomach, but nevertheless, she did not survive. My Beloved Joanne died doing something she absolutely loved on the back of a motorcycle with a man she absolutely loved. She had her own bike, but when I asked her that afternoon if she was riding it, she told me "No, not today... today I want to feel the wind in my face and be able to wrap my arms around you whenever I want to"... Given the obvious that I would trade my life for hers in an an instant if that were possible so that she could walk this Earth again, I find what comfort I can in knowing that she died doing something that she loved with the man she loved...

I almost always ride with a helmet. When I visit neighboring states where one is not required, I still almost always ride with one. On rare occasions, I ride without... It is a calculated choice made by a person who fully knows the risks, rewards and consequences of such actions. I know the risks and potential outcomes all too well... I think about My Beloved Joanne every single day, and most especially when I ride. I ride neither crazily nor impulsively, but with care and respect for the hazards... but ride I do...

In my mind, the decision should be left to me to make, not some lawmaker who thinks he or she has my best interests in mind. If there were any sound logic to the process of making laws to "protect" us and keep us all from harm, then there would not be this absurd situation where laws that says kids have to be seat-belted in cars, yet allows over 30 million children to ride school buses twice a day, with absolutely NO seatbelts (other than for the driver) !!!

So, my rant is over... I fall on the side of let those who ride decide... It is our life; allow us the right to take responsibility for it...

[Donncat]

I and I'm sure many others are sorry for your loss. And folks there isn't need to convince everyone that you have the right answer to the question. We all enjoy being on two wheels for our own reasons and I think all choose how much risk we are willing to take. I'm one of those who rides without. SFFATT (shorts,flip flops all the time). I'm cool with what you do and my experience with the folks in this crowd is that live and let live. I understand the passion of what others feel and think, but it's my call and I'm good with my call. And if I go tragically I am right with my Lord and savior and THAT my friends is the most important thing. Be well all, ride safe

[Steve 0080]

States with seat belt laws but not helmet laws.......beyond ignant.

Welcome to FLA..... Yea, I don't get it...I don't have to wear a helmet but I Do have to wear a seatbelt....I can't stand seatbelts!

[flat6bagger]

Wear one or don't.
Your choice.
Just don't give me sh!t because I choose to wear one.
It goes both ways.
You don't like to be told to wear one,I don't like to be ridiculed because I do.


Doug

[RickJ]

Theoretically, I fall on the "let the rider decide" on the other hand, I CAN'T decide if MY insurance premiums (health and drivers ins) are based on the higher medical and payout costs of people who live more dangerously than I. In a backass sort of way, I have a vested interest in your safety...and I CAN'T decide my role in THAT.

just sayin'

[shooter]

That's a good point Rick. And like you , u don't know if my premiums go up to help cover your medical bills. I know I don't want to be charged any more than I already am.

[RickW]

I actually had a very bad motorcycle accident 13 years ago that was not survivable without a helmet. We do not tell anyone what to wear while riding, but I can tell you first hand what happens when you hit the pavement hard at 55 mph. I can also tell you how it effects your wife when she thinks you were just killed in front of her.
You will not survive a sudden stop at 55 mph, but most are not sudden stops and you actually do have a good chance with some safety gear.
Below is what I wrote on our Valkyrie page 13 years ago just after it happened.

"The pictures below are of my Honda Valkyrie that I had for 3 years and was totaled on July 26th 2002. I purchased another Valkyrie Tourer (all black, shown above) and built it even better then the last one. Below is a short description of what happened in the accident. I hope that at least one person will read this and decides to wear safety equipment.

Teresa and I were riding to Zanesville Ohio from the Honda Homecoming. We were going down a slight hill (on Ohio route 37) and around a slight right curve. There was brush and trees very close to the road. In an instant there was a deer in the road in front of me. I never had time to come off the throttle and hit it pretty much head on. The deer was quite large about 180 lbs or so. The impact is quite sever hitting something that large going 55 mph. The bike went down and I got away from the bike pretty clean. I skidded about 75 feet head first on my back. I flipped a couple of times when I hit dryer pavement. The bike skidded 150 feet and bounced around pretty good a few times before stopping. The deer was dead instantly.
I had an HJC 3/4 Helmet on. There were gouges all the way from the top front to the back bottom left on the helmet. The helmet was ground into the pavement. I also had a Joe Rocket Phoenix jacket on. I had virtually no scratches on my arms or back. The padding in the jacket took a lot of the impact. The fingerless leather gloves might not have been a good idea. I had thick jeans on which were ripped in a couple of places. Missing only a little skin on my legs. Boots also only got a little messed up. I was very sore, but not in the hospital or worse. So, is it worth wearing safety equipment? Yes, the outcome would have been way different.
Teresa was only 2 seconds behind me on her Honda 1100 Sabre. I am very lucky that she is an experienced rider. It was difficult to miss everything in the road while trying to stop. I think that she was way more upset then me. Another good reason to take motorcycle safety courses and always make sure that you are capable of handling the bike in extreme conditions. She did ride the Sabre back to Delaware, Ohio when the Valkyrie was being towed. Our Custom Valkyrie had a huge amount of damage and was totaled, but it was replaced. You always think and hope that it won't happen to you. Something to keep in mind once in a while."
http://www.valueaccessories.net/Valkyrie/Valkyrie.htm