Street Bikes—- ugggg

[rightytighty]

Gawd I wish there was some age minimum for guys to ride street bikes...

My son is entering his 3rd year of college. He grew up playing hockey (still does in college), which is a niche sport here in Central Cal. Basically we had 1 travel team at each age group. He played with the same group of boys from age 7 to 18. Hours and hours at the rink. A ton of travel and hotels spent with the same families. Every thanksgiving spent at a tournament somewhere. Off weekends would normally involve sleep overs with brothers or sisters(for our girls) . A real extended family. The boys are mostly really great kids. They bond harder than normal sports because it’s year round for 11 years and very few tapped out/changed interests.
I’m sure it helped that they were pretty good. The team started at a pretty low level, but we were super lucky to have some great dad/coaching, East coasters who grew up on hockey plus a dad/coach who made the NHL for a bit. Over time, the kids started competing, winning, moved up and won a couple of state championships.The kids were really bonded and we parents bonded as well.
But the down side of super confident and under experienced boys are street bikes. 2 weeks ago, one of my son’s teammate who is out East playing Juniors got into a horrible accident, including losing an arm. He has about 5 more surgeries planned and his life has forever changed. But he’s alive. Then last weekend we heard from another family. Their only child died in a solo on Saturday morning. So we are now planning his Memorial service on Friday.
I know, I know. Freedom! Bikes are fun. Coulda got run over in a cross walk, or killed in boat accident. Etc etc I hear ya.
But fuk I hate street bikes for kids (under 30 ish before you understand risk/consequence). His parents will never recover, and I can’t help but put myself in their shoes with a kid who thinks he’s invincible...

 

[Wbinder]

Sign them up for track days ASAP that’ll slow them down on the streets and make them
Become better riders. That’s what saved me haha


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[boatnam2]

I can't count on one hand the people i knew in high school who died on a street bike, if only they would of got a no from parents they could of lived for more than 18 years, and this was 40 years ago. They are fun but with the way drivers are texting on cell phones now its a huge risk for sure.

 

[450grip]

IMO:
If you don’t start on dirt bikes as a kid, you don’t have any business riding a street bike as an adult. Too fukin dangerous.
very sorry to hear about your friends accidents. Horrible!

 

[rightytighty]

Grown up together

 

[Lavey5150]

Godspeed to the young man, and condolences to the injured.I ride every day. Moto as well, w/ my boys.9 and 7.It's in my DNA.Speed.Independence.Lack of Traffic..I think of them every gear.My commute is not far, but that does not matter.Head on a swivel, every second, every day.Gear up.If it's hot, suck it up.

 

[HocusPocus]

I have owned street and dirt bikes over the years but it's been a long time since I was on the highway on one. As much as I would like to buy a big shiny new Harley I just don't see it happening. Too many distracted drivers around to deal with these days.

 

[Deckin Around]

Riding bikes is great but eventually you will be street pizza to some degree.

 

[rightytighty]

Godspeed to the young man, and condolences to the injured.I ride every day. Moto as well, w/ my boys.9 and 7.It's in my DNA.Speed.Independence.Lack of Traffic..I think of them every gear.My commute is not far, but that does not matter.Head on a swivel, every second, every day.Gear up.If it's hot, suck it up.

Yeah- defensive riding is learned via hard experience and surviving long enough to know your limits. And then still having some luck on your side. The lottery of life. These kids don’t get that time. Just sux!

 

[WhatExit?]

"2 motorcycle riders - those who have been down and those who will" - it's just a matter of time

I gave up street bikes after I had an "incident" in NoCal out Woodside Road in the hills - a great place to ride (on the way out to Half Moon Bay).

I decided to ride on the water instead and moved on to jet skis and PWC's where I could fall off at 60 and survive. That's my recommendation to street riders. Also, I agree on learning to ride on the dirt first. If you know how to control/slide the front and back tires on a bike you'll be a better rider on the pavement but you can't control other drivers and that's the majority of the danger

 

[185EZ]

Sorry for your loss.
Unfortunately some think of it as just gas n go. And most can afford a street bike and don't realize the power they have these days just like cars or boats.
All it takes is money and most don't take the time to learn how to drive them.
Like 450grip said I also started out on mini bikes and dirt bikes and it sure helps in knowing what a bike can and can't do.
I still act like a kid on my bike and yes I love the adrenaline rush of going fast. I could also stay at home in the EZ chair but what fun is that?

 

[Rvrluvr]

Sorry about your situation. That being said......

Under 30? Wtf? Here is a pic of my then 17yr old & I His bike is the black one. His second harley. He had a dyna at 15 1/2 (leagal age in CA with a permit). He is now almost 19 and just got his 3rd Harley a month ago. He has 20k miles on big Harleys easy. Dont blame the availability and wish the rules would change, not all “kids” are the same.

 

[rightytighty]

Sorry for your loss.
Unfortunately some think of it as just gas n go. And most can afford a street bike and don't realize the power they have these days just like cars or boats.
All it takes is money and most don't take the time to learn how to drive them.
Like 450grip said I also started out on mini bikes and dirt bikes and it sure helps in knowing what a bike can and can't do.
I still act like a kid on my bike and yes I love the adrenaline rush of going fast. I could also stay at home in the EZ chair but what fun is that?

I get it —-better than most. I have friends involved in boat racing. The view is better closer to the edge.

Just too f’in young (though there is never a “good” time. ).

 

[Bigbore500r]

That sucks, RIP to the young man and best wishes to the kid who lost an arm.
I almost wiped myself out at 23, went out and got myself a GSXR 750 and stuffed it into the back of a Semi truck. Got very lucky and walked away.
I've had other bikes since then, but the fear of what happened is still with me.

 

[rightytighty]

Sorry about your situation. That being said......

Under 30? Wtf? Here is a pic of my then 17yr old & I His bike is the black one. His second harley. He had a dyna at 15 1/2 (leagal age in CA with a permit). He is now almost 19 and just got his 3rd Harley a month ago. He has 20k miles on big Harleys easy. Dont blame the availability and wish the rules would change, not all “kids” are the same. View attachment 899108

Yeah - you’re right. 30 is just an arbitrary number and BS. Everybody takes their chances in life, and not all kids are the same,
But I think most parents are the same when kids die too young.

 

[Rvrluvr]

Yeah - you’re right. 30 is just an arbitrary number and BS. Everybody takes their chances in life, and not all kids are the same,
But I think most parents are the same when kids die too young.

Any kid that dies before their parents would IMHO be considered to young

 

[Flatsix66]

At 15 and 1/2 my mom dropped me off at a used MC dealer on Harbor blvd in Costa Mesa, rode a Yamaha 400 home, no helmet and probably wearing Vans, no real prior experience riding. Me and my buddies used to race up/down Ortega highway...awesome. Always owned sports, dirt and now adventure bikes, love them, never crashed bad. I'm 56 now and for the last 18 years I have lived off of Ortega highway, commute to work daily, and over that time I have seen many bad/lethal bike accidents including two brothers that I knew well who died in almost the same spot years apart. The thrill is amazing, the risk is high, you never know when your number is up. You can control some of the risk but you can't control what others do...

 

[FlyByWire]

Sorry to hear the loss of your sons friend.

Bikes are inherently dangerous, for sure. I got to spend a part of my life riding one for a living, and it was amazing. I miss it every day. Too many close calls to count, but I learned how to ride at an extremely confident level.

Not all kids are the same, judgment wise though. Having said that, you can be the best most aware rider on this planet, and get taken out by someone texting/drunk/etc. Its absolutely the reason I’ll give a hard “no” to street bikes for my kids... for long enough that they’ll actually listen to me. The “no” from my Mom only worked for so long though... so I get it.

 

[Xtrmwakeboarder]

Sign them up for track days ASAP that’ll slow them down on the streets and make them
Become better riders. That’s what saved me haha


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I'd have to agree with the above. Like most things in life, to be successful you have to train and hone your skills. I skipped straight to a 600RR, and was fine because I put in a ton of practice early in the morning, late at night, and in empty parking lots. I had experience riding dirtbikes growing up, which also helped. My buddy jumped right to a 1000RR, but he's the kind of guy that's good at everything he tries.

Sorry for your loss. Bikes are extremely dangerous and unforgiving in the wrong hands......

 

[Backlash]

I'm sorry for your loss. No parent should ever have to bury a child. I can't even imagine the pain that comes with that.

I've wanted a street bike my whole life and know exactly what I'd buy if I were to pull the trigger. The problem is, I've known too many people who have died riding bikes, and those who haven't passed away due to accidents, have ALL gone down at some point. The one that closed the deal for me, was listening to my old boss crying in agony through a helmet cam after he went down on a track in SoCal. Nope. No thank you.

He survived and is OK today, but I wouldn't ever want to repeat that experience. I dont care how much of a "Thrill" one gets riding a bike.

I'll stick to boats and jet skiis.

 

[Dana757]

Sorry to hear this. It's always tragic but even more so when they are young. I couldn't imagine loosing a limb let alone at that age.

 

[rightytighty]

I'm sorry for your loss. No parent should ever have to bury a child. I can't even imagine the pain that comes with that.

I've wanted a street bike my whole life and know exactly what I'd buy if I were to pull the trigger. The problem is, I've known too many people who have died riding bikes, and those who haven't passed away due to accidents, have ALL gone down at some point. The one that closed the deal for me, was listening to my old boss crying in agony through a helmet cam after he went down on a track in SoCal. Nope. No thank you.

He survived and is OK today, but I wouldn't ever want to repeat that experience. I dont care how much of a "Thrill" one gets riding a bike.

I'll stick to boats and jet skiis.

Yeah- that’s traumatic.
The poor kid that was following my son’s teammate in accident one, didn’t know Nolan. He was just following him about a truck length behind when the SUV blew a stop sign and t-boned him. The poor kid/bystander stopped and was first on the scene. He tripped over Nolan’s boot when exiting his car. A real shit show. Nolan came to at the scene and the screaming was other worldly (as you could only imagine). It traumatized this kid for sure.
This info was from a Facebook post from the bystander’s mother. It was later linked to Nolan’s accident.

 

[beaverretriever]

First off, so sorry to hear. Bad for the kid and probably just as terrible for the family.

Street bikes just make you want to twist that throttle. There really is no feeling like it.

I sold Harley Davidsons for about 10 years. Not patting myself on the back but I sold the most bikes for a small to medium size dealership in the nation multiple years running. With that being said, it was a LOT of motorcycles (over 237 not including police fleet bikes one year). With a lot of bikes going out, I was bound to sell them to people where their life eventually ended on two wheels.

So to make a long story short, I had this kid come in a ton of times. He was 18 and had a good job at Costco. He came in for a year straight and looked at Sportsters. When he was getting close to making the purchase his dad shows up one day without his son. He ask for me to sit down and says he doesn't want me selling his son a motorcycle. He just doesn't feel good having his son ride. I was very nice and told him I understood, but I personally can't make that decision for his son since he was 18 nor was I in the position to do so. His son comes in a few weeks later with A+ credit and buys the Sportster. He even mentions to me he was furious his father came in to try and stop him and he felt terrible I had to deal with that. Of course I said no problem. Not three months later the kid is out riding with friends and goes down around a corner. He was fine from the crash until his buddy ran over his neck severing his spine and killing him instantly.

If you go to the Costco in Henderson Nv, the motorcycle parking is dedicated to him.

There was a year I had like seven customers die. Everything from accidents to natural causes, but everyone called me Dr Death that year. When you sell over 200 bikes a year, you are bound to hear all kinds of stories about your customers. One hit me especially hard. He was a super guy that was a professor at UNLV. He bought a big Ultra Classic from me and rode every day. He decided to take one of those "Finding himself" type trips for a few weeks and in the middle of like Kansas or North Dakota or something he is on some farm road and a truck pulls right out in front of him. I was so down for weeks. It was hard on both me and my wife as she knew him as well. Just the nicest guy you could ever meet.

Motorcycles are dangerous. Being on the road is dangerous. A lot of the time it's the driver's fault but man, I have to say that in so many cases it's the rider's fault. I would see some of these clowns pull up on their new Screamin Eagle dresser and almost fall over multiple times. I would always say "you should look in to our Rider's Edge classes". hahaha. They would always take it the wrong way. Whatever, as I may has saved someone's life!

 

[fmo24]

My dads advice and it still sticks with me is that you are invisible to drivers on the road. No matter what you do plan on a driver looking right thru you. I love motorcycles but don’t ride on the street much anymore. Occasionally out on a country road with buddies but never on a highway.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

I had an Aprilia that I would ride when I lived in Orange County. I was riding on the 5 one day and saw a bike in the fast lane about 100 yards ahead which I was working on catching up to. An old lady swerved into his lane hitting him which caused him to hit the center divider, bounce off and go down. Traffic was busy and moving, he was run over and died. I sold my bike a few weeks later.

My son will not be riding a bike unless it's at the track.

 

[rightytighty]

First off, so sorry to hear. Bad for the kid and probably just as terrible for the family.

Street bikes just make you want to twist that throttle. There really is no feeling like it.

I sold Harley Davidsons for about 10 years. Not patting myself on the back but I sold the most bikes for a small to medium size dealership in the nation multiple years running. With that being said, it was a LOT of motorcycles (over 237 not including police fleet bikes one year). With a lot of bikes going out, I was bound to sell them to people where their life eventually ended on two wheels.

So to make a long story short, I had this kid come in a ton of times. He was 18 and had a good job at Costco. He came in for a year straight and looked at Sportsters. When he was getting close to making the purchase his dad shows up one day without his son. He ask for me to sit down and says he doesn't want me selling his son a motorcycle. He just doesn't feel good having his son ride. I was very nice and told him I understood, but I personally can't make that decision for his son since he was 18 nor was I in the position to do so. His son comes in a few weeks later with A+ credit and buys the Sportster. He even mentions to me he was furious his father came in to try and stop him and he felt terrible I had to deal with that. Of course I said no problem. Not three months later the kid is out riding with friends and goes down around a corner. He was fine from the crash until his buddy ran over his neck severing his spine and killing him instantly.

If you go to the Costco in Henderson Nv, the motorcycle parking is dedicated to him.

There was a year I had like seven customers die. Everything from accidents to natural causes, but everyone called me Dr Death that year. When you sell over 200 bikes a year, you are bound to hear all kinds of stories about your customers. One hit me especially hard. He was a super guy that was a professor at UNLV. He bought a big Ultra Classic from me and rode every day. He decided to take one of those "Finding himself" type trips for a few weeks and in the middle of like Kansas or North Dakota or something he is on some farm road and a truck pulls right out in front of him. I was so down for weeks. It was hard on both me and my wife as she knew him as well. Just the nicest guy you could ever meet.

Motorcycles are dangerous. Being on the road is dangerous. A lot of the time it's the driver's fault but man, I have to say that in so many cases it's the rider's fault. I would see some of these clowns pull up on their new Screamin Eagle dresser and almost fall over multiple times. I would always say "you should look in to our Rider's Edge classes". hahaha. They would always take it the wrong way. Whatever, as I may has saved someone's life!

Here’s a copy of the Facebook post about Nolan’s accident(accident 1). Brand new Harley with “paper plates”. It’s just heart breaking.

 

[beaverretriever]

Here’s a copy of the Facebook post about Nolan’s accident(accident 1). Brand new Harley with “paper plates”. It’s just heart breaking. View attachment 899116

Oh so terrible.

I didn't realize it was a Harley. For some reason I was under the impression it was a sport bike.

So sorry to hear about this poor kid and his family.

 

[rightytighty]

Oh so terrible.

I didn't realize it was a Harley. For some reason I was under the impression it was a sport bike.

So sorry to hear about this poor kid and his family.

The fatal accident (the other team mate) was a solo sport bike. Not that it matters.

 

[squeezer]

IMO:
If you don’t start on dirt bikes as a kid, you don’t have any business riding a street bike as an adult. Too fukin dangerous.
very sorry to hear about your friends accidents. Horrible!

This times 100...

 

[YeahYeah01]

Terrible! Gone way to soon!

I owned a couple from 18-21. When I bought my house I sold em. I had several super close calls that could have ended real bad and I figured it was a matter of time before my luck ran out and the house payment would be hard to make if I was laid up.

Not to mention I was a Idiot on it! First one was on older 1993 600 Ninja, then a 06 636 Ninja.

 

[Waterjunky]

Almost bought one of the last EBR's made. I had just had a kid at the time. Being middle aged, I realized that as much as I like riding a motorcycle, I still probably didn't have the common sense or true skill needed for that bike. I will stay with my heavy cruzer.



Would have been fun though ........

 

[rivermobster]

Gawd I wish there was some age minimum for guys to ride street bikes...

My son is entering his 3rd year of college. He grew up playing hockey (still does in college), which is a niche sport here in Central Cal. Basically we had 1 travel team at each age group. He played with the same group of boys from age 7 to 18. Hours and hours at the rink. A ton of travel and hotels spent with the same families. Every thanksgiving spent at a tournament somewhere. Off weekends would normally involve sleep overs with brothers or sisters(for our girls) . A real extended family. The boys are mostly really great kids. They bond harder than normal sports because it’s year round for 11 years and very few tapped out/changed interests.
I’m sure it helped that they were pretty good. The team started at a pretty low level, but we were super lucky to have some great dad/coaching, East coasters who grew up on hockey plus a dad/coach who made the NHL for a bit. Over time, the kids started competing, winning, moved up and won a couple of state championships.The kids were really bonded and we parents bonded as well.
But the down side of super confident and under experienced boys are street bikes. 2 weeks ago, one of my son’s teammate who is out East playing Juniors got into a horrible accident, including losing an arm. He has about 5 more surgeries planned and his life has forever changed. But he’s alive. Then last weekend we heard from another family. Their only child died in a solo on Saturday morning. So we are now planning his Memorial service on Friday.
I know, I know. Freedom! Bikes are fun. Coulda got run over in a cross walk, or killed in boat accident. Etc etc I hear ya.
But fuk I hate street bikes for kids (under 30 ish before you understand risk/consequence). His parents will never recover, and I can’t help but put myself in their shoes with a kid who thinks he’s invincible...

So fucking sad...

When I bought my first street bike, I was so excited. Went in the house and got my dad to come check it out. He came outside, looked at it, and then went back in the house. He never said a single word.

We all thought we were invincible at that age. Just how it is.

My heart brakes for his parents.

 

[mash on it]

Covid death rate .005%.
Motorcycle death rate .0008%. (Arizona, 2017)

I still ride.

Dan'l

 

[rightytighty]

Covid death rate .005%.
Motorcycle death rate .0008%. (Arizona, 2017)

I still ride.

Dan'l

That’s cool!

Everybody gets to make that choice if they wanna ride streets. I’m just sad to see so many kids who don’t get as lucky as most of the posters on this thread, who’ve seen a bit more in this world.

I think your motorcycle death rate is a little optimistic but regardless, that’s your choice and good on ya!

I’ll be back at the boat races as soon as they have them and we all know the risk there.

 

[dribble]

That’s cool!

Everybody gets to make that choice if they wanna ride streets. I’m just sad to see so many kids who don’t get as lucky as most of the posters on this thread, who’ve seen a bit more in this world.

I think your motorcycle death rate is a little optimistic but regardless, that’s your choice and good on ya!

I’ll be back at the boat races as soon as they have them and we all know the risk there.

I've known more people who died in boat accidents than I have who died in motorcycle accidents. As far as kids are concerned, if they want dirtbikes do everything in your power to get them into it. After they are 18 they will have a healthy respect for hitting the ground. I've been riding street and dirt for 50 years and I have always ridden like I am invisible. I give two pieces of advice to newer riders. Ride like everyone is trying to kill you. And expect every driver to do the opposite of what you think or what they signal they're going to do. I will never quit riding.

 

[Tank0088]

I bought my first street bike at the age of 26 years old. I loved it but it also scared me. I sold it because I didn’t want to get hurt while on probation after the academy. I started a family and have two young boys. My 7 year old reminds me of my street bike that I sold and asks me if he can have one when he gets older. I hope he doesn’t want one later in life because I worry about getting that phone call. A few weeks ago while working during all of the BLM protests, I hear over the radio of a vehicle VS motorcycle accident and it doesn’t look good. We see and hear these types of calls all of the time. Majority of the time the vehicle is at fault because they don’t see the motorcyclist, like this incident. Then the first unit on scene says, “it’s one of ours.” My heart sank. Knowing the area that the accident happened and knowing a fellow Officer who lived in that area and rides, I immediately knew who it was. We start blocking intersections so FD can get to the hospital ASAP. We wait to hear the result and it was, “He didn’t make it.”
I became even more pissed about the protests.

I found out that he had a 12 year old son. The Officer was 34 years old and he was a newer great Officer.

I came home and held my boys and I felt so bad for the Officers Son who will never see, hug, kiss, or do anything with his dad again.

I decided not to get on a street bike again for a long time. I miss the freedom and feel of riding but damn I don’t want my kids or family to miss out on having me as their dad.

This is a lot longer then I planned but life is short and sometimes we have to make a decision to do what we can to stay here a little bit longer.

 

[MK1MOD0]

I’ve been riding since I was 4. Had a GSXR 750 at 16, and my first GSXR 1100 at 18...still in HS. I have known a lot more people killed in car accidents than any other kind of accident. And no, I don’t go around telling everyone who drives a car how DANGEROUS it is. Life is a danger, from birth to death. It’s up to each individual to make it exciting or not.

 

[Your ad here]

The freedom of riding is a blast, the risk is high. Felt like riding an endless wave when I rode my bike. Death Valley, Las Vegas, San Diego County, Imperial County, Colorado River, riding to Parker at midnight, all a fun experience with no door or glass between you and the elements. Had complete confidence in myself while riding in California and never rode faster than Angel's could fly. Then I moved to Phoenix... put 50 miles on the bike and sold it. The confidence is not there when in Phoenix. Terrible drivers. No one gives a shit about anyone else's safety here. All they think about is themselves. They love to just demolish cars here. Pre corona virus, rollovers were a daily thing, morning and afternoon.

 

[rightytighty]

I bought my first street bike at the age of 26 years old. I loved it but it also scared me. I sold it because I didn’t want to get hurt while on probation after the academy. I started a family and have two young boys. My 7 year old reminds me of my street bike that I sold and asks me if he can have one when he gets older. I hope he doesn’t want one later in life because I worry about getting that phone call. A few weeks ago while working during all of the BLM protests, I hear over the radio of a vehicle VS motorcycle accident and it doesn’t look good. We see and hear these types of calls all of the time. Majority of the time the vehicle is at fault because they don’t see the motorcyclist, like this incident. Then the first unit on scene says, “it’s one of ours.” My heart sank. Knowing the area that the accident happened and knowing a fellow Officer who lived in that area and rides, I immediately knew who it was. We start blocking intersections so FD can get to the hospital ASAP. We wait to hear the result and it was, “He didn’t make it.”
I became even more pissed about the protests.

I found out that he had a 12 year old son. The Officer was 34 years old and he was a newer great Officer.

I came home and held my boys and I felt so bad for the Officers Son who will never see, hug, kiss, or do anything with his dad again.

I decided not to get on a street bike again for a long time. I miss the freedom and feel of riding but damn I don’t want my kids or family to miss out on having me as their dad.

This is a lot longer then I planned but life is short and sometimes we have to make a decision to do what we can to stay here a little bit longer.

Sorry for the loss of your brother and thank you for your service. At the end of the day, this whole thread is about the love for our kids.

 

[rightytighty]

I’ve been riding since I was 4. Had a GSXR 750 at 16, and my first GSXR 1100 at 18...still in HS. I have known a lot more people killed in car accidents than any other kind of accident. And no, I don’t go around telling everyone who drives a car how DANGEROUS it is. Life is a danger, from birth to death. It’s up to each individual to make it exciting or not.

Yep- life is dangerous. Juggling chainsaws and riding street bikes comes immediately to mind.

 

[rightytighty]

The freedom of riding is a blast, the risk is high. Felt like riding an endless wave when I rode my bike. Death Valley, Las Vegas, San Diego County, Imperial County, Colorado River, riding to Parker at midnight, all a fun experience with no door or glass between you and the elements. Had complete confidence in myself while riding in California and never rode faster than Angel's could fly. Then I moved to Phoenix... put 50 miles on the bike and sold it. The confidence is not there when in Phoenix. Terrible drivers. No one gives a shit about anyone else's safety here. All they think about is themselves. They love to just demolish cars here. Pre corona virus, rollovers were a daily thing, morning and afternoon.

Or you just got older and wiser? Lucky you!

 

[monkeyswrench]

Many years ago, had a GSXR 1100. Loved it, scared the hell out of me...almost like a drug. Went to a friends funeral, he was the best rider I knew...hit head on by a guy cutting the apex on the same mountain road, with paper plates. I sold mine, got into choppers for a bit. Slowed down in my late 20s, probably the reason I made it to my 40s. Life is too short for some, like the boy above. It can also be longer than expected, by luck or by choices. Losing an arm is devastating, but not the end. Hopefully the other boy has the mindset that it is just a setback, and can be overcome.

 

[lIQUIDATEDdAMAGES]

Bought an SV-650 from a coworker straight out of college at 24 while living and working at my first job in SD. He upgraded to an R-1 and we road together for a year or two. He went down on Palomar mountain one Saturday when I happened to not be with him. He was beat up but luckily ok.

We had a blast but also did some pretty dumb shit. The one that comes to mind is the time we made it down the 5 from Oceanside to PB in about 10 minutes flat during halftime of the Super Bowl [emoji2357]

My mom didn’t know I had it until about a month before I sold it. She cried when she found out. The wife also is not a fan of three stories. I’d love to ride again but I like sleeping in the bed lol.


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[Bowtiepower00]

I think a lot of it has to do with where you ride. I never grew up on dirt bikes. I was too poor to afford one. My old man got a sportster when I was 18, and my first lesson was riding doubles with him. I graduated to riding it on an abandoned runway, to hitting the road on it. And moved up to riding a big twin on my own. Did my road test on a super glide FXD off the showroom floor as a bike mechanic. Ended up riding pretty much every type of big twin from custom chopper to bagger as a Harley mechanic at age 20. Never an issue in Iowa. Crazy riding, buells, wheelies, flat track style sliding the rear tire, not an issue. It doesn’t matter the age or bike, anyone can learn how to ride hard. Got wiped out by a cage in PHX once I moved down here around age 25. No fault of my own. Totally fucked me up, back injury, and physical therapist told me I’d never be the same. Made me change from a construction worker/ Mechanic to health care. Always heard about the the life expectancy of a biker being 6 months in PHX, and until it happened to me, no fault of my own, I thought it was bullshit. I would nothing love nothing more than to ride again but I don’t feel it’s safe down here. I went 2-3 years in Iowa and Florida without a car and it was never an issue, summer, winter, rain, snow, I didn’t care. But in AZ with these psycho drivers, I refuse to ride. I heard stories about collections going around MMI to cover funerals and thought it was bullshit until I rode down here for a few months. These cages don’t give a single fuck. I’ve rode all over the country including sturgis and Daytona bike week, but AZ and CA are a different animal, you really are taking your life into your own hands down here. When I got connected with the biker scene down here I realized most of the bikers were dead. And the rest were lucky and survived.

 

[welldigger00]

I’m glad I survived street bikes. My father in law and brother in law raced them many years, and they got me on them early on. Dirt bikes put me in the hospital more than once. The thought of riding on the highway scares the shit outta me now. Everyone is on their phone while driving nowadays.


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[77charger]

I got my first street bike at 17 pretty much had one til 37 I just didn’t ride as much and sold it. But today I see many young ones being stupid on them or have no prior riding experience but jumping straight to a 1000.

I did plenty of canyons too and some time at willow early 90s. Back then I rode a lot. My Sunday consisted of leaving south oc at 7 am coming back about 4-5. Had some new ones want to go ride I would say come back when you get more experience one thought he had it I told him road is not great rained that week he went down on Palamar luckily drove away. Another bought my old bike he decided to follow went down on Ortega I didn’t know he lingered back at store a friend says he your old bike went down a ways back. Again lucky he just went up embankment.
These days I want another but my mind say get a dual sport and moving to az prob be a wiser choice.

 

[havasuhusker]

I've ridden dirt bikes for years. Have no fear jumping on one and riding. But, the thought of throwing a leg over a street bike scares the bejeezus out of me. Most people I know that ride them have been in some sort of accident. Most of them were due to other drivers not paying attention.

 

[Blackmagic94]

 

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May not be a motorcycle accident but the reality of Phoenix drivers. These 2, box truck and car just didn't acknowledged eachother and collided. It's a daily, if not, hourly trend here. It was a decent one, the windshield blew out on the car. Both parties seemed fine.

 

[calkid]

Sorry about your situation. That being said......

Under 30? Wtf? Here is a pic of my then 17yr old & I His bike is the black one. His second harley. He had a dyna at 15 1/2 (leagal age in CA with a permit). He is now almost 19 and just got his 3rd Harley a month ago. He has 20k miles on big Harleys easy. Dont blame the availability and wish the rules would change, not all “kids” are the same. View attachment 899108

Did the same thing. Got my Motorcycle license and bought a street bike at 15 1/2 after growing up on Dirt bikes. That was in 1974.