Moths to the flame...

[Windblown]

I wrote this today and posted it on another forum while mulling over the passing of a young motorcycle rider in our area who lost his life playing this game we love. I repost it here in the "Beginner's Garage" in hopes that maybe it will provide some food for thought for those who have not yet "been there, done that." Feel free to share it wherever and with whomever if you're inclined.

Just as Icarus was drawn to the sun, motorcycle enthusiasts are drawn to the challenge of dangerous roads.  The winding thin ribbon of asphalt calls to us, and we answer.  

We surge forward to grasp a victory that means nothing to anyone but ourselves. To feel the rush of adrenalin, to challenge fate,  to revel in the skill of slicing through the corners at a rate where a mistake spells disaster. To be the masters of the day.  

In our complex world victories can be hard to determine, but there is no such complexity in the tight twists and turns the mountain passes offer.  Win or lose, the results are as definite as they are immediate.  It can be an intoxicating drug.

 But wait, seriously...  Do you really feel strongly enough about what you're doing to throw all manner of caution to the wind? Is facing that challenge really important enough to die or get maimed for?

That mountainside doesn't give a rats A$$ how fast you can go over it and neither does anyone else. It can kill or cripple you for life and will if the opportunity presents itself.  The weapons of choice are decreasing radius turns, gravel, slick road patches, other motorists, wildlife... the list is endless.

The roads you travel you do not travel alone. For the sake of yourselves and those around you remember this: The line between ultimate fun and disaster is razor sharp.  The closer you come to the ultimate level of "fun" in this game the closer you come to never coming back from it.  And like it or not, you will lose sooner or later if you step to the edge repeatedly.

The victory of a fast pass thru a curvy section of road is less than meaningless from inside the meat wagon.  

Find interesting ways to challenge your motorcycling skill. Take a mountain pass and never leave your lane, hit a section without ever touching your brakes, whatever. I'm just saying take charge of your fate! You make the rules, weight them to your advantage. It does not lesson the challenge, just changes it. The mountain isn't timing you with a stopwatch. Like I said before, the road doesn't care.

[ridingfar]

There are old motorcyclists and there are bold motorcyclists...

But there are no old, bold motorcyclists.....

[coho]

There are old motorcyclists and there are bold motorcyclists...

But there are no old, bold motorcyclists.....

Except for this guy.
http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/8204716.82_year_old_grandfather_from_York_wins_opening_race_of_the_Isle_of_Man_TT_fortnight/?ref=twt

[Fun Dog]

 

That mountainside doesn't give a rats A$$ how fast you can go over it and neither does anyone else. It can kill or cripple you for life and will if the opportunity presents itself.  The weapons of choice are decreasing radius turns, gravel, slick road patches, other motorists, wildlife... the list is endless.

The victory of a fast pass thru a curvy section of road is less than meaningless from inside the meat wagon.  

 I'm just saying take charge of your fate! You make the rules, weight them to your advantage. It does not lesson the challenge, just changes it. The mountain isn't timing you with a stopwatch. Like I said before, the road doesn't care.

That's great.  It's the first time I've seen somebody write something like that...something that really needs to be said:  the road doesn't care and neither does anyone else.

What's funny is when I started riding, I rode with people who were so much faster than me.  But they weren't mature enough to let me develop at my own pace.  They were always tempting me to ride faster and faster and to keep up with them.  Fuck that shit.  I'm not dying if I can help it.  I knew I didn't have the skill and experience to ride like they did, so I rode at my own pace and they always had to wait for me at the next stopping point for me to catch up.

Needless to say, they got tired of waiting up for me all the time and I don't ride with those guys anymore.

"So what?" I thought, "beats getting injured or killed just to show I can keep up."  I'm glad I was smart enough to make my own decisions when it came to riding style.  It probably saved my life or serious injuries more than once.

It's like you say in your piece:  the road really doesn't care, and so what if you ride that piece of twisties really fast?  Who cares?  WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO IMPRESS?  That's the question I always ask myself.  Is there going to be a standing round of applause if I "get my knee down?"  Maybe a paycheck to compensate me for the deadly risks I took in that last set of curves?  Who am I trying to show off for?  What group am I trying to fit into, and is it worth it?  These are the tough, invisible questions that bring a lot to light.

Nobody wants to admit that they're riding really fast and making seriously dangerous maneuvers to impress other people, but I think 90% of all fast and dangerous motorcycle riding is the result of trying to "impress your buddies."  That's fucking sad.  Think about it...that you care more about what your friends think of you than you care about yourself.

[black hills]

I wrote this today and posted it on another forum while mulling over the passing of a young motorcycle rider in our area who lost his life playing this game we love. I repost it here in the "Beginner's Garage" in hopes that maybe it will provide some food for thought for those who have not yet "been there, done that." Feel free to share it wherever and with whomever if you're inclined.

Just as Icarus was drawn to the sun, motorcycle enthusiasts are drawn to the challenge of dangerous roads.  The winding thin ribbon of asphalt calls to us, and we answer.  

We surge forward to grasp a victory that means nothing to anyone but ourselves. To feel the rush of adrenalin, to challenge fate,  to revel in the skill of slicing through the corners at a rate where a mistake spells disaster. To be the masters of the day.  

In our complex world victories can be hard to determine, but there is no such complexity in the tight twists and turns the mountain passes offer.  Win or lose, the results are as definite as they are immediate.  It can be an intoxicating drug.

 But wait, seriously...  Do you really feel strongly enough about what you're doing to throw all manner of caution to the wind? Is facing that challenge really important enough to die or get maimed for?

That mountainside doesn't give a rats A$$ how fast you can go over it and neither does anyone else. It can kill or cripple you for life and will if the opportunity presents itself.  The weapons of choice are decreasing radius turns, gravel, slick road patches, other motorists, wildlife... the list is endless.

The roads you travel you do not travel alone. For the sake of yourselves and those around you remember this: The line between ultimate fun and disaster is razor sharp.  The closer you come to the ultimate level of "fun" in this game the closer you come to never coming back from it.  And like it or not, you will lose sooner or later if you step to the edge repeatedly.

The victory of a fast pass thru a curvy section of road is less than meaningless from inside the meat wagon.  

Find interesting ways to challenge your motorcycling skill. Take a mountain pass and never leave your lane, hit a section without ever touching your brakes, whatever. I'm just saying take charge of your fate! You make the rules, weight them to your advantage. It does not lesson the challenge, just changes it. The mountain isn't timing you with a stopwatch. Like I said before, the road doesn't care.

nicely done.

but, in the end it depends on the person, some have a higher level of acceptable risk and some are killed riding "safely"? decide what is best for you and keep in mind the guy in the oncoming lane may have a different approach.

[Open Sore]

Good post, very eloquent.  No one should ride at their limit on the street.  Leave some extra room for error.  Ride at 80% on the street, 90% on track days and 100% if you're getting paid for it.  Most of us have to work on Mondays, and the road doesn't care if rubber, metal, leather or skin is traveling over it.

There are those out there that will push their luck in the wrong place at the wrong time....and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it.  We all fall victim to our desires and drives at some point.  Some pay the ultimate price, some get to reflect upon it.