Topic: Motorcycle.. nearly purchased!

[shock]

I have been trying to purchase one for years.  My parents never approved.  Since being away in college, my mom has finally come around.

I went and saw the bike today and it is a beauty!  It's a few hundred dollars too high, but I think I can get the seller to come down a little more than he already has.

Pictures...  It's a really pretty blue.





Yeah, I am in love with it.  Anyone own a bike?  Have any experience with them?  So excited!

[iPPi]

Insurance on a motorcycle is extremely cheap... because you protect the motorcycle more than the motorcycle protects you.

[Quemaqua]

Heh.  I've got a friend who rides.  He's got a pretty fancy sports bike, but I know next to nothing about the stuff.  I don't even have a car.  Too poor to afford transportation.  He loves his, though.  Refused to drive his car until the bike got some electrical problems he's yet to have fixed.

[idolminds]

I don't really like the crotch rocket bikes, more of a cruiser guy.

I also have a soft spot for Vespas.

[shock]

iPPi: Keen observation! Lol.  I hadn't thought of it like that.  Anyway, the risk is something that comes with the sport.  Some of it is out of your control, but a lot of it you can prevent. I'm a safety buff, just so you know.  Always will wear all of my gear, have taken the Motorcycle Safety Foundation course, etc.

Que: Good to hear!  I only have a couple of friends into the sport, so I need to find some friends to ride with.

Idol: Yeah, as long as you like bikes idol, we shall still get along.  The seating position of the Ninja 500r is actually quite upright, so it is much more comfortable than the bigger race bikes.

[sirean_syan]

You'll shoot your eye out, kid.

Oh, wait. Wrong toy, but the idea's the same.

[Pugnate]

If you buy it, be really careful. I've seen some horrible motorcycle accidents in my time. Simply horrible.

[Cobra951]

If I was your dad, I'd disapprove too.  If you must have your extreme fun, do be careful.

It is pretty.

[Pugnate]

If you were my sibling I'd be adamant about you not buying that thing to be honest. Toxy be careful... I am just thinking of some of the accidents I've seen.

Two I saw last month. The first slipped off the road and his head smashed on a rock. He was bleeding like crazy from the center of his forehead and shaking like nuts. It was horrible.

The second was a guy driving a bus who hit the breaks suddenly because of some animal running across. There was a 16 year old behind him on a bike coming pretty fast, and couldn't stop in time. When his head hit the back of the bus it sounded like a bomb exploding, and it was basically his head hitting metal. It looked like someone had dropped a pail of paint on his head.

Amazingly the kid survived but the first accident I mentioned didn't end so well.

A couple of others I've seen happened right infront of me as well.

I remember GPW mentioning a horrific highway accident. I'll let him tell the story.

[poomcgoo]

you'll shoot your eye out!!!!

[shock]

Haha, thanks for the A Christmas Story references! 

Anyway, don't worry too much about me, y'all.  Like I said before, while some events are out of your control, a lot of them can be avoided.  Motorcycles are inherently more risky, there is no denying that, but there are lots of ways to minimize the risk.  For instance, 50% of all deadly accidents in the US occur when the rider is drunk.  Simple decision: never drink and ride.  Additionally, stuff like safety classes do lower your chance of being involved in an accident and the severity of the accident as well.

To me, it's all about managing the risk, much like any other part of your life.  Everyone is different, I have discovered.  There is no way in hell I would ever go skydiving or anything like that, but I love to ride.  Other people are the opposite.

Haha, so that is my lecture about motorcycles.

[Ghandi]

My mom heads the ICU at the hospital in my home town, and she showed me some of the motorcycle wrecks when I was little to deter me from ever getting one. It worked. I would never own a bike. I love my body way too much to ever have it hit pavement at 50 mph.

But uh...nice bike. Drive safe.

[Antares]

I say go for it and have a good time.  Everyone who rides a bike wrecks it eventually, it is just a matter of being safe enough to walk away from it.


I've come close to buying a motorcycle on a couple occasions, but never have.  I still may one of these days.  I'm not a big crotch rocket guy, I prefer the Italian Ducatti Style hybrid cruiser/sport bikes.  Have fun.  Motorcycle insurance is insanely cheap for Liability coverage, but for full coverage or Medical Payment coverage it is insanely expensive, so just make sure if you're in an accident it isn't your fault.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah, everybody's right.  A bike is a really dangerous thing.  I knew a guy who got decapitated while riding.  Harsh.  But... life is what it is.  I say do it and have fun, just don't do anything stupid.  You're going to get into an accident eventually, like Ant says, but there's really no avoiding it.  Just hope that the couple scrapes you get into will be minor ones.  Even if not the safest thing in the world, there's nothing quite like it and if you're smart you can definitely reduce your chances of instant death.  Just have fun and don't do anything stupid... you'll be all right.

[shock]

Yeah, that is my approach Que.

Anyway, I just talked with the guy and we agreed on the price, so it is bought!  Going to pick it up tomorrow.  Just wish I had more time to ride it before I have to leave for school, but this summer shall be a ride fest.

Maybe I'll get some pictures of me with on the bike.

[idolminds]

Do it so I can photoshop the bike out and make it look like you're riding a.....


ooohhh...secret!