You can't win a motorcycle vs auto argument. I've ridden motorcyles for over 30 years. I broke my left leg when I was a junior in high school and took a spill in 1989 that cost me some skin on my left arm. Other than that, I've been pretty lucky. The other side of the coin is, I've gotten out of a "bunch" of close calls because I was on that bike. Accidents that I would have been caught in if I'd been in a car. It goes both ways.

Has it been worth it and would I do it again? You bet!

I don't consider motorcycles to be dangerous, per say, but they are vulnerable and you have to take that into consideration when riding one. I've never been hurt on a bike because "it" broke or did something unusual. It's always been because some idiot in a 4-wheeler had a bad case of rectal/cranial inversion or I did.

I do get tickled sometimes at the ignorance of some folks. They think that just because they're in that metal box, they either can't be hurt or the (and this is my favorite) "chances are" that they won't be hurt or at least, not hurt as badly. I'd really like to hear them explain about the "chances" of their survival to someone who's lost a loved one in a auto (SUV) related accident!

Having worked in emergency services for 21 years now, I'm here to tell you that a person most certainly CAN be hurt or killed in a 4-wheeler. Everyone knows that of course but it's always the "it won't happen to me mentality."

The ironic part is that those big, overgrown gas guzzlers (full size trucks and SUV's) are not the life preservers that most folks think they are. Sure, you stack one up against a Civic and you'll probably come out all right. But, considering that there are more and more of them on the road these days, the likelyhood of meeting up with someone who's an equal is getting higher all the time. From what I've seen, if I had to choose between having a head on collision in a Civic to Civic or Expedition to Expedition, I'd rather be in the Civic. When equally matched, many of the big trucks and SUV's don't hold up as well as their smaller cousins.

The problem is, people "think" they're safer and as a result, they "drive" that way. That puts everyone else at greater risk. As far as I'm concerned, everyone that "has to have" a big SUV should be asked one simple question. "Why do you want one?" If the first answer out of their mouth is, "because I feel safer in them," then they shouldn't be allowed to drive the thing.

Hopping off of soap box now!

Drive Safe,
Steve R.

 

I feel your pain man. I have been saving money since they came out in 2000, but my day has finally come. On friday(if everything goes right) I will be picking up a MY03 Silverstone. Oh this week can not go by fast enough!!! Good luck with your search!

 

so you're selling your r6 for a slower bike huh?

 

I decided to slow down a little bit since I'm getting old and all

I just received an insurance quote from my agent thru' American Family. It's going to cost me $1400/6 months with $1000 deductible for collision and $500 deductible for comprehensive. I'm 29 with 1 accident and 1 hit & run (I was the victim of course, I'd never run). IMO, it's not a bad deal given my driving history and the fact that I live in the city.

 

good luck

 

Within 2 weeks I should have my new (to me) S2K. I have an 04 cbr1000rr and the wife has an 03 cbr600rr and my brother from Brooklyn keeps his 04 rc51 in my garage.

The garage will consist of:

04 cbr1000rr
04 rc51
03 cbr600rr
00 s2000
99 accord coupe exl v6

and a honda lawnmower.

 

I envy you. My buddies will be mad if they come to know that I'm selling my bike since 3 of them got lured by me into buying a bike. I'll probably get a 600RR next year after I get my own garage space.

 

I've got a friend, just like you!

Got me hooked on personal water craft. SeaDoo's in this case. I bought a boat and a group of us rode together quite a bit. About a year into it, all of the sudden, everyone sold out. This was out of the clear blue sky. No one said anything about it, just all of the sudden, they sold their stuff.

I kept my boat for another season and sold it. No sooner did I do that, they came back and said, "hey man, we bought new SeaDoo's, you ought to get another one too!"

Sorry, not this little black duck!

Drive Safe,
Steve R

 

My bike is sold. The buyer is going to pick it up sometime this week and I'm going to look at an 02 S2000 (Suzuka) with 10,500 miles on Friday. I'm excited!