Is choosing to ride a motorcycle a death wish?

Question

For a college-based English paper. Your answers will really be read by my class. Go ahead, be as vulgar as you like :)

LlordLloyd: This paper is being written to satisfy a "multi-genre" assignment for an English 101 class. We were told to pick something we're interested in, but that's not really recognized or thought about as much as it should be. I thought motorcycling was something of significant importance to many people, including myself, so I elected to write it about such.

By the way, these answers are awesome. It's great to see so many people showing support for riding. Some of them have about made me **** my pants form laughing so hard, too. Thanks!

Answer 1

attempting to jump on a high powered gsxr, r-1 or r-6, or hayabussa with zero miles in the saddle of any bike is a definate death wish.

those that ride with a brain in their head, like not ridin a wheelie on the interstate, or going way over 100 and splitting lanes....they're the 1's that will live to a ripe age if a grandma in a buick dont pull out in front of em first.

there's an saying an old timer told me: the first time u think u know everything, and the first time u disrespect the bike, that will be the day the bike dumps yer candy as-s on the ground.

and ya know what....not a season goes by where, very early in the season, a bunch of sport biker's wind up dumpin their rice all over the road. and that makes it look very bad to the riders that ride with a brain in their head.

Answer 2

I just took up riding a motorcycle again after about 20 years ...
My life hasn't been exactly uneventfully and If I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all ..
But my philosophy is this .. After all the stupid things I've done and all the chances I have taken for me to still be alive is either a miracle or dumb luck ..
so if take my chances on a bike again what's the worst that can happen .......??
The reason for the bike holiday was a reason shared by many .. a women who disliked the things that I liked ...
Now she's gone so let the good times roll ...
The problem I have now is somehow educating all those near sighted , road hogs who talk on cell phones and apply make up or read books when they should be watching the road ..
Sorry I haven't been vulgar .. but some of those whom I have just mentioned have had an ear full ...

Death Wish ....nooooo .. but .. health card in one hand ball bearing in the other ...


Oh excuse me ....professor ... teacher , what ever I address you as ... This student gets an A +

Answer 3

Firstly, why is a college paper being built around such a glib and pointless assertion? This is something a 'guy at the pub' says, hardly material for exercising the (supposed) brightest minds in the land.

The disadvantages of motorcycling are apparent, but the benenfits are emotional and largely unquantifiable. Hence, to 'study' the question in an 'objective' manner, it's a no-brainer: motorcycling is dangerous and dirty. Much like having children has many quantifiable drawbacks and few obvious benefits.

But it's also a hell of a lot of fun, and very challenging and therefore satisfying. If anyone could do it, it wouldn't be as satisfying: achieving competence at something difficult is always more rewarding. Our societies protect us from everything, but morocycling remains one of the few areas where one can face danger routinely: but still have a very good degree of control over that exposure. This allows the rider to learn to master something potentially dangerous- and again that's more satisfying than, say, flower arranging. At least it is for me.

And if you take out the 'idiot' brigade from the fatality staistics: the drunks, the underaged, the unlicensed, the unhelmeted, and the group of people who actually do have a bit of a death wish, then it's not that dangerous.

Having ridden for 15 years I know I'm now in far less danger than I was in the first few, difficult, learning years: and I'm faster. That's not to say you can ever eliminate the danger altogether (another important thing to know).

If this is a study, you should go to the cafe on your local 'biker' road on a Saturday in the summer: you will never find a happier, more smiling group of people, or a more joyous atmsphere than dozens of bikers on a day out. They all know the risk, but it's worth the reward, even if that reward defies statistics and objective description.

Answer 4

There is a term used in motorcycling; SQUID. It stands for Stupid, Quick and Inevitably Dead. Often used to describe sub-25 year olds who beg their mommy into buying them a literbike so they'll be really cool in a vain attempt to get the 'poon that would otherwise be denied them. Many of them buy a used bike outright as their insurance would cost them more than the bike if financed.

Squids can usually be found roaming in packs, and can be identified by their flashy bikes and lack of protective gear, as well as their concept that twisting the throttle makes them invincible.

Sometimes when two of them get close enough to each other, two neurons fire simultaneously and they get the clue that at least a helmet would be appropriate. Sadly, this is rather inadequate for impact and abrasion protection, and these fools are the top reason motorcycles are viewed as "death traps."

Motorcycles take coordination and practice to operate, and it takes time to "unlearn" many automatic responses one learns while driving a four-wheeled vehicle. Dropping $10 thou on a bike DOES NOT make you a motorcyclist, time and training do.

Everybody that is considering a motorcycle should sign up for an MSF course. MSF, or Motorcycle Safety Foundation, exists to educate and train prospective riders and try to put them into the right mindset to survive on the roads. It costs a couple hundred bucks, but most dealerships will give you an equal discount on gear when you get a bike, and some insurance companies give discounts for taking it (mine REQUIRED that I take the course).

One of the most important aspects of motorcycling that is forgotten is protective gear. Do the American Chopper guys wear gear on the show? Does Jesse James wear any? When there is a motorcyce crash, how often does the media mention whether or not the rider was wearing the right gear? If nobody takes responsibility to inform the ignorant newbies about crash protection, how likely is it for them to budget an additional $500 into their motorcycle for it?

There are right ways to go about learning how to ride, and there are wrong ways. All the cliches apply: there are riders that have crashed and those that will; I'd rather sweat than bleed; you want your first bike, not your last; and it will take the rest of your life learning how to do it (how long is up to you).

There are millions of people that have successfully learned and thoroughly enjoy riding a motorcycle. But since all you hear about are the squids, it seems dangerous to the uninformed. Life is all about calculated risk. You choose how much risk you are willing to take on a daily basis, and in my opinion eating McDonald's, smoking, and talking on the cellphone while driving are FAR more dangerous than riding.

I've been riding for five years now, and I'm absolutely hooked. It is not a death wish, but it requires that the individual take responsibility for their own safety. Some simply can't handle that.

Answer 5

Riding a motorcycle is only a death wish if: You are a careless
idiot who doesn't care about yours or anyone else's safety;
if you don't first take some sort of rider safety course; or you take the course after a night of binge -drinking!
Riding is serious business. You must be attentive to all traffic
around you, at all times! People will not be looking for someone
sitting on two wheels out on the road. They will cut you off, run into you, whatever! You have to let them know you are there,
on the road with them. Use your horn when neccessary--
that's what it is there for! It is no more dangerous than crossing the street at rush hour!!

Answer 6

I guess its the age old question. Are guns dangerous' Are dogs dangerous' Are v8 cars dangerous and are bikes dangeruos. Yes if in the hands of idiots or people without the proper Knowledge. If in the hands of someone that respects the road and other users ,understands that they never have the right of way as they are the smallest vehicle on the road and has done there best to keep there riding ability to a satisfactory level then no they are safe' even more so than car

Answer 7

Because some of us have balls, and some do not. Big balls may not last long, but they pass on. And big balls is what keeps the line going. I've been riding for over 20 now, and don't get Father's day cards. I leave 'em where they land. And I know this. A motorcycle is more tactile and responsive than a car. If you can ride a bike in city traffic, you have better genes. Better start the sperm sample thing you noggin-heads do! Good luck.

Answer 8

Many pastimes have their own brand of "danger". Fishermen (and women) as well as boaters and water skiers drown. Golfers and softball players are stuck by lightening. Deer hunters have heart attacks dragging their kill out of the woods. You can be killed while driving your car or while crossing the street. A famous race car driver was once asked by a reporter how he could get into his race car, knowing that he may be killed. The driver asked the reporter how he would prefer to die. The reporter stated that he would prefer to die in his sleep. The driver then asked the reporter that knowing he may die in his sleep, was he not fearful of going to bed each night. What it comes down to is the fact that we are all going to be worm food some day. In the mean time we should live life to the fullest. If you enjoy riding a motorcycle, or fishing, mountain climbing, bull riding or any other so called "dangerous" pastime, we owe it to ourselves to go for it.

Answer 9

Just like any other form of transportation. The better driver you are, the more defensively that you drive, the more you plan ahead, the better a driver you will be and the less likely you are to die in a crash. Having the correct protective gear also helps. Now, if you want to talk dangerous, let's talk about flying in an airplane...now that's a death wish...

Answer 10

20 years ago on my way back from a nice Sunday ride in the mountains I was rear ended by an old woman who never even tried to brake. She blew the bike clear out from under me. As I was laying on the pavement trying to assess the damage to myself she came around the car and ask me " do you have a death wish riding motorcycles?" I answered her by saying " I must, because I know they let old bitches like you keep their drivers licenses!"

Forward to two days ago. I was pulling into a parking lot on a right turn when a middle aged woman made a left hand turn and came within 6 inches of broadsiding my scooter. She yells out her window "its not bad enough you have a death wish, but you are risking that little girls life too." ( my 8 year old daughter was with me) She then drove off and continued her cell phone conversation.

I have rode bikes for over 30 years and have put over 400K miles on them. I have actually put more miles on bikes than I have in cages. Yet I have had twice as many accidents in cages than on scooters. So to me riding a bike is not even close to a death wish as I feel safer on it than I do walking down the sidewalk or driving a car.

By the way : my grandma always told me "God protects fools and drunks" . Well I know he protects me and I don't drink soooooooo !!!