Three in three. RIP.

[LongRanger_imp]

I've never felt spooked by riding but we've had three fatal motorcycle accidents in the past three days. My girlfriend and I rode past the first one on Saturday -- a car pulled out from an intersection to enter a busy four-lane highway and never saw the Harley rider and his pillion rumbling down the road. When I rode past the scene, the helmetless rider was in a fetal position in the middle of the highway, being tended to by a first responder (emergency crews were still enroute). He died at the scene, and his passenger was life-flighted to the hospital. His wrecked bike was in a tangle in the middle of the road, the headlight still on, but hardly recognizable. I was quite shaken by the sight. Then another fatality on Sunday, and yet another one earlier today. Now I'm questioning how much I could get for my bikes in trade for a Miata. Someone please talk me off the ledge!

[Guth_imp]

Honestly, the perspective provided from the ledge shouldn't be ignored. As far as I'm concerned, none of us can truly ride a mile in another guys boots so to speak. Take it in and evaluate it for what it's worth based on your own reality/situation. Existing in this world is complex and life is most likely always shorter than we'd like to think. Good luck with coming to a decision that you're truly comfortable with one way or the other.

[emptysea]

My thoughts parallel Guth's.

I will add, though, that last summer there was a particularly gruesome motorcycle crash here in Chicago. Like your situation, it was one of at least two, and I think, three fatal bike crashes over a weekend. A couple of weeks later, I was recounting the one horrific accident to a riding friend of mine, probably for similar ledge-talking, and he said simply, "Dead is dead, my friend.". We all sort of laughed nervously at his accidental rhyme, but his point was well taken: we are all going to die. We might as well enjoy ourselves while we wait. I'm not sure that this is a helpful antecdote, but Glen's rhyme helps me from time to time.

[Jim21680_imp]

I still remember the first time (and thankfully only time) I saw a motorcycle fatality in person. Summer of 2007, on my way up the NJ Parkway with a few of my younger cousins in the car, I was taking them to the Ocean City boardwalk for the night. Suddenly, we hit awful traffic...we crawled probably a mile or two at 5 mph.

When we eventually reached the problem area, I saw the accident scene: a sportbike had taken an entrance ramp a little too quickly, and lowsided right into oncoming traffic. On the roadway, there was a white sheet laid over the body, with an outline obviously being that of someone wearing a helmet and riding gear.
I later found out his name was Edison Lopez; you can still find his obituary online today. It's a name and scene I'll remember vividly for the rest of my life.

It freaked me out a bit, as I had just purchased my first bike a few years earlier, and my confidence level was not all that great yet.
Nonetheless, maybe that event has made me a better rider.

At the beginning of each riding season (if there is such a thing), I remind myself of the following fact:

There are people somewhere out there, right now, living normal lives just like me, that are going to die on a motorcycle this summer.
It has happened every summer since motorcycles were invented, and this year will very likely be no exception.
I could absolutely be one of those people; it's a risk we all accept....but I will do my absolute best to avoid such a fate.

Never, ever become complacent with your riding. Always SEE ahead....Search, Evaluate, Execute.

[pdedse]

Of course I don't enjoy reading the stories nor watching the videos, but I force myself to so that I'm constantly thinking as I begin a ride, that this could be the day...the day when yet another person pulls out in front of me, or when I could loose concentration for a few seconds, or maybe when I could meet something coming around an up-coming curve. I enjoy riding like always but I know that keeping the what ifs in mind has helped me make better decisions.

[Blockhead_imp]

When I took the MSF course five years ago as a new rider the instructors were a couple of old Harley bikers who really knew their stuff. As corny as it may sound they taught us to 'SEE' before every ride. I actually say it to myself (Search Evaluate Execute) aloud as I exit my neighborhood when starting my ride.

[CIP57_imp]

I though of this this weekend watching the moto gp in Barcelona. Lorenzo had a slow bike and was fighting for points and gets taken out by someone not paying attention.

You never know when its your time. I see auto accidents all the time and have had a few close calls in my car recently. The street is a dangerous place for motorcyclist. Caution and experience isn't always going to help.

We all don't have this option, I ride off peak, mid day weekdays or after rush hour and early morning on weekend.

[Roper_imp]

I had an Air Force buddy / riding buddy who died of esophageal cancer. He smoked cigars, drank alcohol, and exercised once a year--during the annual PT test. All of those put him at a higher risk for cancer. But that's the way he lived. And died.

My point is that you can eliminate the risk of riding. But in the end, you're more likely to die of other things not related to riding. Statistically, heart disease and cancer are way more likely. I'll take up Pilates before I'll give up my bike.

[Rocky_imp]

In this "moderately sane" part of the world (low population) we've already had several motorcycle deaths and the season has barely begun.
I agree with Roper that we are more likely to meet an unfortunate end due to illness or simply run out of time.

[the Ferret]

The Vikings believed the length of your life was predetermined and when it was your time, it was your time. It helped them to believe that going into battle because they were either predetermined to die then which was their fate, or they would survive the fight.

That's sort of how I think about motorcycling. Fate determines when and how I am going to die.

If it's any consolation, we had 3 die in a car wreck here just last night, all at once. Being in a car is no guarantee fate is not going to come calling. Go enjoy yourself however you wish you will not live one minute longer. ( according to the Vikings)