I first rode a motorcycle when I was five years old, and it was a huge thrill. There's something very visceral about riding, no comparison to simply getting to your destination by car. My Dad rode motorcycles, and I rode his back in high school, and later rode with friends.
Riding a motorcycle is a lot of fun, and the maneuverability gives you a lot more options. With more options - more opportunities to get yourself killed.
All too often, bikers seem to think that all black garb is a good way to go. It definitely looks very cool.
The problem with black is that it blends into the background of urban settings. In this pic among the greenery, the biker stands out well - but on your average city street, he would not.
I've had motorcycle riders among friends and family get into many different accidents, large and small and more often than not, it seems as if other drivers - that is, car drivers - are the ones at fault. But you have to remember that the bikes are the minority, so if they are in a collision, odds are high that the collision is with a car.
Bikes are so maneuverable that it's often very hard to ignore the itch to ride between lanes, riding the line while there's a car on either side of the biker. It's tempting to weave in and out of slow traffic, skirt obstacles that a car could not, like a fallen tree, malfunctioning railroad barrier, or open manhole. Motorcycle riders take more risks, if just from slick road surfaces.
Any time I'm on a motorcycle, I always keep in the forefront of my mind how exposed and vulnerable I am. I tell myself that I might as well be on a bicycle - I'm not riding a powerful, impervious beast but an unwieldy, dangerous piece of machinery.
Bikers need to be dressed to be seen, not to look cool. The bike's color scheme needs to be designed to be seen, not to look cool - like so.
When I ride, I imagine that all the other drivers out there would just love to run me over, and then back up over my carcass to make sure I'm good and dead. I do my best to prevent that.
Thoughts?
