Motorcycles are definitely a, "Risk, skill, thrill" activity. I grew up in a Harley shop, when I was at two and three years old, my dad used to toss me onto the tank of the bike, and I rode there until he thought I was old enough to hang on, and then I was behind him... I drove the smaller Italian made Harley bikes from about nine or ten on … When I was 16 and seventeen, I toured the western states on a 350 Sprint, both bikes fell apart on the last legs of the journeys...
I had rode several 100,000 miles by my eighteenth birthday, and into my freshman year of college, then my dad sold the franchise. I was done with bikes and thru my experiences has three or four near catastrophic, come to Jesus experiences, and two high speed get offs... (amazing how, for a millisecond, you really believe you can run it out? ) Fast forward 35 years, my friends and I buy Harleys to travel to some rally's and tour a'bit…. No accidents in approx. ten years, but a few close calls... Had some medical issues that made it difficult to ride, so all too soon, my bike days were over for good...
So, here's the long and short of my experiences. The risk is constant and always high, doesn't matter how good, physically, you are on the bike, survival is totally dependent on you ability to smoothly choose defensive and preplanned options when the boogieman pops up? Of course skill and experience are definitely factors to consider, sometimes they are rendered moot just by circumstance.. Got'ta be lucky as well?
The thrill, it's the whole deal, freedom and fun, plus a "Walter Mitty" type adventure ever time you leave the drive way...
But, freedom doesn't mean safety... All might end well, but the odds are not in your favor? I've always liked motorcycles, like freedom even more.. Love my family even more... best to all, til...lat'r…..GT....
