When do you call it quits?

I had two accidents that certainly made me think about it. Neither my fault but both had the potential of being fatal as they involved high speed moving large vehicles. Certainly they changed my attitude to riding and my riding overall. I never considered quitting but had I, I would have walked away without regret. Plenty of other activities to do in life besides motorcycling. Likely I would have bought a more expensive sportscar.

Road riding today for me is admittedly less enjoyable. It is the main reason I trail ride and do track days. I still enjoy road riding but I keep seeing more and more reckless moves on the road. Rare is a day ride that I do not see something risky... certainly makes me think.

But I also believe that when it is your time no matter what you are doing you will not avoid it.

I recently sold my bike. I found I was riding it less and less, I also didn't like the idea of payments on something I wasn't using, so I figured sell the bike use the equity and buy something that I don't feel obligated to ride. I also had a very very close friend get killed riding two years ago. I made the decision then to get back in the saddle.. But of late I found that whenever I went riding I was as focused on the bad as much or more than the good.. Always thinking what if this or that happens.. Truth is I think I'm more afraid of serious injury than death.. at least if I'm dead I'm not suffering.. I'm not big on pain.. For me the worst thing would be to end up in a wheelchair, eating through a straw.

I also think that at least for me having a bike (I've had one continuously for the last 15 years, after a 15 year hiatus previously) Is something that defines me as a person.. I think that for me a large portion of the pleasure I got from having a bike was and is as much for the camaraderie, as much for being a motorcyclist as it was for the actual riding. So I think that what may make it so hard for me and others to give it up even though we know it's dangerous, that our deaths or incapacitation would hurt so many others is that it's a part of who we are, and that we feel we are giving up a part of ourselves, a romantic part of ourselves, that not being a rider somehow diminishes who we are, or who we see ourselves as..

I always trust my gut. When I listen to it, things go well. When I don't, they don't. Funny thing how that works....

fixed

I started riding at a young age, and could never get enough of it, every day all day during summer vacation, as long as I could afford gas, I rode.
When I first got married, I slowed down and put time into family trips, house stuff, etc, but as I get older, I am back to wanting to ride all the time. A day without a ride is a wasted day in my book, just not much point in it for me, killing time...
I accept the risks and do the best to reduce them using brain power, not loads of protective gear.
I want to be able to ride, and if I can not, I am not sure what I would want to do for fun.

So I am not going to quit until I can no longer sit a bike, or can not remember what a motorcycle is....

This is a silly question. You quit when it fails to be rewarding. Simple, really.

I've been riding since I was a young kid, over 30 years. Mostly dirt bikes and few street bikes here and there. Riding for me has always been a large part of my life. I've taken breaks on many occasions, but I'm always reeled back into it&#8230;. I think a lot of it has to do with the adventure; and the ability to just get up and go somewhere, anywhere to clear your head and enjoy the scenery, smells and open road. There's nothing like it, especially in the west. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>

Nevertheless, I&#8217;m currently taking a break from street riding because I&#8217;ve become a father for the 1<SUP>st</SUP> time a few months ago (at the age of 40). I&#8217;m not taking a break because the associated risk, although there are many, but rather the time commitment involved. I don&#8217;t want to miss certain milestones in my infant daughter&#8217;s life&#8230;her babbles, sitting up, crawling, walking, 1<SUP>st</SUP> words, etc. I already feel like I&#8217;m missing these milestones by having to work, but as we know there are certain sacrifices that we have to make in life. My only contribution for making up for lost time is to spend as much of my free time with my daughter and my wife as possible. <o></o>

I&#8217;ll continue to ride dirt bikes every Sunday and Wednesday night (in summer) as it requires only a few hrs and it helps clear my mind and keeps me in shape. Am I going to return to street riding, sure, but for the time being I&#8217;m content playing in the dirt and with my beautiful daughter. <o></o>


My only contribution to this topic is; if you're thinking about hanging it up, hang it up, but always keep your helmet and boots. You never know what may change your mind again---know for a fact, the rode gods will call to you and you&#8217;ll ride again---it&#8217;s what motorcyclists do.

Timely reading of this thread for me. I have been riding street since 1990, a few year hiatus in there. I had an accident in 2008 and shattered my arm. I work with my hands ( chiropractor) and did all i could to get back as quickly as possible: my now ex did not work nor show any incentive to (wonder why I am single?:eek1). I basically had to take care of myself as well as my family. It sucked and was very painful.

I didn't want to end my riding because someone elses mistake (other driver) so I restored a bike and started to ride again. I told myself i would quit when I decided, not because of anyone else.

Now, I am single, even more issues depend on me than before. I have a 20 year old daughter, and even if I hardly see her, i know what i mean to her in her life. I have to walk , feed and take care of my dog and for those of you who know the bond between man and dog, he really depends on me too. If anything happens to me, I have no one to help me. My income would stop and i would lose everything.

I guess that sucks the joy out of riding for me. Lately when i go out i can't wait to get home. I feel compelled to ride, but I feel I am ignoring that feeling in my gut.

I am heavily leaning towards selling my bike and just keeping my equipment. Maybe later on, who knows.

IMO, never ignore the gut feeling. Get out now and maybe later you'll come back to it.

I have been a rider since I was about 12 yrs.old. Got my first 'street' bike at 15. No license, no insurance, bike plated in my Mom's name. I am now 55 and sold my last bike ('10 GSA) last spring. My wife sold her '11 KTM 990 this past fall. We just weren't having fun anymore.

We thought it would work out having one bike between us that we could both ride (990). Go on holidays, one riding, one following in the Xterra, with the dog and camping gear. Take turns riding and driving. It worked out quite well actually.

But it still wasn't 'fun' anymore. Too many restrictive traffic laws (40 kms over limit, bike seized, license suspended etc), anal drivers, high insurance costs. It all added up and we said fuck it, sell the bike and see what happens. Well it is now 6 months later, no bike, no riding, selling off some of the excess gear we have and I really don't miss it all.

Guys at work were amazed I quit. I was the one coming in every day, rain, sleet, the dark of night, year after year. Always on a bike. A couple guys started riding again because of me. I will most likely ride again. Maybe in a year or two. For now it is fine.

Well, I do not see why you have to restrict it to big bike or no bike.
My current bike is a hoot, and its only a 250.
I ride when and where its safer, I do not have the power to make a lot of stupid mistakes, the bike is light and easy to ride, and with the low power, I get to road race without risking tickets.

If all I had was a big bike, I would ride much less, because they are a pain in the butt and no fun unlless you are going very fast, but small bikes are light and easy, and doing 70 mph FEELS very fast.
Its like when you were 15 on an old 100cc bike, FUN!

And at the low price of a good used small bike (about $3000.00) there is no reason not to ride.
Since getting the small bike (down from a 1200) I ride a LOT more and enjoy it more.

A vintage bike is also fun, you can play with them more then ride them, but still get some nice rides in.
It does not have to be an iron butt ride on a big bike, or a commute to work every day, or a really fast ride on a sport bike, or a ride on an 800 pound Harley that costs $20,000.00, it can be a dual sport on mild trails, a small bike on the street, a vintage bike in the garage, or even a scooter.
Why does it have to be hard core or nothing?

As others have stated... I've learned to listen to that 6th sense that something is not right. I recently sold my SV1000S and will ride just my XMoto with ABS. The little danger monkey on my shoulder was getting very vocal regarding my riding the SV. I'm a science guy and therefore rational and factual. But, I don't know everything regarding the forces in this Universe. I do know that the couple accidents I've had were preceded by a feeling that riding that day was not smart.

It's nothing to do with mysterious forces of the universe or other religious nonsense.

Read a book called 'The Gift of Fear'. It's part of what has allowed you to be born - your ancestors' sense of when things are dangerous.

My personal answer to all these valid risks, is to ride a scooter. It's slower, so the potential of being unable to react in time is smaller. All things considered, I think a scooter is safer than a street bike used at full speed.

I currently ride a slow 50cc Honda Met but looking to buy a 2010 Honda Elite 110. With top speed of about 50.

I moved to CA several years ago from rural WA where I rode all the time, little traffic (we had the only stop light in the county) and trails galore. Before I moved I sold my bike due to the horror stories I heard about riding in CA. I ended up in a fairly small town but huge to me (90k people) with lots of riding around. I lived for years not riding but thinking of it alot. I-5 runs through Redding and state hwys going east and west. Traffic is sporadic, busy during rush hours, fairly light the rest of the time. A couple of years ago I decided to risk it and bought a dual sport. I ride it to the trails and around town but HATE the freeway... It boils down to if you are enjoying yourself and feel safe. If I lived in busy SoCal and had to hit the freeways to get anywhere I wouldn't ride or I would have a green sticker bike and haul it to the trails. I would never want to ride afraid....

I've ridden supposedly the most dangerous roads in the US. For example, I had a business where I'd have to almost constantly ride the L.A. Freeways 4 days a week from Huntington Beach to Thousand Oaks and later extended to Oceanside and then San Diego. I've ridden the L.I. Expressway regularly. I can go on but the most competitive road I was ever on was the run from Ft. Laud to W. Palm on I95. Good grief - add 20 mph Q-tips to guys in Ferraris running hard to trucks also running hard.

Of all this, I'll take any of these roads and ride them one eyed with one brake as far as danger goes a rural deer strike is much scarier, less predictable and 100% uncontrollable.

Gimme the Q-tip vs Lambo over deer vermin any time.

I understand you're point of view, it kinda reminds me of the old analogy of fender benders in airplanes. Survivability is a huge issue.....I am just getting used to the "lane splitting" law in CA. Seems crazy, but it's legal and I am doing it!

For me it's being able to predict traffic movement so I stay out of the way of them. They need to hit me to hurt me and I make it my biz to stay in areas where they can't get to me. I've been stopped for being hyper aggressive and once had a gun pointed at me by a cop at one of these stops but I am here to write this tale.

I know I'm here only due to luck when it comes to those damn deer though.

"Defensive driving" (or maybe offensive in your case) can definitely help a lot. No question there. Still though, I'll take my chances against a 200 lb relatively soft animal instead of a 2,000 lb+ piece of metal.

The metal is a good deal more massive than 2k libs. Try 4-5k for typical luxo sedan or SUV. More for stuff like F350's...

My point isn't that hitting a deer is less damaging than hitting a dump truck but that I can ride in such a way to stay clear of the truck while I have no way to do so with the deer.

Put it another way: I'd rather miss the dump truck than hit the deer.