Farewell to Those Motorcycle Days.

I had a friend get killed in a bike accident. People say "atleast it was doing something she liked doing."



but I cannot make myself believe that if she knew that she was going to die, she would have carried on anyway.



I also saw a 35 year old mother of two little girls get killed by a drunk driver right in front of my eyes. I can't make myself believe that if she had had the choice post fact, she would choose to carry on riding instead of being part of her two daughters lives as they grew up. I don't believe anybody can love riding that much.



I don't know about you, but I drive fast, ride a motorcycle, etc in the belief that it won't happen to me. If I really believed that it can happen to me, I'd stop today.



You may be a gungho type who proudly says he'd rather die on a bike than stop riding. Me, I'd rather not, thank you, and I continue to ride because I expect to live, and because I give myself good chances.



Forgive me, but I don't believe all this macho BS about living life hard because its too boring to live safely. I think everybody who says this is expecting to be alive tommorow and in 5 years from now. They are not expecting to be killed on the ride home today.



If somebody feels that they no longer have faith in the odds of staying alive and well on a bike and decides to hang it up, I respect that. I don't give them macho BS.



Another pal of mine is the best rider and driver I have ever known. He used to race until a crash broke his neck and almost turned him into a quadraplegic. he's got two lovely boys, and he quit racing and putting himself at risk because of what was on the line. He treated himself to a new Agusta, he still rides but he's very aware of what he's doing and whats at stake.



I respect people who are mature enough to do that instead of those who mouth off egotistically about people who make different choices.

Both exceeding speed limits and DUI are illegal and activities that lead to fatalities on the road. Driving fast but being sober is equally stupid to being drunk and riding slowly. A responsible adult will recognize this and engage in neither activity.



Obviously you are neither a responsible nor an adult as you not only engage in such activities; you actually try and justify it.



"I try to stay within reasonable range of speed,"



How is this stupidity any different from "I always make sure I am reasonably sober when I ride?".



"and I never put anyone else at risk."



You put folk’s lives at risk each time you get on your bike. You simply lack the maturity of thought to recognize it.

There's nothing wrong with deciding to give up riding, it's a personal decision. What I in particular object to is the need to justify your decision by splattering it all over the newspaper and internet. All that is is self agrandizment and self justification..."motorcycles are too dangerous...people die everyday on motorcycles"...well guess what, they die in cars and airplanes, boats, golf carts or carrying the garbage can out to the curb. Life is a terminal proposition here, nobody gets out alive.



I do believe it can happen to me, but I do what I can to mitigate the chances and consequences by dressing properly and riding within my comfort zone, I maintain my situational awareness and I stay out of blind spots. I would rather not die on a bike and if I did it wouldn't be "at least something I love" I'd be just dead. If I had my druthers I'd rather check out as a 100 year old f*ckin' a sheep or something ....



This guy is a crybaby looking to justifiy his decision by moaning about it in print. f*ck him. If he doesn't want to ride fine, sell the bike and be done with it. Don't try to justifiy it to me because I don't want to know.

I found the original Ullrich letter a few days ado when doing my regular "motorcycle" search in several news search engine. Searching motorcycle news is part of my job. I work in the motorcycle industry. August 29th, 2006 will be the 40th anniversary of the day I first threw a leg over a motorcycle. My first motorcycle related job was a few years later. With the exception of a couple of brief periods I have almost continually owned a street bike since 1968. In the last four decades, I have commuted, raced, toured and simply played with all sorts of motorcycles. But the weekly reports of dozens of street riders killed in traffic accidents, the awful majority of which appear to be not the motorcycle operators overall fault, can get pretty depressing.

Recently one accident and death stopped me from riding. Larry Grodsky [Mr safety] probably had as good a set of street riding and accident avoidance skills as you could develop. He was riding across Texas, a deer ran out in front of him and he's DOA. I've had several close calls with deer, dogs and once a big pony. But that's only part of it. 6 years ago I made the news in a "Motorcyclist Hits Truck" story - You've heard the story before. Riding my Honda Blackbird home at legal speeds at 7PM when a small car turned in front of me, left with insufficient distance to stop I slide into the car, the impact shattered my spleen, broke a few bones and I meet a lots of nice medical professionals. One nearly new Honda and $65,000 med. bills later the first thing I do with the insurance settlement is buy a new bike. And I've been through 3 more street bikes since then. But now I thin I'm done.

Life in traffic has always been scary but it is getting worst. This from someone who commuted 60 miles each way by bike in San Francisco in the 80s. Ever week there's another close call I never tell anyone about.

And too I frankly I have gotten tired of the boots, helmet. heavy jacket, long pants ect. All the damn inconvenience of riding a motorcycle. So I sold my 2 bikes and took the money and bought a convertible sports car. Fun to drive, wearing shorts and flip-flops - wind in my face and a/c blowing.

No the thrill is gone. After 39 years I have retired from motorcycling to a 300HP air condition sports car.