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I have had a motorcycle endorsement on my license since 1958 (before a lot of the people on this forum were born) Everything has its risks. Driving a cage has its risks. Motorcycles have their risks. If one rides smart, the risks are minimized. Wearing good protective gear is important. Do not skimp on a helmet--get the absolutely best you can afford. Do some reading. there are lots of books out there about riding well and safely--Code`s books come to mind. Above all, prepare. Study and learn. Take an MSF course. This is where a lot of people on this forum will disagree with me: I do not think for one moment that motorcycling is inherently dangerous. In my opinion, the people who promote this notion are motivated by self-agrandisment--posing that "I must be tough to ride a bike" Bull! True, in an encounter between a motorcycle and a car or truck, a motorcycle will lose. By the same token, a Mini Convertible colliding with a 3/4 Ton Pickup would also lose. The bottomn line is education and practice. Sure, we are tempted to give the throttle a full twist, and take off like a bat out of hell--but why"? Is it because we can do it? What is so bad about discipline--keeping oneself in control? Are we some sort of a wimp if we follow speed limits (sort of - within 5mph)? I enjoy motorcycling. I have been riding for years and have done two Trans America Tours (one on a 250) I have had an absolute blast and at the ripe age of 69 still enjoy the sport. As a surprise to those who say that motorcycling is inherently dangerous---in 300,000mi. I have had no crashes or violations (tickets) That also holds true for the cage--which I have only been driving since 1970. It is, in my humble opinion, all about self discipline.
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