Quote:
Originally Posted by mac459
So back on the 12th a very good friend of mine died in a motorcycle accident. Been a pretty big struggle as I have lost multiple friends this year, due to a variety of reasons. Just wanted to say, be careful gentlemen/ladies. It isn’t very often that you get a very harsh reminder how exposed you are on a bike. Shit can change very quickly for you and your loved ones, ride carefully gentlemen/ladies.
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sorry to hear about your friend. damn.
Do you know what/how it happened?
the last 2 years, it's been a bad for me as well. at least 3 people I know have been killed. Not necessarily good friends, but people I've interacted with / always see at bike nights (before COVID), poker runs, and the usual stops around here on popular runs.
I crashed in 03; lowside. was wearing leather jacket with armor; jeans, work boots, helmet gloves. cracked a rib, and broke a bone in my hand.
'16 went down when run off the road; over the bars when getting pinched between a car coming into my lane (on his cell phone/texting..I saw it as I approached his passenger side) and the curb. jeans, t-shirt, beanie helmet. Helmet was caved in in the back. slid on my back/shoulders, and rolled to my front and slid on my forearms that were tucked under my body . when I was sliding on my back, I heard the bike fly over me /and the engine was decellerating. I thought it was going to land on my face so I covered up my face with my hands (like it wouldn't helped lol). slid like that, then momenturm rolled me to my front in that same position. forearms rashed up good, and knuckles on my hands (from covering my face).
Replaced that harley with another. but never liked really riding them since. zero braking power/suspension performance for me; no abs etc. Sold that last SG in April.
now i went back to a street bike. abs, 6 axis IMU, traction control, power modes. I ride in full gear. jacket rated for a 6 second slide; CE level 2 back plate, shoulder and elbow/forearm armor. Some pants that look like cargos but are kevlar in the kees and butt; with CE lvl 2 inserts in the knees and hips. Axo semi-race boots with ankle re-enforcement, heel and toe enforcement. i've got a pair of TCX casual boots that are a little lower up the calf, but have some of the same heel/toe/ankle re-enforcement. Need to get a legit textile overpant, but hard to find in my size with all this COVID stuf going on.
This year, I barely rode in the dead as heat of summer. just too hot with all the gear. didn't ride at all in July. but I can ride deep into fall, and start early spring.
it's dangerous out there. these days more than ever. GD Cell phones and people using them to text and/or talk while driving is awful. so many close calls. I don't care anymore - I ride spirited now. I'm always passing cars / never hanging out anywhere near them if I can avoid it. Don't care if I get a ticket. I've known several riding friends who don't ride anymore because of all the cell phone drivers/too many close calls. what used to be a group of probably 10 of us, is down to 2 or 3.
going down without gear like I did in '16....yeah, that sucked. No more of that for me. full gear. if it's too hot to ride with it all, I don't ride. period.