Not trying to spam, but if you ride or like motorcycles like me, check this out. Myspace for bikers. Rides, rallies, events etc, worldwide friends. www.bikerornot.com. Please use referral #198197.

Later,

Doug

bump

No one wants to join a GREAT group? www.bikerornot.com I have over 400 friends all over. Use referral 198197.

Doug

I guess maybe no cat racers still ride motorcycles? I used to ride, until a drunk in a Caddy T-boned me and the wife, nearly killed us, our helmets saved us. It was then I decided no matter how good and safe a rider you are, all it takes is one drunk in a caddy to ruin your day.

Timbo:

Guess I live by the philosophy that when God says it is my time, it does not matter what I am doing. Now I don't do stupid *)()(, but I enjoy life to the fullest. Hope to see you in Fla someday.

Doug

Frankly I do ride a motorcycle (I own two BMW, a 1150RT to commute with and a F650ST at my parent's I can use when I'm in the south of France) but I can't be arsed to join what look like yet another pointless web site. I have real friends I go riding with, I don't need to have 400 of them.

Now if you want to join the LinkedIn Multihull group, let me know

Sure give me the link. Going to try to get a Falcon F-16 maybe next season.

Doug

Doug, I wasn't doing stupid Sh!t when the Caddy truned into me either. I guess it wasn't -my time- yet, but I do believe when a drunk in a car decides it's your time, there's not a lot you can do about it, except be in a truck instead of on a bike...

God may give you some clues when your time is coming. In my case he/she gave me two in two weeks.

I was a cafe racer and rode with a group in the mountains on the San Francisco Peninsula. The first clue was cruising about 80+ MPH and watching a bike pass me, go into a high speed wobble, go down and slide under the bike in front of me. I never realized how good my brakes were that let me avoid the pile up.

Clue number two was watching a bike a group of us were passing get into the marbles on a curve, go down, and turn into a plastic explosion. It was one of those cool Bimmer's with the full fairing and garbage cans on the side.

After the second crash I evaluated what I had seen and determined it wasn't a question of if, but when. I sold the bike and never looked back.

I raced motocross so never had to worry about traffic. It was the most exciting thing I have ever done. Flying a hull is close, but still not the thrill of MX.
Tried road racing, but decided to stick with the dirt -- road racing can produce death pretty quickly, while MX you mostly just get maimed.
Rick

i quit riding my bike about 2 months after moving to tampa (had been riding dirt and street bikes since i was about 5).

I saw only pain in my future with all the bad drivers and punks racing in the tampa area..

I felt like i was missing something until i purchased my first cat about 5 years later..

I see guys in 95* heat.. flying between cars... and I dont miss my street bikes at all. I would love to have land and a quad.. but i can live without my dirt bikes...

My long time and serious race crew died when crushed by a car. We still do not know exactly what happened.

I was the first to know as he was renting one of my spare rooms at the time.

I do not ride on the open-road anymore.

My kids, if they want bikes can ride on track and race, but they will not ride on the road while I am paying.


The problem may be the other guy....

I raced Motocross as a teenager and loved it, crashed some, but like Rick said, dirt is much softer than pavement. My older brother built street bikes (and hot rod cars) for a living so we did a lot of street riding together for years when I got older, and loved it, untill the Caddy incident.

After that I only rode a little bit but every time I saw a car start to pull out or turn in, I would start to freak, so it was no longer fun. And my wife refused to ever get on a bike again, and we had our firt babies (twins) all about the same time (she was 2 mo. pregnant when we were hit by the car). She said, "If you would rather ride your bike than be alive to raise your kids, you go right ahead..." Then to the twins as I was pulling out of the driveway, "Wave goodby to your daddy girls, riding his bike is more important to him than you are!"

Well, that pretty much ended it, I sold my Bimmer (1983 R100S) and now I only ride my buddy's Harley once in a while, when he lets me, which is only about once a year!

She doesn't -mind- me sailing...as much. At least it's not as "fatal". I know I should stay at home and worship the ground she walks on, but once in a while I can sneak away for a regatta.

My first bike was a Yamaha RD-350. We breathed all over that bike, Basanie pipes, 36 MM Makunies, Koni shocks on the rear, re valved forks up front, and was bored out to a 400. Kenny Roberts had nothing on me. Probably the birth of the Original Crotch Rocket. Got to the point where the local PD would just leave the tickets taped to the front door of my parents house, with one notice saying I needed to appear before the magistrate - which I did. He looked at me, the sheet and then me again and said "son if you want to keep you license sell the bike by the end of the week and bring me the bill of sale.

Traded to a guy for his MAICO 250 - smart move and had about 20 years of some great times riding MX, Enduros, ISD Events, etc.....

Hey Rick remember such steeds as the Victor 441, Greeves 360, DKW 125, Pursuant 250?

And what about the Huskies, or Bulltaco and the Combat Wombat! And the first Honda Elsinor trials bike!

Ahh...good times.

Riding a motorcycle on the road requires you to be hyper alert, and drive extremely defensively.
I've owned a street bike for years, I've crashed numerous times doing things that were my own fault. I've crashed once that I don't consider my fault, and I've almost gotten into a zillion accidents that would have definetly not been my fault. My favorite was some shmuck riding my butt at night in a car, then a deer jumped out. Barely missed the deer, the car damn near hit both of us. Now when someone is tailgating me on a road with a gravel shoulder, I get on the edge and drag a foot kicking up rocks. Usually does the trick and they either pass, or get off my tail light. Another one, some butt clown cut me off, really close in traffic moving about 40mph. I mean inches, no blinker, nothing. I laid on the horn, he flicked me off, and I punched the side of his car as hard as I could at the next light. Hindsight I wish I would've torn a mirror off or knocked out a side window. So, I guess at times its best to drive on the offensive.

I did that unintentionally to a car once... On a bicycle unfortunately. Drunk sideswiped me and drove off with me semi-conscious on the side of a road with no traffic (which is why I was on that road in the first place). Spent a year and lots of money piecing my arm back together. Donated a pint or two of blood to his car I think (open humorous fracture). Helmet saved my life, no doubt, looking at the abuse it took (car paint, road marks, dirt/grass).

I can't imagine the hurt I'd be in if smacked a car riding a motorcycle. I've picked up several 'signal 7' (deceased) bikers in the fire service. Most died as a result of someone else's negligence. Worst part? No insurance from at-fault party, and no personal assets. Families of decedent just had to make do....