Sad News

[Busted Knuckle]

I've riden for as long as I can remember!
When I was just a little tyke my grandfather (mom's dad) had multiple motorcycles in his garage and took us kids for a ride ANYTIME we asked. And as we got older (not much) an asked to ride them ourselves, he told us when your big enough to get on it and start it I'll teach you to ride it!
Well I guess he wasn't quite as prepared for me as I was him, because at just 4 1/2 yrs old I pushed a Suzuki 90 up next to a stump leaned it against it, climbed up on the stump, jumped down on the kick starter and had it running as I climbed aboard! Him, my dad, and my 2 uncles were shocked, but my dad said Faye, you did tell him when he could get on it and start it you'd teach him! Mom was furious! But she'd grown up with a father who loved to ride, so she told ALL 4 of them TEACH HIM ABOUT SAFETY FIRST, and the first time he gets hurt I'm coming after ALL 4 of you! I have riden every since then. Yeah there's been a few bumps an bruises along the way but I know an remember every time I throw my leg over that I must ride defensively if I plan to make it home!
I ride lot of poker rally's and get teased some for ordering a diet coke at every bar stop on the run, but I don't care! Alcohol and motorcycles is a recipe for disaster!
I have an aunt who is a ER nurse and she calls us riders "DONORS" ! We have a good laugh about it when we are around each other, but she's like my mom, she doesn't like motorcycles, doesn't like us riding them, but she respects our love for them and always tells me to be extra careful she doesn't wanna see me on the next gurney rolling in!
  BK 

[CrabbyMilton]

I often see these young teen and 20 somethings riding those crotch rockets. You could be driving on the freeway at 70 mph and they go flying past you like you were stationary with no helmets. I don't wish them ill but I don't see a good ending for people like that.

[Busted Knuckle]

I often see these young teen and 20 somethings riding those crotch rockets. You could be driving on the freeway at 70 mph and they go flying past you like you were stationary with no helmets. I don't wish them ill but I don't see a good ending for people like that.

In my "young, wild, free, and stupid daze" (teenager up to late 20's fresh out of gramps watchful eyes) I was one of those. To make things worse one of my best friends was a wheelie king and taught me to do rolling wheelies at any speed on a street bike. (I'd already mastered wheelies on dirt bikes from low speeds and even gramps didn't call me out on those) But Doug taught me to stand it up @ 50-60 mph on the interstate or wherever we were! It was common to see us side by side doing wheelies down 465 around Indy or wherever we happened to be. We were also commonly seen down on the southside cruise strip on Madison Ave/US 31 doing stop light to stop light wheelies with little hotties on the back! (yeah I know pretty stupid, but we were!)
Luckily we survived those daze and learned to ride smart again.
It's also the main reason my Aunt refers to all motorcycle riders as donors (especially me an Doug because she used to witness us riding away from her doing wheelies w/o helmets!)
  BK 

[uncle ned]

I have rode motorcycles for over 60 years. My thoughts on helmets depends on where and how you are riding.

Have raced dirt bikes for years and would not attempt to do it with out the best helmet.

But in slow riding I wear a little beanie helmet because the hearing is just about as necessary as seeing.
In a good full face helmet your hearing is restricted.

My kid brother was a ex fireman, truck driver, and cdl safety instructor at the local community college.

He hit a stopped Big transfer truck riding into the early morning sun on his Harley.

Had on all safety equipment but did not survive.

some times all you ride in has nothing to do with what happens.

The cruise was on 75 the speed limit and his radio was on full blast.

Uncle ned