philosophical theory as to why some riders may have less accidents Understanding why you ride is essential to evaluating your behaviour as a rider, and therefore your risk profile and accepting your chances of an accident. I am tired of hearing the stock platitudes "There are two types of rider, those who have gone down and those who haven't yet gone down" or 'Everyone drops the bike or has an accident at some stage, what makes a rider is his ability to get back on" I have a theory that possibly explains why some riders never have had or will have an accident. Experience and skill can help you avoid serious trouble in real time, as the accident unfolds. Not panicking on the front brakes, being prepared to lean harder into a corner using counter steer, while focusing on the point where you want the bike to go, or knowing when to drop the bike at the optimum time in a low-side slide. Experience also builds up a wealth of subliminal knowledge of possible traffic hazards which helps avoid accidents and conditions you to longer periods of concentration to be able to act on that knowledge and store new experiences.Humans are innately concerned with their survival and act in those interests , and in our down time our brains like the effects of Dopamine , and encourage us seek activities that generate dopamine. Some people are fortunate enough to get it through being an athlete, while others get it through risk taking, and the lazy get it through drug use, or gambling or sexual perversions. My theory is that we fall into the risk taking category. We understand the risk of two wheels, we are used to being different in some way socially, we value the reward over the risk and we accept the calculation, we are not afraid of standing out from the crowd, we value our individuality and our independence. We also know that people in our circles benefit from our presence and company. because we are happy when we ride, and come back home, everyone benefits.Understanding your enjoyment of dopamine, can help you understand why you ride. My theory is if you treat the motorcycle like a pharmacist , you can modulate your dopamine levels, and gain the maximum enjoyment from life. If you over use it then your risk taking increases in order for your brain to get the same effect.
I also believe that the majority of motor cycle accidents don't involve any other vehicles.
In 25 years of riding I have been part of or seen two people die on the side of the road. In both cases it was completely their own fault, in both cases they were just going way to fast.
Speed seems so obvious to control, like alcohol. Anything under your control seems the obvious start to minimizing risk. The three main risk areas beyond our control are t-intersections (including driveways, shopping centres) , lane changes and animals. I have read that animals account for 7% of all motorcycle accidents. Lane changes especially by trucks, as their blind spot is larger, can be helped with loud pipes, and predictive defensive riding. Animals can be minimized by not riding open B and C roads at night, and being aware of activity at dawn and dusk. That leaves T-intersections. If a car is not fully stopped before pulling out, the driver blind spot is active. We can use lane positions to our advantage, increasing the angle of visibility from the drivers perspective by moving as close to the outside lane as possible. And then we can also minimize our risk by vbeing as visible to the driver as possible. Loud pipes again help, lighting and size of bike, contrasting clothing or helmet.
Over cooking here Moss, sometimes shit happens also. Handy to read your date DOB now and then puts ambitions and capability's into prospective straight up, followed by decision making.
You ride a bike Moss?
40 years on and off. But I fit the classic description of highest risk rider. Age 40-59. Been off the bike for twenty years, and back on for twelve months. And now bought the one classic style of bike that 40-59 year olds have the most accidents on, a bagger. It arrives tomorrow. And in four weeks I'm taking it to Sydney.
Well here's some suggestions....do an advanced riders course just to get the hand eye co ordination and the theory of what your doing . And relax! Enjoy your bike, be alert not alarmed. You dont have to mico dissect every area of a bike that may kill you, head out into the countryside and don't fear that the odds may claim you. Can you point me in the direction of the bagger stats would love to see the article