Do You Have Children? Still Ride? Big City? Small Town?

[Green Lantern]

In light of my recent crash I'm asking myself some hard questions. I'm wondering how many of you are married or have children, have gone down, and still ride. When I got into motorcycles I was single. (Not that I didn't ask myself these questions when I was single but the stakes are higher now.) Now I'm married with a three month-old daughter. I live and ride around NYC.

Looking for some perspective...

Thanks,

GL

[greg]

I have three, still ride, took the 12 yo boy to Timbuktu in January,  two of them to Brussels last year (Her indoors rides too), and the boy went to Bavaria with me Jan 06. They regularly come out on local summer rides.

[greg]

I have three, still ride, took the 12 yo boy to Timbuktu in January,  two of them to Brussels last year (Her indoors rides too), and the boy went to Bavaria with me Jan 06. They regularly come out on local summer rides.

[Garp]

Two kids, one accident in 27 years and I still ride. It is part of my soul, and the wife and kids know that I would not be the same person if I didn't ride

[wasions]

I'm 55, with grown children and small grandchildren.



I took some time off of riding during the child rearing years, but it was due more to monetary reasons than fear of leaving my children fatherless.  When I did ride, I generally had smaller dirt bikes or scooters/small street bikes.



When the kids left, and I found I could afford to support my habit a little easier, I came back.



Before marriage/kids, the biggest bike I owned was a T500 Titan.  With wife and kids around, the biggest ride was a GT380.  It's just been within the last couple of years that I've been able to afford the bike(s) I've really wanted.



I don't worry much about leaving the grandkids without me - it'll happen eventually anyway, right?   :roll:



This, however, should in no way be construed as advice for anyone else.  I'm not exactly the conservative rider type, but I've been pretty lucky - the only accidents (until recently) have been minor.  If I'd had the wherewithal, I'd have had bikes all along.



Be careful out there.

[Mudhen]

I think about it as well...I have a 5 year old and a 1.5 year old.  I bought my very first street bike when my first son was born - sort of midlife crisis I guess!



I ride 65 miles one way to work...95% highway.  There are days when I'm at work that I almost don't want to go out and get back on the bike...I can work myself up pretty good.  But once I'm actually ON it?  I never think about it.  Maybe just too busy having fun and watching out for all the idiots out there.  I haven't had an accident yet, though (knock on wood).  Not sure how I'd be after something like that.



Maybe if those thoughts started to take over my life I'd hang it up for awhile.  It is supposed to be enjoyable, afterall.  Trouble is...at that point I'd see it becoming like winter for me - the longer I go without riding the more I forget how enjoyable it is and the harder it gets to get my butt in gear to put all my stuff on - but once I do?  I can't believe I waited so long...



Good luck.



Pat

[speedjunkie]

A little history first.  I started riding dirt bikes at about the age of 9.  Got a street bike when I was 18, laid it down, didn't slow me down, you know, 18.  Anyway, still had a dirt bike until about 22 or so.  Bike blew, didn't have the money to fix it, fiance, career starting, you know the story.  Fast forward to the year 2000, we are expecting our first, and I go through a mid life of my own.  Buy a crotch rocket of all things.   :roll:  Manage to not kill myself on it, although there was a REALLY close one.  Didn't bother me till I got off the bike, then it scared the crap out of me.  I didn't ride for 2-3 weeks.  Finally got the nerve up and told myself to get back in the saddle.  Got back on, but re-learned a valuable lesson, ALWAYS drive for the other guy, and NEVER let your guard down.  You know, what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.   :shock:    :?   I've managed to put on roughly 55K miles since then, with no further mishaps.  I also try not to ride during rush hour traffic on the city streets.  Major highways are ok, but stop and go drivers don't pay close enough attention.  



Our daughter in now 6.  I bought her a PW50 for her b'day, cause she wants to ride with dad!  How cool is that!  Anyway, I wouldn't change a thing, and my wife knows this, and doesn't ask me to change.  She rides with me as well.  We've even taken 2x 4500 mile vacations on nothing but the bike.  



Riding is a HUGE stress reliever for me.  It was great when I worked 36 miles away.  No matter HOW bad a day at work was, the ride home completely cleared my mind.  Dirt or street really makes the day better!  



I'm not necessarily a risk taker, but a risk assesor.  If the risk is too great, don't do it.  But, I'm not going to live my life without living either.  What fun would that be?  I live my life to the fullest, no regrets.  There's no time for regrets, and they can't be undone anyway.  If I make a mistake, learn from it, and move on.  It may be a cavalier attitude, but that's just me.



You know the saying "Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out and proclaiming, WOW!  WHAT A RIDE!!".  My wife hadn't seen this before, she read this last nite and exclaimed, "That YOU!!"  I just quietly smiled!      



Take your own risk assessment test.  If the risk is too great, don't do it.  You're the one that has to be comfortable with it.  Maybe just changing the routine would work.  Instead of commuting with the bike, make it a weekend stress reliever only, for example.  Maybe try riding in a more rural area, although I know that's easier said than done out there.  I'd give it a few weeks, try getting back in the saddle, and if you're not comfortable after a couple weeks, then do what you've got to do.  Good luck with your decision.







Mike

[haulin' daze]

My father rode his whole  (but short) life. My wifes father died in a motorcycle accident. I never grew up riding dirtbikes or anything. The first time I threw my leg over a bike was at the riders safety course about 7 years ago (I'm 33). Always wanted a bike, but waited untill I was sure I was mature enough. I've known too many younger guys that have wrecked, even died, due to their own actions.



Rode a Suzuki 250 cruiser for the course. Bought a 94 Intruder 1400 for my first bike. Fun on backroads, junk on highways.



Decided I wanted to commute into Beantown on a bike as much as possible. That's what led me to my Tiger.



I have a 22 month old son, and the wife's 3 months along with #2. Even though my ride to and from work can be bumper to bumper with a lot of chowder-heads in cars, I wouldn't trade it. That's MY time. No radio, no cell phone, nothing. Although my family means the world to me, I know my wife is aware that riding brings me great joy. Plus I know she thinks it's hot!   :twisted:



I'm a conservative rider with the occasional whack of the throttle, but never stupid. I can't aford to  be.    :smt075

[WIDGIN]

Thirty five years ago, at the age of 13, I had a head-on collision on my SL-100, lost my spleen and had a severe "walking concussion".  The other guy was racing on a singletrack, I was third in a line of bikes just putting along, and had absolutely no chance to avoid him.  



The crash certainly changed my whole outlook on life as I realized that I'd been riding quite slowly and calmly but still almost bit the big one.  I rebuilt the bike and continued riding.  I subsequently became more of a risk taker in all aspects of life, but also much more aware of the unexpected dangers in life.  I believe that this combination allowed me to become quite a fast rider while usually remaining in CONTROL.  



I also learned that CONTROL has little to do with your speed, it's more how skilled and AWARE you are.  But the fact remains that statistically, an auto accident while driving to work, or a slip in the shower are the most dangerous activites for people in populated areas (I've been rear-ended 3 times in the past two years while sitting at traffic lights in company vehicles).  



God bless that my non-riding wife allows my refound obsession with bikes even though she doesn't understand it.  However, since we both SCUBA dive, I think she understands that some dangers in life are worth the risk. In diving, you can be doing everything properly and still suffer a fatal embolism or the bends if your number is called.  But she does chide me about having no spleen whenever I try to explain to a non-rider that it's worth it.  



I do not recommend learning to ride for anyone who didn't spend years on a dirt bike.  I know that my riding instincts have saved me numerous times in traffic.  I live near a large city so need to run some interstates to get to good riding.  



I now have one 10-year old daughter who's kind of ambivalent about her dad's hobbies.  I ride fast but try to stay AWARE and in CONTROL.  I feel that riding as a release from everyday pressures is very theraputic and worth the risk.  Hell, if I bite it, it's better than going from being rear-ended by a city bus while driving your cage.

[wasions]

There's always a good amount of information on the Master Strategy Group.



http://www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp (http://www.msgroup.org/DISCUSS.asp)

go to No. 53

[Green Lantern]

Awesome replys. Thank you. As of now I am still looking for a new ride. I'm going to take Feb. and March off but only because it has finally gotten cold here.