Family on crusade against me getting motorbike

LegacyUser

Hi guys

I wanted to get a strangers perspective on something. Im in my late twenties and would call myself an easily influenced person.

I have always been interested in getting a motorbike and I have decided to persue the interest. I told my siblings and parents about it during conversation.

Now they have been consulting eachother of this development and every single time we speak they are pleading with me to not get one. They say how dangerous it is and how many people are killed.

I know they are being concerned but I think they are going a bit too far. I am well aware of the risks, it is not a sudden 'episode' im having and buying it irrationally.

I feel like they are spreading their worries on me. My parents are especially stressed about it. They resorted to lies of how someone was killed on a harley in the andes just a few days ago, which is not true. That poor guy was in a race on a different kind of vehicle, God rest his soul.

They asked me not too put them under so much stress by riding a bike.

I wanted to know is it selfish of me to push ahead with this, which is what I plan on doing. Or is this something where parents should not be exerting so much pressure on?

Im a very logical guy, and am very observant so I think I should fare well on the roads. Plus I think its best to live without worry for a short time than to live long with fear of everything that includes a hint of danger.

Thanks for any feedback.

Cuddlesworth

Bikes carry a greater risk of death in a accident and have a far greater single vehicle accident rate in comparison to cars. With some decent money spent on a good deal of training you can minimise your risk and enjoy the experience. Its well worth it.

I had a similar experience when buying my bike. Late twenty's, told I would kill myself etc.... but I'm a adult now, I bought my bike, enjoy the extra hour and a half to my day and haven't looked back since. Join us on the motorbike forum for advise on training, gear and bikes. You can make some silly mistakes early on scrimping on gear and training and pay for it later.

sleepysniper

Go for it I say!
When I started out on bikes ( 2 Years Ago) my folks weren't too happy either, but they do adjust, just takes time and persuading!

At the end of the day its YOUR choice and you seem to know the dangers associated with biking. As long as you have a steady head on your shoulders you'll be fine!

The Lovely Muffin

Hi OP,

I would go ahead and get the bike. It's what you want and it will make you happy.

I can understand your parents and siblings worrying, however it's really none of their business what you buy, drive etc.

Ok so motorbikes are more dangerous than cars and I would assume carry a great risk or injury in accidents, should you be that unfortunate, however, I'm sure there are measures and ways for you to reduce that risk, although obviously there would be still be some risk.

As for making up lies about a deceased person just to try and stop/put you off buying something they are against, well quiet frankly it's a sick and disgusting thing to do.

They should not resort to such measures regardless of how against it they are. I would be horrified if any of my parents or families did such a thing to me. They should be ashamed of themselves in my opinion, it was a horrible thing to have done.

mikemac1

Go for it OP

Get the training so you'll start with good habits

And you'll find being on a bike makes you far more aware and a better car driver, just a side benefit, tell your family that

It's formalized now since I did and training is compulsory, probably a good thing tbh

I don't know where in the country you are, I recommend this guy but there are others
http://www.motorbiketraining.net/

Don't skimp on the gear OP. Get good quality and actually Lidl and Aldi sell good gear. I wouldn't buy a helmet there though.

In Ireland they charge VAT on helmets so try different models and then you can buy online

killed on a harley

Harley is probably the only model of bike they've ever heard of and that was from the films.
Showing their lack of knowledge right there

EGAR

OH decided to get a motorbike 2 years ago and there was war. I cited all the stats about road deaths, got really worked up about the whole thing and kept telling me to think about our child etc.

He then turned around and said: *I don't see you thinking about that when you saddle up your horse?*

So we now avoid the subject of horse riding and motorbikes altogether and enjoy our respective past times. However, as already pointed out, DON'T skimp on protective gear.

Overheal

Bikes can be fun but there can be no doubt to their risks. People die regularly on them. If you really understand the risks, and are not about to go out and take risks, then go for it. If you're going to be one of these Street Ninjas that tries to weave in and out of traffic, you're gonna get killed. I've nearly blindsided bikers before because they will try to swerve around me as I'm moving lanes. If I wasn't looking out for that lad, he'd have skidded off the bike at 45mph. And my brother's friend (young lad) died a few years ago because he thought a) he was invincible and b) that he should outrun the cop that caught him speeding. According to the police report he sped off in excess of 80mph on a 45mph urban 4-lane road. It was over in seconds, all it took was someone trying to pull into traffic and he was toast.

I'm not telling you not to do it, I'm telling you that it's your choice. If you choose to do it though, ride defensively or not at all.

Captain McDuck

My best friend died in a motor bike accident and my father has never walked again since his motor bike accident 10 years ago.....

Your family have every right to be worried.

Beruthiel

Without a doubt, bikes are dangerous, mostly because of car drivers and pedestrians who don't look/see you in my experience.

I had a motorbike for 10 years between the ages of 28 to 38.
I LOVED driving my bike around Dublin, there's no such thing as a traffic jam or problems with parking.
In the summer especially, a bike is a joy to drive. The sense of freedom you get cannot be rivalled.
In the winter, you'll freeze the nuts off yourself, even with the best gear.

Even though I loved my bike, I stopped driving them after 10 years.
I reckoned my 9 lives were up.
IE, I had X amount of accidents and am still alive.
One accident due to a kid flying out from nowhere on a bicycle in front of me. (Sliced a good lump off my lip due to helmet being too loose)
One teenager literally walked off the path right in front of me. (fractured toe, even with the proper steal toe capped boots)
Car door opened as I drove by it.
The rest was due black ice in the winter, I was blessed in so far as I had always been driving slowly in those cases and just took a bit of a slide.

I've been driving a car for 6 years now, not one accident.

In conclusion, you will have accidents.
But, if you are smart, drive carefully and do not take risks, they will be small and most likely won't kill you.
Do not get on a bike without ALL the proper gear.
Steal toe capped boots.
A VERY tight helmet of the best quality. (Your brain is worth it)
Leathers top to toe for those slides along the road.
Top notch tyres.

When I win the lotto and buy my villa in the south of France, there will be a Harley in my driveway for summer road trips. I think that once you drive a motorbike, the bug never truly goes away.
Have fun and be safe.

Curry Addict

the problem with motor bikes is, no matter how carefull you are, you are a the mercy of other peoples actions and then its a roll of the dice as to what happens you. after 20 odd years driving ive noticed that people do a lot of stupid things on the roads and i wouldnt like to be at the mercy or every idiot out there.
your parents are well aware of this and rightly worried.

Your family have a right to be worried. They love you and don't want you to die. So it's certainly not a "who's in the right and who's in the wrong" situation.

Let them know that you understand, let them know that you're going to get proper training and protective gear, and let them know that this is something you really want to do.

However you really need to remember that while you're the person most likely to come out of an accident worst, it's not only your own life that's in danger if something goes wrong, and that if something goes wrong by someone else's actions you'll still have to live with the consequences.

Don't let it hold you back though, just let their words be a warning to you.

Logical Fallacy

meeownbleedinperrson wrote: »

Im a very logical guy, and am very observant so I think I should fare well on the roads. Plus I think its best to live without worry for a short time than to live long with fear of everything that includes a hint of danger.

Thanks for any feedback.

Not all that logical, ask anyone who drives a motorbike and the bigger issue they will highlight is not what they see and react to, but the people who don't see and react to them.

I say load up on classes, get your bike...you are an adult and no one should be controlling your decision but you.

ash23

On the one hand I'd say you're an adult and can do as you please.

On the other I'd have heart failure if my daughter wanted a bike so I can see why your parents are worried.

Maybe just show them you're going to be sensible and buy decent safety gear and get some training to put their minds at ease? They will still worry but at least they'll know you're taking it seriously and being sensible.

Peanut2011

OP,

I can tell you as a fairly new motorbike driver that it's not as easy and comfortableas the car but a hell of a lot more enjoyable.

I know my partner and my parents are worried sick when they know I'm on it but they knew I would do what I set my mind on doing regardless. I can say there is nothing you can do that will ever convince them it's ok. They will always be worried.

Fortunately the days of getting your provisional license and jumping on the bile are gone. Now you have the compulsory 16hr's driving lessons / test before you are legally allowed to be on the road. I must say those 16 hr's have given me so much I did not know about. They have left me with enough encouragement and healthy respect for the bike and the road that I have no hesitation about getting on the bike.

I was one of those people that said I would never get on one! Trust me it was a big deal for me to do that.

I have to say, I loved it from the moment I did. One advice I will say to you is make sure to research what kind of bike you can and want to get, opposed to what you should get.

Speak to people who are riders for a long time and they can advise you what to start on and so on.

If you do decide to go for it, I would be more than happy to recommend the instructor I did my training with so PM me if you want details. He was the type of the person who does it for the love of the bikes. Gave me so much more advice and help than what the book tells him that he has to.

Quite honestly I can say now I would still be very much afraid of the bike if it was not for him.

At the end of the day, if you do go for it, be prepared to hear them complain but as long as you can look at it from the point where you are fully clear as to what the danger is, you will be as safe as you could possibly be.

Best of luck OP on what ever you decide.

quickbeam

Sounds simple enough to me - you're over 18, what you're considering isn't illegal: so it's your choice.