I rode a bike when i was a teenager and in later life all over different places in Asia...Long time ago.
Scared myself stupid, crashed, hurt myself and have never felt the urge to legalise my riding, get a license and buy a bike

Bikes i guess are fun until you crash then you wish you were in a car, i can see the buzz value though.

Greenpat here in the forums is an avid bike rider.....he will be better bloke to yarn to than me.

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Ok picture this, would ya rather smash up ur car and be stuck inside ur burning wreck with a hot engine in ur lap spittin hot oil and coolant all over ya while you die a slow agonizing death, or have it all over with in a second if you were on the bike??

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Thats a damn tough choice

go the postie scooter with a milk crate on the back.

I look at it this way… when you ride a motorbike you have lots of fun, save money and park anywhere.
You save maybe $40 a week, that’s maybe $2000 per year, plus rego is cheaper, so lets say you save $4000 per year all inclusive. Over 10 years, that’s $40,000.
And they’re fun.
But when you get on a bike, you risk your ability to walk, use 2 arms, and live. Lets be real about the risk, as soon as you ride out your driveway, you place these items on the table and hope that you win them back at the end of the ride. Drivers are not aware enough and there are accidents. Accidents happen. If you are on a bike when an accident happens, you may be one of the 5% of riders who survive with minor or no injuries. Or more likely you will be in the majority who suffer serious injury. Serious injury means loss of limbs, sitting in a wheel chair forever, not being able to speak or move, or dead. My mates fiancé is a nurse and she has seen the injured riders come into hospital with these injuries, and a few times she’s seen them without a head attached.
So you might save $40,000 over ten years (lets make it $100,000 for this argument), but is it worth suffering those injuries? What would you rather, $100,000 over 10 years or the ability to walk and live? I recognise it doesn’t happen to everyone, but the odds are astonishing. And yes, I have owned bikes and am licenced, but to me the saving and fun is far outweighed by the thought of serious injury.
Its not the skill of the rider either, which determines who lives and who is injured of killed, its luck. And it is luck because you are putting your life in the hands of the other people on the rode and trusting them.
If you want to know more, go to a hospital and ask a dr or nurse about it, and ask them to walk you around the hospital.
Another way to look at it, imagine an injured rider lying in hospital recovering, if you said to the rider, would you pay $100,000 over 10 years to have your health back, you know what the response would be.
That’s my thoughts, others might think otherwise.

Hi DP,

Yep I rode bikes only (no car at all) for a few years in my early 20s after yearning for one my whole life. Other than surfing and kiting nothing comes close to the feeling.

Why don't i ride anymore? Well i am here for a long time not just a good time...

Laying over a roadbike on the twisties until your knees nearly touch down is a nirvana-like experience. Unfortunately though it is the f**kwit tin tops on the road that will most likely kill ya. They came dam close to getting me many, many times, including a k n ob that cleaned me up after cruising through a red light and taking me down, who said "geez, I might have to get my brakes fixed now...". That is the mentallity you are dealing with mate. They almost think you deserve having your face spread accross the tarmac.

Also - having ridden/driven in most states in Oz - Perth has the worst and most ignorant/territorial/selfish drivers around.

Riding bikes ultimately cost me the ability to surf as my shoulder couldn't really rotate properly after my last write-off (and subsequent ops). 2 bikes - both written off . This is the reality you may have to face. Your love for bikes may cost you even more dearly. Fancy eating from a straw and having a someone wipe your butt for the rest of your life? Neither did I.

Don't make the mistake I did of trading in my car for bikes - have both if you can afford it. Better still go for a traily and stay away from the roads i reckon. I had to ride in the most shocking conditions every single day, and in hailing down peak hour bikes are not fun at all. The skid marks were not confined to the road

Some guys last for years on the road and have exceptional luck. Most run out of luck (or smarts) at one time or another (yes, i was both for sure). My uncle (who road for about 15 years) tried in vain to talk me out of it, relating the story of what made him give up. He arrived at a accident scene to see a guy who he had chatted to at a road stop hours earlier, having run into the back of a truck that pulled out in front of him, literally smearing his face accross the truck... Even that wasn't enough for me, I had to learn myself (doh!).

Looking back now I also regret the stress my folks went through (even though i had to split from home to get one also). I'd hate to be in their shoes these days for sure.

If you still want to, go the traily maybe? They are not safe by any stretch but the 'get-offs' tend be not as bad?? Maybe??

Good luck either way bud.

Thanks for all the replys!
yeah im not sure. but i came up with what i think is a better idea, and that would be getting a couple of good years of driving a car under my belt. Which would hopefully give me a better awareness of what the drivers are all doing.
i also thought that you only live once, and you can get cancer and die at 23yrs old, so making the most of life would be good, but it could be the making the most of it that cuts it short!!!!!
the noone wins.
It is a twisted circle.
thanks again.

p.s "Being young and invincible" i was only being sarcastic, that is definately a quick way to end up 6feet under

Dawn Patrol,
as you can see.....a lot of us have been there...done that.

Listen to what is behind almost every reply in this thread.

I LOVE RIDING BIKES
But I rarely do on the road now.... it's a % thing
i did a lot of kms (many at high speed) and was very, very lucky.

as the guys have said..get a dirt bike & do it off road with some mates..
& just buy a cheapish car to get around

"If you were to stupidly ignore all the excellent advice then you should get a black Truimph speed triple....MMMmmmm Trippppllllleeeeeyyyyy"


NO NO NO

A 58 NORTON DOMINATER SSS
MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

If you can find/afford one

I had a BSA Bantam once. What a pile of ** that was!

I'm sure there would be chat sites for mobility impaired people, have a look at what they have to deal with.
But if you HAVE to get a bike, i reckon get a dirt bike and stay off the roads.

HD's are for pose only (or compulsory if you belong to denim jacket-wearing ? club!!)
Ridden them several times - AND NOT AT ALL IMPRESSED

Had one for several hrs at Uluru, lot of grunt in straight, but won't go round corners.....& the vibration....had tingles in hands for hours afterwards

ive got a friend who broke both his legs at the same time and i have sailed with a brain damaged guy... one was because of a 50 foot jump, the other; a drunk in a ute...

Dawn Patrol,
Take the advice you've been given.
Evasive manouvres arent going to save you, neither will awareness, thats the nature of traffic and accidents, and it gets worse with time.
Us windsurfers and kite surfers generally arent conservative super safe people, so this advice you've been offered is not biased.
We'd all HATE to see you get one and then hurt!
When you throw your leg over your bike in the driveway, you must ask yourself "Am i happy to live in a wheel chair forever, so i can have this one ride?"

Might have the answer!

Noticed in the employment section of the local rag that Australia Post are looking for Posties.

You get to ride a bike (well a underpowered bike anyway) during the day and get paid to do it. PLUS you get to start early and finish early (around 2.30ish) so you get to go sailing every arvo - SWEEEEEET.

only problem is you have to be under 90kgs fully clothed
and you only get $35K per annum

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Originally posted by landyacht

Please get a light M/bike as Ive run into 3 over the yearsand the bigger bikes tend to do a bit more damage. DO not assume that you can be seen or have been seen and dont cut me off . he last bike I hit cut me off at some lights and then braked heavy to get into a Pub carpark, then gave me a dirty look as I slammed on the brakes and tryed to swerve. still remember his rego CC 1 !

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me cutting you off isnt going to kill you. The majorty of people doing the cutting off are the ****ers in cars. Plus how manny cars do 0-100 in under 3seconds? cutting off wont be a problem.
You've run into 3motorcyclists in a year!!!! maybe its ur driving, dont think that happens to many other people.
Also i went to the bike expo today. Omg, i was a fat kid at a candy buffet. I sat on a few and even though they arnt running it just feels amazing. i think i am in love.