Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge I don't get this at all, maybe I am too rigid.

Here in San Antonio they had a little fund raiser. Last year a lady got killed on her sport bike. Leaving a 16 year old and an 11 year old. Her hubby is a leader of a local band of sport riders.

This Sunday they had a benefit for him cause he got killed on his bike.

Now? We have a mom dead leaving a little 10 year old girl without her mom and dad keeps riding. Dad gets himself killed.

IMHO this is the most selfish thing I have heard this week. Now who does this little girl have? Seems to me if you are a single parent of little ones riding motorcycles may be a little risky. I think this girl does need a benefit as she has nobody! thanks to dad's dumb behavior. I recommend him for a Darwin award for risking the future of his child.

I know it will go from mind your own business to agreement to who cares comments. Just venting. I think its horrible.

When my kids were small we pretty much ignored the bikes. When they were small my wife, who has logged 1000s of miles, was never on the back. Too much risk to lose both parents.

Poor little girl At least the boy is 17. Not that he would not feel serious pain himself. He is just a bit more out of the nest.

It's a tragedy, it sucks, but what can you really do. You can't legislate common sense. We all decide what level of risk is acceptable daily. I used to run circle track and street race, but that stopped as I got older. I never wore a helmet on my bike til I had kids...

You're right to be angry, I get mad when I see people do stupid stuff all the time.

I wonder how much riding like an idiot contributed to the dads death.

I myself carry a rather large life insurance policy, they would be better off financially if I die.

Here's one for you. A football player at Indiana University is in critical condition following a plane crash a few weeks ago. His father was the pilot. His father and step mother died in the crash. His biological mother and brother were killed when his father crashed another aircraft several years ago. Poor kid.

The wife was at her own birthday party last year. She said she wished she had brought her bike. Somebody drove her home to pick it up. Single bike accident she dove into a curve and died the next day.

Hubby is in a band as was his wife and was with a few friends. He was up front two stopped as one had trouble with his bike. He U-turned to go back for them in front of a truck and horse trailer somehow. No charges to the truck.

Ages 37 for her and 41 for him.

I guess I am not mad at the dead guy. I think it was pretty irresponsible maybe. Money from insurance does not replace hugs and love.

I know a couple of girls that lost both parents in a car accident when they were teenagers. This doesn't stop my wife and I from being in the same car. When we go on vacation we fly in the same plane. Simply put, there is risk in everything we do. Riding a bike is actually not all that more dangerous than driving a car. I think it was a link from this forum that stated the chance of being killed on a motorcycle was about 3 times more likely than in a car, which considering the odds of getting killed in a car is not that likely.

To chastise a single father for riding a bike pre-supposes that he will die when in fact his chances of being killed on a bike are not that much more likely than being killed in a car. Should he also be chastised for driving a car, swimming, going out in a thunderstorm, even crossing the street in a crosswalk, smoking or as someone more eloquent stated on a link (about outlawing motorcycles) from this site eating to many donuts since the average American is more likely to die from heart/obesity.

As for me "I'm worth more dead".

Ron, the last time I said something like that on this site I got raked over the coals something fierce.

He definitely should have done fewer "U" turns in front of on coming trucks

Victor Villareal

Actually Jim, you are correct. As I said I am sure right is a matter for the individual. There really is no right. Clearly he died doing what he liked to do.

The last statistics I read were that a motorcycle was about 5 times less likely to be in a two vehicle accident than a car. It was about 20x more likely than a car to be involved in a single vehicle accident. (that is what killed the mom) The difference is if you are in a two car accident there is a 1/100,000 chance you will die. On a motorcycle a 1/177 chance.

Or something close to those numbers. So the risk of dying on a motorcycle is way higher than most other activities. I don't think you can consider a motorcycle as comparable to a car or airplane for safety. Especially if a year ago you lost your wife to a motorcycle accident.

I know John. Lots of mixed emotions about it. ATGATT folks would say if you don't wear the helmet you are pretty stupid. Some would say you deserved to die. I just think if your wife is not a wake up call that you are all that is left for the kids its pretty selfish.

Thanks Moe, that is the one.

1/177... those are some pretty scary odds.

Ride safe folks...

Sad story and a horrible coincidence. Life is too short to not do what makes you happy as long as you use some common sense.

My mom died almost 9yrs ago at the age of 51 from a blood clot caused by knee surgery that moved to her lungs. She'd spent the previous 5yrs or so helping to care for my 2 grandmothers. They both passed within a few months of each other. My mom & dad were finally going to be able to travel and enjoy each other without having to worry about kids or ailing parents. 2 months after my last grandmother passed my mom went to have her knee scoped and was gone 2 days later.

Enjoy today! Tomorrow isn't promised.

Well, all I can say here Ron is...YOU..."rigid"???!!!

Or, in the immortal words of Claude Rains...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjbPi00k_ME



(...sorry ol' buddy, couldn't resist!...and yeah, it IS a shame about those kids)

I try to model my life after him!

Some years ago, I lived under the approach to Burbank airport. A landing gear door fell off an airplane and mashed a neighbor who was out watering his lawn. Stuff happens, and it's up to each individual to weigh out risk vs benefit and decide what to do.

When your on these bikes,sometimes you have the rest of your life to make a decision! Don't be in a rush to make a wrong one, especially in cross town traffic.

Here in San Antonio they had a little fund raiser. Last year a lady got killed on her sport bike. Leaving a 16 year old and an 11 year old. Her hubby is a leader of a local band of sport riders.


This is a sad state of events for this family. My prayers go out for the boy thats left,Life will be somewhat tougher for him until he grows.I think a benefit is in demand on this one.It would show him the world does care in times like this





I remember in the 70s i was raising three ,eventually all 6 foot and over.I had decided to build a AEE CHOPPER .[first choppers ]I had the hardtail, springer, in mind with the chrome rockers, all the trick stuff, i didn't really care if i rode it, i wanted to show it at cobo hall in detroit. Well my wife saw all these parts books showing up for all the parts i needed to construct one bad bike. My wife of 15 years approached me; and ask me this and she was a good woman, shes left me alone in my decisions and never questioned what i built. She asked me this "Please don't build a bike-as you WILL ride it. You have boys and i don't want them growing up without a father.You can build another streetrod. I was never much on listening when i was young, but i agreed i didn't build a bike, i built 17 more kars in the late 80s i was thinking about that day she ask me not to.I am glad i listened to her.'I remember i saw a young fella get killed not 50 feet frome,prior to this.
For 2 weeks i would wake up , from seeing this the day it happened, i saw the bike , the boy,two boots, a helmet a jacket all in the air at the same time. the hit was made by a big black dude who was in the habit of going thru this yellow blinker at 65 mph everyday--well he slammed into this boy with a big old buick electra. the boy had swallowed is tounge, as me and another man were standing in a pool of his blood 10 in diameter, just secons before i got to him, his body was bent in different angles.he looked like a rag doll laying there in the road. He had just been looking at a chromrplated t-bucket i had just finished.at a part store not a 100 feet from where he died.

It is especially sad for me when a young guy gets killed, sorry if i bored anyone i had to tell this story-it has stayed burned into my memorey all thes years. AHHH what the h___ i had more fun with the street rods anyway.
bob

btw i went home after that accident and sold 5 bikes that owned [in less than 2 weeks]i think it scared me off of them somewhat.

So everybody has a number and when their time is up its up.

I think all of us subscribe to that to some degree. I have said that from time to time. But for some reason I don't do 100MPH through downtown traffic. Because it its not my time it will all be fine right?

The thing is, cars are way more forgiving of stupidity. We see morons in cars every day doing asinine crap and, for the most part, they get away with it. If you are inattentive, your car is not going to fall over on its side and skid down the road. You just have to appreciate that riding a bike takes a higher level of mental commitment. If you don't, you have no business on a motorcycle.

Getting brained by a piece of airplane is in no way similar to riding a motorcycle. In the former you are not assuming any additional risk and is truly random. Choosing to ride a motorcycle is taking on all kinds of extra risk. You can mitigate it with gear and training.

But who cares. As long as the orphans are over 6 years old they don't need you anymore. All of their behavioral patterns are set for life and all you're doing after that is paying the bills. And if they're destined to be productive members of society, losing their parents will only make them stronger people.

I wonder what percentage of the readers take that last paragraph at face value vs. those who take it as sarcasm.

Well, I don't know Ron. Ya see, John once confided in me at one of the SWTFs he attended that his favorite part in Dickens' "A Christmas Carol" is when those two dudes come into Scrooge's office on Christmas Eve looking to hit him up for donations for the poor, and Scrooge asks 'em, "Are there no Prisons or Poor Houses for these people?"

(...naaah, just kiddin'...of course he was bein' sarcastic....I THINK anyway!!!!)

Ron, I was serious but I wasn't passing judgment. Sh!t happens. How you survive it shows what kind of person you are. And the core of that person is generally established by age 6.

Also a funny/serious thought, not original to me, is that hardship (abused, neglected or otherwise) makes the best/darkest comedians, musicians and writers. Also, the best criminals. That latter outcomes are the reason I want my concealed carry permit.

Dwight, lay off the absinthe...

I need to find a smiley face that is either groaning or booing...

Good thoughts, Ron, all of them. I think the core issue in your post is risk-reduction and/or -minimalization, which I know is near and dear to your heart, personally and professionally. I know with me, the professional experience bleeds over to my personal life, more than vice-versa.

Bob

PS - So what was the weirdest thing you saw on your adjustment safari last June?

No, not really. It's more like looking at a house's foundation and seeing if what is built on top will stand or fall.

i dont know Satxron, you sound like a Puzzy to me....That cold shiet calling the guy stupid, and being mad at someone for riding a motorcycle, SHIET HAPPENS... why dont you lock you self in the closet and not come out, god forbid something happens to you, well be on here busting your on your chops and calling you a bumb azz

I am not mad at him for riding a motorcycle Dave. I am sorry you don't get it. As far as the personal assault, I can handle that. You have the absolute right to call me that. I have been called a whole lot worse.

Thank you, for your constructive feedback.

I'm reminded of my friend Jesse's parents crashing a Piper Cub some years ago due to a low altitude low speed mid air collision, (it's a long story why) about a mile from their home and almost on the lawn of State Police barracks Troop B. The 5 or 6 kids got split up & sent here & there to different family members at far corners of the country. Devastating to the kids to say the least. Jesse lost his twenty something son in a car crash a few years ago.
What some people carry in life...

karma baby!

I don't know sure looks like he is calling me dumb for riding all those years even two up with my wife....
"she must be dumb too"
with young kids ...

and OMG if I took one of them young kids for a ride on the bike I must really be dumb

Ed & Vicki

Unless she's was a child bride, she was an adult and able to make her own decisions.