I rode motorcycles from 15yo until I was 40 (I am 75). Rode all over the country, any weather, my HD was my primary source of transport. A divorce in '89, a geographic change, and a 'start over' job, left me without a bike. I wanted to get back up on two wheels but finances/changes in work station/spouse resistance kept me from getting another bike. The longer I waited, the more problems I had that would interfere with riding. Don't be like me - get the bike! Yep - it can be dangerous, but so is getting out of bed.

I agree, we can't live forever, got to enjoy life.........

https://www.txdot.gov/about/newsroom/statewide/motorcyclist-deaths-on-the-rise-in-texas.html

600 deaths and 2,400 serious injuries last year in the state. I find it hard to believe there are 3,000 people a year being unalived/incapacitated getting out of bed.

More fun facts: 3% of the registered vehicles in the country (motorcycles) make up 14% of fatalities, and travel less than 1% of total miles driven. https://cousinbenny.com/motorcycle-accident-statistics/

A few weeks ago on the island of Roatan, I got to do all the crazy stuff I always wanted to do here, taking a rather sketchy motorcycle tour. The challenge was to keep up with the insane local dude who was leading the circus. Up on the sidewalk, through the unfinished construction, weaving through pedestrians, huge potholes, aiming for six-inch gaps between speed bumps at forty, passing cars between two-way traffic, down the beach, so much dangerous fun. Danger+survival=fun.

Nobody shopping for a bike wants to hear the flood of horror stories about the dangers. They probably already know enough of them- I know I did. I got one anyway when the "inscrutable exhortations of the soul" forced me to get a motorcycle at about 36. I rode through my youth before that. I got a KLR 650- a big, tall bike like I was used to, not a potato machine that's low and heavy.

Being me, I tried to scare myself away from it. I watched every video I could find of motorcycle riders dying, losing limbs and heads, getting smeared and ground down by pavement, flipped through the air, and generally having an embarassing end to their ride. There is some truly horrific stuff out there. I trained myself to ride super slow, tested my stopping distances, set rules for where/when I would ride. I got an armored jacket, good helmet, rode in boots (please don't ride in crocs and shorts...) I was the most defensive rider I could be. I was able to avoid traffic and bad roads by taking longer, scenic routes.For over a year, 2 wheels was my primary daily transport in all weather.

The good: When you have the road to yourself, it's great riding in to work while the sun rises over green rolling hills. Like being superman about four feet over the pavement. Being connected to the machine, working the levers and feeling the engine, beautiful. No cage around you- feel the wind and the sun and the speed.

The other stuff: Cars sometimes will look right directly at you and not see you. It's absolutely a real thing-a cognitive problem where the brain filters out anything not fitting the "car" profile- and you should ride with the assumption that you are invisible even with your brights on. I've even caught myself not mentally registering motorcycles when I drive.

Some cars are out to mess with you.

If you or someone else makes an error and there's any contact between vehicles, you'll go down, and physics will offer no exceptions to the rules. Go punch the road and see how it feels.

I loved that bike. I sold it when I could step over to a nice new little car. The experience was good, and I realized I there was no way for me to be safe enough for it to make sense. Little reminders of vulnerability, like cars repeatedly, playfully, swerving toward me while going the opposite direction on narrow two-lane roads showed me I could be taken out at any moment with no options to react.

Cars and cycles don't mix well, and the car always wins. I'd have gotten a trail bike in retrospect, but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Doesn't state the time frame, but......... Approximately 1.8 million emergency room visits and over 400 thousand hospital admissions occur to those over the age of 65 from falling out of bed
Been riding for 51 years, worst thing to happen to me was when racing dirt bikes. I will say no way in heck i'd ride a bike through the DFW area on 30, 20, 635, 820, etc. Just no!

Sold my last street bike two days ago. I'm done. Feeling good about it. My odds have just increased exponentially that I'm headed toward a healthier retirement lifestyle to where I won't be potentially hobbled by injury, recovery or medical bills due to a wreck. Long term play for me.

But we just traded for one so are you sure...?

Nice. Your dealership does that?

Classic cars and trucks, motorcycles, ATVs...