I'd kill myself on a bike.

[George111]

Fotic said:

George111 said:

Mastodon2 said:

George111 said:

Just respect other people's risk strategies "I'd kill myself" is just shorthand for "I don't like the risk"

So why not say that then? By saying "I'd kill myself", they get that easy get-off and without having to feel emasculated by admitting they "don't like the risk."

Why would not liking the risk of riding a motorbike be emasculating ? You're suggesting that to be a man you have to like risk but as you get older, you back away from risk naturally - do you become less of a man ? I think not !

Is masculinity based on risk taking and fast riding or is it just as masculine to want to be with your daughter on her first sports day ? I have known some women who have taken far greater risks than I have ever wanted to take and they are not masculine . . . one was a cave diver digging out and exploring new caves and the death rate back then for cave divers was about 1 in 4, far worse than motorcycling. Would she be more of a man than you

But why not say 'I don't like the risk'? That's the point of this thread I think.

I think it's mainly said by people who want to appear like a bit of a loon - 'Oh I'd kill myself on a bike, me! I'm such a nutter' when in reality they're a bit scared of bikes.

Probably because most people don't want a conversation about it and saying "I'd kill myself" is a good conversation stopper ?

[anonymous-user]

The last person I heard this phase from did kill himself a few months later after attempting to give a double decker bus a glasgow kiss.

[mattb46]

Ive had sports-bikes for 10 years and have loved them. My rides have always been fast early morning weekend blats. The choice of early mornings has been my attempt to lessen the chances of getting taken out by a old myopic car-driver. Ive now got 2 young children and this has seriously dented my enjoyment over recent years to the point where my current bike (1098R Bayliss LE) is up for sale (actually its sold but the buyer is looking like a timewaster so maybe its not) and the end of motorcycling is in sight for me. I do feel that for all my care, riding a sportsbike fast is ultimately only going to end v badly one day. I've had a pheasant hit me in the chest and nearly knock me off, a tractor stopped in the middle of the road on the exit of a bend, a sudden U turn that had my front wheel momentarily locked up and a couple of stupid overtakes in front of me. I feel like Ive had a good run of luck but unless I can enjoy motorcycling for what it is rather than the adrenaline buzz that it can give, my luck will eventually, one day run out. The thought of perhaps leaving my 2 year old lad and 6 year old daughter with no dad is a gutting prospect. So I can understand the sentiment myself and whilst I agree it is often male pride talking, I think it is true for some.

Having said that Ive really got into road cycling this last year (whilst the Duc has been largely gathering dust) and Ive had no end of people nearly kill me! Mmmm

[Nigel Worc's]

mattb46 said:

Ive had sports-bikes for 10 years and have loved them. My rides have always been fast early morning weekend blats. The choice of early mornings has been my attempt to lessen the chances of getting taken out by a old myopic car-driver. Ive now got 2 young children and this has seriously dented my enjoyment over recent years to the point where my current bike (1098R Bayliss LE) is up for sale (actually its sold but the buyer is looking like a timewaster so maybe its not) and the end of motorcycling is in sight for me. I do feel that for all my care, riding a sportsbike fast is ultimately only going to end v badly one day. I've had a pheasant hit me in the chest and nearly knock me off, a tractor stopped in the middle of the road on the exit of a bend, a sudden U turn that had my front wheel momentarily locked up and a couple of stupid overtakes in front of me. I feel like Ive had a good run of luck but unless I can enjoy motorcycling for what it is rather than the adrenaline buzz that it can give, my luck will eventually, one day run out. The thought of perhaps leaving my 2 year old lad and 6 year old daughter with no dad is a gutting prospect. So I can understand the sentiment myself and whilst I agree it is often male pride talking, I think it is true for some.

Having said that Ive really got into road cycling this last year (whilst the Duc has been largely gathering dust) and Ive had no end of people nearly kill me! Mmmm

You'll probably come back to it later in life, most of us seem to.

[mattb46]

Nigel-I'm sure you are right. I was lusting over a RSV4 at the weekend when out with the family! Its the summer months when you can hear bikes out that will really kill me

[mitzy]

Makes me chuckle when I get in the car park
And some trader type gives you that look of suprise when I take ur lid off
And passes that sort of comment

Ghayers

[Crippo]

Perhaps people actually mean what they say. They probably feel that Motorcycling is quite a skillful pastime activity and they perceive the consequences of an error to be high, so naturally assume that they would probably end up dead.
I don't believe anybody who tells me that they drive or ride for pleasure and yet never execute a stupid overtake, cock up a corner, have a slight lapse of concentration, have something unexpected happen around a corner, skid on a bit of dirty, wet, muddy road etc.
They presume that with the evidence of what they know then perhaps its inevitable some kind of accident may be waiting....A lot of what I have desribed above has happened to me in my Sports car even driving quickly I was able to deal with it more easily than if I had been on a bike.

My excuse for not having one is that my Wife went absolutely ballistic and accused me of having no feelings for her or the Kids and that I didnt respect her. She said that she is happy for me to do what I like (which she is and I climbed a 22,000ft Mountain in the Himalaya for a month)that my booking a Motor Bike lesson was deemed to be the ONLY thing in life she would let me do ( that and have an affair)...out of Love and Respect for her and the Children I agreed they had a point.


So then I bought a Kit car with 320bhp .......that seemed to be ok!!

[WaferThinHam]

Crippo said:

My excuse for not having one is that my Wife went absolutely ballistic and accused me of having no feelings for her or the Kids and that I didnt respect her. She said that she is happy for me to do what I like (which she is and I climbed a 22,000ft Mountain in the Himalaya for a month)that my booking a Motor Bike lesson was deemed to be the ONLY thing in life she would let me do ( that and have an affair)...out of Love and Respect for her and the Children I agreed they had a point.

Tell her to get back in the kitchen?

[Biker's Nemesis]

Crippo said:

So then I bought a Kit car with 320bhp .......that seemed to be ok!!

Hmm, sliding sideways into something on the drivers side or.... under the back/side of a lorry.

Do you wear a helmet in your kit car or is it still driving gloves and jumpers around the neck with a wicker basket in the boot.

[Prof Prolapse]

Crippo said:

So then I bought a Kit car with 320bhp .......that seemed to be ok!!

It should be it's a st load safer.

I remember driving a mates TVR Tamora across Europe and didn't even come close to falling off.

[Mr2Mike]

Crippo said:

My excuse for not having one is that my Wife went absolutely ballistic and accused me of having no feelings for her or the Kids and that I didnt respect her. She said that she is happy for me to do what I like (which she is and I climbed a 22,000ft Mountain in the Himalaya for a month)that my booking a Motor Bike lesson was deemed to be the ONLY thing in life she would let me do ( that and have an affair)...out of Love and Respect for her and the Children I agreed they had a point.

Sounds like she is basically fixated on the risk (possibly due to an incident involving a friend or family?). There are far more dangerous activities than riding a bike, including climbing difficult mountains.

[jimbop1]

Mr2Mike said:

Sounds like she is basically fixated on the risk (possibly due to an incident involving a friend or family?). There are far more dangerous activities than riding a bike, including climbing difficult mountains.

There's not far more. Riding a bike is definitely up there with the worst.

And I had to run up the last difficult mountain I did as it was so boring.

[Fotic]

George111 said:

Fotic said:

George111 said:

Mastodon2 said:

George111 said:

Just respect other people's risk strategies "I'd kill myself" is just shorthand for "I don't like the risk"

So why not say that then? By saying "I'd kill myself", they get that easy get-off and without having to feel emasculated by admitting they "don't like the risk."

Why would not liking the risk of riding a motorbike be emasculating ? You're suggesting that to be a man you have to like risk but as you get older, you back away from risk naturally - do you become less of a man ? I think not !

Is masculinity based on risk taking and fast riding or is it just as masculine to want to be with your daughter on her first sports day ? I have known some women who have taken far greater risks than I have ever wanted to take and they are not masculine . . . one was a cave diver digging out and exploring new caves and the death rate back then for cave divers was about 1 in 4, far worse than motorcycling. Would she be more of a man than you

But why not say 'I don't like the risk'? That's the point of this thread I think.

I think it's mainly said by people who want to appear like a bit of a loon - 'Oh I'd kill myself on a bike, me! I'm such a nutter' when in reality they're a bit scared of bikes.

Probably because most people don't want a conversation about it and saying "I'd kill myself" is a good conversation stopper ?

IME most people who say it are the ones who start the conversation that way so not probably, no.

[Crippo]

jimbop1 said:

There's not far more. Riding a bike is definitely up there with the worst.

And I had to run up the last difficult mountain I did as it was so boring.

Ha ha.....not up a 22,000ft mountain you couldnt

[Crippo]

Biker's Nemesis said:

Crippo said:

So then I bought a Kit car with 320bhp .......that seemed to be ok!!

Hmm, sliding sideways into something on the drivers side or.... under the back/side of a lorry.

Do you wear a helmet in your kit car or is it still driving gloves and jumpers around the neck with a wicker basket in the boot.

Didn't wear a helmet no....I did once but the STIG comments and gestures on that journey were enough not to repeat. I just wore sunglasses and a beanie.

[dapearson]

had this 1/2 hr ago. colleague is a bit of a petrol head. asked him whether he's into bikes. "yes, but i'm a bit too precious of my life to own one".

siiigh

and yes, it did end our conversation quickly.

[Tim85]

I enjoy the mental image of someone getting on a big bike and just setting off wide open throttle straight into something. What kind of numpty would ride/drive anything and not take reasonable caution not to kill themselves.

[MC Bodge]

Tim85 said:

I enjoy the mental image of someone getting on a big bike and just setting off wide open throttle straight into something. What kind of numpty would ride/drive anything and not take reasonable caution not to kill themselves.

Very Manly men who are just uncontrollable in their testosterone-raging manliness.

Of course, many qualify it with,
"It is the other drivers who are the problem" , which is code for.
"I know how badly I drive and never notice bikes or other things around me. It worries me"

[gwm]

Anyone that says it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ANelju9cbg

[ambuletz]

I have a friend of mine who owns a scooter. he passed his test and decided to get himself a 600cc honda sliverwing. I asked him why not get a normal geared bike or something other then a scooter. His answer was 'I'm worried i'll speed or crash'.

Never really understood his reasoning. bizarre. I had a geared 125er while on my CBT.. although not really powerful enough, you're still in more control imo.