Hey guys and gals.

I've recently been working on my bike and I'm getting closer to gettin it ready to go. I'm having an issue though. Morally, mentally, whatever it is, it's bugging the CRAP outta me.

I have a 7 year old son and I'm expecting another little boy next month. All of a sudden, I'm scared to death. Not of the bike, mind you, as I've been riding since I was old enough to balance one. It's a great passion of mine that I DO NOT want to give up. But... I keep picturing some idiot in a cage taking me out. A police officer coming to the door and explaining to my wife that I'm not coming home and her and my boys at my funeral and having to grow up without me.

It's getting to me bad, to the point that the worry and anxiety is starting to overcome the enjoyment. I know there's inherent danger with everything in this world and I keep trying to tell myself that and that when it's my time, then it's my time. I have a hard time believing that though. I jump on a bike with no airbags, seatbelts, doors or crumple zones and it's just common sense that safety is all but out the window (bikes don't even have those

Anyway. I don't wanna hang it up, but I don't know if I can shake this. Any advice? Should I put it away til they're grown up? Have any of you dealt with this worry/guilt and found a way around it?

I need help man, cuz this is seriously bumming me out. I'm literally weeks (or less) away from having her fixed and running and I don't know what to do.

 

listen to your gut! it's almost never wrong. park it for a little while, then revisit riding next spring.

 

That is a tough one. Nothing in this life is guaranteed. You can get taken out crossing the street. Riding a motorcycle is a personal decision and to many, a way of life. Not sure exactly what you are looking for, but I can tell you one thing: no one on this forum will be able to answer this question for you. You need to look at your life, your obligations and decide for yourself.

I have 3 beautiful daughters ages 7, 9 and 10. I choose to ride. It is that simple.

 

To be a good rider you must be comfortable with the risks you are taking. If you are not you will be distracted and get into the trouble you were looking to avoid. take the advice given above.

 

I felt the same way after my only son was born, so i sold my 79 FLH. Both my kids started bugging me about getting another one as they enjoyed their dirt bikes and later my son on his crotch rockets, but i still resisted. Then the police came to my door and told me my only son had died from an overdose. How i wished i had listened to them both and replaced mine before we lost him. Might have had some good rides together. So, a year after burying him we bought another FLH and now ride every chance we get, with our daughter, and some day, maybe, with our grandkids.

 

Aviator, This has to be the best advice ever!

Fix the bike to your liking, then prep it for long term storage. Pull it out every so often & clean it. This way, you can still enjoy the bike without taking any of the risks that are bothering you at this point. And at some point in time when you decide to take up riding again your bike will be there & ready for you...

 

If it ain't fun, don't do it.

Probably a normal reaction to question your mortality once you start procreating.

That being said, when your number is up it won't matter where you are or what you're doing.

 

I had a Honda V45 Interceptor when my kids were young. I ended up selling it for reasons similar to yours.

Although I was never worried about being taken out by a cage, I was worried because I rode it like I was on a racetrack. Layed it down at high speeds twice, had a few high speed off road excursions, and otherwise got my heart pumping quite regularly.

Luckily for me and my family, the worst injuries were road rash, bruises, and a fractured thumb. I decided to sell it because the enjoyment for me was not so much the ride, but the speed of the ride. If I slowed down it just wasn't that much fun, but if I kept riding the way I was, the risk was starting to outweigh the reward.

I'd say if you are worried to the point that it affects your riding, park it. Being timid on a bike is a recipe for disaster.

On the other hand, thinking about the risks occasionally (not when riding though) is completely normal. I was a race car driver in my younger years and it's a similar situation - you need to be aware of the risks and think about them occasionally - but if the worrying is overwhelming you, it's going to affect the way you approach the race, or the ride as in your case, and you've got to hang it up.

When my youngest was about 9 or 10, I bought another bike. A Harley! So I couldn't go so fast LOL.

 

Started legally riding in 1969, then hung it up for 20 years when my second was born.

My family plead with me to stop because of the kids.

When I started riding again, I felt bad about all the years I wasted.
It worked out for me though, and now I can't get off the damn bike.

If you have this swirling in your head, maybe you should just park it for a while; time will sort it out. (I did not sell my last bike either).

 

Thanks for all the responses... maybe putting her away for the winter is the right decision, but I'm SO ready to ride. Usually once I'm on it, say a prayer and get going I'm fine. Like I said, riding has been a HUGE part of my life, growing up on dirtbikes, 4 wheelers, etc. Hell, I got a moped when I was like 12. There are just these brief moments of, "wow, what would happen if"...

2black, I'm not too worried about my urges. I got a LOT of my craziness out in my early 20s before I got married. Had a crotch rocket and I'm lucky to have lived through it. These days it's all about the cruise on the backroads. I'll lean hard on the curves every now and then and throttle it hard from a stop every now and then, but having my first kid as really settled me down otherwise. It's a cager running a redlight, stopsign, rearending me, etc. that I'm worried about... or with all the issues I've had with this FXDX, the @#$%ing thing blowing up beneath me, LOL.

Hopefully I can work through it, but it really gets to me when I start thinking about it.