[diebitter]

MINUS:
The most dangerous thing about motorbiking are terrible car drivers. You have to make definite allowances for cars because they are way less attentive to what's going on, but also have the sensory deprivation you get from sitting inside something (lack of all round view etc). But even then, there are some awful drivers who actually see bikes and don't adjust accordingly. I've seen a guy waiting at a sidestreet, even made eye contact (I'm on bike, he's in car btw), and he stills pulls out straight across me!??!


I used to ride a big bike (Kawasaki ZZR1000, I think it was called a Ninja in America), but got into a serious head on collision whilst riding at the speed limit, on my side of the road, in broad daylight, good conditions, with my lights on, and wearing a fluorescent vest, and still an idiot drove into me in a head on (she pulled from a sidestreet onto the wrong side of the road straight into me) because, she said, 'I didn't see you'. Luckily I didn't brake at all and somersaulted straight over the top of the car and landed on my ass, and got away with a minor knee injury and impact wounds/stitches only (where you hit the ground so hard your skin splits - strangely at the front of my legs, even though I hit the ground with ass/backs of legs) - no breakages. Very lucky for me. (she got convicted of dangerous driving).

Never got on a bike since, but lord I miss it.


PLUSES:

Biking is a pleasure. You have to engage and concentrate so fully, and experience things so immediately, it is deeply relaxing. I miss the pleasure of riding, I miss the sudden temperature drop as you ride so you think 'oh hitting a cold front, it's gonna rain in a minute', and I miss the hitting a bend just right and letting the machine work with you to get around it and bring you out safely, and I miss the acknowledgement and camaradarie you get with other bikers.