Plus constant emphasis on "safe driving" gives off this vibe that "if you just drive safe you will be fine". I knew 100% that a bit of gravel in a turn, me or

Plus constant emphasis on "safe driving" gives off this vibe that "if you just drive safe you will be fine". I knew 100% that a bit of gravel in a turn, me or someone else not paying attention to the road, and a million other things could mean I'm dead or permanently disabled. Just the other day a couple died on a bike near here at low speed because a deer ran in front of them and they fell into the other side of traffic. That same scenario with a car and they are looking at minor injuries and car damage. I chose to ride because I've always wanted to get that thrill and figured better do it before I had kids. Now that I got my son I don't ride anymore - it's just irresponsible IMO. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone and think that people promoting "safe riding" are deluding themselves. You can drive smarter, but there's no reasonable definition of safety on a motorcycle going anywhere near the speeds that make it worth driving a motorcycle (even if speed is not your thing long distance riding requires non-trivial speed to get anywhere in a reasonable amount of time). That said it's fun and I haven't been able to get the same feeling with other things. If you chose to do it you should know that you're taking a real gamble.