Something is not right in my head (ride, small car, drivers)
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I just bought this Honda CBR500R brand new from the dealer. I just don’t feel excited about this bike like I thought I would and it has nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with me. While looking into purchasing the bike, I’ve been all over the web looking at reviews, reading articles on safety, reading the good and the bad. It never hit me until now because I really didn’t think about the potential. I know there are inherent risks to riding, but for some reason it’s hugely bothering me now.
So many things…
Everyone I know has gone down at some point except for one exception. Drivers around here are completely insane.
Why hasn’t this bothered me before? I have NO clue. I’ve driving around on a PCX150 scooter and never felt like this at all.
I only know one person that rides personally, everyone else gave it up.
This seriously shouldn’t bother me, but it does. The probability of me going down or dying on this or any bike is massively high compared to other forms of transportation. I’m seriously just looking to get around, I’m not a thrill seeker.
If I keep the bike, I’ll most likely rarely ride it out of my own personal fear of the damn thing. If I return it to the dealer (really *sell* it back to the dealer) I will lose quite a bit of money… but nothing compared to what could happen on a really bad day.
There's an inherent risk in anything we do. Life is all about risk vs. reward. You don't have to be a "thrill seeker" to find enjoyment riding a motorcycle, and there's a lot you can do to lessen the risk factor.
A lot of people throw around the statistics of how many people die on bikes, and how much more likely you are to die on a bike than in a car based on those numbers. What this doesn't count are risk factors that are totally in your control. A good number of those deaths involve alcohol. NEVER get on a bike after you've been drinking, and this will greatly increase your chance of survival / lower your risk of getting into an accident in the first place. Another huge factor is safety gear. You're more likely to die in an accident if you're not wearing a helmet, and you're more likely to be seriously injured if you're not wearing proper gear. Go watch a motorcycle race -- they're in full suits with full face helmets. Riders will go down at 100mph, slide across the pavement, get up, brush themselves off, and walk away from it. Proper gear will literally save your skin.
The number 1 factor, in my opinion, is proper training. A lot of car-on-bike accidents are caused by car drivers simply not seeing bikes. A lot of single-bike accidents are caused by improper riding techniques. Take, for instance, a car turning left in front of a motorcycle. Anticipation, proper maneuvering (look up 'SMIDSY weave'), and gear (bright safety gear, headlight modulator) all combine to increase the chances of the car spotting you. Anticipating the car pulling out in front of you allows you to react appropriately should the driver still not see you -- hit the brakes if you have the distance, or maneuver around the rear of the car (as long as it doesn't put you into oncoming traffic). Getting rear-ended can be avoided by pulling up to the rear quarter panel of the car in front of you at a light, to the outer left or right of your lane. Single bike accidents are caused by either (1) riders riding beyond their abilities, or (2) riders riding faster than road conditions allow. Don't push yourself harder than you're comfortable with, and learn to look for oil and gravel.
Just with proper training and gear, and your head on straight, you drastically reduce your risk on a bike -- to the point where it really isn't much more dangerous than driving a small car. If you haven't already (can't remember from your previous post), take the MSF basic rider's course. It's a huge confidence booster. They also offer advanced rider's courses. Even experienced riders can learn a thing or two, or re-establish fundamental basics.
Now hop on that bike and enjoy it! Or, sell it to me. I'm in the market for one of Honda's 500's!
All of us have to balance the perceived benefits of riding with the potential risks of doing so. Whatever factors are important to you are the only thing that counts, not what others do with their bikes.
If you're thinking that your risks outweigh the benefits, then you're best off to take your financial lumps with a bike that will never be worth more than it is now.
Sounds like you have a healthy disrespect for traffic so ride some when there is none. Try riding in the wee morning hours. Just you and the bike. Then you can decide if you don't want the bike.
As for selling it back to the dealer, you'd get more from a direct sale. Brand new bike less the fees and shipping...someone will buy it. Get a return price from the dealer and then based on that, tack on their profit and sell it yourself.
I started on a scooter and had similar thoughts as you the first few days I rode my Kawasaki Ninja, and especially when I tried taking it on the freeway the first time. It was a windy day and the side wind really startled me. I remember for a while I actually would find lame excuses to go back to riding the scooter because I felt more comfortable on it. All of this eventually went away as I rode the Ninja more. The jitters went away, I gained more confidence and really started to enjoy the performance advantages of the motorcycle. All of this did not happen overnight though, and it probably took a good month of riding for the full transition to take place. Now I would never willingly go back to the scooter.
I just bought this Honda CBR500R brand new from the dealer. I just don’t feel excited about this bike like I thought I would and it has nothing to do with the bike and everything to do with me. While looking into purchasing the bike, I’ve been all over the web looking at reviews, reading articles on safety, reading the good and the bad. It never hit me until now because I really didn’t think about the potential. I know there are inherent risks to riding, but for some reason it’s hugely bothering me now.
So many things…
Everyone I know has gone down at some point except for one exception. Drivers around here are completely insane.
Why hasn’t this bothered me before? I have NO clue. I’ve driving around on a PCX150 scooter and never felt like this at all.
I only know one person that rides personally, everyone else gave it up.
This seriously shouldn’t bother me, but it does. The probability of me going down or dying on this or any bike is massively high compared to other forms of transportation. I’m seriously just looking to get around, I’m not a thrill seeker.
If I keep the bike, I’ll most likely rarely ride it out of my own personal fear of the damn thing. If I return it to the dealer (really *sell* it back to the dealer) I will lose quite a bit of money… but nothing compared to what could happen on a really bad day.
The Japanese automobiles have these oriental feelings. I think it is the bike that bothers you.
For a guy from the East side, I didn't feel comfortable riding in a Western car. And the reverse is probably your case.
I suggest you to sell it. Sometimes, it is really a matter of the purity. I feel the same, if some foreign objects inturding into my own stuff. Some would brand themselves as made in some places, but obiviously you knew they are not.
Everybody has their own tastes. And the collections are the collections. But the transports are the transports to me.
I only know one person that rides personally, everyone else gave it up.
Ah, then.
I think you should seek out other riders, preferably ones who have more experience. You'll learn from them, and having a peer group may improve your outlook.
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Or, sell it to me. I'm in the market for one of Honda's 500's!
