SH!T

[stormi]

Lol, yes, I know! But you can still die at 50mph.

Hell, by that logic though, you can be killed walking out the front door to get the newspaper.   At less than 1mph.   Though you have a better chance at avoiding at 1mph than 90 of the damn things.

I'm thinking it would be safer and more practical (and also more expensive and boring!) for me to get a car. But I really have no idea what I'm going to do just now. I still love bikes, and I think that if I had the money right now, I might possibly just buy another one and get on with it. But I have to think about my family and loved ones too. I know they'd hate for me to get another bike, and evey time I'd go out on it they'd be worrying themselves. And I'm worried that when I do get back on a bike, I might be too scared to ride it properly. It's going to need a lot of thought, but right now I have no idea what I'm going to do.

With the exception of making sure you can get to and from the new job, do  you -have- to make the decision right now?  

It is very heartening to see that you're thinking about your family.  It does tell us that you have your head on at least somewhat straight.

I would consider trying to get your jones on the dirtbike variety for a while first, while you get your head about you, and while you think.  

Cars can be more expensive, but they don't have to be.  For instance, we're pricing cars out for me right now, 3 of 5 of them are cheaper for insurance than the bike that the other half is looking at.  The cars themselves are start lower than the bike he wants. (With the upper end being 2x the price of the VFR800) The real savings of course being gas,.. but I don't know that you were saving as much in gas as you think if you were spooling that b4 up to those speeds regularly.   (What were the rpms at at 160?  I'm guessing around 7 - 8000rpms, right?  I can't remember, it's been a long time since I travelled like that on the Bandit.  The Hornet on the other hand... )  Keep in mind too that fixing a bike isn't cheap if stuff goes wrong with it, and parts prices are higher too.

You asked what the speed limit is on the road. It's 60mph.
If it does go to court, the police and hospital both think that I was going 60mph. They won't be able to argue with that, because everything is gone from the scene now. Also, the ground was slightly wet at the time, which they would obviously know would cause the bike and myself to slide further than we would than under usual circumstances.

I asked this because they may use some of this to cast doubt that the farmer is totally at fault.  That said,.. your were 1.5x the speed limit on wet roads? Oi.

[Coopz]

Hell, by that logic though, you can be killed walking out the front door to get the newspaper. At less than 1mph.

Lol, I just had a friend say pretty much the same thing to me about an hour ago. He said that you could just as easliy die getting out of bed! Lol  

With the exception of making sure you can get to and from the new job, do you -have- to make the decision right now?

No, I don't have to make the decision right now, but I'd like to get back with some form of transport ASAP. After becoming so independant, I hate not having the freedom of owning my own set of wheels. I think I'm sorted for transport to/from work, due to a combination of my new boss living so close to my house, and busses to my girlfriends house running at appropriate times after/before work. But having the freedom and independance is something I will sorely miss, and would like to get back soon.

It is very heartening to see that you're thinking about your family. It does tell us that you have your head on at least somewhat straight.

Lol. Well yeah, you've got to think of what it would do to your loved ones if you were to die or become paralysed or something. I hate to think of what that would do to them, and I know that if I get another bike, every time I go out on it they will worry themselves sick. So I really have more to consider here than my own thoughts and feelings about biking.

I was thinking that I could use the dirtbike in the meantime, to get back sme confidence and just to have some transport. There's a cpuple of problems though. The bike is a catalogue of problems, and has spent most of the last 6 months being fixed, breaking down, and being fixed again. I was planning on selling it, and Peter said that he will just take his cut (£250 to cover parts) when I sell it. So if I keep it for myself, I will have to find the money for him from somewhere else. The second problem is that it's a road legal bike, and I only used it on the road before I had the Bandit, and while the Bandit was in the workshop. There's not really anywhere for decent off road riding around here, so if I was to use it, it would be on the road. That would sort out my transport/independance issues (even though being a little 2 stroke it's slow and boring) but that would me back on the road with my family worried sick and me being afraid of every little potential hazard. I know that there's no way to re-gain my confidence apart from going back on the road, but I'd rather do it on something I enjoy and that has proper useable power, than do it on that death-trap.

And the problem for me with the difference in running costs is that for the bikes, I allready have all the gear (minus a helmet), and I have 1 years No Claims Bonus on my bike insurance. But for a car, I'd be a new driver, freshly past my test, with my insurance premiums much higher than they would be for me on most bikes.
I'm not too sure about the savings in feul. I'm not sure what I'd get in a car, but on my B4 I managed around 170 miles on a full tank. You're right, at 160 kmph I was probably at around 8000rpm, and it was probably guzzling feul faster than a car driven at sensible speeds. But if I drove the bike at sensible speeds, then the feul economy would probably be better than the car. But saying that, is it possible to drive at sensible speeds on such a thrilling bike??  

I know I was way in excess of the speed limit, but I've travelled that road at least twice daily most days for the past 9+ months, and know it like the back of my hand. But there were never sheep on the back of my hand, lol. It's a good road, with plenty of potential to go fast. One of my good mates does a 10 mile stretch on that road from the town to his house, and his record is 4 minutes!   The bit where the accident happened was just after a gently twisting slope uphill just before you get onto the longest, flattest straight for miles. 100mph is never a problem there, even in torrential rain (allthough common sense normally keeps you at 80mph!) I'm used to riding in rain and on wet roads, due to my location, and have been riding in conditions like this since I started riding.

Still, I have heard a more impressive story than mine about that exact bit of road. I heard it at the weekend, and it was concerning my new boss! Years ago, he was coming along the same stretch of road, unaware that the farmer was moving his sheep along the road to a different field. When he came around the slight bend, he was doing approximately 140mph in a huge landrover type thing, and smashed through the lot of them, fatally injuring and killing 36 of the damned things!   Needless to say, he was banned from driving for 2 years. The famrer wasn't able to claim compensation for the lost sheep as they weren't supposed to be on the road. Now that's impressive! (But don't try it at home!)

[stormi]

I think I'm sorted for transport to/from work, due to a combination of my new boss living so close to my house, and busses to my girlfriends house running at appropriate times after/before work. But having the freedom and independance is something I will sorely miss, and would like to get back soon.

Yeah, I can see how you don't want the boss driving you to work everyday, but at least you have some time to save up some wages to get something else.   Freedom and Independance are addictive, but at the same time, it sounds like you needed to sit back and evaluate.  The sheep forced the issue.  

Lol. Well yeah, you've got to think of what it would do to your loved ones if you were to die or become paralysed or something. I hate to think of what that would do to them, and I know that if I get another bike, every time I go out on it they will worry themselves sick. So I really have more to consider here than my own thoughts and feelings about biking.

All very valid risks. I'm lucky in that most of my family rides, or understands.  The only one that doesn't is my mom, so I just don't talk about it anymore around her.  That said, I don't ride as fast as you do on the street.  You should consider trying to behave on the road, and taking the rest to the track.

I know that there's no way to re-gain my confidence apart from going back on the road, but I'd rather do it on something I enjoy and that has proper useable power, than do it on that death-trap.

Anything is a deathtrap if your head isn't in it.  That said,.. what is the dirtbike?

I'm not sure what I'd get in a car, but on my B4 I managed around 170 miles on a full tank. You're right, at 160 kmph I was probably at around 8000rpm, and it was probably guzzling feul faster than a car driven at sensible speeds. But if I drove the bike at sensible speeds, then the feul economy would probably be better than the car. But saying that, is it possible to drive at sensible speeds on such a thrilling bike??  

Believe it or not, it is possible to be sensible on that bike.  I have a ball with it on city streets, just by tossing her around, cos she corners so well.  You're too vulnerable out there on a bike, it just doesn't make sense to push the envelope so far in an uncontrolled situation.  I'm terrified to think what would have happened if you'd been on that bigger bike you mentioned.   BTW, 170 miles to a tank is pretty good.  I think the other half fills up at 220kms these days ( it's been a while since I rode her enough to have to fill her up) but he doesn't let the tank get all the way to the bottom either.

I know I was way in excess of the speed limit, but I've travelled that road at least twice daily most days for the past 9+ months, and know it like the back of my hand. But there were never sheep on the back of my hand, lol. It's a good road, with plenty of potential to go fast. One of my good mates does a 10 mile stretch on that road from the town to his house, and his record is 4 minutes!   The bit where the accident happened was just after a gently twisting slope uphill just before you get onto the longest, flattest straight for miles. 100mph is never a problem there, even in torrential rain (allthough common sense normally keeps you at 80mph!) I'm used to riding in rain and on wet roads, due to my location, and have been riding in conditions like this since I started riding.

The thing about travelling the same road all the time is that you get complacent about it.  Just because there's never been anything on the road, doesn't mean there never will be.  As you learned the hard way.  You could come around that corner one day and find a broken down vehicle, or a pedestrian on the road, or anything.  

I used to think the same, I'd travelled the same road over and over for years, and never saw wildlife... Then one night 12yrs ago, the other half was driving home in my firebird and there was a @#$#@% porcupine in our lane, and a car in the lane beside us. At 100+kph, he put the firebird on the shoulder, went around the porcupine, and continued on our way.  I saw my firebird's life flash in front of my face.  

Then there was another night when we were driving home from a weekend of riding the dirtbikes.  I had the truck, and a trailer on the back with 3 dirtbikes.  I let out a yelp when I realised I was looking at a set of glowing eyes in front of me, and swerved.  I nearly lost the trailer as I dove for the shoulder.  The other half asked what it was, I told him it was a racoon, and kept driving.  He and his brother looked at each other and then he told me to pull over.  I shrugged and said it was no big deal, but he insisted, telling me that we don't have raccoons here.  We pulled over, and I found 4 porcupine quills in the tire of the trailer.  Not deep enough to blow the tire out, I think I just gave him a love tap.

Both of those incidents happened about 10 yrs apart, enough time for me to become a little complacent between them.  Nowadays, I hate being stuck on the road at night with the bikes, because I know the potential.

Still, I have heard a more impressive story than mine about that exact bit of road. I heard it at the weekend, and it was concerning my new boss! Years ago, he was coming along the same stretch of road, unaware that the farmer was moving his sheep along the road to a different field. When he came around the slight bend, he was doing approximately 140mph in a huge landrover type thing, and smashed through the lot of them, fatally injuring and killing 36 of the damned things!   Needless to say, he was banned from driving for 2 years. The famrer wasn't able to claim compensation for the lost sheep as they weren't supposed to be on the road. Now that's impressive! (But don't try it at home!)

OMG!  That could have been so much worse.  At least he only got the sheep, not the farmer.   It should drive home the fact that there are things on that road!