"...they approached the turn at a high rate of speed
...the motorcyclist was attempting a pass at a high rate of speed, lost control
...the rider was weaving thru traffic at an excessive speed before the collision
...speed was a contributing factor.
Everyday headlines. Speed.
We are in a sport whose very appeal is built and marketed around speed. Some of our biggest heros are those that rip around tracks setting new records...our machinery takes on a sporty, sleek, wicked looking fast personality, we spend unspeakable $$$ getting that biggest horsepower we can. Speed is exhilarating, addictive, fun. Speed is sexy. Speed has consequences.
Speed ain't the real culprit though. Anyone can nail that throttle. It's that whole stopping thing that can easily bite us bad. But it all starts with that need for speed.
Most of our bikes can easily outride us. Easily. Most have the build and inner workings to forgive us a lot of our "moments" of OOOPS. They can tease and regularly tempt us to go to our personal tipping point of serious hurting fall out.
You can feel it happening if you are aware. You are in a smooth fast paced Zen like mode. You are ON. Using some tread that ain't ever touched pavement till this perfect day...every corner is perfect...smooth...shifting, braking, clutching...you are ON. You are one with your ride. You are polished. You realize you are THAT fast rider.
And then things start happening. Just little mistakes at first. Oops...swung WAY too wide as you find yourself in the gravel on the shoulder...OOOPS. oops. Bumping that center line a tad oops oooos went way over that center oops oops what gear am I in! OoopsthstwasCLOSEOOPS
You are no longer Zenning
You are a crash about to happen
You are approaching your personal tipping point. Simple math. The odds of a great legit riding day are quickly diminishing with every single oops and it is at this moment you have a decision to make on how you want your day to end.
You get to decide that whole throttle thing. That's part of the whole religion thing of motorcycling yes? The we own this mentality. The attraction...we are our own pilots, ride your own ride, no other physical person has their mitts on your throttle or controls. Only you.
Not the car that just flipped you off.
Not the truck that just tried to merge into
you.
Not anyone leading a group. They are six bikes up. No where near your throttle.
Not the 3 hooligans that just zapped you doing triple digits.
Not your buddy who is pushing you to THEIR tipping point.
The list is endless for what may encourage, inspire, enrage, or engage us to twist that throttle. Mine? A long tree lined car free stretch with a sweetly banked sweeper to greet me. Decision time. Man I love this sport. Don't you?
Last crazy long weekend of summer. Seeing huge pickup in traffic already. Packed, hurried frustrated roads ahead.
That tiny needle is all on you.
Respect it to ride another "

From the Washington State Motorcycle Association.

* Last updated by: chrly on 9/4/2023 @ 6:45 PM *

Ball and sticks are a game.
Racing, sky diving, mountain climbing, bull fighting is a sport.

Games: You bruise, break a bone, maybe a concussion.
Sports: You die.

Games: Are for kids.
Sports: Is for all the marbles.

Games: Is to catch a ball most everyone can do.
Sports: Is the equipment with a little more dexterity needed.

Games: Takes on a waiting time in between.
Sports: There is no letup to relax.

Games: Are relatively safe.
Sports: There is nothing safe about a sport is prep and pray.

Driving to work early this spring, around a slight curve in a road I drove by every day for years, I noticed a single tire skid mark and a newly repaired section of guard rail, and a SECOND cross at that site. I didn't think much about it, I personally didn't know the rider. After a couple months of seeing it I finally looked for the story.

And indeed, it was another example of a SQUID putting his own lights out. 22 years old, it seems like the story I originally call mentioned they believed speed was a factor. He never saw it coming.

https://www.21alivenews.com/2023/04/25/one-dead-after-motorcycle-crash-citys-northwest-side/

When I was this kids age, I had 2 friends die on bikes. One smashed his face into a phone pole. The other had a throttle that would stick and joked around it being a cruise control, until it stuck one day causing him to lose control, run off the road into a curb, and smashed his head on said curb.

Anyone who's grown so confident they think they've mastered motorcycling, particularly maybe illegal street riding activities, is pretty much asking for trouble. And I'm ok with that, at least IMO, and maybe even legally, that's our right. Again I make no claims to be either some angelic law abiding rider who never does anything stupid. But I'm aware of my own stupidity.

Ride how you want. We all gonna go sometime. But I can't abide by taking anyone with you, in that endeavor. It's not that anyone of us couldn't bite our next ride and even riding completely legally. Some idiot not seeing us, and us not maintainng situational awareness. Yesterday in my ride on an interstate, some idiot got confused at an exit and basically came to a stop in a travel lane. That's all it takes, and if I had been doing 140 they might have been scraping me off the ground.

For me, you gotta know when to play and when not to, if you want you and your bike to make it home at the end of the ride. But my rules aren't your rules. If you want to go out and redline in 6th go for through an entire city, well I just hope you don't ruin someone else's day (or life). I'm fine with you ruining your own, we all take that chance.

Great post. I'm going to use some of it for my group if that's ok.

Mad

Absolutely. Just realized I did not add credit , so please do "Washington State Motorcycle Association"

* Last updated by: chrly on 9/4/2023 @ 6:47 PM *

Ball and sticks are a game.
Racing, sky diving, mountain climbing, bull fighting is a sport.

Games: You bruise, break a bone, maybe a concussion.
Sports: You die.

Games: Are for kids.
Sports: Is for all the marbles.

Games: Is to catch a ball most everyone can do.
Sports: Is the equipment with a little more dexterity needed.

Games: Takes on a waiting time in between.
Sports: There is no letup to relax.

Games: Are relatively safe.
Sports: There is nothing safe about a sport is prep and pray.

Truth Hub.....

Games: Are relatively safe.
Sports: There is nothing safe about a sport is prep and pray.

I beg the differ they say Poker is a sport. you can't get hurt playing poker

I beg to differ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVIovQTzfwc