Is biking REALLY dangerous or only midly dangerous?

Reading about the crashes and offs posted here, and about people's sometimes long periods of hassle and recovery, I'm now quite scared about going anywhere! I'm hopefully going to buy my first big bike tomorrow. This is not good!

What with all the crashes, offs, injuries, points, fines, police problems, insurance problems, cameras, bad weather, drops, aggro from car drivers etc I am wondering if this biking lark is really worth it?

Those that are experienced riders, why do you still do it? Looking back, was it all worth it? For me personally a bike is an expression of freedom. Should I be prepared for a massive cost? I guess I'm most worried about getting injured long term. Everything in my body works fine at the moment and I'd like to keep it that way!

[Viney]

its all made up for, by that one sunny day riding with friends, long sweeping bends, tight knee down corners, the open road, wind in ya face, picking flys out of your teeth kinda momnets that make it all worth while.

Dont forget that this site is a small minority of the hundreds of thousandsof bikers in the UK that have probably never had an accident.

In my opinion, you have to be a little scared to respect it.

Originally Posted by Viney

its all made up for, by that one sunny day riding with friends, long sweeping bends, tight knee down corners, the open road, wind in ya face, picking flys out of your teeth kinda momnets that make it all worth while.

Dont forget that this site is a small minority of the hundreds of thousandsof bikers in the UK that have probably never had an accident.

In my opinion, you have to be a little scared to respect it.

All of the above... except for the picking the flies out of your teeth bit... I like to leave 'em there. You never know when hunger will strike...

I've never thought it that dangerous, but then its all I've ever done. I find your safe as long as your a safe 'AWARE' rider. I've avoided so many prangs simply by reading what people are going to do even before they know they are going to do it. A bikers 6th sense.
Just remeber if there is a car sized gap and they are in a traffic jam then they are liable to try to get in it if its gets them 2 feet further. Sometimes even if your in that gap....
Oh and indicators are to tell people where your going 'after' you've started your manover, look at the drivers head movememts not the car.

It will also make you a better car driver...

[BillyC]

Oooh, now this is a true Biking Issue, nay, a dilema you're facing.

Let me put it this way... all of us that have had accidents, were back on two wheels as soon as we were able! I think that says a lot!

Much of your road safety is what you make of it. I think you have to have a very good roadsense and undestanding of a car driver's mind. This is something that will develop fast while riding the bike. However, if you choose to start making risk manouvres - overtaking, filtering, fast cornering and so on, then you probably do increase your chances of facing a problem - then it is down to your experience and "bikemanship" for how you're going to get out of the situation safely.

In a nutshell... you are in control. How much you want to be in control is up to you. I think you've got a healthy attitude to your impending "upgrade" to a big bike. So long as you learn to stay within your limits, and only push yourself when it is clear and safe to do so, then you'll be fine.

As Viney says.... it's all about the good times.

Different people will say different things. The fact is though if you ride a bike at some time you will come off.

Biking is dangerous, full stop. Just before I got into bikes again I persuaded myself (and others around me) that with the proper gear, proper road sense and training, and a responsible attitude biking really wasn't very dangerous at all. It wasn't true, I was kidding myself.

Anyone who's been riding a bike for quite a number of years will have the battle scars. And although you can get better and better as regards skill, observation and a heightened sense of awareness, the danger is always there.

I'm not trying to put you off just give you a real-world viewpoint. For me, the spiritual freedom and sense of elation a bike brings matches nothing else, and selfishly I'm prepared to indulge my passion regardless of the inherent risks involved.

So you have to make a choice based on your own personal priorities. I will however give you one piece of advice: if you get on your bike and you're scared of becoming a fatal staistic, get off, remove the keys and get back in your car, as you'll only be putting yourself in a dangerous mental postition which will likely lead to trouble. Riding with the knowledge that you're aware of the risks and have common-sense concern rather than panic based worry is of course another matter.

Unlike some others that may be a little over zealous in their advice and will say that biking isn't as dangerous as it seems (well meaning though they be) make sure you make your own decision. Good luck with it.


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I've been riding bikes for nearly 11 years now and for the most part really really enjoy it. Sunny days are made for biking and it makes going to work a bit nicer knowing I can take the long way home to unwind. If I let car drivers and dropping bikes put me off I'd have given up a long time ago.. I love riding a bike and it is a big part of my life and would hate to not be able to do it.

Everything Billy said just then is spot on as well.

Good luck with your decision!

Possibly....no, probably.

BUT its certainly one of if not the best things Ive ever done. It opens up so many possibilites, from a quick commute to work, a quicker more enjoyable journey in the summer hols when everyones in jams in the car, evening and weekend trips around those backroads...with a mate or yourself alone with your thoughts and just the bike...with that enhanced sense of being alive that you seem to get. And you can go on your hols and hire a nice trailie for a day and go round those tracks and villages all these things.

Ive worried about it too. As Im single with elderly parents you know you sometimes think ****, what if... But then again theres more people here with kids and they have much more important concerns and considerations that arnt as selfish as 'what will happen to me...'!

But its a good question and one we should all ask. And if your asking it I think you have the makings of a good safe rider. Ok you may fall off, but you'll be 'ok'.

Anyway...dangerous?...take a look here:
http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.ph...398&highlight=

It appears to me its as dangerous as you want it to be as people have already pointed out. If you ride like a loon then accidents will probably happen whilst if you ride safely then you are limiting the possibilities of accidents. Of course there is always chance, hell you could be run over tomorrow.

On here there are loads of accidents etc talked about, but its a small percentage of the biker population on here, also, how many go out and ride without problems? There is nothing to talk about so we don't.

John, we both skate, how many skater accidents can we think of? Quite a few and yet both of us are still skating. Its all worth it!

All of the above.

...and ride within your own limits. Know what they are, don't be afraid to go slow. And don't grab a fistful of brake in a corner. I did last summer and busted my pelvis in 2 places. Was it worth it? No, definitely not, especially seeing my wife's face when she first saw me in A&E. But I learned from it and I'm back on a bike. Like Rich says, it's one of the best things I've ever done.