OK, so as a new rider (3 weeks) I am feeling a bit dismayed and put off by all the accident reports I read about and see. I know no one wants to be in an accident or, at the very least, drop their bike, but I can't help but think it is not a case of if, but when. Is this a normal reaction? I do all I can especially ride slow on corners, but what I read about it appears this is a bad Idea as peeps seem to have a spill when they are only doing 10 - 20 mph.
My baby is only 3 weeks old and am more bothered about it than me as I have invested heavily.
I plan to do my test when I can afford it, hopefully next year, but I love my PCX very my much and can't part at the moment.
Am I just being over paranoid and over cautious? Sorry to come over all 'agony aunt stylee' but I want to do what I can not to have any accident at all, be it myself or my PCX.
Remember you are reading a forum, that CONCENTRATES situations so you can read them all here , and think the world is coming to an end. There are many, many thousands of people riding every day that don't have any accidents. That does not mean that you don't need to be vigilant and understand the operation of your vehicle, but it does not mean that the whole world is going to hell , it's just a fundamental fact of how forums work.
Its a new toy and feels different. Its normal to be reticent and have some worry about your baby and yourself . Keep driving it and your confidence will continue to build. Main thing is keep at it.. Drive defensively and expect everyone else to be an idiot and your survival instincts will subconsciously kick in.Just keep speed reasonable for the road your on and pay particular attention on unknown roads, curves ,and slow it down on the turns and all will be well.
gagazman wrote:OK, so as a new rider (3 weeks) I am feeling a bit dismayed and put off by all the accident reports I read about and see. Am I just being over paranoid and over cautious?
Good unfortunately the healthy dose of fear out among all that steel and concrete fades too fast and you will get confident and relaxed shortly. I would ask you never let your guard down and note there have been no reported fatalities with any members here to my knowledge. Yes we slip and slide, topple and dent. Broken bone or two, couple scrapes and scratches but nothing worth never scooting again over. Stay off of youtube, there are all manner of horrific accidents from every kind of moving vehicle and those will put you on the bench if you stare too long. We don't have that kind of rapid acceleration and speed, put on your helmet, stay focused and you will have time to anticipate all the people that don't see you.
Last edited by homie on Sun Jul 17, 2016 3:04 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Here is the bottom line. If you drive a car you have a possibility of an accident. Do you stop driving because there is a probability that someday you will be involved in an accident? Motorcycle riders by the thousands ride everyday. There is a possibility that one of them will be involved in an accident. Should they all stop riding because there is the probability that one of them will be involved in an accident? Life is uncertain. Things happen. You can either hide from it or be careful and continue to do what you normally do. If an accident happens and you can walk away, you learn from it and go from there. I have ridden most of my life. I have had several accidents but I still ride. Riding a motorcycle comes with risks. That is just a fact.
Currently own:
Red 2013 Honda PCX150 Givi tall windshield & tailbox - Lots of extra lights Custom seat from Thailand - Bad Boy Airhorn Takegawa Lowering Shocks - Michelin City Grip Tires Headlight assy upgraded to LEDs w/HS5 main bulbs NCY variator, drive face, and rollers
There's always going to be risks in anything we do from crossing a road to skydiving, but it's how we are prepared for there risks.
Using the correct safety equipment eg decent clothing, boots, gloves etc to getting decent training for what your doing. It all helps cut risk.
It's perfectly normal to question something new but with a bit of practice your confidence will grow and you'll be able to deal with situations that arise.
Cheers all. i know it is maybe premature to have these thoughts. i have all the safety gear (helmet, gloves, jacket, trousers, boots, hi viz vest) and try my best to pre-empt what is going on with regards to the road. i always stop at junctions and look, i always slow down for corners, I am constantly looking in my mirrors. I am enjoying my riding of my beloved PCX, and yes, maybe I think i should stop watching youtube and reading crash reports.
I am not going to stop something I have always wanted to do (but never got round to it). And with you guys to turn to when it gets tough, all the more better.
Thats all!!
You're doing everything right; please keep doing so and don't let down your guard for a minute. You are absolutely doing the right thing the right way.
That said, IMHO the old adage is actually true: it's not a question of if, only of when and how often. You will fall off your baby, and people will knock you off your baby through no fault of your own, and your job is to minimize the damage to your baby and, much more importantly , to yourself in both of those situations and to reduce their frequency.
That's how you can tell who hasn't fallen off yet from who has. The old-timers who wear a helmet and gloves and boots on their way to the market may know something that the squids on the sportbikes pulling wheelies on the motorway in their t-shirts and flip-flops haven't learned yet.
Safe travels, my friend, and keep the shiny side up.
Johnny
One PCX, One Forza -- Twice the fun, half the money!
gagazman wrote:OK, so as a new rider (3 weeks) I am feeling a bit dismayed and put off by all the accident reports I read about and see. I know no one wants to be in an accident or, at the very least, drop their bike, but I can't help but think it is not a case of if, but when. Is this a normal reaction? I do all I can especially ride slow on corners, but what I read about it appears this is a bad Idea as peeps seem to have a spill when they are only doing 10 - 20 mph.
My baby is only 3 weeks old and am more bothered about it than me as I have invested heavily.
I plan to do my test when I can afford it, hopefully next year, but I love my PCX very my much and can't part at the moment.
Am I just being over paranoid and over cautious? Sorry to come over all 'agony aunt stylee' but I want to do what I can not to have any accident at all, be it myself or my PCX.
gagazman wrote:OK, so as a new rider (3 weeks) I am feeling a bit dismayed and put off by all the accident reports I read about and see. I know no one wants to be in an accident or, at the very least, drop their bike, but I can't help but think it is not a case of if, but when. Is this a normal reaction? I do all I can especially ride slow on corners, but what I read about it appears this is a bad Idea as peeps seem to have a spill when they are only doing 10 - 20 mph.
My baby is only 3 weeks old and am more bothered about it than me as I have invested heavily.
I plan to do my test when I can afford it, hopefully next year, but I love my PCX very my much and can't part at the moment.
Am I just being over paranoid and over cautious? Sorry to come over all 'agony aunt stylee' but I want to do what I can not to have any accident at all, be it myself or my PCX.
Jge64 wrote:Remember you are reading a forum, that CONCENTRATES situations so you can read them all here .... it's just a fundamental fact of how forums work.
Gagazman,
Good point by Jge64. If we each reported every good ride we had, you would likely not even note the 'offs' that are reported .... and it would probably lead to a fairly boring forum.
2010 Honda PCX 125 in Thailand (White) - "White Lightning"Sold in Sept 2017 2009 Yamaha Majesty YP400 in USA (Metalic Titanium) - "The Throne"Sold in June 2020
gagazman wrote:Cheers all. i know it is maybe premature to have these thoughts. i have all the safety gear (helmet, gloves, jacket, trousers, boots, hi viz vest) and try my best to pre-empt what is going on with regards to the road. i always stop at junctions and look, i always slow down for corners, I am constantly looking in my mirrors. I am enjoying my riding of my beloved PCX, and yes, maybe I think i should stop watching youtube and reading crash reports.
I am not going to stop something I have always wanted to do (but never got round to it). And with you guys to turn to when it gets tough, all the more better.
Thats all!!
Don't believe the well used bit about: "there are two kinds of riders...those who have crashed and those who will." While many of us have, there are plenty who haven't and never will. I think that old saw is used to comfort bad riders who can't seem to keep their wheels underneath them. You seem to be taking all the right steps.
If you have not done so already, you may allay some of your fears by taking a rider safety course. N
Paul Smith
scootinfool.blogspot.com
Scootin' Fool on YouTube
Lancaster County Pennsylvania
2013 Honda PCX-150 (Angry Hornet) - Leo Vince Corsa Exhaust, NCY Variator (13g Rollers), NCY shocks, Givi D322S windscreen, NCY drum brake actuator arm, Denali Soundbomb mini horn
2006 Piaggio Beverly 250 (Rosa)
It doesn't hurt to be a little scared when riding. You will by and by get more confident and then you will be tempted to start taking risks--that is the danger. I sometimes think it is good to get into an accident early on, as long as it is not fatal or permanently maiming, because it will teach you the importance of helmet, gloves, boots, etc. It will nip fool's confidence in the bud.
I got highsided when I first started riding. I had always worn a helmet and was thinking that maybe I was being a flipping sissy in that regard--I mean, in Illinois helmets are the exception, not the rule. Here I was on a scooter wearing a full face helmet, and these guys on Goldwings and Electraglides were sailing past me all day with their hair flying naked in the breeze. I had just about decided to can the helmet, when I got thrown violently off my bike, and dove head first into a cement curb. I remember the powerful smack my helmeted head made against that concrete. I immediately jumped up, put my hands to my head and couldn't believe I was still alive. I have never even so much as sat down on a bike after that without a helmet on.
I have had three or four accidents. I am a better rider for having had them.
I wouldn't advise people not to watch accident vids--that is a pretty good way to learn what not to do.
