"Is The Passion Worth The Risk?"

"Is The Passion Worth The Risk?"

Written by: Lala

Independent Rider

If you are an intelligent human being, you should know better than to just leap into the bike game without fully researching the ins and outs of what it takes to becoming a REAL motorcycle rider. Before my definition gets completely misconstrued, my definition of a "REAL" motorcycle rider is one who actually pulls his/her machines out more than just three times a year or sits on his or her bike in the backyard washing it more than actually riding it. With all due respect and with the utmost sincerity, I, of course am not here to judge if you are a real rider based on how you ride. It is your prerogative whether you ride in the rain or not, if you speed or cruise, or even if you white line or wait for traffic. At the end of the day, how you ride, is just that, how YOU ride! Learn it, Live it, enjoy it – LOVE IT!

Having said that look at me, talking that "talk" after being a motorcycle rider for only about three years. To be fair when it was my time to investigate the game prior to me riding, I was told one fundamental factor by a veteran: "There are two types of riders in this world La – The ones that fell and the ones that are going to fall. Are you ready for this?"

What could have possibly been my response to that question at the time? How many thousands of different questions could have been running through my mind to remotely begin to comprehend what I was getting myself into? So what did I do? I decided to undertake the goal regardless! I felt if I did not try, I would have been a failure to myself automatically. If I did try but failed then at least it would have been known that I lived my life unafraid to 'actually live' and not just exist. 

To make a long story a bit longer lets get to the reality of the riding game! Right now it's May 22, 2012 and boy do I know what it is to take falls. I experienced first-hand what the veteran told me three years ago about how we are all going to go down at one point or another. Going through two major highway falls, two street falls, and one fall attempting to do a wheelie, I surely know what it means to go down. I know what the impact of the body hitting the concrete feels like when you plunge on the "shit" at high and/or low speeds. Riding a motorcycle is not for everyone! So I will say this: It takes a great deal of heart and ardor to do this and I mean actually do it without the vanity of it all ("Oh that is so cool, a motorcycle rider"). If you do it, do it because you genuinely love it! In my opinion, vanity reasons are not worth the risk.

Nonetheless, I obviously will not sit here and only talk about the love of the ride. How could I? I am currently writing this narrative with a sling on my right arm, a body full of bumps and bruises, a hurt rib, and a fractured ankle. It was just last week that I took another bad fall where a car stopped short in front of me. Without enough space to go left or right, I rammed right into a car’s side headlight. Ouch! The craziest part, I was barely traveling about 50-60mph at the time. In May 2010, the first time I ever "opened up" on my motorcycle on an upstate NY freeway (roughly 135mph) when I took my first big fall. I broke my collarbone, wrist, and elbow, bruised my ankle and ribs; and last but not least, doctors informed me I had a liver laceration. Basically, I was hospitalized for over a week with uncontrollable pain and had to have surgery on my right wrist. The incident itself occurred because riding at those high speeds, you cannot ALWAYS anticipate when someone will stop short immediately in front of you. But of course, without enough space to swerve left or right to another lane or enough room to quick-brake, I rammed right into them. When I essentially hit the concrete, it completely knocked the air out of my lungs and I was unable to stop screaming even when I had tried. My body felt so stiff and my ribs felt so sunken in. Simply put I was in so much pain yet was so breathless - truly an unexplainable feeling. At that moment, the adrenaline is so extreme, some riders tend to jump right back up out from the shock of it all (if they are not as severely hurt) but in this one accident I could not move whatsoever. I was actually advised to stay extremely still to not injure myself even further. The other riders came, the police came, and finally the ambulance. I blacked out on the way to the hospital. Truth be told, it is and has been a very painful and memorable experience for me overall! With all this being said, for purposes of fact and clarity, yes, this incident was MY fault – I take full responsibility for this occurrence. Making mistakes as a rider is something that does come with the territory of learning to ride at any level.

Now, with roughly three years of experience under my belt, can I sit here and complain about what has happened to me? Absolutely not! Do I regret the situations that have happened to me? No I cannot. It has already occurred! I made these choices myself! It is nothing I can do now to seize back those accidents but to learn from them, practice and pray to be more cautious and aware of future dangerous situations! People may ask but why do you continue riding? - Truthfully? Because God has blessed me to still be here to enjoy the one thing that gives me the greatest happiness in the world -riding my motorcycle! It is my passion! 

The reality check is this ladies and gentlemen: We are not untouchable! We are not invisible and we are surely not the safest riders. Some may ride extremely cautious. Others may ride with more zest AKA speeding and/or stunting and although the game is becoming less underground and more universal/popular/commercial, we are on our own bikes at our own risks with our own mindsets. No one could ride the bike for you if you yourself are a rider as dumb and simplistic as that sounds. You are responsible for your own ride!

Did it take those falls for me to quit, No! Is there still a fear when I hop on that bike? Yes, honestly at times it is. I am more aware of the dangers that come with the territory of riding.   After my falls, I would ‘for damn sure think so’. Motorcycle riding is something I have been blessed to experience, love, enjoy, and cherish! I personally appreciate the ride.

In any case, I know now what it is to be a true rider. I have experienced the great, the good, the bad, and the awful. In my current physical and mental painful state, I cannot wait to get back on my bike and feel the breeze as I ride through the city or country roads. It is a passion of mine as I have stated previously, however, that is just ME! You? Well you can read about the motorcycle riding through my eyes and others or you could find out or have found out for yourself if the bike game is for you or is not. 

With sincerity, love, and respect, I pray we all ride safe and the angels above us protect us on those twos and in everyday life situations. For all our fallen soldiers, may you Rest in Peace and be respected and never forgotten.

Yours Truly - Two Wheel Love,

Lala