When they find out you ride a motorcycle...

[Mainah]

All great comments here. i have a few stock answers for "the" question.

If I don't like them: I don't fear riding motorcycles, I fear (insert expletive here) like you driving cars!

If I don't know them: I choose life, obviously you are satisfied with mere existence. Then I watch them try to wrap their mind around that.

If I know them and like them: I tell them that when I moved into my first house there was a man moving into the house next door at the same time. He told me that when he was my age he had moved to Conn., got a good job at Pratt & Whitney and saved all his money so that he could retire and move back to Maine, go hunting and fishing and enjoy life. He was dead six months later! I vowed then that I was going to enjoy my life and not let one chance pass my by, just so I could live long enough to retire. (true story, bye the way)

Now I'm retired and am still loving life, so I guess it worked. :bigsmiley8:

 

[NEWHD74FAN]

I agree it depends on who and their tone,usually I agree one needs to ride with a great deal of awareness and caution then head for my bike with a smile on my face. Most of my encounters seem to be agitated that I'm having too much fun on the streets at my age or that they are not. Jealously ? Shurly not! A bit of irony, ten months ago I was in a serious accident coming home from the Harley shop, in my pick-up.

Quite simply, most of us are better drivers from our basic rider skills and self preservation techniques. I may get a little flack here, but in some ways I am safer riding my bike than in my truck, because of the amount of time I spend on each. :bigsmiley12:

I do not have a radio on my bike, I ignore cell phone or other distractions and I work at keeping my eyes moving while making tactical decisions, so in some ways the sights and sounds are not just background for the senses but part of the good driving experience; unlike a car or truck mind and road numbing experience, almost a highway hypnosis thing.

I have driven cars & trucks since my teens hiking car rentals for Hertz, remembering riding one of my favorites...anyone drive the AMC Limited Edition Javalin in Italian Riccaro livery...(rental cars, loved them)? Or more recently drove the Mazda RX8 Rotary destined for Execs before their release in the U.S. ...ahhh the smell of fresh leather in the morning...but I digress!

Virtually all entire driving life always enjoyed it, but still did not care much for when you get to your destination, hardly remembering anything really outstanding during the drive getting there. :small3d031: It is okay to tell the dispariging person your feelings...I'll stick with my preference for 2 wheels...no apologies required or needed!!!