All things considered, should I be riding?

[Dirt_Dad]

For me, the answer is clearly, No.

I live on a motorcycle destination road, so I get to see who is still riding. Today was almost as busy as any other nice sprint weekend day. Clearly people are not coming to the same conclusion as me. I was working in the front of the property today, which gave me a front row seat to all the bikes. Also gave me an opportunity to think through my decision not to ride.

First and foremost, my decision is self-serving, so let's get that motivation out of the way. It's all too easy for me to come up with justifications such as, I am socially distant on my bike, or I won't stop anywhere to talk to anyone. I could use those excuses to justify going for a ride, but I still can't do it in good conscience.

I've ridden long enough to know, sometime stuff goes wrong. I've had a bike totaled out from underneath me in about 1 second through no fault of my own (arguably). I've ended up at more than one hospital after something went wrong for someone on a group ride. I've seen the most skilled rider in a group need medical service after an unbelievably random surprise situation. No matter how good I am, stuff can happen, and I know it. I don't spend my life worried about it, because stuff can happen in cars, parking lots, bath tubs, or anywhere else. But I don't want to be explaining my decision to ride to overworked doctor/nurse who needs to add my issue to their day.

I'm like most everyone reading this thread. My motorcycle time is important to my mental health. It is my way to relax, refresh, recharge, think through problems, and generally feel better about whatever is happening in life. It is my form of therapy.

It's unpleasant to be off my bike. I miss riding, but for multiple reasons, some of which are selfish, I do not want to find myself in a hospital right now. Would that be likely...no. Am I at an increased risk riding vs chainsawing away at home...yes.

For now, I'm staying off the bikes.

 

[Highwayman]

Each has his own reasons for what they do.

Ive ridden everyday rain or shine or snow at times to work, rec and tour for a loooooonnggg time. Rode today to meet up with moto monk and he rode also. Im not switching it off, based on what ifs..... You could wind up in the ER from a host of things.

That being said Im not a very social guy. Almost always ride solo, not out tooling around with a group in the face of whats going on.

 

[Checkswrecks]

Understand and don't think that there is one answer for all of us. Worked in the boat replacing the fuel system in total isolation and if I died down there nobody would've known unless Karen started to wonder why I didn't answer. Drove the truck 56 miles to home last night on a highway (32) and back roads. For a Saturday it was conspicuously erie to see nobody for miles.

Today drove by Walmart and the parking lot was almost as packed as any other weekend.

 

[Bokerfork]

To answer your question(All things considered, should I be riding?).
Yes.
Ride like you've never ridden before. Life is short and unless I was in an area with critical medical shortages/stresses, I'm going to ride. First of all, as you stated, the risk is there, but low. The medical staff at your local hospital could use the distraction of your broken body from the mundane matters of monitoring someone on a ventilator. You'd be doing them a favor. And let's face it; the risk is low, the benefit is huge.

Let's all stop wringing our hands and do the best we can at this time. Motorcycling is the perfect Social Distancing activity and...., well, there is no and.

 

[VRODE]

We ride for the reasons that make sense to us. And we stop for other reasons. It’s all good.
Me, I’ve been off the bike after the loooong North winter. I haven’t ridden since early November. I want to ride, but I understand the current social protocols. I will ride, but only short rides away from population ( easy to do here). No, I don’t have the same sense of urgency or passion that I would normally have this time of year, but I do want to doodle around a bit. Maybe I’ll feel differently when I’m out there.

 

[Sierra1]

. . . .Today drove by Walmart and the parking lot was almost as packed as any other weekend.

That's what is bugging me. Taking a ride, car or bike, to clear your head is not any more likely to spread/catch the virus than taking a walk. But, loading up the family and taking them all to wally world? Apparently my self preservation gene is much more dominant than theirs.

 

[Mak10]

I think one has to assess your own particular situation. They have not locked down riding, driving, or getting out in the great outdoors here. But this is rural BFE Idaho. If you go to Walmart or Home Depot they are crowded. Everyone is out on their atv/utv. Our local emergency room is not busy at all.

Now if I lived in NYC that’s a whole different situation. It all depends.

Going on a long distance ride is out for me. But staying local, you might see me out there.

 

[2talltoo]

I have neighbors that are having friends and mostly family over. Now I see that a Bronx Zoo tiger has coronavirus, which is supposedly a National Geographic news feed,...hoping it is fake news. If not and it is readily crossing over it could get much worse. I will ride by myself in a full face Shuberth helmet. I have had food delivered and been with my wife only for 14 days. I would put myself in only 1 1% class and that is being socially responsible 1%. I'm riding with zero guilt.

 

[bigbob]

Going on a long distance ride is out for me. But staying local, you might see me out there.

Supposed to rain tomorrow so I will be good. Tuesday is supposed to be almost 80. I plan to ride. Need to go get a new rear tire on my Venture then after my daily radiation treatment need some social distancing miles with friends.

I leave home three times a week as a volunteer driver for the VA. I am down to driving one elderly veteran to/from his dialysis treatment M-W-F. Last week it was two but when the other guy said this (100,000-250,000 US dead) is just the government trying to scare us, well I took him home from his non-life threatening treatment and called my boss and said no more.

If something I do causes me to get it, then without knowing i have it, I will kill the other veteran, his wife with heart problems, my veteran high risk wife (Army SSG, I was only a SGT) and probably myself.

For the last couple weeks I have used my own vehicle and my own gas since I do not want to walk into the VA twice a day to get/return the keys to a government van.

So ride or don’t ride as you see fit. Mac I agree with you. Jon I also can totally see your point. And Mac and I are not in the Urban area you are in.

My ride last week on the Ténéré I came around a curve and saw a couple cops, fire truck, and an ambulance. In the blocked off side road were 3 bikes on side stands. I can only assume from what I saw someone went down hard. Hope they survived.

But life goes on. About 3 miles after the accident is my TON road. About 3 miles totally straight and flat with corn or bean fields on each side. No place for a cop to hide. Anyway the cops were at the wreck so I hit 105 per the GPS.

If I cannot ride then no reason for the radiation. My father died of Alzheimer’s. Did not know me the last years of his life. I always said I hope I can still ride when it is time to miss a corner and hit a bridge.

 

[ballisticexchris]

For me, even if I was able to ride the answer is absolutely not!! I am of the opinion that it is only a very selfish and self centered human who would put others at risk by taking a chance of serious injury. Why would any rider risk occupying a hospital bed and taking up equipment to be used for this deadly virus. Stay at home order means just that.

It is obvious that not many riders are taking this seriously. Pictures and videos everywhere of guys jumping, doing wheelies, riding track, gathering in crowds, etc. It's horrible and just making this pandemic worse.

Right now in this country it is illegal to ride, drive, or do anything outside the home for pleasure. Just the essentials. Food, gas, pharmacy, and emergency service. How damn hard is it to understand. We have a shelter in place order. I'm adhering to it.

Like my dad said to me when I wanted to be a motor cop years ago. I do not have the temperament for it. As things set right now I would be the cop that had bikes impounded and people arrested for not following the laws.

 

[ballisticexchris]

How about doing balancing skills in your yard with bike shut off. Track stands in riding gear, take it off its side stand and walk around the bike 360 deg. using one finger to hold it up, etc. Low risk and good for balance.

 

[Cycledude]

I live in a very rural area, rode Tenere about 100 miles today but was never more than 20 miles from home.

 

[nondairycreamer]

If the reason to not ride is because the odds of ending up in a hospital bed seems too high then we should carry this reasoning to the logical end that we should never ride.
There is always a chance that beds are in short supply but the roads are near empty which removes a lot of the danger of riding. For more stupidity to consider: I was told that Kentucky will refund turkey hunting permits. WTF? A solitary walk in the woods is a threat to society? Panic ensues when someone does not understand risk and results in actions that do nothing to eliminate the risk and possibly making the situation worse. Hiding at home when there are safe enough activities is panic behavior as is hording toilet paper. Or not going for a walk in the woods or going for a ride.

 

[Baja Explorer]

what is the old saying? Ignorance is a bliss !

 

[Stantdm]

It is not illegal to ride or drive where I live. I stay home but if I have to go the grocery or pharmacy I am riding the Tenere unless the weather is poor..

 

[WJBertrand]

I went for a 150 mile spin yesterday up in the canyons, hundreds of yards from anyone most of the time. I did stop a little further back behind cars than usual and didn’t do any filtering at stop lights in the interests of preserving distance. Kept my gloves on at the self serve gas station and used my hand sanitizer on my gloves before and after. Not trying to be selfish, just sane.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Mak10]

I agree with avoiding the fear mentality. You also have to understand that not everyone is in a shelter in place order. There are NO reported cases in my county. Utah is only in a shelter in place in the large densely populated counties. Don’t assume your local situation is the same as everyone else’s.

My biggest detriment for riding right now is that the weather is starting to break and warm up. That means lots of work has to be done.

If you live in fear of getting hurt while riding or feel that riding a motorcycle is selfish because of the probability of getting injured is too great. You might want to pick a different hobby.

 

[Madhatter]

adds on the radio say stay home ands save lives, and at the next breath says to go to your favorite restaurant and buy food to keep them alive ..... city of Austin shut everybody down , city buses still running and picking up (random )people . if that's not a social test tube of what you got can spread to some one else I don't know what is . but they are running. and your car when you are driving you are social distancing in a sense because you are isolated from those around you . now on a bike your not in a metal and glass bubble but your still isolated from others at lest 6 ft away so what's the problem with riding ..... right now there are in places almost no cars on the road ,motorcycle heaven . its cheaper to run a bike and a lot more fun than a car , and other than rain the weather here is perfect for riding . so we are afraid of going to hospital if we have an accident on our bikes , if one has an accident on bike I think that would be more of a concern than possible c19 exposure . and your more likely to be exposed at Walmart than most other places you will go. wash you hands have fun. yesterday there are 452 cases in travis county ,Austin Texas , 6 deaths since January .... been a few murders since January and the usual car wrecks that have killed more than this virus has in Austin.

 

[Madhatter]

15 hour work days 7 days a week and being worn out has kept me off my bike , not the virus.

 

[Madhatter]

one last thought this morning ,of the 452 cases in Austin how many are in hospital ? no one knows as they don't tell you that , the vast majority of positive cases are at home recovering , so the hospitals are not overflowing with cases at least not here.