Talking Motorcycles... "It's not dying I'm talking about...it's living"

Riding motorcycles is dangerous. Recent fatalities as well as life threatening and life changing injuries remind us all of this. Jumping from airplanes, climbing mountains, driving race cars and thousands of other human activities create risk factors that many of us are willing to accept.

Motorcycling is a juxtaposition. The joy of riding is in a special catagory that cannot be found doing almost anything else. Every person who rides or races motorcycles is also aware that it can take everything in an instant. At some level, every person who swings a leg over a motorcycle accepts the hazards in exchange for the outright joy riding provides.

The recent passing of Charlotte Kainz, Kyle McGrane, Jamison Minor and Zaden Florez has been a brutal reminder of the risks/reward ratio. Many of us have said goodbye to family members and friends who passed "doing what they loved to do". Fans nationwide have experienced the sadness of having witnessed a fatality at a live racing event. 

How does a rider deal with the realities of racing? As a parent, should I encourage my children to persue their dreams of racing? What do we say to our 16 year old son or daughter who informs us over dinner that they want to obtain their motorcycle license and ride a motorcycle on the street? How do these losses affect the downed riders' fellow competitors going forward? From every standpoint the losses have impact whether you are a competitor, event promoter, a family member, a sanctioning body or a fan. While there may be more questions than answers, we push on in our quest for understanding.

Talking Motorcycles wishes to thank Ronnie Jones and Charlie Roberts of the AMA Rookies Class of 79 for contributing as guests on this show. Thank you for listening. We continue to send our love and support to those who have lost riders and family members.