They are great fun in the right environment. Keep in mind almost everyone has some kind of spill that scares the crap out of them, and hopefully makes them more aware of their surroundings and what their machine is actually capable of.

Bikes and bikers have been getting bad press around here lately. "Bullet bikes" and "crotch rockets" have been blamed for some horrendous mishaps during recent weeks, including a guy who got completely cut in half when he hit a street sign at 100mph. As far as I'm concerned, they are all Darwin Award candidates.

I would not let my kid get a motorcycle living where we do. There are too many inattentive people in a hurry and they don't give riders the time of day.

But if traffic is not a problem, responsible motorcycling is one of the supreme joys of life. Ride defensively.

__________________
1985 380SE Blue/Blue - 230,000 miles
2012 Subaru Forester 5-speed
2005 Toyota Sienna
2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible
1999 Toyota Tacoma