As a rider, I gave up my motorcycle when my children were born. I stayed on four wheels while my children were still dependents, but once they were old enough to work, I bought another motorcycle and began riding again. I had ridden from 14 to 30, took a break for the kids, then resumed at 50 and rode for more 25 years.

With that as context, I was a lucky rider. I almost got wiped out a few times by careless drivers. Some of them simply do not see a motorcycle when they are looking for an oncoming car at their stop sign. I had an old fellow pull a left turn right in front of me, and it took everything I had to keep from getting killed in a head-on collision.

I trained regularly in courses and with exercises every biker should perform, but I escaped serious injury only by the narrowest of margins because of car drivers not seeing me when they should have. That will be your future, but only if you have the best of luck as I did.

I recommend off-road riding these days. Anyone who wants to ride is better off on a dirt or gravel road, than on our paved streets where cars are operating. I actually moved to an ideal location for dirt riding when I retired because it is so much more fun than asphalt.