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Re: [ST] I think I'm done... long,



Hi Rolo,
Welcome to fatherhood.  I've had (as I'm sure many of us have) the same
feelings as you too.  Got 2 kids of my own.  You are pretty much dead on. 
You're done.  Don't fight it, just get rid of the ST, it won't do you any good
in your current mental state.  Besides, you can turn around and pick one up a
dime a dozen these days if you change your mind.  Take the money and buy a
cheap track bike- nothing radical like Matt Heyer's GSXR 750!!!!  That is the
scalpel in a box of knives!  (BTW, Nice deal, Matt!)  This will allow you to
still have a ton of fun.  There is nothing anyone can tell me about the street
being safer than the track.  NO WAY.  The problem with crashing on the street
is that there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO CRASH SAFELY INTO!!!!!  Any semi modern
track has that feature designed into it!  If you go down on the track, you will
most likely walk away from it.  After seeing the condition of a friend who went
down last weekend (at a relatively slow speed) on the street cuz he low sided
in a decreasing radius right hander, and proceeded to luckily slide across the
oncoming traffic lane when there was no traffic, and then slide under/thru the
guardrail and stop 10 feet on the other side, I'm starting to realize how
dangerous every form of crash protection the DOT has offered is going to work
against the motorcyclist.  My friend is a mess, but in time should make a full
recovery.  He's lucky to be alive after being "grated" thru the guardrail.  I'm
not saying we should change all the armco to be motorcycle friendly, just
realizing that there is no where to wipe out safely on a public road.  You just
have to be lucky.  On the track, you would have to be "unlucky" to be seriously
hurt.  I know, everyone's got an example to prove me wrong... but for every one
they've got, I've got ten more to prove them wrong.

If there's any $ left after you buy a cheap track bike, go get a dirt bike. 
That crap hurts too but you can have a lot more fun without having to be on an
adrenaline rush.  You can also make it a family event when the kid(s) are old
enough too.  It is an excellent excellent way to keep your family tight as the
kids get older.  

I'd say forget about keeping the Daytona for occasional Sunday rides.  That
occasional stuff will only make you less sharp.  However, DON'T EVEN THINK
ABOUT SELLING IT!  Just mothball it.  It will be there for you when you're
ready for it again, and you will be... someday. You will regret it's sale.  It
will not be easily replaced.  Besides, it's not really worth a whole lot anyway
right now.  I will be watching ebay nevertheless. 

I'm still going strong, battling the thought of why I go to war everytime I
commute on mine.  Right now, I kinda look for people to try to knock me down. 
It's a weird frame of mind, but it works for me.  When it occasionally happens
and a cage does something stupid, I just look at them and say, "What?  That all
you got?!  You Fu**ing Fu**!"  Just got to stay a half step ahead these idiots.
I love evading cage stupidity.  It feels good.  

Anyway, just thought I'd give you my thoughts on it.  If you haven't asked
yourself this yet, you need to.  Can you ever forgive/live with yourself if you
ended up disabled or in a condition that you could not support your family
because you were on your motorcycle?  What if your resultant condition became a
burden to your family after a crash?  It's a tough one, but for new fathers,
it's not so tough.  Don't sweat it.  It will always be there when you're ready
again.

Cheers mate,
Jonathan West

> Date: Sun, 18 Jun 2006 17:39:44 -0600
> From: Rolo Casos <onerolo@xxxxxxxxxxx>

> So I have been riding a lot these last 2 months, after not riding much 
> last season and I think
> I have come to a realization. I am done. I don't think I can do this 
> anymore.  I have lost my nerve maybe just have more to loose now that i 
> have a kid, I don't know, but in the last 2 months I have almost been 
> killed 5 times. 4 by shitty cage drivers, one of them almost in purpose 
> by someone in an SUV that must have been drunk and the last time by the 
> state of utah DOT, which left a mile of freeway un-ridable and failed 
> to warn anyone.  Nothing like getting pulled into a huge rut on the 
> concrete at 55 in the middle of the night. It was a miracle I did not 
> kill my self, I was complete out of control and balance for at least 
> 200 ft.  I have been riding for 16 years, starting with a KZ400 and 
> have owned more than 16 bikes, own 2 right now. I have gone through the 
> crotch rocket face, I have been insanely reckless in my youth, raced 
> down canyons at 4am for $20, I have hit the pavement more than a few 
> times totaled two bikes, once my fault, once a cage, I have spent 6 
> weeks in the hospital and had my foot reconstructed because of an 
> accident and I never lost my nerve. I have even gotten up of the ground 
> pulled a piece of turn signal amber out of my leg, and then jumped 
> right back on the bike and drove my self to ER to get stitched. Even 
> then I had not lost the joy of riding .  Now I dread getting on the 
> bike.  I have had 1 long ride this season and have no time to fit any 
> more, my 1.5 year old needs me the rest of the time and i work too 
> much.  I do not know how it has happened, just a couple years ago I 
> would "make the wrong turn" on the way to work and not show up for two 
> days, without even planing it. One moment I am on the way to work, next 
> thing I knew I was having lunch in a different state. Now, I commute 
> only 20 minutes to work and they are a miserable 20 minutes.  The bikes 
> is great, the best I have owned.  I ride with full safety gear, But It 
> just does not feel right anymore.  Are cage drivers worse than before? 
> Roads worse? I  don't think so. I think it is just me.  And then today 
> I turn on the GP and think, "Oh this always makes me want to go out on 
> a ride", and I wont spoil it for some of you, but lets just say it only 
> made it worse.  I'm only 32, I wish this could have at least come 
> later.  So now the bikes will go on ebay, so if anyone knows someone 
> looking for a nice low mileage ST with custom paint or a moded Daytona 
> 1200, shoot me an email or keep an eye out on ebay next week. It makes 
> me sad to do this, and a little ashamed but i am just no having fun 
> anymore.
> 
> Thank you guys for all your help this  past 3 years of owning Sprints. 
> Now, what to do with the money?
> 
> Rolo.


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