come back when you have a few scars on your body. 
That's exactly why I'll never ride. Looks fun, probably could cop some trim and all that fun shit...however:
February 12 1996 SF CA...
Roommate is over at a pool hall and decides to ride home. Gets to the toll plaza of the Bay Bridge and pulls out $2 for toll.
13 days later he wakes up from his coma. He is missing his right arm- cut off at the shoulder. Completely blind (later 20% of his vision returns), and has no feeling in his legs. The feeling returns, as does the eyesight...but his life is forever changed.
No more can Michael play his guitar, drive, water ski, walk without tripping over the smallest of cracks in a sidewalk (which he later breaks his collarbone doing), or even being able to open a jar of Peanut Butter for the rest of his life.
His personal life goes down the toilet, which could be a whole story in and of itself. But he's in and out of the hospital for 10yrs, and he's still not recovered in full by the time that ends. He had an HMO when he was in the accident and they spent 2.2 million dollars on him. I believe his last surgery count was up to 27, minus two from the accident (ruptured spleen and torn ACL being the others). He's got skin graphs, muscle graphs, scars from his ankle to his knees that even after 10yrs are still a very bright noticeable shade of red.
One of the guys he was riding with that night didn't even realize Michael had been over by a gust of wind, hit the guardrail and then taken away in an ambulance. The next morning Lou woke up realizing "Oh shit! I totally forgot about Michael!" Dick. Anyway, another guy he was with ended up getting in an accident himself 7 years later, lost his entire right leg, half of his left leg, numerous other broken bones, his 12 year old daughter dead all from being hit head on by a drunk driver.
In another story, a 9 year old girls dad I knew died, while she's survived but lost her entire left leg.......
...I just won't touch a bike no matter how fun it may be.
