Christopher Caldwell is a writer. I enjoy reading him even when he is unkind to my hobby and my friends. Do I have to defend something that is fun? Do I have to explain (a la Churchill) that the difference between a small boy and and me is about sixty years? Doesn’t he know that young men don’t ride Harleys (and Isabellas) because they are not fast enough? Doesn’t he know that old men like bikes because they are beautiful? I should be riding.
Mr. Schramm,
Do yourself and society a favor and take out a 5 million dollar insurance policy so that when you take a spill and end up with serious brain or spinal injury, the rest of us (i.e. the taxpayer) don’t have to pay for your long term care. Fact is, most riders don’t die but are horribly injured. The costs of maintaining are quite the drain on our health care system. States would be wise to skip the helmet laws and require the coverage of the real costs of long term care..
Peter - As we know, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar. Does it follow that a bike is just a (beautiful) bike?
Today is a good day to be out riding.
"Fact is, most riders don’t die but are horribly injured".
As I’ve nearly finished my first season as a motorbike rider ( I hit 5000 miles last week and the weather might hold out one more month ) and look forward to many more, could someone point to some stats which support the statement above?