RCKT GRL:
I think we all like to think that we are being 'careful' and 'safe', but accidents can and will happen under even the best of circumstances. Practicing safe riding and keeping up to date on your skills will certainly help you become a better rider, but it won't prevent you from becoming a statistic in the 'wrong place, right time' situation.
Vander:
Good topic! :)
Over the years I have adopted the philosophy that spirited riding can aid in my visibility on the road too. Driving assertively has helped me stay visible to others on the road. I am sure that some soccer moms out there have grumbled about my driving; but I know it snaps them into paying attention to where I am, and what I am doing (perhaps even hanging up the phone).
A typical maneuver I implement is to give the bike a good violent shake (like I just lost tire pressure) when I am approaching a car that looks like it may pull out in front of me... it's just enough to give the other drive pause to let me go first. It works very well for me.
I had a discussion with a cop once about this method... he rebutted with "maybe the soccer mom would call 9-1-1 to report you as a drunk driver, though... then you'd have to deal with a traffic stop". I replied "I'd rather deal with a traffic stop then getting a Dodge Caravan emblem removed from my chest in the hospital". He had nothing to say after that.
But maybe I'm cracked. Thoughts?
pkpk:
I'm trying to come up with an analogy over using a condom...maybe I'll just skip it. :D
Jared:
I think mindfulness plays into this also. It's one thing to ride at a spirited pace, but whether or not it makes you a more skilled/safe rider depends completely on where your head is. If you're riding at 90% of your capability, all of your attention is focused on just keeping it on the road and you take nothing beneficial away. Keeping a reserve of attention ($3-4 out of the $10 you have to spend) that you can devote to being mindful of what you are doing, thinking, learning, etc. is the other half of the equation.
If you have attention to spare AND you are focused on your ride craft that what will make you a safer rider.
beedawg:
Lots of good thoughts here, including the fact that safe and careful are subjective. Risk is relative. The only way to be completely safe with a motorcycle is to stay away from it. We choose to decrease or increase our (perceived) level of risk, sometimes for reasons that make sense only to ourselves.
I like Vander's practice of shaking the bike as an example of safe vs. careful. Some people would probably say that shaking the bike like isn't being very careful, and some riders would never do it. But I think it's a good illustration of the difference between being careful and being safe.
Maybe this topic is played out, but I wonder if there are any more examples of being safe rather than careful.