Does the influx of new riders worry you?

[WildKat]

Originally Posted by OneSickPsycho

Not worried at all. More bikers mean more statistics, but more bikers also mean a louder collective voice.

Very good point; if a nice majority of them are actually going to get involved and help support issues that affect us out on the road then it could be a good thing from that perspective.

It's very true there's no substitute for experience and the only way to get it is to get out there and ride. the problem is the way that so many people drive their cars doing a hundred different things besides paying attention to the road can potentially carry that same mindset out on 2 wheels and that can be disastrous. If you cut somebody off in a car it's bad enough but do it on a bike and you can find yourself rear ended in a hot second. If the new riders take the time to do their homework, be mindful of what's around them and generally take riding seriously then I'm all for it. John Doe family man who wants to just save some money for gas while riding to work is not a bad thing by any means because he's more likely to be extra careful and watch out for himself. One of the groups of people that worries me is the punk kids and adults who have no respect for themselves or the road, go out and by a 600RR or Busa or even a new scooter and decide they have to be cool while not knowing their ass from a hole in the ground when it comes to riding. That's where, potentially, the squid comes out and that's definitely not a good thing.