It is the one thing I believe is absolutely outside of my control or ability to influence- a deer strike.
Wrong. Don't ride when they're most active (around dawn and dusk), and you automatically reduce your chances of hitting one by over 90%
. And same logic applies to reduce other risks: commuting (intersections/traffic), night, rain or bad weather, etc., dramatically increase probability of an accident. Remember riding is not dangerous; crashing is... especially if you hit something solid. If you must go somewhere under any of those conditions, the smart thing to do is drive instead.
OP, did you crash with the OEM tires? They're not bad, but not great either. I'm going to wear them out, but am more careful than it they were Michelin Pilot Roads, for instance. Since you can touch a peg, I assume you had some track training, and look where you want to go, etc. But in addition, you also need to scan the road carefully, especially on unfamiliar territory. I only push the envelope on familiar roads, but still leave room for safety (late appexing is a good technique, since you can see more of the curve). And only do it on tight to medium curves (60 mph max), where I lean hard, but speed is not great. I NEVER push the envelope on sweepers, since you need triple digits to lean the bike hard, and at that speed, you have much less of a chance to save the day. And much more likely to have a very bad injury (or worse) if you crash. My last and only spill was over 15 years ago, and on Bridgestones (stock) too. On a Hayabusa. Same thing: hit some sand I failed to detect early enough. Tires were crap, but it was my fault for not slowing down (trying to catch up my group) on an unfamiliar road. And for not scanning the road for debris. Fortunately, I could ride the bike home. And only scrapes and bruises. After that, learned to trust my tires with track school. And later learned that being able to push a bike to its limits dramatically increases your chances of not having an accident in the first place. And also the confidence of knowing you can deal with locked tires (before ABS), slides, etc. That was at Superbike School; very helpful. When you start sliding, you don't have time to think. Your reflexes are your only chance of saving the day. And you have milliseconds to do the right thing. A very common accident scenario is hitting sand at the edge of the road. But the reason for that is not being able to lean the bike more so you don't get there in the first place. So yes, not being able to lean your bike until you drag a peg makes you more likely to have an accident, even if you ride like a grandma. Sooner or later you'll need to do that, but won't be able to. Hope you can overcome your fear OP. If I couldn't ride fast and lean hard (I only ride on trips), wouldn't ride at all. Hope to be able to do that for a long time
. And yes, always do it as safely as possible, meaning weekdays, clear weather, good lonely roads, flat terrain with great visibility, full gear, new bike, etc. But it's still dangerous. On the other hand, cancer almost killed me (proving even living in a bubble could kill you
), so rather go out doing what I like... if that's my fate. He he. Good luck.
