A personal example of how full gear can save your ass!

[DLIT]

My forks never moved in the triple tree.


And I'm well aware of people getting hurt/killed on the track. Deciding to go track only is to put my wife's mind at ease...for a temporary time. I'm not scared of wrecking again. It wasn't even bad until I hit the curb. I'm just saying there's less hazards to hit on the track.

Reminds me of this commercial:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VruWHHEnZGw

I think I'm doing what's right for me, my wife and my family right now. I am totally fine with track only riding for a couple seasons. Get out there in the middle group and see how I am, maybe eventually get back in the fast group...whatever.

I wrecked at about 120 and slid into a curb and down a slope. Just three weeks later and I'm walking around without using crutches, buying all new gear already (just need a helmet and boots) and I'm out and about a lot now, too. In my mind, by not riding street for a while I'm paying respects to whatever powers that be made it possible to basically walk away from a wreck of that magnitude.

And I always ride around 80% on the street. I'm never near my limit. Even on the track I don't open the throttle up as much and soon as I could probably get away with. None of my decisions are spawned from fear, I promise you that. And I do think I would enjoy street riding even more now, because after the wreck, the pain, the recovering...bottom line is I'm still able to ride. That's why, after a couple seasons maybe, that Ducati cruiser will have my name all over it!