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Motorcycle riders have loads of jargon and adages about the wide open road, their bikes, and law enforcement. However, even with the diversity of colorful motorcycle lingo, there’s one expression that seemingly every motorcyclist has an opinion of: “It’s not if, it’s when.” Tragically, it’s routed in the belief that a motorcycle crash is an inevitability for every rider. 

‘It’s not if, it’s when’ refers to the likelihood that motorcycle riders will have a crash at some point during their time riding

Tragically, nearly every rider has a story of a motorcycle crash or an associate’s wreck. It happens. In 2021, nearly 6,000 Americans died on motorcycles. While that seems like a sobering statistic, that’s out of nearly nine million licensed riders in the United States. Still, even with the comparably low fatality-to-licensed-rider rate, riders have their stark beliefs that a crash is less of an unfortunate possibility and more of an inevitability. 

Therein lies the origins of the adage, “It’s not if, it’s when.” Many motorcycle riders believe that every rider, at some point in their saddle time, will put their bike down, crash, or collide with a car. Talk to a sufficient number of riders across motorcycle styles, and you’ll hear something along the lines of “It’s not if you crash, it’s when you crash.”

Now, I wish I could tell you I have anecdotal evidence to the contrary. That there are seasoned riders out there who have never had a slip-up, high side, or near-fatal meeting with a minivan. Unfortunately, I can’t. A Honda Pilot did its best to kill me in Austin, Texas. Nearly invisible surface gravel humbled me in Southern California early in my riding days. Accidents happen. 

However, riders can do their best to stack the deck in their favor. According to Forbes, more than one-third of motorcycle crash incidents involve unlicensed riders. Consequently, would-be riders could enroll in a Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic RiderCourse to build a strong foundation. Better yet, after getting quality training from safety-conscious instructors, students can get their license without taking a state test.

Source: Forbes, MSF

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Staff Writer

Erik Sherman

Erik Sherman joined the MotorBiscuit team as an Autos Writer in 2022. An admitted petrolhead and an avid motorcyclist, Erik has owned everything from classic cars to motorcycles to modern driver’s cars. Erik also has extensive experience with military and emergency vehicles, ranging from ambulances and fire engines to MRAPs and M-ATVs. Erik is an eager car and motorcycle reviewer with experience covering everything from sports cars to pontoon boats and jet skis.

Erik holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations (IRG) from the University of Texas at Austin and has studied Chinese, Energy, and European Politics at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. Erik’s background is unorthodox; he is a United States Marine Corps (USMC) combat veteran, water survival practitioner, and a former firefighter/EMT. Additionally, Erik is a regular volunteer and former instructor with the American Red Cross (ARC).