Dustin Jones, 24, has ridden a sport bike for five years and raced for three.
In that time, he's been in two accidents, one which ripped his clothes off and in the other one, he was thrown head first into a semi-truck windshield.
He wasn't wearing safety gear in either one.
Jones said he learned from these accidents, and now wears a helmet at all times and takes other safety precautions.
Not everyone pays attention to safety though.
Matthew Gilbert, a Muncie resident, crashed his bike into a cement light pole April 1, which cut off his leg and broke his bike in half.
Muncie police officer Joe Barret said Gilbert had just landed a wheelie and was going anywhere from 70 to 100 mph.
Speeding during turns and while driving are the second and third biggest causes of accidents, respectively, said Jim Yaney, Harley Davidson state safety commissioner.
Yaney also serves as coordinator and operator of Muncie Motorcycle School and a Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructor.
Jones said a 19 year old he rode with last year crashed and died when he was speeding on regular roads.
"That was him racing the bike," Jones said.
Jones said he only races on a drag strip in Muncie; when he's on the road he "street drives" instead of "street racing" and keeps both wheels on the ground.
He's also adamant about wearing a helmet.
"I always wear a helmet," Jones said. "Everyone should at least ride with a helmet."
Jones said that only about a quarter of the 60 people he rides with actually take this precaution.
The reason most people don't wear a helmet, or any other safety gear, such as jackets and gloves, is because of the weather, he said.
"When you're geared up it gets hot so you shed it," Jones said.
He admits that the heat keeps him from wearing all protective gear.
"There's gear such as body armor that in the summer I take out because of the heat," Jones said.
Yaney said the main cause of motorcycle accidents is a lack of attention from both bikers and motorists.
Bikes are hard to see, especially since cars started having day lights, Yaney said.
Motorcyclists are required to have lights on at all time to help motorists see them, but because most cars also now have day lights, they all blend together.
Yaney said it's up to motorcyclists to stay alert.
"The worst habit riders have is they don't keep their head and eyes up looking at the horizon," he said.
Grove, however, said he thinks that motorists need to be more cautious.
"A lot of motorists aren't paying attention to motorcyclists," Grove said.
Grove takes his own precautions by trying to wear light colored clothes and always riding in packs, he said.
Yaney said that another problem that bikers are facing is increased traffic.
Indiana had 3,500 motorcycle accidents last year and 83 deaths, the most since 1991, Yaney said.
In Muncie, there's about one motorcycle accident every week, Barrett said.
Yaney said that while the reason for the increase is unclear, it could be due to an increase in motorcycle registrations and congestion on the roads.
Yaney also suggested taking a motorcycle safety class.
A class is not required to get a motorcycle license. People only have to take a 20 question test to receive their permit, and a driving test to receive their license.
However, most people still don't know proper driving, Yaney said.
"I've been riding for 36 years and in 1996 I took a basic class," he said. "I found out I had a lot of bad habits."
Jones said that he has not taken a class, though he plans to.
There are 12 classes offered throughout the state, one which is in Muncie, and each one offers sessions for beginning and experienced riders. The cost for the class is only $50 because the government helps pay, Yaney said.
More information about the classes can be found at www.abateofindiana.org.
Yaney said that not one of the 1,350 graduated students has been in an accident.
"Motorcyclists are here to stay so we try to keep the deaths down," Yaney said.
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