yea i know what you mean when i was road racing, alot of the racers stopped street riding, why it was to dangerous for them. the track is actually a safer place to ride. i still kept street riding due to i got bored inbetween the races and it didnt cost much for street riding. yea it suck when you know somebody who was killed on the street. i had a guy i occasionaly rode with kill in holland when a lady turning onto the street he was going down pulled right into his path head on with him. one of our other friends was right next to him and missed the car by inches. she was taking up 3/4 of that lane with her turn onto that street. he was killed by her though it was a tree he hit after flying over her car 50'. it was around that time that another friend went down (this was his fault) didnt get injured he had on his full leather suit and helemet and gear, but alot of those i rode with sold thier bikes and stopped riding entirely. most of them are back in both street and dirtbikes though.
i used to instruct at grattan on 2 weekends in the year when we had a free riders school with only a 10 buck gate fee charged by the track. i could see everybodys increase in skill in that one day of training they got. most people who only ride on the street have no idea what thier bikes can actually do. the sport bike guys realy get a wake up as to the potietial thier bikes have. i have tried wile i was on the street to get every person i know to take one of these course's. what they learn in that weekend could keep them out of a accident. im not saying it will do it every time but it will help a great deal. if you know anybody who does still ride on the street encourage them to take a rider school. i know the racing organisation i was with has closed, but i know there are others out there with a sililar program.
our prayers are with this person's family.