Of course, there's an increased risk. Many people mistake going from car driving to motorcycle driving is going from safe to not safe. If I recall, the statistics on motorcycle deaths are that 60% of those killed on a motorcycle were not wearing a helmet. You have to also realize, then, that the other 40% were wearing a helmet. It's not about the helmet, gear, and so on, but a holistic approach. Your mindset is part of that.

Take a skills course (American Motorcycle Foundation). Apply and practice those skills. Riding a motorcycle is an active activity, whereas driving a car tend to be a passive activity.

I like my HD Softail: comfortable, relaxing, and still missing about 50lbs of chrome.