Im a terrible example of someone who who will lecture on this.
I don't wear my seatbelt when I drive, I don't wear a helmet half the time on my dirtbike in the summer.
I wont leave the truck without my beacon/probe/shovel on my pack. I love my BCA link radio so I can always be in contact with my group even if I can't see them. Also rock a Float 25 Turbo Avy Bag on my back.
I spend a lot of time reading, watching the avy report, watching the weather and try to do my best to be aware of what the snowpack is doing. That being said, I like to ride and I know Im far from perfect and my excitement gets the best of me. Like many people have said, if you get cought in an avy, mistakes have been made! So yes, preventative measures are always your best option but I know as a group, we tend to be total idiots and make some dumb choices. I feel like Im far more aware then most guys I ride with/around and I know I expose myself to danger plenty.
What freaks me out with avalanches, and why I carry all the gear is we tend to explore deep into the woods, and now on snowbikes, it happens at a far greater level. It is so easy for me to be tearing along and not realize the variety of exposure I get into until you stop and look around. I acknowledge my inability to realize all of the hazards all the time and have no desire to be beaten and suffocate to death because of my lack of awareness.
Even if your not going to have the gear, take a class or two and be aware. You look at the mountains a LOT different once you realize what they are capable of and how the weather affects things.
Also, food for thought, I spend a LOT of time in the hills, so my risk is higher then most so the investment to me is lesser for how much more use I get from these items. The more you ride the more you put yourself at risk. Pushing for 100+ days on the snow this year, already over 20 and its not even the first of the year.
Either way, ride safe and come back!