Why don't more of you ride bikes?

Rich_L said:
I see quite a lot of RTA claims with my work, car accidents are whippy compo and a right PITA to justify the legal fees but motorbike accidents are great because even the slightest collision usually ends up with broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions/brain injuries which tend to make the claim value much higher :p

Virtually all of the motorbike claims are exactly the same too, car pulls out from a side road, doesn't see the bike and the motorbike ploughs straight into the bonnet of the emerging car.

*edit*

It's tempting if I had to drive into L.A. due to the traffic but I'd rather not gamble with various giant SUVs which apparently can barely see regular cars let alone bikes :p
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In my experience motorcyclists are far more risk aware and are less likely to be the cause of any accident. They generally have greater visibility their eyeline being above most traffic. As you say though they are likely to come off worse in a collision.
I have had a number of incidents, where I have come off the machine rolled around a bit and apart from bruising was immediately OK. That includes pre helmet days.
In a car, you are protected by the box, but that box can also do you severe damage unless you are restrained by belts, airbags etc.
What does kill, and I have known several fatalities in under 25's generally is hitting other vehicles, street furniture, walls, trees etc. This is borne out by racing where many 100mph+ incidents result in minor injury unless a solid object or other moving object is involved.
 
Have always wanted to, to be fair, but never gotten further than looking into the courses. have a few friends who converted and they love the ride. but I have some friends who have had some pretty nasty spills :( which scares me a bit.... yeah sure you can have accidents in cars too but I like that protective box :p

I have my minimoto, and that's a great laugh over the parents track when I visit.... so I'll stick to that for now :p gotta pull it apart and see what's wrong though as it's been standing for a good few years and didn't start last time I tried a few weeks ago. so much POWAR at 39cc and weighing about 30kg... lol


oh yeah.... the rain..... blah! :p screw riding about in that... yuk!
 
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atpbx said:
Of course.

I've also seen more dead and injured car drivers than bike riders, but it's simply down to being more of them to get killed.

In the past 6 months of commuting backwards and forwards to cambridge, I've seen no accidents involving motorcycles, 4 or 5 involving cars and the same amount involving lorries, but again, simply down to numbers.

331 motorcyclists killed in 2013
398 pedestrians.
785 car occupants.
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploa...22643/rrcgb-main-results-2013-infographic.pdf
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As you say though, given the sheer number of cars on the roads compared to the relatively low number of bikes, I think your stats there say it all.

I don't know what you do for a living, but I don't commute back & forth along one stretch of road daily, ultimately, a bike offers next to no protection in a crash compared to a car - even a classic one! - a simple bump which would be just vehicle damage for a car driver to worry about can and often will be far far more severe for a biker.
 
stick with a car,safer warmer

but nothing can touch a bike for speed/thrills and enjoyment

cars are boring,you ever see any motorcyclist fall asleep at the wheel?
 
Scania said:
As you say though, given the sheer number of cars on the roads compared to the relatively low number of bikes, I think your stats there say it all.

I don't know what you do for a living, but I don't commute back & forth along one stretch of road daily, ultimately, a bike offers next to no protection in a crash compared to a car - even a classic one! - a simple bump which would be just vehicle damage for a car driver to worry about can and often will be far far more severe for a biker.
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Yes, I agree.

For the user base, the stats are high.
 
I did ride, until I got knocked off at the start of the year and broke my hand, now I won't be riding again until I get my bike fixed, lol.
 
wazza300 said:
only real men ride motorbikes
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This is one reason I don't ride a bike, the mentality of a lot of riders who think that they're gods because they ride a bike and anyone that doesn't is in someway inferior :rolleyes:
The main reason I don't is because I think the chances of death are far higher riding one and that isn't something that appeals :p
 
I'd love a bike and every summer I think about getting one but I'm sure it will not be a case of if I have an accident but when.

The problem would be I'll pass my test (one of those quick do it in a week ones) and then buy something stupid, I've already decided on a Ducati 1199 Panigale as I know I wouldn't be happy with anything else.

So at the end of the day I'd like one but my life expectancy would be a week!
 
I think you either 'get it', or you don't.

Yes it's dangerous and potentially bad for you, but so are most fun things in life.

It all comes down to your attitude towards life/risk and what you enjoy.

For me, I would rather die on a bike doing something I enjoy than always thinking 'oh, I would do my bike test but it's dangerous so I better not'... and then get hit by a car crossing the road to the shops.
 
geekman said:
Surely you must agree that it's far easier to unsettle a bike at high speed than a car though? And on a bike I'd be much more likely to be doing high speeds as they get to such speeds so easily.
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Hey geekman. I'd disagree about the start of your statement/question. Most large capacity bikes that are built to go to high speeds are designed to be stable at those speeds. (Geometry, steering dampers and the like).

My bike can get to 175mph. I've yet to go that high, but it feels very stable and much nicer at 130mph (autobahn) than my Octavia MkI VRS, which is probably near it's operating ceiling at that speed. Whereas an M3 feels fine at 130mph. Stopping, turning etc. from these speeds, all fine. Wind? Remember most cars are a big sail for a cross-wind. Bikes are a much smaller one, often with multiple holes going through them.

My old SV650 (apparently it'd do 120ish, I forget) felt a little less confidence-inspiring at 100mph, but much happier than doing 100mph in a little Corsa or Saxo.

Re your last part about doing high speeds because you can, I disagree again. There's something about knowing you have that power, and not having to use it all the time. It's like the cars you see flying along in the outside lane of the M40, I see diesel commuters, miniature city cars going all out. I look to the inside lane and see the 360s, R8s etc.

As I think has been said, going fast isn't all that exciting, getting there is, going round corners etc. is far more fun.

For sure I can understand the people who give lack of self-restraint as a reason, but maybe that's something to work on to help avoid killing yourself in some awesome double-flip rolling fireball crash off the side of the M4 elevated section :P.
 
233 said:
i'm a hetrosexual GIRL
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Fixed that for you ;)

I have a full bike licence but don't use it now due to the number of near misses I had with idiots on mobile phones etc.

My own caution has kept me alive with no accidents, but I could see one was just around the corner.

:(
 
Dr Who said:
Fixed that for you ;)

I have a full bike licence but don't use it now due to the number of near misses I had with idiots on mobile phones etc.

My own caution has kept me alive with no accidents, but I could see one was just around the corner.

:(
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Why were you riding mobile phones? :confused::D
 
I used to ride bikes when I was younger and I admit they are great fun. Now I drive in a very comfortable car with heated / cooled massaging seats, climate control, a nice B&W stereo system and everything is very relaxing. I no longer suffer from road rage like I used to with my old 200Sx, its all calm and very civilised and I just float from one place to another. :cool: With bikes I always wanted to get my knee down / scrape the pegs everywhere I went, I guess it would be a bit different now but Im not that interested in them any more.
 
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I've been riding a bike for the last year and absolutely love it! Although I'm a bit odd in that I got in to it pretty late (30 last year) and I had just had my first child - most people stop then I guess :p

I also use it purely for commuting and not on weekends and stuff. But that's due to lack of time and friends who ride I guess.

I'm still just on a 125cc but still love it. I look forward to every journey and commute in all weathers (I draw the line at ice!). Beating traffic is so satisfying and it makes my journey consistent so it's always 45mins including getting ready and changed instead of anywhere between 45min (very good morning) to 1hr 30mins (normalish day going home). Can't say I'm every hot and sweaty in the mornings as I've got a decent vented jacket and it usually cool then. Going home can get hot but only on extreme days and even then so long as you're moving, even at slow speeds it's fine (and you don't stop much on a bike with filtering).

Not to mention is save's me a fortune with 130mpg (£12 gets me over 300miles). £16 a year tax and under £200 a year insurance.

Best thing I ever did and wish I did it sooner. Yes you've got to be careful and assume eevryone's goign to kill you, but that's part of the fun :)
 
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Bear, I guess it depends what type of bike you have. a 600 supersports I guess encourages knee-down fun-times. My K1300S actually promotes a pretty lazy riding style (as regards lunaticisms) from me. It's a big-ass comfortable bike that I suppose says "hey man, don't bother leaning me over to 50 degrees at every chance, I've got more hp than a exo-planet full of horses for when we get past the apex". :). But even then it tends to stay in 5th and just bop along.

Edit: Triple, how do you find the stability on a 125 at speed? Other than my CBT and start of DAS I've never used a 125.

Have you been on a big bike yet? That second day when we switched to GS500 bikes, felt so much more stable, was incredible (see my above long post for reference).
 
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