I keep hearing from people that riding a motorcycle is way too dangourous

[Naer]

I still have a dream of riding one.

I feel safer on a bike because it's lighter. I get anxiety when I drive a car for the fact that it's really heavy and had a lot do mass

Should I pursue this motorcycle thiing? I never experienced the road, and bikes feel safer to me. Yet people say they are more dangerous. Thoughts?

 

[Naer]

Do they have medium size motorcycles? And I can go in the right speed limit

 

[TridenT]

Take a MSF course, if available in your area. You'll get an idea.

It's also way more dangerous. Orders of magnitude more dangerous. The logic you used is not set in reality, btw.

 

[Naer]

Take a MSF course, if available in your area. You'll get an idea.

It's also way more dangerous. Orders of magnitude more dangerous. The logic you used is not set in reality, btw.

But what if I keep slightly below the speed limit?

 

[Jimzz]

But what if I keep slightly below the speed limit?

I was doing at or below the speed limit when a SUV pulled out in front of me. Guy only had Min insurance so barely coved my lost time and med cost.


My dad was doing the speed limit when a mini-van pulled out in front of him. He went through the side window of the van with his head stuck under the rear seat. Fire department had to cut the roof off the van and cut around the seat to get him out. Van was near new with less than 10k on it.


How you drive is one part of safety, the other is the numskulls that do not pay attention.

 

[papadage]

If you are curious about riding, take the safety course for your state. You will get two days of class and riding time. Some people change their mind, and decide they don't want to ride after that. Others don't make it through, or fail the road test given at the end and give up. Some pass, and buy a bike, and barely ride, except for once in a while, and are always nervous on it, and never develop a good comfort level.

Others, like me, and many others, love it, go buy a modest motorcycle (Ninja 250 in my case), ride it for a year to get decent, and then upgrade to a bigger bike, and then ride a lot. I averaged about 10,000 miles a year when I used it to commute, and even though I don't take it to work now because I work in Manhattan now, I still take it out every weekend, and go for a few short rides during the weekdays evenings, and do several long rides and at least one multi-day trip per year.

But, motorcycles are dangerous. They are harder to ride than driving a car. They subject you to the weather.

Other vehicles will almost feel like they are trying to kill you. I got hit after my first year, and tossed over a divider when a jackass tried to crowd through my lane to make a light and his car broke off my handlebar with his mirror when he passed me. But I was in head to toe riding gear and walked away with a few bruises and a sore shoulder. Hit and run though, so I had to cover anything my insurance didn't.

And, in my opinion, if you are doing under the speed limit in a motorcycle, you will get hit. You need to at least be going as fast as traffic, so if they are speeding, you need to keep up, or be constantly passed by cars who do not respect your safety. Ideally, you should learn to ride just a bit faster than traffic, so you control what vehicles are next to you, and for how long. You do not ever want to ride next to a car. They tend to not see you, and change lanes into what they think is empty space. As the harder to see vehicle, you need to stay out of their blind spots if you wan t to stay alive.

 

[michal1980]

I still have a dream of riding one.

I feel safer on a bike because it's lighter. I get anxiety when I drive a car for the fact that it's really heavy and had a lot do mass

Should I pursue this motorcycle thiing? I never experienced the road, and bikes feel safer to me. Yet people say they are more dangerous. Thoughts?

Get help for your anxiety. Because your feelings have nothing to do with reality.

There is no way anyone is safer on a bike then in a car. In a car you are protected from all sides by structure. On a bike you are protected by the clothes you are wearing.

All that mass is a car is protecting you. picture crashing into anything with a car, vs a bike. Picture someone crashing into you on a bike vs a car?

I'd always want to be in a car in an accident.

 

[sze5003]

You are not safer on a bike. No matter what one says. Take the MSF course, they will have you on 250cc bikes and as long as you pay attention and do what the instructor tells you, you should be fine.

The hardest part of the test is the box test. You should pay attention and try your best to make the figure 8 as close as possible.

I would read up on the MSF in your state and take the written permit test then the course.

If you decide you want a bike, get a ninja 250 or 300. Very nice bike and also super light compared to anything bigger. They may seem slow after a while, but that bike handles like a dream.

I had one for a year and a half before I bought my Suzuki sv650s.

Learn good throttle control and go easy on the wrist. After riding a 250, when I got the SV I gave too much throttle and it almost threw me over. Bigger bikes like that, are really torquey.

I would get the permit and take the course. Where I live the class is free and if you pass you get your license.
If you do decide to ride, buy gear before you buy the bike. Helmet, boots, jacket, pants, gloves. I see too many idiots riding the same bike I have in shorts and tennis shoes.

Sure it's dangerous but so is jumping out of an airplane and I'm doing that in a few hours today. If it's something you always wanted to do, do it because it's better to have done it than wait until later and say I wish I had tried it.

 

[zCypher]

life is not without danger no matter what you do, and you could succumb to something "less dangerous" anyway. sure riding a motorcycle is dangerous, but not entirely out of your control.

did around 4000km my first season, and realized on a few occasions just how easily and quickly things can turn bad. can go from totally fine to dead in the blink of an eye.

so you need to do your due diligence, take the course, practice with your safety in mind above all else, control your situation at all times as much as possible.

I'm a new rider and haven't had any terrible experiences yet, but having a lot of experienced riders in the family helps a bit.

select a bike that makes sense for your size, weight, skill and comfort level. also choose one that is forgiving to novice mistakes and not unpredictable.

i went with a 600 because i was comfortable on that particular one, the power delivery is very linear and throttle is really smooth and easy. it is a very forgiving bike. I've made lots of mistakes already and went "holy shit... ah ok, i get it" and would probably not be OK if the same things happened on say, a super sport.

still plenty fast to get into trouble, but a good overall fit for me. you need to find a bike that will suit you well, and go from there. but don't kid yourself, it IS dangerous - very dangerous, and a hell of a lot of fun!

 

[PeeluckyDuckee]

When shit hits the fan, just remember you'll be the pile that's laying on the road. Seriously, you have a warped sense of reality and safety. On the road, you are a risk to yourself, and likewise all the other fellas on the road are a risk to you. In a situation involving an accident I will always want to be inside a vehicle.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There is no freaking way a bike is safer than a car. Cars have seatbelts and airbags along with a crash structure to protect you in an accident. A bike has none of that. You become a projectile flying through the air completely unprotected and what you hit and what you are wearing will be the measure of the severity of your injuries.

Another great thing about bike accidents is that because you and the bike are traveling together it becomes an added liability once you separate, so now you are tumbling around on the ground with a 400 pound chunk of hot metal, plastic, oil and gasoline looking to further maim you.

Car accidents, even severe ones are completely survivable thanks to modern safety features in cars. Motorcycle accidents, even minor ones, result in injury and frequently death, especially when it involves more than one vehicle.

 

[deerslayer]

Another vote for MSF course, especially if you've never been on a bike before.

Being born is dangerous. You have to die from something.

 

[twinrider1]

And this is a perfect starter bike for you.

 

[unokitty]

I still have a dream of riding one.

I feel safer on a bike because it's lighter. I get anxiety when I drive a car for the fact that it's really heavy and had a lot do mass

Should I pursue this motorcycle thiing? I never experienced the road, and bikes feel safer to me. Yet people say they are more dangerous. Thoughts?

Danger is relative.

Training is important.

And there are always off road, or dual purpose, motorcycles should you want to pursue them.

If yo are in the US, MSF riders course would be a cheap introduction. Get some training. See how you feel after that...

Best of luck,
Uno

 

[olds]

...The logic you used is not set in reality, btw.

And that leads me to believe he shouldn't be riding.

 

[sze5003]

And this is a perfect starter bike for you.

Don't forget you need to wear flip flops and a polo.

 

[MongGrel]

But, motorcycles are dangerous. They are harder to ride than driving a car. They subject you to the weather.

And, in my opinion, if you are doing under the speed limit in a motorcycle, you will get hit. You need to at least be going as fast as traffic, so if they are speeding, you need to keep up, or be constantly passed by cars who do not respect your safety. Ideally, you should learn to ride just a bit faster than traffic, so you control what vehicles are next to you, and for how long. You do not ever want to ride next to a car. They tend to not see you, and change lanes into what they think is empty space. As the harder to see vehicle, you need to stay out of their blind spots if you wan t to stay alive.

When shit hits the fan, just remember you'll be the pile that's laying on the road. Seriously, you have a warped sense of reality and safety. On the road, you are a risk to yourself, and likewise all the other fellas on the road are a risk to you. In a situation involving an accident I will always want to be inside a vehicle.

And that leads me to believe he shouldn't be riding.

+3

 

[halik]

And this is a perfect starter bike for you.

There better be a turbo

 

[HeXen]

I watched a guy on a harley get tboned by a car running a red light about 2 weeks or so ago. It's others you have to watch out for, no amount of training and experience on a bike will fix someone else's stupidity. If the guy lived I'd be surprised, he got hit hard, on that right leg too.

 

[Greenman]

Don't let the naysayers bring you down man. Get a litter bike. Anything under a thousand CC's is for girls.

Litter, yeah, thats what I mente to say...

 

[IGemini]

I feel safer on a bike because it's lighter. I get anxiety when I drive a car for the fact that it's really heavy and had a lot do mass

Mass of your vehicle is an ally in terms of your well-being in an accident. It's not only about how fast you drive, but also other people. I'm not up on all the motorcycle numbers, but even against the smallest cars most bikes are at a 4:1 weight disadvantage. If you get hit by one, you'll have 4x more force against you and the bike than the car in the best-case scenario. And motorcycles are completely lacking in the construction features of a car that protect the driver. The frame and cabin alone are huge factors. It's why full-size cars usually fare better than compacts and very few win against trailer rigs.

I'm not saying you shouldn't get a bike but you're sorely lacking in the awareness department about them. Go for the MSF course like others have said.

 

[Fenixgoon]

everything in life carries risk. some people skydive. some people fly planes. some people do base jumping.

the question you need to answer is: do you think riding a motorcycle is worth the risk?

for me, the answer is absolutely yes. there is nothing like being on a bike.

 

[MongGrel]

And there is usually training involved in all of the above.

Go to a bike training course like many have said, you'll probably decide real fast one way or another.

 

[tortoise]

But what if I keep slightly below the speed limit?

Talk about denial!

 

[olds]

ATGATT