Pros/Cons of a Motorcycle

[Triple T]

So I'm thinking about getting a motorcycle. They've always looked so fun and a few of my buddies might be getting some and we can go riding together.

They're also pretty cheap (compared to a car) and better mileage I guess. But I've never rode one so I don't know the full spectrum of pros/cons of a motorbike.

If you have rode a motorbike before or know someone who does, I'd really like to know your opinion.

 

[(JJ)]

i'd like to ride someday, but in addition to lack of safety, another con is that you can only have one person ride with you if you use it as your main mode of transportation. that may not be a big deal to you, but some of my buds need rides every n ow and then, and right now i can give em rides in my car. if you give a bud a ride on a bike, you just look gay lol.

 

[WORKEROUTER]

I bought my first bike at 18, and have been riding it for three years now as my sole form of transportation. I've ridden pretty much every day of the year for the past couple years, in rain, hail, sun, and on a few occasions, snow (not smart, don't do it).

Now, I'm planning to sell it to get a car.

Pros:

-Amazing feeling of freedom and openness.
-Great first date to take her on a ride somewhere. Just make sure you don't screw up and injure her.
-Cheaper gas mileage.

Cons:
-It's dangerous.
-More expensive for labor.
-Less room to crash. If you mess up your bike even a little bit, you might not be able to ride it without tons of cost to fix it.
-Riding in inclement weather can really suck.
-Can't carry stuff very well on it, like basic groceries.

Motorcycles are very dangerous. I've personally known young people who have crashed and one who even became severly paralyzed neck down. And it's not always your fault. And sometimes even the most careful make small mistakes which unfortuanetly on a motorcycle can lead to dramatic problems.

My advice: get one if you have a car already. Use it on the side, occasionally.

 

[j0n024]

I wanna get one as well!!!

I am thinking about the " Ducati monster 696

I havent gotten my license yet and am still in the deciding stage but I think a bike would be really really cool to have, plus the fact that my parents have like 3 vehicles that are going to be passed down to me so I am thinking about getting a bike.

I will be going to a safety course since it is available at my school so it isnt a hassle.

 

[user43770]

There have been a few traffic collisions in my area recently involving motorcycles. A vehicle pulled out in front of the bike on every occasion. Point being, bikes are harder to see coming.

 

[speakeasy]

I got a class M licenese a few years ago. But then started hearing about all these motorcycle fatalities and got spooked. It seems like here in L.A., not a day goes by where I don't hear about a motorcycle fatality on one of our many freeways. The sense of freedom and openess can't be described. I saw the movie Motorcycle Diares about the life of Che Guevara and his motorcycle trip across S. America. I can only imagine something like that would be an experience out of this world. You just take in so much more of your environment. Every change in temperature, every smell, everything. Nothing but sky above you. It's the coolest feeling in the world, really. But the price you pay is one slip up and you're either dead or you'll be eating out a feeding tube for the rest of your life.

I'm still thinking of getting one, but maybe I'll just do it as a recreation thing, on a nice day, take a drive through the countryside or something like that. But not as a commuter vehicle fighting through L.A. traffic. Way too many motorcycle fatalities around here.

If you have a great driving record, no at fault accidents, then you're a decent candidate ride a bike. If you've been in a couple accidents, chances are you'll be in more and you'll likely end up dead or paralyzed. Don't get on a bike unless you are already an A++ driver.

 

[Wired for Sound]

There's no such thing as a "Oh, I got into a fender bender." No. It's more like, "Oh shyt. I'm dead. Real talk"

:crackup:

Not to mention that not everybody thinks bikes are cool. When I see a biker revving up his engine in the tunnel causing an extraordinary amount of unnecessary noise pollution, my first thought isn't "Wow, what a badass." It's more like, "Wow, another queer-ass biker that thinks it's cool to distract other motorists." And most girls that are into bikers are also into felons and stoners, read as: high school girls.

 

[Aragon034]

i've been thinking about getting a motorcycle too, something classic looking, like an older Harley.

A friend of mine actually got into a crazy accident a few months ago, he was doing 130kph cuz his dad was in the hospital after falling down the stairs, he slips on some sand of all things, and his body completely breaks through a solid chainlink fence! he ended up about 100ft away in a ditch with severe roadrash, and a broken arm.

I've since called him "Horseshoe" Cuz he must have had a horseshoe up his ass to survive that.

And yes, i did comment on the irony and comedy of the situation. He didn't end up in the same hospital room though

 

[macallik]

Pros
Less gas
Traffic is irrelevant


Cons
Weather effects you. If its cold you, will know, if it is raining you will know, etc
Accidents suck


I've broken my arm twice in motorcycle accidents and the 2nd time it didn't heal right. Expect to get in at least one accident in your motorcycle life and hopefully you live through it. THe key mistake that most motorcyclist make seems to be accelerating/braking on sand/oil, so keep an eye out on the road. Also you never really realize how erratic some people drive until you are ready to overtake and they turn all of a sudden without indicating. Pay much more attention to the other drivers than you would in a car.


Also the motorcycle gang sounds a little cliched. Aren't you a little young to be experiencing mid-life crisis? Haha, but seriously, I ride a motorcycle here because everyone does and it is much more convenient but if I were in some big city I would just opt for public transportation or a car if I could afford it.

 

[Triple T]

yea judging from all this I probably won't get one, if I do i'm just going to be using it in the summer time when its nice. And thats for about 2-3 months out of the whole year.

Where I live its mostly cold/snowing for most of the year.

So I guess a car would be better. Thanks for the input guys!

 

[Desert Fox]

get a tricycle, much much safer

 

[R1_test pilot]

I've been riding for 20 years. If you do it, do it for the right reasons, not "everyone else is doing it ( buddies)".

Pro's
Freedom
Cheap on fuel.
nothing like the open road

Cons
Higher insurance ( for newb's)
Bigger chance for injury, or death ( lost 3 friends this year)
Higher accident rate ( Car's DO NOT see you.)
Tire biters...

 

[toddlips]

Riding a Motorcycle will only get you into bad situations. I shudder to think what would happen if I hit a biker on the freeway going 80 MPH or if I got rear-ended by a biker.

This is all without the mention of how miserable it would be to have to get around town on a bike during inclement weather.

 

[wolf116]

( lost 3 friends this year)

This really scars the sh!t out of me and is the only reason I sold my bike.

Other then death they are awesome.

 

[speakeasy]

Come to think of it, you can't enjoy that open sky feeling much when you've got a full helmet on anyway. I've been in states where there's no helmet law and it trips me out seeing dudes riding 80mph on the freeway with a tanktop and no helmet. Those dudes are nuts. One slip and they'll be decorating the asphault with their brains.

Yeah...maybe I'll just have to get a convertible instead.

 

[Bible_Belt]

My state does not have a helmet law, but I don't like riding without one, even on a sensory level. My eyes water, my head gets cold, bugs hit my face. Plus I want to be able to go fast when I want to. And "fast" for me on an R1 is about anything over 120mph; the bike pulls hard until 160, so it easy to speed up and slow down at triple digit speeds on a rural road.

Other cars are what kill you, and that danger is there on any bike. Always take the road less traveled. I am nutty enough to go 170 on a road by myself, but riding at 65 mph in traffic on the freeway scares me :nervous:

 

[Darth]

Pro: Fun. No denying that.

Con: Very, very dangerous. Somebody doesn't see you, there's something in the road, somebody pulls out....you're dead.

if you ride a motorcycle, then why would you even bother wearing a seatbelt in a car?

Unlike a car, it's not, "Oh, sh!t, I have a flat." It's, "Oh, shi!t, I'm dead."

 

[speakeasy]

Look at this insane motorcycle video, the guy gets up to almost 200mph! In traffic! Dayum that's nuts....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ty-7bTId5M&feature=related

this guy wasn't so lucky though:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwx0Id4lF8I

Perfect example of what can go wrong even if you aren't goofing off:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfFyJjoy7KU&feature=related

 

[A-Unit]

Re:

Get a hog/harley if you do. Get a nice one.

I have a m-license. My friends had one. My cousins had one.

PROS:

-Women like them
-Freedom
-Sort of a hobby event
-Decent gas mileage (but you can't carry ****, so its not different than a bicycle)


CONS:

-Unsafe in or near cities, high traffic
-Attract cops
-Easy to be seriously injured at speeds that would no damage in a car
-Insurance + COST, not entirely cheap, if you also have a car
-Rain, weather (depending on the part of the country you're in)
-Can't/shouldn't ride if you had any drinks

----------------------------

The exception to the rule are hogs/harleys or regular bikes. They are generally more expensive than race rockets, but you are in a more comfortable, long-range riding position. You are riding in position where you are more aware of your surroundings. Bikes clubs are attractive.

In the Northeast, most people just ditched them, including super nice cars, since the weather is so harsh and the cost of having one so high, the TRUE cost is more than people admit. The only place I found attractive enough to ride was deep NH or ME. Other than that, traffic lights, stop and starting, cops, and idiot drivers present too many risks for my taste.

Yeah, it's dope to ride. Some chicks love them, some hate them. Don't do it FOR the girls, unless that's you. I looked at new bikes long ago, 9k. Plus insurance in MA. Plus storage, which you'd generally need/want to be a home owner or living at home, b/c most apartments don't have the extra room. We are limited to a very finite riding season, 6 months or less.

The rider who ride ala "Sons of Anarchy" head north to bike week and enjoy the chaos. I just wouldn't go south. Every friend I had fell off their bike due either to bad drivers hitting them or them reacting to bad drivers and falling off. People don't see you, and accidents are easy when you're in a car, imagine how it would be on a bike.

Choose wisely, it's not a cheap option, but it can be fun. I know a guy who only rides in NH and ME and has ridden up to Mount Washington quite often. He can repair the bike any time has has to and lives at home with his parents for storage. He has had the same riding bike forever and does it for personal enjoyment. When he goes places, like camping, he follows other's who cart his stuff.

 

[Darth]

If you do get one though (which I wouldn't recommend if you value your life), please, PLEASE don't ride around with a black leather jacket, big beard, and bandanna on top of your head.