Are motorcycles as dangerous as people put them?

[TaylorTheCreator]

To me it's only dangerous if you don't wear a helmet, i ride a scooter to class everyday and i wear a helmet and i've never gotten more then a scratch or a bruise when riding.

[Cudwieser]

Are you sure it isn't down to knowing how to ride the scooter

[trip]

To me it's only dangerous if you don't wear a helmet, i ride a scooter to class everyday and i wear a helmet and i've never gotten more then a scratch or a bruise when riding.

*not being a dick*

 

Huh?

How are you getting bruises and scratches while riding a scooter? Have you dropped it or something? Dropping a motorcycle is way different then dropping a scooter.

 

I wear a helmet but if I drop my bike(nearly 700lbs dry) chances are it will break my leg or something.

 

 

I've been riding on the street for 30+ years.

My advice to people who ride or want to ride - everytime you get on your bike understand that you can easily die. It will make you a safer rider.

[SouthLand]

 

I rode my 50cc mopped when I was 14-16 in a very unsafe way. Wheelies, split laning at high speeds, going top speed on places it was better not to... That was my everyday when i drove that bike. One day (I turned 16 a few days before), i went out for lunch with my girlfriend and when we where going back home, it started to rain. i went through corner a faster than i should have gone, without realizing that after the corner there was a pedestrian crossing. Pedestrian crossings when wet can be very slippery so, i tried to go in between the white lines, but i failed and i lost control and fell. The bike rolled for atleast 50m while i rolled for about 10m and my gf the same. I was unhurt, but my gf broke her leg. Seeing her crying in pain made me realize that i had to stop driving my bike like a maniac. I stopped driving bikes until last year that i bought a 125cc scooter and everytime i drive that thing, I can't understand how was i so stupid to put my life in danger and others as well.

What you are describing is so typically for Spain xD. At least few year ago it was. Pretty much everybody was driving like a maniac and if there were no rules. What seems to be pretty cool as it is some kind of anarchy on the roads, at the same time it is dangerous and stupid. Anyways something has changed in the last few year. As now many more driver respect the rules and are wearing helmets. Before it was difficult to see somebody with a helmet. Anyways to answer the question in my point of view. Driving a bike is not dangerous as long as you don´t have an accident. If you have one it will be very dangerous. I am driving a supersport bike since few years without an accident yet but I had some situations were it was very very really very close. If you have to full break when you are accelerating or laying in the curve you are f*cked. The same situation in a car would be easy to master.

So yes, I can get dangerous.

 

 

Mopeds that where extremely modified and ilegal as f*ck, parked in front of your High School. And after class, you went to pick up your gf somewhere... God i miss the old days.

[TaylorTheCreator]

 

To me it's only dangerous if you don't wear a helmet, i ride a scooter to class everyday and i wear a helmet and i've never gotten more then a scratch or a bruise when riding.

*not being a dick*

 

Huh?

How are you getting bruises and scratches while riding a scooter? Have you dropped it or something? Dropping a motorcycle is way different then dropping a scooter.

 

I wear a helmet but if I drop my bike(nearly 700lbs dry) chances are it will break my leg or something.

 

 

I've been riding on the street for 30+ years.

My advice to people who ride or want to ride - everytime you get on your bike understand that you can easily die. It will make you a safer rider.

 

I meant for the few times i have fallen while on one (:

[trip]

^

Always remember..."shinny side up".

 

 

My favorite motorcycle scratch story:

I once took a dry tree leaf to the face (I'm a half helmet goggles guy). I felt it and was like 'ouch'. I got home and blood was running down my face and it looked like I had been stabbed.

[Cudwieser]

Gotta love paper cuts (as it were)

[PeasantGaming > U]

Motorcycles aren't dangerous, it's the non observant asshats in their cars and trucks that pose a danger to a motorcyclist.

[Cudwieser]

Motorcycles aren't dangerous, it's the non observant asshats in their cars and trucks that pose a danger to a motorcyclist.

Or asshat motorcyclists who act like asshat cyclists wriggling between traffic or going like a ballistic missile, giving good motorcyclists a bad name.

[PeasantGaming > U]

 

Motorcycles aren't dangerous, it's the non observant asshats in their cars and trucks that pose a danger to a motorcyclist.

Or asshat motorcyclists who act like asshat cyclists wriggling between traffic or going like a ballistic missile, giving good motorcyclists a bad name.

 

 

Obviously if you're referring to those crotch rockets that go 180+ in traffic..yeah I agree.

[trip]

Motorcycles aren't dangerous, it's the non observant asshats in their cars and trucks that pose a danger to a motorcyclist.

You've never gone down or had a close call because of cinders, wet leaves, trolley tracks, or other bad road conditions?

 

I personally know of only one person who had a run in with a car, but almost all the riders I know have a story of getting f*cked up on a bike due to road hazards/conditions.

 

I dropped a bike doing about 50 MPH while (properly) crossing over wet trolley tracks. Just this year a friend of mine broke his leg do to wet leaves. A couple of years ago a buddy of mine got all sorts of f*cked up thanks to a smooth manhole cover...like in the hospital for a good stay with a wired jaw and he now has all sorts of bone pins.

[Cudwieser]

 

Motorcycles aren't dangerous, it's the non observant asshats in their cars and trucks that pose a danger to a motorcyclist.

You've never gone down or had a close call because of cinders, wet leaves, trolley tracks, or other bad road conditions?

 

I personally know of only one person who had a run in with a car, but almost all the riders I know have a story of getting f*cked up on a bike due to road hazards/conditions.

 

I dropped a bike doing about 50 MPH while (properly) crossing over wet trolley tracks. Just this year a friend of mine broke his leg do to wet leaves. A couple of years ago a buddy of mine got all sorts of f*cked up thanks to a smooth manhole cover...like in the hospital for a good stay with a wired jaw and he now has all sorts of bone pins.

 

Very good point especially tram tracks (250's and 125's are the worst as the tyres are typically narrower and more prone to drop in the rut as well as the smaller contact patch). If you are a country rider there is another fun hazzard that has caught out many a rider in the UK (even made a TV ad here in Northern Ireland) and that is the cow pat.

 

I've only one concern about your friend in hospital. Crashing is never good and rarely ends well regardless the circumstance, but some thing do help a bit. Was your friend wearing full leathers with a full face helmet?

[trip]

Yeah, he was in near full gear. Naturally some of it was his fault. He admits to hotdog'n a corner at highspeed. His injuries were more due to his body impacting with he parked cars.

[Cudwieser]

Ouch! Not so much the fall but the awkward stop. How is he now?

[GTA-Biker]

 

 

Motorcycles aren't dangerous, it's the non observant asshats in their cars and trucks that pose a danger to a motorcyclist.

You've never gone down or had a close call because of cinders, wet leaves, trolley tracks, or other bad road conditions?

 

I personally know of only one person who had a run in with a car, but almost all the riders I know have a story of getting f*cked up on a bike due to road hazards/conditions.

 

I dropped a bike doing about 50 MPH while (properly) crossing over wet trolley tracks. Just this year a friend of mine broke his leg do to wet leaves. A couple of years ago a buddy of mine got all sorts of f*cked up thanks to a smooth manhole cover...like in the hospital for a good stay with a wired jaw and he now has all sorts of bone pins.

 

Very good point especially tram tracks (250's and 125's are the worst as the tyres are typically narrower and more prone to drop in the rut as well as the smaller contact patch).

True,small bikes are in danger of getting stuck on the tram tracks.Just look at the rear tire of this Aprilia RS50 compared to a bigger bike (and front tire is even more narrow):

My bike (Aprilia Classic) also has narrow tires,and my city is full of trams and tram tracks,so I´m also at risk when riding over them.

Edited September 10, 2016 by GTA-Biker

[Cudwieser]

The pain is the front tyre. Even at 15-20mph you're coming off if the tyre sinks into the well. Next is getting the blasted thing out again. Father was old enough to ride a bicycle around belfast when trams existed and was often witness to a poor sod having to walk the bicycle (and sometimes a motorbike) to a crossroads where there was a bit of room to get the wheel out assuming they couldn't do it at the scene (suppose it depends on if the wheel was still straight afterwards, but that was a bicycle, not a motorbike).

[SouthLand]

I have Metzeler tires on my Honda Sh 125cc. They are quite nice to ride and very good.

 

You guys compare 125cc tires with bigger bikes tires and you say that current 125cc bikes have thin tires.

 

Well compare my bike's tires:

 

 

 

With the Honda Scoopy (A popular 125cc bike sold in the 90's and 00's that people even drive today)

 

[GTA-Biker]

^ Maybe new 50s, 125s and 250s have wider tires,but you have to look at the small bikes in general because not everyone has a new bike.My bike is from 1994,it has a very narrow front tire (2.75-18 if I remember well).Here's the photo of it:

 

 

 

 

Also,that RS50 from a few posts above is a current model,still in production.

Edited September 10, 2016 by GTA-Biker

[Cudwieser]

Nice bike

[GTA-Biker]

Nice bike

Thanks

 

I guess it's about my bike

 

Edited September 10, 2016 by GTA-Biker

[Beez]

If anyone is interested in reading up on safe riding techniques this is a good blog.

 

http://www.ridinginthezone.com/the-zone-blog/

[RogerWho]

I just realized how funny this question is on a GTA forum. One would think that playing GTA games would give a good answer about the risks, especially compared to cars

[Cudwieser]

I just realized how funny this question is on a GTA forum. One would think that playing GTA games would give a good answer about the risks, especially compared to cars

A few differences though. In the game you're riding like a loon with people shooting at you, dodging traffic at 150mph. In life you are just trying to stay up right at 30mph while avoiding white lines, gratings and cow pats (in the country, dog sh*t everywhere else). Come off in the game you tend to live if you don't hit anything vertical when doing 150. Do the same inn life and you'll be dead the second you hit the ground (if not the blood loss will kill you). Fall off at 30 in real life and you will be very sore and possibly bloody (not just as likely to be dead, but it is a possibility). Crash at 30 in the game and you get a bump and nothing else (also how often can you drop a bike before it gives up).

 

Finally. In the game the other drivers are pre-programmed to only react under specific circumstances and only due to lag do they end up on a collision course with you. By and large the game is predictable with only your inputs causing you to screw up. In life the input is largely random and as such people tend to go carefully which makes things safer. In an odd way the risk of more severe consequences tends to make things safer and by and large people tend to act safer. Of course bikes are smaller and more often overlooked, but the risk still tends to make things a bit safer (keep with me). Bikers tendto look down the road further and react better. In the game players react like sh*t scared 6 year olds and often don't see the problems until it's too late.

Edited November 6, 2016 by Cudwieser

[RogerWho]

I'm not implying GTA is realistic, but there is some truth in the portrayal of safety differences between cars and bikes.

 

- Hit a car/building/pole while driving a car in moderate speed and you aren't even banged up. Hit the same on a bike and you're at 20% health.

- Another car swerves into your lane and knocks into you. In car, you're fine. On a bike, you might end up a pancake.

- Another car runs a red light and hits you from the side. In a car, it's a regular collision. On a bike, again you're a pancake.

- A car in front of you suddenly stops or you don't break soon enough. In a car, a basic rear-end thingy. On a bike, you're learning to fly.

- Hit a hole in the road, a kerb or so (e.g. while trying to avoid something else). In a car you may damage the wheel, on a bike it might be another flying lesson.

 

Hey, I love bikes. I don't have a license for anything more than a scooter but it's cool to drive with someone. And they can be very practical on top of that. I certainly wouldn't question the unsafety though Yea overall people irl don't drive as such dicks as it may seem but you never know when you meet a beginner, a distracted driver or one that is trying to avoid a stupid child that just jumped onto the road. Or just get in a bad unpredictable situation. One is almost infinitely more vulnerable on a bike.

 

And yea I know the debate has swerved onto more practical elements. Just making fun of the OT on the GTA forums

Edited November 8, 2016 by RogerWho

[jpm1]

all depends of your behavior. i drive motorcycles for more than 10 years now, and i didn't fall not even once. personnally i only own 125cc scooters. but i limit myself to 125 to avoid being tempted. on most of french roads where i live you are limited to 90km/h on nationals and 130 on highway. which a good 125 can reach easily. so i don't feel the need for more. and i think with more powerful bikes you can't enjoy scenery as you do in 125. at more than 90km/h on bike you have to deal with wind friction, and it's almost impossible to enjoy scenery. so bikes, are like cars, like wine, one shouldn't abuse if he doesn't want bad surprises.. if you own a 600cc for example it's hard not to be tempted, and accelerate a bit. and overturns (don't know english word) come up fast..

Edited May 24, 2017 by jpm1