Why dont more people ride bikes? Why is there a general...
Discussion
In my short time on ph i have noticed the common car vs bike debate come up numerouss times most recently the TT debate.
From a young age i was always into cars watched every F1 race,rally and went to the motorshow every year, etc. I never followed bikes as much.
Then i turnt 17 and purchased a 125 to get some road experience on the advice of my dad before/whilst doing my driving lessons, i even had the compulsory crash that every new biker inevitably has! So 6 months later i sold my bike and was brought a car and this is where i am miffed as to why more people dont take up riding. As soon as i no longer had a bike i wanted one back it was like having a limb missing. So i purchased another bike and then traded that in for a 250 2 stroke as an incentive to do my full bike license which i promptly completed.
Ever since i have ridden, i am now the proud owner of a GSXR 750k9 in and a 2011 Speed Triple and want to get an RS250 in the near future. I have driven various cars including but not limited to the following: Focus ST Mountune(my current car),RS4,S3 chipped,350z, vxr astra, elise,911 c4s, crossfire supercharged,m3 e46,monaro supercharged(although briefly),m6,etc and although some are very accomplished,very fast and are admittedly great fun they still do not offer levels of excitment my bikes do. Yes bikes are practically useless in the winter and arent very comfortable at times but for pure thrills and experience i think they are very hard to beat which is personally what i want from a car/bike. I assume most petrolheads look for this?
I am aware some people cant afford the luxury of both but for those that can why do you choose not to ride? Every person who is into cars that i have asked has either said unsafe/to difficult to learn/ not practical ie wearing a helmet, winter riding, etc. I was also going to mention that for the cost of buying and running an old ford ka you could have an extremely capable bike.
So for anyone that drives and doesnt ride your view would be great?
From a young age i was always into cars watched every F1 race,rally and went to the motorshow every year, etc. I never followed bikes as much.
Then i turnt 17 and purchased a 125 to get some road experience on the advice of my dad before/whilst doing my driving lessons, i even had the compulsory crash that every new biker inevitably has! So 6 months later i sold my bike and was brought a car and this is where i am miffed as to why more people dont take up riding. As soon as i no longer had a bike i wanted one back it was like having a limb missing. So i purchased another bike and then traded that in for a 250 2 stroke as an incentive to do my full bike license which i promptly completed.
Ever since i have ridden, i am now the proud owner of a GSXR 750k9 in and a 2011 Speed Triple and want to get an RS250 in the near future. I have driven various cars including but not limited to the following: Focus ST Mountune(my current car),RS4,S3 chipped,350z, vxr astra, elise,911 c4s, crossfire supercharged,m3 e46,monaro supercharged(although briefly),m6,etc and although some are very accomplished,very fast and are admittedly great fun they still do not offer levels of excitment my bikes do. Yes bikes are practically useless in the winter and arent very comfortable at times but for pure thrills and experience i think they are very hard to beat which is personally what i want from a car/bike. I assume most petrolheads look for this?
I am aware some people cant afford the luxury of both but for those that can why do you choose not to ride? Every person who is into cars that i have asked has either said unsafe/to difficult to learn/ not practical ie wearing a helmet, winter riding, etc. I was also going to mention that for the cost of buying and running an old ford ka you could have an extremely capable bike.
So for anyone that drives and doesnt ride your view would be great?
apologies for the spelling errors etc in the original post and the title im on my phone.
Just to comment on some of the things noted so far i found my license was easy after spending a year on a 125 and the only reason i dont like rain is because i have to clean my bikes. I actually enjoy riding in the rain as long as i have waterproof clothing! Wearing protection on hot days is a drag but i use body armour,etc to help and all that lovely fresh wind at 70mph helps too
I would also add i am 25 did my test at 21(the old test) and i would agree that my bike test is one of the best things i have ever done. A lot of people doubt it before they try it or so i have found, if this thread inspires one person to jump on a bike ill be happy!
Just to comment on some of the things noted so far i found my license was easy after spending a year on a 125 and the only reason i dont like rain is because i have to clean my bikes. I actually enjoy riding in the rain as long as i have waterproof clothing! Wearing protection on hot days is a drag but i use body armour,etc to help and all that lovely fresh wind at 70mph helps too
I would also add i am 25 did my test at 21(the old test) and i would agree that my bike test is one of the best things i have ever done. A lot of people doubt it before they try it or so i have found, if this thread inspires one person to jump on a bike ill be happy!
Edited by Froomee on Tuesday 7th June 18:38
Good replies so far mostly what i expected.
My insurance with 6 years ncd is £750 for both bikes or the same as my car plus both bikes do nearly double the mpg so i cant understand the cost as my bikes cost very little to run compared to my car. I can see why people would say bikes are unsafe and can see the figures that back this up but for me personally its not a lot different to doing a track day or driving at high speeds etc all of which a lot of non-bikers happily do.
My insurance with 6 years ncd is £750 for both bikes or the same as my car plus both bikes do nearly double the mpg so i cant understand the cost as my bikes cost very little to run compared to my car. I can see why people would say bikes are unsafe and can see the figures that back this up but for me personally its not a lot different to doing a track day or driving at high speeds etc all of which a lot of non-bikers happily do.
Just been out for dinner and come back to loads of replies.
I live in london and traffic is awful even when im further afield in a car i find it is more a journey whereas on a bike its an adventure. On a bike i find every corner is a challenge to balance,select the right gear,tip it in at the right point,keep the throttle or clutch smooth and then exit with the power on plus body positioning foot positioning,etc.
I dont find bikes entertaining just because of outright speed although my bikes are silly fast especially the triple from pull off and the top end of the 750 i enjoy it because its a challenge and because it isnt easy thats why i also want a 2 stroke as they feel quicker(as they rattle away),smell and sound lovely,are more of a challenge to ride as you try to keep it in the power band and the fun that can be had chasing 600cc+ bikes on country roads is immense.
Next year i am contemplating either a tvr,z4m or an M3 csl if none offer a lot more than my focus st mountune(which they should considering the price) then i will seriously think about getting a hayabusa and touring then selling once i have done a few to buy a diesel supermini and with the £12-15k plus savings on running costs ill buy another house until driving becomes more affordable for what it offers. I am lucky in that i walk to work so i dont have to have a car and i have access to two garages and have a small garden.
Either way i love both and i am lucky to have the option. I find people in this country easily dismiss things they are unfamiliar with or find an easy excuse to opt out rather than actually experiencing it and gathering their own informed opinion.
I live in london and traffic is awful even when im further afield in a car i find it is more a journey whereas on a bike its an adventure. On a bike i find every corner is a challenge to balance,select the right gear,tip it in at the right point,keep the throttle or clutch smooth and then exit with the power on plus body positioning foot positioning,etc.
I dont find bikes entertaining just because of outright speed although my bikes are silly fast especially the triple from pull off and the top end of the 750 i enjoy it because its a challenge and because it isnt easy thats why i also want a 2 stroke as they feel quicker(as they rattle away),smell and sound lovely,are more of a challenge to ride as you try to keep it in the power band and the fun that can be had chasing 600cc+ bikes on country roads is immense.
Next year i am contemplating either a tvr,z4m or an M3 csl if none offer a lot more than my focus st mountune(which they should considering the price) then i will seriously think about getting a hayabusa and touring then selling once i have done a few to buy a diesel supermini and with the £12-15k plus savings on running costs ill buy another house
until driving becomes more affordable for what it offers. I am lucky in that i walk to work so i dont have to have a car and i have access to two garages and have a small garden. Either way i love both and i am lucky to have the option. I find people in this country easily dismiss things they are unfamiliar with or find an easy excuse to opt out rather than actually experiencing it and gathering their own informed opinion.
TNL said:
i cant wait to get a moped. I want the rs50, the 50cc version of the rs250 you mentioned i think?
Yes if it has gears i have ridden an rs50,125 and had an rgv250 which has the same engine and i sold 
prefer the looks of the mk1 rs250 so ill buy one soon hopefully preferably a mint chesterfield as they are appreciating fast they were around £1500 3 years ago but around 3k now :scroyde said:
Thanks to this thread I woke up this morning, took the kids to school then went out on a ride on my Street Triple.
A quick 50 mile round trip, going nowhere in particular, and everything fell into place. The concentration, the gears, acceleration, cornering etc, it just felt right.
I have not done that in ages as I only tend to use the bike for commutes, so a big thank you to the OP.
BTW I have got into road cycling in the past 2 years and I have found that it has made me much better at handling the motorbike, especially at slow speeds and filtering through heavy traffic.
I try to do this at least once a week with a few friends namely ace cafe on a friday if i aint busy!A quick 50 mile round trip, going nowhere in particular, and everything fell into place. The concentration, the gears, acceleration, cornering etc, it just felt right.
I have not done that in ages as I only tend to use the bike for commutes, so a big thank you to the OP.
BTW I have got into road cycling in the past 2 years and I have found that it has made me much better at handling the motorbike, especially at slow speeds and filtering through heavy traffic.
Regarding issues on safety the obvious short falls are there iv had three crashes on a bike two in a car been injured equally as bad using both forms of transport and tbh i feel equally safe using either. Cars are more safe in principal but i have found it easier to avoid accidents on a bike ie going up the pavement or through a gap or dropping down a gear and accelerating etc
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