Motorbikes....what am I missing. (1 Viewer)

[buttons]

Motorbikes apart from being easy to carry on your motorhome I have never seen the attraction, they are uncomfortable wet cold windy noisy, you cant ride them without a helmet they smell, list of negatives goes on. What is the attraction?
I enjoy fast cars and speed but I'm afraid that motorbikes dont do it for me at all.
What is the attraction of a motorbike........

 

[MichelleRyall]

Heathen

 

[Phillybarbour]

Sounds like you've never ridden one, as for speed you don't know the meaning in your car. It's all about the sensation, even my Honda 125 scooter is faster than almost any car at 0 - 30.

The thrill!

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[PeteH]

Oh!! Dear! another Gassing / A Framing type thread coming on I fear?.

Pete

 

[DP+JAY]

Bikes are like marmite
You love em or hate em
I've had bikes most of my life ( started off road at about 12 so 50 years ago & I love them( but hate marmite), Though they've become less attractive as I've got older.

 

[PeteH]

Yeh, well mine had to go when the old "Arthur"(itis) got to the wrists and knees. the last year it did just 43 miles between MOT`s. Any one want a Jacket (BoBo) and Bib trousers 44 chest 34 waist (not sure of the inside leg!!)?

Pete

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[funflair]

If you like fast cars it's a bit the same but many times better/more involving than a car, you are not sat in or even on something with a vague involvement you are an integral part of the process, lift a wrist dip an elbow move a knee and the machine responds.

As has been said its hard to describe to somebody that has not ridden.

Little bikes and scooters on the back or in the garage are freedom for people that don't have a caravan and tow car.

Martin

 

[Judge Mental]

It's to dangerous..many young men end up with hortific injuries, lost limbs etc...was in a large old fashioned ward years ago after a car accident. And everyone in there except me was a biker.. Some completly f*****" up....something i will never forget.

 

[Minxy]

Depends what you have I suppose and how you look after it, some can be smelly, most are not.

One big advantage is being able to get from A to B quicker as you don't have to sit in traffic jams as you can go down the side of the vehicles (safely) and cut out a lot of waiting about - an absolute godsend for commuting into cities/in rush hour. Easy to park too and usually no parking costs.

Downsides, you get wet if it rains but that's why you have waterproofs, no 'heating' in cold weather so you have to make up for it with warmer clothes, this can be great unless you have to stop anywhere for a length of time and it gets sunny ... as you can then soon 'cook' in them!

Like all vehicles, at times they are the best mode of transport for the situation, at others they aren't. It is nice though on a lovely summer day to go for a ride in the countryside along some nice winding roads to have a bit of fun.

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[Minxy]

It's to dangerous..many young men end up with hortific injuries, lost limbs etc...was in a large old fashioned ward years ago after a car accident. And everyone in there except me was a biker.. Some completly f*****" up....something i will never forget.

I believe the medical profession refer to bikers as "organ donors"!

 

[buttons]

Sounds like you've never ridden one, as for speed you don't know the meaning in your car. It's all about the sensation, even my Honda 125 scooter is faster than almost any car at 0 - 30.

The thrill!

I sometimes hire a bike or scooter in sunnier parts but only for the convenience of getting around. You could have a bike that reaches 100 in 2 seconds it is pointless nobody can see you through your helmet and car drivers are just not interested in how fast your two wheels can go, they are just grateful that you get out of their way as fast as possible.

 

[Zains Pops]

When I was 16 wanted a bike like all my mates, Dad would not come through with any money, so I said sod you and got a job weekends and holidays to raise the funds. I worked all hours as a hospital porter in in local specialist orthopaedic hospital. Earned the money but never bought a bike.
This was in 62, the wards were full of either old men with long term issues or young men who had fallen off bikes. The treatments were basic and after pushing many to theatre for leg amputations the attraction of biking wore off. Nearly all of the guys claimed that it was a car driver that caused the problem and not their fault. But the X-ray of a foot/ankle crushed between a bike and 60's car bumper was not a pretty site and from those days forward I have never ridden on a bike, not even at last years Thetford Bash moped race, some things just stay with you!

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[injebreck99]

It's to dangerous..many young men end up with hortific injuries, lost limbs etc...was in a large old fashioned ward years ago after a car accident. And everyone in there except me was a biker.. Some completly f*****" up....something i will never forget.

So do horse riders, mountaineers, car drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, etc etc, get the idea?...........

 

[Judge Mental]

So do horse riders, mountaineers, car drivers, cyclists, pedestrians, etc etc, get the idea?...........

I know how to calculate risk thanks......

 

[buttons]

Depends what you have I suppose and how you look after it, some can be smelly, most are not.

One big advantage is being able to get from A to B quicker as you don't have to sit in traffic jams as you can go down the side of the vehicles (safely) and cut out a lot of waiting about - an absolute godsend for commuting into cities/in rush hour. Easy to park too and usually no parking costs.

Downsides, you get wet if it rains but that's why you have waterproofs, no 'heating' in cold weather so you have to make up for it with warmer clothes, this can be great unless you have to stop anywhere for a length of time and it gets sunny ... as you can then soon 'cook' in them!

Like all vehicles, at times they are the best mode of transport for the situation, at others they aren't. It is nice though on a lovely summer day to go for a ride in the countryside along some nice winding roads to have a bit of fun.

That all sounds perfectly logical MinxyGirl I cant disagree with the commuting part but cars are just as enjoyable on a sunny day and you dont need all that kit on to drive one.

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[Fletton]

It's simple.....

Driving a car is like watching the Film..
Riding a motorcycle is like being in it!..

 

[parknride]

I sometimes hire a bike or scooter in sunnier parts but only for the convenience of getting around. You could have a bike that reaches 100 in 2 seconds it is pointless nobody can see you through your helmet and car drivers are just not interested in how fast your two wheels can go, they are just grateful that you get out of their way as fast as possible.

I'm told its not about who sees you, not about what they think of your speed. It's how you become at one with the bike, the adrenalin, the freedom, the speed. Guess its in your blood or it isn't.

 

[maison]

Sit in your car with a cigarette (while it is still allowed) and the smoke travels straight upwards, even when going at sixty miles an hour. No sense of speed. On a motor bike at 60 mph the wind in your face shows you how fast you are travelling.

It is that feeling of movement, acceleration and the requirement to control the bike with your body, not via a steering wheel with no feedback, that enthuses motorbikes.

If you have never tried it you can't understand.

The most dangerous thing about riding a motorbike is the car driver with the cheery greeting "Sorry mate, didn't see you" after pulling out across your path.

I know it's not practical but, if everyone had to ride a motorbike or scooter for a year before being allowed to drive a car, they would appreciate how dangerous they can make roads for other users. Riding in a tin car doesn't make you invulnerable. It just makes you think you are.

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[buttons]

Bikes are like marmite
You love em or hate em
I've had bikes most of my life ( started off road at about 12 so 50 years ago & I love them( but hate marmite), Though they've become less attractive as I've got older.

It must become more difficult as you get older to get your leg over.......

 

[Minxy]

That all sounds perfectly logical MinxyGirl I cant disagree with the commuting part but cars are just as enjoyable on a sunny day and you dont need all that kit on to drive one.

True to an extent but riding a bike isn't the same as driving a car - you are more 'aware' of your surroundings on a bike and feel more part of it all ... difficult to describe to a non-biker ... however now we've got a Smart cabrio hopefully driving around in the sumemr with the top down will feel just as good!

 

[Minxy]

It must become more difficult as you get older to get your leg over.......

In which case get a scooter ... they are brilliant - we had a couple of Sym VS125s and had great fun on them!

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[buttons]

In which case get a scooter ... they are brilliant - we had a couple of Sym VS125s and had great fun on them!

I've hired scooters while on holiday, I must agree they are enjoyable, just twist the throttle and away you go but not sure it would be as much fun wearing a helmet.

 

[Judge Mental]

When I was 16 wanted a bike like all my mates, Dad would not come through with any money, so I said sod you and got a job weekends and holidays to raise the funds. I worked all hours as a hospital porter in in local specialist orthopaedic hospital. Earned the money but never bought a bike.
This was in 62, the wards were full of either old men with long term issues or young men who had fallen off bikes. The treatments were basic and after pushing many to theatre for leg amputations the attraction of biking wore off. Nearly all of the guys claimed that it was a car driver that caused the problem and not their fault. But the X-ray of a foot/ankle crushed between a bike and 60's car bumper was not a pretty site and from those days forward I have never ridden on a bike, not even at last years Thetford Bash moped race, some things just stay with you!

When I was in hospital chap opposite had come in to visit his biker mate. Only to be run over by an old lady when he left ( him and mate 2 beds apart). was trapped under car and she kept driving, was real mangled up. In this case probably down to dementia which was unknown in those days...

 

[parknride]

True to an extent but riding a bike isn't the same as driving a car - you are more 'aware' of your surroundings on a bike and feel more part of it all ... difficult to describe to a non-biker ... however now we've got a Smart cabrio hopefully driving around in the sumemr with the top down will feel just as good!

Careful minxy, louby lou may get jealous...

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[Shrimp]

Motor bikes are only as dangerous as the nut holding the handlebars!
They don't have to be fast, it's the freedom, you don't have to get stuck in traffic, you don't always have to pay to park, you can get down all the narrow lanes easily, and don't get me onto 'off road' riding-Green Laning!

 

[parknride]

I didn't like riding scooters, I was "wobbly" on it. I like being pillion on the motorbike but don't have the confidence to be in charge of one any more. Let's face it if you get an "off" your going to end up in a mess, if your lucky. Life is for living and experiencing the thrill of being alive.
Everyone gets their thrills in different ways

 

[Minxy]

I've hired scooters while on holiday, I must agree they are enjoyable, just twist the throttle and away you go but not sure it would be as much fun wearing a helmet.

Anyone who rides a bike/scooter WITHOUT a helmit is plain stupid - sorry, but that's my view! If you come off at any speed, even 20mph, you can cause serious injury to your head and whilst I know some people 'hire' scooters on holiday and don't think twice about riding around without suitable protective clothing and helmet it is just plain daft - they wouldn't do it here so why when away?????

I've seen people riding in flip flops - no protection whatsoever if they have to suddenly put a foot down even at very low speeds ... mangled toes/feet, then if they come off, wearing shorts and t-shirt ... mangled knees, elbows, hands etc. Even in summer I never ever used my bikes/scooters without a helmet, sensible shoes, clothing and gloves ... I value my 'body' much more than the inconvenience of having to dress sensibly to ride it.

As for helmets, you can get open faced or flip front ones which are great so you can get more 'air' into your face if you want ... but you also get bugs too! Nowt worse than swallowing a fly whilst riding along!

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[Jaws]

I had to grin at your description in the OP Buttons

It seems to be almost a copy and paste from a publication of the 1950's

Everything you say WAS true..
But that was back in the day when bikes were, in the main, an alternative and very cheap form of transport

Yes, from day one there were always the passionate about bikes, but something changed in the early 60's
I have no idea what or why, but bikes moved on from being just a way to get to work to something more akin to a lifestyle thing

On a personal level, I found I had a deep interest in 'things mechanical'. I could work on an old bike in the shed.. I could never do that with a car.. In fact thinking further, a motorcycle was the natural progression from pushbikes

Once someone has becoming mechanically connected ( for want of a better term ) to anything, a bond forms.
Unlike car ownership, bike ownership is involving.. years ago a huge percentage of folk worked on their cars and modified them.
Custom cars were BIG business
That trend died out and it is rare to see a car that is not pretty much stock.

Bikes on the other hand seem to evolve with ownership.. You buy a bike and then start turning it in to the bike you really wanted but is not made ..
You are, in other words, involved with the machine.. It is not merely rented off Mr Honda etc ( so to speak ) but becomes YOUR bike

They were indeed dirty and smelly way back.. But ( apart from off road stuff ) are definitely no longer like that
They were uncomfortable .. Not any more.. Haven't been for maybe 30+ years .. I would much rather do a 1000 mile run on a bike than in a car
The riding gear was awful.. smelt terrible, leaked like a sieve and really offered so little protection as to be valueless.. Modern riding gear is amazing !

Riding a bike is summed up in a few words... In fact one really... Freedom

Might sound corny but it is actually a feeling you get.. that you are free from constraint and the cares of the world.. Most especially as you sail past all the tin cans stuck in a traffic jam !

And yes, ParkNride is spot on.. It really does seem to be in the blood.. something that people are born with.

My grandfathers had bikes, my father had bikes, I had bikes, my son and both daughters ride, and my sons sons ride

With that in mind, I suspect those who do not ride have a slightly different mental make up to those that do, and as such will probably always struggle to understand what anyone could possibly see in riding..
Just the same for the average biker. We, in general, cannot grasp how anyone can NOT see why someone would not want to ride

I have just thought of a comparison
Ask a pilot why he flies ... Anyone who has owned a small lower end of market plane will know flying one is cold, uncomfortable and bloody expensive
Yet they love doing it.. Love the tinkering... in fact love the FREEDOM !!

 

[busby]

When I was 16 wanted a bike like all my mates, Dad would not come through with any money, so I said sod you and got a job weekends and holidays to raise the funds. I worked all hours as a hospital porter in in local specialist orthopaedic hospital. Earned the money but never bought a bike.
This was in 62, the wards were full of either old men with long term issues or young men who had fallen off bikes. The treatments were basic and after pushing many to theatre for leg amputations the attraction of biking wore off. Nearly all of the guys claimed that it was a car driver that caused the problem and not their fault. But the X-ray of a foot/ankle crushed between a bike and 60's car bumper was not a pretty site and from those days forward I have never ridden on a bike, not even at last years Thetford Bash moped race, some things just stay with you!

And what have you done with all that money you earned,? hope you didn't waste it on wine and women...BUSBY.

 

[jockaneezer]

I like bikes, it's trikes I don't get, all the disadvantages of a motorbike and non of the advantages of a car ?

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