The case for commuting by motorcycle

Despite the reputation, it's better, more practical transit than you might think.

See full article...

 

[tslr]

I'm surprised this comment section is so extremely negative towards motorbikes. Yes, there are higher risks connected with being relatively unprotected near other traffic - But getting on a motorbike is not a guaranteed gruesome injury either.

I agree with the article that full protective gear shall be worn every time, but it left out back protectors.

I don't ride my bike nearly as much as I used to, and I have commuted quite a bit. Just assume everyone around you is an inattentive idiot and it is usually fine (but to be fair, I assume the same when I drive my car too).

I think the issue is that it's one thing to have an article talking about cool bikes or about people having fun on motorcycles and it's another thing entirely to have an article advocating that you get one and commute on it. The question you always wind up with is if motorcycling is rewarding enough to be worth the risk you take and for a lot of people it's just not. Motorcycles aren't for everyone and that's OK.

 

[ScifiGeek]

As an engineering student in his 20s, having ridden an Aprilia Tuono 660 for a bit, I have some points to make:

• I ride a bike mostly as playing with a toy. Constantly going for errands/point A to B trips where you don't target having a good time on the way with one will "get you" in the end because you will not be paying as much attention, you'll be taking the shortest route (often the motorway), you'll be loaded up with cargo and may in the end slack off properly wearing PPE. I've had times considering "yeah I'll just put on my bike jacket for this little trip and not wear the Astars boots". I also know that most accidents occur around your house. I've therefore never ridden it in normal clothing. One of my instructors had gotten his knee badly destroyed in what should have been a little 2km errand-getting ride where he swerved to avoid a car, couldn't divert on the sidewalk because a lady was walking there, then the bike keeled over and he fell. He had no PPE.
• It's a real expensive hobby. I honestly think you could get cheap thrills with an MX-5 without easily spending 2-3k on PPE with good quality helmets, boots, pants and jackets. Airbag systems are the cherry on top but I think Dainese's and Astars' systems cost like upwards of one thousand bucks and it's only the airbag. Severely reduces spinal injury. So going in it looking at bike prices compared to their power/weight ratio is misleading.
• Some PPE is going to be trading off safety for practicality/looks. The reinforced denim pants are alright, but some shoes I've seen have really low levels of ankle protection, same for some gloves. This is I assume to avoid looking like a power ranger in public - but again, look at my first point: if you can't pack to change and it's something really important, is it worth taking the bike while stressed?
• I care about death, but I am not really completely obsessed with it. I got my bike after emerging from depression with the outlook around the future. I want to get my thrills while I still can. The bike definitely delivers and it makes you feel alive like nothing else. It is truly one of - if not the - favourite thing i have around. I think this grimness about the future is shared with many of my peers around my age, which explains why I slowly saw more and more students on bikes over time.
• Today the rates of deaths on the road are identical to when bikes didn't have the technologies that we currently have, that is TC, ABS, steering ABS, advanced PPE. This is due to both bad technique from other road users and bikers themselves. The bike can do a whole lot for you but doing a proper avoidance maneuver at speed or emergency braking has to be a stroll in the park for you. Moreover, I've noticed in the last five years more and more people on their phone on the motorway. One of my peers had his friend be crushed into a paste by a phone-addicted van driver right in front of his eyes while riding - on the motorway. That's why I try my best to avoid it - which is easy, since it's the most boring roads to take. Also reduces the potential energy and braking distance, and raises the reaction time in a crash since I'll mostly be around 70-90km/h on the side roads vs 120-130km/h on the highway. Noticed people paid more attention on the side roads too. Fun roads keep everyone involved, not only bikers.
• My father has been an orthopaedic surgeon for decades and has been the least stressed out about me riding the bike in my familial circle. Most of his patients with high energy fractures are NOT wearing PROPER gear. This is anecdotal evidence, and my father could be plotting for my demise, but I find it reassuring somewhat.

I'm happy to talk bikes with people interested in them, and enjoy having more friends to go on a drive with, but I worry that pushing people into the hobby for pure practical aspects will make the space end up with more "scooter drivers" - guys on 125cc devices just swerving around traffic in shorts with an unfastened helmet and scrolling on their phones (they manage to get through a big city ten times faster than me with a bike ten times less powerful than mine! they don't fear death) - just that this time they would be on 80-100hp vehicles. Meh

I think it's hilarious that a 20 something year old, riding a high power sports bike, "mostly as playing with a toy", is lecturing against commuting and doing errands as the danger that will "get you" if you don't focus on "having a good time".

Did you leave out the /s ??

 

[NopeNopeNope]

My mother banned two things when I was younger: smoking and getting a motorbike. Smart woman.

My wife calls them donorbikes from her time as an ER and later orthopaedics doctor,

Averages, but commuting, and (as this author admits) weaving between lanes of other traffic is choosing to play in the dangerous ranges of those injuries and deaths per mile figures.

 

[lurknomore]

Yeah. Speed, distance, frequency, and other road users all figure in to the risk picture. Would I ride a motorcycle on a quiet back road with few other cars? Sure. Would I ride a motorcycle or e-bike short distances in the city, at relatively low neighborhood speeds? Sure. Would I ride a motorcycle at 66-70mph in morning highway traffic? Shit the living fuck no.

If you want to go East-West in San Fernando Valley, you have to highways : 101 and 118.
The 118 is quite straight, wide, clean entrances/exits, and has a carpool lane (legal for bikes). The 101 is narrow, winding, short ramps, no carpool lane.
Similarly, the infamous 405 is a much better bike highway than the 5.
The same morons drive on all of those, but I know which ones I take when I'm stuck having to go that way on two wheels. I've refused jobs that would have required me to either get stuck 90 minutes each way, or risk my life every day splitting on the 5 or 101.

Choose the right roads, wear the gear, don't ride like an idiot. Still a higher chance of dying than in 3-ton tank, but being the safest possible at all times isn't what life is about.

 

[rbryanh]

America has a motorcycle problem. Whereas the rest of the world views two-wheeled motorized transportation as transportation, the US sees motorcycles and scooters as toys.

America has a distance problem and a zoning problem. We prefer four- to two-wheeled vehicles for the same reason we prefer planes over trains: we have long distances to travel.

Not all of this is inevitable. We exacerbate our geography problem with our perverted suburb fetish and all its attendant paraphernalia: millions of crappy cookie cutter houses, strip malls, drive throughs, shopping malls, and - worst of all - the automobile as the false god of ersatz freedom and bogus economic mobility. The whole hideous mess of it is a national disease, which among other nightmares, kills 25,000 people a year.

In most European countries, the division between urban and rural landscapes is much sharper and more abrupt. Most people live in cities, where public transportation and two-wheeled vehicles are feasible and sensible. The U.S., on the other hand, is the land of two and three hour daily commutes. Most areas lack decent public transportation. Much of the country is subject to extreme weather. For the majority of Americans, it's simply not possible to use a motorcycle as a primary means of transportation, and in a time when more and more of the populace is being economically banished to Walmart, the expense of maintaining two vehicles is simply too much.

P.S. This is why I've lived only in those few American cities where it's possible to rely entirely on a bicycle and a motorcycle, and am now an old man who's never owned a car. I regard them as ugly, stupid, wasteful, and destructive. My siblings regard me as radical socialist whose mere existence corrupts their children.

P.P.S. I've great enjoyed the three bikes I've owned. If you're considering it, first attend a top ranking motorcycle school. Take the course twice if you don't ace it the first time. Your life is at stake. Second, acquire your first bike knowing that you're going to beat it to death. Nice bikes are for your second year of riding. Finally, always wear a top-rated full-face helmet. Don't inflict caring for a drooling, incontinent remnant of yourself on the people who care about you.

 

[alphaLONE]

I think it's hilarious that a 20 something year old, riding a high power sports bike, "mostly as playing with a toy", is lecturing against commuting and doing errands as the danger that will "get you" if you don't focus on "having a good time".

Did you leave out the /s ??

Go ahead and tell me ensuring the destination I go to is where I want, that the roads I'm taking are empty, that the weather is going to be good, that I'm not carrying a shit ton of weight in my bags or rushing to an appointment at a time that I cannot postpone or cancel is a bad idea.

I get on my bike when I feel at 100% and am in the mood for it. I get up and go to classes, appointments, work while tired and drowsy because they're obligations of my adult life, in my car that is safer. But you'd have maybe gotten that message had you not disregarded my post at the first paragraph... Maybe you're busy skimming it on the motorway?

 

[tslr]

I think it's hilarious that a 20 something year old, riding a high power sports bike, "mostly as playing with a toy", is lecturing against commuting and doing errands as the danger that will "get you" if you don't focus on "having a good time".

Did you leave out the /s ??

That's not unusual. If I'm not stressed out or distracted by the day's work on my commute I'm probably surrounded by rush hour traffic full of people that are. Being in the right headspace is important to being able to make good decisions while riding.

 

[Jordan83]

Yeah. Speed, distance, frequency, and other road users all figure in to the risk picture. Would I ride a motorcycle on a quiet back road with few other cars? Sure. Would I ride a motorcycle or e-bike short distances in the city, at relatively low neighborhood speeds? Sure. Would I ride a motorcycle at 66-70mph in morning highway traffic? Shit the living fuck no.

I know it sounds counter-intuitive, but highways are generally safer for motorcyclists than main roads with speed limits of 40 - 60 and intersections. Even during rush hour traffic. At least on a highway, there are no intersections and no traffic coming the opposite way (usually).

 

[Flipper35]

America has a distance problem and a zoning problem. We prefer four- to two-wheeled vehicles for the same reason we prefer planes over trains: we have long distances to travel.

Not all of this is inevitable. We exacerbate our geography problem with our perverted suburb fetish and all its attendant paraphernalia: millions of crappy cookie cutter houses, strip malls, drive throughs, shopping malls, and - worst of all - the automobile as the false god of ersatz freedom and bogus economic mobility. The whole hideous mess of it is a national disease, which among other nightmares, kills 25,000 people a year.

In most European countries, the division between urban and rural landscapes is much sharper and more abrupt. Most people live in cities, where public transportation and two-wheeled vehicles are feasible and sensible. The U.S., on the other hand, is the land of two and three hour daily commutes. Most areas lack decent public transportation. Much of the country is subject to extreme weather. For the majority of Americans, it's simply not possible to use a motorcycle as a primary means of transportation, and in a time when more and more of the populace is being economically banished to Walmart, the expense of maintaining two vehicles is simply too much.

P.S. This is why I've lived only in those few American cities where it's possible to rely entirely on a bicycle and a motorcycle, and am now an old man who's never owned a car. I regard them as ugly, stupid, wasteful, and destructive. My siblings regard me as radical socialist whose mere existence corrupts their children.

P.P.S. I've great enjoyed the three bikes I've owned. If you're considering it, first attend a top ranking motorcycle school. Take the course twice if you don't ace it the first time. Your life is at stake. Second, acquire your first bike knowing that you're going to beat it to death. Nice bikes are for your second year of riding. Finally, always wear a top-rated full-face helmet. Don't inflict caring for a drooling, incontinent remnant of yourself on the people who care about you.

One clarification, there are multi hour commutes, some are 17 miles some are 90 miles.

 

[huskcummerbund]

3 years ago I sold my truck and replaced it with a 500cc motorcycle. My first bike since I was 10, and I was in my late 30's. Not a big fast bike, but it could still hit triple digits (barely). I've committed on that bike for the last 3 years, both around Honolulu and now around Barstow coming up on 22,000 miles and climbing quickly. So both urban traffic and... well, the desert. I've done almost all of it grocery shopping on that bike. Plenty of rain, wind, shitty drivers, and now bulk amounts of heat. I've gotten off my bike after riding to work with an inch of water in my boots. I've had so many people give me a SMIDSY. It was 110 degrees yesterday when I rode home.

And I still fucking love it.

Wear good gear. Take classes. Understand your skill level. Ride within your skill level. Ride like absolutely nobody can see you. Pay attention. Realize it's gonna suck sometimes. And enjoy the ride.

 

[huskcummerbund]

They used to be, but not anymore. At least not in the US. They pretty much all have catalytic converters now. It might be legally mandatory, but even if not, basically every motorcycle sold comes with one.

Yeah, they are mandatory now. Have been for a while. A lot of squids on sport bikes put race pipes on though, which is both illegal and annoyingly loud.

 

[Fred Duck]

Was I the only one who read "Kyle" in the byline and assumed it was Regular Kyle? This will teach me not to stop partway through a

 

[huskcummerbund]

I'm surprised this comment section is so extremely negative towards motorbikes. Yes, there are higher risks connected with being relatively unprotected near other traffic - But getting on a motorbike is not a guaranteed gruesome injury either.

I agree with the article that full protective gear shall be worn every time, but it left out back protectors.

I don't ride my bike nearly as much as I used to, and I have commuted quite a bit. Just assume everyone around you is an inattentive idiot and it is usually fine (but to be fair, I assume the same when I drive my car too).

A lot of them, certainly not all but at least quite a few, are probably the same that say driving shouldn't be fun. That everything needs to be as safe as safe can be. Safety is an illusion. Everything is a risk. Might as well pick enjoyable ones.

 

[cesspoolcreature]

I stopped being interested in motorcycles during my college Neurophysiology class when I learned that neurological research pays for long-term hospitalization of motorcycle riders with brain injuries because motorcyclists damaging and inserting foreign objects into every corner of the skull is still one of the best ways of figuring out what parts of the brain do what.

You can start calling us Neurophysiology Research Volunteers if Organ Donors is getting old. Wordy but I kinda like it

 

[OpenThePodBayDoor]

As far as safety, people need to keep in mind that the squids skew the statistics. The young (mostly) men (mostly) who ride as if they were indestructible and stunt, and post videos of themselves speeding, count for a huge proportion of the motorcycle accidents and fatalities.

That may be, but the most common age group for motorcycle fatalities is age 50+ (https://www.iihs.org/research-areas/fatality-statistics/detail/motorcycles-and-atvs#age-and-sex). Younger riders (<29yo) are about 30% of fatalities, older riders (>50) are 33%. and have outpaced younger rider's fatalities since 2009.

 

[ScifiGeek]

Go ahead and tell me ensuring the destination I go to is where I want, that the roads I'm taking are empty, that the weather is going to be good, that I'm not carrying a shit ton of weight in my bags or rushing to an appointment at a time that I cannot postpone or cancel is a bad idea.

I get on my bike when I feel at 100% and am in the mood for it. I get up and go to classes, appointments, work while tired and drowsy because they're obligations of my adult life, in my car that is safer. But you'd have maybe gotten that message had you not disregarded my post at the first paragraph... Maybe you're busy skimming it on the motorway?

It's more that you are in your twenties and get your jollies with a high powered sports bike on the street. You are practically a cliché. And then you lecture other people for not emulating you.

I think high powered sports bikes should really be on the track, as they would be rather wasted if you are riding legally on the road.

 

[huskcummerbund]

I think it's hilarious that a 20 something year old, riding a high power sports bike, "mostly as playing with a toy", is lecturing against commuting and doing errands as the danger that will "get you" if you don't focus on "having a good time".

Did you leave out the /s ??

Bro... It's a 660. And a Tuono at that. Not exactly a high power sports bike. Sure it's fast enough to yeet yourself into Low Earth Orbit if you try hard enough, but it's not a "Liter bike" that can do that in second gear.

 

[Eng_wkzm]

I‘m over 60 now. Riding a bike since 40 years (naturally still having a car). Commuting with the bike. Had 3 serious accidents. Got wet,cold and hypothermic. Mostly — but not always — wearing my safety gear. And giving a shit about all the safety advices . And statistics. If you want to miss jumping on your bike on a warm summer evening and going on a spin - do it. If you don’t want to take bike your to work on a crisp spring morning - do it. If you don’t want to smell the summer, swing through the spring, ride on the roar of the cc’s - stay in your car. But if you like to have a life, ride your bike.

 

[huskcummerbund]

One clarification, there are multi hour commutes, some are 17 miles some are 90 miles.

Went strait from driving cars and trucks for 20 years to doing 3 hour round trip commutes to Boston on my first bike. Admittedly not my smartest move. Wrecked twice in the first two weeks. Three years later I'm still on that bike 5+ days a week, and my current commute is 1.5hrs round trip, just now at over 100 degrees. Long commutes are definitely doable. Unfortunately, fuel tanks are small and tires wear surprisingly quickly. Every other day I gotta stop for 3 gallons of gas, and I only get about 8,000 miles out of a tire. That's the rough part.

 

[dimathiel]

Sounds like this is specific to California cities, with their relativity stable environment, and motorcycle friendly laws. Outside of that you start running into all the major downsides, not to mention the fact that you're talking about buying a $10k+ commuter specific vehicle to go along with needing another vehicle for non-commuting needs.


But we live in the real world, where people are going to wear the least amount they can get away with legally. I very rarely see people on motorcycles with riding specific gear, other than a helmet. Maybe commuters are more likely to wear this as they need to keep their work clothes in better shape?

They fit whole families on a Honda Cub here. It’s most people’s sole family vehicle.

 

[huskcummerbund]

They fit whole families on a Honda Cub here. It’s most people’s sole family vehicle.

I don't understand how their centrifugal clutches don't need to be rebuilt on a daily basis the way they ride.

 

[brendanc]

I'm glad to see this article! I commuted by motorcycle for years, and while I no longer have a commute I still use the bike for most errands. As a result we're still a one-car family.

Numerous comments have alluded to the risks from other motorists, but after many tens of thousands of miles and a few low-sides and one scaphoid fracture I've learned that gravel is the real danger. I've never been involved in a multi-vehicle incident, and even close calls are exceedingly rare. My top tips are:

• Take it seriously. Follow the obvious best practices: anti-lock brakes, traction control, as much protective gear as you can stand, etc. Go to any motorcycling classes you can find, then use your commute to practice the skills you learned.
• Practice maximin navigation: ride the line that maximizes the minimum distance between you and everyone else. This one technique gets you probably 80% of the way to optimally safe riding if you ask me.
• Riding should be fun. Build an extra ten minutes each way into your schedule so you can take a meandering back road. Instead of riding straight home on Friday, go exploring for an hour or two.
• Small children will wave at you, so be sure to wave back.
• A white full-face helmet is remarkably visible and looks sick.

 

[alphaLONE]

It's more that you are in your twenties and get your jollies with a high powered sports bike on the street. You are practically a cliché. And then you lecture other people for not emulating you.

I think high powered sports bikes should really be on the track, as they would be rather wasted if you are riding legally on the road.

It's not a S1000RR...? it's quite a weak, naked bike relatively speaking, bought for its handling characteristics and not speed. I'd have gotten something weaker but A2 class bikes cost just about the same. Maybe you'd be scared to learn that all A license tests are held on 660cc class bikes with an output for about 100hp, like the Honda CB750 Hornet and Yamaha MT-07. That is, there are people who have only ridden a bike for 4 hours so far going on the same road you take, with bikes with the same output as mine.

I think I only lectured people on staying vigilant and wearing protections. Won't fall into ad hominem war with you but I wonder if your car is also strictly limited to the minimum power output that you deem not wasteful.
FYI, I've driven cars with 70hp on the motorway and it only struggles above the legal limit in most countries. Yet you don't see me lecturing on men in their fourties, driving M-tier BMWs and Mercedes driving on the freeway like they own it and beaming me up because they want to pass me yesterday...

 

[terrydactyl]

For motorcyclists, it's also famous because you get the ability to legally split lanes (i.e., ride between cars on the lane-dividing lines) and filter (i.e., ride between vehicles at a stoplight to get to the front)

In California, at least, seems most motorcyclist don't know that that lane splitting is only for certain circumstances, like not at 80mph. It's an abused privilege.

 

[jonemyers]

The NHTSA "Per vehicle miles traveled in 2022, the fatality rate for motorcyclists (26.16) was almost 22 times the passenger car occupant fatality rate (1.20)

 

[dimathiel]

How the fuck is checking the mirrors going to make that car that's rear-ending you stop faster or avoid you?

Could potentially give you time to get out of the way? Potentially.

 

[kingjj]

As someone who rides an old Triumph and a Honda scooter (gas powered) -- yeah -- very good gas mileage, ability to weave around traffic (especially on the scooter), etc, etc.

But saying "eh, don't believe the haters and that donorcycle nonsense. They're not dangerous. Wear gloves and boots and you'll be fine" is outrageous. Yeah, protective gear will 'help' when thrown (which... happens). Gloves don't stop trucks from breaking bones and rupturing organs. ESPECIALLY on that fucking cam-am. The more VISIBLE one is to big-ass SUVs the better. If you're zipping around on a small, quiet, electric dirtbike you may as well be Claude Rains to them.

If you're going to get a can-am, get one of those three wheeled monstrosities. You'll lose some maneuverability, but you get to keep your spleen.

 

[talfidelis]

That said though, I support mandatory helmet laws. Anyone who gets on a motorcycle without one is a moron who needs their license pulled. If you disagree…GFYS

I used to ride - including commuting. I had a big ol' 1500cc v-twin cruiser (no loud pipes - but had that twin rumble). One night on a ride I hit a deer... no one but the deer was injured and a dent in my front fender. My father's best friend had several bikes and was very experienced and died in a horrific head-on with a truck that swerved into his lane. I pretty much stopped riding after that (took a few months to realize why I wasn't into it anymore).

I also recently moved to PA where this is no helmet law. I've been here about 18 months now and I saw - for the first time - a couple on a bike with helmets and full denim protective gear, boots and gloves. Usually it's a "Harley" rider in jeans and his vest with no helmet or - even better - some idiot in flip flops and shorts (and of course no helmet). I actually said "Thank You" out loud to myself when I saw the couple with all the gear on.

 

[Lurch]

My Dad is a retired Forensic Pathologist and I wasn't overly restricted from doing things, but motorcyles were a notable no can do based on his work experience.

 

[Penforhire]

I’m glad to see other serious riders here. I started riding at age 25 and gave it up around age 55, mostly in northern and southern California and for a lot of commuting. A few years that was my only commute method.

Even in So Cal you need a rain suit at times. Later in life I upgraded to an Aerostitch Roadcrafter, a custom tailored all weather protective jumpsuit.

For my first decade or so I rode without a helmet, back when it was legal in CA. Yes, dumb, I know. Some clear recollections of juicy bug strikes to the forehead. I got better, same with seat belts in cars. I eventually wore good gear (including gloves and boots) all the time, even at 118 degrees F riding through Needles CA (with a wet pad inside the helmet and a misting water canister aimed at me on the tank bag.

I’ll be the first to say not everyone is cut out to be a safe rider. You need to be a better driver than most people you know, with a very high degree of awareness. Highly recommend both the beginner and advanced rider MSF (or equivalent) classes.

I also won’t say they are safe, in general. Think about it. Two wheels are inherently unstable (note most crash stats called out single vehicle accidents). In all those years I only had two drivers intentionally try to kill me on the highway. Lost count of the distracted drivers but they come with the territory.

Add me to the folks who feel (with anecdotes in hand) lane splitting is safer that staying mid-lane in stop and go traffic. Smart riders understand to keep the speed differential low (CHiP’s are the fastest spitters in general, but also well trained) and pay attention to circumstances. Just for example, two cars next to each other are not going to suddenly try to swap lanes but a car with an opening to one side is super-risky to pass. In wrath of God LA traffic lane splitting required the most sustained concentration of anything I ever did.

I remain an advocate of helmets when riding and ABS on m/c’s. But I do also note most automobile fatalities are head injuries (used to have a link for that but not now, go ahead and dispute) so mandatory helmets in cars might also save lives, while having no chance of passing as law.

At the end of the day I won’t recommend commuting on a motorcycle unless you are driven (ohh, pun) to do it.

 

[AusPeter]

That's not unusual. If I'm not stressed out or distracted by the day's work on my commute I'm probably surrounded by rush hour traffic full of people that are. Being in the right headspace is important to being able to make good decisions while riding.

I don't ride now, but I do down hill ski, and I take the same approach. If my heads not in the game then I get off the slopes, because that shit's dangerous. My local ski slopes are a small affair but there's still several people a year killing themselves by running into trees etc. And on the days that I do ski, I always see the ski patrol bringing someone down the mountain.

 

[sarusa]

You do what you want, but while I was perfectly comfortable riding a motorcycle all over Cambodia because every driver is paying attention (you have to when everyone just casually drives in the wrong way lanes as needed), in California (and probably the rest of the country) it does not matter how good a rider you are, how cautious you are, how well equipped you are - only half the other people on the road are even paying attention and you are at their mercy.

I actually considered it after coming back from Cambodia - it is indeed fun, very freeing, much less gas. But then I couldn't help but notice my local news RSS feed had 'fatal bike accident', 'motorcyclist killed by woman checking her texts', 'motorcyclist run off road killed', almost every single day, sometimes multiple. Of course people get in car accidents too - I have been hit by these same stupid drivers in my car, guy ran a red light and broke all my ribs. But I survived, because I was in a car surrounded by airbags. That would have been guaranteed death on a motorbike.

Basically, enough other drivers are so bad at it that I'm unwilling to give up my mobile defense shield. As a compromise I've switched to a pedal eBike I use for local stuff - we have decent bike lanes and I'm not in a traffic hellhole like downtown LA. And I don't have to get in lanes with car traffic. So yes it's still risky at intersections, but that's as far as I'm willing to go on freedom/exercise vs safety. YMMV, obviously!

 

[drramtop]

I work in a hospital as an ID doctor, often treating trauma-related infections. Even a regular bicycle or electric bike is dangerous enough. Add a ton more power and a lot more heavy metal to it, and its just catastrophic. You see your several hundred'th limb(s) amputation and traumatic brain injury from a motorcycle accident and it kind of makes it lose just a bit of that luster. Also, theres a VERY GOOD REASON lane splitting is illegal in many places, it's because it's the #1 highest risk ways of getting turned from a functional human into a pile of shattered bones and ejected cranial contents.

Here in the UK filtering (lane splitting) is not only legal but encouraged, and our motorcycle KSI accident rates are lower than any US state. It's a lot safer than sitting at the back of a line of cars waiting for some inattentive driver to smash into you.

But you do need to know how to do it safely and I suspect the ridiculously lax motorcycle licence requirements in the US are at fault for the casualty rates. The UK, like many European countries, has a very demanding process for getting a bike licence - you have to pass at least 5 tests to get a licence, and there's an age restriction on riding the most powerful bikes.

 

[raxadian]

The biggest problems with riding bikes are weather conditions and how much likely you are to die in accidents.

It may go against almost every movie about someone riding a bike you ever watched but DON'T GO TOO FAST, more so if the weather isn't helping.

Also avoid riding in the rain, bikes slip in wet raining roads like it was ice. And you are likely to get sick.

 

[sadsteve]

Gear wise, kevlar is better than leather. That's according to all the motorcycle cops I knew when I lived in southern California. It is pricey though. My armored jacket and pants came to $1400 (over 15 years ago).

 

[DJ Farkus]

I honestly had no idea "lane splitting" was legal anywhere in the US.
My state is a weird mix: no lane splitting allowed, but no helmet required.

 

[EarlD]

Always wanted a motorcycle, took the class, added the motorcycle endorsement to my license and started riding.

That's when I truly realized the number of idiots on the road.
Riding right behind me on the expressway at 75mph (minimum real speed limit on Atlanta highways), pulling in front of me at stop signs, and drivers weaving out of their lanes while looking at their phones.

When a famous artist died on their motorcycle just a mile from my house while waiting at a red light, I realized that even if I did everything right, nothing could prevent some idiot from taking me out and they would just walk away while I ended up in an emergency room or worse.

 

[Thaisen]

Dying is the least practical thing you can do. Physics doesn't care about you.

 

[valkyriebiker]

I've owned many bikes over the years and love driving them and I've commuted on them as well.

In my days commuting in Houston, lone bikers were permitted to use the reversible HOV lanes which was fast and pretty safe. It was one lane with jersey walls on both sides. My commute via bike was half the time it took in a cage.

I'm 100% WFH these days so no more commute. I only ride for fun now.

Yes, its dangerous. But driving a bike will make you a better cage driver. There's so much you learn about traffic and people operating a bike.

 

[internet2000]

I'm so glad the majority of the comments so far are pointing out how dangerous they are in our roads. Please don't advocate for more of those, and I say that as a car driver, I don't want to kill/injure you!