The case for commuting by motorcycle

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

See full article...

 

[chrisaj]

As a long-time electric motorcycle commuter in LA, I both love seeing articles like this, and absolutely abhor reading the comments!

Advantages: 1) Short, reliable commute time, 2) no parking fees, 3) closer parking to office, 4) no gas fill-ups, 5) silent running, etc...
Disadvantages: 1) Greater chance of death/injury

Safe riding to all! ATGATT!

 

[SavedByTechnology]

I have been interested in riding for many years, but my late wife was always worried about the other guy. After being inspired by Neil Peart’s “Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road”, I decided to take a motorcycle safety course. How quickly I changed my mind. At 58, my reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Dream another dream I suppose, it’s just too dangerous out there.

 

[Wheels Of Confusion]

Some day I might need a kidney. Here's hoping more riders shorten the waiting list!

 

[Icefly]

I was excited to read this article, because I am also curious to know why motorcycles are so unpopular in the US, but the article sadly completely skips that question...
The choice of suggested motorcycles is also a bit odd, because not representative of what is popular in countries where motorcycles are popular ...

Here in Europe, the majority of the "motorcycles" are actually scooters (like a vespa, not a lime scooter) and you'll find typically find them with 50, 110 or 125 cm³ corresponding to something around 3, 9 and 15 horsepower (the latter one is enough to reach our highway speeds of 75 mph) They cost about 1500$, 2000$ and 3500$ if you buy new. The 50 cm³ are going extinct, being replaced by electric scooters (still speaking of the big ones) and e-bikes. The difference is that a 45 km/h e-bike tend to cost more than 4000 $, while the electric scooter only costs about 2000 $ (globalization I guess ?)

This also explains where gas powered scooters position themselves compared to ebikes : they cost a lot less and do a lot more (in speed and range). And when you don't need speed and range, the classical bicycle is still king of commute, and beats everything else in price and longevity (I don't live in the Netherlands, yet we still probably have a as much bicycles as people)

 

[Steve austin]

I can’t believe that the author is advocating for lane splitting (not legal here, but done all the time) and cutting between cars to get up to a light. These seem among the most dangerous moves a motorcyclist can do (and incidentally, among the most likely to tick off a car driver). That’s even if you are otherwise a safe rider (which is likely unusual, judging by the motorcyclists I see), wear a helmet (not required here, and often not worn) and the rest. Maybe it’s possible to fairly safely ride a motorcycle on busy streets during commute times (I doubt it, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt) but I can’t see encouraging those actions, apparently just to save the motorcyclist commute or other travel time, as something a reasonable person would do.

 

[ColdWetDog]

I like motorcycle culture and aesthetics, particularly the subculture thereof that comes from the lineage of cool dudes like Steve McQueen and Paul Newman doing cool dude shit in the desert on cool bikes, and cool dudes like Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman doing cool overland shit on cool bikes, and cool motorcycle races like the Dakar. They're cool. I see a BMW 1600 GS or a Husqvarna Svartpilen or a Ducati Scrambler and I bite my lip a little. There's few cars that have that kind of cool, and the ones that do tend to get adopted as aspirational lifestyle affectations by owners who aren't that cool, e.g. Wranglers, G-wagens, Broncos, etc. And that dynamic ends up making them less cool unless it's a very rare car, like a 911 Dakar. Motorcycles aren't usually so common that you can just assume the driver is a dork with a high debt tolerance who's just commuting to work and has never done anything cool.

But I was a volunteer at a local hospital when I was 16-18 or so, and ended up hanging out a lot in the ER, and there's some sights related to motorcycle accidents I wish I'd known to play a lot of Tetris soon after I beheld them there. The idea of actually riding a bike brings up a mental image of someone's whole-ass thigh hanging off their femur and that kills all the cool vibes.

That said, this is all good advice:

And I'd add that the classic ingredients for a horrific motorcycle accident are high speed, highways, darkness, bad visibility, unprotected intersections, not enough PPE, alcohol, drugs, or combinations thereof. Avoid as many of those factors as you can and you're probably fine. Probably. And pick your routes, times, and actions very carefully. Friends of mine who ride tell me there's lots of mornings where the vibe is just off and they take the car.

In the 1970's, the first comprehensive study on motorcycle accidents was created. Aptly or ironically named the Hurt Report, after the lead author's name it described a list of 55 items that were involved in the vast majority of motorcycle accidents. The top 10:

• Approximately three-quarters of these motorcycle accidents involved collision with another vehicle, which was most usually a passenger automobile.
• Approximately one-quarter of these motorcycle accidents were single vehicle accidents involving the motorcycle colliding with the roadway or some fixed object in the environment.
• Vehicle failure accounted for less than 3% of these motorcycle accidents, and most of those were single vehicle accidents where control was lost due to a puncture flat.
• In the single vehicle accidents, motorcycle rider error was present as the accident precipitating factor in about two-thirds of the cases, with the typical error being a slide-out and fall due to overbraking or running wide on a curve due to excess speed or under-cornering.
• Roadway defects (pavement ridges, potholes, etc.) were the accident cause in 2% of the accidents; animal involvement was 1% of the accidents.
• In the multiple vehicle accidents, the driver of the other vehicle violated the motorcycle right-of-way and caused the accident in two-thirds of those accidents.
• The failure of motorists to detect and recognize motorcycles in traffic is the predominating cause of motorcycle accidents. The driver of the other vehicle involved in collision with the motorcycle did not see the motorcycle before the collision, or did not see the motorcycle until too late to avoid the collision.
• Deliberate hostile action by a motorist against a motorcycle rider is a rare accident cause.
• The most frequent accident configuration is the motorcycle proceeding straight then the automobile makes a left turn in front of the oncoming motorcycle.
• Intersections are the most likely place for the motorcycle accident, with the other vehicle violating the motorcycle right-of-way, and often violating traffic controls.

Additionally, the study found that weather was not a factor in 98% of motorcycle accidents and that 16-24 year old males were vastly over represented and 30-50 year old males underrepresented. The Wikipedia article notes that there is some concern that the report may have less utility after some 50+ years but that attempts to redo it have failed for mostly financial reasons.

 

[sword_9mm]

I can’t believe that the author is advocating for lane splitting (not legal here, but done all the time) and cutting between cars to get up to a light. These seem among the most dangerous moves a motorcyclist can do (and incidentally, among the most likely to tick off a car driver). That’s even if you are otherwise a safe rider (which is likely unusual, judging by the motorcyclists I see), wear a helmet (not required here, and often not worn) and the rest. Maybe it’s possible to fairly safely ride a motorcycle on busy streets during commute times (I doubt it, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt) but I can’t see encouraging those actions, apparently just to save the motorcyclist commute or other travel time, as something a reasonable person would do.

What is the law if a biker splits lanes, the motorist doesn't notice, opens the door to say dump a cup of water out and the biker turns into door paste?

Is that criminal? If so for who?

Yeah; lane splitting sounds really really dumb.

 

[chanman819]

Lane splitting in a traffic jam sounds like a terrible idea. In many cases, there's a breakdown or accident ahead or one lane is just notably slower than the other, and drivers will be merging very slowly as gaps open up, occupying the narrow bit of road a lane splitting bike is trying to traverse.

 

[Deny_Deflect_Disavow]

He says just the opposite....so.....

Freedom to die or get seriously injured is just that. Point is, on a motorcycle or bicycle you’re exposed, you will absolutely always lose. Having a helmet simply means you get chance to live through it. But hey! bikes are fun and there’s always luck.

 

[anechoe]

I use an electric scooter as my "car" - my house only has one parking spot, and my partner has a car. But the electric scooter has been really nice. You definitely have to be very aware, but I haven't crashed on a scooter once in three years (I did crash almost immediately after getting a bicycle, because it exhausted me and then I just ran into a curb, though >.> thankful it wasn't bad).
As with everything, being as safe as possible and taking your time really helps safety. I basically only ride on bike lanes, at bike speeds, and I generally feel safe. If it's too wet or anything else, I just get a lyft.

... This is very contingent on the availability of bike lanes/paths in your area though. I think in most of the US, sadly a car is basically the only option.


Motorcycles seem ... I dunno. I don't really get why if you're driving safely, you would be able to beat traffic like that - as others said, lane splitting doesn't seem ... the safest. But ... to each their own, I guess!

 

[agpob]

For several years (1973-1976) my primary transportation was Honda 750. Carried my 4ft ladder, sheet metal tools and 2 gallon water jug. Unless there were snow plows operating I rode my bike. Later, company vehicles relegated my bike to recreational use. Watch out for crazy "cagers"...

 

[ScifiGeek]

One disadvantage not mentioned is tire costs. Car tires for a commuter sedan - 50-80,000 lifespan. Motorcycle tires - 5-10,000 life. Replace half the number of tires, but at 60% of the cost and 4 times as often, and you've just erased any fuel savings you've gained.

When I got the Bike bug at one point (safety concerns changed my mind), I read the a couple of "Don't do it to save money" articles. Tires were the big item.

 

[ColdWetDog]

Far and away the biggest mistake even veteran riders make is in riding a motorcycle like they drive a car. If you need any faith at all in your fellow road users you're riding wrong.

Never believe a turn signal until you see the wheels turn. If a car is slowing down, assume it didn't see you and is planning to turn in front of you. Never pace a car in another lane. As you're passing a car, assume it's about to move into your lane and position yourself accordingly - and when it does move into you, just glide over to the side and move on with life. Position yourself at stoplights and stop signs at the edge of the lane - or even better, filter between the cars if your local laws allow it. Etc, Etc.

Above all, discard your ego and don't be surprised, angry, or otherwise shaken when a car doesn't see you or does something dumb. Just always have a plan and deal with it. You're not a co-equal member of traffic when you're on a bike, you're a fragile nearly invisible minnow in a sea of distracted half-blind whales. If you try to act like you're a whale too, you're going to have a bad time.

If you can't handle any of that, don't ride. Not saying that in a gate-keepery way, just a reality way. Plenty of times I've self-assessed, realized I was too tired/stressed/distracted to ride safely, and took the car instead - even though I knew that'd mean dealing with all of the traffic and parking frustrations that go with a cage.

Basically you have to ride as if you are invisible to everyone else. Which is pretty close to the truth.

 

[Flipper35]

I was excited to read this article, because I am also curious to know why motorcycles are so unpopular in the US, but the article sadly completely skips that question...
The choice of suggested motorcycles is also a bit odd, because not representative of what is popular in countries where motorcycles are popular ...

Here in Europe, the majority of the "motorcycles" are actually scooters (like a vespa, not a lime scooter) and you'll find typically find them with 50, 110 or 125 cm³ corresponding to something around 3, 9 and 15 horsepower (the latter one is enough to reach our highway speeds of 75 mph) They cost about 1500$, 2000$ and 3500$ if you buy new. The 50 cm³ are going extinct, being replaced by electric scooters (still speaking of the big ones) and e-bikes. The difference is that a 45 km/h e-bike tend to cost more than 4000 $, while the electric scooter only costs about 2000 $ (globalization I guess ?)

This also explains where gas powered scooters position themselves compared to ebikes : they cost a lot less and do a lot more (in speed and range). And when you don't need speed and range, the classical bicycle is still king of commute, and beats everything else in price and longevity (I don't live in the Netherlands, yet we still probably have a as much bicycles as people)

Here in the US, those motor scooters are not allowed on highways so any rural area they are useless for anything other than running to the conveninece store.

 

[Flipper35]

What is the law if a biker splits lanes, the motorist doesn't notice, opens the door to say dump a cup of water out and the biker turns into door paste?

Is that criminal? If so for who?

Yeah; lane splitting sounds really really dumb.

In CA, the person that opens the door is charged.

 

[Fenixgoon]

I lived in LA for two years, and one time had to make a delivery to Irvine. Before 5PM. On a weekday. And it was 330. I lane split the entire time down the 405. Which was awesome in that I was moving while traffic was basically at a standstill. But after I made my delivery, I stopped for a coffee and my head gently crashed onto the table. My brain was absolutely mush from focusing so hard the entire trip.

I brought my bike with me to Texas, but eventually sold it after only riding it a few times a year. I picked up a UJM for cheap, rode that a few times, but now the clutch discs need replacing, and I have much higher priorities.

All that to say, riding a bike is a lot of fun and there are days I do miss it. But most days I don't, because other things have taken priority. And that's ok, that's life. Can't do everything all the time.

Stay safe and keep the rubber side down!

 

[goblinski]

As someone living in San Diego and having lane-splitting motorcycles whizz past me both while stopped and moving at full freeway speeds, I do find them terrifying. And then some of them look back at you angrily for not moving over, as if I had any chance to even recognize they were coming up behind me.

It astounds me that the practice is legal in California, regardless of how bad traffic is.

Lane splitting is very startling for you because of how sudden and fast it comes and goes, but you have to realize that it's only sudden and startling for you. The motorcyclist had you acknowledged for an eternity before your brief and scary acknowledgement of them.

It's very simple:

• If you are moving in your lane and know there's a motorcycle around you - act like if they were not there. A savvy motorcyclist sees you as a moveless obstacle, and has their trajectory thought of way in advance. There's no end to the amount of confusion and damage you can inflict by changing your driving behavior at that moment, even if you meant to clear the way for them. Just stay in your lane. Keep going. No sudden changes.
• If you're about to do any change in directional behavior at all (change lanes, etc), and/or open doors - just always assume there's a motorcyclist around you that you have to make fully aware of your intentions.

In short - if you know they're around act as if they are not there, and if you don't know they're around - act as if they 're there. Makes sense, right

 

[ColdWetDog]

For several years (1973-1976) my primary transportation was Honda 750. Carried my 4ft ladder, sheet metal tools and 2 gallon water jug. Unless there were snow plows operating I rode my bike. Later, company vehicles relegated my bike to recreational use. Watch out for crazy "cagers"...

A couple of months ago I saw a motorcyclist pull up to a popular mountain bike trail parking lot - with a mountain bike strapped on. The rider got quite a number of confused stares from the rest of the riders but she calmly unstrapped the bike and trundled along the trails....

 

[Erbium68]

For years, I commuted by bike - Benelli and Ducati - because my commute was only 7 miles each way down country roads. Before that, I had decided that a 4 mile fast walk each way in London - about 50 minutes - was better than 40 minutes to do about 6 miles In the country on the bike. 7 miles door to door in 10 minutes and comparative safety was a very different beast. Three years with no incidents versus a near weekly fear and dread moment in London till I said stuff this.
That said, the CanAm has about the same power and weight as the original unit Triumph Bonneville, which is quite impressive. Now that would indeed make a good commuter - where conditions permit in reasonabe safety.

 

[Mad Klingon]

I was riding motorcycles from a young age. First on one of those 'mini' bikes with a 5hp Briggs motor. Later came a real bike. Ran a paper route for many years off a MC. Got real good at getting the paper on the porch from a moving MC while turning. Probably did about 300 turns per route run. Does a lot to improve basic skills. Later moved up to bigger bikes. Rode one to high school a lot as cars were locked in for the school day but MCs could leave and return. Once in the working world, rode one as main commuter vehicle for years. But mainly on streets with a 40mph limit or less. A few close calls but never a wreck. It had hard saddle bags so carrying stuff wasn't a problem. But all of this was pre-smartphone and those stupid distractomatic infotainment screens in newer vehicles. I quit riding due to a not MC related injury.

I keep thinking about getting another MC. But too many people just aren't looking where they are going, much less what is going on around their vehicle. Plus the ginormous Pickup trucks. Use to be a MC rider could see over most normal vehicles and be looking several vehicles ahead. But not anymore. Riding blind to a lot of traffic plus so many distracted drivers has mostly tipped the scales to not getting one. Plus my rural location, dirt side roads, 65mph main roads and deer and wild pigs.

But it was fun and nice while it lasted.

 

[ktmglen]

A couple of months ago I saw a motorcyclist pull up to a popular mountain bike trail parking lot - with a mountain bike strapped on. The rider got quite a number of confused stares from the rest of the riders but she calmly unstrapped the bike and trundled along the trails....

We see this all the time in Colorado. I've also seen someone with a sidecar with a kayak.

 

[Erbium68]

Vast indeed:

View attachment 115753
While lethality of wiping out from a bike is lower vs a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle, the same power law applies, meaning the graph of serious injury and death will look very similar.

Edit: Source https://www.paho.org/sites/default/files/2018-SpeedRoadCrashes_ENGLISH_FINAL.pdf

There’s even better research out there but unsurprisingly all the graphs are in km/h and I didn’t want to open that can of

Sadiq Khan (mayor of London) has been saying this for years and is a hate figure for the far right and irresponsible drivers. He keeps getting re-elected.
The last six miles of my usual cross London journey is all in 20 limit zones. Set the speed limiter, forget about the dashboard, watch for the idiots (now mainly suicidal Lime riders.) It isn't really any slower than it was fifty years ago -the traffic tends to flow better.

 

[GKH]

I can’t believe that the author is advocating for lane splitting (not legal here, but done all the time) and cutting between cars to get up to a light. These seem among the most dangerous moves a motorcyclist can do (and incidentally, among the most likely to tick off a car driver). That’s even if you are otherwise a safe rider (which is likely unusual, judging by the motorcyclists I see), wear a helmet (not required here, and often not worn) and the rest. Maybe it’s possible to fairly safely ride a motorcycle on busy streets during commute times (I doubt it, but I’ll give the benefit of the doubt) but I can’t see encouraging those actions, apparently just to save the motorcyclist commute or other travel time, as something a reasonable person would do.

They're provably the safest moves a motorcycle can do in traffic. Saving time is a nice side effect, but if you actually cared about safety you should be filtering - if you have the bike, temperament, and skills to do so properly. Which could be applied to the entire article - if you have the capabilities, bikes can be great. If you don't, that's cool too.

The most dangerous aspect of filtering is (personally and anecdotally) mostly entitled car drivers doing dumb things because they feel like motorcycles are "cutting the line" or otherwise just angry at being stuck and think everyone else should be stuck if they are. The concept that every motorcycle filtering is one less car blocking the road in front of them is unfortunately far too advanced of a differential calculus problem for a lot of drivers to grasp.

 

[msawzall]

I have been interested in riding for many years, but my late wife was always worried about the other guy. After being inspired by Neil Peart’s “Ghost Rider: Travels on the Healing Road”, I decided to take a motorcycle safety course. How quickly I changed my mind. At 58, my reflexes aren’t what they used to be. Dream another dream I suppose, it’s just too dangerous out there.

It's always important to recognize our own limitations. Good on you, mate.

 

[goblinski]

As a long-time electric motorcycle commuter in LA, I both love seeing articles like this, and absolutely abhor reading the comments!

Advantages: 1) Short, reliable commute time, 2) no parking fees, 3) closer parking to office, 4) no gas fill-ups, 5) silent running, etc...
Disadvantages: 1) Greater chance of death/injury

Safe riding to all! ATGATT!

Is there ANYTHING in life that has not been already analyzed, better, by XKCD ?

Cf: Reviews of the TornadoGuard app:

• Five stars: Good UI ! Many alert choices.
• Five stars: Running great, no crashes
• Five stars: I like how you can set multiple locations
• One star: app did not warn me about tornado

Aggregated: 4 stars

 

[ScifiGeek]

Uh, what? Laying it down means you are going to be separating yourself from your bike, allowing it to take the brunt of the wreck and you're sliding on your gear to safety. You're right about laying-it-down being "already crashed" though. It's a last resort. Times I've seen it done was in reaction to someone blowing a red light though, and not much two tires and a couple of small disc brakes can do for you there. Just let the bike take the hit. It's replaceable, you aren't.

All the instructors, high profile riders, I've ever seen broach the topic, are consistent that you should never intentionally "lay it down":

The last dangerous myth: “I had to lay it down”​

Let me state my thinking up front, as clearly as I can: It’s never a good idea to drop a functioning motorcycle on its side if you’re on pavement.

Don’t Lay Her Down – Motorcycle Crash Avoidance Techniques​

Laying down your bike is the worst thing you can do 99.99% of the time – it only works in the movies. (And you don’t really think it worked there too, do you?) The rider who says “I knew I was going to crash, so I had to lay it down,” is just too embarrassed to admit that he or she lost control of the bike and/or is an uneducated rider.

Weekend WTF: Stop Saying You Had To Lay It Down​

Let’s stop kidding ourselves, fellow motorcyclists. It does us an injustice. When we say “I had to lay ‘er down” we are saying we had to crash to avoid a crash. This makes approximately zero sense. In fact, when there is no contact you are worse off from an insurance/at-fault standpoint. When there is no contact, it is a single vehicle crash and you cannot sue anyone for damages.

You cannot expertly throw a motorcycle to the pavement without some kind of training. Are local clubs holding “lay ‘er down” seminars on a sacrificial bike? Have they done this so often that they know where the bike, and they, will go, upon pavement contact? Mustn’t they be spending a ton of money on replacement riding gear and bike parts, or hospital bills for all that skin loss?

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D9stN-LJeuM

 

[Snowball in Hell]

I spent this morning driving to work for 40 minutes in a torrential downpour.

Commuting? If you live in a consistently dry area with no humidity or frequent summer storms and flash flooding maybe.

 

[drnick1]

Anything but investing in public transit I guess

I don't want to use public transit. Even when it's faster (it's usually not), I enjoy having my own space too much and not having to share a crowded train or bus with other (often smelly) people.

Bikes are great fun but the climate here does not allow for year-long riding. Besides it is difficult to safely carry stuff on a bike.

 

[tuna74]

Biggest downside for me and commuting with the motorcycle was the weather. Winter with around freezing temps is just too slippery, summer and surprise downpours also are no fun. And if you wear the right protection, any warm day will get you soaked before getting to work. Forget it if you have to wear nice clothes to work.

It's still more fun than a car commute.

You can usually change clothes at work.

 

[Kyuu]

From https://www.jdpower.com/motorcycles/shopping-guides/motorcycle-vs-car-accident-statistics

Information produced by the Insurance Information Institute shows that the occupant fatality rate was 10.5 for every 100,000 registered cars and 59.34 for every 100,000 registered motorcycles. Based on these figures, the risk of a fatal crash was almost six times higher among motorcycle riders.

The most alarming difference is notable when comparing the fatality in proportion to the miles traveled. The III estimates that the fatality rate for motorcycles is 25.67 for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled, which is frankly shocking compared to the mere 0.67 on passenger cars.

Yeah I'll stick with my car, thanks. I personally know of a few family friends and family members that have died or been seriously injured in motorcycle accidents.

 

[alphaLONE]

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

 

[huskcummerbund]

Vast indeed:

View attachment 115753
While lethality of wiping out from a bike is lower vs a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle, the same power law applies, meaning the graph of serious injury and death will look very similar.

Edit: Source https://www.paho.org/sites/default/files/2018-SpeedRoadCrashes_ENGLISH_FINAL.pdf

There’s even better research out there but unsurprisingly all the graphs are in km/h and I didn’t want to open that can of

Looks like there's very little increase after 50mph. Might as well go for broke.

 

[monitor35]

What did I just read? This isn't an Ars article, this is an opinion piece for riding a motorcycle? What is this even doing here?

 

[Jordan83]

I 100% used my motorcycle for commuting and basic errand running right up until my accident last year. Which I am still recovering from.

But yes, it is absolutely doable to use them for those purposes. They can be far more than just weekend toys; my motorcycle was my "daily driver", weather permitting. And by weather permitting, I mean as long as it wasn't snowing or below 40 degrees F. Which by the way, aren't conditions that preclude riding your motorcycle in - but it is honestly a LOT of prep and still a fair bit of misery to do so in those conditions. At that point, I'd much rather just take the car.

 

[huskcummerbund]

Anything but investing in public transit I guess

Why not both?

 

[GKH]

What is the law if a biker splits lanes, the motorist doesn't notice, opens the door to say dump a cup of water out and the biker turns into door paste?

I've had a lot of filtering conversations over the years, and this class of example has always baffled me. Not sure why there's apparently an epidemic of people desperately needing to open their doors in traffic to dump things (is your window broken? Why are you so desperate to immediately vacate liquids from your vehicle onto the road?), or why some drivers either don't have mirrors or think that using them to check that it's clear before yolo-ing their door open is impossible.

But bottom line, if you aren't already in the habit of checking your mirrors before throwing open your door, you're a menace in general regardless of motorcycles and filtering.

 

[Jordan83]

Better for CO2, but aren't motorcycles worse for other pollutants? I think it is due to no/smaller catalytic converter.

Brian

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.

 

[Jiraiya]

I was a daily motorcycle commuter in Seattle. I rode year round, except on those rare occasions we had snow.

I put on the Aerostitch riding suit, packed the laptop and gear in the saddlebags, and off I went. It was faster and more convenient than taking the bus. Most of the year weather wasn't a problem, except for the period early in the rainy season (November and early December) when the leaves had all fallen from the trees. They would get pounded into a thick slurry by cars, and when they mixed with the rain and would become slicker than grease or gravel. It became quite the hazard during the evening winter commute, given that it got dark there around 4 PM.

I did that safely for about 15 years. The only reason I gave it up was because of changes to my company health insurance plan that would have prevented me from being covered in case of an accident. I also observed a few changes over the years. As mobile phones took off, the awareness of drivers markedly decreased. On a motorcycle you can get a really clear view into cars, and so many drivers were visibly distracted by their phones and other devices. Drivers were much less situationally aware, and that made riding an even bigger risk. Couple that with the increasing size of vehicles, even in the middle of a densely populated city, and giving up commuting by bike only made sense. Motorcycles are hard to see. They're even harder to see when you're obscured by giant pickups and SUVs.

If I were still working (and still living in a big city) there is no way I would commute by motorcycle today. It's not the same world it was when I did.

 

[The Kilted Canuck]

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

It won’t. But it’ll give you a chance to get the hell out of the way.

1) Always leave a decent space between you and the car in front of you when stopped at a light.

2) Always have an escape plan. (Don’t stop in the middle of the lane, stop on the side so you can go between cars if needed.)

3) Watch your mirrors. If a vehicle doesn’t seem to be slowing down, you can quickly jump between the cars.
(I’m generally watching my mirrors until I have a few cars behind me)

4) Unless having to adjust something, always keep your motorcycle in gear and ready to move.

 

[Gigaflop]

I know anecdotal data is anecdotal, but one of two of my friends that are currently no longer in the land of the living, died on a motorcycle, and my only other friend who was an avid motorcyclist and was decked out in all the gear, had a nasty spill, followed by having a kid, and gave up his bike.

I'll learn from their experiences.