Ten Most Common Excuses For Not Riding A Motorcycle

[Garandman]

From Jalopnik

10.) I look ridiculous
9.) I have no space
8.) I can't take my kids on one
7.) The weather makes it impossible
6.) My wife/mom won't let me
5.) Doctors call motorcycle riders "organ donors"
4.) I'd manage to kill myself
3.) I already have enough scars
2.) I don't want to ruin things for my children
1.) I am afraid of other drivers

Some very funny comments and awesome pics.

Example - cruiser rider demonstrating #10.

[drinkingmymilk]

5) Doctors call them donor cycles.

Wrong. "Bicyclist are the donors. Sportbikers detroy themselves beyond usefullness, Harley guys don't wear gear, go slower but tend to be fat and lazy.But a guy on a bicycle, that's PRIME meat right there." From my wife, an ICU nurse.

[e30addict]

1.) I am afraid of other drivers


Why it stops us: The roads are filled with bad drivers and they are eating. They are texting. They are drunk, and they are distracted.

They do not see me on a motorcycle and will unintentionally run me off the road. Some of them just hate me because I am riding a motorcycle and will try to run me off the road. If I get into any kind of crash with a car, no matter why it happened, I am the one who's getting fucked.

So much truth right here

[mojobreakfast]

I think this a pretty uniquely North American phenomena. Bikes here are a recreational activity so people make all sorts of excuses not to partake and some of them are reasonably legitimate. I was in Paris last month and it's really interesting to see an environment where bikes really are a utility and the whole argument is turned on its head. They don't ride them because they are poor or for fun, they ride them because there's no parking for cars and they get you where you are going faster than a car does. As a result you see a wide cross section of people banging around on everything from 50cc scooters to sweet BMW adventure bikes, although maxi-scooters dominate. It's simultaneously fascinating, hilarious and horrifying to see a guy texting on a phone, cigarette dangling, while hauling ass down the street in dicey traffic. And you see it all day long.

Snapped this pic of this chick who pulled over to send some text messages. Check out her footwear.



Incidently, with the increasing congestion and more and more traffic lights, etc I get the sense that people are slowly turning to the idea of bikes as a utility here. I think that's definitely some of the reasoning behind the proliferation of scooters. I feel like I see them all the time now.

[Chippertheripper]

[csmutty]

She's on a Ducati? Yes please.

[BuXu]

There are too few of us, motorcyclists, and thus we get so little respect from the auto drivers. When I ride I always worry some asshole will run me over or some idiot drivers too busy talking on their phones swerve into my lane. Last year, I took my kids and wife to Vietnam, their first time ever. Almost everyone there rides, so when I was riding, it felt some what safer. Although that's far from the truth because there are lots of accidents but because they all ride those little bikes or small cars, it didn't feel so scary like here. Plus the speed they were going, it's laughable. Well at least in the places we visited, most riders going around 30-40 miles an hour. I even managed to fit my family on one. Yes, we're small enough

Here's proof:

[carsick]

What Ducati?? It's like they say, motorcycles ARE invisible!

[breakdirt916]

so jalopnik linked to wikipedia's stats on motorcycles...as evidence that it's not worth it

and from 2003-2004 there was:
-an 8% rise in motorcycle fatalities
-an 8% rise in cyclist fatalities
-a 10% rise in pedestrian fatalities
-a 10% rise in automobile fatalities

using a convoluted way of "interpreting" those statistics, motorcycling is just as safe as riding a bicycle, and more safe than driving or walking

no but seriously...moar pics of euro chicks on bikes?

[Rossco]

#10 applies to me, but it doesn't stop me.

[Chippertheripper]

Also #10, Rossiepoo.

[Rossco]

Also #10, Rossiepoo.

Haha, yeah, that's actually what I meant to say.