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At urban traffic speeds, a motorcycle driver can use their engine power and acceleration to have almost complete control over their position relative to other v
by FatalLogic 9y ago
At urban traffic speeds, a motorcycle driver can use their engine power and acceleration to have almost complete control over their position relative to other vehicles. So most of their driving time can be spent in positions that feel safe. They can feel in control.
A bicyclist does not have this degree of control over speed, so they spend much of their time in positions, relative to other vehicles, that do not feel safe.
- gerbilly 9y agoI don't know about motorcycles, but once you learn to control your bike beyond steering on flat ground (hopping curbs, maintaining balance at a stop or at low speeds, recovering from skids) you can get your bike out of sticky situations. I feel much more at ease on a bike than in a car. Not to mention you aren't gridlocked in a huge box when the traffic gets bad.
- rconti 9y agoRight but with a motorcycle you're matching traffic speeds, and in fact, usually going faster, so everything comes from in front of you. On a bicycle you're at the mercy of everyone behind you seeing you and recognizing the speed differential and so on.
- gerbilly 9y agoI guess what I'm talking about is more relevant when riding in a tight urban core like say NYC. In that case the traffic is not actually moving that fast making a bike much more efficient.