Why Don't You Ride a Motorbike?

When learning to drive costs up to £2000 and getting on the road can cost up to £5,000 to young drivers^[1] -with the majority of that money going on insurance- and initiatives popping up offering free motorcycle lessons with the costs of riding a motorbike being considerably lower than that of driving a car. When on average most car doesn't have more than two people in it. What reason can you really have to stay on four wheels?

So, students? Two wheels or four? How come?

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Reply 1

username952244

Lets not forget that biking is fun and caging just isn't :P

Posted from TSR Mobile

Reply 2

Billa Bong

the helmet messes my hair up xD

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Reply 3

Silver060

Biking during the winter can be interesting but it is more fun than a car and makes you a better and safer road user.

Reply 4

Pinkhead

I don't drive/ride anything other than a bicycle right now but I will be getting my motorcycle license soon :biggrin:

Reply 5

TimW86

I ride a VTR Firestorm but may have to sorn it while at uni :P

Reply 6

jalebii

Id love to, but not on a rainy day

Reply 7

Motorbiker

Two wheels.

Main reasons.
1. Fun
2. Insuranc costs. I pay yearly what people in cars pay per month at my age.

Reply 8

LavenderBlueSky88

I'd definitely definitely crash and die.
That's why.

Reply 9

It's****ingWOODY

Too impractical. Can't get my mates or family on a bike and I can't transport shopping or big items.

Reply 10

rainbow.panda

I wouldn't be able to take people or shopping bags with me and you're far more likely to die in a motorbike accident than in a car accident.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 11

345rty

Primarily because when I got a car I did the sums and a motorbike was by no means that much cheaper. Learning to drive was just under £500 and insurance for the first year was about £800 (yes it was my own policy). A motorcycle licence would have cost a comparable amount and insurance would have been a couple of hundred less.

A car however was cheaper to buy than a motorcycle plus leathers, helmet etc.

A car would meet the primary purpose required of transporting my stuff to the other end of the country for uni rather than trying to ship a heap of boxes twice a year.

Having done a CBT much more recently to validate my cat P, motorcycles feel really far too open and vulnerable, and the restricted vision from a helmet was not remotely pleasant.

Reply 12

Willum Infanta

I would actually like to learn to drive a bike - people like my sister always go on about how she knows a guy that was just driving down a road and then got hit by a car who wasn't paying attention and ended up being paralysed from the neck down at the age of 22 - That is a concern but surely it's not a regular thing as some people try to scare you into believing?

Reply 13

Emma:-)

Entertainment Forum Helper

Original post by WoodyMKC

Too impractical. Can't get my mates or family on a bike and I can't transport shopping or big items.

I agree- its the same for me as well.
Especially with people relying on me for lifts etc. And at least i can transport things like shopping etc when i need to.

Reply 14

Seb.

I wanted to get a 125, parents wouldn't allow me. I'll just wait and get a car then.

Reply 15

username402722

Twenty four or so wheels for me- the Tube.

Reply 16

SillyEddy

For these past few weeks, I would've loved having a bike to get around.

However, for the rest of the year (and for most other tasks than simply "going to places"), a bike seems a bit useless for me. Even if it's considerably cheaper in the long run, it's considerably more dangerous.

That said, schemes to get people onto motorbikes seems like a positive thing. More of the population riding them would probably make it safer in general (because more people would be aware of them). I'm not entirely against the concept of having car drivers do some motorbike lessons, or having a combined licence. I would like to have a driving licence which is valid towards motorbikes. I can't afford to get qualified and to do theory tests which are going to be highly similar to the one I have already done to drive my car for the past several years.

More flexibility and more people using them would probably give me a reason to invest. The rules and regulations on bike licensing are confusing to many people and it just makes it a hassle.

Reply 17

xDave-

I've considered it a lot. I'm just worried about being hit really. I can drive as well as I like, but it's the **** drivers that don't see my who I'm worried about.

Reply 18

Matureb

I had hopes that at least one of my daughters would ride a bike. Even the bribe of having my old MZ301 didn`t tempt them.
When I was learning, you could just stick L plates on and ride off on a 250. And we crashed in droves. It is much harder now to get a licence, but the training means that you should have more road sense then we did before you hit the road.
I just finished at UEA. Not many students rode a bike. even though the parking was free.

Reply 19

Iqbal007

My families spent money and I used a good amount of my time getting a driving license, can't spend more money and time on something I don't really need or want.

A car is far more practical for me, more comfortable, its got aircon, stops me getting wet, plenty of storage space.........carries my family, just a lot better for every day use for me.