Learning to Drive vs. Learning to Ride

Loz

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Dunno if I should have posted this here or in the Questions and Answers section, or even in the bike thread.

Something i've been thinking a bit about recently is learning to ride a motorbike over learning to drive.

While I haven't had that much interest in bikes, i've been to a few Classic Car shows recently where there are some bikes. Looking at some of them makes me think that i'd like to learn to ride one day, espsicially some classic bikes.

Since i'm a bit crazy, i've had it in my head that my first car would be something old, pre 70's if possible. Some reasons are that the cars look better than most modern counterparts, sometimes cheaper than most new cars and insurrance is cheaper in some ways. It's the same with bikes. Looking at most older bikes, I feel thay look alot better than most newer bikes, most of wich look similar in my eyes (i'm sure to most bikers, they don't).

I've been weighing up pros and cons of both car and bike ownership...

Cars - Pro

* Saftey (Parents/grandparents would rather me get a car).
* Being a car fan all my life makes me feel I should get a car instead of a bike.
* Storage/Transport (Luggage space is much better than certain bikes).
* Getting the right car means lots of fun.

Cars - Con

* Cars that i'd like to own are in the most part, more expensive to put right.
* Costs (For example, Classic VW Beetle costs ?1500, insurance for it will cost atleast ?1000 for me).
* Newer cars to me lack something which make me not want to own one (dunno if this is a con)

Bikes - Pro

* Cost (Looking on sites, a good classic 150cc bike goes for about ?1500-?2000. And insurance would only be ?200 for it).
* Excitement (Biker here I guess won't argue that a bike is probally more fun than a car).
* Space (Less space needed in a garage for example).
* Simplicity (If something goes wrong, it doesn't look like much can go wrong on something that looks much more basic than a car).

Bikes - Con

* Saftey (No doubting this, bikes are considered unsafe by most people).
* Luggage space (Mentioned above).
* Not being a Bike Person make me wonder if a bike is right.

I'd like to hears thought if my Pros and Cons are right or wrong. And some opinions on bikes vs cars.
 
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* Not being a Bike Person make me wonder if a bike is right.


What do you mean by this? Can you ride a bicycle?
 
Bikes - Con
Get wet if it's raining
Get very very cold if temperature is under 10?C
You look stupid if you're rather large around the mid-section (as a pro, you look cool if you don't)
You might be mistaken for a man-love-rules-ok guy if you forget to take off your leather overalls
 
I can ride a bicycle, but havent for nearly 10 years after falling badly on one and breaking my left arm in 3 places.

OK that's good that you know how to ride a bicycle. You definitely want to know how to ride a bike. I'd do some riding on a bicycle first and see how you like that first, as motorcycling takes that up to elven.
 
Bikes - Con
Get wet if it's raining
Get very very cold if temperature is under 10?C
You look stupid if you're rather large around the mid-section (as a pro, you look cool if you don't)
You might be mistaken for a man-love-rules-ok guy if you forget to take off your leather overalls

Only thing I see wrong with me in that list is that i'm rather portly. 16 Stone of motly fat... The cold and wet won't bother me, being British and all.

OK that's good that you know how to ride a bicycle. You definitely want to know how to ride a bike. I'd do some riding on a bicycle first and see how you like that first, as motorcycling takes that up to elven.

Can't hurt me relearning to ride a bicycle properly for a bit. I did go on my first bike ride for nearly 10 years last summer when I went out with my Mum's partner who is an avid bicycle rider, he used to race bicycles.
 
Your list plus mpicco's points pretty much tell the differences. The key is how you value the points in your situation.

For example, the lack of passenger and luggage space (Spectre, I'm still waiting for evidence of you carrying half a cubic meter on your bike!) may be such a huge disadvantage that it dwarfs anything else. Similarly, a cheap bike will be miles less to buy and run than a cheap car, so if money is a real concern then for personal mobility the bike may win.


Only thing I see wrong with me in that list is that i'm rather portly. 16 Stone of motly fat... The cold and wet won't bother me, being British and all.

Don't underestimate cold high-speed air. In the winter going somewhere on a bike will involve much more dressing/undressing.
 
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The cold and wet won't bother me, being British and all.

Remember though that you always have whatever speed you're going as additional windchill.

Honestly, if your heart's not in it I'm not sure if it's a good idea to get a bike. Maybe see if you could get a cheap intoduction course somewhere so you can give it a first try and see if you like it? Over here Honda had an offer where you could try out bikes if you had no licence, on a closed course with instructors.
 
narf, you disappoint me. I thought as long as Skoda doesn't build bikes, you'd simply recommend a car.

On topic: If possible, do both. If not, do car licence first, because it's much more useful. If money is that much of an issue, get a motorcycle license, but only if you like to do that.
 
Budget depends really. ?3000 can get a reasonable car of my liking, but it's down to insureance wich usually rapes you before you can drive it. ?3000 for a bike budget can go along way from what i've seen.
 
Bringing all my stuff with me has never been a problem. :D

4806703156_ee158ab6c0_z.jpg


5948295392_8bd624e9c9_z.jpg


What's been packed? 5 days worth of clothes, a laptop, two pairs of shoes, toiletries, books, and some other odds and ends.
 
Both have their benefits, I have looked extensively into buying both a classic cars and classic bikes. Then I bought a 4 year old Yaris. :lol:

It entirely depends on what you need the transport, if you just want freedom and have backup transport then buy a classic car or bike. If it is your only option go for something more modern, I've known people with classic cars/bikes who have lost jobs because of reliability issues.
If you phone up an employer and say "I can't come in, my VW Golf won't start" it is acceptable, if you say "I can't come into work, my Morris Minor won't start" you are a liability...


As for car vs bike by itself the bike is by far the cheapest option, however you can't really carry passengers, it is exposed to the elements and crucially is completely useless in icy weather. I know some people will disagree (the old guy on a 1970s Triumph that overtook my college bus in the snow probably...) but the fact of the matter is if you hit ice in a car at 40 mph at least it won't flop onto it's side and crush your leg.
Now I know the route to my workplace and back I can say for a fact I'd not be able to go into work on icy days, its hard enough finding grip with 4 wheels, let alone two!
I also don't know any motorcyclists who haven't crashed, one has a leg mostly made of metal after a 4x4 pulled out in front of him, scary what a 20mph bump will do if you land the wrong way...

But most importantly, if you haven't ridden a motorbike before you should probably give it a try before you decide which to get, you might realise you hate it!
 
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A bike can carry as much as an estate. :p













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Still waiting for Spectre to post the pic of that massive box he strapped to the back of his 700s. :lol:
 
The biggest issue with a bike is not that you could get in an accident with it, it's that someone else will get into an accident with you. They have crumple zones, you do not.

Get a car.
 
The biggest issue with a bike is not that you could get in an accident with it, it's that someone else will get into an accident with you. They have crumple zones, you do not.

Get a car.
Tis untrue on a bike you are the crumple zone :)

My opinion is that starting off is better in car, before you gain the experience and reflexes necessary to avoid accidents a car will offer an extra measure of protection. Once you become a competent driver you can get on a bike and learn the extra skills needed. It's somewhat akin to learning to drive stick vs automatic, it's much easier to learn to shift after you learned to drive an auto than it is to learn stick from the get-go simply because you only have to develop one skill at a time as opposed to all of them at once.

Also keep in mind bikes being limiting in low traction conditions, you have a much smaller contact patch and much quicker throttle response so much easier to get in trouble on slippery roads.
 
On the flipside, if you start on a bike, you will be a much better and defensive driver when strapped to 1500kgs+ worth of car. You will have a much better understanding of the way road surfaces affect handling and being cheaper to run, when you drop a bike, unless you have a carbon-fiber, titanium framed bike, then the repair costs will be minimal; frame sliders are cheap, too. Shifting on a bike is really second nature- I was downshifting when braking as soon as we were told to shift to second on a motorcycle for the first time at the training course. The way a bike handles is second nature as well. If you can get passed the hammy acting, The Twist of the Wrist 2 is a fantastic resource for understanding bike physics.
 
Rain, sleet, snow and wind so you arrive everywhere like you've swam. Bikes are noisy, you're constantly on the lookout for old people in Korean cars, diesel spills and car doors opening.

Plus points, a billion MPG.
 
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