Gonna Buy a Motorcycle

[dar512]

Originally Posted by Elspode

They have a very widely renowned program at one of the local community colleges, and I *will* be taking it. Additionally, there is a distinct possibility that I will get one of those LED strobe beacons to stick on my helmet. :-)

Besides the "no metal cage surrounding you" issue, motorcycles have a lot less grip on the road. Car tires have ~16 square inches road contact each or ~64 square inches of contact with the road. The average motorcycle tire has 3 or 4 square inches each. That means that anything that reduces friction - leaves, sand, gravel, even dust can cause you to go down in a hurry.

On the other hand, I've got a friend in Seattle (where it rains six months out of the year) who does his daily commute on motorcycle and never had a serious accident. You just have to pay more attention when you're driving a cycle.