Pop quiz hotshot!.. You have an $850,000 McLaren F1 that can go 0-60 mph in 3.2 seconds and do the 1/4-mile in 11.1 @ 138 mph. Here's your job -- pick any stock car that'll match the F1's performance for only 1/100 of the price. Give up? I know almost every car out there and I gave up searching a loooong time ago because as far as I know, there is none. So, my question is "Why would you pay an insane amount of money when you can get an $8,000 Suzuki GSX-R750 that matches the race car-like performance?" In fact, most of the newer bikes today will beat all but the most exotic supercars at stoplight drag races. Even then, a Lamborghini or Ferrari will get a run for their money! Does motorcycle riding sound like fun now?..
Well, for the most part, it is. The problem is, riding a motorcycle requires much more concentration than driving a car... You have to pay attention to prospective bad drivers, people who don't see you coming, your cold tires (less grip, you see), keeping the bike under your control (not vice versa!), and not getting all of the controls mixed up (believe me, I've seen inexperienced riders do this when they panic). Now, let's say that you are an experienced rider with tens of thousands of miles under your belt... You've pushed your personal limits enough that you want to push the motorcycle's limits. It still won't be an easy task.
Think about it: for bumpers, the bike's got the front and rear tires; for fenders, it has your flesh-and-blood legs. So, as you might be able to see, going really fast on a bike is much, much harder than pushing a car to its limits. Make a mistake in a car and you'll just spin out, all the while you have protection on all sides. Make the same mistake on a bike and you'll be lucky if you just get a serious case of road rash and some broken bones. Brian Catterson, Cycle World's executive editor and seasoned road-racer, wrote a very good example of car vs. bike. He mentioned that Csaba Csere, Car & Driver's editor-in-chief, crashed a car at 200mph (it rolled several times) at the Bonneville salt flats and was able to walk away from it. Catterson, on the other hand, wasn't so lucky -- he crashed at 100 mph at Road Atlanta and ended up breaking his pelvis. Ouch...
Are you still curious about motorcycle riding? Wonderin' about how to ride one?
I would highly recommend that you have some experience driving car with a manual transmission -- it makes the coordination so much easier. That way, you only have to deal with the differently placed controls. In spite of all of this, why do people still ride motorcycles? Interestingly enough, for the same compelling reasons that I got my Class M1 endorsement on my driver's license -- there's nothing like being out in the open road, leaning with the turn, and the wind rushing past you. If you really are interested in motorcycle riding, I urge you to take a Basic Riding Course near you. And don't gimme none of that, "Oh, I don't need to take lessons to ride..." You can never learn too much. When I took my class, there was a guy in his 60s who'd been riding most of his life until his best friend stole his Harley and ended up getting T-boned by a Chevy truck. The poor guy lost his leg and the guy in my class stopped riding until, 15 years later, he got the itch, again. Granted, bikes aren't as forgiving as cars, but, you won't find any other ride that offers more smiles per mile than motorcycles. Good luck with the motorcycle riding! And remember, don't be stupid...
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