Motorcycles are lighter, faster and cheaper than any equivalent automobile, but most people choose to drive and not ride. We got ten excuses from Jalopnik readers why they stick to cars.
Welcome back to Answers of the Day — our daily Jalopnik feature where we take the best ten responses from the previous day's Question of the Day and shine it up to show off. It's by you and for you, the Jalopnik readers. Enjoy!
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Photo Credit: Adam Howarth
10.) I look ridiculous
Suggested By: Sir Halffast, Masticator at Large
Why it stops us: I am too fat, I am too old, or I am both too fat and too old to ride a motorcycle. In my suit, I look like a sausage stuffed into too small of a casing, and/or I look like I'm trying to get my youth back. Both make me look like a tool.
Photo Credit: bok-choy
9.) I have no space
Suggested By: Picklehaube
Why it stops us: Even though bikes are small, my garage is already filled with cars/junk/my project car that I swear is going to be finished this month. There's just no room for another vehicle.
Photo Credit: Tom Olliver
8.) I can't take my kids on one
Suggested By: sat_seb72
Why it stops us: Utility is a major issue. I just can't take my kids to school on a bike, and if I did strap them to a kiddy seat behind me, I wouldn't feel safe about it. There's also no room for all their stuff.
Photo Credit: Bindaas Madhavi
7.) The weather makes it impossible
Suggested By: Picklehaube
Why it stops us: It's too hot in the summer for wearing full leathers. It's too cold/rainy/snowy in the winter for me to ride at all. This only gives me something between three and eight months out of the year when I can use a motorcycle, depending on where I live in this country.
Photo Credit: Nick Goddard/Hell For Leather
6.) My wife/mom won't let me
Suggested By: waveridin1959
Why it stops us: She gave the ultimatum either because she thinks bikes are unsafe, or because we don't have the money for a new vehicle. I want to keep a happy marriage/home life, so no bike for me.
Photo Credit: Jason Edward Scott Bain
5.) Doctors call motorcycle riders "organ donors"
Suggested By: Triborough
Why it stops us: My friends in the medical profession, (doctors, paramedics, nurses, etc.) call them "organ donors." That doesn't exactly fill me with a desire to go out and ride.
Photo Credit: Leonard Witzel
4.) I'd manage to kill myself
Suggested By: jip1080
Why it stops us: Even if I leave other road users out of the equation, I know I would get myself killed. I'm the kind of guy who mashes the gas pedal in my car too often. Put me on a bike and I'd splatter myself into a tree in a matter of hours.
Photo Credit: Chris Yarzab
3.) I already have enough scars
Suggested By: TrampaOnline
Why it stops us: I've ridden on bikes with others and I was dumped. I've ridden myself and I crashed. I've never even sat on a motorcycle, but I've been in car crashes and I would get into another accident if I had a bike. I don't want to get tangled in another wreck.
Photo Credit: Rob Evans
2.) I don't want to ruin things for my children
Suggested By: aaron x
Why it stops us: I've seen others die on motorcycles, and I have a child of my own. Riding is not worth missing his/her smile.
Photo Credit: ntr23
1.) I am afraid of other drivers
Suggested By: zerobandwidth
Why it stops us: The roads are filled with bad drivers and they are eating. They are texting. They are drunk, and they are distracted.
They do not see me on a motorcycle and will unintentionally run me off the road. Some of them just hate me because I am riding a motorcycle and will try to run me off the road. If I get into any kind of crash with a car, no matter why it happened, I am the one who's getting fucked.
Given the state of drivers today (look at the statistics), there's no way I'm trading my steel safety cage of a car for a motorcycle.
Photo Credit: magnetisch