Between Cars and Bikes

Introduction

I want you to describe the similarities and differences between cars and bikes...  Here are some similarities and differences between cars and bikes....

Similarities

Car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods. The term motorcar has also been used in the context of electrified rail systems to denote a car which functions as a small locomotive but also provides space for passengers and baggage. These locomotive cars were often used on suburban routes by both interurban and intercity railroad systems.

There are approximately 600 million passenger cars worldwide (roughly one car per eleven people). Around the world, there were about 806 million cars and light trucks on the road in 2007; the engines of these burn over a billion cubic meters (260 billion US gallons) of petrol/gasoline and diesel fuel yearly. The numbers are increasing rapidly, especially in China and India.

While a motorcycle (also called a motorbike, bike, or cycle) is a single-track, two-wheeled[2] motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.

Motorcycles are one of the most affordable forms of motorised transport in many parts of the world and, for most of the world's population, they are also the most common type of motor vehicle. There are around 200 million motorcycles (including mopeds, motor scooters, motorised bicycles, and other powered two and three-wheelers) in use worldwide or about 33 motorcycles per 1000 people. This compares to around 590 million cars, or about 91 per 1000 people.

Most of the motorcycles, 58%, are in the developing countries of Asia — Southern and Eastern Asia, and the Asia Pacific countries, excluding Japan — while 33% of the cars (195 million) are concentrated in the United States and Japan. In 2006 China had 54 million motorcycles in use and an annual production of 2 million units. As of 2002, India with an estimated 37 million motorcycles/mopeds was home to the largest number of motorised two wheelers in the world. China came a close second with 34 million motorcycles/mopeds.

Both are motorized vehicles for transporting one or more persons.
Both travel on rubber tires over roadways.

The car is larger, carries more, wastes more resources, has blind spots and is harder to judge the position of resulting in more minor bumps. It isolates the driver more from the environment resulting in less attention to the environment, resulting in more accidents. It enables the driver to yak on the cell phone, read, eat, etc.; resulting in distracted driving and more accidents. 

The motorcycle attracts high-risk idiots that skew the accident statistics making it appear that motorcycles are more dangerous.

Similarities. They are both transportation devices and used as recreational devices. Both are meant either to get you from point a to point b, or to enjoy moving, steering, speeding, braking. Both use internal combustion engines that require similar maintenance. The best of both are made in Japan, at least the best deal for the money. 8^) Both use the same street/road/highway system and obey the same rules of the road.

Differences. In a car you are inside the device and watch the world through windows. In the biggest cars, the vehicle is designed to separate you from external reality, it's almost like sitting in your living room and watching the road on TV. You have heat and air conditioning, radio, and in some cases even TV, to entertain you enroute. You can carry several passengers who can talk, eat, read, or sleep while you reach your destination. Every attempt is made to make the car seem like a living room, a comfortable space to sit in while you reach your destination. In fact on the biggest, most comfortable cars, you don't feel or hear the engine, you don't feel the road, you are shielded from all these realities.

On a motorcycle, you -are- the vehicle. At its simplest, it's you, sitting on an engine, moving down the road. You are constantly in touch with your environment--wind, road texture, engine sound, air temperature, weather, even the local smells. It is a much more involved experience, you are much more involved with the actual transportation. You are forced to be more aware of conditions. You feel the surface of the road, the adhesion of the tires. You can only carry one passenger but the motorcycle is primarily seen as an individual vehicle, and the ride itself is the purpose, not the destination. Because you are so much more involved, time and distance seem to pass much more quickly!

Motorcycles today are being made more 'sophisticated' to make them more like cars. In previous decades, motorcycles were more simple, more 'primitive'. You were constantly aware of the engine throbbing under you, and you and the engine and the road had a more intimate, closer relationship. Today a lot of bikes are four cylinder, water cooled, so you don't feel or hear the engine as much, you mostly feel just the motive power under your right wrist. Lots of bikes are even covered with plastic so the internal workings are not as visible. So the bike is less like a mechanical device and more like a 'magic carpet'--hop on it, twist the throttle and glide smoothly and noiselessly towards your destination, much like we think of a luxury car. Compare a modern Gold Wing with an old Harley from the 1960s, or a Triumph Bonneville.

Differences

There are many differences between cars and motorcycles. Some people out there like motorcycles over cars and some people prefer cars over motorcycles due to the safety factor of motorcycles compared to cars. Some prefer the comfort of motorcycles but some prefer the comfort of cars. Then there is a cost difference between the cars and motorcycles as some prefer one over the other. I am going to tell you about the cost of motorcycles and cars, the comfort of motorcycles and cars, and the safety of motorcycles and cars.

First, motorcycles are less expensive then cars. As you can see motorcycles can cost only a few thousand dollars. But cars can cost anywhere from a little more than a few thousand dollars to twenty thousand dollars and up. Cars are nice to have but depending on which one you prefer to purchase can cost you a pretty penny. You can get a small compact car which might only cost between seven and ten thousand dollars or you can get an SUV which would be over twenty thousand dollars. Motorcycles are not that expensive when compared to a car. You can get a motorcycle for under a few thousand dollars. Most people who look at this at a cost factor would prefer to go with a motorcycle to save money.

Second, cars are more comforting to be in than motorcycles are. As you probably already know motorcycles are not that big and have a leather seat. The seat is not roomy enough and can get hot at times. This makes it really uncomfortable. Also lots of people like to wear motorcycle gear such as leather gloves and leather clothing such as leather pants. Leather pants can make it very uncomfortable to ride a motorcycle at any given time. Cars are big and very roomy. It's actually very comfortable to be sitting down riding in one. The seats can be leather or cloth with a carpet like material. Sitting in the car driving does not bother the comfort. People have been driving cars for many years and are very well use to the comfort of them.

Third, is the safety of cars and motorcycles when riding? Both cars and motorcycles are not safe at all. Some could say one is not safer than the other. But from hearing on the news about accidents with cars and accidents with motorcycles we can say that they all have their fair share of safety problems. Motorcycles are not safe at all. Motorcycles ride on two wheels which we all know of. Motorcycles can go fast quickly and motorcyclists like to swerve in and out of lanes which cause a safety hazard. There is a lot of motorcycle related accidents all the time. Cars are dangerous also. There are car accidents being reported all the time. Even though cars seem like they are much safer than motorcycles they actually are not that safe. Some can argue that cars are safe or safer but they still cause a safety hazard out there. Every day there are plenty of car related accidents happening all the time? But having 4 wheels which a car has makes the car safer. But you are only safe as safe as the driver is. But not everyone is a safe driver things happen all the time without knowing.

Finally, there are many differences between cars and motorcycles. But as we have learned there is the cost of motorcycles which is a lot less than the cost of cars. The comfort of cars how they are more roomy compared to a motorcycle which can be less comforting with all the motorcycle gear on and the small leather seat. And lastly we learned about the safety of driving a car as compared to a motorcycle learning that neither one is safer than the other and that we all get into accidents at one time or another.

and there are good bikers and bad bikers. There are good drivers and bad drivers. Bikes and cars get along just fine, it’s the people who use them that’s the problem. We’re all freaking nuts! It’s human to think the “other” is the problem.

Cars are bad if you’re biking. Bikes are bad if you’re driving. When you’re in a car and another driver cuts you off, you don’t think that cars should be banned from the roads because you’re also in a car. When you’re on a bike and another bike nearly hits you, you don’t want to ban all bikes.

The real difference between bikes and cars is that cars will always crush and kill bikers dead in a very real and un-fun way for everyone involved. So, no matter if you’re biking or driving, please keep that in mind.