Bikes vs Cars: Which is easier?

[adit1329]

Team BHP members, I had a thought some time ago, when I was not a TBHP member..

"Is riding a bike more difficult or driving a car?"

Which would take up a lot of skill?
Now that I am a TBHP member and a BHPian at that , I thought let me post it to the various members and seek out an opinion.
Maybe, the Mods could post a poll for the same.

Let me tell you what started me thinking this...

I read somewhere that riding a bike requires more skills as it requires balance, poise and calulations. Also, the Europeans feel that a biker is an extremely talented person as they feel riding a bike is more difficult.

However, I feel that a car is much more difficult as you would require all the skills except the balancing part where the 4 wheels do the job.
But, driving a car is an art as you not only move forward also you have to move backwards.. You need to park, take turns, and negotiate traffic...as basically you are controlling and moving a box....
You have to take the size of the box and have hand to eye co ordination as you do a lot of things while driving like switching on the AC, changing songs, etc
You continuously make corrections during driving also....

Let me know your views...

[adit1329]

Originally Posted by Shan2nu

On a daily basis, i think bikes are easier to manage but, on a race track, they can be quite a handful.

Bikes have a higher power to weight ratio and a smaller contact patch which makes them more diff to control.

On an average, a bike wastes almost twice as much power (due to traction loss) than a car.

MotoGP Bike - 1700bhp/ton
F1 Car - 1500bhp/ton

And yet, the car is 20 secs quicker per lap.

Shan2nu

Hey Shan2nu,

I agree with you that the daily runaround is convenient on a bike. But don't you think a small car lilke a REVA or even a M800 would prove the same functionality like ease of use, but definetly more helpful than a bike?
Because maintanance is almost the same and come rain or sun you are protected and carrying capabilities are more?

[mclaren1885]

Originally Posted by adit1329

Hey Shan2nu,

I agree with you that the daily runaround is convenient on a bike. But don't you think a small car lilke a REVA or even a M800 would prove the same functionality like ease of use, but definetly more helpful than a bike?
Because maintanance is almost the same and come rain or sun you are protected and carrying capabilities are more?

And most importantly SAFETY which not many bikes here provide !!!!

[Shan2nu]

I agree with you that the daily runaround is convenient on a bike. But don't you think a small car lilke a REVA or even a M800 would prove the same functionality like ease of use, but definetly more helpful than a bike?

No doubt, the car is the more helpful means of transport. Come sunshine or rain, it doesn't make a diff. But, a bike will always be easier to manage within city conditions (unless your daily ride is a Hayabusa, Goldwing and the likes).

Shan2nu

[adit1329]

(unless your daily ride is a Hayabusa, Goldwing and the likes).

Shan2nu[/quote]

imagine going to the local grocer to buy vegetables/ groceries on a hayabusa....and where do you keep them? on the fuel tank

[sbasak]

I think bike is definitely more difficult to drive than car.

[v1p3r]

Originally Posted by adit1329

...you do a lot of things while driving like switching on the AC, changing songs, etc

Erm...you really shouldn't be doing all these things during driving!!! Buy a steering-mounted remote!!!

Bikes are tougher, atleast for me.

[Shan2nu]

At the end of the day, it depends on the individual. While i find bikes to be harder to ride, my friend thinks driving cars, needs more skill.

Shan2nu

[sridhar24]

For me I think both need equally good skills. In the city runabout the bike is definitely more easy than a car. But on a track riding a bike requires more skill.

[princezahed]

well in india i think driving a car is much more strenuous than riding a bike coz u have to anticipate how the guy in front of u and the ppl behind and to ur side r gonna behave.... at the same time riding a bike specially in INDIA is not easy coz as always u never know what is gonna hit u from where just4u 2 loose ur balance and take a dip..

Ofcourse if ur abroad then i think riding wud be more tougher coz there its sheer balance of weight and along with that a grip on ur right hand else u wil go ............down..

[SLK]

Well, if you were to drive a car like a bike in traffic.... it certainly requires more skill.

[angelfire]

woluld always prefer car to a bike....cause a car is comparitvly safer...

[karthik247]

If ur comparing a bike and a car, u should atleast compare ones with equal performance. Its more of a personal choice and both are equally fun.

But then i would pick the car for sure, not just for safety but that its much much better for cruising arnd town. But managing a car in Indian traffic would have more skill than probably an F1 driver

[princezahed]

Originally Posted by Rtech

I think the term "wasting power" is incorrect. A car is much quicker because it has four huge tyres at each corner plus ground effects that let it stick to the road around corners. Bikes don't have either. Take just the wings off a F1 car and lets see how it performs.

When it comes down to it, on a bike, the rider is 90% of the equation while in a car, the driver maybe barely 50%. A car is more forgiving of errors, it manages weight transfer during braking, shifting and accelerating better, and can basically cover a lot of mistakes of the driver. On a bike, you mess up on any of these things and the bike will bite back.

well said rtech...and its very true......wanted to use those words but they just wouldnt come to mind..lol.

[dodge3p]

Riding both the bikes and cars in Indian conditions are the most difficult. Since the bikes are less forgiving riding bikes requires more demanding skills. But for me speeding away in bike is more fun than doing it in a car.