[knp]

I too prefer a bike, though love the cars. In Bangalore, sometimes, I feel that driving a car is very stressful, whereas in Bike, I get all my freedom.

[twinblades]

One thing I do like about bikes is that you pollute a lot less when compared to a car. So in 1 sense your are doing your bit in saving the environment. Although if a car takes about 3 people from point A to point B it equally good.

[somu_john]

Anyday, car is safer in Indian roads.

Sorry to hear about your friend...My heartfelt condolences to him.

But my personal experience says that 80% of bike accidents are due to rash and negligent riding the rest 20%due to fate. I have a been riding bikes for about 13yrs now and i have noticed quite often that, whenever that speed bug bites me i end up in a tight situation and it could have been purely avoided had i not resorted to rash driving.

Drive safe and leave the rest to Almighty

[ACM]

Indeed a wacky post bumped up.

Shanu this is like asking do you pefer to drink water or eat food. - one needs both.

[stanjohn123]

A car anyday . Its much safer and that's it !!!

[rajathv8]

i would prefer a car but the sea of traffic between coll and home makes me look at my bike with awe.
it takes half an hour to get back on bike (8km) and took two hours by car (esteem) during the 5'o cock rush.

[WindRide]

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but since i feel strongly against driving a car with only a single occupant made me do it.

Maybe iam in the minority, but I drive a two-wheeler regularly despite having a four-wheeler (which gets taken out only when there is full occupancy - talk of being green!).

+
. Cuts down office commute by 60 - 65%. I would rather be at home with kids than inhaling stale air and listening to mind-numbing FM chatter.
. My steed gives me 65kmpl. Fuel price hike? what's that?
. Excellent maneuverability in tight traffic. Oh ya i do cut across almost ALL four-wheelers (smaller the vehicle, bigger the evil grin). The only ones i give a wide berth are the 'killer' volvos.
. No extremeties to worry about against scraping, bumps, maintenance expenses.
. Wind in your hair, clear 360 deg view and complete sense of freedom. (i know a couple who biked it to Kanyakumari from Blr recently on a rented brand new Enfield, leaving their Scorpio at home. ).

-
Need for a mask/handkerchief to keep dust out of the sinuses.
Need to carry a waterproof jacket-cum-trouser during monsoons.

So its a BIKE for me anyday, unless the number of passengers OR distance to be covered warrants use of a car.

[Vizay]

Originally Posted by WindRide

Maybe iam in the minority, but I drive a two-wheeler regularly despite having a four-wheeler (which gets taken out only when there is full occupancy - talk of being green!).

No. You are not. I would vote for Bike for a single passenger travel within city ~10 kms each way. A short commute to friends place/shop/ATM/etc etc.

Number/Type of passengers
More than 1 passenger, I would vote Car. Though not economical
(In my case fuel cost based calculation makes it same. My diesel car gives 17 Km mileage. My Petrol Honda activa gives 35-40 km mileage. Do maths with fuel prices, they work out same. Of course, Total cost of ownership is way apart.)

Kids, Elders, not feeling well - take them in car. No bike.

Weather
During normal days (not so sunny), Bike is the preference. (Traffic/Time/ease of driving factors)
For Monsoon, it's car. (Road conditions/safety/Time - Need not wait for rain to stop. Need not spend time drying/Cost - save leather shoes.)

Time of day
I feel at odd times like late nights/early mornings, It's car. even if one travels alone.

Distance
Intercity travels - of course, car. I have friends travelling in bike (bullet) venturing into 1500+ km trips. But they are just for fun. Can't be for family or business.

Within city anything more than 25 kms, I would say car. (Consider your back. Health is wealth)

Pleasure
For small trips in good weather as a single passenger - bike (I like that 360 degree view comment. Though I feel helmets are for safety. I feel locked inside a jail if I wear helmet. Had to do for safety and rules ).
For long trips on highway - Car.

Destination
If you are attending a function or an important meeting at office. Better be cars to present yourself in good condition. I travel 10 km+ to office in bike. And I almost take a bath in office to wash the dirts off my face/hands/shoes/etc.

Mods, If it's too long a post adding no value, You can stop me from publishing it. No hard feelings there.

[EdgedNTaken]

Its a personal choice however cars serve multiple purposes. They can be purely functional or an enthusiast's delight. I will take a car (any make) over a motorbike any minute of the hour, day, week, fortnight, month, year, decade, century !

My replies in bold.

Originally Posted by WindRide

Sorry to bump up an old thread, but since i feel strongly against driving a car with only a single occupant made me do it.

Maybe iam in the minority, but I drive a two-wheeler regularly despite having a four-wheeler (which gets taken out only when there is full occupancy - talk of being green!).

+
. Cuts down office commute by 60 - 65%. I would rather be at home with kids than inhaling stale air and listening to mind-numbing FM chatter. True only in India where traffic conditions are horrible, sometimes due to erratic riding styles of bikers themselves. Overseas everyone loves only one thing for daily commutes, four-wheelers !

. My steed gives me 65kmpl. Fuel price hike? what's that? True to an extent.

. Excellent maneuverability in tight traffic. Oh ya i do cut across almost ALL four-wheelers (smaller the vehicle, bigger the evil grin). The only ones i give a wide berth are the 'killer' volvos. Bikers are part of the problem on Indian roads. Riding over footpaths and squeezing past people, animals, shops. You name it. They have total disregard for anyone and everyone on the road. Yes. Bikes are a nuisance to everyone.

. No extremeties to worry about against scraping, bumps, maintenance expenses. Yes. Why would you ? When you haven't paid a good amount for your ride compared to a four wheeler. Ohh ! What if you scrape a car ? Don't worry ! That's the car owner's problem.

. Wind in your hair, clear 360 deg view and complete sense of freedom. (i know a couple who biked it to Kanyakumari from Blr recently on a rented brand new Enfield, leaving their Scorpio at home. ) Again, in India, wind in your hair and more than likely dust & dirt too. And carbon monoxide in your lungs.

-
Need for a mask/handkerchief to keep dust out of the sinuses.
Need to carry a waterproof jacket-cum-trouser during monsoons.

So its a BIKE for me anyday, unless the number of passengers OR distance to be covered warrants use of a car.

[sumeethaldankar]

Love car Live cars that should say it all :-)

[VeluM]

Voted for Cars on this old thread. Love bikes too but it is near impossible to find a situation where one would ride for the love of it due to safety and comfort considerations.

These days I only use the bike for the daily office commute. I love cars - and the advantages of being inside a car Especially for a trip.

[rameshnanda]

I use bike only to cover a very short distance, say less than 5 kms. Otherwise, its always a car for me. I feel more secured inside a car than a bike. This is of utmost importance to me than anything else. If not car, I prefer using the public transport instead but, definitely not a Bike.

[sandsun7]

In Bangalore, When I am alone, the distance I have to travel is short-under 20km, and if it is the brighter time of the day, I prefer a two wheeler! Most of the other situations, I use my car. I still use a two wheeler for daily commute to office on most days.

[infotech58]

Remember? Four wheels move your Body, Two wheels move your Soul.

well, this does not hold true for commute to and from work; riding a bike in the given traffic situation in India just amounts to putting your life in risk, and add to that pollution and dust.

i, however, would prefer a nice cruiser bike for the leisure trips around the city.

[Jignesh]

Hello All,

I feel given the traffic situation in Indian Roads, bike is absolutely must.

Also in Indian Cities, if you want to travel short distances like 2 or 5 KMS, Car is not a viable option because traffic at several junctions might consume a lot of your time. Also in most Market places, parking is now becoming a luxury.

I agree Bike is not safe enough on roads, but to a large extent, it depends on how you ride the two wheeler.

I have both a Car & Bike, but for daily office commute (12 KMS one way) and for short distances the choice is always in favor of Bike.

Thanks,