what makes you use a bicycle instead of a motorcycle? it would seem you would get more mobility using a motorcycle instead of a bicycle as you could ride in the car lanes at the speed you would be going (the same rate of speed as the cars).

On those cold winter commutes, I'd get to my destination pretty much stiff from the cold, plus bicycling is a great exercise for stress relief after work.
Reaction time is another factor for me, having the same time as driving a motor vehicle, but being vulnerable as a bicycle.

I also ride a motorcycle, but bicycles are better because:
1. Go more places on a bicycle
2. Better for exercise
3. Quieter
4. Cheaper
5. Less pollution
6. Better for bragging
7. If it breaks down, you can carry it home or thumb a ride from a pickup

Cycling is part of my exercise regime, otherwise I would use a motorbike.

8. In the city a bicycle is often faster in traffic than a motorcycle
9. No licensing or insurance required
10. More parking options including bringing it indoors
11. Crashing at 20MPH hurts less than at 60MPH
12. The bicycle is easier to repair/maintain at home with simple tools
13. The satisfaction of transporting yourself under your own power
14. A slower pace allows one to see much more scenery...and to smell the flowers

A motorcycle is too heavy to pedal. I'll wait until they make carbon fiber motorcycles.

Motorcycle:
- gas
- insurance
- traffic laws
- parking problems
- expensive repair and maintenance
- very heavy weight
- oil change
- tires
- brake service
- average 60km/h (unless you want to get a ticket for speeding)
... need i say more?

Bike:
- tires
- add lube oil
- brake pads
- park it anywhere
- low maintenance
- no gas
- no laws ... sort of
- light weight
- no need for insurance
- average 30Km/h, say even you do mange to get to 100Km/h you wouldn't get a speed ticket

I use a bike for exercise, use a car to go long distances fast in AC.

If I used a motorcycle, I probably would have killed other people by now.

Using a bicycle, I only risk killing myself. I am comfortable with that.

I think the question is a bit off. Motorcycles are powered. Cycling appeals to a whole different niche and has its own group. Not many people would consider them as alternatives to each other even though there is a superficial similarity.

It is a bit like comparing a small speed boat to a canoe or kayak. A speed boat is all about noise, power and speed. A kayak is quiet, unobtrusive, powered by muscle and more in turn to the environment. The esthetic is entirely different.

I have three motorcycles in the garage and three bicycles in the living room. (Okay, and a few more bicycles in the garage.)
Sometimes I wish I were two people, so I don't have to choose one or the other.
My '84 Masi Gran Crit is just as beautiful to me as my '00 W650.


There are some roads more fun for bicycling and some for motorcycling. I've motorcycled up to Sequoia National Forest several times and in two weeks, I'll finally be taking my bicycle up there.



Crashing at 60 while wearing full gear is only slightly worse than crashing at 20 wearing lycra.
And while many motorcyclists are in it for the power, noise, speed, etc. All my bikes are quiet, smooth & efficient. I'd have to ride the pee out of my crotch-rocket to get worse than 40mpg.

Cost? That's the only reason for me. Though, I'd love to have both.

I like a big metal box around me when I go that fast, thank you very much. Besides, my convertible Miata is as airy and refreshing as I need any motor vehicle to be.

My favorite two things about bicycles are
A) the exercise
B) the versatility. I can do things that I won't mention here because the safety nannies will start bawling and yelling at me. (But really, if you can't jaywalk while on a bike, you might as well be on a moped, IMO.)

Motorcycles are pricey, too. Insurance, registration, licensing. Not to mention traffic laws.
I know for a fact that I will never be pulled over or given a ticket on my bicycle. Not around here, anyway.

I had a moped 30 years ago, but gave it up as a bad compromise between the two.

If I had an unlimited budget, I'd have a whole Batcave full of vehicles, with bikes both motor- and human-powered among them. The way things are nowadays, if I can feed myself, I can ride. I'd be likelier to get a beater car before I got a used motorcycle, and I'm not mechanical enough to keep either of those on the road. A new motor vehicle, whether with 2 or 4 wheels, is a pipe dream.

I got back into riding a bicycle for practical reasons, but I've somehow regained the sense of fun it gave me when I was a kid. Perhaps if I keep it up, I'll regain some of my youthful fitness.

I could certainly look like your newbie hog-rider. I've got the gut and am losing the hair.

Kevin

For me, bicycle gets me an advantage over motorcycles. No worries about having to have a drivers license and insurance. But I still have to follow the laws applicable to motorists in the roads or to pedestrians if I were to ride a bicycle in the sidewalk about half the speed I were to ride in the road.

Visual impairment is why I can't drive a motorcycle. B'sides, driving a motorcycle is like driving a car. Actually, I'd rather ride a tricycle instead of a bicycle.

One more thing: According to Florida Bicycle and Law Enforcement Guide, you'll need a drivers license if you want to drive a moped.

Bicycle
Pro:
Lower cost of operation
Ease of parking
more exercise
sometimes I just feel like riding my bicycle

Motorcycle
Pro:
Faster for trips of more than one mile (it takes time to put on the safety gear that I would not use on a bicycle)
less likely to get a traffic ticket (bicycles are watched very closely where I am)
travel on my schedule rather than the transit services
more comfortable in cold weather gear
sometimes I just feel like riding my motorcycle

I ride a bicycle for exercise. That and I don't know how to ride a motorcycle. At the very least I'd crap my pants on one and most likely lay it over and injure, maim or kill myself.

I have a motor scooter, motorcycle, and several bicycles.

Inner city traffic and all-weather use, the bicycle is hands down the winner.

I gave up driving a car some years ago and cycle everywhere... if I go and see my mom it's an 80 km ride, my brother lives 160 km away, and I have some friends in the country that are good for a 100km round trip.

I have been pondering getting another motorcycle for longer trips where time is more important... I used to have several and can fix a motorcycle just about as easily as I can fix a bike.

I'd like something smaller and of course, vintage as I don't need to be racing at 200 kmh and was thinking a bike like a Honda Silverwing would fit the bill.

Somewhere I read an article that compared the cost of crossing the country on a bicycle and a small motorcycle. The motorcycle was cheaper.

In general, a small motorcycle can be pretty cheap to operate. Where most people drive up the cost is that they ride large bikes. Today you see people talking about 600cc bikes as beginner bikes. Most of those, so called, beginner bikes are highly tuned race bikes from a generation (which, in motorcycles, is about 5-10 years) ago. If a person sticks with common bikes of about 250cc or less, and avoids riding at freeway speeds, a motorcycle can be quite economical to operate.

I am certainly not trying to convert anyone form bicycling. But, both have a place and I enjoy both.

-"55mph" on a motorcycle
-Riding a bike at 5mph through a crosswalk at a red light with no cars coming.

Which would you say is more dangerous?

Irony is a stretch.

After motorcycling more than 300,000 miles without major incident (many of them much faster than 55mph), I feel compelled to point out that you are prejudging without any knowledge on the subject. That you accuse others of being safety nannies... hopefully I'm not the only one seeing the irony.

I like the quiet aspect of bicycling. I do LOVE to get out and twist the throttle at least a couple times a year, but ride bicycles all the time.

I guess that's why I prefer getting out on a sailboat to motorboating, as well. Same didn't hold true for gliders, however, those things are LOUD as HELL! Still an awesome ride.

I've got a bicycle and a scooter (currently looking to add a motorcycle into the mix). What one falls short in doing, the other compensates. Yea the scooter costs more money to maintain than a bicycle but it's a heck of a lot cheaper than a car!