There’s no good reason for them to be on the road. Consider the following:

  • They’re extremely loud and cause noise pollution

  • They’re very dangerous on the road and have high accident rates

  • They’re bad for the environment and cause air pollution

  • They’re extremely inefficient as they can only carry 1-2 people max

  • They can’t carry cargo

  • They’re dangerous for pedestrians

  • They’re very demanding to operate

  • They’re virtually useless in the winter when there’s snow, ice, and hail

  • The people who tend to drive them tend to be assholes who don’t respect road laws

People complain about cars all the time, and while our car dependency is definitely a big issue that we need to address, cars still have a lot utility. Motorcycles on the other hand? Not really. I think getting rid of them once and for all is good way to immediately make our roads safer, simplify traffic, and open up a pathway to move away from cars.

  • megopie@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    6 months ago

    Motorcycle is a broad category, most e-bikes fit under it. The defining characteristics is a motor vehicle steered by handlebar from a saddle style seat.

    They don’t have to be loud, but many drivers intentionally choose to make them loud. This comes down to a cultural issue, more about that later. Arguably most sports cars are much more obnoxious.

    The accident rate and danger tends to come down more to cars than to motorcycles them selves. Most deadly motorcycle accidents are collisions with cars, and most of those are deemed the fault of the car driver. They’re also unreasonably fast for the form factor, again, because they have to mingle with cars, particularly on the highway.

    Motorcycles are held to the same emission standards as cars, unless it’s not a road legal vehicle like a dirt bike, or not fast/powerful enough to require a license, like a moped. And they’re generally way more fuel efficient than cars due to being physically smaller, most getting between 70 to 90 MPG. Even Harley’s, intentionally outdated and inefficient designs, get 45MPG better than most cars.

    Most can fit 2 people, which is more than most cars tend to have in them at any given time, and with pannier bags they can carry more than most cars will carry on a day to day basis, with most people never carrying cargo in their car beyond a few grocery bags.

    They’re statistically much less dangerous to pedestrians than cars. I have no idea where you got the idea they’re more dangerous to pedestrians from.

    They’re generally actually much easier to maintain than a car being smaller and less mechanically complex. The reason that so many motorcyclists tend to spend a lot of time maintain them is because they’re doing more of it them selves rather than taking it to a dealership or a mechanic.

    There is absolutely a cultural issue among motorcyclists, but much of that comes down to how often they’re nearly killed by inattentive drivers. Constantly being put in danger by car drivers not paying attention tends to make people a bit hostile to car drivers. Much of the rest comes down to the fact that such a risky activity tends to attract people who are in to it to seem “cool”, which will attract some shitty people.

  • Drusas@fedia.io
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    6 months ago

    I definitely have to agree with the point of them not respecting the road laws. Lane splitting is illegal and dangerous. I get the temptation, but they shouldn’t be doing it (legal in California, not elsewhere).

  • over_clox@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    They do make nice quiet motorcycles ya know right? Not every motorcycle rider has loud exhaust, they do make quite a few with good mufflers and well balanced quiet engines.

    Not every motorcycle rider is a douchebag.

  • Linktank@lemmy.today
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    6 months ago

    You lost me at inefficient. Frankly if it weren’t for your last bullet point I think all of the other issues wouldn’t matter so much. But you are correct in that nearly 100% of people on motorcycles, at least where I live, are complete assholes who drive like dicks and rev their engines annoyingly loud.

  • Mearuu@kbin.melroy.org
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    6 months ago

    Motorcycles drive the economy in some countries.

    They cause less traffic.

    They cost less to own and operate.

    The pollute less.

    Almost every other claim you make is true for cars not motorcycles. Look, I get it, a lot of people hate motorcycles for some reason or another, but at least have your reasons to be based on facts and not opinions.

    The people who tend to drive them tend to be assholes who don’t respect road laws

    Ahh there it is. You generalize people and don’t like bikers specifically. That’s equivalent to me saying I don’t like people who drive cars because they get in the way of me operating my motorcycle. That’s such a selfish way to think.

    Congrats on a truly shit opinion. I suppose it belongs here.

    • Gorilladrums@lemmy.worldOP
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      6 months ago

      Motorcycles drive the economy in some countries

      I’m specifically talking about the US.

      The pollute less.

      Fuel efficiency =/= less pollution

      https://www.wired.com/2008/06/motorcycles-pol/

      You generalize people and don’t like bikers specifically.

      This point could be made for pickup trucks or guns or Lemmy. The people who use these tools are a big component to how they’re applied in the world as well as how they’re perceived by society.

      That’s equivalent to me saying I don’t like people who drive cars because they get in the way of me operating my motorcycle.

      No it isn’t, that’s a false equivalency. I’m not against motorcycles because they personally inconvenience me, but because I see them as a nuisance to society. There are literal studies out there that show that motorcyclists are much more prone to risky behavior that end up resulting in dangerous situations. Here’s an example study:

      https://openpublichealthjournal.com/VOLUME/17/ELOCATOR/e18749445281252/FULLTEXT/

      • masterspace@lemmy.ca
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        6 months ago

        First you need to find a study that shows that society on the whole finds risky behaviours to be nuisances, which, here’s a hint, they don’t, because they’re not all you.

    • HubertManne@piefed.social
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      6 months ago

      Yeah this is tough. I want to upvote the OP but im not sure because of the opinion based on just false. Really only the last bullet point is an opinion.

  • phanto@lemmy.ca
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    6 months ago

    I love my scooter. It burns 3L/100km. It makes hella less noise than any sports car I can name. If I were to hit a pedestrian going 50kmph on it vs an F150? As far as the asshole comment… Well, shrug I like me!

  • Oni_eyes@sh.itjust.works
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    6 months ago

    Very easy to electrify, and the accident rate seems to be due to poor driver education and all the dumb fucks rolling around in their cars (equally with shitty driver education)

  • They follow all legal noise limits same as every other vehicle

    Its the riders right to risk their own life that’s called liberty

    For co2 Car: 166 g/passenger km, Motorcycle: 113 g/passenger km

    Efficiency wise u clearly don’t understand what a relative measure is. Also see prevouse point about co2

    That’s a personal choice

    They are less dangerous for pedestrian (learn about inertia)

    Again its ur right to inconvenience yourself (a pedal bycicle is more demanding than a motorbike should be ban them as well)

    See previous point

    If u wanna make an argument rooted in “people who do bad thing xyz tend to be abc” can be used to justify racism (Google what proportion of crime in us is committed by black people) therefore shit argument

    I get that this is unpopular opinions and that’s fine ur welcome to have an unpopular OPINION but ur just flat out factually wrong/have no regard for personal liberty.