Ducati Monster Forum

Had a friend ask me this the other day. What do you think?
clutch, brake, throttle, counter steer, dodge car, yellow light, pick nose, etc...

Every day we go to war with the cagers, have to be at the top of your game always.

I remember reading somewhere that it takes 2-4x more mental effort to ride a motorcycle compared to driving

Quote from: Ducatiloo on June 24, 2008, 12:48:12 PM
Every day we go to war with the cagers, have to be at the top of your game always.

No doubt about it.  They are out to get us.

Quote from: CDawg on June 24, 2008, 12:52:19 PM
I remember reading somewhere that it takes 2-4x more mental effort to ride a motorcycle compared to driving

I agree - you always need to be sharp and mentally alert.  I give it a 6 out of 10, as I can't be too complicated, because I can do it. 

Hell two wheelers are smarter than your average bear but I still say it is a 9, by the time you calculate how much space you have between the curb, the pedestrian and the city bus and make the right decision that pedestrian has only taken 1/2 a step.  It is amazing how we all do this as routine the longer you ride, while as a noob it is just so easy to not make those calculations in time. 

Then again maybe being smarter than your average bear is all you need to survive the cagers!

Quote from: cdnrcr on June 24, 2008, 12:58:23 PM
I agree - you always need to be sharp and mentally alert.  I give it a 6 out of 10, as I can't be too complicated, because I can do it. 

Almost a +1 but I gave it a 5 because I can do it. Puling a wheelie while splitting lanes bumps it up to 8 though because I cant do it.

_{And don't think it would be a good Idea to try it either.}

I think it's more about motor skills and muscle memory.  There is some thinking involved, but it's coordination and practice.

Not exactly a brain teaser though.

I said 7...

5 being average riding, I picked 7 because riding in traffic is no different than any other time, it's just the extra bit of mental sharpness needed to look out for others that brings it up to 7 IMO.

In the morning, people are either 1/2 asleep or rushing to get to work which means I'm on high alert, so that might bring it up to an 8.

it is also a matter of TOTAL CONCENTWATION

Depends on the traffic... Like 4 km.hr whre your contantly balancing OR doing 80 on a freeway  [roll] . Both are traffic and both require different skill levels.

Less coordination to ride in traffic than to ride a swoopy backroad WELL.

Like George Constanza wanted to name his son "Seven" is the one I choose. It's like playing golf, or surfing easy enough if you have natural talent and have good MUSCLE CONTROL, HAND EYE CO., and BALANCE.

cg

It depends on what kind of riding.  If you're just strolling along behind cars and such then it's a 4 or 5 because riding a motorcycle well is already much more difficult than driving a car.  If you're lane splitting in stop-and-go traffic then I give it a 7.  Being able to maneuver a motorcycle in between cars at relatively slow speeds is not exactly easy, but it isn't brain surgery either.  You just need to be a little more alert, coordinated and smart about controlling speed and weaving.  Plus, you have to have pretty good spacial judgment, which I don't believe is an easy thing to learn.

I said 7 assuming lane splitting w/an average 30%+ speed difference between me and the cars.

I used to commute about 37 (one way) on my bike splitting lanes most of the way, I would get to work exhausted!!! 

There is nothing more difficult.

Traffic in general, or major city traffic? 8)

General traffic, a 7 or 8.

Major city traffic (potholes, cabs, buses) 8 or 9.

IMHO I would think a 10 in mental effort would land you in the looney bin after 30 minutes or so of that level of riding.

There are a lot of variables.
Areas around major shopping centers tend to be cluster making the beast with two backs, and can score up to 9.
Limited acess blvd's with moderate speed limits can be as low 2.
Time of day and day of the week is huge, a M-F 8 - 9 can be a 2-3 on Sunday morning.

i had to say a 6 because in my opinion 5 is average, and i only have to think a little bit more than driving my car to ride the bike.  but then again, i drive my car really careful and pay ALOT of attention to the people around me because i dont want it to get hit.  to me, riding a bike is not that hard in traffic.  and almost everything i do is a instinct rather than a thought process.

also it may be worth mentioning that i live in a smaller city and the traffic is different here than in bigger cities.  we do not have any highways in town, and its just stoplight after stoplight after stoplight, but i would rather have to deal with traffic on the interstate than in my town.

Most of us think of it in a lesser sort of way, cuz we do it (some all the time) and it seems an average thing to us. But ask someone who is new to it and/or riding in general and you'll get a diff perception.

And that "casual" perception of it is what gets most of us into trouble at some point. To be as safe as possible in traffic and in general, it should get a 9-10 on your attention scale but then most folks can't concentrate for that long...  [laugh]

needs to be a 2-axis choice.

you need lots of skill or lots of luck.

the drunken infant whos a lucky sonovapregnant dog will do fine.

likewise, the cursed surgeon will get nailed.

sounds stupid, but i know guys who i won't ride with because they are idiots but who've never so much as laid a bike down in a parking lot and have ridden 20+ years.

I would say 10 ....... you will survive ...... end of story

Quote from: CDawg on June 24, 2008, 12:52:19 PM
I remember reading somewhere that it takes 2-4x more mental effort to ride a motorcycle compared to driving

Co-ordination? IMO, it doesn't take any more coordination to ride a bike in traffic than it does to ride one down a dirt road.

What it DOES take is more skill, experience, confidence, and situational awareness.

Traffic is easy.  It's the open road - and the wealth available options - that I find problematic. 

Quote from: dlearl476 on June 25, 2008, 09:08:08 PM
Co-ordination? IMO, it doesn't take any more coordination to ride a bike in traffic than it does to ride one down a dirt road.

What it DOES take is more skill, experience, confidence, and situational awareness.

and don't forget oodles of joie de vivre!

Quote from: ducatizzzz on June 25, 2008, 06:33:29 PM

sounds stupid, but i know guys who i won't ride with because they are idiots but who've never so much as laid a bike down in a parking lot and have ridden 20+ years.

???

Quote from: FatguyRacer on June 27, 2008, 06:06:01 AM
???

rofl

i meant they are stupid riders, doing stupid things, but have been very lucky.

I ride the 110 to the 10  freeway everyday during rush hour. Its about a 22 mile ride one way to work and traffic is stop and go the whole way. It takes a high degree of concentration, coordination, and balls to make it there and home in one piece. I agree the stress level is high cars trying to squish you, cutting you off, the people on cell phones who are not looking where they are going. Every day I get cut off, boxed out, panic stopped in front of me or someone try's to change lanes when I am right next to them. All this from Downtown to Santa Monica and back. But still I would rather ride than be stuck behind the wheel of a car. [thumbsup] So I would have to give it a 10 with a combination of city and freeway driving during rush hours I feel like I should get some kind of trophy when I get home!

Quote from: Mika on June 24, 2008, 01:37:17 PM
it is also a matter of TOTAL CONCENTWATION

[laugh] [laugh]

Excellent movie.   [thumbsup]