scooter_07 wrote on 12/31/69 at 16:00:01:....Now just have to convince the wife motorcycles aren't dangerous.
Wish me luck.
Statistically, per mile riden/driven, a motorcycle is a little over three times as likely to be involved in an accident than a car. However that is *all cars*. The people who ride motorcycles tend to be risk takers, such as the drivers of high performance sport cars. I have not been able to find statistics on the per mile accident rate of high performance cars, but I would bet that it is as bad or worse than motorcycles.
I would guess that the odds of any individual getting into an accident with a motorcycle is about the same as when they are in a car. Possibly worse due to greater risk taking, possibly better due to better performance and smaller target.
Whether or not *you* get into an accident depends largely upon you and how you ride. If you have a 10 year history of driving without any accidents or close calls -- this will likely continue with your riding. If you've crumpled your car occasionally in the past few years you might want to reconsider getting a motorcycle.
If you have an accident in a car you are protected by a steel cage and most likely will not be hurt to any great degree, it at all.
In you have an accident on a bike you have no protection, other than what you wear, and most likely will be hurt.
In terms of increasing commonness, you can have a two-vehicle collision, where you and some other vehicle attempt to occupy the same space at the same time, in violation of the laws of physics. Generally done are higher speeds, and generally *very bad*. Your body will depart the bike and assume it's own trajectory, sliding on surfaces abrading your surface and/or striking objects. You will be hurt, how bad depends in large part on how you are dressed.
You can have a collision with a fixed object, again quite bad as you are moving and the object isn't and their will be rapid decelerations, without the restraints of seat belts/airbags/etc..
You can run off the road, and come to a gradual stop in the weeds, bushes, etc., possibly ending up on your side after a low speed drop.
Finally, the odds are *very* high that you will drop your bike -- at a low or no speed. You might not even be on the bike, as you you get off and forget to deploy the kick stand.
Basically, you can tell the wife that you are no more likely to be involved in a collision on the bike as wher you are in a car. And even if you are you will be wearing your leather / ballastic nylon and full face helmet to minimize damage to your body.
Also emphasize that with the bike you it will be far easier and cheaper to bop over to the store to pick up a prescription or a dozen eggs or a pack of 6 x 1.5 screws needed to complete a honey-do. In the event of a disaster you both will be able to ride past the traffic jams leaving town. Whatever -- she's your spouse, you should know what will get her to accept the usefulness of the motorcycle. Useful, not *just* a toy. And that her fears of your being hurt are mostly unjustified.
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