aja wrote
After three car accidents, all caused by other drivers skipping red robots etc, I am sick of cars.
They always break, cost too much and use too much petrol (well, the ones I like anyway)
Okay I will always love cars, but I want a bike/scooter thing too.
Clue one that you should not be on a bike. Firstly you have had three accidents, secondly you say they were all someone else's fault - that attitude doesn't wash on a bike. You and only you are responsible for your safety - treat everyone else as if they are trying to kill you, when they get you - you have failed.
Consider that everyone of these accidents could very easily have killed you if you were on a bike and would very likely have put you in hospital and/or incapacitated you. The consequences are much more serious on a bike.
I rode bikes for the 13 years I was living in Johannesburg, for 5 years or so exclusively (no car). By the time I left I was seriously considering keeping the bike for track use only. The drivers there are completely ignorant of bikes and will scare the wits out of you on a daily basis. When riding in Aus I had a rule of thumb (passed on from an older rider) that once a year someone would actively try and kill me on my bike - it held true. In Johannesburg it was not an exageration to say this happened on a monthly basis. People coming head on at you down the wong side of the road physically forcing you off is pretty scary.
Now I'm back in NZ where the driving is a hell of a lot saner, still on a bike, still regularly get frights. Bear in mind this is with 20 years riding experience, advanced training, track days, lots of time on the road (in cars/light trucks) driving for a job etc.
Also forget about a bike being cheaper - I've never had one yet that is cheaper than a cheap car.
