is scooter safer than motorcycle?

Question

Is a sports scooter like the Italian Guilera runner safer than say a sports bike like a Honda NSR SP? In terms of riding position, visibility, etc.

Answer 1

nope. scooters have smaller wheels and that causes them to be 10x's more unstable than full sized bikes. the helix from honda maxs out at 45. fast enough for most 2 lane roads, not fast enough for interstates or main freeways. they're much smaller than a full sized bike. they'll go fast enough to kill u, and small enough to make u even less visible to cages that can barely see a full sized dresser.

Answer 2

I believe scooters are far more dangerous than motorcycles, for several reasons: 1) they use small wheels, which render the scooter much less stable than a motorcyle (the primary reason motorcycles "stay up" is due to gyroscopic stability from the rotating wheels - the smaller wheel, the less the gyroscopic force); 2) they are so slow they are dangerous - most scooters can't even keep up with traffic on urban or suburban roads, unless there is a traffic jame, so a person riding a scooter is far more likely to be run over by someone in a car than someone on a motorcycle who is able to keep up with the flow of traffic (the more powerful and much faster motorcycle also allows a wider variety of escape options when presented with a potential traffic accident); 3) scooters are lower and smaller than most motorcycles, rendering them even less visible to other traffic (i.e., car drivers), which multiplies the problems discussed under item 2 foregoing; and 4) most (no, make that all) scooter riders I have seen seem to think that, since the scooter is "little," slow and "cute," that riding one requires no safety gear. The typical scooter rider (at least, those I have seen) rides in shorts, short sleeve shirt, with sandals or, at most, tennis shoes, and never wears a helmet. When they go down on their basically unstable machine, or get hit by a car coming up on them from the rear that is travelling 10-20 MPH faster than the scooter can go, the probability of serious injury or death is much higher than for a motorcyclist wearing appropriate safety gear (and who could, likely, avoid the accident by powering away, unlike the poor person on the underpowered scooter, who's just a sitting duck).

Answer 3

I agree with what everyone else is saying. The reason a scooter could be considered safer than a sport bike, is because it is not as fast. Most people I see one sport bikes, all they want to do is race. So by riding a slower vehicle, like a cruiser or a scooter, you probably will live longer to say the least. Out of all the motorcycle wrecks I have seen, the only deadly ones involve sport bike riders who have a need for speed.

Answer 4

I don't think a scooter is safer. A scooter has less power for getting out of trouble situations quickly. They are smaller and more difficult to see than a motorcycle. They just don't keep up with the flow of traffic and cause other road users to make maneuvers that can jeopardize the safety of them and the scooter rider. I'd recommend a motorcycle over a scooter any day.

Answer 5

I wouldn't think that anything on two wheels would be inherently safer than anything else. Cage drivers don't pay attention to cars and school buses, they certainly aren't looking for scooters and motorcycles. If anything, the motorcycle would be "safer" insofar as you (the pilot) can throttle up or down quickly to anticipate the blue hair's next blind move or the teenager with a cell phone and loud music about to run the stop sign.

If you are simply commuting in a metro environment where you are only doing 40 mph max (e.g., NYC, San Fran), then it probably doesn't matter.

Answer 6

It depends on the driver's way of handling and need. In my point of view Bikes are safer than Scooters because, I have experienced both and I found Bikes to be far safer than Scooters when it comes to speedy driving......NMN

Answer 7

Ya, as said, the only thing that is "safer" about scooters is that they are not as fast as a bike.

Handling and maneuverability are much worse

Answer 8

only in the since that they are not as fast as motorcycles.

in most states you need to have a license and registration (and endorcement) to ride scooters (just as you would your bike)

Answer 9

Not safer, just slower.

Answer 10

Lets ask Billy Lane