On the Road

Of course there never is really any resolution to arguments like these. It’s like arguing whether Schumacher or Senna was the better world champ – there might never be a definitive answer but getting there is half the fun.

But here are my two reasons as to why two-wheels are better than four:

1. Skill is required to survive

To put it rather brutally, in order to enjoy a long and safe riding career you need to have lots of luck and lots of skill because if you don’t, you’ll have to give up riding, whether by choice (scare the bejeezus out of yourself) or circumstance (accident, or death).

Everyone runs out of luck sooner or later, while most people get more skilled the more they ride. Skill lets you avoid the accidents you can anticipate, which is 95 percent of them. Luck (and safety gear) lets you survive the ones you can’t.

So by way of survival of the fittest, the average biker is inherently more skilled than the average driver.

2. Bikers usually want to improve

Read any motorcycle magazines lately?

If you do, you’ll notice tag lines like these: ‘Ride better today’, ‘Better cornering in 10 easy steps’, ‘Ride like Rossi – we show you how’. This isn’t just for racing bravado, most motorcyclists are aware of point number one, and actively try to improve their skills. When’s the last time you tried to actively improve your driving skills?

I could go on but I’m aiming to keep this post short. The important thing to take away though, is that driving and riding are both skills that can be improved daily by applying yourself no matter who you are or what you drive.

Try it. It could save your life, or someone else’s some day.

But to lay rest to the argument, Senna was the better champion and getting there is more always more fun on a bike.

Tags: motorcycling, road safety, skills

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