Why I Feel Safer on My Motorcycle Than My Bicycle

I ride a motorcycle—yes, a fast one—and I’ve been doing it for more than 20 years. People often ask whether I feel unsafe or why I’m willing to take on so much risk. My answer usually surprises them:

I feel safer commuting on my motorcycle than on my bicycle.

I alternate between the two, and here’s why:
On my motorcycle, I’m more visible, more aware, and better able to react quickly to whatever’s happening around me. On my bicycle, I constantly feel like I’m just waiting for an inattentive driver to drift into me from behind. I’m not flowing with traffic—I’m impeding it.

The Hurt Report: The Study That Changed How I Ride

When I first got into motorcycling, a friend told me to read the Hurt Report, a major early-80s study by Professor Harry Hurt analyzing over 900 motorcycle accidents and more than 3,600 police reports.

The 50-point summary was eye-opening. It showed how much you can statistically reduce your accident risk with some simple, common-sense habits—like wearing a proper helmet and real protective gear.

There’s no guarantee I won’t crash someday. But by understanding the major risk factors and addressing them head-on, I can dramatically improve my odds.

Cyclists Often Underestimate Their Risk

In contrast, I find that many cyclists do a poor job of realistically assessing their own risk.

Some hard truths:

• 68% of cycling fatalities happen in urban areas

• 22% occur between 6:00 and 8:59 PM

• 29% involve being hit by a car

All according to NHTSA data.

Here in Atlanta, most group rides take place right in the middle of heavy traffic during those high-risk hours. At dusk, cyclists are harder to see, and drivers are tired, distracted, and more likely to have had a drink. Yes, group rides may make you more visible, but they also introduce more bike-on-bike crashes—another 37% of cycling accidents.

Most cyclists I meet don’t realize how much danger they’re actually in. And very few seasoned riders I know have gone 10 years without some kind of injury-requiring crash (myself included).

Awareness Isn’t Optional—It’s Survival

When I’m on my motorcycle, my head is on a swivel. I stay aware of every vehicle around me. I don’t ride when I’m tired, I don’t ride after drinking, and I avoid riding in the dark or bad weather whenever possible. I also give myself enough space to brake safely in an emergency.

I try to keep that same mindset when cycling—but I rarely see others doing the same. Instead, I see cyclists:

• Riding side-by-side

• Chatting in dense traffic

• Following too closely

• Not paying attention to the environment

Simple changes—riding single-file, staying alert, keeping distance—greatly reduce risk. And visibility? It matters. Motorcycles are louder, brighter, and bigger. Bicycles are often invisible in a driver’s peripheral vision.

Even with cheap, bright LED lights available everywhere, many cyclists still don’t use them. Honestly, they should be mandatory for group rides.

Skill Matters—More Than Most Cyclists Realize

More than half of motorcycle crashes involve riders with less than five months of experience, many of them self-taught. The parallels with cycling are obvious.

Despite cycling’s growing popularity, many riders lack basic bike-handling skills. For example, when I ask which brake requires more force—front or rear—most cyclists say “rear.”

Wrong.

For the shortest, safest stop, you need to apply more force to the front brake while shifting your weight back. Learning this alone can prevent a crash.

Other essential skills:

• Looking over your shoulder without drifting

• Clipping out smoothly

• Doing basic maintenance

• Riding predictably in a group

And don’t forget: the people you ride with impact your safety, too.

What Cycling Needs: Its Own “Hurt Report”

The Hurt Report was groundbreaking because it used real data to identify motorcycle risk factors. I haven’t found anything comparable for bicycling, even though cycling fatalities are rising at the same time the number of cyclists is increasing.

We need the same kind of clarity.

It’s not enough to say:

• “I have the right to be on the road.”

• “Drivers should pay attention.”

• “Motorists shouldn’t get angry.”

Those may all be true—but they don’t make you safer.

What will make you safer is understanding the real risks of cycling and actively reducing them.

Accept the risk. Understand the risk. Then minimize the risk.

That’s how you stay alive—whether you’re on two wheels with an engine or two wheels powered by your legs.