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Originally Posted by Grant-53
This comes to the heart of the mystique of riding a two wheel machine. What are the distinct features that make riding a bike so appealing? Part of it is the delicious feeling of flying so close to the ground. There is a greater sense of experiencing the world around you. That was part of the appeal of driving a car with the top down in the '50s. The vehicle extends and amplifies our powers to move about without interposing itself as a buffer. Our mode of transportation is a personal statement reflecting our aspirations.
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When I ride, I feel like I am part of the landscape, if only for a moment before moving on to the next landscape. In the spring, I enjoy the different smells of flowers and other vegetation. Evenings bring cool pockets of air as I dip into a valley and then warm air as I rise out of it. This is completely lost in a car.
Cages always feel like I'm driving them, but a motorcycle feels like it's part of me; an extension of my own body, almost as if it responds to my thoughts.
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Worrying about getting killed takes the joy out of riding for pleasure. We want to build vehicles that perform better in some way. I want to make a car, bicycle, and motorcycle that goes faster, farther, and safer that what is for sale today. It's another way to push the limits. We want to build and ride a motorcycle that is fun to ride and get 500 mpg that is not an accident waiting to happen. We are getting closer and some one may well do it in the next 10 years.
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I have been rear-ended in a Subaru, and my girlfriend was recently rear-ended in her Pontiac. It seems these sorts of accidents are not uncommon, and very difficult to avoid. Ride long enough, and your chance of being hit by another vehicle approaches 100%. Motorcycles will not be safe from other vehicles until automatic brake assist, lane departure warning, etc become the norm. With ever increasing distractions for drivers, safety is in jeopardy.