Motorcycle

A motorcycle (or motorbike) is a two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. The wheels are in-line, and at higher speed the motorcycle remains upright and stable by virtue of gyroscopic forces; at lower speeds continual readjustment of the steering by the rider gives stability. The rider sits the vehicle on a seat, with hands on a set of handlebars (either a single bar or "clip-on"s which are used to steer the motorcycle, in conjunction with the rider shifting their weight through their feet, which are supported on a set of "footpegs" or "pegs" which stick out from the frame.

Safety

Motorcycles have a far higher rate of crippling and fatal accidents per unit distance than automobiles. According to the US Highway Safety Authority, in 2002 20.9 cars out of 100,000 ended up in fatal crashes. The rate for motorcycles is 66.7 per 100,000. Given that motorcycles cover less distance than cars per year on average, the figure per unit distance is likely to be much worse.

Related Topics:
Accident - Automobile

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For a complete discussion, see the main article: Motorcycle Safety

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