Are big bikes safer than scooters?

[Gweiloman]

One poster crashed when riding over a 1 inch rut on his scooter. Another slipped recently in ice like conditions, also on his scooter. Yet another fell from her scooter when larking around. I fell riding over a mud slick on my Versys going uphill.

Seems to me that scooters are significantly more dangerous than big bikes.

[surangw]

could be the drivers, not the vehicles

[kiniyow]

Not safer just many more small bikes then big ones....Thousands either Die or crippled each year from coming off small Bikes they thought were safer...

[NickJ]

Sounds to me like your trying to justify buying a bigger bike....well , as a Biker for close to 4decades......It all boils down to experience... .I will say that a bigger bike is harder to manhandle in traffic....and with older bikes maintainence can save your life.

if you have not had a big bike.....keep your small one and learn solo on your big bike....never pack a passanger until u have the confidence and experience......or it could get ugly......

[eisfeld]

Interesting question. There are many angles from which you can approach this.

1. Are bigger bikes inherently more stable because of size (wheels, wheelbase etc)

2. Are bigger bikes inherently more dangerous because they have more power and can be/tend to be ridden faster?

3. Are bigger bikes safer because they tend to be ridden by more experienced people (less complete idiots)?

4. Are bigger bikes safer because they are more visible to others?

5. Are bigger bikes safer because they provide better visibility onto the roads?

6. Are bigger bikes more dangerous as they tend to be more complicated?

Personally I am really not sure but I feel safer on a big bike.

[Gweiloman]

Sounds to me like your trying to justify buying a bigger bike....well , as a Biker for close to 4decades......It all boils down to experience... .I will say that a bigger bike is harder to manhandle in traffic....and with older bikes maintainence can save your life.

if you have not had a big bike.....keep your small one and learn solo on your big bike....never pack a passanger until u have the confidence and experience......or it could get ugly......

No, I'm not trying to justify buying a bigger bike. I already have two 650's and a 1000 cc. Plus a KLX250 and a PCX. I've got all the bikes I need for now.

Most of my touring rides around Thailand over the last few years is two up, with panniers and top box. The big bikes just feel so much more stable than the PCX, even at low speeds. Could be partly because I gear up much more but definitely tyre sizes and weight play a large part as well.

Nevertheless, good advice for beginners or those looking to buy a bigger bike.

[jethro69]

A bigger bike might be more visible to others, but down here that doesn't mean that they give a sh....!!!!

[NickJ]

Geez....Bro, Why would you even waste an old bikers time ifn you got all the infos al eddy.

[Mcffee]

I think in Thailand dangers are more often behind you then in front, therefor I think faster is usually safer.

Also, Thai Vigo morons have much more respect for big bikes.

[andrewrooney]

Bigger, better tires, better grip, better suspension, better brakes... plus drivers are more likely to see you and give you more respect (i.e. not merge into you without warning).

Can't really think of any advantage to scooters/smaller bikes safety-wise. Not saying they're not good for getting around town, mind you, I still love my Wave 125.

[wow64]

On either it comes down to luck and driver experience.

I only ride bike bikes here but I still think there is some occasions when it may be safer on a skooter.

I have seen some thai guys (with no brains or massive balls) get through some spaces which in an emergency I could not pull off on a big bike.

Would be interested in a stopping distance comparo between a skooter and different big bikes from say 60 klms.

I am sure my cbr600rr with its fancy brakes takes longer to stop then my cbr300r. More weight to stop.

[RubberSideDown]

^

My ZX-14R (even before I dropped 15kg from it and upgraded the brake lines and pads) has the same ~121' 60-0 stopping distance as a CBR250R even though there's a weight difference of over 200lbs- quality brake components (large discs and beefy calipers) make a huge difference. A 600cc supersport also stops in about the same distance (within a meter).

For me, the main difference between a scooter and a 'big bike' is simple- both can easily get you into trouble- the bigger bike usually offered more ability to get you out of it through superior performance (in all aspects- braking, acceleration, handling, etc).

[papa al]

"slipped recently in ice like conditions"

?

[JonnyF]

Big bikes are definitely safer IMO.

Better brakes, normally ABS, bigger better tyres, more visible, get more respect from 4 wheelers, easier to hear, more stable, more power to separate yourself from other traffic.

I rode my Nouvo to the bike show on Saturday, haven't ridden it outside the soi for ages and it was bloody terrifying at 85kph

[Brit_Doggie]

The smaller bikes/scooters are amusingly called the crazies.everyone who rides one drive em crazy.

[wantan]

Doesn't make sense to compare a Scoopy with a 300k Baht big bike. Is a spoon safer as a fork? Maybe, but there is a reason why people use both. A Tricity with ABS could make sense of course. Hope we see more such scooters with better brakes and other safety features in future.

If you want to compare scooters to big bikes you should at least take a maxxiscooter like the Maxsym 600i ABS for comparison. That would be interesting.

More respect for bigger expensive bikes, thats indeed an interesting point and i agree completely. But for me no reason to switch to bigger bikes for commuting and shopping.

And again risk compensation comes to my mind. But this would go much too far...

[guzzi850m2]

Well yes, can't really compare a scooter with a big bike.

Which is safer depends all on the rider, I seen tourists in Pattaya going like mad and it doesn't matter what they ride, they are asking for an accident but the survival rate will likely be higher on a scooter since they can't go that fast but off-course not always. I seen tourists on 1000cc sports bikes and that looks scary man.

On the highways I fell much safer on my 650cc bike than on a 150cc scooter because on the power and abs brakes. Power can save you sometimes, getting out of the way quickly. Some big buses drive over 100km/h and I fell very small on my scooter when they overtake me, no gonna happen on the big bike.

I prefer scooter downtown, easy to pot around on, easy to park, storage under the seat for some shopping.

[TheRoadWarrior]

each is only as safe as the rider

[jonnyscot]

Big bikes id think are safer, another reason for this could be most of us would gear up appropriately on a big bike, whereas on the other hand a quick trip into town to the shops on the PCX it would be more tempting to just hop on the PCX in flip flops and shorts, on my old PCX a few years back the pride was dented when I got the gravel rash across my toes after the bike came from under me on a gravel track, on the pcx now I at least wear trainers, but still could wear more appropriate gear, i wouldnt go out on the versys without the kit,

[lust]

I have a scooter 125cc and cbr 929cc.

Driving the cbr, I find that people are much more aware of my presence and tend to give me more space. The cbr is stable but not nimble. Absorbs bumps and steers away wind at high speeds.

On the scooter, those things bunch up and always bumping and smacking into eachother lol. The scooter is nimble but not stable. I feel all the bumps and wind.

[Rhys]

As always, depends on the rider's abilities and common sense..

[BSJ]

I think the answer is to look at the targeted buyer.

All the scooters under 80k baht are aimed at your average Thai who is earning less than 15k baht/month. The vast majority only use the scooter because they cannot afford a car. The manufacturers only do as much as they have to to sell what they churn out, hence the 6 monthly parade of tarted up old models!

On the other hand big bikes are targeted to appeal to anyone with some cash in their pocket!

[andreandre]

" Seems to me that scooters are significantly more dangerous than big bikes."

Significantly more dangerous?? How? Why?

OP is trying to compare 3 scooter incidents to his one midsize bike fall....strange thinking even to immagine this on these stats...4 different riders on 4 different bikes in 4 different circumstances..is no comparison on anything at all...how can you come up with such a presumption?

There must be hundreds of scooters per one big bike in Thailand for a start, so the odds are higher anyway... ...IMO its 100% down to the riders ability to ride whatever size scooter or big bike it is..not at all about the size of the bike..when you are unlucky, you are unlucky..end of...shit can happen to anyone from a novice to the best MGP riders.

[jonnyscot]

Chill out Andre, valid point re your stats and I'm sure your angle on it is something to consider but come on bud, you could have mentioned it without the verbal attack on the OP since it's another interesting topic for discussion from the OP for some of us

[andreandre]

Chill out Andre, valid point re your stats and I'm sure your angle on it is something to consider but come on bud, you could have mentioned it without the verbal attack on the OP since it's another interesting topic for discussion from the OP for some of us

Huh?..There is no verbal attack on the OP...I've just pointed out that there is no relevance at all in safety as OP inferred.

[jonnyscot]

Ok so i misunderstood your tone, good to know this biking forum really is a friendly place, sorry bout that

[andreandre]

Ok so i misunderstood your tone, good to know this biking forum really is a friendly place, sorry bout that

No worries..yes it is easy to misinterpret the written word at times...there is some good info to be had on here and i agree that it should be a friendly place..but with widely different POV's it can become a bit unfriendly at times,but you just have to roll with the punches at times..

[Gweiloman]

" Seems to me that scooters are significantly more dangerous than big bikes."

Significantly more dangerous?? How? Why?

OP is trying to compare 3 scooter incidents to his one midsize bike fall....strange thinking even to immagine this on these stats...4 different riders on 4 different bikes in 4 different circumstances..is no comparison on anything at all...how can you come up with such a presumption?

There must be hundreds of scooters per one big bike in Thailand for a start, so the odds are higher anyway... ...IMO its 100% down to the riders ability to ride whatever size scooter or big bike it is..not at all about the size of the bike..when you are unlucky, you are unlucky..end of...shit can happen to anyone from a novice to the best MGP riders.

All the other responders understood my post. Strange that you, considering your knowledge and experience, struggled with that.

Nevertheless, the question was very simple. Ceterus paribus, do you feel safer on a big bike or a scooter. I understand if you can't answer this but for owners of both big bikes and scooters, the consensus seems to be that a big bike is safer due to bigger tyres, more power on call and higher visibility. This of course needs to be contrasted with slight more difficult handling due to the size of the bike.

[Longtooth]

Interesting question. There are many angles from which you can approach this.

1. Are bigger bikes inherently more stable because of size (wheels, wheelbase etc)

2. Are bigger bikes inherently more dangerous because they have more power and can be/tend to be ridden faster?

3. Are bigger bikes safer because they tend to be ridden by more experienced people (less complete idiots)?

4. Are bigger bikes safer because they are more visible to others?

5. Are bigger bikes safer because they provide better visibility onto the roads?

6. Are bigger bikes more dangerous as they tend to be more complicated?

Personally I am really not sure but I feel safer on a big bike.

Yes. Except for #6.

And bigger bikes are safer because they can be made LOUDER!

And bigger bikes are safer because you can accelerate away from that truck driver who thinks it would be fun to run you off the road.

[Ace of Pop]

I love them as a Car Driver , they never get in your way.....wooosh...... they gone from the lights.