Мотоцикл: көлік, хобби және өмір салты

Act of riding a motorcycle for transportation or recreation

Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. For some people, motorcycling may be the only affordable form of individual motorized transportation, and small displacement motorcycles are the most common motor vehicle in the most populous countries, including India, China and Indonesia. In developing countries, motorcycles are overwhelmingly utilitarian due to lower prices and greater fuel economy. Of all motorcycles, 58% are in the Asia Pacific and Southern and Eastern Asia regions, excluding car centric Japan. Motorcycles are mainly a luxury good in developed nations, where they are used mostly for recreation, as a lifestyle accessory or a symbol of personal identity. Beyond being a mode of motor transportation or sport, motorcycling has become a subculture and lifestyle. Although mainly a solo activity, motorcycling can be social and motorcyclists tend to have a sense of community with each other. The connection to one's motorcycle is sensed further, as Pirsig explained, by the frequent need to maintain its mechanical operation. Pirsig felt that connection deepen when faced with a difficult mechanical problem that required walking away from it until the solution became clear. Similarly, motorcyclists experience pleasure at the feeling of being far more connected to their motor vehicles than in a motorcar, as being part of it rather than in it.

Speed draws many people to motorcycling because the power to weight ratio of even a low power motorcycle is in league with that of an expensive sports car. The power to weight ratio of many modestly priced sport bikes is well beyond any mass market automobile and rivals that of supercars for a fraction of the price. The fastest accelerating production cars, capable of in under 3.5 seconds, or in under 12 seconds is a relatively select club of exotic names like Porsche and Lamborghini, with a few extreme sub models of popular sports cars, like the Shelby Mustang, and mostly made since the 1990s. Conversely, the fastest accelerating motorcycles meeting the same criteria is a much longer list and includes many non sportbikes, such as the Triumph Tiger Explorer or Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré, and includes many motorcycles dating back to the 1970s. Hunter S. Thompson's book Hell's Angels includes an ode to the joys of pushing a motorcycle to its limits, "with the throttle screwed on there is only the barest margin, and no room at all for mistakes that's when the strange music starts fear becomes exhilaration [and the] only sounds are the wind and a dull roar floating back from the mufflers" and T. E. Lawrence wrote of the "lustfulness of moving swiftly" and the "pleasure of speeding on the road". A sensation he compared to feeling "the earth moulding herself under me coming alive and heaving and tossing on each side like a sea."

Statistically, there is a large difference between the car dominated developed nations, and the more populous developing countries where cars are less common than motorcycles. In developed nations, motorcycles are frequently owned in addition to a car, and thus used primarily for recreation or when traffic density means a motorcycle confers travel time or parking advantages as a mode of transport. In the developing world a motorcycle is more likely to be the primary mode of transport for its owner, and often the owner's family as well. It is not uncommon for riders to transport multiple passengers or large goods aboard small motorcycles and scooters simply because there is no better alternative. Cost of ownership considerations regarding maintenance and parts, especially in remote areas, often place cars out of reach of families who consider motorbikes relatively affordable. The simplicity demanded of motorcycles used in the developing world, coupled with the high volume of sales possible makes them a profitable and appealing product for major manufacturers, who go to substantial lengths to attract and retain market share.

Motorbikes are one of the most affordable forms of motorised transport and, for most of the world's population, they are the most familiar type of motor vehicle. or about 100 motorcycles per 1000 people. By comparison, there are about 1 billion cars in the world, or about 141 per 1000 people, with about one third in service in Japan and the United States. [[File:Bar of cars motorcycles population. png|thumb|upright=1.2|Millions of cars (light blue) and motorcycles (dark blue) in the top 20 countries with the most motorcycles. Population in red. 2002 estimates. India, with an estimated 37 million motorcycles/mopeds, was home to the largest number of motorised two wheelers in the world. China came a close second with 34 million motorcycles/mopeds in 2002. In places such as Vietnam, motorised traffic consist of mostly motorbikes This is mainly attributed to increasing fuel prices and urban congestion. Amid the global economic downturn of 2008, the motorcycle market grew by 6.5%. In China, the number of motorcycles in use increased from 34 million in 2002 to 54 million in 2006, with annual production of 22 million units.

A Consumer Reports subscribers' survey of mainly United States motorcycle and scooter owners reported that they rode an average of only 1000 mile (1609 km) per year, 82% for recreation and 38% for commuting, adding to more than 100% because some riders rode for both recreation and commuting. Americans put per year on their cars and light trucks. As motorcyclists in mainly Western countries age, there is a tendency for riders to choose touring bikes over sports bikes. The motorcycle is also popular with police departments with departments starting to make the switch to electric motorcycles.

The relative risk of a motorcycle rider being killed or seriously injured per kilometre travelled was around 54 times higher in Great Britain in 2006 than for car drivers. United States Department of Transportation data for 2005 from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System show that for passenger cars, 18.62 fatal crashes occur per 100,000 registered vehicles. For motorcycles this figure is 75.19 per 100,000 registered vehicles — four times higher than for cars. The same data shows that 1.56 fatalities occur per 100 million vehicle miles travelled for passenger cars, whereas for motorcycles the figure is 43.47, which was 37 times higher than for cars in 2007. The increased risk over other road users comes from the motorcyclist being relatively unprotected on the motorcycle. There are also some statistics comparing the risk of hospital admissions for different leisure activities. A study shows that the probability for the activity leading to hospital admission was 4.9/10,000 hours of horseback riding, while the same number for motorcycling was 1.4/10,000 hours. To address motorcycle safety issues, motorcycle specific training and personal protective equipment is important for motorcyclists' survival on the road, and mandated in many countries and several U. S. states and counties.

A Norwegian study has looked at the reasons behind motorcycle death accidents. The study has looked at all fatal accidents in Norway (a total of 153) in the time frame 2005 to 2009. In 66% of these accidents, the motorcyclist was to blame for the accident occurring, while others were to blame in 20% of the cases. Technical problems with the motorcycle itself are rarely the cause of crashes, as this was shown to be a prominent factor in only 4% of the investigated accidents. Racing and supersport motorcycles, even while having the best handling capabilities, are overrepresented in fatal accidents. Adventurous people are drawn to these bikes, and this group are more prone to be involved in crashes. More fatal accidents on racing motorcycles are caused by extreme behaviour than on touring motorcycles.

In Europe, head injuries lead to death in about 75% of fatal motorcycle accidents. The same number for low and middle income countries is 88%. Helmet usage reduces the chance for death in an accident by 40% and the risk of serious injury by 70%. While helmet usage generally is increasing worldwide and 77% of the world's population is covered by extensive helmet laws, many countries still lack sufficient enforcement. Pakistan has both laws requiring driver and passenger to wear a helmet and regulations on helmet standards. Still, only 10% of all riders in Pakistan wear a helmet.

In the UK, advanced riding clubs exist in the Institute of Advanced Motorists and RoSPA Advanced Drivers and Riders. They provide a network of clubs around the United Kingdom that provides advanced skills training, preparation for taking an advanced driving test and social activities.

Since the late 20th century, motorcyclists have formed political lobbying organisations in order to influence legislators to introduce motorcycle friendly legislation and to contribute more broadly to public discourse where motorcycles are concerned. One of the oldest such organisations, the British Motorcycle Action Group, was founded in 1973 specifically in response to helmet compulsion, introduced without public consultation. In addition, the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF), founded in 1960 as a reaction to the public perception of motorcyclists as leather jacketed hooligans, has itself moved into political lobbying. Likewise, the U. S. has ABATE, which, like most such organisations, also works to improve motorcycle safety, as well as running the usual charity fund raising events and rallies, often for motorcycle related political interests.

Motorcyclists will refer to maintenance or repair of a motorcycle as wrenching in the US and "spannering" in the UK. A do it yourself self sufficiency is said to be part of motorcycles' allure in an "increasingly monolithic, unfixable world" and being able to maintain one's own motorcycle is seen as part of the competency of being a motorcyclist. Historically, motorcycle maintenance was a necessary skill for riders, since the materials and technology used in motorcycles often meant that repairs had to be done on the road side miles from home. Modern motorcycles are as reliable as automobiles but many riders feel that their motorcycle is more than just a means of transportation which leads them to want to do maintenance on the motorcycles themselves.