In the short time that I’ve tried riding the motorcycle, I’ve realized that I’ve fallen in love with it. I know it may not be as convenient as its 4-wheel competitors on the road in terms of air-conditioning, ability to withstand rain and heat, or even simply in terms of compartment size, but it makes up for these things with so many other factors.

For one, if you’re an adrenaline junkie, speed becomes so much more alive and real on a motorcycle. Inside a car, an 80 kph cruise can sometimes even make a driver drowsy. On a motorcycle, reaching 80kph already pumps a driver with so much adrenaline because of the wind on your hair and face as well as the feel of the wheels on the road. Things you don’t normally feel while driving inside a car becomes intensified several folds when you’re on a bike.

Second, motorcycles are extremely versatile and agile. This becomes so much more obvious during traffic jams and even during parking. While 4-wheel vehicles easily get caught up in traffic jams (which is a common occurrence anywhere), bikes have no trouble zigzagging through narrow spaces. Also, during parking, while most cars take anywhere between 5-30 minutes looking for parking spaces, bikes can park in almost any place a human can fit in.

Lastly, because motorcycles pale in comparison to cars when it comes to weight, they also require significantly less gas (and I can’t stress this enough) than cars. While a 500-buck load of gas is needed for a week’s worth of car travel, this same load is enough to make some motorcycles run for a month and a half traveling the same route.

The major drawback, however, is a safety issue. Because no matter how safe and knowledgeable a motorcycle driver is, accidents do happen on the road. Regardless if the bike driver is defensive or significantly less aggressive, he may still fall victim to other more aggressive drivers on the street. Let’s face it. When it comes to protection, the chassis of 4-wheel vehicles definitely provide better protection than a motorcycle’s. No matter how good of an Oakland motorcycle accident lawyer you hire, no one can bring back a crushed spine, a severed limb, or a lost life.

As for my short love affair with the motorcycle, I’m glad nothing bad happened. Am I willing to try it again? That’s another story.