Reply #6: Many long term street motorcyclists have a similar set of situational awareness skills..

[Fumesucker]

Particularly those who ride a lot in urban, high traffic areas, if you don't have good SA you don't often live long, there are just too many threats..

Just before I clicked on this thread I was reading about training for motorcycle riders and how there has been no definitive study of whether or not such training increases safety. The consensus among the riders commenting on that article apparently is that attitude makes the biggest difference, with situational awareness being second and actual riding skills coming last.

http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2010/12/13/does-motorcycle-training-reduce-motorcycle-accidents/#comments

The closing rate on a motorcycle is not as high as it is in a fighter plane but the field of maneuver is much more limited in scope and the number of potential threats can be much higher (just look around you on a busy road sometime, on a motorcycle every single vehicle is a deadly threat). People driving cars and trucks around you may not actually be out to inflict lethal harm on you when you are on a bike but it often feels just like they are.