Reply #37: In the US hardly anybody uses motorcycles for daily transportation.

[LeftyMom]

Rather, for most people they're largely a hobby, and are used on days and roads where they pose the least risk- minimal traffic, open space, dry roads, good visibility. Even then, a lot of people die and a lot of people get hurt.

Making something about as safe as a motorcycle (ie not at all) but marketing it for use like a car (as primary transportation, suitable for use in bad weather, heavy traffic, etc) is pretty much a recipe for massive carnage. Poor countries already do this, and the US did too before we figured out crash physics and safety standards and improved health care got us used to the idea that all of our kids deserved to grow up and accidental deaths were preventable.

I'm going to go write an epic love poem to my Subaru and it's 10,000 airbags now. I'm sure the airbag system alone cost more than $600, and I'm damned glad it did.