quads vs dirtbikes

[rounder]

ok with all the talk about the crashes of atv's in the paper. which do you all think is safer quads or dirtbikes or maybe even side by side's? personal opinion is dirt bike is the safest. more mobility,easier to ditch if your in trouble,and respect riding it more you dont have a false sense of security being on 4 wheels. just my opinion but would like to hear yours as well

 

[mat]

Quads or for people with no balance!:d

 

[Thunderr]

The way I look at it is, you'll get hurt more often on a bike but when you crash a quad you have a good chance of getting effed up.

 

[yzgirl09]

I used to ride quads - until 2 loved ones were almost killed on them, that's why i switched to the bike. Yes, you can bail easier, AND..I think i'd rather have a dirtbike land on me then a quad. Dirt biking is more challenging, definitely not for the lazy type....requires alot more skill and thinking in my opinion (coming from someone who has done both) Depends on your riding level as well, if your a motocross racer, or you do jumps/backflips and other crazy stunts on a bike well your probably more likely to break a few bones then if your a casual quad rider, however I have never heard of anyone being killed on a bike.....Hmm so statistically i would have to say bikes are safer!:d

 

[Taminator]

ok with all the talk about the crashes of atv's in the paper. which do you all think is safer quads or dirtbikes or maybe even side by side's? personal opinion is dirt bike is the safest. more mobility,easier to ditch if your in trouble,and respect riding it more you dont have a false sense of security being on 4 wheels. just my opinion but would like to hear yours as well

Agreed. I have both. I've canned out on my bike multiple times and minor injuries...I can bail off the bike and if it lands on me, oh well, pick it up. Quads give you too much feeling of security especially when flying down the roads at high speed. If /when I bite 'er on my quad I expect to be fugged up...I feel more trapped when riding them too. As I'm not very big, if my quad falls on me...well, not gonna go there.
As a good buddy always tells me "those fuggin' things'll kill ya"

 

[lexy]

People have been killed on bikes just like quads. On both machines you have to have respect for them.......

 

[Modman]

Need to look at several factors other than just the bikes themselves.

A motorized vehicle is only as safe as the person operating it. Unsafe operator = unsafe vehicle. Lots of quads out there with people drinking and riding -that is a bad combination. Quads being more stable people think they can have a few bevvies and then go for a ride - wammo!! hit the tree with no helmet at 60 kph you are going to get hurt bad or die. Bikes....well if you are that drunk typically you won't make it out of first gear before you fall over so not as many people try it.

Quads - people think they have less HP and more weight so they are slower and safer, they let the kids go for a rip around the campsite on them, without a helmet or any protective gear.

Dirtbikes - people tend to think of them as death machines and more often will not let their kids own one...these are the same people that let their kids ride the quad around the campsite because its "safer".

Lots of "experienced" people on quads thinking that they've driven around the farmyard lots, so doing 80 kph on a forestry road is no big deal, they know how to ride, not thinking about the car coming around the corner up ahead - wammo!! Head on.

As for injuries, never have known anyone that died on a quad, one girl I know got into a head on with a car in the exact scenario above and she is definitely not the same girl, very very sad. She was 15 at the time and has a rough life ahead of her.

Never have known anyone die on a dirtbike, but I do know of the following injuries: 4 broken ribs, broken pelvis, 2 broken ankles (at the same time), broken back, spinal compression, broken arm, and a broken collarbone.

Are either of the vehicles safe?? Yes.

Are the people operating them safe? Well....thats up to the operator

 

[Taminator]

Agree with both of you. You can die or be injured bad on anything, respect your machine and be smart!!!
I manage to almost roll the riding lawn mower everytime I mow...I now even respect the lawnmower :d

 

[yzgirl09]

I do agree that any machine is only as safe as the person operating it however for arguement sake the forum is about "which one do we THINK is safer", I'm sure most accidents are caused by driver error, however sometimes it is impossible to control these machines - lets just say I'll vote for whichever one has the lowest rate of fatalities, and I will never buy my children a quad, either they ride bikes or wait until they can afford to buy their own quad if thats what they choose. I honestly just couldn't imagine the amount of money spent on buying a quad and maintaining it, bikes are cheap and I can do most of the work on it myself - another reason why I made the switch

 

[Modman]

I do agree that any machine is only as safe as the person operating it however for arguement sake the forum is about "which one do we THINK is safer", I'm sure most accidents are caused by driver error, however sometimes it is impossible to control these machines - lets just say I'll vote for whichever one has the lowest rate of fatalities

If we are strictly looking at which vehicle we think is safer....well....If we think that any of these vehicles are being used in the proper operating range and driven by responsible individuals, the quad is a far safer option - more traction, more stability, more protection, etc etc. As soon as you take the quad and use it inappropriately (trying to go across a 45 degree slope at 30 mph like you would on a dirtbike), the quad becomes a far more dangerous option. There is simply no way to remove the operator from the equation.

Instead of looking at fatalities alone, I challenge you to look at # of injuries per capita of quads vs dirt bikes. The # of quads across Canada is huge right now, and the # of quad registrations has tripled over the last few years.
While fatalities might be something we focus on, serious injuries are probably far more common for both bikes and quads, and probably more representative of which vehicle is actually safer overall.

I ride both so I'm not picking sides here (and they each have their intended and designed usage), just trying to show that both can be dangerous in their respective ways. As I stated before though, ultimately the rider is responsible for how safe a vehicle is.

 

[yzgirl09]

Yes and to each their own, I wont argue what you BELEIVE is safer because that is your opinion. I have injured myself numerous times on my bike but when you nearly suffer the loss of a loved one to a quad accident, when it was simply because of loss of a control and the quad landing on them after a falling down a ravine.. you may change your opinion..like I did. It can literally happen to anyone anywhere on anything, but I strongly feel and beleive I will have more chance of survival getting in a dirt bike accident rather then a quad accident. I'm not talking about wipe outs or falling off, because yes the bike has less stability..but i'm talking about getting a serious accident, somewhat like the one when my mom nearly lost her life....to a quad. No thanks, i'll stick to my bike...

 

[mavrick]

I have had both rode dirtbikes from the time i was 4 till 24,had many wipe outs and some good bang ups on the bike even a brokeing wrist and collor bone while riding bikes (never raced only trail riding). been riding quads now fro about 5 years and yes its a big heavey 4x4 and when on a stright piace will hit about 60mph(not saying its safe) but never have I had a misshap and ride it hard and fast in areas that maybe unsafe for a quad ie:steep hillclimbs etc anyway when my kid wanted to lern to ride i put him on a quad as I feel they are safer if you repect the manchine and know your limts and the quads should be worry free. I push mine everytime I go out and I am sure it will bite me some day but untill I dont know my limts right.

 

[kjb]

Quads are inherently more dangerous. Any idiot can get on a quad where not any idiot can get on a dirtbike. It is easier to have a false sense of security on a quad and when trouble comes you will potentially get hurt worse on a quad. It is mostly the rider, a good rider will know each rides limits. Streetbikes are a whole other story. Check out this post https://www.snowandmud.com/forum/f248/nasty-reminder-how-dangerous-bikes-can-16805.html

 

[mb1]

Quads are inherently more dangerous. Any idiot can get on a quad where not any idiot can get on a dirtbike. It is easier to have a false sense of security on a quad and when trouble comes you will potentially get hurt worse on a quad. It is mostly the rider, a good rider will know each rides limits.

Exactly. anybody can jump on a quad and feel safe going 80k down a road, trail, whatever. you can whip donuts or even climb a pretty serious hill with no prior experience.

On a dirt bike your comfort level is more closely related to your skills level.

 

[gofast]

I have friends that ride quads and they have had less crashes then me on a dirt bike but when they crash its hurts way more then what happens to me so I think dirt bikes are safer then quads

 

[FossY]

till im young i like my dirtbike
not into the quads so far


at the campout i got quiet some compliments how i threw that dirtbike thruw the rally
(and im by far no pro on a bike)

i just like the aggility of a bike you can get pretty much everywhere cause it aint so bulky and heavy like a quad

just my 2cents

 

[mavrick]

the machine is only as safe as the rider is you act dumb you will get hurt.I remeber buy a bike for the wife and the dealer even said that the quad would be safer then the bike.

 

[yzgirl09]

the machine is only as safe as the rider is you act dumb you will get hurt.I remeber buy a bike for the wife and the dealer even said that the quad would be safer then the bike.

LOl the dealer just wants you to spend more money!!! They will tell you anything to get you to buy the more expensive machine...they don't care if its safer or not.. I think bikes are great for women, especially petite ones like myself, I can pick up my bike, throw it around, manoever it, and for the most part control it.. a lot better than any chick can do with a quad..(it also don't hurt too much when it lands on me).riding any kind of motorcycle just requires a lot of patience, focus and skill, as mentioned before you can throw anyone on a quad and they don't need much intelligence...you put someone on a bike and it requires "training", you need to "learn" how to ride it, you learn to respect the power, and the more you wipeout, the more you learn. I'm not dissin' quads by any means, I've had quads since I was 10, then I tried a bike and officially made the switch..I feel much safer on a bike, I'm also a much more experienced and knowledgeable ATVer, because the bike has taught me way more then a quad could..

 

[mavrick]

we were trading the quads in for bikes he was just telling my wife the quad was safer and letting her know she was goning to wipe out she did a number of times.

 

[yzgirl09]

Everyone wipes out numerous times on a bike, probably a lot more then anyone would on a quad...the odd wipe outs won't kill ya tho they make you tougher and smarter, get in one serious accident on a quad though....... Yes I agree, with dirtbikes it's no PAIN no GAIN.. if your scared of a few owwies then go buy a quad.....