The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, September 18, 2002, Image 3

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By Amber Johnson
THE BATTALION
I Years ago, the only bike that could be found
on campus was a Schwinn. Decades later, a num-
be of things have changed on campus including
students’ modes of transportation. Students
rarely walk to classes without encountering
increasingly popular vehicles - motorcycles.
I Not all motorcycles are created equal, how
ever. Two types of motorcycles exist: speed
bikes and cruisers. Speed bikes are sleek, fast
bikes with high seats. Cruisers, on the other
fu nd, are slower and heavier, with higher han
dlebars and more leather.
/ think [cruiser riders and
speed bike riders] are cultured
differently. Sports bikers wave at
each other, but I don't wave at
cruisers.
— Tyson Bell
junior management major
I Natasha Mooty, a sophomore biomedical sci
ences major, owns a Suzuki JickserbOO and said
she and her boyfriend en joy the benefits of own
ing and riding motorcycles.
I The best advantage to riding a motorcycle is
back-door parking to her classes, Mooty said.
I “People probably get kind of aggravated
when I go right by them, especially if there is a
Ipng line of cars,’’ she said.
Tyson Bell, a junior management major who
owns a Yamaha R6, views convenient parking as
the number one advantage to riding a motorcy
cle. Bell said his speed bike probably irritates
ff
mr- ss, sin
others on occasion.
“For the most part, other riders think
it’s all right when I go past them, but
people who don’t know anything about
them kind of think they’re a nuisance,”
Bell said.
In addition to annoying other
motorists. Bell said other disadvantages
come with riding a motorcycle. He said
inclimate weather, is not only an
inconvenience to riders, but can ^
cause be a disadvantage to rid
ing a motorcycle.
Both Tyson and Mooty
said they own other
modes of transporta
tion for dismal and A
rainy days.
“When it rains,
you have to either
drive a truck or be
more careful,” Bell
said.
A rainy day does
not break the bonds of
motorcyclists on cam
pus, however. A defi
nite connection exists
between College Station
speed bikers, Mooty said.
For better insight. Moody suggests visiting Sonic
on a Thursday night.
“A bunch of us go there and hang out,” Mooty
said. “It’s a lot of fun.”
Bell said this type of bond is not found
between cruiser owners and speed bike owners.
He said people who drive the cruisers and people
who drive speed bikes have very different tastes.
“I think [cruiser riders and speed bike riders]
are cultured differently. Sports bikers wave at
each other, but I don’t wave at cruisers ” Bell said.
Mooty said she feels people who ride her
type of bike are more into taking corners fast
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and living life on the edge, while people who
own cruisers are more laid back about things.
Despite such benefits as better parking and
gas mileage, some students remain unconvinced.
Amanda Schafer, a junior educational psy
chology major said she believes she is much
safer in a car.
“I would possibly lose my balance and even
tually hurt myself,” Schafer said.
Schafer said she acknowledges there are sev
eral benefits to owning a compact, energy-effi
cient motorcycle, but that many bikers campus
drive too fast and seem to possess a reckless aura.
“More power to the people who want to ride
JEFF SMITH • THE BATTALION
motorcycles,” she said. “They take up less space,
don’t create a lot of pollution, and they get good
gas mileage, but I would just never ride one.”
According to the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration, motorcycle fatalities
increased seven percent and motorcycle occu
pants injuries increased two percent in 2001.
While helmets are no longer required by law,
they have been proven to significantly reduce
the number of fatalities in motorcycle accidents.
Despite the potential danger involved, Mooty
said there are rewards to being a female biker.
When guys see her on her motorcycle, “a lot of
flirting goes on.”
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