Author Topic: Drive or Ride?  (Read 806 times)

Offline Colonial-Clive (yindi)

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Drive or Ride?
« on: May 19, 2019, 07:21:00 PM »
So here’s the thing I don’t get, how do you drive a motorcycle? I for one for the last 45+ years have always referred to it as riding! Can someone enlighten me as to where/how drive a motorcycle came about?

Offline Nurse Julie

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2019, 07:33:35 PM »
I reckon its an Americanism. Something you sit on has always been referred to as 'ridden' in the UK just as anything that carries something, ie passengers or a load is a 'she'
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Offline Colonial-Clive (yindi)

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #2 on: May 19, 2019, 08:15:38 PM »
Julie it seems to be on the rise in the U.K. terminology, I seem to be hearing and reading it a lot of late. It just gets me grub screws in a twist!o!

Offline Nurse Julie

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #3 on: May 19, 2019, 08:23:03 PM »
Julie it seems to be on the rise in the U.K. terminology, I seem to be hearing and reading it a lot of late. It just gets me grub screws in a twist!o!
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Offline dave400

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #4 on: May 19, 2019, 08:27:51 PM »
So here’s the thing I don’t get, how do you drive a motorcycle? I for one for the last 45+ years have always referred to it as riding! Can someone enlighten me as to where/how drive a motorcycle came about?

Hello, I’m guessing it originates from having a driving licence not a riding licence? Who knows....cheers Dave

Offline Nurse Julie

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #5 on: May 19, 2019, 08:33:55 PM »
Just found this on Interweb

Riding a motorcycle is more acceptable in current usage than driving it, although you do drive a motorcycle while riding it. This is analogous to how people rode horses before the invention of the motorcycle, sitting on top of it (motorcycles are also called steel horses informally). With cars it is more like driving a team of horses, analogous to driving a horse carriage (cars were also called horseless carriages initially). This also has to do with the fact that you sit inside a car, rather than on top it.
[Partially inspired by The Chicago Manual
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Offline Moorey

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2019, 08:51:44 PM »
Anyone who refers to driving a motorcycle has never ridden one and is just a nob. ;)

Offline mike the bike

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #7 on: May 19, 2019, 09:02:04 PM »
I've never heard that phrase, up to now.  Car riders probably.
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Offline steff750

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #8 on: May 19, 2019, 09:05:36 PM »
 ;) yes you ride a motorcycle
 anyone who has ever driven a motorcycle and side-car will know what I mean  when they hear the saying
                                        "you ride a motorcycle and you drive a side-car"
 but they all good fun anyway 8)

Offline Greg65

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #9 on: May 20, 2019, 10:25:45 AM »
One of the funniest moments I witnessed as a teenager was whilst as a pax in dads car. We where following a vintage two wheel something as we a approached a set of traffic lights on reds. The motorcycle slowed, stopped and fell side ways trapping the rider. Handbrake set and dad and I jumped out to help to find a stream of interesting language emanating from the helmet. One we had rescued the rider of a certain vintage he thanked us and he confessed that this was the second occurrence this week, he had taken the side car off the week before. Old habits!

Cheers all,
Greg
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Offline K2-K6

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #10 on: May 20, 2019, 11:43:48 AM »
One of the funniest moments I witnessed as a teenager was whilst as a pax in dads car. We where following a vintage two wheel something as we a approached a set of traffic lights on reds. The motorcycle slowed, stopped and fell side ways trapping the rider. Handbrake set and dad and I jumped out to help to find a stream of interesting language emanating from the helmet. One we had rescued the rider of a certain vintage he thanked us and he confessed that this was the second occurrence this week, he had taken the side car off the week before. Old habits!

Cheers all,
Greg
  ;D ;D ;D

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Offline Rozabikes Tim

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #11 on: May 20, 2019, 11:51:26 AM »
One of the funniest moments I witnessed as a teenager was whilst as a pax in dads car. We where following a vintage two wheel something as we a approached a set of traffic lights on reds. The motorcycle slowed, stopped and fell side ways trapping the rider. Handbrake set and dad and I jumped out to help to find a stream of interesting language emanating from the helmet. One we had rescued the rider of a certain vintage he thanked us and he confessed that this was the second occurrence this week, he had taken the side car off the week before. Old habits!

Cheers all,
Greg
Obviously a driver, doing such a numpty thing. Sums up the question asked for me! :o
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Offline Greg65

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #12 on: May 20, 2019, 12:45:20 PM »
K2-K6, that is a total loss of cool requiring emergency relocation.  ;D
Keep smiling it makes the management nervous.
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Offline sye

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Re: Drive or Ride?
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2019, 01:18:22 PM »
The word drive refers to operating most vehicles fitted with an engine in as much as you control the vehicle by driving it. This would include a car, bus, lorry, tractor and a motorcycle. You ride a motorcycle whilst driving it as oposed to sitting within it, so ride is what we do whilst driving.

Driving (adjective) is defined as the control and operation of a motor vehicle. A motorcycle is a motor vehicle.
Ride noun) is defined as to sit on and control the movement of many things including motorcycles and pedal cycles.

So, ride it is  8)

 

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