Why aren't there seatbelts on motorcycles? Or airbags?

Seatbelts, on motorcycles, are not a required safety feature, for this reason:

Seatbelts were designed for automobiles, to prevent the passenger(s) from striking the windshield or being thrown from a vehicle, in an auto crash.

Seatbelts, on a motorcycle, could be more of a safety hazard, than a safety feature. more cyclist have been saved, by being thrown from a motorcycle, rather had they been seatbelted. in most all cases, the bike goes one direction, the cyclist, the other.

Airbags, would not work, simply because of the above stated answers. there is no cabin, on a motorcycle, like in an automobile.

Motorcyclists and auto drivers both have to share the road together. its sometimes difficult to see a motorcycle, especially on the interstate system. this is where defensive driving plays a major part in safety, for both vehicles.

Fell off a Honda, scraped my leg when I skidded to a stop, but at least the leg wasn't pinned underneath a 300-pound motorcycle--which would have scraped off half of the muscle as well.

Airbags are much more sensible.

if there was a seatbelt on a motorcycle you would be conected to the bike when it lost control. do you no how hot the pipes are? thats why you wear padding under a leather coat to take away most of the injurys.

It was tried. BMW C1 sold thousands in Europe. Roll Cage, Crumple Zones and Seatbelt. As safe as a small car, was intended to be used without helmet (whiplash concerns). Europes helmet requiremets even while on a C1 made the bike less popular. It faded away after five years of production. It was a scooter that maxed out at 55, a later version maxed out at 65 mph.

If a bike is losing it the last place you want to be is connected to it. I've actually been a passenger on a bike that was about to become terminal and the rider jumped off before I did.

If you really want an airbag feature check this out. http://www.armoredairjackets.com/index.php
Its an airbag vest.

Seat belts keep you inside the crash cage. Bikes don't HAVE crash cages, so all they would do is ensure you'd get mangled by the bike. And air bags only help in a front end collision into something that would stop you cold, something that almost never happens to a bike.

I wouldn't want to be dragged on the ground by a skidding bike or blasted into next week by an airbag.It's like putting seatbelts on a boat-just wacky!

Im with Lil Wayne. I had to read the question ten times.

Ditto on all the other answers. My hog weighs in at about 400#. Heck, forget the seatbelt and air bag, I want an eject button with a parachute built into my leather jacket!

Because It Would be dumb

"Fuel tank mounted airbags as well as wearable jacket airbag devices change the way we think about the risks involved with motorcycles. Accidents occur within a very short time and a rider may not be able to instinctively protect him or herself when a crash takes place. This is where an airbag device becomes useful and potentially lifesaving.

The first motorcycle crash tests with an airbag were performed in 1973 and proved that airbag systems could be advantageous to a rider. These tests were followed up by tests in the 1990s that showed airbag devices could not fully restrain a rider when traveling more than 30 mph (48 km/h), but it still reduced a rider’s velocity and his/her trajectory. Honda has recently developed a fuel tank mounted airbag for the Goldwing model that takes just 0.15 seconds to deploy. Crash sensors in the front wheel send data to the airbag ECU (electronic control unit) which in turn activates the airbag inflater. The airbag then takes the force of the rider.
Fuel tank mounted airbags can aid in saving many lives. It has been proven with crash test dummies that this type of airbag technology is very beneficial during a frontal collision. This is important because statistically, 62% of motorcycle accidents in the U.S. are frontal collisions. Additional tests were performed to show that when a motorcycle rider impacts a car during a frontal collision, the fuel tank mounted airbag averts the person from traveling into the vehicle. This significantly reduced the head trauma by 83% that otherwise would have occurred according to the data from the crash test dummy. A rider would have lived with an airbag, whereas the fatality rate would be higher without the airbag. It has also been pointed out that this can only work if the accident is at low speed and follows the same dynamics as a car accident. It should be viewed as passenger vehicle airbags - a worthwhile supplement, but not as a replacement for any other safety devices including a change in the basic design of road going motorcycles.

The second airbag device which is now available is an inflatable airbag jacket. A rider can wear an airbag jacket that is tethered to the motorcycle, so if he or she is thrown from the bike during a collision, the jacket will automatically inflate for a 20 second period to provide a cushion for the rider. This will lessen the upper body and internal injuries to a rider that may often be fatal."
Source and further information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motorcycle_safety


2) "Honda is working on a system of seatbelts for motorcycles.

Seems crazy, but it looks like a serious project from the patents Honda has filed for the system. Designed for bikes like the Goldwing, where the rider won't be hanging off or moving around much in the seat, the belt arrangement is designed to make sure an airbag can work more and to reduce the chances of injuries, particularly in the sort of accident where the bike comes to a sudden halt.

However, the firm has recognised that in a lot of accidents it's better to be away from the bike rather than attached to it, so it's new seatbelt system also has elements of ejector seat in the mix."
Source and further information:
http://www.visordown.com/motorcycle-news-new-bikes/honda-working-on-motorcycle-seatbelts/17602.html

Honda has started putting air bags on the Gold Wing. Dumb idea IMO.