Should the government promote using Motorbikes?

[gentlegreen]

Are you really suggesting that motorcycles are sensible as medium to long distance transport ?

28 years ago I rode a Norton Commando from Bristol to Scotland in two hops. I'm glad to have tried it, but I have no plans to repeat it - even on a modern motorcycle.

I may be a bit odd in dreading having to drive a car more than 20 miles - I don't even want to own one .... but a car at least makes it possible ...

I'm planning to retire to rural France and will doubtless need to run a van for a while while I get myself organised ... longer if I succoumb to the temptation of running holiday lets or doing paid work...

I'm hoping to live within walking or cycling distance of other people. I suppose a small trail bike might prove useful, but I'm not at all sure .... if it turns out I need to travel further for a social life I'm not at all sure I would want to ride a motorcycle to the railway station ...

... though maybe a trail bike with a trailer ?

Mostly I hope I will still be cycling into my old age.

 

[DownwardDog]

With respect, balls.
Not only do you have better fuel efficency with, say, a 1000cc motorbike than a 1000cc car because of the weight factor, but also because of the bike having less drag, and a better power transmission system.

2009 Honda CBR1000RR - 32mpg (according to MCN)
2009 Fiat Panda 1.1 - 56mpg (according to Fiat)

1,000cc bikes are usually (because of the World Superbike homologation rules) highly tuned for performance while modern 1,000cc cars are designed for fat women who work in the NHS and spend all night on match.com.

 

[pogofish]

Are you really suggesting that motorcycles are sensible as medium to long distance transport ?

Yes.

I've been using one for years and been all over on it. There was also a time when I had no other choice of vehicle as well.

 

[weltweit]

2009 Honda CBR1000RR - 32mpg (according to MCN)
2009 Fiat Panda 1.1 - 56mpg (according to Fiat)

1,000cc bikes are usually (because of the World Superbike homologation rules) highly tuned for performance while modern 1,000cc cars are designed for fat women who work in the NHS and spend all night on match.com.

Indeed, those are the sorts of figures I had in mind.

Gone are the days when you could easily eke out 60mpg on your 650cc Bonneville. Modern bikes in the main are just not like that.

Plus on the danger / risk side ... I just drove past an accident where a lad on a trailie had hit a car and come off. He was lying prone on the road as people tended to him. It looked bad. Point? No one in the car was injured.

In a collision between a bike and a car, its always the biker that gets injured.

 

[roryer]

We definitely should not promote motorcycle use, but Powered Two Wheelers are fine.

50cc electric or (clean) petrol powered scooters, should be allowed to travel and park free anywhere in London and have access to bus lanes.

All other Motorcycles of larger engine size should pay.

Large engined motorcycles should pay the same as a 4x4, which should be £500 a day to drive in London.

imo they are dangerous, dirty very noisy vehicles, only suited to racing. They kill pedestrians and worry cyclists, Keep them out of London.

 

[danny la rouge]

"I have to have somewhere to ride".

 

[weltweit]

I think that would be an overreaction roryer

Motorbikes cause less congestion than cars ... I think they should have access free.

 

[derf]

Are you really suggesting that motorcycles are sensible as medium to long distance transport ?

For many people it's no problem but I was more considering the work run or other short hops that would be far cheaper and cleaner on a small bike than in a car.
Having said that I have been visiting schools over here that are 3 hours away by bike without a problem.

200cc Honda before anyone asks with many miles per gallon.

 

[sim667]

Somebody pointed out to me today that since i renewed my car drivers license they've removed the motorbike category of the back....

I used to be able to drive up to a 125 on it, now i can't......

apparently the dvla have been on watchdog about it.

 

[gentlegreen]

Somebody pointed out to me today that since i renewed my car drivers license they've removed the motorbike category of the back....

I used to be able to drive up to a 125 on it, now i can't......

apparently the dvla have been on watchdog about it.

I'm hoping all my categories are safe - even though I took both tests before written exams and basically taught myself and just turned up.

Doubtless I would be made to retake my motorcycle test when I hit 70 - though I'll be in France if I'm still breathing.

 

[kabbes]

Powerful bikes are also really, really antisocial.

On Sunday, it being a nice day, we sat outside a tea shop in our local village. On the other side of the road, a village cricket match was taking place. The stream was gurgling, kids were playing, all in all it was an idyllic scenario.

Except for the fact that every few minutes some utter WANKER on a motorbike would drive past at some ENORMOUS volume and utterly shatter the peace.

They weren't even going that fast (although most of them were certainly breaking the speed limit, unlike the rest of the traffic on the road, because it is a narrow and twisty stretch through a village and most cars are driving 20mph or less at that point). But the noise that the bikes made was simply insane.

That's not something I'd want to promote. Ever. Noise pollution is one of the biggest banes of modern society. We're constantly assaulted by mechanical sounds that nobody ever asked us if we wanted to hear. People choosing a mode of transport that makes it 100x worse are anti-social bastards and should be eliminated.

 

[weltweit]

Noisy motorbikes are usually fitted with illegal exhausts .. some of the motivation for this is so people can hear them coming.

However a Yamaha R1 (1,000cc) fitted with its standard (legal) exhaust is almost inaudible.

 

[ViolentPanda]

The most useful motorcycle I ever owned was a Honda 50.

I would suggest that in a context where traffic calming measures are in place, and minor road speed limits corrected to 20mph, nothing bigger than a 125 is needed for general town work - certainly no more than 250cc.

I'm faster as a fat 50 year old riding a pushbike than much of the town traffic I encounter.

Where I live is hilly, so I'd probably wear out the transmission on a 50cc moped in short order, and as I said, a pushbike isn't an option for me.

 

[roryer]

I think that would be an overreaction roryer

Motorbikes cause less congestion than cars ... I think they should have access free.

A little bit of an overreaction, yes, but really don't like the noise of motorcycles, loud engines are very unsuited to urban areas.

Also since motorcycles have been welcomed into bus lanes, I feel a little vulnerable being passed by a screaming motorbike doing 60 mph a few cm from me.

 

[Cloud]

They should definatley promote the use of mopeds.

The new 4 stroke peds are enviromently friendly and do 130 mpg.

Scrap all the stupid testing though, it's a rich mans game passing your bike test. Wrong imo! Not everyone wants to ride a superbike.

Mopeds! Pedals on them even. It's the only thing that impresses me about the French, they love em.

 

[subversplat]

Also since motorcycles have been welcomed into bus lanes, I feel a little vulnerable being passed by a screaming motorbike doing 60 mph a few cm from me.

Does that 60mph thing really happen? In central London??

 

[DownwardDog]

Noisy motorbikes are usually fitted with illegal exhausts .. some of the motivation for this is so people can hear them coming.

However a Yamaha R1 (1,000cc) fitted with its standard (legal) exhaust is almost inaudible.

It is at 9,000rpm which is where the noise is measured for compliance with the 102db limit but above 9k the variable length inlet tracts and exup valve open. They're pretty loud at full chat (12,000rpm+) even on standard pipes.

E2A: I've got no idea how Ducati are getting the 1198S/1098R with Termis through the 102db test because they are clearly much, much louder.

 

[weltweit]

It is at 9,000rpm which is where the noise is measured for compliance with the 102db limit but above 9k the variable length inlet tracts and exup valve open. They're pretty loud at full chat (12,000rpm+) even on standard pipes.

I remember one of the first I saw was at a bike meet in Essex, it was painted in pink Pepsi colours (unless I am mistaken) and the rider was pulling monster wheelies, at speed, alongside the packed crowd.

What bothered me most was that I could not hear it coming.

 

[weltweit]

E2A: I've got no idea how Ducati are getting the 1198S/1098R with Termis through the 102db test because they are clearly much, much louder.

Indeed, or Harley, they aint quiet!

 

[T & P]

Does that 60mph thing really happen? In central London??

No.

Well, it might have happened once to someone out there. Maybe to roryer himself. But it's anything but common.

That a vehicle simply 'bothers' someone is a really poor argument for penalising it. In my own experience as a scooter rider for 9 years, cyclists and bikers get on just fine, with far fewer incidents between them than any other road user.

 

[fredfelt]

As a general rule I don't think any carbon / oil intensive private activity should be subsidised.

 

[T & P]

As a general rule I don't think any carbon / oil intensive private activity should be subsidised.

In my opinion one has to be pragmatic. A motorbike produces far less congestion, and most of them also less pollution, than a car.

Not everybody can or will commute by public transport, and many are simply too far away to be expected to cycle to work. So do we want all those millions of people to all use their cars to commute, or do we try to encourage them to switch to a less polluting and congesting form of transport?

 

[fredfelt]

In my opinion one has to be pragmatic. A motorbike produces far less congestion, and most of them also less pollution, than a car.

Not everybody can or will commute by public transport, and many are simply too far away to be expected to cycle to work. So do we want all those millions of people to all use their cars to commute, or do we try to encourage them to switch to a less polluting and congesting form of transport?

I agree, we should try to encourage 'them' to switch to a less polluting and congesting form of transport. However I think a pragmatic stance is through disincentives for the most pouting, rather than subsidies for the polluting.

You are right, not everyone can be expect to cycle / walk to work but a subsidy for oil powered private transport encourages people to live farer away from their work place. It could potentially also have the effect of encouraging people to give up walking / cycling and get on their motorbike.

 

[DownwardDog]

That's not something I'd want to promote. Ever. Noise pollution is one of the biggest banes of modern society. We're constantly assaulted by mechanical sounds that nobody ever asked us if we wanted to hear. People choosing a mode of transport that makes it 100x worse are anti-social bastards and should be eliminated.

You should get a bike, you'd love the sound then. I can't stand the sound of children and that's probably because I haven't got any.

 

[nick h.]

Car drivers already know what the advantages of motorbikes are. Every time they get overtaken they see the proof. Waste of money giving them any more incentives.

Compared to car drivers bikers already get massive perks from the state. No congestion charge. They can legally filter up the inside or down the middle. (This gets you from London to the coast in half the time.) They don't get towed away (except in the City), they can park anywhere if they remove their numberplate and tax disc and they can speed through the average speed measuring zones because they don't have front number plates. I'm amazed that nanny state lets them get away with all this - they lead a charmed life, so long as they can learn how to be safe.

The mode of transport that needs promoting is the bicycle. If we could learn from the Netherlands this country would be so much better for everyone.

 

[XR75]

It would be better to have a network of proper cycle lanes and put vehicles, i.e electric bikes,quiet pocket bikes, under 30mph and a certain weight into the same catagory as bicycles.

 

[sim667]

if everyone rode motorbikes i would, but people dont, and im too scared of death.