High gas prices fuel motorcycle riders

by Antonette Brotman

 

A painted neon sign in Arlington Motor Sports storefront window reads in thick black letters, “SAVE MONEY SAVE GAS.” Photo by Antonette Brotman.

Quickly approaching five dollars a gallon, gas prices are pumping wallets and discouraging drivers from traveling. Motorcycle shops stand to benefit from the recent fuel cost increase. The spike might be a significant impetus to turn more car and truck drivers into motorcycle riders.

If you ride on two wheels instead of driving on four, you’re likely to spend less money on your vehicle and on fuel. You could also be reducing your ecological footprint. Motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds are a good choice for two reasons: your money and our planet.

1. Financially, motorcycles are cheaper for the individual. A 250cc (cubic centimeters) engine gets 50 to 70m/g (miles per gallon). That means you can ride around for about a fifth of the fuel cost of driving a Sport Utility Vehicle. Midsize bikes get 40 to 60m/g, and larger bikes are in the 30m/g range, according to Woodfield Motor Sports’ general manager Frank Mininni.

Scooters and mopeds are also cost saving alternatives. Starting at 50cc, a scooter can get 130m/g. A 125cc scooter reaches almost 100m/g. Scooters larger than 125cc get 50 to 70m/g.

 

Scooters are an automatic transmission alternative to motorcycles and can get up to 100 miles per gallon. Photo by Antonette Brotman.

A significant difference between motorcycles and scooters is that motorcycles have manual transmissions, while scooters have automatic transmissions. Mopeds are low-powered motorized pedacycles. While scooters and mopeds are fun and fuel efficient, motorcycles offer the most power on two wheels.

New motorcycles can be a pricy buy. At some dealerships, you don’t know how much a bike costs before inquiring with a sales person. However, at City Limits Harley-Davidson, there is a price tag on every motorcycle, ranging from about $10,000 to $20,000.

Used motorcycles are a less expensive option, and postings for previously owned bikes are updated daily on bidding sites including craigslist and ebay. Some of these cycles are priced around $600, but they usually require an extra few hundred dollars for repair.

2. Environmentally, motorcycles pollute less CO2 than cars and trucks. But there is evidence motorcycles emit higher levels of other toxins than cars.

With new societal awareness on going green, people have reason to consider motorcycles as a commuting alternative. Since motorcycles burn less gas per mile, they also burn less fossil fuel than cars, and ultimately produce less carbon dioxide (CO2).

CO2 is not the only factor to consider when assessing pollutants. There is an ongoing debate about whether motorcycles pollute more or less than cars.

While motorcycles give off less CO2 than cars, they produce more carbon monoxide (CO), nitrous oxides (NOx) and hydrocarbons (HC’s) per mile than cars.

“On average, motorcycles and scooters produce more greenhouse gases per mile driven than cars. A European study found that while two wheelers emit less CO2 per mile, they emit more of other more potent greenhouse gases that also have harmful health effects,” said research student at University of California, Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group Josiah Johnston.

A motorcycle mechanic and Woodfield Motor Sports sales representative Jr. Dinero said that the type of bike you ride determines whether it is less of a detriment to earth compared to cars.

“It’s different with racing bikes, but your standard motorcycles, everyday commuter bikes, are a lot better on the environment,” Dinero said.

One significant factor in emissions is a catalytic converter. Catalytic converters are pipes that contain chemicals to neutralize pollutants; thereby minimizing harm to the ozone layer of our atmosphere.

Most cars have catalytic converters and many motorcycles do not. Catalytic converters are primarily available for cycles designed for longer trips called touring bikes, as opposed to the standard or sport motorcycles. The converters are not required by the EPA for motorcycles.

Still, people have plenty of reasons to pick up a bike.

“[Motorcycles] are fun, inexpensive, economical, and [they] give you a sense of freedom,” said Mininni.

You can feel that sense of freedom on the road and in your pocket. If you’re sick of paying $50 to $100 at the pump – save gas, ride a motorcycle.

Motorcycles for sale at stores like Arlington Motor Sports in Arlington Heights are receiving more attention as a result of gas prices approximately 30 percent higher than last year. Photo by Antonette Brotman.

Copyright 2008

Tags: CO2, emissions, environment, exhaust, fuel, gas, gas price, gas prices, mopeds, motorcycle, motorcycles, scooters, shop for motorcycles