| Author | Message | ||
     Crusty |
I saw this on MSN, and just thought I'd share it with everybody: http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/autosblogpost -tru.aspx?post=3ee3b791-cde5-44c4-a95f-7081c47f805 9&icid=autos_2417 | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Cool! Thanks for posting. If gas prices increase as predicted, we'll definitely see more bikes on the road. The scary thing about that is we'll see people who never thought about 2 or 3 wheels signing up for classes not because of an inherent interest in riding, but as a cost savings measure. | ||
| Chauly |
But when I've had those students in my class, they either "get it" and change their priorities, or they find excuses not to ride. If the latter, I rarely have them successfully complete the course! (Especially in the rain...  (Message edited by Chauly on February 22, 2012) | ||
| Jaimec |
If more people would participate in the annual "Ride to Work Day" more people would see the benefits. | ||
| Orman1649 |
IIRC, the mythbusters busted the "myth" that motorcycles produce less emissions. Many motorcycles are more fuel efficient than many vehicles but motorcycles generally pump out more bad crap into the air b/c cars/trucks have much more emissions controls. | ||
| Syonyk |
Yep. Less fuel, less carbon dioxide, ZOMG HIGHER "everything else." Sort of obvious, really. And with a rather weak 33mpg in the winter on the 1125, I'm not even saving that much fuel. | ||
| Crusty |
Yeah, but if you get to work sooner and don't have to sit in traffic as long, then your engine is running for a shorter period of time and will produce less pollutants. So even if the bike produces more pollutants per hour than a car, the fact that it would run for a shorter time would compensate for that. Also, my XT gets well over 40 MPG when ridden in a commuter environment. Considering that the Oil Companies are scared that they're not going to exceed last year's record profits, and the price of gas is rising to record levels, I think that getting twice as many miles per gallon is a good thing for my wallet. | ||
| Blake |
Their point about reduced emissions factored in the 40% reduced commute time for ALL traffic. It is a reduction in total emissions for all traffic if 10% of commuters rode a motorcycle and is mainly due to the 40% reduction in commute time. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
Here's a greener option (not the jacket  )   | ||
| Syonyk |
If Brammo would finally release the Empulse, I'd seriously consider it for my commuting needs. | ||
| Oldog |
You should read the comments and discussion after the piece, there are some poorly informed folks out there. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Overall, the Mythbusters analysis was reasonably sound. I had two big beefs with it though. First, I wish they had tried a long stroke air cooled motor. Like my Uly, or even a Road King. My Saab can pull 33 mpg. if warm on the highway. But commuting back and forth to work, even with 20 miles each way, and that drops to 23 mpg. The difference is mainly the AWFUL economy the car gets with a cold motor. The Uly pulls 45 or so, and warms up FAST. I think a long stroke air cooled motor would have told a significantly different story than the collection of short stroke water cooled "high performance" bikes they chose (which included a 250, but which might as well have been 1 cylinder off a 600). My second beef was to take particular pollutant types and declare them "really bad" with no supporting assertions on what "really bad" means, and why "really bad" was worse than consuming 30% more of a fairly finite natural resource like gasoline. Maybe Char can help us here with some real facts... but if there is one thing I have learned from the environmental movement in the last 20 years, it's that everything they say is agenda driven dogma, not science. So I use any of their unsupported assertions, like "NOX is really bad". | ||
| Reepicheep |
How'd that bike feel Belinda! I'd love to ride one, and asked for a test ride. They told me to drive from Ohio to Windsor, Canada.  Long hike for a test ride. I'd probably go as far as, say, maybe, near Mukwanago WI (  ). But not Windsor. | ||
| Fltwistygirl |
It was way fun, Bill! I prefer the 2012's with the belt drive (quieter) over the chain-driven 2011's. But I can honestly say the last time a bike has put that much spring in my step was when I rode the City-x. Nimble, responsive, flickable. Good brakes. Instant torque. Can't wait to use these for BRC demos, woo hoo! Also curious to see how much cooler they are going to be to operate in our Florida summers. There's been a huge improvement in the batteries from '11 to '12 on these also. I'm on the edge of my seat waiting for what's next in the world of electric bikes. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Me too! If that Zero Dual sport was $5000, I would be driving out to get one now. Then trying to figure out how to put luggage on it. A hybrid so much the better! | ||
| Xb1125r |
gas prices is nothing new, that is why I got into bikes int he first place. thank goodness there was a buell in the showroom and I did not have to settle for a harley |
