Motorcyclists often get a bad rap. Some say cycles are too loud and some note the folks who ride cycles dart around their towns like crazed squirrels. For reasons such as these a motorist may not like sharing the road with motorcycles. But, did you know motorcycles are good for you?
Motorcycles…
” Get 35-75 mpg, which reduces our demand on fuel (Which can eventually help lower fuel prices) and reduce the consumption of non-renewable resources
” Require significantly less materials and resources to manufacture them than a car or truck
” Use a relatively small amount of road space, which reduces gridlock in congested areas
” Can be ridden in HOV lanes, which improves traffic flow on highways
” Can be parked up to 4-vehicles per car space, providing more room for cars & trucks
” Roll on 2-wheels and weigh between 300 and 800 lb, which is a fraction of cars & trucks. And they're ridden an average of only 715 to 2900-miles per year (Motorcycle Industry Council estimate), which means they're barely wearing the road surfaces they ride on.
And, did you know that motorcycles in states like California and Arizona are charged license fees according to their MSRP, not their road usage or vehicle weight? That means motorcyclists there pay a disproportionate amount of taxes for road wear they don't even cause. In states like CA and AZ a new Harley-Davidson or Honda Gold Wing owner can be paying over $200 per year to ride less than 3000-miles!
Additionally, Arizona and California's motorcycle industry impacts their retail marketplace to the tune of roughly $692-million dollars and $3-billion dollars per year respectively (Motorcycle Industry Council estimate for 2006), paying taxes and employing thousands of individuals along the way.
Last note, May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month. As you can see, motorcycles are good for everyone – not just those who ride them. So, please watch out for us. We don't need your thanks, we just ask that you don't run into us!
