Two wheels good, four wheels better
For some reason, North America does not seem to hold two-wheeled transportation in high regard, at least that’s how it seems to me. I think this applies to both human-powered and mechanized versions. This is quite at odds with the rest of the world, where bicycles, scooters, and motorcycles are used daily by millions of people for transportation. But in the main, in North America, they are considered playthings.
The other day I was stopped at a traffic light next to a guy on a motorcycle. He was dressed in office attire, his motorcycle had two hard-shelled saddlebags, a windscreen that extended up far enough to disrupt the worst of the wind, he sat nearly straight up on the frame, and the engine was very quiet. It idled quietly and pulled away quietly too. I couldn’t see any decals so I don’t know the engine size, but visually it appeared to be smaller than the usual motorbike I see around.
He looked like a reasonable guy with a quiet and comfortable commuter motorbike, and it occurred to me it was probably the first one I had seen in years. What I usually see on the roads around here are either great big loud Easy Rider wannabies with leather fringes and metal studs or young bucks hunched over testicle-crushing sport bikes with rear tires twice the size of the front ones. In other words, what I mostly see on the streets are toys.
Why does our culture marginalize and infantilize motorcycles and bicycles? It makes no sense. They are perfectly reasonable methods of transportation, especially so when compared with automobiles that usually have only one occupant. This applies to small scooters too. They are quite rare here in Ottawa, and what little advertisement I see for them seems aimed at their fashion cuteness or trendy colours that match your sunglass frames. So why can’t a 100 cc Vespa be a reasonable and adult mode of commuter vehicle.
I live in an Ottawa suburb and one of the crazy things I see out here are roadside bicycle lanes that are also used by city buses when they stop for passengers. The land that is allotted to curbs is immense, huge tracts of land that set off the nearest traffic lane from neighbourhood homes, streets so wide that it is dangerous for most humans to cross them at intersections, because it is difficult for many people to get across during the duration of one green-light cycle. So, predictably, there are hardly any pedestrians. All that land, but bicycles have to share the road with buses, while at the same time we have pedestrian sidewalks with almost no humans on them.
Lately, three-wheeled motorcycles are becoming popular. When I first saw one I thought they were a clever idea. With three wheels and a small motor, you would have a reasonable second vehicle for a household that could be used to fetch groceries, or go to the dentist or something. You could easily build a small useful cargo area on one. Instead, they are designed and marketed as sport “trikes” and cost well over $20,000. In other words, they are also toys.
I have nothing against toys. Everyone should own and enjoy toys, they make life fun. But somebody, somewhere, probably big name consultants, decided that people in North America don't want inexpensive lightweight personal transportation. They are probably the same consultants who nearly eliminated the hatchback from automotive showrooms, because, well, they decided we didn't want any. So for about a decade, the VW Golf was almost the only hatchback you could buy in Canada and the US, while the rest of the world was drowning in them. Then, about 10 years ago, they started selling hatchbacks again, and no surprise to me, people are buying a lot of them. I have never read any articles blaming those consultants for their previous folly.
So listen, you with the MBA, working in marketing for motorcycle, scooter, and bicycle manufacturers, stop listening to those idiot consultants your boss hired. They know nothing, their only interest is in stroking your CEO's ego to get more consulting contracts. They don't know a damn thing about what the average joe wants. They don't even know any average joes. Sell us some cheap useful bikes please.
posted by Robert Roaldi @ 10:30 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
Mexico, Central and South America are chock full of sensible sized motorcycles that cost about $1000 Cdn (new) in the under 250cc category mostly.
Read Old Man on a Bike by Simon Gandolfi. He bought a 125cc Honda delivery bike in Mexico and rode it to Tierra del Fuego. 100 mpg and I don't think he paid more than $50 to service at the dealer in his travels. You can buy the same bike new these days for $2100 and the most expensive service interval is around $65.
Bikes like that are everywhere south of the US border. In my travels I was hard-pressed to find anything bigger than say 250cc. They're cheap, reliable transportation that is easy and inexpensive to maintain. But we have more money so they gladly take it from us while stroking our egos and telling us we need 1200cc an 140 hp between our legs...
These little bikes may be nice in places like Mexico but try driving them in January in Canada. Some people can afford either a bike or a car. Not both. If you want mobility year round in most parts of Canada you need a car. Sure if you live in a major city and live 10 minutes or so from work these bikes are great money savers late spring, summer and early fall. Canada especially Ontario, does not have the road structure to make them practical. Try the 400 series highways on a scooter. In theory and magazine articles, they sound like the best idea going but if you really think it thru they are not a practical year round method of transportation in Canada. Have you tried bringing your groceries home on a scooter, for a family of 4? This isn't Europe. Thank goodness, they have far more problems than vehicle size. This is just another political style attempt at a "save the planet" fake speech. There are far more important and necessary topics than this over used and safe one addresses.
I agree, this is just another "I can come up with a save the planet idea". These bikes are nice toys but they won't work in Canada because of our climate. Looks good, sounds good speeches are fun to read but why not tackle some real issues. Like over taxation, Hydro rip offs, and getting screwed by the US? Why don't you take on the Insurance industry or why with all the good Canadian Beef available we pay so much for meat or with the Alberta Oil sands why is gas so expensive. You sound like you have time to spare so do some research and some real good and not just stick with safe go no where topics.
Apparently the previous two commenters didn't get the point of the article! Whoosh, right over their heads.
Part of the problem, in Canada at least, is the weather. Except perhaps for Vancouver, you cannot use two wheels all year round. Another problem is public transportation, or to be more precise, the lack of it. If two wheels are your only mode of transportation, the you need an alternative for when they are not practical. In Canada, and most of North America, public transport is pretty dismal in the cities, and almost none existent outside. But as the author says, I think the biggest barrier to two wheels is not practical, but cultural. Motor cycles are for James Dean and Easy Rider, scooters are for Italians and bicycles are for kids. Worse than that, along with public transport, they are all just for people who can't afford a car. I just don't see any hope of changing that kind of thinking. Not without some serious money anyway.
This is unfortunate. I live in St John's Newfoundland and some of the area I have to bike thru is treacherous. Fortunately road improvement in my neighborhood are in the plans.
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