Sean Malone
08-26-08, 04:35 PM
Motorcycle or Prius (blog)
Various articles and message board comments have me pondering the subject question. A recent article on a major news website this week discussed the ‘green’ attitude of Prius owners, even though the premium spent on the hybrid makes your fuel savings negligible, at least for the short term. Basically the article focuses on the ‘smell me’ attitude the Prius owners have. There is a 3 to 6 month waiting list that is increasing weekly, so the trendy fashion accessory vibe comes with having one. Toyota says that Prius buyer demo is above the line i.e college educated, 100K + salaries, and live within 15 miles of where they work.
Gas price conscience, environmentalists, or fashion statement yuppies? Who’s to say. $25,000 for a compact hybrid that gets 45mpg when driven extremely ‘light’. Hmm, My dad commuted in a diesel VW Rabbit in the 80’s that got 45mpg and cost $7000 new. No, they wouldn’t go up steep hills, but why would you want to go up there anyway?
On the other hand, or should I say wheels, is the motorcycle. One of the recent talking points on the motorcycle board I frequent is the new law in Florida that requires all new motorcycle riders successfully complete the MSF safety course. Prior to this law a new rider could study the motorcycle handbook provided by the DMV and then take a short obstacle course test given by the DMV and you would receive your motorcycle endorsement.
Here’s where the controversy begins. The MSF course is given by state approved private third party facilities. The classes are between $200 to $300 dollars, take all day Saturday AND Sunday (or spread out in the evenings throughout an entire week) and the waiting list to get into a class is typically 2 MONTHS out.
With fuel prices where they are people are looking for alternatives. Now they claim the govt is cashing in and trying to keep people from buying fuel efficient motorcycles (enter govt/oil conspiracy theories).
I’ve read comments from multiple motorcyclists claiming that motorcycles are ‘luxury’ vehicles and people don’t buy them as commuters. I agree with that to a certain extent. If I use myself as an example, all of my motorcycles where purchased as ‘entertainment’ vehicles. All of them where also purchased with gas prices below $2 a gallon. With a gallon pushing $4, suddenly my little weekend scooter becomes a 50mpg fuel efficient commuter. Necessity breeds…
A recent editorial in Cycle World covered this same topic. The author confused as to why when motorcycles are a valid means of stretching your fuel dollars are the motorcycle manufacturers continuing to make more expensive, luxury oriented models. While many other countries utilize small displacement bikes to mitigate fuel consumption and ever increasing number of vehicles on the road, the US seems to be discouraging the motorcycle as an option with the social attitude that $25,000 dollar compacts hybrids are the acceptable green solution. Why? Image? Soccer moms are frightened by motorcyclists so that could be legit. Safety? Well, I’d rather they mandate mandatory training for soccer moms in their ’08 Denali’s with two babies in the back, a teen in the front seat blaring the radio while mom navigates her 5200lb, 13mpg behemoth with one hand while she’s calling her husband on her cell phone to ask him what he wants for dinner. Instead the motorcyclists have to take an expensive course on how to avoid said rolling disaster waiting to happen. Emissions? The Prius still uses a gas powered engine, without the facts I’m assuming there isn’t a large difference between the emissions of my bike vs a Prius.
So while I’ll get wet in the rain on the way home, and I can’t carry much and my passenger gets uncomfortable after about 5 minutes, I’ll choose a motorcycle over a $25,000 hybrid any day of the week. Plus girls flash me all the time. I wonder how often that happens to Prius owners? ;)
Various articles and message board comments have me pondering the subject question. A recent article on a major news website this week discussed the ‘green’ attitude of Prius owners, even though the premium spent on the hybrid makes your fuel savings negligible, at least for the short term. Basically the article focuses on the ‘smell me’ attitude the Prius owners have. There is a 3 to 6 month waiting list that is increasing weekly, so the trendy fashion accessory vibe comes with having one. Toyota says that Prius buyer demo is above the line i.e college educated, 100K + salaries, and live within 15 miles of where they work.
Gas price conscience, environmentalists, or fashion statement yuppies? Who’s to say. $25,000 for a compact hybrid that gets 45mpg when driven extremely ‘light’. Hmm, My dad commuted in a diesel VW Rabbit in the 80’s that got 45mpg and cost $7000 new. No, they wouldn’t go up steep hills, but why would you want to go up there anyway?
On the other hand, or should I say wheels, is the motorcycle. One of the recent talking points on the motorcycle board I frequent is the new law in Florida that requires all new motorcycle riders successfully complete the MSF safety course. Prior to this law a new rider could study the motorcycle handbook provided by the DMV and then take a short obstacle course test given by the DMV and you would receive your motorcycle endorsement.
Here’s where the controversy begins. The MSF course is given by state approved private third party facilities. The classes are between $200 to $300 dollars, take all day Saturday AND Sunday (or spread out in the evenings throughout an entire week) and the waiting list to get into a class is typically 2 MONTHS out.
With fuel prices where they are people are looking for alternatives. Now they claim the govt is cashing in and trying to keep people from buying fuel efficient motorcycles (enter govt/oil conspiracy theories).
I’ve read comments from multiple motorcyclists claiming that motorcycles are ‘luxury’ vehicles and people don’t buy them as commuters. I agree with that to a certain extent. If I use myself as an example, all of my motorcycles where purchased as ‘entertainment’ vehicles. All of them where also purchased with gas prices below $2 a gallon. With a gallon pushing $4, suddenly my little weekend scooter becomes a 50mpg fuel efficient commuter. Necessity breeds…
A recent editorial in Cycle World covered this same topic. The author confused as to why when motorcycles are a valid means of stretching your fuel dollars are the motorcycle manufacturers continuing to make more expensive, luxury oriented models. While many other countries utilize small displacement bikes to mitigate fuel consumption and ever increasing number of vehicles on the road, the US seems to be discouraging the motorcycle as an option with the social attitude that $25,000 dollar compacts hybrids are the acceptable green solution. Why? Image? Soccer moms are frightened by motorcyclists so that could be legit. Safety? Well, I’d rather they mandate mandatory training for soccer moms in their ’08 Denali’s with two babies in the back, a teen in the front seat blaring the radio while mom navigates her 5200lb, 13mpg behemoth with one hand while she’s calling her husband on her cell phone to ask him what he wants for dinner. Instead the motorcyclists have to take an expensive course on how to avoid said rolling disaster waiting to happen. Emissions? The Prius still uses a gas powered engine, without the facts I’m assuming there isn’t a large difference between the emissions of my bike vs a Prius.
So while I’ll get wet in the rain on the way home, and I can’t carry much and my passenger gets uncomfortable after about 5 minutes, I’ll choose a motorcycle over a $25,000 hybrid any day of the week. Plus girls flash me all the time. I wonder how often that happens to Prius owners? ;)