Why Ride a Motorcycle

Besides enjoying the warm weather, the air, comradeship, and the freedom of it there are plenty of other reasons someone should someone consider riding a motorcycle.

Carpool and HOV lanes

States allow motorcycle riders to utilize the carpool and high occupancy vehicle lanes on the highways and interstates. Morning rush hour commuters spend their time sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, while anyone who has access to the carpool lanes can cruise on past.

Some states such as California even allow motorcycle riders to navigate in-between cars and trucks. This is known as “lane splitting,” and can greatly increase the time it takes to get somewhere in heavy traffic. If riding in a state that allows lane splitting, note that the law does have stipulations, and if disobeying the law on a motorcycle can have much more detrimental effects.

Cost Savings

The price of a gallon of gas is always going up, so any chance to save on fuel consumption is a good one. Motorcycles will get between 40 to 75 miles per gallon, according to carjunky.com, while the average passenger care gets 32 miles per gallon.  If using a motorcycle as a daily rider/driver it is easy to see how the cost savings in fuel consumption will add up.

There are other savings related to motorcycle ownership as well. The purchase price of a motorcycle over an automobile can be half to a third less than an average priced car. A motorcycle is viable option to those who live in warmer climates. Another savings is the cost of maintenance. A motorcycle does need to be inspected and it is more important to keep the maintenance up over a vehicle, but the cost of those maintenance items can sometimes be less with a motorcycle.

The Environment

It seems simple enough, the less gas people consume the less carbon monoxide is being releasing into the environment. The fewer parking spots being used, the fewer the wetland and forests need to be destroyed for parking. As with all things in nature, the smaller impact in any way that humans can have on the world, the greater the benefit to the planet overall. 

 

 

Overall

According to The American Motorcycles Association, “Studies have shown that across equal distances, commuting motorcyclists reach their destinations in less time than those using automobiles, that motorcycles and scooters consume less resources per mile than automobiles, and that they take up less space on roads.” So with all the benefits of riding a motorcycle, why not support those who do ride on ride to work day or any other day of the week. Or for that matter why not consider heading down to the local dealership and purchasing that cool new ride.