One of the funny things I heard was about pollution and motorcycles.
I tried to give it a less serious shot:
Edited by Admin ---
Motorcycle vs. pollution
Par unicorn, Thu 19 Jan 2006
Following issues with traffic laws in Paris, Motorcycle riders groups demonstrate that motorcycles should be supported as they do produce less pollution than cars.
The following is just us expressing some points and isn't of course the truth or just a part of it...
If you consider that modern cars do gulp down (talking small city cars here) less than 5L/100km of gas and that for that you can get 4 people in there, the ratio of gas per person is 1.25. Now considering that motorcycles stick mainly to a delicious min. 6L/100km and that they can (most of them) carry 2 persons the ration is 3L per person.
Hmm that sounds like a problem! Now the other fact is that a motorcycle goes faster and is moving in the traffic while the car is sitting there for hours (ask to some people living in big cities like London, Paris etc...), with the engine running most of the time (you don't want to miss that sudden 50cm move forward in the line). But would cars move the bike is no more that efficient!
Again in a car you can carry way more people than on a motorcycle! But it becomes a loss for the car as soon as you know that inside that steel box sits a human! Who is mainly egocentrical! And will NOT share his pride and joy (talking about the car here some have different views when in comes to partners
) with anyone! Meaning in a car you mainly get 1 person! Ok in the US there are special lanes on the highways when you drive with passengers! Funny but each time one of us went to the US that lane was empty. Oh yeah I forgot! I remember that they even sold inflatable dolls (nah not those ones, dressed ones!) to let the cops think there is a passenger sitting with you in the car! In summary...doesn't change anything even though it is a good try! Now on a motorcycle you are mainly alone and no one complains about it because that is the way it should be! Well except for couples where the non driving one is also in love with biking and thus accepts to be dressed all in black leather and is ready to spend 20 mins in the office restroom to get the hair cut back in a sort of standard style (that is why bold bikers will always be first at the bar...not in the office)! the rest of us rides alone and it is fine!
If one comes back to the gas consumption argument and, if you rethink it with real life parameters, you will notice that the sexy "less than 5L/100km" measure is effective when the car drives at 60 to 90 km/h ahaaaaaa!!! Now a motorcycle (modern one!) will stick to its 6L/100km with a bit higher average speed, lets says around 100 to 120 km/h (as we have people in France reading this: this is only valid on the highways and motorways!)...sounds better!
All the above is working in town but on the road it gets better!
Try to have a car get up such a road (included in the Alpine passes Tour!): You will end up with a nice smelly fog over the valley and regular ...drops of pre-digested food...! Not even talking about gas consumption, for the cars able to make it of course (those low consumption cars have mainly engines smaller than our bike ons LOL)! On the other hand the motorcycle wil go up there in a second (or two) without a stop and at the top you get a smiley biker (every one knows that bad mood polutes the world too!).
So after all that writting it seems obvious: motorcycles do pollute less!
Have fun and drive safely
