More and more people are taking up motorcycling as a method to get to work. Why is this?
Well, there are a number of reasons why you’re much more likely to see an older gentleman on a small capacity motorcycle wearing a suit under his gear alongside the leather clad sports bike riders now rather than a few years ago.
Whether it’s because of the cheaper cost of fuel, the less of a worry on traffic or just because it’s easier to find a parking space, more people are taking up commuting by bike.
Here are a few of those reasons, and maybe it’ll help you decide whether you can join in this new age of motorcycle commuting:
Fuel costs
It’s no hidden truth that fuel costs are going up at an alarming rate. More and more people are struggling to fuel their cars due to the cost of it, and are choosing to make only necessary trips because of this.
While bikers have also felt the increase, because of motorcycles getting much better miles per gallon (mpg) than cars it’s been a lot less noticeable. It’s easy for a bike to get 50 or more mpg, while some small capacity machines will get 100 mpg. This means a bike will get much more out of the fuel you put in, resulting in you spending significantly less.
Adapting the bike as you need it
Some will argue that using a bike for commuting isn’t as practical as driving a car. In certain aspects, it’s not. Rain will leave you arriving wet, while snow and ice will stop all but the bravest riding altogether.
However, for other necessities, such as maybe carrying a briefcase, bikes can be just as practical as cars. Modifications can be made to the bike so that it suits what you’ll need it for, such as a top box or panniers for carrying items you might need.
If image is important to you, it’s just as easy to get cheap private number plates for a bike as it is a car. Many riders enjoy their cherished number plates as a way to increase their individuality on a bike.
Traffic
Row after row of cars moving at a snail’s pace on their way to work has become a common sight. Riders often don’t understand the frustrated drivers complaining about the bumper to bumper traffic adding time on to their journey, as a bike rider doesn’t have to deal with the traffic the same way.
In traffic riders will often go between the cars stuck in traffic, a process called filtering or lane splitting, allowing them to continue on their way. While this does slow down the rider, it doesn’t completely hold them up like it would someone in a car, thus allowing them to arrive much earlier.
This also has a bonus on petrol, as cars stuck in traffic use a lot of fuel unnecessarily while idling.
Green Issues
So we already know that motorcycles use less fuel than cars, this isn’t just good for your finances, it’s great for the planet. If you combine this with smaller parking spaces and less room on the roads being required you can quickly see how a motorbike makes environmental sense.
So could you commute by bike?
Instead of being annoyed when a bike filters past you on your way to work in the regular traffic jam, consider being on a bike yourself.
As long as you can put up with getting wet on the odd occasion of rain, you’ll benefit from shorter travel times, cheaper fuel and better parking.
About the author: This post was written by Crispin Jones on behalf of The Plate Market. To find out more about their services, please click here.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Craig Toron.