Drive to go green boosts bike sales
Added on Tuesday, October 7th, 2008 by Carole Nash Editor | No Comments
Drive to go green boosts bike sales
It’s not so much “Grease” but instead “green” that’s the word at the moment as far as transport is concerned and it’s an issue that’s not going to go away at any time soon.
The issue of the environment and, more importantly, what we can do to reduce the harm we are doing to it, is something that is very much on the political spectrum. All of the three major political parties are putting environmental concerns at the top of their manifestos with a raft of measures ranging from the simple to mind-bogglingly complex, all designed to encourage us to do our bit.
Any from politics, almost all of the leading motorsport championships are moving towards using bio fuels and from next year, the Isle of Mann TT will include the world’s first “emissions free” event.
The drive to go green certainly has been good news for Britain’s motorcycle dealers and bike insurance brokers who have benefitted from a huge rise in motorcycle sales this year despite the credit-crunch. Registrations of all two-wheeled vehicles are up 5.1% on last year - with scooters and ‘learner legal’ sub-125cc bikes making up a considerable chunk of that figure.
Conversely, figures released only yesterday by the SMMT revealed that sales of new cars dropped by a massive 21% during September.
That’s because, according to the MCIA, commuters have realised that biking is now a simple, convenient and cost effective way to go about town, reduce their carbon footprint and improve their bank balance.
For motorists, particularly those of a more cynical persuasion, the word ‘green’ has not been good news and it’s about to get considerably worse for many drivers in 2009 as the Government reforms its Vehicle Excise Duty policy.
Drivers of so-called “Gas Guzzlers” could see their tax contribution increased by more than £200 from next year - even if they bought their vehicle as early as 2001 and many mainstream cars will also be hit with sharp rises in a clear signal from the government that it wants us to take a lower-emissions approach to commuting.
Compare that with the current £15 fee for 125cc motorcycles and all of a sudden, getting around on two wheels starts to look like the more wallet-friendly option.
Congestion charging has also played its part and will continue to do so as more and more cities look to adopt the scheme. Bikers can happily ride into and out of the congestion charging zones in both London and Durham without having to open their wallet, whilst they will also be immune from the proposed C-charge system for Manchester - due in 2012.
Manchester isn’t the only city making plans to charge motorists for heading towards the city centre either. Edinburgh recently saw its initial proposals for a congestion charge defeated, Birmingham is expected to put forward similar proposals whilst Leeds, who tested the C-charge technology currently being used in London, has yet to rule out a charging system.
Better fuel consumption, lower parking fees and the ability to glide through the traffic all add to the appeal.
But even for bikers, fuel prices are hardly attractive. With the going-rate for a litre of unleaded currently standing at around £1.10, it’s still hard to wrestle your wallets away from the likes of Shell and BP.
That was until Vectrix came up with the Maxi Scooter - the first real attempt at electrical two-wheeled commuting.
Reviews of the Maxi-Scooter have been promising and plenty of test-riders have been genuinely surprised as to how good the Vectrix actually was although, at more than £6,000, it probably should have been. Whilst no fuel, no oil, no spark plugs, no tax and no MOT all seem like a great idea - indeed, it’s only a new battery after 50,000 miles bike insurance that’s needed to keep it on the road - it’s still a long time before you’ll make back that initial outlay. Vectix aren’t the only manufacturer to go electric however and Insidebikes will be looking at a few alternatives in the coming weeks.
At the moment at least then, it looks like those manufacturers who keep on churning out the best of the learner-legal bikes and scooters. Yamaha really did get it right with the Yamaha YZF-R125 which has proved to be a massive sales hit and the Vespa scooters still retain a cult following.
Car owners can expect to see plenty of targeted campaigns to get them to ‘go green’, more and more hybrid vehicles are sure to hit the market and congestion charging looks set to be coming to a town near you. On that basis, motorcyclists have every reason to be a little bit smug. After all, it seems to be the car owners who have decided that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
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