P124
CN
III LOWSIDE
BY RENNIE SCAYSBROOK
I
f you were to introduce mo-
torcycling now, in 2017, you'd
probably be laughed out of the
boardroom.
The idea of sitting on top of an
engine—some capable of over
200 horsepower—with no outside
protection to the occupant other
than a tiny lever on the right-side
handlebar would be downright
laughable in today's bubble-
wrapped society.
Many would love us to be
legislated out of existence. But we
might be moving toward extinction
by the motorcycle industry's own
laziness.
I'm talking about the fact that
motorcycles are almost entirely
still petrol-powered. They are the
same fossil-fuel-burning dinosaurs
they were 100 years ago, and the
world's bike manufacturers are
doing little to change that.
Earlier this week, the UK joined
France in committing to a total ban
of petrol- and diesel-powered
vehicles by 2040, in a bid to
tackle harmful nitrogen dioxide
emissions. This goes along with
the 2015 report that London itself
will impose a new Ultra Low Emis-
sions Zone (ULEZ) by 2020 that
says any vehicle (bikes included)
over 13 years old will have to pay
the equivalent of $16.50 just to
enter the Congested Charge Zone
within central London. Cameras
will scan your license plate and
send an automatic charge to your
vehicle if you are riding a motor-
cycle built before 2007. The year
2020 is not far away at all, espe-
cially if you consider (as I do) that
a mint-condition 2007 model R1
is just as good a bike as a 2014
version.
That's in Europe, but California
has long been the leading voice
over tighter vehicle emissions for
decades, with standards at times
tougher than what is currently
enforced in Europe. Imagine if
the State of California suddenly
adopts the measures taken by
London, and anyone who has
a bike from 2007 or older is no
longer able to ride it?
The car industry is now well and
truly on the front foot regarding
this problem. Swedish manufac-
turer Volvo has said that, by 2019,
every one of its cars will feature an
electric motor, while some of its
cars will be entirely propelled by
electricity.
What are the world's bike
manufacturers doing about this?
What, if any, are their plans for
when 2040 rolls around and
absolutely no vehicle in Europe
will be allowed to be sold with a
gas-powered engine?
In 23 years, it'll be 2040. If you
THE FUTURE IS NOW
The Zero SR is part
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on the players when
it comes to zero-
emissions transport.
