The Kneeslider

Doers Builders and Positive People

Motorcycles Are Not Politics

By

Motorcycles represent many things to their owners, but often, the comments some of you leave on a wide variety of posts continually try to inject politics into what should be primarily a technical discussion. No one needs to be reminded that the country is divided, politics today has become more vicious and mean than at any time in my lifetime and I’ve been around for a little while. Political views translate into anger when anyone disagrees and things spiral off topic, but, motorcycles are not politics.

Electric motorcycles often trigger comments stating they’re necessary to save the planet or they’re unnecessary because the planet is doing just fine. The builders might be thinking along those lines, but suppose for a moment, some builders see the technology advancing to the point where they believe it might be practical and want to give it a try. Is it possible to look at electric motorcycles or any similar technology without immediately assessing the political motivations of the builders, supporters or critics? We can discuss whether they are practical without getting political.

Back in the early 1900s, there were electric cars, the Baker Electric and the Detroit Electric. Though sold for a number of years, no one was marching to “save the planet,” it was just one of several competing technologies trying to establish a foothold in the auto market, but both brands eventually died off. There was no conspiracy of “who killed the electric car,” it was killed by the internal combustion engine when electric technology was not yet sufficiently developed. The electrics came and went because people voted with their wallets and bought what they preferred and could afford. The owners of the companies may not have been pleased, but our economy and society moved on.

The Kneeslider could take a strong view on one side of the issue but what’s the point? It’s far better to have a discussion of the merits of electric motorcycles or any new or old technology without the fog of war caused by competing political views. Every new technology does not have to be measured against adherence to the principles of the left or right.

Motorcycles will not cause nor cure any global crisis. They can be an interesting testbed for new ideas and technology, however, by doing so they are not going to save the planet or, conversely, threaten our current way of life. The companies or individuals trying this technology may have many reasons for doing so, support them if you wish, it’s your choice.

A desire to ride a Harley Davidson or Honda, a Kawasaki or KTM, is a personal decision, you can choose for a thousand different reasons, it could be as simple as the exterior design, the color, the sound of the engine, a perception of what the company stands for, wins on the track, what your friends ride, the technology built in, the list is endless and every reason is fine.

Whatever your reason for choosing to ride or picking one particular brand or model, you made the right choice and so did your neighbor and the guy down the street. When a motorcycle company introduces a new model, it’s their view of what the market wants and whether they’re right or wrong will be answered in the showroom.

Anyone can enjoy motorcycles. Mastering the skills necessary to operate and ride one can be fun for young children or adults. Learning how to do simple maintenance builds confidence. Finding a solution to more complex technical problems is a challenging test expanding your knowledge of mechanical and electrical troubleshooting. Restoring an old bike brings a sense of accomplishment and becomes a source of pride. Riding with friends on a sunny weekend, getting away for an hour by yourself, or taking a trip with your significant other on the seat behind you, helps keep the world in perspective.

Passionate support of your view doesn’t require angry derision directed at everyone else, be positive! The web is filled with politics and negative people but that’s not what we’re about here. We’re about motorcycles and all of the related products and technologies you’re apt to run into, so relax, and when you’re not out riding, take a little time to see what’s new at The Kneeslider. We’re always happy to have you on board.

Posted on Filed Under: Economics and Politics

-- Subscribe to The Kneeslider --

Be the first to know when something’s new!


Be sure to check out The Kneeslider’s motorcycle collectibles listings.

Your purchases through ebay links on The Kneeslider may earn a commission for this site.



Comments

  1. Its not the public that injects politics into the discussion, but those in politics when they push (with taxpayer money) for companies and individuals to produce the technology, with a reasoning of (insert group or cause celeb here).

    Much of today’s production in my opinion is marketing. If people wanted an electric motorcycle, it would be produced, and is at the rate the market will support.

    Is the e-bike’s time now? Possibly. Tech is just starting to come up to speed, as it is filtered off from sources such as laptops and cars, and being made to fit into the motorcycle niche. Perhaps it is a problem of timing. A good portion of the populous wants to push this sort of change down people’s throats, and markets them as evil if they dont embrace that change. It has been my experience that the way to best develop resistance to an idea is to force it at a segment of the population that is already getting along just fine.

  2. Great post Paul. One of the reasons I like coming here, aside from the cool motorcycles, is because I can, for the most part, steer clear of politics. I’ve seen hints of people’s political persuasions on here, and I don’t always agree with them, but it’s not an in your face thing, and there’s more interesting things to read and discuss.

    Azzy, just about every industry gets some degree of government funding, in pretty much every industrialized nation on earth. Agriculture, for one example, would look a lot different today without government subsidies, maybe better, maybe worse, I really don’t know. So what’s wrong with the EV makers doing it too?

  3. Good post Mr Slider, I would love to see ALL politics kept out of the discussions. That includes the references to the Earths dwindling resources as well as the responce to these postings. I would like to see an end to PC thought put into the posts. But, Alas Politics is Life, Politics are in every part and parcell of life. I personnaly will try to keep politics out of my comments, but its very hard to not respond to the PC Orwellion Big Lie followers innane comments.

  4. Paul, You have hit the nail on the head (and hopefully a few readers too), I visit this site every single day to see new and innovative motorcycles and related topics. The technology and the designs that I see here are inspirational like nowhere else on the ‘net’. Let’s keep it going in the right direction! Ride On!

  5. well said kneeman
    electric and other tech should be viewed in light of their value as a bike including their economic worthiness not their politcal worthiness

  6. It’s easy to agree that politics and marketing are both more divisive. Why debate an issue on facts and technical merit, when grandstanding and mudslinging take less effort? It’s good to see intelligent discussion about this subject. But, IMO, it will be difficult to move forward without breaking the concept up into several more managable chunks.

    The 2-wheel world is divided into many different catagories. The tourers, commuters, racers, cruisers, off-roader, and all others have different needs and expectations from an E-Cycle. The manufacturers (and their marketing departments) will have to find the segment that will pay. They must find a toehold and then spread from there.

    We would all like to see powerful machines that inspire and challenge the rider. But, it is resonable to assume that the first segment of the 2-wheel market that will fully embrace E-Cycles will be commuters and scooterists. In the American market this is a small segment, but worldwide, it’s huge. Their needs can be met by the E-Cycles capabilities. The tourers will have to wait for much better batteries. The off-roaders can start playing immediately. The cruisers can just watch the world go by. etc.

    Basic to this debate is wether riders think of motorcycles as tools…or toys. The toy mindset is more common in the US, but go to Asia, and more riders think of their bikes as tools. So, a cheap, slow, reliable hammer is still a hammer. Try to sell a hammer(Cub90) to someone who wants a nailgun(CBR600)…problem.

    The economy has thrown a new wrench into this argument. The toy buyers hold off while the tool buyers still need tools. In Wisconsin, for example, we have seen the cruiser and sportbike markets take a severe hit. Meanwhile the scooter market has nearly surpast the sportbike sales for the past two seasons. Frugal midwesterners buying just enough bike to get by…and not being able to afford the bike they want. Will this shift be permanent and grow from a “make do with less” attitude? Or will it revert when it can?

    Does the world need E-Cycles? Yes…and lots of different kinds of them.

    gpPeej

  7. I’m glad you brought that up Paul,and I will do my best to adhere to your wishes,but as Tinman said sometimes it is hard not to react when stupid things are said.

  8. Well said. There was a time when I enjoyed commenting on the great articles that Paul and his Kneeslider contributors posted , these days I hold back just to avoid the negativity. I’m sure this point of view is not unique, This may even keep the Kneeslider from posting some articles due to their volatile nature. Paul I hope you keep posting all of the worthy articles that you can regardless of the political BS and keep supporting the worlds doers.

  10. well said although it does actually demonstrate where you stand politically! 🙂

    anyway for what it is worth, I like the idea of electric bikes, and would love to see more of them. I have seen the TTX in action and it is amazing – although would I buy one? I don’t know.
    I guess, the problem is that most of the people who are trying to force the issue are not actually potential customers, and that is the crux of the problem the industry faces.

  11. I agree…Mixing Motorcycles and state is like mixing to Religion and state…oh, wait…but I believe that when I die, that my soul goes to a custom motorcycle garage in Seattle. Hooray to me for completely missing the mark and diluting it with a bit of humor.

  12. clueless in palm springs,,,,,motorcycle as the name suggests would indicate that it is driven by a motor, and a motor is the name given to a device that uses electromotive force to supply the work needed to be done. So in effect, all of us have really been scooting around on internal combustion engine cycles ( lets leave out the odd steam driven cycles) and not motorcycles. So what was the question? Because I want to know why when I get on my Ride that everyone seems to think that it is a Motorcycle (including the State of California) when it is an ENGINECYCLE. (THINK LEGAL FICTION)

  13. Point well taken, but to many of us motorcycles represent freedom in its purest form. I guess my real point was many folks feel, some extremely passionately, that this freedom is under attack like never before.

    Having said that, lets keep it “about the bikes”

  14. I love all motorcycles!! Except most choppers. I drive 2 pick-up trucks and a Honda Element. I ride bicycles a lot and go surfing in the ocean. I care about the planet, but at the same time I hope fossil burning engines don’t become fossils. Electric powered bikes may or may not be the wave of the future. I don’t care either way. However, I’m fascinated as hell about the technology and the possibilities. It’s not just new plastic bodywork on yet another 1000cc sportbike. It’s not just another aluminum perimeter frame that’s super light. This is a whole new ballgame and I think it’s scared a lot of people. Any cretin can change his own oil, but how many people can reair the “Controller” for an electric motor or keep up with the computer software for a racing electric bike? I know I can’t, but it would be cool to learn.

    This kinda reminds me a few years back when we started to see 4-stroke motorccrossers. “They’ll never work! Too heavy! They’ll get their butts kicked by any 2-stroke!” Try and buy a 2-stroke motocrosser anymore! The electric bike thing is even more extreme than that! Imagine, instant torque deliverey everywhere all the time! Personally, electric bikes don’t scare me, I just hope I’ll be able to keep up with the technology and stay competitive.

  15. I’ve got a few reasons for liking the concept of electric motorcycles.

    1) It would be simple from a legal standpoint to build custom bikes without worry of regulation by CARB, EPA or similar.

    2) Electricity is a common energy currency. Most of our technology is built on electric power and we can derive it from a variety of sources. If I can power my home and bike from the wind and sunshine my property gets then I’m riding for a lot less money over the long haul.

    3) Torque is cool.

    4) Mechanical simplicity is a good thing and the first few generations of electric bikes won’t have as much proprietary compnents as your average sportbike engine. Low maintenance is a beautiful thing too.

  16. Great post, but I have to respectfully disagree. It matters very much what the guy down the street buys; because he insists on a big V-twin with no muffler, he wakes me up everytime he leaves his driveway. Believe me, I am really not impressed by articles about custom bikes with open pipes anymore. By the same token, the F-350 he drives to work everyday has implications for my municipal taxes, my air quality, and our foreign policy – it may be his personal choice, but it affects me every day. As well, you stated that ‘anyone can enjoy motorcycles’ – sorry, but 50% of the people on the road shouldn’t be operating any type of motor vehicle, much less a motorcycle. If they can’t perform a lane change or left turn in a car, how could they do it on a motorcycle?

    I know you want to keep the discussion civilized and focus on motorcycles, but the belief that our consumer choices are not political is absurd. The decisions we make as consumers have much farther-reaching implications than the decisions we make as voters. Vote with your wallet to ensure the type of world you want to live in; if you continually buy from companies that screw their workers by moving to a cheaper labour market, screw their consumers by abandoning product support when it is no longer profitable, and screw everybody by engaging in environmentally destructive business practices, do not be surprised when you get screwed.

  17. i’m a life long motorhead. i think they are cool and admire the engineering. i am planning on building a 48 volt trike just for fun. like i said, i’m a motorhead and weather its gas, steam, electric, diesel i dont care because i like it all.

  18. Good points Paul, though I couldn’t help but find the fact that this post was filed under “Economics and Politics” amusing.

  19. “Brand loyalty” sniping by message board alpha nerds is very tiresome. Mac vs PC, Harley vs Honda- please shut up. Motorcycles are an exciting mix of art and engineering. So I agree with M.Kneeslider that it would be good to stay on target.

    While I agree with your saying Paul is saying I don’t think that there is anything we could meaningfully discuss on this forum that would help these people develop a sense of human empathy. Some people take their “personnel style” and make it into a public safety or niceity issue. May I recommend farting on their lunch and calling it “freedom of expression”?

  20. Another reason why politics ought to be irrelevant to discussions of electric vehicles is that it’s simply a fact that gasoline is expensive, and there are people out there innovating with the goal of getting from point A to point B, cheaper. A plug electric vehicle costs far less per mile both in purchased energy, and life-time maintenance. Like any other technology, the cost will come down as more people delve into it and learn how to make it cheaper. As they saying goes, “you’re entitle to your opinion, but not your facts” and those were just a couple of facts.

    Obviously a couple of people here couldn’t even leave politics out of this thread. I’m bloody sick of it to be honest.

  21. Electric bikes have an awesome off the line acceleration/grin factor. I have lots of political views but motorcycle grin factor superceeds them all. Think it, build it, ride it! Go to a political site to argue it.

  22. I imagine many of the same discussions and arguments being made when the first motor vehicle was developed…………..keep you’re hippy horseless carriage off the road, it scares the animals, etc.

  23. As a gear head and weekend explorer I have an affinity for all things that go whether they be powered by fossil fuels, electricity, or wind.

    There are plenty of places on the interwebs to discuss the politics of one choice over another but it would be nice to keep this site about the machines.

    Kevin

  24. Yay Paul, I love internal combustion engine. But I think that Mule hit it. Electric motorcycle raise our insecurities. Will we be able to keep up with the tech? Currently I don’t care much for electric bikes. They are too quiet. No throaty rumble.

  25. Well said Paul.

    Personally, I am impressed with the innovative ideas that people come up with. Engines that produce massive horsepower from small displacements, two-strokes that go like stink and “alternative” drive systems. Stuff like what the Ferarri engineers came up with in their off time. And the great mind of John Britten, sadly taken far too soon.

    Also, I am impressed with those who realise the cost of alternative fuels often outweighs their value. “Save the planet” advocates forget that electricity doesn’t come from a plug in the wall. It has to be generated and if that is damaging, so is our quest for electric vehicles. But it is not a reason to stop searching.

    Paul, you’ve done a marvellous job of keeping this site alive with new and fresh ideas. Some tickle my interest, some not so much.

    May I share – I (and many others) counted Trev Deeley as a good freind of over 50 years. Even though he may have had a vested interest in a certain product line, he always said, “It doesn’t matter what you ride, so long as you ride.”

  26. Since ‘The Kneeslider’ deleted some of the comments, apparently because they strayed from motorcycles into politics, I can’t say if they were particularly rude, but I suspect they were. But then there’s no way they could have matched – in vitriol, anger and delusional paranoia – the comments and occasional troll-fests I see on some of the military blogs I follow.

  27. Here, Here, Kneeslider !! – I come to this site to see all the latest and greatest of what might be and will be. Anything two-wheeled ( or two-wheel powered) is interesting.
    But…
    the moment you allowed for comments you open that can. Whiners will be whiners and points of view will be points of view. I personally read JUST the articles and NOT the comments (incidentally – I too am guilty of typing too much attitude or otherwise c&%p). Except when it becomes passionate and /or personal. We all ride for our reason and we all love it to our own extent.

    I will, in future, refrain from any ranting and keep it lively, inspiring and motivational as per the sites reason for being.

    Keep it up!!!

  28. Gasoline is not only expensive at the pump, it also has a lot of hidden costs. CO2 emissions are part of it, but the bill is for keeping the wells going in the middle east. We could save a lot of dollars and blood if we didn’t care what they did with their oil.

    Electric motorcycles won’t have any direct impact on these problems, but I think they’re a great place to develop electric vehicle technology. Motorcyclists are more willing to learn and accommodate to the quirks of their vehicles. Car drivers just want them to be appliances. I have six bikes and I usually commute on an FJR1300, but if they can get electrics down to comparable prices with reasonable performance and range I’d love to commute on one of them.

  30. Yes, leave politics out of it.

    Specially when its just a crude and vulgar expression of ideology.

    An ideology which is used, not so surprisingly, as a rationale for NOT doing something…what a great recipe for stagnation.

    The only thing permanent is change, get over it 😉

  32. Wise words, well said. And if some people don’t wish to read about electric bikes or Harleys or whatever, they can just click away.

    Slanging matches in website comments are one of the most annoying things about running a website – taking up the webmaster’s time, irritating other readers and veering off topic. Good to see another site taking a firm stance on this.

  34. Kneeslider, thanks for posting this. I visit this site daily to see something new and/or different. I have noticed the tone of the comments change recently, though. I’m glad to read that most people seem willing to call a ‘cease fire’. Motorcycles are supposed to be fun, right? Even if I don’t like the looks of the bike or don’t think it would work, it’s still fun to check them out (and sometimes try to figure out how to make them work). Please keep up the good work!

  35. First of all, i’m all for electric motorcyles and their possibilities. I find the development very interesting, and also their racing capabilities. I honestly hope to one day buy myself an electric bike at a reasonable price that can out perform an ICE bike!!

    Although regarding the rest of the main post, not sure if i agree 100% with the entire post…everything is motivated by something….and some people may see that motivator as politics…so be it. I don’t believe i am one who thinks along those tracks, although i wouldn’t want to censor someone who does.
    Although, i do agree that posts should not be: aggressive, rude or completely ‘left-field’ off topic – I thought that would’ve been enough…not so i guess…i actually enjoy reading well thoughtout posts with different opinions to mine, no matter the angle they take on the topic. That makes for an interesting read! Specially finding out what ‘really’ motivated me to buy my harley, ha! kept me entertained reading those posts.

    – Although understand, you want the posts to be as on topic as possible, with no sidesteps…honestly though Kneeslider, a bit of fire is needed in a website to keep things interesting and fresh. My thoughts are, censoring bring things one step closer to a boring nanny website, with ‘groove’ bike-market updates and ‘tips’ about riding warm in the cold…reason why i came from another website to the Kneeslider.

    so in a nutshell, i DID like the website they way it was. I had no complaints.

  36. Bike purchases are 99% emotional. They don’t always make sense. We buy what we like for our own reasons. Same with politics. We believe or think the way we do based on emotions. One person’s facts are another’s opinion. So it’s tough to separate bikes and politics for some people. They all blend in together.

    If you focus…focus on bikes, riding, performance, the technology, what looks good to you and skip the commenting on what you don’t like, what pisses you off or what aggrivates you, most dicussions stay pretty positive and constructive.

    Politics is all opinions and lies. Motorcycles ar all fun and thrills. I vote for motorcycles!

  37. Having been censored myself on this sight I have no problem Paul with setting the bar for what is acceptable, it’s his ball, bat and glove. Until I want to pony up the time effort and expense to do a website of my own it’s only reasonable to follow the guide lines. My replies to Paul when notified of my discretions have always been apologies because it is his time my actions have wasted. I applaud Paul for the effort such a tremendous site as this has to demand. No one can question Paul’s love of all thing two wheel and patience with those who profess the same.

  38. Good words, Paul. I dig visiting this website because of the fascinating technical work you post stories about and the people who do the work. I ignore news and I despise politics.

    Thanx.

  40. @ Paul the second, (not kneeslider Paul), yes it is true that our consumer choices are very political. Pickups as you mentioned are an excellent example of how our purchases can force the hand of industry officials, lobbyists, politicians, and regulators to lower industry standards of fuel consumption, emissions, and safety.

    That being said, our purchases are also very emotional, based on aesthetics and plain gut feeling. Just as saying “I wouldn’t buy this motorcycle because I don’t think its attractive, but I respect the builder’s talent” should suffice as a discussion of aesthetics, without an essay on “what is beautiful,” so too should “I wouldn’t buy this motorcycle for political reasons, but I respect the builder’s talent” suffice as a discussion of politics, without an essay on “what is right.”

  41. excellent timing on this post. last month’s Motorcyclist had considerable emphasis on green/electric bikes and the TTXGP, which resulted in a fair number of disgruntled reader responses in this month’s issue. i didn’t see anywhere in the magazine any suggestion that somehow riding a petrol bike was somehow bad (it’s actually pretty green simply to ride a bike over driving a car), yet it seemed almost as if the very reporting of the existence of electric bikes was a political commentary these folks took to be personally directed at them. I plan on riding for my entire life, and it is comforting to me that real focus is being put to making alternative energy motorcycles that may actually be worth riding.

    While the motorcycle industry isn’t going to save the planet alone by going electric, the unique space and performance issues of building successful bikes could be the driver for finally making real advances in battery technology re: energy density. i don’t think anyone of any political disposition could argue that leading the way to better technology would be a bad thing for what we love.

    i also think that scrubbing politics from the discussion is both unnecessary and dangerous. we don’t need the stupid, ignorant kind of partisanship that masquerades as “politics” on these boards, but rather we desperately need to develop an awareness that our industry and the consumer community that supports it are involved in politics, and it is our choice as to whether that is a passive or active involvement. i would think that in this day and age, it serves our oft-maligned-by-the-ignorant community well to be the fertile soil from which cutting-edge “new energy” solutions come.

    instead of using the motorcycle industry’s flirtation with alternative energy as a proxy for the utterly inane “conservative vs. liberal” polarization, we should be looking for ways to make our place in the political sphere work for the industry and the country.

  43. It’s your blog Paul; you’ll have it the way you want it and I will honor that. I appreciate that you keep things civil and regret that I recently caused myself be edited.

    Now I do not argue that politics should be included here at TheKneeslider.

    But it is important to note that American politics has sunk below rationality and is often the deliberate sowing of falsity in an attempt to override facts with emotion, delude as many people as possible, and thus affect what happens in Washington. It is not sound politics. It is a cynical, low strategy bleeding out into areas of our life where it shouldn’t be. And one has to speak up (civilly) when the b.s. that passes for politics and entered into our lives is used to refute what is not political.

    It is not political to say that an electric motorcycle is good for the planet. And the changing zeitgeist driving the exploration into electric motorcycles is in part driven by the knowledge of some, and the suspicion by others, that Global Warming is real.

    Global Warming is fact, or, rather, the accumulation of umpteen thousand facts over about thirty years by people whose careers depend upon not saying a thing is true until it is proved empirically. Their hypothesis are not opinions. Their opinions are not better than other’s, they are the only opinions that matter. And they are supported by evidence from the unrelated sciences such as biologists and botanists finding species moving into areas not seen in their decades of study, and anecdotal evidence from around the globe. It is not opinion, nor is it political, but for the efforts of some to have us believe it is so.

    When sea ice unchanged in four thousand years melts away completely, an appalling occurence, when ice core data from multiple sites around the world concurs that carbon and other contributing agents are at levels unseen in all of human history, the rise aligning with the timeline matching the advent of the Industrial Age, the opinion that “the planet is doing just fine” is flat out silly.

    That’s not my “strong view” – politics; I just made a case for what is – in truth.

  44. Although talk of politics has no place on the Kneeslider, let’s not ban red or blue motorcycles though.
    🙂

  45. I , for one, am happy to see the Kneeslider remain a place where motorcycle technology and interesting bikes are presented and appreciated. I think Paul does a great job of presenting, it’s up to the rest of us to do the appreciating. This certainly can be done without rhetoric, yes?

  46. C.P.T.L.: Yet another angle on the Global Warming issue is that when a scientist states after reviewing some type of data that “Yes Houston, we have a problem”, this doesn’t benefit him. There is no advantage to saying that we’re in deep yogurt. You can either believe it not, he’s just stating facts. All the discussion by non-scientists that follows is politics and not really relevant.

  47. Some motorcycle brands are so closely ties to their rider’s perceived personal identities’ that any criticism, however intended, is a personal affront. This is even more true when that bike (or bikes) represent nearly all of a person’s disposable income and free time — they are hugely invested in a brand and perceived lifestyle. An attack on the brand is, in effect, a personal attack, and a die-hard brand loyalist may cease to be reasonable and rational under these circumstances. This is why it is impossible to make any critical comment about any Harley Davidson product without someone getting very angry. Look for instance at the fall out from Southpark’s roasting of the Harley crowd (watch the episode here: http://www.southparkstudios.com/guide/1312/ and then read the Harley boards for the response). For that matter, try insulting or critiquing a Gixxer or a BMW to the face of a dedicated owner.

    As for politics, they are increasingly the elephant in the room of any discussion — virtual or otherwise. Politics are divided and contentious — many people feel angry and marginalized. Oil companies (and thus petrol burning vehicles) are seen as the allies of one side, and electric vehicles are seen as allies of the other. And, for many, the internet is seen as a free and unmoderated place to express their feelings however uninformed. Want to RANT INCOHERENTLY IN SCREAMING CAPS FOR PAGES AND PAGES under an assumed name with no way to be held accountable for your blithering? That is what the web is for, afterall.

    How then can politics be kept out?

    And why should they? The market for new vehicles is driven by interest rates and availability of consumer credit — two things which are directly affected by the political process as the government sets interest rates and makes and changes the creditor/debtor laws. Not to mention laws governing travel on public roads, use of public lands for off road vehicles, price and availability of gasoline and its purity. Don’t forget insurance: required by law to operate a motorcycle, or the special endorsements on our licenses required to ride. For that matter, European displacement limits based on type of license, and the tax differences based on displacement hugely affect what is sold over there and who buys it. The list goes on and on because everywhere in the world travel on motor vehicles is among the most heavily regulated activities in our lives. Politics affects what we can buy, where we can use it, and how much it costs — this is as relevant as any other factor in a motorcycle.

    Like it or not, Motorcycles, like most other parts of our lives, have a political component. So long as the discussion is civil, I think that is wholly appropriate to discuss those facets of politics and government that directly affect our beloved bikes.

  48. Practical? Not yet. Niether was flight even several years after the Wright brothers sailed into the air. So it takes decades to perfect a practical electrical motorcycle. That’s why people keep trying.

  49. Jon P., One hundred years ago it would take decades. Now? Maybe less than one. Things develope now at exponential rates. I say within 2 years that batteries or I should say, “Energy Storage” will most likely be very different and if we (them, they), perfect super conductors, it’ll be a whole new, very fast ballgame.

  50. fireninja you can make fun of my old harley all day long.
    I bought it because two Americans in their garage had an idea and fought like hell to keep it going. I bought it because it’s big, heavy,pretty, and loud. My wrists and back feel as good after 6 or 8 hours as they did when I first got on it. I bought it because it shows you exactly what it’s made of and doesn’t pretend to be anything else or cover anything up.
    It gets hot in the summer and I lean into that heat and soak it up. In the winter those same cylinders warm my hands. It’s simple to operate and simple to maintain and it give back more than I put into it.

    When I go down the road, I see and smell and feel Gods wonderful creation more intensely than I do on or in any other vehicle.
    I smile and I’m glad for the tears and if you ask me I may tell you it’s the wind that brought them. You would probably think nothing of it.