Electric 'bicycles' vs. real motorcycles

 Blame the weather, if you want. Blame the economy. Blame competition from soccer season! 

Motorcycle sales fell flat this season in Britain, writer Peter Henshaw reports, and we probably can guess the actual reason behind it. 

There was good news for Royal Enfield, as its Himalayan 450 and Meteor 350 helped drive motorcycle sales up almost 24 per cent in the 126-500cc sector. 

But figures presented by the Motorcycle Industry Association (MCIA) showed declines in other sectors. 

Overall, motorcycle registrations fell almost 6 percent, comparing June 2023 to June 2024. Scooters tumbled almost 19 per cent. 

And there is your clue: two-wheeler sales are moving to electric "bicycles," especially in the smaller capacity sector.

Henshaw quotes Jim Freeman, of the British Motorcycle Federation, on the matter:

"The average teen faced with a choice between just buying an electric two-wheeler and riding off, or getting a license, (compulsory training), helmet and... insurance and so forth along with a registered moped, is likely to do what I would have done: follow the path to freedom.

"The next segment, 125 to 500, represents what getting a ‘proper’ motorcycle means; is that what our hypothetical teen looks forward to when the limitations of an e-bike become clear?

"Why invest all that money and effort into something that you’ll want to change in a year or two anyway?”

Concern for a teen's wallet is a generous thought.

My thought is considerably less generous.

A bicycle powered by anything other than your legs is no longer a bicycle.

It is, literally, a "motor vehicle."

Why should electric power be exempt from the safety, liability and taxation requirements set on other powered vehicles?

This UK situation applies just as much in the U.S., of course.

In U.S. cities, electric two-wheelers typically are allowed to park, at no charge, on public sidewalks. I rarely see them even utilizing the free bicycle racks, which at least would keep them out of the way of pedestrians.

I did not observe this hazardous parking phenomenon in the UK on a recent trip to Scotland. Perhaps Brits just know not to be such jerks.

I will accept that these electric machines have a purpose. Mobility for those who might otherwise not be able to afford it. Reducing automobile pollution and congestion in instances where they substitute for a car.

Let's not ban them. But let's realize that, past a sustained 25 mph (average speed in the Tour de France), a rider is no longer on a "bicycle."