Think Motorcycles and Scooters are Great for the Environment? Wrong!

[itjstagame]

Vehicle miles are even worse if you consider that the scooter can only move 1 person around while the SUV could move 6. But I'm surpised that it's really that much worse, that's amazing. But then only recently (last 5+ years or so) have bikes started to switch to fuel injection. Does anyone remember how inefficient carbs were at milage and polutants? Especially during warm up they basically just dumped fuel in. I think the fact the engines are so small and high strung is an issue too, they don't have much rotating mass for momentum and idle high and rev high.

But that definately adds something to my list. Once I get the 2 cycle moto on the road I'll have to see how I can improve it's emissions.

[jamesqf]

Originally Posted by itjstagame

Vehicle miles are even worse if you consider that the scooter can only move 1 person around while the SUV could move 6.

Yeah, but how often does an SUV actually carry 6 people? Once a year on the family vacation, if that? Why not carry that logic a little further, and have a 40-passenger bus in every driveway :-)

[IndyIan]

Originally Posted by jamesqf

The article is (deliberately?) missing any mention of the most important pollutant, CO2. That is directly related to fuel consumption, and it is the one that will in the long run do far more harm than all the rest.

It bothers me too when articles confuse the issue of CO2 and air pollution, these are two very different problems!
To move 1 or 2 people bikes/scooters emit far less CO2 and far more unburnt hydrocarbons vs. a car/truck This is fine if the air quality is good to start with but not so good if your in a smoggy place already.
I don't really have a problem with all bikes and scooters needing to meet better air quality standards. Also cars waste a bit of fuel getting the cat "lit" and keeping it hot enough to work properly.
Can scooters and small motorbikes be produced with fuel injection and catalytic converters? Probably would only cost a few hundred dollars extra then they would be better than a car with a single driver interms of FE and pollution.

[groar]

I don't know for USA, but in France mainly 16-18 years old teenagers have moped and little scooters, ie 2 stroke. They love the speed feeling. To compensate their lack of power, they use full accelerations which generate more noise and more pollutions...

Denis.