Considering the lesser fuel consumption, lesser amount of materials required to make the vehicle, and lesser pressure over the soil (considering a trail/off-road environment), motorcycles seem to be "cleaner". The chain-drive in the cheapest ones can be considered a critical point for the motorcycles, but their overall running cost (which is what matters after all) is still lower due to the fuel-efficiency and lesser amount of other components to be replaced (tyres, spark plugs, brake pads, among others). Also, considering the increasing popularity of electronic fuel-injection even in some entry-level motorcycles is having a significative effect to meet tighter emissions standards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
Regardless of Mythbusters, even if a particular bike model and car model got identical fe, the bike used about 1/5 the materials to make, especially oil-based plastics. There's a lot of emissions in manufacture and disposal too.
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I'll second that. Another point which is particularly critical where I live is the disposal of worn-out tyres, which often are left exposed to the weather, becoming an environmental hazard due to rain water accumulating inside them and then generating a favorable environment to the reproduction of the
Aedes aegypti mosquito.