Motorcycle

I’ve heard all the argument about efficiency and emissions and they don’t add up on motorcycles. Schoolboy mathematics tells me this. My old carb-equipped VFR750 averages 65mph and 45mpg on the same run. So the carb bike is burning the same amount of fuel as the injected one to do the same speed over the same distance. The only reason the new machine is cleaner is because of the ton and a half of catalytic converter stuffed up the exhaust pipe.

Do any of the manufacturers really care about emissions other than having to meet the legislation? I’m not so sure. Otherwise why would some manufacturers use fuel injection to richen up the mixture (making more harmful emissions) to create a flat spot at the part of the rev range where noise testing occurs to quieten the bike down. BMW are the only people who’ve used injection to make a powerful and clean burning engine. They use clever knock sensors to run their F800 and K1200 motors as lean as they can possibly go. It works, but on the four cylinder bikes it always feels like it’s about to destroy itself on a steady throttle.

That technology came from cars. And that’s my worry. Our bikes are following cars because the technology already exists. But bikes are too special to be built from the car parts bins. Cars are transport like cattle wagons and are designed to be soulless and driven by people who aren’t interested in driving. Riding a bike turns you into that soaring, swooping freebird. Being in control making the bike do what you want is part of the appeal. You can take your car stuff and shove it up your pipe.

Anderson, Lars. "Motorcycle." 21 May. 2010: 70. Web.