Is the end for petrol bikes nigh upon us...?

[D1on]

Wanted to finally do my bike test this year but having just watched the below video its put me off...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqtm7EvthUc

Opinions?

[poo at Paul's]

It's years off, and just because the deluded muppets in places like Oxford want to implement nonsense like this, that will kill the what is left of the town centre off, doesnt mean the rest of the country will follow suit.
It will be simple, if the cost of going somewhere becomes too high, people wont go there. It is all well and good saying the public transport will be invested in, but there will never be a mass uptake of public transport in the UK, due to, well, the public, really.
Talk about autonomous cars for mass public use is again, pie in the sky. You can be sure that about 15 mins after the new system for rented autonomous transport for all is set up, meaning you "dont need your own", you can be sure someone will have taken a st in one for the next person to "enjoy". And people will just say, fk this for a game of soldiers.

I think some of his concerns are founded, people out in rural locations will be the massive losers, tbh it is already happening, there is little investment in infrastructure, either new or upkeeping existing in rural areas, any money is spent in the town and cities, or just extending them / merging them. It's a bit grim tbh, but there's not much one can do.

But I would use all the potential stuff he thinks may happen as a way of accelerating your doing your bike test and getting a bike. If you only have a few years til the misery that he predicts comes, you may as well make the most of it!

[Pothole]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

He's a clickbait whoring former copper. OP ignore the . Do your test ASAP and get the most outrageous bike you can afford and have the most fun you'll ever have.

[bgunn]

Electric bikes will likely come along and improve in the mainstream, in time. There are already some fairly good ones, arguably, but the cost is fairly prohibitive and the range not amazing.

But the enjoyment of riding a motorcycle will not go away, yes you won't get the noise and feel of an IC engine, but the feel of a two wheeled machine will still be present.

I therefore wouldn't hold back getting my licence if that's what I wanted to enjoy.

[bogie]

Nope Im not concerned, I will continue to ride my petrol motorcycles for many years to come yet

If you want to ride a bike, get on and do it, start to enjoy it, life is too short to be pondering such elementary decisions.

[Esceptico]

I have concerns about the future of biking eg even crappier roads, reduced speed limits, noise limits, harsher punishment for speeding ,more cameras, people taking videos, more traffic and worse drivers. Electric motorbikes being phased in over the next ten to twenty years a minor worry at the moment.

[Ed.]

If you want to ride a bike, definitely go and do it.
Worrying about whether you will be able to do it in a few years should only make you want to do it sooner.

Edited by Ed. on Tuesday 11th January 09:44

[Ivan stewart]

The green blob won’t have its way forever ,
Rising bills and peoples living standards will be a big issue at the ballot box , hopefully the watermelons push their silly and destructive ideas harder it will then end sooner !

Edited by Ivan stewart on Tuesday 11th January 07:15

[black-k1]

Ivan stewart said:

The green blob won’t have its way for ever ,
Rising bills and peoples living standards will be a big issue at the ballot box , hopefully the watermelons push their silly and destructive ideas harder it will then end sooner !

This is the key thing. The population will only take so much for so long and will then let councils know what they think by voting in councilors that will do something different. There is a huge change in the way we live, the transport we use, how we work, how things are paid for, the costs etc. but the pace of that change will be determined by the voting public.

[Electro1980]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Harley have…

But more sensibly, the fact that BMW, with experience of big electric scooters and electric cars and the skills and knowledge they have in the car division have not make an electric bike tells you there’s something fundamentally missing at the moment.

Ivan stewart said:

The green blob won’t have its way forever ,
Rising bills and peoples living standards

You’re aware that the current cost of living problems are driven by gas prices? Rising bills at the moment are because of our reliance on fossil fuels… the “green blob” as you call it is a way out, not a cause.

Edited by Electro1980 on Tuesday 11th January 08:21

[stu67]

I think they are coming although not as quickly as some would make out. The trouble is I think motorcycles are tied to the coat tale of cars in general and I think that side is gathering momentum. They don’t need to outlaw ICE merely make the supporting infrastructure harder to access and significantly more expensive. As the need for petrol stations decline the numbers will tank ( excuse the pun), turning them into power points really doesn’t work in many places.
I think if you use a bike for commuting only, like I do, you will be the first effected. If you use your R1 for bombing about the dales on a Sunday morning only then I think you will be safe for a few more years yet.

[anonymous-user]

Doing my bike licence was one of the best things I’ve ever done. Absolutely fking brilliant fun on every level. Get one and enjoy it, don’t listen to fkwit moaning youtubers.

[HybridTheory]

Whilst these electric bikes cost about 30k it's all trollox

[markymarkthree]

Get on and pass your test mate.
You have plenty of years ahead of you to enjoy the best form of transport.

[paddy27]

While the Harley does get good reviews it's as someone says about £30k and has a range of I think 80 to 100 miles.
To be a proper choice range needs to double and price needs to halve at least.
Get your licence it's the best thing I ever did.

[Krikkit]

Even if they banned production of ICE-powered bikes tomorrow, you could buy one used bike a year for the rest of your life and have a fabulous choice...

[RizzoTheRat]

I think sourcing petrol will probably be an issue before sourcing bikes as quite a few petrol stations will close down as more and more people switch to electric cars

[black-k1]

RizzoTheRat said:

I think sourcing petrol will probably be an issue before sourcing bikes as quite a few petrol stations will close down as more and more people switch to electric cars

Absolutely this. As petrol stations move to become electric recharge stations, and the government adds the inevitable tax on petrol, so getting fuel will become harder and more expensive.

[KAgantua]

Fortnine does a good video on YT on why he thinks EBs wont be here as soon as you think.
IIRC its something to do with bikes being so small compared to cars, they cant hide the batteries very well.

Trucks have the same problem in reverse - they need so much power they need to add lots of batteries, which add to the payload, which necessitate even more batteries... you see where this is going.

EV Cars are in a sweet spot using current technology.

[catso]

Given my bikes are all over 20 years old with one of them over 40, I don't think lack of bikes will be the big issue for me.

At my age I reckon ICE bikes will easily see my riding career out, the problem may be, as mentioned above, availability/cost of fuel in times to come?