Background

Riding motorcycles is a guys thing. Women do not use them much, although some will sit on the back seat. There is no doubt that motorcycles are motor vehicles, but their role in regular transportation is hardly visible. In the early days, a motorcycle was the first step for a person looking to gain motorized mobility at an affordable cost. That is certainly no longer the case in the United States, and the machines respond to certain lifestyles, they confer an image, and they have much to do with recreation and social standing. The popular perception of the Hell s Angels and the dread of lawless biker gangs, which are parts of American folklore and are highlighted by the media at every opportunity, is difficult to change. These images color attitudes to a remarkable degree.

Nevertheless, motorcycles are a legitimate means of transportation, even within cities. Leaving aside the large biker groups on long cruises in the countryside over the weekend, there are difficulties today in defining responsible policies toward this mode and in identifying a proper place for them in the transportation spectrum. Those who wish to face a significant risk of accidents, weather conditions as they appear, and the ire of automobile drivers find the fluid ability to weave forward through clogged traffic a considerable advantage and even a thrill. (The mayor of Caracas, Venezuela, a notoriously congested city, occasionally does exactly that if it is essential that he reach an appointment on time.)

Like motorcycles, scooters...