How often do you drive alone? How often are you not required to transport much cargo? How often do you travel less then twenty miles?

I started using a motorcycle for my daily commute this summer. My Chevrolet Impala was getting a respectable 28 mpg. I also traveled with 4 empty seats, an empty trunk and a stereo I seldom used. Since I started riding my motorcycle, I calculate that I have personally decreased my personal use of gasoline by 91 gallons. I live too far from my office to bicycle. There is no mass transit system that services either of the two towns and my schedule is far too erratic to use a carpool. I am doing my part to reduce demand for gasoline.

The next time you are driving, please make it a point to notice the number of motorcycles on the road with you. There are more of them than there were last year. They are trying to lower your gas prices. They are getting better fuel economy than you are (unless you are driving a Prius or Insight). They deserve a little courtesy. Look for them instead of pushing through a yellow light. Don't follow them closely. In short, treat them with respect.

They are not a bunch of hooligans looking for a fight. Gone are the days when "bikers" were looking for a fight and their presence represented a threat to public wellbeing. Nor are they self-destructive speed-freaks. Even a small motorcycle accelerates faster than most cars. There is less inertia to overcome. Most of the people who have recently purchased a motorcycle did so as a means of saving fuel.

A friend of mine bought a motorcycle this past Spring. He has owned a Prius for some time already, but realized that he will get similar fuel economy for a fraction of the cost. For those of us who are not in a position to purchase a new vehicle, a motorcycle provides financial relief and a similar carbon footprint to the best car.