Fieldmag.com, the self-described "digital home for lovers of good design and the great outdoors," recently published a story about the Cake Kalk, a high-end electric bike that strikes the fertile ground halfway between a bicycle and a motorcycle. In the story, the author expresses an opinion that I'd never heard before:
"Now, we think motorcycles are great," the author begins, promisingly enough. "But not everyone agrees, largely because they're dirty, loud, and polluting. Not to mention the underlying classism and political implications involved in owning a motorcycle in 2019. But Kalk and Kalk& address pretty much every level of this situation with fresh designs, zero emissions, and serious performance—arguably tackling even the more touchy subjects, making a motorbike that appeals to even the most design-minded, peace-loving tree huggers (looks in mirror)."
Wait. Political implications? Classism? Dirty, loud, and polluting? What am I reading here? If, like me, you’re a dyed-in-the-wool motorcyclist, your first reaction to the author’s sentiment will likely be defensive and dismissive. “What kind of lily-livered, unjustifiably morally indignant, offended-by-proxy drivel is this?!,” you may ask yourself.
Maybe a single story on a non-bike website doesn’t merit a second thought, but I bring it up because, frankly, if it’s a perspective shared by a broader audience—even a relatively small one (“peace-loving tree huggers,” I guess)—I’d like to know about it, wouldn’t you?
I don’t mean to be dismissive of the author’s perspective, or turn a blind eye to the penury of many in our country, but if owning a motorcycle is classist, what isn’t classist?
And how exactly does a “design-minded” electric bike address said “political implications”?
Admittedly, motorcycles, particularly new motorcycles—including the (ahem) $14,000 electric bike the author writes about—can be expensive. For most motorcyclists in this country, riding is a hobby, so I get that it could be construed as privileged. But motorcycles cut across cultural, ethnic, and economic barriers. Which is why you can find a thriving motorcycle culture in even the most economically depressed areas in the country.
And in the developing world, motorcycles are still the most common form of transportation. We can’t use the poverty of other lands to justify our own two-wheeled obsession, but it does speak volumes about the egalitarian nature of the vehicle itself.
Even if it’s only a small percentage of the population who share the author’s perspective, I want them to fall in love with bikes too. What will it take (aside from $14,000 electric bikes)?
What do you think? Have you encountered similar attitudes toward motorcycling before? Any validity to it? Let us know in the comment section below.