My Italica Bulldog motorcycle (according to Fuelly) is currently running an average gas mileage of 64.9 miles per gallon.
His hybrid SUV, "only" 40-odd miles per gallon.
But, of course, his hybrid SUV can comfortably carry at least four passengers, probably five or six in a more cramped style, and a crap ton of cargo.
My motorcycle can carry two passengers at most, and very little cargo (if I'm carrying a passenger, cargo space is effectively reduced to the little 15-liter storage box built into the frame since saddlebags or rear rack cargo wouldn't leave space for the passenger).
His hybrid SUV also shelters its passengers from the weather and has internal climate control for comfort.
My motorcycle's weather sheltering and climate control capabilities are basically a function of what I wear. If it's wet and I want to be dry, a poncho or rain suit. If it's cold and I want to be warm, multiple clothing layers and my leather jacket, etc. If it's hot and I want to be cool, I could theoretically ride with no helmet (in Florida anyway) and nothing but a pair of shorts and some flip-flops (with negative safety implications). Not that I need to. If the bike is moving, I'm comfortable at even 90+ degree temperatures, even in long sleeves and long pants and pads (the leather jacket has to go at a certain point, though).
His hybrid SUV can operate at and above typical highway speeds.
My motorcycle tops out at 60 miles per hour running downhill with a tailwind.
His hybrid SUV could probably be used to pull another vehicle out of a ditch or tow it for short distances (and/or tow a trailer with cargo).
My motorcycle is pretty much useless for dragging around anything but itself, me, and the aforementioned very light/small cargo.
So ... what is the use case for something like my motorcycle?
I've been thinking about that.
Setting aside the "practical" uses, it's fun to ride. It's also a bit of a conversation-starter (if I was younger, more attractive, and single, I could probably parlay some of those conversations into dates!).
On the practical side:
- At the family level, it is a second vehicle dedicated to my personal use. We have a (non-hybrid) SUV for trips involving more than one person and/or carrying significant cargo. The motorcycle lets me make it to doctor appointments, do light grocery shopping, go visit friends, etc. without having to make special arrangements to use the SUV. For those functions, I don't need a four-wheeled passenger/cargo vehicle.
- As bang for buck for that particular function, it was cheaper to buy, and is cheaper to insure, maintain, and operate*, than a second car/truck/SUV.
- While I tend to emphasize the "long trip" uses, where its top speed is a bit of a deficit, it really shines "in town." It can keep up with any and all traffic there. If I didn't care about the law, I could use "lane-splitting" to work my way through/around traffic jams (I haven't, but I've seen it**). I never have problems finding a parking space.
So I am comfortable with the practical use case. I get a number of practical uses out of it. It saves me time over working out scheduling to use the family car, and it saves me money on all the "getting around" functions that it's good for ... which is most of them.
Also, it's fun to ride.
* Yes, even including the accessories -- helmet, pads, leather jacket, saddlebags, etc. -- that I need for it and wouldn't need for the more conventional kind of vehicle. Those are all purchases that last a long time under normal conditions. And the jacket's kinda cool whether I'm riding or not.
** One thing I like about Florida is that, at least out in my county, "traffic enforcement" isn't really a thing. I could probably ride past a deputy sheriff, going 25 mph above the posted speed limit, on a non-street-legal ATV, with an open fifth of bourbon in one hand, a joint in the other, and two Swedish Bikini Team members hanging off the fenders, and get no more than a nod and a "how's it going?" wave. This is not a complaint.
