Motorcycles get pole position in Spain
You know how it is when you're in traffic. Everyone thinks they're Mario Andretti or Danika Patrick while jostling for the prize of pole position at the upcoming traffic light so that when it turns green they can speed off without any impedance for a least half a block. Certain cities in Spain have decided, however, that it will do you no good to do the blacktop boogie unless you are on a motorbike. Yes, those Spaniard civil-engineering smartie pants realize that motorbikes are not only greener than cars but that they accelerate faster and therefore deserve the added safety and prestige of the front row. If you've ever watched Formula One racing you know that the most dangerous place to be is somewhere mid-pack where everybody seems to want to occupy the same real estate as someone else. The front row doesn't usually have that problem (until the first turn anyway.)
According the Motorbiker.org, Barcelona was the first to come up with the innovation but now Madrid has followed, though their "grid" has a less colorful paint scheme. We doubt this idea will make the journey across the pond but think it's a pretty good one. Click the pic above for more images.
[Source: Motorbiker.org via The Scooter Scoop ]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Peter L 3:09PM (6/06/2008)
About time!
Common practice in Many European countries and in the British isles.
Should be also legal in Canada and the USA
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Ookuma 3:59PM (6/06/2008)
This rule is commonplace in Japan. In fact, on the more congested streets, it is common to find a special lane at the front of the pack that is labeled with a "2 wheeled vehicles only" mark, albeit in Japanese.
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why not the LS2LS7? 6:18PM (6/06/2008)
They have this in Taipei. They have had it for 10 years at least.
Motorcycles shouldn't be pulling away from lights any faster than cars. Perhaps this is why motorcycles don't get nearly the mpg they should for their size.
The value of these seems not to be the acceleration, but that with these at every block, motorcycles (mostly scooters in Taipei) get to advance one block each time the light changes, while cars don't make it through the light every time and sometimes have to wait two. This encourages people to get on scooters, which does save fuel versus being alone in cars.
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eckre 7:51PM (6/06/2008)
#3 bikes can't help but pull away faster. And yes this should happen in America as well, but we are a very jealous people and too many would have a hissy fit if they just allowed motorcycles to pull through.
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Steve 1:20PM (6/07/2008)
Indeed; what Peter L said. It seems it's just official sanction of what's been done for a long time anyway.
I remember seeing scooter riders and motorcyclists doing this in Paris 10 years ago. It makes sense, as they'd pretty much take off when the signal changed, leaving the other traffic in the dust.
However, it should not be confused with lane-splitting and passing stopped traffic because one can, but rather because the scooter/motorcyclist tends to moves faster to begin with. One of the biggest pet peeves I hold involves carefully negotiating around a bicyclist, only to have him or her lane-split past traffic stopped at a light (the often travelling through the intersection against the light) and then having to work around that same slower moving bicyclist again 30 seconds later.
As long as the scooter and motorbikes stay ahead of the pack, I'm all for letting them to the front of the crowd at the lights.
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Steve 1:19PM (6/07/2008)
#3, motorcycles have a much higher power to weight ratio than cars, and as such should be expected to accelerate faster than cars while getting much better gas mileage than cars do. Yes they would get /even better/ mileage by being purposely conservative with throttle... but all things considered, the most basic of 400-500 cc bikes will keep up with or outpace mainstream performance cars without trying too hard.
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keen 2:51PM (6/07/2008)
go one step further and make a motorcycle only lane on the freeway! no cars can get in. it will make it 100x more safe for motorcycles on the freeway.
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why not the LS2LS7? 4:34PM (6/07/2008)
Again, I don't want to encourage motorcyclists to drive their bikes even harder.
A coworker gets 45mpg on his Ducati (he says that's pretty normal). For a vehicle of that weight? That's ridiculous.
Putting motorcyclists up at the front so they can apply more throttle and waste even more fuel is far from green. What will we do next, put sports cars in front too?
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Chris 7:00AM (6/09/2008)
I have a bike and while I think the idea is interesting I would restrict it to mopeds and scooters.
My bike, 07 K1200R Sport, averages thirty-four miles per gallon, yeah thirty-four and that is on a good day where I am behaving.
I didn't buy it to be efficient. I bought it to go fast as all get out. My 07 Civic gets thirty-six per gallon on average.
If you must have two wheels to save money on gas buy a scooter. If two wheels are not a must then buy some used, preferably three or more years as the money saved will easily offset a few mpg
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spdracerut 1:32PM (6/09/2008)
Scooters not only save fuel, but reduce congestion. You can fit 3-4 scooters in the same space occupied by a single vehicle.
In Vietnam, ~90% of traffic consists of scooters that top out around 35-40mph. And I think I only saw 3 traffic lights during my entire trip there from Hanoi to Saigon. Negotiating intersections is fun :) FYI, India is very similar.
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