Riders must resist forced electrification! The Motorcycle Action Group (MAG) is rallying riders to oppose the UK government’s plan to phase out internal combustion engine (ICE) technology for motorcycles—a policy that threatens the heart of biking culture. Yet, a nagging doubt holds some riders back: why fight for ICE bikes when the forced electrification of cars and vans will dismantle the petrol forecourt network, making petrol-powered motorcycles impractical? This view, while logical at first glance, overlooks the resilience of motorcycling, the potential of alternative fuels, and the power of united resistance. Far from a hopeless cause, MAG’s campaign against forced electrification is a fight worth joining—one that defends rider choice, preserves a cherished way of life, and challenges the idea that petrol’s demise is inevitable. Here’s why doubters should get off the fence and join the cause.
The Forecourt Fallacy: Petrol Won’t Vanish Overnight
The fear that electrifying cars and vans will wipe out petrol stations assumes a rapid, total collapse of the forecourt network. The UK’s 2035 ban on new ICE car and van sales won’t erase the millions of petrol vehicles already on the road—they’ll keep running for decades, sustaining demand. The Department for Transport projects that even by 2040, a hefty chunk of the fleet will still be ICE-powered, ensuring fuel stations stick around. Motorcycles, guzzling just 40-60 miles per gallon, barely dent this supply. A single forecourt tank could serve scores of bikes where it once fuelled a few cars. Even as stations thin out, rural areas—where chargers are scarce, and bikes are vital—will likely keep pumps running.
Joining MAG’s fight doesn’t just bank on this lag—it shapes it. Riders can pressure policymakers to prioritize petrol access for two-wheelers, ensuring forecourts adapt rather than disappear. The network may shrink, but it won’t vanish if we make our voices heard.
Beyond Petrol: ICE Motorcycles Can Thrive
Even if forecourts dwindle, ICE bikes aren’t doomed to rely on traditional petrol. Synthetic fuels, biofuels, and hydrogen combustion offer ways to keep engines firing without a sprawling pump network. These alternatives could shift distribution to smaller hubs or depots, sidestepping the car-driven forecourt decline.
Synthetic fuels—made from CO2 and hydrogen—mirror petrol and run in today’s engines with minimal tweaks. UK firms like Zero Petroleum are scaling up, and motorsport’s already testing the waters. Biofuels like ethanol blends (E10’s standard now; higher mixes are feasible) have powered ICE vehicles in Brazil without dense forecourts. Hydrogen combustion, meanwhile, is emerging—Kawasaki’s prototype ICE bikes burn it directly, keeping the roar alive. These options mean ICE motorcycles can evolve, not expire. By backing MAG, riders buy time for these technologies to mature, proving mandates aren’t the only path forward.
Electric Bikes Aren’t Ready—and May Never Be
The government bets on electric motorcycles (EVs) as the future, but they’re no match for ICE bikes yet. Range is a dealbreaker: a Zero SR/S or Super Soco TC Hunter tops out at 100-150 miles, shrinking at speed or in cold snaps, while an ICE bike with a 4-gallon tank doubles that and refuels in minutes. Charging points are growing, but good luck finding one mid-tour in the Highlands or Devon. Performance lags too—EVs pack torque but lack the top-end punch or nimble handling of a Triumph Speed Triple, thanks to bulky batteries. And at £10,000-£15,000 a pop, they’re out of reach for riders on £2,000 commuters.
For the UK’s varied riders—tourers, daily grinders, thrill-seekers—electric bikes are a niche, not a fix. MAG’s campaign keeps ICE alive until EVs can truly compete, if they ever do.
The Power of Resistance: Change Is Possible
Sceptics who see forecourts fading might call this fight futile, but history proves resistance works. Look at the 2000-2007 fuel duty protests. When Labour’s fuel tax escalator spiked prices, riders, truckers, and drivers hit back—blockading refineries and swarming London. In 2000, the pressure forced a duty freeze; by 2007, renewed protests killed planned hikes again. That’s years of fuel cost relief, won by collective grit. MAG’s campaign can echo this, bending government policy on petrol access and phase-out timelines. The 2035 deadline isn’t ironclad—car delays are already mooted, and bikes could win breathing room or exemptions. Sitting it out guarantees defeat; standing up offers a shot at rewriting the rules.
Freedom on Two Wheels: Riders Must Resist Forced Electrification
Motorcycling is freedom—the thrum of an engine, the twist of a throttle, the open road. Forced electrification risks that, not because electric bikes lack merit, but because mandates kill choice. Doubting the fight assumes petrol forecourts are finished, but they’re not—and neither are ICE bikes. With MAG, riders can secure a future where combustion thrives on petrol or beyond, while EVs grow on their own terms. To those who think it’s over: your doubt fuels the mandate. Join MAG, ride loud, and prove the sceptics wrong. The road’s still ours to claim.
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