MORONEY
In a world of electric vehicles , will petrol bikes all have demand like the Brough Superior ...?
Words : Roger Moroney Photo : Ben Wilkins
T here ’ s always something out there waiting to spark me up . To fire up my thoughts . To ignite discussion . Right , enough of these petrol-driven analogies or whatever the name is for such literary folly . In recent weeks the government ( the one which has forgotten how to build houses ) has been pushing hard on the subject of phasing out liquid fuels and phasing in electricitydriven devices . Electric cars are being lauded as the favour of the planet as they run clean . Which is fair enough , they do . It ’ s only when the time comes to dispose of worn batteries , and with their save-the-planet plans and desires made very clear , there will be thousands and thousands of the toxic brutes . The plan is to cease the importation of petroldriven cars from around 2030 . It will be electric vehicles only . And this stance would also edge over toward motorcycles as well I daresay . However , as some of the largest commercial and transportation machines on the planet are concerned , they
won ’ t be effected . There ain ’ t a battery big enough to fly a plane or propel a ship , after all . While the idea is a tad unsettling I do take solace from what I see on the roads out there today . I see fine automobiles and motorcycles which emerged many decades ago , and they still run well … because people like classic and mildly historical models of two wheels and four . Every year there is a grand Art Deco festival in Hawke ’ s Bay and the streets become awash with vintage cars , and a fair few bikes . They run on petrol and always will . They fuel up , crank up , emit the occasional backfire and motor with colourful stateliness about the region . I am buoyed by the survival of vintage and classic cars and motorcycles … and was delighted to see a beautifully restored Mk 4 Zephyr a few days ago . There ’ s also a startling and flawless old early Cortina cruising about . They will always need petrol … can ’ t escape that . When this closure of the borders to petrol and diesel-powered vehicles is set into law I won ’ t take any notice . For I ’ ll still be running
78 KIWI RIDER