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Vintage Bikes: the Latest in Green Technology

March 25, 2011

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San Fernando, California (RPRN) 03/25/11 — By Bear from Old Bike Barn

A little while ago, I told you about Julian Santa-Rita, a happy Old Bike Barn customer in Arkansas who converted his 1978 Honda CB 750 to electric power. It’s a great story for old bike lovers because it shows that you don’t need to give up your vintage ride to reduce your carbon footprint—something we’re all under pressure to do these days.

If you’re like me, though, you might not be ready to give up gas just yet. But that doesn’t mean you can’t do your part for the environment. In fact, I’d argue that short of going electric, or switching to something with pedals, riding a vintage bike is one of the greenest things you can do.

For one thing, any time you restore an old bike, that’s one less new bike that needs building. Now I’ve got nothing against new bikes (all of mine were new once), but there’s no denying that a little less new manufacturing means fewer resources consumed, which is a plus for the planet.

For another thing, old bikes are a lot more wrench-friendly than new bikes. That means that with a bit of time and patience, just about anyone can learn to repair them and, more importantly, keep them well tuned without having to schedule a trip to the garage or the dealer. Keeping your bike in peak running shape helps keep emissions down—another win for the environment.

And let’s not forget the obvious: you’re on two wheels, not four. Your vintage bike is smaller, lighter, and more fuel-efficient than any car, and that’s not going to change any time soon. It also takes up less space on the road and you can park it just about anywhere.

That’s why at OBB, we do our best to help you keep your bike where it belongs: on the road. We stock the largest, and best selection of vintage motorcycle parts you’re likely to find anywhere. We’re run by bikers, for bikers.

OBB customer Jeff Lee said it best: when he pointed out that, “The secret to being green is not in replacing your old products with new ‘Green’ products. The secret to being environmentally responsible is in retaining and using what you already have. Old Bike Barn is providing an essential service that gives the man on the street the same parts info that has been the bailiwick of dealers. Cheers to Old Bike Barn and the longevity of our wonderful machines.”

Cheers Jeff. And to anyone else with a vintage ride that’s still tearing up the road, keep it between the ditches and the shiny side up.

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