Should Motorcycles Get More Space in Europe’s Cities?

Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motocycles (ACEM)

Motorcycles are back in the conversation when it comes to city transport.

A push from the Association des Constructeurs Européens de Motocycles (ACEM) is asking European cities to rethink how road and parking space is used, and where motorcycles actually fit into that mix.

Motorcycles in the City Debate

ACEM reckons cities are underusing motorcycles as part of their transport mix. The idea isn’t complicated: two wheels take up a lot less space than four, and in packed cities, that matters a lot more than more traffic lights..

The suggestion is that giving motorcycles a more sensible place in urban planning could ease congestion, free up parking, and make better use of limited road space. None of this is new, but it’s back on the table again as cities keep trying to figure out how to move people around without adding more traffic chaos.

Across Europe, cars are getting pushed out of some city centres, while bikes, scooters and public transport are being asked to do more of the heavy lifting.

Electric motorcycles sit in an odd spot in all of this. They’re still treated as niche compared to e-bikes and scooters, even though they can do more real-world miles, carry more speed, and handle mixed riding without breaking a sweat.

But on the ground, things don’t look like policy papers. Most cities are still built around cars first. Motorcycles are left in the middle. Sometimes allowed, sometimes ignored, rarely properly planned for.

The BCB Take

Riders have heard this before. Motorcycles take up less space, slip through traffic, and generally make gridlocked cities a bit more bearable. None of that is up for debate.

And when it comes to electric motorcycles, it matters even more. If governments want people off four wheels and onto two, there needs to be proper parking, access, and some basic thought about charging. Otherwise it’s just another report saying what riders already know.

More space for motorcycles doesn’t need to be a big idea. It just needs to be taken seriously.

Ride safe, folks.

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