The Demo Site

2008 has been a tough year for motorists with the recent hike in fuel prices.

The UK government has spent years trying to get motorists out of their cars and onto public transport. For some motorists, this is just not feasible however, some have resorted to the pedal cycle.

For those who have spent too many years behind the wheel, getting on a bike can seem daunting, until you add a motor to help you along.

The UK has seen a steady increase in electric bike sales as one of the worlds largest user base. As many new and more attractive models become available with battery technology moving forward, the future of the electric bike looks sweet.

Although prices of electric cycles are still a little high, they are coming down, with some budget models available from £300. For the serious biker, lightweight, quality bikes with powerful motors and sophisticated battery saving technology can be had for anything from £5,000 and up. Expect the average bike to set you back around £500 - £600 such as the Synergie Mistral, my personal favourite.

In addition to the electric bike, car drivers who passed their driving test before 2001 automagically have full moped entitlement. Mopeds are another area to get excited about with chinese imported motorcycles now available on the net for the small sum of £500 new.

These are not your old 49cc Thomas bike, no!! These are 4 stroke (no mixing oil/petrol 2 stroke mess), 49cc single cyclinder bikes with electronic ignition (CDI), electric start and alarm/immobiliser to boot. Better still, these scooters don't even look like mopeds, they look more akin to full size road bikes, with the exception of the step-through design.

In my opinion, the Baotian Tanco looks quite nice and I wouldn't feel too stupid riding it, hence why I went out and bought one - Marshy's Motorcycles.

Not only are these bikes very competitively priced against european makers such as Peugeot etc, they are also very reliable. Parts are also readily available and reasonably priced. Fuel economy obviously plays part to their success, with up to 130mpg, giving the two-finger salute to the fuel price hike.

I'm not a betting man but if fuel prices continue to rise above inflation, this new "two-wheel-trend" is sure to continue.