Consider the tradeoffs: Yes, motorcycles generate more smog-producing pollutants than the average car. But they use less fuel, dump less carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and reduce congestion for everyone. I'm pretty confident that when I ride to work I'm doing less damage to the planet than most of the cars on the road. It's frustrating that the local paper in a city that suffers some of the worst traffic problems in the country put a lopsided view on the topic when it should be doing more to encourage alternative transportation. I'm all for reducing pollution and saving the planet, and it's unfortunate that motorcycles do pollute more than cars in some ways, but let's be realistic: Motorcycles are more a part of the solution than a part of the problem.