> Yeah that's actually a good argument for not subsidizing them since it encourages non-green behavior—driving all over the country on joy rides.

More people road-trip in cars than motorcycles.

Even among motorcyclists, in the US it's been more common to transport bikes across the country to attend events like Sturgis, Bikeweek, or to ride "the tail of the dragon", than do the trips on two wheels.

My extensive touring on two wheels is the exception not the norm, it's fairly unusual, uncomfortable, unsafe, expensive, and inconvenient. This activity isn't even a blip on the environmental impact radar, and never will be.

Motorcycles are firmly in recreational use territory, promoting them from an environmental perspective is utterly misguided. People will often be buying them in addition to other more practical and safe vehicles. It's just more consumerism, they'll never represent a bulk of miles traveled nation-wide, but will always cost resources to manufacture.

I grew up in the midwest where there's quite a lot of "lifestyle" bikers, their garage queen bikes are ridden so little you can arbitrage buying barely used bikes from the midwest by selling them on the coasts.