By Charles E. Buban
PDI

WITH ABOUT 3.8 MILLION UNITS officially registered at the Land Transportation Office and many more undocumented, the motorcycle is the ride of choice among Filipinos these days.

“There’s no denying that a motorcycle is the country’s most popular form of transport with some 3.8 million units registered as compared to the 1.2 million registered four-wheeled counterpart,” said Suzuki Philippines senior marketing manager Benedict Arreola.

Aside from being fuel-efficient as it can cover 35 to 40 kilometers per liter of gasoline, the scooter’s relatively low price also drives the motorcycles’ popularity as many Filipinos still consider cars a large purchase and not something to rush out and buy at the drop of a hat.

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By Agence France-Presse

CHIBA, Japan–Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. has unveiled a prototype motorbike with a zero-emission fuel cell that is cooled by air.

The “Crosscage” motorbike has a fuel cell set in a simple chassis and a hydrogen tank protected by an X-shaped metal frame cage. The fuel cell was developed by Intelligent Energy of Britain.

The motorbike, which is on display at the Tokyo Motor Show, is said to be free of noise and vibration, and has a lithium-ion battery below the tank for extra power.

“Fuel cell motorbikes tend to have podgy scooter-like bodies given the large size of the system. But this compact system enabled us to propose a sporty, slim design,” said Suzuki motorcycle marketing official Kenji Mori.