Bikes in the Fast Lane: France: Finally Petrol Taxes To Be Lowered plus 2 more

France: Finally Petrol Taxes To Be Lowered
How Not To Start A Kickstarter Motorcycle Project
Philippines: Can Not Ride Your Motorcycle On Water? Carry It!

France: Finally Petrol Taxes To Be Lowered

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 09:00 AM PDT

For years now, in fact since 1928, France has had a steep tax on petrol. Abbreviated to TIPP, the tax was a percentage of the gross petrol price at the pump. The higher the gas price, the more the government made. Apart from the TIPP tax, they also get 19.6% VAT (Value Added Tax, i.e. a sales tax). The petrol tax is rated differently per product; 60% for unleaded and 52% for diesel. This means that per liter, the government gets around 70%!

Despite the economic crisis, or more because of it, the French government never lowered the tax. Many people were not able to drive their car, or worse, ride their motorcycle, because of very high petrol prices. Many associations and lobby groups have been calling upon the government to lower the taxes when the petrol barrel price goes up. So far, nothing..... until today.......

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How Not To Start A Kickstarter Motorcycle Project

Posted: 22 Aug 2012 05:00 AM PDT

Kickstarter and Fundable are great sites to help you create a motorcycle project with crowd-funding. Several good ideas have seen the light of day (including the reviewed Screaming Banshee horn) because of these websites that allow the general public to fund startups without taking equity. But people need get something in return for their money.

And that is where to problems lies with several of these ideas looking for money. You need to offer something valuable in return.

Take this project for example: Rockin' Rebel on Kickstarter is someone who makes beautiful wooden rocking chairs in the shape of a motorcycle. Really pretty... So you'd expect people to help this guy out by providing him with funds to get proper tools to make more of them. But at the time of writing this, he has gathered $200 of the $50,000 required, and only 8 days left.

Why?......

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