The struggling economy had many people who never considered sitting in a saddle becoming motorcyclists. Many of these new found riders, along with their more seasoned biker brothers would often tout that they were also being greener by switching from four wheels to two.

But the television show that lives up to its name, ‘Mythbusters’ recently put some cold, hard perspective on both.

According to a recent interview with the LA Times, the crew from the popular discovery Channel show found that while one claim is slightly true, the other not so much.

"The logic is because motorcycles are generally more fuel-efficient than cars, they burn less gas and thus they must be better for the environment," ‘MythBusters’ television host Adam Savage said.

The tests were conducted using motorcycles and cars from three different decades; the '80s, '90s and '00. They put the six vehicles through a 30-minute, 20-mile course with the travel split over seventy-five percent on the freeway and the other 25 percent was in the city. The bikes emitted far more smog-forming hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen, as well as the toxic air pollutant carbon monoxide.

While the motorcycles may have been 28% more fuel efficient that its four wheeled cousin, the 30% less emissions wasn’t the end of the green story.

While 90% of internal combustion engine emissions are carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, "To trade one emission for another is not the best strategy," Swanton said. "We've got to balance the two."

This isn't the first time motorcycles have rumbled onto the sets of the Discovery Channel show.

The crew famously tested the myth of being able to pull a tablecloth off a table without breaking any of the settings, such as plates and glasses.

The MythBusters' most recent motorcycle conclusion: "At best, it's a wash. Motorcycles are just as bad for the environment as cars," Savage said on the show. "At worst, they're far worse."

But if bikers are looking for an invitation to the next 'Save the Earth' rally, know this; the manufacturing process requires fewer raw materials than cars making it greener to build a bike than an auto.

The full article goes into great detail over the facts behind emissions and true creativity of the Mythbusters show. It can be found at the LA Times.

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