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With the Motorcycle Industry (MCI) asking the government to consider a scrappage scheme for motorcycles in a move that they hope will slow down the trend in declining motorcycle sales, we ask, is it a good idea?

Here’s the facts:

• In the year to December 2009 there was a 20% reduction in sales – 111,513 bikes, scooters and mopeds were sold.

• This was mostly down to an almost 50% reduction in up to 50cc bikes being registered in the year

• These aside, naked bikes, supersports and scooters are still top sellers

So, we know that the scrappage scheme on cars is £2000 against the price of a new car and that the car being traded must have been owned for over a year and be more than ten years old.

A lot of new motorcycles are in the region of half the cost of a new car so could we expect a £1000 trade in on a new motorcycle if we scrap our old clunker?

Are we in danger of resigning some of our old and possibly modern classics to the crusher?

What motorcycles are currently worth £1000 or less?

Well surprisngly you can get some early Hinckley Triumphs for around that price and they are surely classics of the future and not something to be thrown aside for the latest Japanese offering?

In any case would the thought of a £1000 off the price be enough to do a trade-in for your old reliable winter hack? Or to tempt you into the showroom?

Why not just sell it for that price?

A lot of dealers are still offering substantial discounts plus incentives that would surely disappear if a scrappage scheme was in place. So there may not be much of an advantage to be had.

If for one would not like to think of some of our motorcycling heritage being destroyed for the sake of £1000.

Motorcyclists of my acquaintance tend to have more than a little affection for their mode of transport, more so than car drivers, and as such the scheme may not be that popular anyway.

However, it may not come to that, I doubt the Government seriously considers the motorcycle industry in this country to be something that they need to look after for the sake of the economy not whilst there are bankers bonuses to be safeguarded.

What do you think?