CORE Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk Provided by e-Prints Soton Moto-mobilities: geographies of the motorcycle and motorcyclists Dr. Philip Pinch , Department of Urban, Environment and Leisure Studies, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA United Kingdom Email:
[email protected] Telephone: +44 (0)207 815 7349 (work) +44 (0)7939 583041 (mobile) Fax: +44 (0)207 815 5858 *Dr. Suzanne Reimer , School of Geography, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton SO17 1BJ United Kingdom Email:
[email protected] Telephone +44 (0)2380 598816 (work) +44 (0)7960 931339 Fax: +44 (0)2380 593295 * Corresponding author Keywords : motorcycles; economy of qualities; automobility; embodiment; innovation; design; consumption Philip Pinch is Senior Lecturer in urban and environmental planning at London South Bank University Suzanne Reimer is Senior Lecturer in geography at the University of Southampton 2 Moto-mobilities: geographies of the motorcycle and motorcyclists Abstract This paper draws upon and seeks to extend accounts of systems of automobility through an examination of geographies of the motorcycle and motorcyclist—or what we term ‘moto- mobilities’. We utilise the figure of the motorcycle to raise the importance of analyzing alternative mobilities: to consider how they appeal to different travelling dispositions and emotions; how they have been represented; and how they have been produced, marketed and consumed. The paper first reflects upon the experiences and embodiment of the motorcycle- rider; second, evaluates representations of moto-mobility; and finally attends to the materiality of mobility via an examination of the economy of motorcycle qualities. Introduction In recent years social scientists have become increasingly interested in concepts of ‘automobility’ and in so doing have provided new ways of invigorating studies of transport and movement (Thrift 1996; Urry 2000; Sheller and Urry 2000; Beckmann 2001; Theory, Culture and Society Special Issue 2004).