Sounds like a Harley marketing sheet. Reason #6, talks about the decline of riders under 18 years old. That's because it's to hard for young kids to "text" and look at facebook, and that other bull crap, when they are on a cycle. Young people are lost with out their precious cell phones. I have one, but don't belong to any of the social media. If I go for a ride in my truck or on the bike, and have left my cell phone at home, well, I sure as hell don't go get it. it'll be there when I am done with my ride. I guess this Forum is as close to social media, as I ever will be involved in.
It mainly confirms what most of us already know: we're an aging group. I've been to several Valkyrie rallies and the youngest rider award often goes to a guy in his mid-30s. A few years ago I read that the AVERAGE age of Sturgis attendees was 58! Those may be promising demographics for trikes, but not for motorcycles.
To their credit, manufacturers are trying to appeal to new and younger riders. Just look at some of the smaller, innovative bikes in a Honda showroom. But they don't seem to be having much success. While I've seen a noticeable increase in women riders, I doesn't seem like there are any more young riders.
As for the 8 largest selling brands, I was surprised to see KTM on the list. I would have thought Triumph might be there instead.
This forum is not close to social media it is social media.
I think powersports, in general, is slowly aging out. Snowmobiling is also a dying sport. 150,000 sleds were sold annually by the Big Four just 20 years ago. That number now is about 50,000. My stepkids have almost zero interest in anything to do with an engine...the youngest one turns 18 in August and has never driven a car, and has no interest in it at this time.
The younger generation's interest, generally speaking, seems to be elsewhere. My opinion is that is comes from everything mechanical being so reliable now. Cars and trucks are just appliances, held in no greater esteem than the kitchen stove. It is there for a purpose, transportation, and nothing else. I was a car nut when I was a kid, because you had to have some basic knowledge about them to have even an mechanical awareness, even if you didn't know how to fix it. Cars do everything for you, so the experience is so much different than it used to be. That translates into a lack of interest in other things vehicular in nature. Hell, seems like few people even mow their own lawn anymore...another mechanical piece of equipment not accessed by a large number of this generation.
All this being said, people are people, kids are kids, and the interest level may swing back around. After all, who ever thought the 70s would be popular again?!? Motorcycling has a lot of potential because there are roads everywhere, so access isn't an issue.
Former Ride:
2013 F6B Standard, black; sold 7/2019
Latest Addition:
2016 Gold Wing Level 3, red; SCT transmission stuck in manual mode
2019 Miles:
7,900 as of 10/6
When I was a teenager in the 70s a Motorcycle was cheap transportation. I couldn't buy a car but a cheap bike was easy to find. Insurance, registration and cost to maintain was next to nothing. There is nothing cheap about todays vehicles. Cars, Trucks or Motorcycles.
Throw the amount of traffic into the mix and it is no wonder why younger folks don't want much to do with Motorcycling.
I've spent most my money on Motorcycles and Women, the rest I just wasted.
I think for me now 38 I can thank my Gramps for getting me to ride at 4 on a 3 wheeler, and then moved to quads and dirtbikes. A lot of places and states there are no places to ride anymore do to developments being built, homes businesses ect. Even sleds are hard to sell unless your way up north cause even in northern Illinois, we don't get the snow like we used to. When I hit 18, I couldn't wait to get my first street bike!!!! I wSnt legal with an M class but was fully insured lol. I don't know what kids are into these days because they can't work on cars, seems like they don't like woman, but they sure in hell want everything given to them
[SIGPIC]
I thought I read a motorcycle article that Honda came out with the F6B to appeal to younger riders thus the designation Flat 6 Bagger.
Riding a Goldwing is like opening a can of testosterone.
Go Green - Recycle Congress!!!!
I hear ya about the lack of snow. I live outside of Rochester (NY) and there hasn't been rideable snow in this area for two years, and only three of the last six years have the local trails been able to open. All of the snowmobiling is in northern NYS, just like you guys in Illinois, Indiana have to go to Wisconsin and Minnesota.Originally Posted by bubbasparks
I was driving a car on my grandfather's farm when I was 11 years old. When I turned 16, getting my driver's license was just formality. My friends and I all passed our road tests on the first try. My older stepson passed on his 5th time. While that is higher than the norm among his peers, most of them failed once or twice. I blame his mom and her family (only here, not to her face ) for not exposing them to any mechanical equipment, like a lawn tractor. I think some of the basics come from driving the mower, riding an ATV, driving a boat, etc.
Also, socializing looks a lot different in 2017 than it did in 1987. I was always at my friends' houses because I would get yelled at for being on the phone without call waiting. I rode my bike, and drove when I got my license in 1991. There are many, many ways to socialize now thanks to technology. After all, look at what I and doing right now. We aren't sitting in a diner having this chat.
Okay, I am way off the point here. Cars and vehicles in general are not interesting to this generation because they don't represent freedom the way they did to us; everything is so reliable, they don't need to be fixed very often, leading to a lack of mechanical awareness and then interest; traffic is worse; and many, many other reasons.
Former Ride:
2013 F6B Standard, black; sold 7/2019
Latest Addition:
2016 Gold Wing Level 3, red; SCT transmission stuck in manual mode
2019 Miles:
7,900 as of 10/6
We are seeing the same decline in the RC (remote control ) world as youngsters don't want to build something and have to learn to fly it..High tech equipment appeals to the younger crowd with instant gratification.When I was a kid we had to create our fun and I will never forget how mad my Old man was when he saw the mower engine sitting in a plywood Go cart I built.First motorcycle was a Wards Riverside 50 and man what fun I had on that street bike in the dirt.A kid today can put on a Virtual Reality headset and go for a ride anywhere they please.Heck by the time most of us here are dead and gone no one will be driving cars they will drive themselves.AHHH time marches on.
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