Is Interest in Motorcycles Waning?

[SVsick50]

All that stuff is not cheap on its own, imagine trying to keep up with all of it.

:laughing I’m 45 and I train MMA, ride BMX and motorcycles. I have a family/career/mortgage. If I didn’t teach martial arts, I’d be spending so much money on that alone. I added it up one time:

MMA Gym for me: $117
MMA Gym for my son: $90
Karate for me: $90
Karate for my son: $150
Regular Gym for the wife and I: $80

That’s $527/month just on exercise. I’ve been able to work things out by me teaching and coaching, but it’s a gnarly expensive.

My BMX bike doesn’t take much but tires and grips, I don’t break parts often, but a good BMX bike is $1,500.

There’s no way I would’ve been able to afford this when I was younger. Add motorcycles and it’s just plain stupid. I don’t even MTB anymore. :rolleyes

 

[Mechanikrazy]

This topic comes up every once in a while. As an early 30s rider, I think there are a number of factors at play.

Anecdotally, at least for city life, I think there is significantly less need for street motorcycles. Before, you had to pay a ton of money for taxis or have some sort of transportation like a cheap motorcycle. Nowadays, you can just split an uber or use zipcar and avoid all the hassles of vehicle ownership.

I would also speculate that there is just less interaction with motorcyclists to get new people interested. Partly, it may be that people can uber instead of riding somewhere. When I first started riding, I would ride everywhere around town and chat with people about motorcycles. Now, I mainly keep my riding to backroads and the track, so I really only run into other riders. At least in my case, my interest in motorcycles was piqued because of family members having bikes. If it wasn't for that, I honestly can't say if I would have ended up with enough interest to take MSF.

Also, I do think the advances in motorcycles have come at a cost that hurts new riders. When I first started riding in the mid 2000s, a 600 supersport was $8k out the door. Now, an R6 is $11k. With the average increases in housing costs and low gains in income, there is just less of a budget for bikes. I only irrationally justify my motorcycle purchases now.

 

[jwb]

:laughing I’m 45 and I train MMA, ride BMX and motorcycles. I have a family/career/mortgage. If I didn’t teach martial arts, I’d be spending so much money on that alone. I added it up one time:

MMA Gym for me: $117
MMA Gym for my son: $90
Karate for me: $90
Karate for my son: $150
Regular Gym for the wife and I: $80

That’s $527/month just on exercise. I’ve been able to work things out by me teaching and coaching, but it’s a gnarly expensive.

My BMX bike doesn’t take much but tires and grips, I don’t break parts often, but a good BMX bike is $1,500.

There’s no way I would’ve been able to afford this when I was younger. Add motorcycles and it’s just plain stupid. I don’t even MTB anymore. :rolleyes

If you are GenX you really have to try harder to understand the financial situation of younger people. A 45 year old American might well have gone to a public university for free, or close to it. These days that doesn’t happen. We were lucky.

 

[DataDan]

Is there any data on individual owners? I.e. how many individual unique owners register a bike or multiple bikes? Think it might be kinda interesting to see what that figure is and how it may or may not have changed/trending.

I suspect that are a lot of us mature riders with many bikes.

Nothing on unique owners. But there is data on vehicle-miles traveled that hints at what you suggest.

Estimated annual VMT per registration was at its highest in the mid-1990s, 2,750 for the US (VMT estimates by state are generally not available). That has dropped to 2,300 over the past four years, which is consistent with the idea of multiple-bike ownership. But it is also consistent with the fact of older owners as Budman mentioned--average up from late 30s in the 1990s to late 40s today--if older riders rider more for recreation and less for transportation.

 

[yumdumpster]

Especially when a lot of activities can be fairly expensive. Couple that with younger people not having a ton of discretionary spending - they pick one or maybe two hobbies to get into.

I can't imagine how much it would cost to get into shooting, overlanding, motorcycling, MMA (gym membership), mountain biking, etc etc.

All that stuff is not cheap on its own, imagine trying to keep up with all of it.

I know this is anecdotal but my MTB cost more when new than what I paid for my xr650r and wr450f combined. Mountain bikes are hideously expensive now, top range ones can go for over 10k and its not uncommon to see multi year financing for new ones.

 

[DannoXYZ]

All the above.

My niece & nephew were at age when I was clamping at bit to get driver's license and my own car. For them, no interest whatsoever. Mum still drives them around, so why bother?

In S.F. Bay Area, due to cost of living, there's very little extra left for vehicle ownership, maintenance, and insurance. Uber & Lyft have done very good job of driving down cost of taxis, so occasional trip that way is still way lower than owning a car or bike for entire year.

I see lots of youngsters on those electric scooter/skateboard things. Also Scootz is really popular in S.F. with enough range to get around town before battery runs out.

Oh, and cost of gas, it was $0.65 when I got my license, no big deal compared to today's pricing. Recent drop doesn't count as it'll be back up.

 

[budman]

A look at mountain biking, skateboarding, mma fighting and extreme sports scene seems to argue against the idea that this generation is more risk averse. I think there are just too many other activities competing with motorcycling compared to the recent past. Just a guess on my part.

I hear you but I was talking more about the average Joe. There will always be people willing to take chances (thrill seekers). Some of us are wired that way. That will always be that part of humanity I believe. The Military counts on it. :laughing

I think a lot of motorcyclists are not thrill seekers per say. They were attracted to it because of commuting, the nostalgia, the image and culture.

In terms of the younger generation in my previous post being more risk adverse I think that they tend to shy away from dangerous stuff as the Avg Joe person. They can get their thrills in other ways safely and are just not into the cultural vibe as much.

Just my perspective whether wrong or right. :teeth

 

[SVsick50]

If you are GenX you really have to try harder to understand the financial situation of younger people. A 45 year old American might well have gone to a public university for free, or close to it. These days that doesn’t happen. We were lucky.

My wife is 12 years younger than I (a millennial), so I totally understand. She's interesting because she very well educated and is a crazy entrepreneur, and actually does quite well for herself.

I was putting it in perspective, hence the list. It's super expensive to do anything anymore. I cannot even recall my parents spending this kind of crazy money.

I was talking to my mom about how much karate class is today, and she recalls for me, back in the mid 80's it wasn't more than $20/month. Even with inflation, it's nowhere near what parents pay today.

I have a lot of millennial friends. For the most part, they aren't lazy or apathetic. Now, they are starting families. None of them are home owners, none of them have retirement savings, and none of them have a motorcycle. I don't blame this on them. *whispering* I blame the boomers :laughing

 

[Lowerside]

I think a lot of motorcyclists are not thrill seekers per say. They were attracted to it because of commuting, the nostalgia, the image and culture.

That's definitely me. I started riding simply because the car commute was killing me. On one fateful day on 101, I moved my car aside to let a bike split past me and a lightbulb turned on in my head. I still mostly just ride as a form of transportation.

 

[budman]

:laughing

Blame their parents..? Yes boomers :laughing and society in general? :dunno
and why.. is there really blame to be laid??

I have 5 successful millennial kids "echo boomers" and they too are not lazy or apathetic. 8 Gkids from the oldest 3 is an echo for sure :laughing

None ride. I let them choose their own path. They were exposed to it and did some riding when small but chose group sports over moto's.
More fun with friends, easy to do on their own etc. I was cool with them choosing ball sports. I knew Moto's were dangerous and if they did not crave it there was no point pushing it. One did do a lot of dirt biking as a teen, but has not ridden since entering college.

They were properly exposed to my love of moto's and are casual race fans (the boys) and seem to have no interest in riding at this point.

Was not because of me :laughing
Boomer out! :later

 

[Jbella]

Just a couple of completely unsupportable cultural observations:

I'm 66. When I was young the internal combustion engine was still a symbol of freedom, independence, even romance. Over the years its' become just another appliance. I'm guessing few people today know or even care what their car engine's displacement is.

Secondly, even at 66 I must say I find safe and sane street riding to be a tad on the sedentary side. I'm not talking about dirt riding or any racing, just bopping along to see the sights, have lunch at Alice's etc. I still like doing it but I think somewhere over the years health and fitness have became a larger part of our culture and motorcycling has kind of gone the way of red meat. If you want the breeze in your hair and the smell of the Redwoods bicycling can get you there cheaper and (maybe) more safely while fitting in with the more contemporary attitude towards activity and fitness.

 

[SVsick50]

Just a couple of completely unsupportable cultural observations:

I'm 66. When I was young the internal combustion engine was still a symbol of freedom, independence, even romance. Over the years its' become just another appliance. I'm guessing few people today know or even care what their car engine's displacement is.

Secondly, even at 66 I must say I find safe and sane street riding to be a tad on the sedentary side. I'm not talking about dirt riding or any racing, just bopping along to see the sights, have lunch at Alice's etc. I still like doing it but I think somewhere over the years health and fitness have became a larger part of our culture and motorcycling has kind of gone the way of red meat. If you want the breeze in your hair and the smell of the Redwoods bicycling can get you there cheaper and (maybe) more safely while fitting in with the more contemporary attitude towards activity and fitness.

OK Boomer :laughing. Hey Dennis, I only tease because I love. :afm199

This is a great observation Jbella, and good insight. I see in my 11 yr. old step-son, he doesn't even need to leave the house for anything. He plays with his friends online. We kinda have to force getting out on him. He rides dirt bikes, because his other set of parents do that stuff and they live in a rural area. But when he's with us, it requires zero going out to play to be fulfilled in his mind.

He's fascinated by my motorcycles, but I don't imagine he will be into any of it.

 

[nickb]

I think a lot of motorcyclists are not thrill seekers per say. They were attracted to it because of commuting, the nostalgia, the image and culture.

As one of those overprivileged Gen-Xers this describes my interest to a T in exactly that order. Always enjoyed movies like The Wild One, Great Escape, Fastest Indian, etc. but when it came down to getting a bike it was all about saving time & money - and hopefully looking good doing it :cool

In terms of the younger generation in my previous post being more risk adverse I think that they tend to shy away from dangerous stuff as the Avg Joe person. They can get their thrills in other ways safely and are just not into the cultural vibe as much.

Most Millennials I know don't even want to drive a car much less ride a motorcycle. Don't know if it's risk aversion, lack of disposable income, changing technology, maybe all 3. Zipcar and Uber no doubt have an effect on the younger urban generation and their views on personal transportation. As MC are viewed by most as toys instead of the commute-enhancing time machines they are, I don't expect Millennial ridership to pick up much. Motorcycling in the US has a huge image problem - if motorcycles could be marketed as efficient transportation instead of chrome-plated toys I think change could be possible.

I must say I find safe and sane street riding to be a tad on the sedentary side. I'm not talking about dirt riding or any racing, just bopping along to see the sights, have lunch at Alice's etc. I still like doing it but I think somewhere over the years health and fitness have became a larger part of our culture and motorcycling has kind of gone the way of red meat. If you want the breeze in your hair and the smell of the Redwoods bicycling can get you there cheaper and (maybe) more safely while fitting in with the more contemporary attitude towards activity and fitness.

Yes, right on the mark, at least for me. As the amount of effort to keep myself from falling apart has increased my time for MC riding has proportionately given way to cycling, jogging, other more active non-motorized ways to enjoy being outdoors. It's unfortunate as I have a huge amount of time, mileage, and wrenching skills invested in street riding, but also a time-consuming day job that requires prioritizing.

 

[Beanzy]

...

I feel avid bicycle riders who love to be on two-wheels are natural candidates for motos as they get older, but somehow the moto industry fails to take advantage of the opportunity to convert them.

I went from bicycles to motorcycles too. :thumbup

Honestly I believe to ride motorcycles is the poorer man's version of owning a sail boat -- a big black hole of endless money being poured into something you love to do but is dangerous as heck. And the danger is from other drivers and not so much the rider, as the rider is more apt to take classes to become a better rider.

 

[Blankpage]

The number of dealers in the area must give some indication. Are there more or less dealers than a decade ago.

 

[Sportbiker]

I look at the age group of riders when I'm at any popular motorcycle hangout.. Not many in their 20s... 30s even.

Good news, there are plenty of 65+ riders.. A few months ago there was a gentleman on a 08 CBR1000RR. He was 82 years young. He was moving at a rapid clip..

This is becoming an older man's hobby..

 

[kuksul08]

I'm always trying to spread the word about motorcycling, but mostly the feedback I get is "I can't afford it", "my girlfriend/wife won't let me", or "you have to be stupid to ride".


One thing I've learned is... don't try to convince anyone to ride. It's something they have to want to do.

 

[Bumpits]

It's just not cheap enough. That's really what it is. If millenial’s girlfriends rode they would ride. If bikes were cheap and slow it wouldn't seem so dangerous or stupid. Also If bikes were cheap their friends would ride too, and kids would buy a bike to hang out with their friends. It would snowball in popularity like a viral video on you-tube.

In mexico, motorcycling is booming because you can buy bikes like the Italika Vort X 200 with a decent 200cc motor and cool looking trellis frame and trellis swingarm for $2k and have it delivered with amazon: https://www.amazon.com.mx/ITALIKA-M...r_1_53?qid=1589352662&sr=8-53&srs=19962960011

Then you can learn to ride proficiently with your friends at places like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd4o7oYEv5Q

We don't have the cheap practice places. We don't have the cheap bikes. We have a bunch of salesmen that are trying to hit their quotas and skin new customers alive. There is no long term plan for motorcycling here. We could get younger people into riding but it would require undercutting dealerships.

 

[norcalkid]

3. Parents from other countries where scooters and small moto's are a way of life are less so. (Dealer told me most teens he had buying moto's with parental support were Indian, Vietnamese etc.


5. Most bikes just are not affordable to younger folks who consider them a luxury item.

:2cents

It would be really nice if there were more affordable scooters available here. Honda's only scooter available in the US is the PCX at $3600. Their more affordable lines of scooters (Click, Scoopy,etc) aren't available here. Yamaha's Aerox and NMax line again not available. etc, Just not a lot of options.


A new high quality Honda Click runs roughly $1600 usd in Thailand. I do think more people would have scooters here if more cheap Japanese quality options were available here.

Would that introduce more people into bikes or just cannibalize sales of more expensive bikes? I don't know.

 

[SVsick50]

This is becoming an older man's hobby..

My son and I play a game. Every time we see a nice sports car we say "Rich Asian or Old Guy?"

Usually it's the old guy, although we have a nice group of rich Asians that attend UCSC with some ridiculous cars.