Baby Boomers
I read a story recently about the problems facing Harley Davidson — an aging customer base with dim prospects for replacements. Same for all the big manufacturers. While we aging riders with money (or credit worthiness) continue to support our brands, there are fewer young people interested in riding or have the disposable income to spend on a motorcycle.
All this came back to me on Friday night when I ran down to Duffy’s Tavern in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania to pick up dinner and found a queue of Harleys lined up out front.
Looking at the assembled machinery I could only tell one thing for sure — there were a bunch of old folks around.
Managed to grab dinner and scoot away before detection.
I can’t speak for your young folks, Steve, but t’s not all about not being able to afford the hobby. F.e. young people around my family and friends circle are not so much into motorcycling because it is inconvenient and too much of a hassle. They rather go by car or don’t go at all but stay put at home with cell phone and laptop at the ready… maybe the baby boomers are the last generation getting the idea of two wheeled freedom 😉
I’m not really sure why young people don’t ride. I have ideas but they’re guesses at best. Maybe I should do a little informal research. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve been raised under the ultra safety cloud that has them thinking a motorcycle or scooter is the fast lane to early death. Best to stay inside and play video games where mom and dad can keep an eye on them.
Who knows…
*Warning: not for everybody. Let’s take a look: The increasing evaporation of the conventional family structure as divided by parents’ dedication to work related activities and households headed by a single parent, results in the need, exhibited by subsequent generations, to mentally re-establish that “familial” type of relationship from the larger world. This leads to “face in screen” as most important activity. ( or the need to give validity to one’s life by seeking the like in the collective mindset) to the detriment/ exclusion of all else- see “texting while driving” as the example-driving the car is not the most important activity pursued by those people at that particular time. And then there’s the illusion of “multitasking”.
So…… take that to the two wheeled world; The addition of “sound systems” and ear buds as part of the required “kit” was the harbinger. Some people can not stand (or have even embraced the possibility) of being alone with their thoughts. Harley has begun advertising the wattage of the sound systems behind all those batwing fairings in lieu of investing in technological advancements in the actual vehicle in an attempt to attract a new demographic.
Applicable quote: “Embrace big ideas and ideals and find joy in very small things”. Be in the moment. “Sit when you sit/ stand when you stand”……Just go for a ride. Silence the phone.
What saves or rather perpetuates the industry may be the areas where scooters and their larger cousins ( what is it now, 103CC’s that the “Motor Company” touts?) roam as transportation devices. The “small” will survive and as it’s been said “anything you ride that you can’t pick up by yourself , might as well be a car. The manufacturer’s offerings will change, trying to find the next best shiny object to lure new riders. Life goes on. Some will find a talisman and possibility of peace of mind.
Quite a stretch, eh? Even I am chuckling.
Thanks for the muse, Steve.
A lot to think about in your comments.
Without a doubt — family and the culture surrounding it has changed. Work, whether the pursuit of careers or the need for money, has changed the face of the family. And technology and the connections a person can make with it has changed (perverted) how we relate to one another. I don’t think there’s an intrinsic failure in the technology itself but rather how it’s used. Myself — I find it useful on a wide range of levels and have built relationships as well. But in the hands of young people without goals or guidance I can see how destructive it can be. No different than a drug shot in the arm.
You hit the nail on the head in my opinion about people not being comfortable being alone with their thoughts (or lack of). For me that’s one of the greatest gifts of riding — being alone with my thoughts. Why someone wants to blast a stereo or listen to music or talk on the phone while riding seems nuts to me. But what works for me may have devastating effects for someone else.
Anyways, it will be interesting to watch where things go.
Thanks for sharing you comments. I do appreciate your insight.
I was introduced to bikes by a friends family. They took me to the Salton Sea to go ride with them. When I was young I had to hide the bikes I owned because it caused my parents so much consternation. I gave up riding because of a drug and alcohol problem in my early 20’s. Flash forward to my late 40’s, kids needing cars, a wife on disability, a $1200 scooter sounded like a cheap way to get to and from work.
At my job site there are about 300 people there are 7 that ride to work more than drive & another 3 that ride in on occasion. 3 are guys in there 20’s to early 30’s all the others are on the far side of 40. 3 are Harley riders + 1 metric cruiser, 3 Sport bikes, 1 Wing, 1 Sport tourer, 1 ADV, & my scooter. There are several guys that ride quads with their families on the weekend.
I think one of the driving factors that make riding an old mans game is finances, and the need to work longer hours either to “get ahead” or makes ends meet. We are a downwardly mobile society. I am also amazed at my younger coworkers and the amount of activities that they have their children in, let alone the cost for those activities. In So. Ca. at least, Little League is no longer a spring time activity it now year round and requires 4 to 5 days a week including practice and games. There is also the hiring of pitching coaches and batting coaches for kids in elementary school. If kids are on a track to go to collage in high school, comes AP’s and homework, My kids and may of my friends with kids in advanced classes watched their kids doing 4 to 6 hours of homework a night and 8 to 12 each day on the weekends, that left no time for outside activities. The ones that can afford to ride are at the age of finally getting some “disposable income” & free time. Or are like my self and 3 other coworkers, parlaying or desire to own a bike with the excuse of a cheap form of transportation “because the kids need a car.”
On a bright note ,my youngest son, who is now on his own and starting to make more than a survival wage is looking at either a Can Am Spyder or Slingshot. There is hope in the future.
I won’t pretend to know why things are the way they are. But observation shows much the same as you describe. And the pressure on kids today seems stunning. Everything is work and accomplishment and no play.
And as far as seeing scooters or motorcycles as transportation — that’s not common. There are few commuting riders where I work compared to the number who arrive in cars and trucks. Lot’s of reasons for that but maybe at the end of the day most people just don’t think they’re safe. Or cool.
Several comments can be made about today’s young professionals’ preferences (e.g., experience over possessions, social connections over social climbing, etc.). That and the other end of the spectrum – aged (car) drivers will bring about autonomous cars much sooner than expected.
On a positive note, have you seen the resurgence of the small street bikes (Honda Grom, Kawasaki Z125 Pro, and Kymco K-Pipe)? Fun, very affordable, looks like a motorcycle (not a scooter).
Your comments remind me of one driving truth — things always change. Maybe we’re all holding on too tight to the way things were rather than embracing the inevitable changes related to age, culture, preference, whatever.
And the GROM and Z125 look like great little machines. I’ve seem small packs of GROMS around here racing down the road. All young guys riding too. And there are groups of young Honda Ruckus riders as well. To them two wheels are fun and cool is something other than a Harley or Triumph.
Hi, scooter*-riding Millenial(TM) here. Some comments I have:
1. The whole Kids These Days And Their Dang Phones is more than a little worn, and if you’re interested in a fairly comprehensive take on this I’d recommend danah boyd’s[sic] book “It’s Complicated”. Long story short, the more things change the more they stay the same. We all have found our own way to socialize, particularly if we could do it away from the prying eyes of our parents.
2. Relatedly, smart phones have replaced fancy vehicles as the conspicuous-consumer-object-du-jure. Given that a fancy smartphone runs some hundreds of dollars while a car slightly above beater status can be a few thousand, honestly I’d say we’re just being frugal.
3. Speaking of frugality, that’s become a real mantras lately, particularly after the Great Recession. Just Google “Millenials saving more money” and you’ll see plenty of articles about it. But, with saving money as a high priority, that means you’re less likely to drop $3-10k on a motorcycle if it won’t become your main mode of transportation.
4. To a certain degree, big honking loud engines just aren’t that cool any more. I honestly associate Harleys with the kinds of guys who disable their mufflers and decide to ride outside my apartment at 11 PM (yes, we’re all *very* impressed). But you know what vehicles all my friends are salivating over? Teslas. Everyone is talking about trying to get on the waiting list (myself not included, I honestly don’t care for cars in general. My fiancee loves her Prius, though).
Unfortunately electric scooters and motorcycles still are not quite there yet in terms of range, but I’m personally keeping my eye on Zero motorcycles. Every time I pass by SF Moto I do sneak a peak at the Zero S in the window. But, I’m not super-certain about financial circumstances at the moment, so waiting is the name of the game….
5. You know what’s another cheap and cool method of getting around? Bicycles. We love them too. Plus, we get plenty of “two-wheeled freedom” that way.
*KYMCO Downtown.
Hello Scooter Riding Millenial,
I think you outline well the change that’s in play regarding motorcycles, scooters and things in general in the world. There’s a tendency to want to hold on to things we like or love and resist the natural evolution of, well, everything. The good old days are history.
Loud motorcycles, big engines, and high price tags are just a few of the things that aren’t cool anymore. I can’t disagree with anything you’ve said.
Guess we should take care in labeling entire groups of people.
My late wife insisted that my oldest step son take the MSF BRC and get his license. In those four years he has ridden 6 miles round trip four times. Comfort and a radio in his car win every time. At least it has a five speed manual.
Well, he knows what he wants right?
I don’t think it’s just HD that is feeling the pressure from an aging customer base.
But then again, it may just be that folks in the mid-20’s through mid-40’s choose not to ride due to family obligations. Just ask many older riders who started riding again after a 20 year hiatus.
I think the fear is that fewer and fewer people moving into their mid-40s are riding. A generation has found motorcycles, those big noisy ones in particular, to be kind of passe…
As a riding instructor I see a wide demographic of people taking lessons. Here on Vancouver Island we have a very vibrant two wheeled community encompassing the entire bike/scooter spectrum. There is a huge upswing in female riders ranging from their 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s, my last class of 10 students 7 of them were women. In other classes I’ve taught we have had quite a few young people as young as 16 and through 20s.
I do think the motorcycle industry is changing because newbs are buying smaller cc bikes that have a more affordable purchase and cost less to insure. Just to give you perspective on Canadian bike insurance my 2012 Honda NC700 costs me about $1100 for a year and that is with my 42% safe drivers discount, so without that the bike would be well up around $2k to insure as a new rider or someone without many years of driving experience.
Last year our riding school purchased a Honda CB300 and CB500 and through the experience of riding these bikes 33 new riders bought one of these bikes, so Honda Canada did well.
I don’t see many new riders buying HD, I think their play with the HD street 500 & 750 was aimed at new younger riders looking to get into the market at $7 to $9k market and it completely missed the mark with design, fit and overall poor finish of the bike. I rode one for 8 hours and it was ‘meh’, there was absolutely nothing special about it and by the time you spent money on accessorizing it to meet the “HD experience” that most seek you are back up around the $10k-15k price which is insane and if you looked at a comparable cc Japanese bike it comes in $2k to 3k less with more bells and whistles, so why would a consumer pay more & get less and HD needs to take that into account in future.
If you look at the Japanese bikes Honda, kawasaki, and Yamaha , they have a great spectrum of bikes to choose and generally there is something for everyones riding style and budget. Their sales may be slumping a bit, but I Think they are continually innovating and more in touch with their customer base and are hitting the mark with women and new young riders.
Then you look at the prestige brands Ducati, Triumph and BMW, and they are matketting to a more income based demographic. Ducati is trying to capture new riders with the Scrambler and of course those who want the fast race bikes, but again it is a smaller economic demographic. Triumph has lovely bikes more of them retro based, but again it is an income based demographic and that translates to people in their 40s & up. BMW is catering to the same crowd with a basic 650 coming in around $10k without farkles. They have in my estimation missed the mark with the fastest growing new riding demographic – women, their adventure touring bikes while drool worthy are just too tall and heavy, but at least they are making more factory lowered offerings.
But I can say this same thing about all of the motorcycle brands, the biggest complaint from women riders is seat height and weight, by manufacturers doing this they are limiting their market just by virtue of their stubborn unwillingness to make bikes that have a lower seat height or lower centre of gravity. We bought 10 Honda CRF250Ls for our school training bikes and we lowered 8 of them with links and we probably could have lowered all 10.
Victoria has a vibrant and healthy scooter community from 50cc right up to larger maxi scooters. Again it is generally Japanese scooters Yamaha and Honda. There is a huge vintage Vespa and Lambretta following here. The Honda grom is also getting a cult following here, it is a fun peppy bike.
Another component to the younger and new rider demographic are those buying used bikes and you can generally pick up an older or barely used bike for a $2k to $7k. Most are really good deals because they buyers aren’t dealing with the loss of depreciation that you’d get with a new bike.
Last thought on this from my regional view is that we have pretty much year round riding here so I think that makes a difference as well. I think socioeconomic factors have a huge impact and also it is regional where climate dictates practicality of owning higher priced bikes. Bikes are landbased money pits.
I think North America is turning the proverbial corner on big, heavy, high cc’d bikes and we are going to see more of the phenomena that is in Asia and Europe with bikes with smaller engine displacements, which are more affordable in all aspects. Sorry about writing a book here.
No worries about writing a book here — you’re welcome to post as much as you like, especially since you have first hand insight into the changing demographics, particularly as student riders go.
It’s good to hear that young people are showing interest in learning to ride. I wonder how carefully the manufacturers conduct market research to guide their moto making activities. I’m sure some will offer that designing and building motorcycles is an art and should not fall prey to the marketing staff. There’s wisdom to that but not to the extent that it ignores the customer. Your musings of the lack of offerings for women is a good example. Seat height alone is crazy. I’ve sat on things tall for me at 6’2″. And after riding a totally agile scooter whenever I get on a big motorcycle the first thing that strikes me is the lumbering weight. Ugh.
Used bikes are deals and I suspect a lot of new riders go that route. I’ve met a few younger riders with new machines but that’s rare. At our local moto hang it’s usually old guys in attendance. A woman or younger rider is a rare sighting.
It will be interesting times ahead for the moto industry. I wonder if it will try and capture the aging boomers that drop off with some sort of transition machine between motorcycle and wheelchair. I think URAL has cornered that market!
You could install a sidecar on a Zero. Then you could ride your cross-over right into Walmart. No need to bring a wheel chair… 😉
I wonder how big a “scooter” has to be before they wouldn’t consider it a motorized wheelchair?
Far as I can tell Steve, the younger generation isn’t even interested in driving cages, much less ride the risky two-wheeled conveyances we love…..it does bode ill for the industry perhaps but there will always be that small percentage that is bored with cages.
Whether its enough to keep some marques alive, that’s another story.
Maybe motorcycles will become like film and paper is in the photo industry — an antique process…
Interesting comments and prognostications about the future on two and four wheels. I’ve been riding street motorcycles and scooters for over forty years and currently have five two-wheelers, including my third Vespa GTS and two Harleys. Ninety percent of my riding time is spent on one of two of my bikes, the 2010 GTS 300 or the 2012 HD Ultra, with the GTS getting the most use.
I was interested in the comments about riding alone with one’s thoughts versus listening to music. Until I got my first HD Ultra with a radio, I wouldn’t have given two figs for a music device on a motorcycle. But it quickly worked its way into my comfort zone. I don’t listen to it all the time, but it’s nice on long trips or sometimes when I’m just out riding. Much more often, I’m of the “alone with my thoughts” variety — even when on the Ultra; you can turn the music off, you know. There’s no way to express the number of issues and problems I’ve worked out in my head while two-wheeling it , and that is still one of the most enjoyable aspects of riding for me. But every once in a while a little Merle Haggard or George Strait while tooling around on a Saturday afternoon is enjoyable too.
I suppose you’re describing how the idea of moderation, or deliberate choice versus automated habit might work. There’s probably no technology that’s intrinsically bad until it’s misused. (Straining to think of exceptions) And there’s also a big tendency to jump on judgement and lump everything together into one nice little package — “All Harley riders do this” and “All scooter riders are this”. All the evidence points to the uniqueness of individuals but perhaps it’s human nature to want to categorize so it’s easier to make decisions.
While I don’t have any feature to listen to music as I ride, I’ve sung a lot of songs in the helmet. That’s really no different that you listening to Haggard or Strait is it? Aside from them being a couple levels above me on the singing skills..;
I don’t know about new bike sales, I just know what I see on the road and what I see the most of are Harleys. The newer ones are ridden by older folks which just makes sense from a financial standpoint. I’ve had dozens of bikes over the years and can’t think of one I didn’t like but these days two of the four in my garage are HD. I’m over 50 and one of the bikes is last years model. If you want to stereotype me or assign me to a certain group of riders I don’t care but what I’ve found is most riders have their own story and it usually doesn’t match the stereotype although sometimes it does.
If I were to take a guess about the owners of the bikes in the pic I would agree about them being older. At least three of those bikes are no more than two years old. Even the ones without a trunk have a passenger backrest so I’d guess couples. No custom paint or wild mods. All the younger guys I know with cruisers find a way to customize them whether they can afford it or not. Maybe some of them are like my wife and me and wanted a touring bike they could be comfortable on. They went out to eat with friends and if they run into bike problems they can rely on the largest dealer network available. I didn’t drink the HD Koolaide but after being stranded 900 miles from home on an Aprilia, a strong dealer network was high on the list for my next bike.
I see the same thing on the road as you do Scott — Harley Davidson is by far the most common motorcycle on the road.
And you’re absolutely right about each rider’s personal story being unique regardless of which “rider group” they belong to. And with few exceptions, every rider I’ve ever approached, or been approached by, regardless of what they were riding has been friendly and open and without anything negative. And they were all different. Even in a couple.
You raise a great point about dealer support. It’s definitely important if you’re making long trips far from home. It’s nice to know that you can find help. Harley Davidson dealers and independent mechanics who can work on them would be far more plentiful than someone who could wrench on an Aprilia, or Vespa. Especially getting parts.
If I had the money to buy a second machine, a motorcycle, I certainly would consider a Harley. Along with a Triumph, BMW, Kawasaki, Honda and Suzuki. No Ducati or URAL though… 😉