Interesting Article on Motorcycle Sales in US

[Tazzel]

I think the cost of living, especially housing is so high that young people simply have no extra money for non essential purchases. All their money is going for rent, mortgage or food. Its not that they wouldn't like a Spyder or HD but cant justify purchasing one. Gambling industry is declining rapidly as well. Younger people just don't have the extra cash for play or play things.

 

[UtahPete]

I think the cost of living, especially housing is so high that young people simply have no extra money for non essential purchases. All their money is going for rent, mortgage or food. Its not that they wouldn't like a Spyder or HD but cant justify purchasing one. Gambling industry is declining rapidly as well. Younger people just don't have the extra cash for play or play things.

True, unless you're talking about the well-paid professionals in the tech industries. But, in that case, their priorities are generally elsewhere, not on motorsports.

 

[UtahPete]

HD is not the problem. They are an example of the problem which is effecting almost all brands here in the US. The decline in motorcycle sales in the US is not unique to HD, but they perhaps suffer the most and are the most visible. There are exceptions (R1200GS for one) in sales increase by some models. Many of the reasons mentioned above pretty much hit the nail on the head. It will be interesting to see if the investment by Royal Enfield in the US will meet their sales goals.

Meanwhile, in the rest of the world bikes sales rise as they are everyday transportation not the toys they are to us. The Bajaj Auto Company sold over 2.5 million motorcycles in 2017, and about 60% (1.5 million) were sold in one country-India. Honda worldwide sales were 17 million in fiscal 2016. Their US sales are a drop in the bucket (probably around 500,000).

For a young new rider to get into motorcycling he/she must buy a bike, buy the gear, pay for maintenance and insurance, operate the clutch, deal with weather issues, and keep hands empty to operate it. They can go get an old beater Corolla and drive out of the rain/sun with one hand free to text. And smaller, fun, economical bikes are not promoted-it's all about 100hp at the rear wheel, wheelies and behavior that is publicized and scorned at by most.
I am not surprised at declining bike sales.

:agree:

 

[RinconRyder]

We live in a much changed society today. Mad Mac:doorag:

Not everybody it seems. Despite the youngest of my three sons not being very interested in vehicles as a teen he has really hit the mark once he was in his 20's. One of his buddies is a Saab guru and got him interested. He has now owned three Saab's and has rebuilt two of them so far. Total engine rebuild we're talking complete with sundry performance enhancements. He now knows more about turbo'd engines than his old daddy.

I'm so proud of that kid! :2thumbs:

 

[RinconRyder]

I have considered an RV or other avenue of enjoyment just so I can get away from being what I consider "robbed".
Unfortunately I love riding and like all addictions......it whispers to me....softly....buy me, ride me, make me your b*tch.:yikes:

Having owned both I will suggest that traveling by RV is all about the destination whereas traveling by bike/trike is all about GETTING to the destination. Possible exceptions for Sturgis and Daytona Bike Week.

 

[Scotts8826]

The article kept referencing "heavyweight" motorcycles. I wonder how much of this down turn can be attributed to the Spyder? I would think the target market for heavyweight cruisers would be older people with extra discretionary money to spend. Using these big bikes for day trips and longer trips. The Spyder just makes sense for many of us older folks compared to the physical requirements of handling a heavy cruiser.

 

[UtahPete]

The article kept referencing "heavyweight" motorcycles. I wonder how much of this down turn can be attributed to the Spyder? I would think the target market for heavyweight cruisers would be older people with extra discretionary money to spend. Using these big bikes for day trips and longer trips. The Spyder just makes sense for many of us older folks compared to the physical requirements of handling a heavy cruiser.

The market for heavyweight motorcycles may be shrinking, but it's not going away any time soon, and it's still a LOT of people. Ex-military in particular seem to favor them still.

 

[JayBros]

The article kept referencing "heavyweight" motorcycles. I wonder how much of this down turn can be attributed to the Spyder? I would think the target market for heavyweight cruisers would be older people with extra discretionary money to spend. Using these big bikes for day trips and longer trips. The Spyder just makes sense for many of us older folks compared to the physical requirements of handling a heavy cruiser.

Shortly after I sold my Porsche 911 C4 almost 20 years ago I remarked to my wife on a beautiful, sunny day, "I ought to buy a Hog," to which she replied, "Boy, you've had enough toys for awhile." Had I been pursuasive enough at that time I probably could have sold her on a Harley, but had I been successful I would today be in the distinguished SL community of former heavy bike owners who made the wise decision to opt for a Spyder because such a big bike was no longer a safe recreation and transportation choice because of age and other physical conditions. While I waited a good number of years to make the Spyder choice it was the correct one and I am enjoying it immensely and don't look back.

While we can look back and lament the changes that have taken place since we last did whatever, if we look very hard we can truly realize that the good old days weren't really as good as we now think they were. Ah, progress!!! As long as we're still looking down at the grass and the gopher isn't kicking dirt in our face, life is good. Ride on...

 

[Mad Mac]

Not everybody it seems. Despite the youngest of my three sons not being very interested in vehicles as a teen he has really hit the mark once he was in his 20's. One of his buddies is a Saab guru and got him interested. He has now owned three Saab's and has rebuilt two of them so far. Total engine rebuild we're talking complete with sundry performance enhancements. He now knows more about turbo'd engines than his old daddy.

I'm so proud of that kid! :2thumbs:

You ARE a lucky man! If I still lived in CA., I would still be crawling my crippled butt underneath F-350's (can drive those big a%# 4x4's. but can't work on them!) and pulling the plugs on them. I guess my ol'man did right by me. He taught me, if you want to buy/drive/ride/race those things, I'd better learn how to turn a wrench or it's going to get real expensive. And after 21yrs. of maint. experience on cargo/tanker aircraft, I did a pretty good job of it, because none of those planes turned into "lawn darts". Buuuut, I'm still proud of my kids also, at least they have good jobs (hence... expensive vehicles/homes/life styles) and they are able to provide for their families and all of their sports activities. Mad Mac:doorag:

 

[dndfindley]

I think the problem is HD. Total sales of all motorcycles has stayed basically flat since 2011. One Triumph dealer where I bought a motorcycle sold his dealership to focus only on repairs since he thought Triumph was nuts to focus on cruisers, but sales took off. I personally would not pay a premium for an HD over other motorcycles.

https://www.webbikeworld.com/motorcycle-sales-statistics/
In 2017 about 500,000 units were sold.

You nailed it. Overall motorcycle sales are in a bit of a slump but it is more of a recession and not a depression, to use financial terms. The market will come back. BMW and Ducati are both increasing the number of units sold. The problem is Harley Davidson. They waited much too long to make "improvements" and when they did the improvements were simply attempting to catch up. They were never in the front of anyone on anything. They have never had an entry level machine. They now have the 500 and 750cc machines but again they are too little too late and in any case those two are kind of pathetic. Harley had a chance to actually have a sportbike on their showroom with the Buell but we all know what happened there and it wasn't Buell's fault. Harley has pandered to pot bellied bearded men and their tattooed lady friends for far too many decades. It is much, much too late for them to reverse the trend. Harley is in no danger of going out of business anytime soon but they will continue to slide and their sales dominance will soon be over. I have sympathy for the people being laid off in Kansas but I have no sympathy for Harley Davidson. Good riddance.

 

[Fire34]

Thats what I told the wife

Funny you mentioned the motor home, I keep telling the wife we can seel the house buy a motor home and live in Wally worlds parking lots. But we went thru the midlife crisis when we got our spyder and cant wait to get back on it. I guess we could pull it behind the motor home

Dave

Friends at Ocean City MD Bike Week last September discussed this.
We generally agreed that MCs are outrageously expensive and getting worse.
We also agreed that sooner or later we would buy our last bike as a result.
I did some math.......I have spent roughly $50,000 on bikes in just the last 12 years.
50,000 / 12 = $4,000+ per year I could have spend on vacations.
That $4,000 does NOT include vacations done on the MC.
I have considered an RV or other avenue of enjoyment just so I can get away from being what I consider "robbed".
Unfortunately I love riding and like all addictions......it whispers to me....softly....buy me, ride me, make me your b*tch.:yikes:

 

[Road-Kill]

Having owned both I will suggest that traveling by RV is all about the destination whereas traveling by bike/trike is all about GETTING to the destination. Possible exceptions for Sturgis and Daytona Bike Week.

Funny you mentioned the motor home, I keep telling the wife we can seel the house buy a motor home and live in Wally worlds parking lots. But we went thru the midlife crisis when we got our spyder and cant wait to get back on it. I guess we could pull it behind the motor home

Dave

RinconRyder. I could not agree more and is the main reason why I never bought an RV and smaller more towable bike.
Why buy a touring bike just to tow it.

Fire34. All of my friends with RVs actually spend more on their RVs then someone staying in a hotel.
Loan, Maintenance, Insurance, RV Park Fees and Gas! (the thrill of 8 MPG!)
I'll take riding my bike and staying at a hotel over buying an RV any day.

 

[frigmall]

Motorcycles are a great way to leave your cares at home if only for a little while. I like boating and RV'ing but both require planned, limited usage. I can take my bike out of the garage and cruise around town or go to dinner with my wife for a couple of hours then put it back in the corner of the garage any time I want. I can ride it to work and take the long way home at night.
I have owned 5 Harley's over the last 8 years. I have seen the price tags steadily increase in that time. I think they are great bikes but when I was at my local dealer yesterday it seemed the average price was $20K. The larger or better optioned bikes were $25K. And the top of the line bikes were $40K. But, not that much different from the Spyders in the other showroom My wife's F3-T listed out over $27K.
Everybody needs a way to relieve the tension of everyday living.I believe the number of folks who can make a monthly payment on a $20K note for a "toy" is dwindling. Job pressures are increasing. Productivity is tracked, performance is micro measured. Disposable income is at an all time low and most people's paychecks are taken up with paying for living. A bike is an individual or at the most "couple" toy. It doesn't fall into the the "family toy" category. That's why you see more "empty nesters" on them. We don't have to worry about what would happen to the kids if something happened and we have more disposable income. I think the demographic has changed, there currently are less old folks and more young families.
I see a lot of the cheap scooters around and maybe the big bike companies need to start concentrating their efforts into looking at making more affordable bikes for everybody.
Exit the soapbox........

 

[MR. H1956]

This time of year no bike shops make a huge amount of money. Its the nature of the season. And people getting older and going to trikes from 2 wheels. Or just not riding at all due to health issues. I mean what 60 yr old wants to set up a 1000 lb bike after their better half get on the seat and you have get it off the kick stand. After I dumped my wife 3 times on the ground it was time for 3 wheels. Best move we ever made. Happy wife happy life.

 

[UtahPete]

You nailed it. Overall motorcycle sales are in a bit of a slump but it is more of a recession and not a depression, to use financial terms. The market will come back. BMW and Ducati are both increasing the number of units sold. The problem is Harley Davidson. They waited much too long to make "improvements" and when they did the improvements were simply attempting to catch up. They were never in the front of anyone on anything. They have never had an entry level machine. They now have the 500 and 750cc machines but again they are too little too late and in any case those two are kind of pathetic. Harley had a chance to actually have a sportbike on their showroom with the Buell but we all know what happened there and it wasn't Buell's fault. Harley has pandered to pot bellied bearded men and their tattooed lady friends for far too many decades. It is much, much too late for them to reverse the trend. Harley is in no danger of going out of business anytime soon but they will continue to slide and their sales dominance will soon be over. I have sympathy for the people being laid off in Kansas but I have no sympathy for Harley Davidson. Good riddance.

:agree:

 

[RinconRyder]

They have never had an entry level machine.

You are obviously too young to remember the Harley Hummer of the late 50's.

https://www.google.com/search?q=harley+hummer&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&client=firefox-b-1

 

[RinconRyder]

RinconRyder. I could not agree more and is the main reason why I never bought an RV and smaller more towable bike. Why buy a touring bike just to tow it.

Fire34. All of my friends with RVs actually spend more on their RVs then someone staying in a hotel.
Loan, Maintenance, Insurance, RV Park Fees and Gas! (the thrill of 8 MPG!)
I'll take riding my bike and staying at a hotel over buying an RV any day.

There are good reasons for buying an RV but driving and paying for them aren't two of them.

We bought ours so we could camp in remote and unimproved areas with our young children. Much easier to camp in an RV than with little kids in a leaky or windy tent - especially where wildlife is abundant.

One of our favorite places was Glamis, CA which is well known as a sand-riding area for ATV's. We found that it is either windy, rainy, very hot or very cold and the RV is the perfect way to have a good night's sleep in those conditions (and the only way wifey would agree to go). Ditto for fishing trips into the high mountains where the RV's heater saved a lot of complaining by the troops.

If I were to do it again I would buy a dualie truck and a toy hauler instead of a motor home. Much more versatile and you don't have to pack your home along should you want to take an off road excursion along the way.

 

[Road-Kill]

There are good reasons for buying an RV but driving and paying for them aren't two of them.

We bought ours so we could camp in remote and unimproved areas with our young children. Much easier to camp in an RV than with little kids in a leaky or windy tent - especially where wildlife is abundant.

One of our favorite places was Glamis, CA which is well known as a sand-riding area for ATV's. We found that it is either windy, rainy, very hot or very cold and the RV is the perfect way to have a good night's sleep in those conditions (and the only way wifey would agree to go). Ditto for fishing trips into the high mountains where the RV's heater saved a lot of complaining by the troops.

If I were to do it again I would buy a dualie truck and a toy hauler instead of a motor home. Much more versatile and you don't have to pack your home along should you want to take an off road excursion along the way.

I have never owned an RV but many of my friends and family have or still are "roaders".
Besides the money end of it I find stress being the number one factor they dump their RVs. (lots of mechanical issues develop)
Yes they are fun but anything fun comes with a price tag.
I was looking into buying a small 8x12 trailer, putting in vents, windows and a cot.
I can haul my bike to an RV campground, push it out and ride then stay inside my "non-leaky" trailer.
Its cheap, lite to haul and solves many issues.

 

[UtahPete]

I have never owned an RV but many of my friends and family have or still are "roaders". Besides the money end of it I find stress being the number one factor they dump their RVs. (lots of mechanical issues develop) Yes they are fun but anything fun comes with a price tag. I was looking into buying a small 8x12 trailer, putting in vents, windows and a cot. I can haul my bike to an RV campground, push it out and ride then stay inside my "non-leaky" trailer. Its cheap, lite to haul and solves many issues.

Owning an RV isn't about saving money on hotel rooms. It's more about a lifestyle that either appeals to you or doesn't. People don't buy sailboats or touring motorcycles for that matter to solve a cost of transportation problem and if they do they are quickly abused of that notion.

Sailors say owning a sailboat is like standing in a cold shower throwing $100 bills out the window. nojoke

 

[CA Railwhale]

rv expenses

RinconRyder. I could not agree more and is the main reason why I never bought an RV and smaller more towable bike.
Why buy a touring bike just to tow it.

Fire34. All of my friends with RVs actually spend more on their RVs then someone staying in a hotel.
Loan, Maintenance, Insurance, RV Park Fees and Gas! (the thrill of 8 MPG!)
I'll take riding my bike and staying at a hotel over buying an RV any day.

I figure about a hundred bucks a day for fuel when I use my RV. So if I'm taking a short-duration trip of one or two days, I take the car and stay in hotels, it's usually cheaper that way. For longer trips, or ones where I don't want to stay on a schedule I take the RV and tow the Spyder. With the RV I can take my dog and cat which saves me about 40 bucks a day. The RV saves in food costs and you have your own stuff with you, and you don't have to pack and unpack every day. It's all a balancing act and you have to find what works for you.

If I was single and had no animals I'd happily travel on the Spyder, but my wife's physical needs require more comfort.