No easy ride: Motorcycle industry is in deep trouble and needs help fast, panel agrees

Tenacious P
Posts
325
Joined
9/1/2016
Location
SoCal, CA US
12/19/2017 3:03pm
Rdubs19 wrote:
Insurance is expensive as hell even for cheap street bikes unless you can combine it with a home policy or something. Most young people in the...
Insurance is expensive as hell even for cheap street bikes unless you can combine it with a home policy or something. Most young people in the market for a cheap motorcycle, or young people in general don't have a house policy in the first place.
I really don't know if a lot of people want motorcycles that don't already have one, but the cost is extremely prohibitive if someone does. Loan payment plus insurance is going to be a couple hundred per month, plus several hundred more up front for gear. For motocross in particular you have a LOT to buy if you're starting from scratch.
For young people not making much, historically high housing costs especially for renters, and possibly student loans and car payments, there's just not motorcycle money left over for most people. I know everybody likes to shit on young people, and none of this really applies to me because I have a high income, but I'm 27 and I know what the situation is for most people in my age group.
You hit a lot of good points here.

A new Suzuki SV650 can be had for about $7k before taxes... decent bike that 10 years ago would have been considered a "beginner" model. Not too bad, plus it will keep it's value fairly well.

Then you check full coverage insurance prices because you must finance because you don't have a spare $7k lying around... it's $3500/year. are you freaking kidding me? That's almost $10/day just to insure! after 2 years (assuming no accidents) you will have completely paid for a replacement bike in insurance costs alone. By the time you finally pay off the motorcycle 5 years later you have now paid enough in insurance and principle to pay for the bike 3.5 times over... about $25k before finance charges. The thing will probably have 10k miles on it and you'll sell it for $5k just to get out from the insurance payment. Those 10k miles cost you $20k, $2/mile, not including finance, maintenance, and apparel/gear.

The value is gone from motorcycling... and it's insurance's fault.










JustMX
Posts
4567
Joined
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Location
TN US
12/19/2017 6:47pm
dirtmike86 wrote:
More people will be riding sex robots in 20 years then motorcycles.
If they can figure out a way to combine bikes and sex robots it might help sales.

It would also completely redefine "dual sport", "dual purpose", and "adventure bikes"
JustMX
Posts
4567
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
TN US
12/19/2017 6:54pm
motogrady wrote:
I'll bite. There are 3 letters missing. AMA. They were created, almost a century ago, with the goal to promote and grow, heck some would say...
I'll bite.

There are 3 letters missing.

AMA.

They were created, almost a century ago, with the goal to promote and grow, heck some would say save, the industry back then.
What have they done lately?
Besides offer free towing.

Any ads on TV promoting the lifestyle?
How about radio.
Anyone catch an ad in USA Today on the sport of motorcycling?
I know I haven't.

Besides the magazine, which only existing members get, or the exposure that comes from the different
racing venues, which by the way pay The AMA, what the f@@@ are they doing to promote us to the general public?

Would it kill the budget, are things that tight in Ohio, to run even a few 15 second spots on a few mainstream
programs?

One wonders, is the guy running that organization, with his vision of cloning a 2 wheel AAA, the right guy for the job? Is that the way to secure motorcyclings future growth?

How many here salivate at the thought of free roadside assistance?
Or 15% off a motel bill?
Anyone?
Is that what got you into bikes?

Yes, they say, and probably do, fight for our rights in DC. And I'm not saying that isn't something to be ignored, or taken lightly.

But, that was not their Mission Statement in the beginning.

In ones opinion, they need to read their history, where they came from, and maybe get back to some of that.
They hold a great responsibility to the welfare, and well being of this industry.
Keeping it in the public eye, assuring interest, assuring growth, can and should not be left to the manufacturers and race promoters alone.

If the powers that be, at the very top of the AMA, don't see that, or maybe don't believe that, or don't want to do that, well, maybe it's time for a change, to someone that does.
If you honestly think advertising on tv, radio, and USA TODAY is the solution to help save the motorcycling industry then you may very well be more of the problem than the solution.
12/19/2017 7:06pm Edited Date/Time 12/19/2017 7:07pm
You hit a lot of good points here. A new Suzuki SV650 can be had for about $7k before taxes... decent bike that 10 years ago...
You hit a lot of good points here.

A new Suzuki SV650 can be had for about $7k before taxes... decent bike that 10 years ago would have been considered a "beginner" model. Not too bad, plus it will keep it's value fairly well.

Then you check full coverage insurance prices because you must finance because you don't have a spare $7k lying around... it's $3500/year. are you freaking kidding me? That's almost $10/day just to insure! after 2 years (assuming no accidents) you will have completely paid for a replacement bike in insurance costs alone. By the time you finally pay off the motorcycle 5 years later you have now paid enough in insurance and principle to pay for the bike 3.5 times over... about $25k before finance charges. The thing will probably have 10k miles on it and you'll sell it for $5k just to get out from the insurance payment. Those 10k miles cost you $20k, $2/mile, not including finance, maintenance, and apparel/gear.

The value is gone from motorcycling... and it's insurance's fault.










Full coverage for my SV650 was about $500-600/yr.

The Shop

BShoe
Posts
4
Joined
10/19/2016
Location
La Crosse, WI US
12/19/2017 7:16pm
Don`t want to pile on here but I was at Progressive motorcycle show Dec9 in Minneapolis - Yamaha , KTM , Husky , Triumph and Guzzi all no show .
kaptkaos
Posts
1087
Joined
11/17/2015
Location
Miami, FL US
12/19/2017 7:49pm
You hit a lot of good points here. A new Suzuki SV650 can be had for about $7k before taxes... decent bike that 10 years ago...
You hit a lot of good points here.

A new Suzuki SV650 can be had for about $7k before taxes... decent bike that 10 years ago would have been considered a "beginner" model. Not too bad, plus it will keep it's value fairly well.

Then you check full coverage insurance prices because you must finance because you don't have a spare $7k lying around... it's $3500/year. are you freaking kidding me? That's almost $10/day just to insure! after 2 years (assuming no accidents) you will have completely paid for a replacement bike in insurance costs alone. By the time you finally pay off the motorcycle 5 years later you have now paid enough in insurance and principle to pay for the bike 3.5 times over... about $25k before finance charges. The thing will probably have 10k miles on it and you'll sell it for $5k just to get out from the insurance payment. Those 10k miles cost you $20k, $2/mile, not including finance, maintenance, and apparel/gear.

The value is gone from motorcycling... and it's insurance's fault.










Full coverage for my SV650 was about $500-600/yr.
And you will never get $5K for it either when you try to sell it.
NorCal 50+
Posts
1457
Joined
5/31/2017
Location
Grass Valley, CA US
12/19/2017 10:05pm
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is having to have a garage or a place to keep the bikes. I live in Philadelphia and It's not...
One thing that hasn't been mentioned is having to have a garage or a place to keep the bikes. I live in Philadelphia and It's not only more expensive to find a house for rent with a garage but almost impossible to find in the first place since most of the affordable old houses didn't have garages to begin with. There's no way I would live in this city and not keep my bikes inside. Then add on the insurance, riding / racing fees, payments, maintenance etc. and your talking a huge commitment. It's a lot easier to not worry about all that stuff and spend your money at bars or on mountain bike or something else
I used to rent a storage unit to store and work on my bike when I lived in an apartment- but that gets time consuming with driving and loading and unloading. Renting a home with a garage near any major city is expensive as you said.
The bottom line is it's easier to ride if you live in the sticks.

I remember getting up at 5 am on a Sunday in the pouring rain to go race an amateur points race and wondering what I'm doing, driving through darkness and fog to race a dirt bike. It's not like logic is really being applied here. Woohoo
lumpy790
Posts
9145
Joined
9/18/2007
Location
York, SC US
12/20/2017 5:44am
I started working in the MC industry in 1980 and it has gone up and down many times. Motorcycles are toys and Inflation has limited peoples toy money.
dirtmike86
Posts
1180
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10/28/2015
Location
Grand Terrace, CA US
12/20/2017 6:52am
dirtmike86 wrote:
More people will be riding sex robots in 20 years then motorcycles.
JustMX wrote:
If they can figure out a way to combine bikes and sex robots it might help sales. It would also completely redefine "dual sport", "dual purpose"...
If they can figure out a way to combine bikes and sex robots it might help sales.

It would also completely redefine "dual sport", "dual purpose", and "adventure bikes"
You sir are a genius.
kkawboy14
Posts
11494
Joined
6/5/2015
Location
TX US
12/20/2017 8:08am
BShoe wrote:
Don`t want to pile on here but I was at Progressive motorcycle show Dec9 in Minneapolis - Yamaha , KTM , Husky , Triumph and Guzzi...
Don`t want to pile on here but I was at Progressive motorcycle show Dec9 in Minneapolis - Yamaha , KTM , Husky , Triumph and Guzzi all no show .
Wow that’s crazy!

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