Posts: 1904
Joined: 9/12/2011
Location: Haiku, HI USA
Edited Date/Time:
does anyone buy anything anymore due to pro rider use or endorsements??? gear, helmets, boots???
not even sure it matters for bikes as Carmichael or Roczen didn't seem to do much for suzuki, but other hand is almost for sure Dungey winning helped KTM?
but with all the "sponsorship" deals for almost anyone that sends in a resume to any company anywhere, do you think anyone cares? curious to hear what y'all think
Posts: 90
Joined: 7/24/2017
Location: Asterisk, TX USA
For whatever reason, seems Suzuki cant catch a break with buyers
What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence.
Posts: 2280
Joined: 8/7/2009
Location: NM, USA
I bought my first suzuki because of Carmichael riding one. Figured I would give it a chance.
Glad I did.
Posts: 44
Joined: 9/22/2017
Location: Pittsford, MI USA
I would never go out and buy product x because so and so wears it. Now if I am shopping for something and I find two products of what appears similar in quality and price and my favorite rider wears product a instead of b I will choose product a. Also, if I am shopping for something and I see a product that I do not see anyone wearing I am going to be skeptical of it right off the bat.
Posts: 350
Joined: 11/16/2012
Location: Kokomo, IN USA
Posts: 6981
Joined: 7/16/2015
Location: Eau Claire, WI USA
For adults, no probably not. But for kids, absolutely. Then the kids go to their parents for money.
Posts: 1685
Joined: 9/29/2016
Location: TN, USA
Posts: 127
Joined: 8/5/2016
Location: Dalton, GA USA
I like to see gear in riders before I commit to buying some just so I can see how it looks when you are actually wearing it. Kinda diva like.
Posts: 697
Joined: 3/6/2017
Location: Indian Trail, NC USA
Someone mentioned above that kids do this and I totally agree. I ran through the gauntlet of bikes on my wishlist pretty much based off of my favorite riders when I was 11 - 15.
Sometimes as an adult I find myself liking the way a certain brand of gear looks with a certain brand of bike, but not universally in all cases.
Posts: 815
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: USA
I don't buy a product because someone endorses it. But I do shop at Rocky Mountain because they support a team. Also I have GEICO insurance because they support a team. Etc.
Posts: 2068
Joined: 10/12/2017
Location: Pittsburgh, PA USA
Posts: 6201
Joined: 2/13/2013
Location: OH, USA
I think its more an awareness that a product is available than actually buying something because their hero has it.
Think of it like this, you may sell a product to 10% of the people that are in the market for your product and a re aware of your product. If a rider endorses your product then maybe 2x the amount of people are aware of your product but you still sell to 10% of those people. You doubled your sales because of the endorsment.
Generally I think the more expensive something is the less sales are influenced by endorsement, ie bikes.
Posts: 3928
Joined: 3/29/2011
Location: way north, IN USA
Edited Date/Time:
I bought a pair of vans because they were poto edition ...
scte3.0 pro-line trinity tekin
Posts: 1773
Joined: 11/27/2015
Location: TX, USA
- How many guys you see at the MX track wearing Moose gear?
- How many people you know in the US running Ohlins suspension?
- How many guys you see at the track smoking Camel cigarrettes?
- How many more people now are wearing Fly gear than 10 years ago?
Listen to PulpMX podcast with Pete Fox and he talks about the impact. It's a huge deal and definitely drives sales
Posts: 8285
Joined: 3/4/2012
Location: OH, USA
I bought a husky because....I dunno I thought it looked like a 1990s Bike. Graphics were simple and clean.....and then when it won a sx championship it made me Think I was smart by buying one.....? Mental things. Kinda want a Honda. But not because roczen is riding one. I just get excited about new dirt bikes, new designs. I wanna ride them.....don’t care what factory is riding them.
GP740
Since 1987
Posts: 453
Joined: 10/11/2016
Location: Elk Grove, CA USA
Edited Date/Time:
Posts: 8428
Joined: 3/12/2011
Location: Fort Worth, TX USA
Anybody buy that polka dot gear because Seely made it look good? Lol. What about that gear that Tomac was wearing that looked like a rainbow threw up on it?
I am a fan of that retro/simple gear that Reed seemed to like a couple of years ago. Clean looking. But I wouldn't buy something solely because a rider was wearing it.
Posts: 3510
Joined: 10/13/2009
Location: Layton, UT USA
Edited Date/Time:
I can't really speak to how I feel now as a 35 year old, but as a youngster did it matter to me what a guy like McGrath wore or rode? Absolutely. I was a freaking billboard for whatever Jeremy was doing at the time. No Fear everything! Now Thor everything! Helmet fin? Sure! Giant numbers for my bike? Hell yeah! I also (like the poster above) bought my first Suzuki after RC went over and am thrilled that I did. Hell, even now my son has an RC replica Stider bike. Now? Hard for me to say. I don't really ride these days. Once that changes we will see. But I sure remember a ton of people wearing whatever Fro, or MC, or RC or Bubba were wearing back in the day. The second RC took the throne from Jeremy the number of people I saw wearing the orange Fox gear was nuts.
Are you smart enough to buy a bike that costs less, weighs less, makes more horsepower per cubic centimeter, can be rebuilt for recycled aluminum can money and is giggle inducing? It is hard to believe that the American riding public flunks this test en masse. How stupid are you?
Posts: 209
Joined: 5/19/2016
Location: Portland, OR USA
It still has a major impact. It's the reason KTM is as relevant as it is now. They weren't nearly as relevant before they started winning championships.
The paradigm for buying a bike has changed big time though. Consumers aren't limited to a few print publications and 2 series of pro races to decide on what bike to purchase. You've got all kinds of information available at your fingertips now with youtube, forums, etc.
Dealerships still haven't caught up with it yet. I had the worst purchasing experience of my life at Motosport Hillsboro for instance. Scumbag car dealership vibes. I already knew what I wanted, and had financing lined up. All I needed to do was go in, sign the paperwork and leave with the bike. Instead it took like 4 hours, getting ignored, then scoffed at for coming in too early... all this weird out of nowhere bs. On the other hand I went to See See KTM which is a brand new dealership and had a great purchasing experience. No hassle, no pressure.
Posts: 6219
Joined: 4/19/2008
Location: Boulder, CO USA
I essentially bought a suzi in 97 because MC was riding one, so ya it works if you have the right guy on your team.
Btw, imagine what suzi sales would be if they never had Rc, dungey, or k roc....
www.bettercallsaul.com
Die Antwoord
Posts: 1393
Joined: 5/31/2017
Location: Grass Valley, CA USA
KTM is a good example. Of course they will sell more bikes by winning races, and to do that, they need top riders.
Also, selling products is not the only marketing purpose of riders, in fact it is probably secondary to getting people to the races. Nobody shows up to watch a SX with racers you have never heard of.
It's impossible for a corporation or government to love you or care about you.
Posts: 2300
Joined: 9/29/2009
Location: Fort Dodge, IA USA
Local pro riders do I think. When I was growing up one of the local pros wore TLD gear and everyone else wore the same gear. Same for the bikes. One pro was on Honda, the other on Kawi so that is what everyone rode. I think fly racing is smart by grabbing anyone and everyone for that reason.
Posts: 7145
Joined: 2/3/2010
Location: Lehi, UT USA
If there is a product I’ve never tried-or brand of a product I’ve never tried l-and there are pro riders or teams running the product it’s instant credibility-I know that just because a company buys advertising space on the bike or rider doesn’t necessarily mean they are running the product, but still.
I’ve been riding long enough now-nearly 30 Year’s, Im 37-that for all the major stuff I know what I like and don’t like, and pro riders/teams have no affect on that at all. I like Klim Gear, Sidi Boots, Scott Goggles, Kenda tires, Scott grips, Acerbis Plastics, IMS tanks, Primary Drive chain and sprockets, FMF exhaust...and I shop at Rocky Mountain 99% of the time.
I have no bike brand loyalty, I buy those off of rider reviews (not magazine shootouts) of people that I ride/race with. My last three bikes were: Kawasaki, Yamaha, Honda. My next bike will probably be a YZ250X or KTM300XC-most likely the YZ.
Posts: 10066
Joined: 1/4/2014
Location: FIN
Edited Date/Time:
Not for me.
This is just my opinion, no offence but you are a complete moron if you buy a product because a rider endorses it.
Read reviews on various sites, try it at a dealer, go ride demo days, ask Keefer or Michael what they think about it, maybe someone you know has experience of that product etc.
The only thing that i understand is if you want to support Pulp MX show and buy something of one of their sponsors and at the same time get a few % off the purchase but to blindly just buy things because certain riders use certain products is something i can't understand, especially if we talk about bikes.
Current fleet of two wheeled vehicles:
- Yamaha YZ450F 2020
- Suzuki GSX-R 600 K7 track spec
- Canyon Sender CF 8.0 2018 Downhill
- White GX Pro 20 Gravel
Posts: 3645
Joined: 3/11/2013
Location: San Clemente, CA USA
Posts: 619
Joined: 7/6/2012
Location: GBR
RV - Answer.
Will it make me buy Answer?, no.
2020.5 KTM Cairoli Factory Edition 5.7hrs
2019 Alta Redshift MXR - 0.9hrs!.
2020 KTM 250 SX 5hrs.
imoto34 wrote:
Look at all that torque. The kid on the lawnmower may have laughed so hard he shat his pants.
Posts: 7145
Joined: 2/3/2010
Location: Lehi, UT USA
Posts: 395
Joined: 4/1/2008
Location: Vista, CA USA
sumdood wrote:Do Pro Riders matter anymore ? You mean these guys ?
http://www.proride.com/
The first rule of ProRide is don't talk about ProRide!
Posts: 757
Joined: 4/16/2014
Location: Little Rock, AR USA
I started buying answer gear a few years ago because the star yamaha team was wesring it and it looked great. Couldnt even find most of the same colors they had but oh well.
Posts: 285
Joined: 12/15/2016
Location: Where The Blue Grass Grows, KY USA
Well after reading thru the thread so far I would have to answer yes. Pro riders do influence both young and old alike.
