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Secret motorcycle industry panel looks for ways to reverse sagging sales

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http://www.latimes.com/business/autos/la-fi-hy-secret-motorcycle-summit-20171117-story.html

Hey Budman,

It just might be a really good time to bring the "industry" onboard for a proper M2, and adjustments to the CMSP that we've been talking about recently.


Hours before the 2017 Progressive International Motorcycle Show opened its doors at the Long Beach Convention Center, a secret cabal of industry veterans was meeting privately to discuss troubled U.S. motorcycle sales.

...

Those participating identified the problem areas as high prices for bikes, gear and insurance; indifference to female and minority riders; insufficient outreach to new riders; inadequate motorcycle safety training;

...


“The industry doubled down on the aging baby boomer market … when it should have been figuring out how to bring ‘transportation’ and ‘congestion relief’ to a broader, poorer market,” one survey participant wrote.

“We as a collective industry are great at selling bikes to those who know they want to buy a motorcycle,” another wrote. “We are terrible at selling bikes to people who have yet to discover there is a rider inside of them.”

...

“The U.S. motorcycle market, the way it’s currently structured, is not sustainable,” Copes said. “Normally you would have a lot of lightweight motorcycles making up a majority of the market, and at the top you have fewer riders on heavier and more expensive motorcycles. But everyone has been chasing the high end. Every manufacturer’s job now is … to get new riders into motorcycling.”
 
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It's good to know they are looking at the problem. Now getting new riders will be the challenge. It will be interesting to see what is done to bring about a change in new ridership.
 
The economic condition of the population in general, and young people in particular, is in decline, and non-essentials such as motorcycles (to most everyone) suffer accordingly.

Good luck with that messaging/outreach, trying to sell to those who can’t afford to leave their parents basements.

And good luck to us all, frankly, as the next, more destructive iteration of the economic crisis seems fast approaching.
 
The cost of living is high, wages for non tech jobs are low and generation of kids being coddled and bring taught to avoid anything dangerous or uncomfortable it's no surprise that Moto sales are down.
 
I say put Ohlins on everything and drop the prices by 20% across the board. Sales will rocket :)
 
Further development of “clean” two stroke technology and use it to produce cheap entry level machines. Build some 4 cylinder 500’s for the rest of us.
 
IMO the biggest issue is that there is basically no communication outside of the motorcycle circle. All of the motorcycle companies should chip in on a "go ride" marketing campaign. It should shows different kinds riding (dirt, adventure, commuting, scooters, canyon carving, track riding etc) to get people interested one way or another. Then they should include all of the local trainings with CSMP, MSF and whatever else is out there too.

People with zero experience and no riding friends only see motorcycles zooming down the highway. Cant blame them for not wanting to get into it when they think riding is only rolling down a highway.
 
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Further development of “clean” two stroke technology and use it to produce cheap entry level machines. Build some 4 cylinder 500’s for the rest of us.

Emissions and sound requirements are going to make sure this never happens.
 
These manufs all need to get back to basics, selling fun, cheap transportation to normal people. This is the ad that made Honda America a success. Normal people on a motorcycle having a nice time.

You_meet_the_nicest_people_on_a_Honda.jpg


This is current Kawi advertising:

K0QxPJR_SN61qZPZGyyAsg


Not-normal people, not really having fun, with an astronomical price of entry. What the industry needs is kids on 50cc machines, not weirdos perched on a racing machine out of its element.
 
Emissions and sound requirements are going to make sure this never happens.

Unfortunately, I believe that you are correct. But man, I wish they would.
 
These manufs all need to get back to basics, selling fun, cheap transportation to normal people.

You are so right. I got a good laugh at: "not weirdos perched on a racing machine" :teeth

That being said, Fuck mainstream society. They have no idea what they are missing. Let the self-driving cars take over, it will be a welcome change. Steady, predictably driven automobiles are what the fringe biker needs in 2017, regardless of what they are riding. My coworker picked up a 50cc Zuma to replace his bicycle commutes to the grocery store. Not my cup of tea but a thumbs up for the effort.
 
The economic condition of the population in general, and young people in particular, is in decline, and non-essentials such as motorcycles (to most everyone) suffer accordingly.

Good luck with that messaging/outreach, trying to sell to those who can’t afford to leave their parents basements.

And good luck to us all, frankly, as the next, more destructive iteration of the economic crisis seems fast approaching.

Organize!


Or die.
 
but how to do you sell the idea of riding to a generation that is scared of danger?

Decrease motor displacement, put in a floor board, give the motorcycle a cute name like Vespa, and call it a scooter.

I have no idea what is going on with the scooter market, maybe things are kicking on that end? From the looks in SF, it appears many people have them.
 
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