Give a Shift About Motorcycling

Originally Published in Southeastern Rider Motorcycle Magazine, May 2018

Thoughts on the Give a Shift Survey and Conversation.

I realize that there are a lot of you out there

on two wheels that are just happy to ride your ride, eat up some scenic roads, and only care about the industry when you need a new ride. Why should we all be concerned about the industry we enjoy so much? More people doing the same interest that you enjoy usually means more choices, more supply, and often a less expensive experience. Here is another reason to be concerned now: motorcycle sales are down, at the same time there has never been a greater variety of options. From Harley Davidson jumping in with 500 and 750cc bikes, to Honda bringing the Africa Twin to the states, to higher tech electric and automatic bikes. From the experienced rider to the newbie, everyone should be able to find something to ride. Then there are traditional models receiving an array of technological upgrades, like Yamaha’s Star Venture and the new Honda Goldwing.

Overall, the motorcycle population is older, and more riders sun-setting than are raising a leg over the saddle. With that in mind, a conference was created to address the disappearing market, called “Give a Shift”, it brought together the top twenty-five most influential people in motorcycling. Since yours truly didn’t receive an invite, I’m assuming I was just outside the cut. Perhaps if more readers share my musings, next time I will crack that top quarter?

One of the main issues that was brought up quickly was the cost of entry for younger and beginning riders. With things like student loans hanging over most millennials, it was thought that many of those in their 20’s just can’t afford to buy a bike, insurance and accompanying gear.

This was countered by the fact that the Recreational Vehicle Industry has seen rebounding sales since The Great Recession, with many of those buyers being younger. The RV Industry has done a great job in selling the adventure, and thus, value of the investment. It was also noted that RV’s are inherently safer than motorcycles.

So, when it comes to new, younger folks coming to buy a motorcycle and join the riding community, the conference thought the problem must be desirability. Manufacturers, dealerships, and riders all have to become ambassadors for riding. They even went beyond that to say that we all need to “relentlessly” spread the word, and recruit new riders. The audience of prospective riders has changed, but most of us have not. I look at motorcycling as a special area of interest, one with inherit dangers that need to be respected. I haven’t feel comfortable pushing the activity on others. On the other hand, when someone shows even a small interest, it needs to be cultivated. I’m pledging to not only do a better job of that, but also spark some interest, as well. The conference also said current riders have to understand that millennials will have concerns about safety and finances. Many start out their adult lives with crippling student loans, but they too have the desire to pursue the American Dream of family and home ownership. 

The industry has had a slump before, as you can see in the late
1980's through the 1990's. Was it just the baby boom bulge in
population, or a natural cycle? Pun intended.

To me, another big hurdle is technology and social media. While many in the riding community have adapted well to using the internet to get the word out. That same social media can be keeping new riders from throwing a leg over the saddle. The internet can take you anywhere in the world, safely and inexpensively. This is an obstacle the Recreational Vehicle also has. I think they have done a great job of making travel a personal experience.

The conference really spent time being critical of  dealerships, and how they have been stuck in days of old. Many dealerships are looking for the next big sale which is most often a current owner upgrading to the latest bike with a big price tag. In order to grow the market, those selling bikes need to figure how they can get more people through the doors, and once they arrive, make them feel welcome. Whether they are ready to buy on that visit or not, the value always needs to be sold.

I hear most of those who I ride with refer to them as the “Stealerships”. Look on any forum, it is a pretty common term. A lot of the same forums are run by dealerships. The point being, even for those of who won’t think about giving up riding, it is an adversarial relationship. I don’t see a lot of that changing with the brick and mortar establishment. In my own experience, it’s either you’re attacked, or just left alone, as invisible as you feel sitting on your bike in heavy city traffic. 

Two tales of my experience to the same multi-brand motorcycle store near me might explain it. A fellow rider and I visited on our bikes. We were greeted once we stepped through the doors, and never left alone as we toured the large showroom. I mentioned my interest to the salesman who approached us that I was interested in a particular model. They didn’t have one on the floor, but he took down my name and email. He hung with the whole time we were there, even though I told him I was several months from a purchase. A few weeks later, I got an email telling me they had what I was looking for sitting on the floor.

Another trip, a few months later with my favorite riding partner, Kasey, we may as well have been draped in an invisibility cloak. We even both mounted a thirty thousand-dollar Indian Roadmaster, pulled off the kickstand, pressed about every button, and still gathered no attention.

So, if this is the attention a pair of riders, who rode to the dealership, get, you can imagine how someone who hasn’t ever thrown a leg over a saddle might feel on a visit. 

Two segments of potential buyers that the conference determined is underserved are the aforementioned younger riders, and women. I wrote about younger buyers above, but the council used the phrase, “Shrink It and Pink It” to apply to how manufacturers and dealers have tried to capitalize on female riders.

Where I see the cycle scenery changing is online. Just recently, I got notice that one of my favorite online retail outlets updated their website. The new look for Jafrum.com is clean, easy to navigate, filter and see customer reviews. As someone with a background in online marketing, those reviews are a powerful online sales technique.

Revzilla.com, another online store on my short list of web destinations, has advanced the market even further. Already a leader in using video, they not only added a female host to describe and review women’s gear, but have developed their own online series of online episodes. My hope is that these online retailers will lead the way of the evolution of the industry.

Nearly half of the ownership of motorcycles are 50 years and older. Later this
year, I, myself will move from the red to the blue.

Despite getting size and color hand me downs, women who ride has been a segment that has seen growth, if not an explosion. I’ve been riding since I was four years old, and I never saw my mother ride, just my brother and father. Today, when I have planned a ride, it’s no surprise to see several lady riders.

Training and safety are other hurdles the industry has to get over. While fewer young riders are replacing those who are retiring from the road, it isn’t necessarily because of affordability. As mentioned before, the Recreational Vehicle Industry is not suffering any losses, but actually making gains with Millennials, as well as other groups. It appears that disposable income is there, but those dollars are being spent on something that appears to be a safer, more rewarding alternative.

For myself, and the club that I am involved with, Cruiser Club, USA, we need to do a better job creating interest, and cultivating that interest into content, confident cyclists. Instead of the inherit dangers, we need to promote the freeing and rewarding experience that can be had with the right training and the right gear. The council spoke of “Turn Key” Riders. These are people who come into a dealership knowing what they want, ready to buy, ready to ride. We can’t rely on dealerships to change their methods or develop ways to draw people through the doors. Individuals and clubs together can make this happen. A dealer near me here in North Carolina has been heavily advertising a new riders course, designed for those who never thought about riding a motorcycle.

One group that I didn’t see spoken about during the conference was one that my editor, and riding partner, brought up. It’s the group that started the wave of motorcycle ownership after World War II. My better half is an Air Force Veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm in the early 1990’s. For her, it truly is wind therapy, and she believes that the new veterans could also enjoy the adrenaline, freedom and exploration of the road less traveled. Perhaps the industry, and this panel, take this group for granted?

So what’s my final take on the conference and findings? Dealerships are going to be slow to change, unless they see a future payoff. I’m enthused to see some manufactures moving to attract younger buyers. Harley, Honda and BMW are all pitching smaller, more entry level and user-friendly bikes. Online retailers seem to be leading the charge on openness to new markets. The rubber meets the road with all us. We must take the lead for our hobby. Don’t be afraid to show off your bike to person who just took a double take. If you are heading to a Dealership, invite a non-riding friend to come along. Answer their questions, see if you can get them in a saddle, and show them the controls. Who knows who might become your newest riding partner?

Rodney Myers is Rider, a Writer, and Video Storyteller. He started riding around age 5. He made up stories before he knew how to write, and was fortunate enough to attend a high school that had a television station.

To read more of my motorcycle stories, you can check out my Motorcycle Blog at:

www.Blogspot.RodneysMCBlog.com

For more information:

Give a Shift Reports and Transcripts: https://spaces.hightail.com/receive/SdhSlwwnDH