Is the era of the motorcycle over?

[rideserotta]

Last year people would come up to me at the coffee shop and tell me "hey, is that an Pad? Nice!" Now, one says anything about my iPad at the shop but someone ALWAYS says "Wow, that's a cool Ducati.  Wish I had one!"

Technology will change but the coolness of motorcycles will never go out of style.

[teddy037.3]

meh. let them have their iThings.

so what if my bike doesn't let me update my facebook?

[Rameses]

I, uh... what?

So he's saying that the sort of knobs who might once have bought a motorcycle as a fashion accessory are instead buying smart phones?

1) Can he back up this assertion?
2) Why should I be concerned?

("Next week: Are people who once purchased CDs now buying hamburgers?")

 

[Howie]

The big reason people aren't buying sportbikes like they did before the recession is that they don't have the disposable income.  If I made an extra $10K or $20k I would have an 1199 reserved with my name on it.  To keep the 1198 I would have bought 2 years ago company.  but since I don't make that extra cash, I don't have the bikes.  Young people don't have money these days,  I saw a figure this morning that the median net worth for households where both partners were over 65 was over $170,000.  The median net worth for households below 65 was just over $3000.  With those kinds of numbers, who's going to buy a $20,000 motorcycle?  I am confident that if the economy turns around, people will buy motorcycles again. 
   Lets face it, an iPad or Powerbook are both nice,  but they have nothing on a hot motorcycle.  I work in IT.  I am surrounded by neat tech toys all day.  Not one of them has ever made my heart beat faster.  There isn't a smartphone in the world that has ever sung to me through an open airbox as I open the throttle.  Bikes are having a tough stretch, but they'll come back. 

Net worth and disposable income are not the same.  Us old folk have more net worth in general because more than likely we have some savings retirement savings and equity if we own our own home.   Disposable income?  Maybe not.  Twenty something, good job, living with Mom and Dad?  Little net worth, lots of disposable income.  Fact is today, most of us have less disposable income, young and old.

The other reality is for a while motorcycles were trendy.  Lots bought them, like any other trend.  That is over.  IMO, better for the rest of us.

[BoDiddley]

While looking cool on a cool looking bike full of farkle

"full of farkle"  I really like that one.

[muskrat]

77South, most young people can't get credit like they could before.  Bikes are luxury items for most and banks are lending based on that trend.  The number of 18 year olds with hayabusas and the like are getting slimmer. 

[justinrhenry]

weird article.  doesn't make much sense.  i have an iphone and motorcycles, but one has nothing to do with the other... except that i've used my iphone to take pictures of my motorcycles and upload them to facebook. 

[Pip]

The number of 18 year olds with hayabusas and the like are getting slimmer. 

Bad economy upside. 

[NorDog]

weird article.  doesn't make much sense.  i have an iphone and motorcycles, but one has nothing to do with the other... except that i've used my iphone to take pictures of my motorcycles and upload them to facebook. 

I think the guy lives in a rarified world where everything is a fashion accessory.  I'm surprised he did write something about Hollywood actresses with tiny dogs with their heads peeking out of purses.

[SDRider]

I own a Ducati...

I don't own an iPhone...or an iPad...or an Apple computer of any kind.

[NorDog]

"full of farkle"  I really like that one.

It does sound nice doesn't it.  :-)

[muskrat]

Bad economy upside. 

Yes indeed.   Helps insurance rates 

[Privateer]

i'm just going to paste in my same reply to this article as I did on another forum:

the lack of free money (ie easy financing) did in motorcycle sales, not Apple.

and last I checked you can't jump on an iPad and get to Yellowstone, Yosemite, San Francisco, San Diego, Salton Sea, Anza, 89A, Jerome, Durango, and all the thousands of other cool spots that a motorcycle can take you. 



all electronic devices of personal importance, not just Apple's, let you consume.  Bikes let you live.

[zarn02]

and last I checked you can't jump on an iPad and get to Yellowstone, Yosemite, San Francisco, San Diego, Salton Sea, Anza, 89A, Jerome, Durango, and all the thousands of other cool spots that a motorcycle can take you. 

True. But for a certain segment of the population, all items are simply fashion accessories. These people aren't actually going to ride to any of those places on their motorcycle anyway.

[CDChase1981]

all electronic devices of personal importance, not just Apple's, let you consume.  Bikes let you live.