New motorcycle sales dropping - dealers shutting.

[Trevorleach]

Last bike I owned was a GPZ1100B1, had it for years as my only transport, went all over the country in it, handling and brakes were excellent!

 

[premmington]

Average age of a UK motorcyclist is 54 yrs old.

Honda researching this...

Interesting read below:

Honda & Nottingham Trent University | Honda Engine Room

We took the scientific approach to gain insights into the young person’s perception of motorcycles with Nottingham Trent University. Discover more here.

www.honda.co.uk

 

[mtt.tr]

Average age of a UK motorcyclist is 54 yrs old.

Honda researching this...

Interesting read below:

Honda & Nottingham Trent University | Honda Engine Room

We took the scientific approach to gain insights into the young person’s perception of motorcycles with Nottingham Trent University. Discover more here.

www.honda.co.uk

Only 22years before I'm average at something

 

[Bornfree]

Only 22years before I'm average at something

I was average 6 years ago.

 

[GRW]

Average age of a UK motorcyclist is 54 yrs old.

Honda researching this...

Interesting read below:

Honda & Nottingham Trent University | Honda Engine Room

We took the scientific approach to gain insights into the young person’s perception of motorcycles with Nottingham Trent University. Discover more here.

www.honda.co.uk

I was the average age of a motorcyclist when I was 20, again at 30, 40, 50 - now at 61 I suspect in reality for large capacity motorcycles I might still be, or even on the young side.

This is I think what is killing off big bike sales - the customer base is dying off! The govt have made the license ever harder & so costly to attain, while the bikes have got both ever more expensive, poorer build quality, while (IMO) the riding experience & involvement in riding has been removed by way to many gadgets, rider-aids & trinkets which spoil the connection between rider & machine.

Then of course you have the OTT nanny state persecution & electronic surveillance that makes owning a performance motorcycle (any large capacity m/cycle) a permanent exercise in paranoid vigilance & restraint.

So I just do not ride any more - all the feeling of freedom, joy etc I had , & the love I had for riding motorcycles got asphyxiated.
I still own an R1150R Rockster - and it's an ageing ornament that I just haven't got around to finding the time to sort out & part with (being without a m/cycle & riding was something up till my early 50's I would never have thought possible).

I entertain notions of getting a simple, smaller m/cycle - something with character that might be nice to ride around on for leisure at sensible pace around the lanes of my part of Wales - maybe when my carcass can't mountain bike any more (an activity that took over from the M/cycle partly because there's not a Thief with a Scamera lurking behind every tree, killing off any feelings of freedom & pleasure).

The entire environment (& typical UK weather) for bikes created by our own govts is IMO what is strangling m/cycles.
Its too expensive & it's like paying heavily for something you can only use at 1/10th of its capability, with massively increased risks to life, limb, licence & wallet - not an appealing combination looked at like that.

 

[RichardM]

I bought it off a bloke who did proddy racing he fitted the 1000 engine to try and keep up with the newer gsxr1100

Quite a common "mod" as the 1000 would basically just slot in.

 

[mtt.tr]

I was the average age of a motorcyclist when I was 20, again at 30, 40, 50 - now at 61 I suspect in reality for large capacity motorcycles I might still be, or even on the young side.

This is I think what is killing off big bike sales - the customer base is dying off! The govt have made the license ever harder & so costly to attain, while the bikes have got both ever more expensive, poorer build quality, while (IMO) the riding experience & involvement in riding has been removed by way to many gadgets, rider-aids & trinkets which spoil the connection between rider & machine.

Then of course you have the OTT nanny state persecution & electronic surveillance that makes owning a performance motorcycle (any large capacity m/cycle) a permanent exercise in paranoid vigilance & restraint.

So I just do not ride any more - all the feeling of freedom, joy etc I had , & the love I had for riding motorcycles got asphyxiated.
I still own an R1150R Rockster - and it's an ageing ornament that I just haven't got around to finding the time to sort out & part with (being without a m/cycle & riding was something up till my early 50's I would never have thought possible).

I entertain notions of getting a simple, smaller m/cycle - something with character that might be nice to ride around on for leisure at sensible pace around the lanes of my part of Wales - maybe when my carcass can't mountain bike any more (an activity that took over from the M/cycle partly because there's not a Thief with a Scamera lurking behind every tree, killing off any feelings of freedom & pleasure).

The entire environment (& typical UK weather) for bikes created by our own govts is IMO what is strangling m/cycles.
Its too expensive & it's like paying heavily for something you can only use at 1/10th of its capability, with massively increased risks to life, limb, licence & wallet - not an appealing combination looked at like that.

The paranoia is real for sure, last 10years have ruined the fun you can have.

Go out on my ninja and spend a lot of time paranoid, have a moment of fun then have 2weeks anxiety waiting to see what came of it

 

[8ob]

Then of course you have the OTT nanny state persecution & electronic surveillance that makes owning a performance motorcycle (any large capacity m/cycle) a permanent exercise in paranoid vigilance & restraint.

I feel your pain, that said there is more chance of being prosecuted for loitering with a Harley.

Bob

 

[Geoffm]

Got a bike ( Suzuki b120)within weeks of leaving home. I used my first student allowance payment, and my parents found out when they opened the letter with the rego papers...
Had bikes ever since , including spending a house deposit racing them as a young fella.
The poor roads, potholes, maniac drivers, speed cameras etc have taken the fun away from them.

 

[minimutly]

Those 750 turbo would be getting rare now, you never saw many of them even when they were current

Think they were about the only stab at a turbo bike, other than the Honda cx turbo? Can’t think of many more that came out?

XJ650 turbo from Yamaha.
I have a frame and engine here....

 

[mtt.tr]

I did find the age bit frustrating, September I'm away most of the month travelling Europe, then Scotland on my r1200gs.

Can I find anyone my age that would come and also doesn't ride like a Muppet, not easily.

On the upside i have someone flying out to Geneve to join me for 3 days in Switzerland then she will fly home.
To be fair, finding willing pillions is hard enough

 

[Robotstar5]

I didn't realise how much it costs to get a licence these days, I come from the era when it was just drive round the block a few times on anything up to 250cc while the examiner observes you from the pavement then a pass gives you access to unlimited capacity. I was chatting to the guy at the place where I get my MOT's done, he said the cost of servicing had gone up because there was so much plastics to remove on a modern bike before you can get to the "oily bits".

 

[minimutly]

I did find the age bit frustrating, September I'm away most of the month travelling Europe, then Scotland on my r1200gs.

Can I find anyone my age that would come and also doesn't ride like a Muppet, not easily.

On the upside i have someone flying out to Geneve to join me for 3 days in Switzerland then she will fly home.
To be fair, finding willing pillions is hard enough

I'm a bit uncomfortable with that last bit Matt....

 

[pedrobedro]

I feel your pain, that said there is more chance of being prosecuted for loitering with a Harley.

Bob

Can you register them as an agricultural vehicle, cheap tax ? They used to say that 90% of all Harleys made are still on the road, the other 10% made it home.

 

[redlig]

Can you register them as an agricultural vehicle, cheap tax ? They used to say that 90% of all Harleys made are still on the road, the other 10% made it home.

More like a stationary engine .

 

[Domdom]

I didn't realise how much it costs to get a licence these days, I come from the era when it was just drive round the block a few times on anything up to 250cc while the examiner observes you from the pavement then a pass gives you access to unlimited capacity. I was chatting to the guy at the place where I get my MOT's done, he said the cost of servicing had gone up because there was so much plastics to remove on a modern bike before you can get to the "oily bits".

That was me. Learned to ride on a 250 Suzuki X7 2-stroke. Passed my test on it. Then went and bought a Kawasaki GPZ1100. Wish I still had both of them.

 

[500e]

Started & test on the original Honda monkey bike, moved to a Velocette Venom then a MG Le Mans 850.
Then Had a Lucid moment and only rode other peoples bikes occasionally after that.
Tried a 2 stroke scrambler a few months ago 1/4 mile was enough

 

[Morrisman]

I didn't realise how much it costs to get a licence these days, I come from the era when it was just drive round the block a few times on anything up to 250cc while the examiner observes you from the pavement then a pass gives you access to unlimited capacity. I was chatting to the guy at the place where I get my MOT's done, he said the cost of servicing had gone up because there was so much plastics to remove on a modern bike before you can get to the "oily bits".

On my baby Beemer you have to remove 14 screws to get the plastic tank cover off, just to access the air filter.



The filter is just nearby the filler cap, t’other side. Good for wading through rivers.

 

[ajlelectronics]

On my baby Beemer you have to remove 14 screws to get the plastic tank cover off, just to access the air filter.

View attachment 507485

The filter is just nearby the filler cap, t’other side. Good for wading through rivers.

View attachment 507486

Be grateful! The LT requires the whole lot removing and then the fuel tank.

 

[mtt.tr]

I'm a bit uncomfortable with that last bit Matt....

Haha, I meant just the general aversion to motorcycles amongst my peers is pretty high.

The lass joining me travelled to Poland with me on the motorbike this time last year