Kawasaki and Yamaha are closing many of their plants!!

[Stu]

Rumour has it that Kawasaki and Yamaha are closing many of their plants due to declining bike sales.  Apparently, the Baby-Boomers all have motorcycles, and Generation X is only buying a very few, and the next generation, the Millennials, aren’t buying any at all.

A recent study was conducted to find out why.

 

Here are the reasons why Millennials don't ride motorcycles and why sales are down:

1. Pants won't pull up far enough for them to straddle the seat.

2. Can't get their phone to their ear with a helmet on.

3. Can't use 2 hands to eat while driving.

4. They don't get a trophy and a recognition plaque just for buying one.

5. Don't have enough muscle to hold the bike up when stopped.

6 Might have a bug hit them in the face and then they would need emergency care.

7. Motorcycles don't have air conditioning.

8. They can't afford one because they spent 12 years in college trying to get a degree in Humanities, Social Studies or Gender Studies for which no jobs are available.

9. They are allergic to fresh air.

10. Their pyjamas get caught on the exhaust pipes.

11. They might get their hands dirty checking the oil.

12. The handle bars have buttons and levers and cannot be controlled by touch-screen.

13. You have to shift manually and use something called a clutch.

14. It's too hard to take selfies while riding.

15. They don't come with training wheels like their bicycles did.

16. Motorcycles don't have power steering or power brakes.

17. Their nose ring interferes with the face shield.

18. They would have to use leg muscle to back up.

19. When they stop, a light breeze might blow exhaust in their face.

20 It could rain on them and expose them to non-soft water.

21. It might scare their therapy dog, and then the dog would need therapy.

22. Their man bun won’t fit under a helmet.

[dynax]

Although #15 isn't quite correct, there are a couple of manufacturers that have prototypes using hydraulically operated stabilising wheels one of them being BMW

 

And this one from some time ago.

 

Edited February 11, 2021 by dynax

[Breezin]

#11 is for real.

[TimR]

But when you hear Kalashnikov as making a gun with an on board computer to entice more millennials into guns , at least bike manufacturers are thinking' you know what .screw them, it's our time to bow out .'

 

https://english.alarabiya.net/business/technology/2021/02/09/This-gun-from-Kalashnikov-has-built-in-computer-will-teach-its-users-how-to-shoot

[Bianco2564]

Perhaps the bike manufacturers should give bikes to Instagram influencer types then all the like Millenials would like get one cos its like cool to be like a Kardashian. They could then post videos on YouTube or Tic Tok on how to ride them....like.

[Stu]

So serious mode on now! 

 

I think the restrictions have put a lot of people off! back when it was restricted to 33bhp for two years and no further testing more and more people where getting bikes 

[Keeper96]

I think stu is on the money there, I’ve wanted a bike for ages but waited till I was 24 so I could do the DAS, even then I’ve only managed to do it because my circumstances changed and I had spare time and money. 

[Liveware Problem]

Pretty sure you are also a millennial @Stu? Those born 1981 - 1996

 

I'm sure the test changes have something to do with it, making it much more expensive and arduous to gain your license.

 

Owning a bike is just a huge luxury for most people that it's difficult to justify, and they're not really practical when compared to a car.

 

 I also feel most people don't think they are cool, just dangerous. And unnecessary and polluting etc.. a relic of a bygone era, sadly.

 

And unlike for boomers houses can't be bought for a fiver and a packet of Quavers any more, so all or spare money goes paying rent to wealthy landlords 

 

[S-Westerly]

My first house cost me more than double my salary which is certainly  cheaper than today as houses have gone up a hell of a lot more than pay. However I was paying 15% pa interest in my mortgage which is hugely more than today. Also in 1983 unemployment was pretty high and government was not quite so quick to throw money about. And yes I'm a boomer. 

Edited February 15, 2021 by S-Westerly

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

When you factor in student loans, expensive pensions, expensive housing costs, the generation who are old enough to be getting into bikes just don't have the same disposable income.

 

Mind you I had to wait until the kids were grown up before I had the cash to buy a bike for fun. Before that it was a CG125 as the cheapest form of transport in and out of the city.

[Guest]

Speaking as a Gen X, I think we're seeing a systemic shift in the way new vehicles are (not) purchased. Turnkey lease or subscription deals for cars are, I think, going to become much more widespread.

 

Deals like this: 

 

Peugeot Just Add Fuel® | Free Insurance, Road Tax & Servicing | PEUGEOT UK.

Offers and Finance | Pivotal Vehicle Subscriptions | Jaguar UK

 

Looking at cars specifically I think it's a good idea. Speaking personally, cars to me are like household appliances; very useful and I notice if they are not there, but I don't spend hours thinking about them. I'd happily just pay a monthly amount on one and never give it another thought. 

 

Perhaps bikes could be offered in a similar way, for example for summer or seasonal riding rather than needing to own the bike outright, or different styles of bike available from the manufacturer replaced every few months like the Jaguar model. 

 

The used bike market, in my view, does seem quite interesting. Looking globally, I do think a good number of younger people are interested in bikes and the customising / modifying scene is pretty healthy if YouTube and Instagram are any guide (and I think they are). 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Guest

[S-Westerly]

I've noticed that among the younger generations there's a tendency to rent stuff rather than buy. Some of that maybe due to financial pressure  especially  housing  but also with cars, bikes and other stuff. Whereas my wife and I bought cars outright all the younger ones in the family have some kind of pcp deal and change their cars much more often.

[Stu]

6 hours ago, ZX7R said:

Speaking as a Gen X, I think we're seeing a systemic shift in the way new vehicles are (not) purchased. Turnkey lease or subscription deals for cars are, I think, going to become much more widespread.

 

Deals like this: 

 

Peugeot Just Add Fuel® | Free Insurance, Road Tax & Servicing | PEUGEOT UK.

Offers and Finance | Pivotal Vehicle Subscriptions | Jaguar UK

 

Looking at cars specifically I think it's a good idea. Speaking personally, cars to me are like household appliances; very useful and I notice if they are not there, but I don't spend hours thinking about them. I'd happily just pay a monthly amount on one and never give it another thought. 

 

Perhaps bikes could be offered in a similar way, for example for summer or seasonal riding rather than needing to own the bike outright, or different styles of bike available from the manufacturer replaced every few months like the Jaguar model. 

 

The used bike market, in my view, does seem quite interesting. Looking globally, I do think a good number of younger people are interested in bikes and the customising / modifying scene is pretty healthy if YouTube and Instagram are any guide (and I think they are). 

 

 

The just add fuel has been running a long time probably around 15 years at least 

 

But then thats what pcp is for! people who want low payments without owning unless you pay the balloon payment 

[James in Brum]

Loads of factors. 
I remember when I got my car licence about 14 years ago that everyone I spoke to had experienced significant reductions in the cost of their insurance. Mine never went down all that much despite 10+ years of no claims. I remember reading that something happened that insurance companies said would make them more expensive. In my case a bit of a reduction and then stable pricing.

I think a lot of things have become more expensive as a proportion of average income and there are expenses that did not used to exist. 
a lot of that put me off bikes, couldn’t afford it as a second vehicle, could not do as much as a car so car as first vehicle. Now we need a second vehicle (wife now drives and kids to ferry) I was pleasantly surprised to discover it is now much cheaper to have a bike than a car (after paying for the Das which was about 800 pounds)

[Bender]

13 hours ago, Stu said:

 

The just add fuel has been running a long time probably around 15 years at least 

 

But then thats what pcp is for! people who want low payments without owning unless you pay the balloon payment 

I just don't get the whole pcp end up with nothing.

 

When I was looking at replacing the van I looked into it, 6k a year got me the smallest possible van with 3 seats they could find,  it was replaced every 2 yrs and included tyres and servicing and another new van for any major fault, I go through 2 tyres a year full set every other, servicing about 200.

 

So I've bought the crap van they wanted to lease me in under 3 yrs and it's still worth 40% ish of what I paid for it, I declined the offer, when they asked why I told them, he didn't argue just said yea that's about right.

 

Edit

Instead I got a bigger van that's paid for in just over 3 yrs and still going to be worth 40% of what I paid.

[Mississippi Bullfrog]

8 hours ago, Bender said:

I just don't get the whole pcp end up with nothing.

 

When I was looking at replacing the van I looked into it, 6k a year got me the smallest possible van with 3 seats they could find,  it was replaced every 2 yrs and included tyres and servicing and another new van for any major fault, I go through 2 tyres a year full set every other, servicing about 200.

 

So I've bought the crap van they wanted to lease me in under 3 yrs and it's still worth 40% ish of what I paid for it, I declined the offer, when they asked why I told them, he didn't argue just said yea that's about right.

That my thinking as well. One advantage of PCP deals is that there's a good supply of three year old cars with low mileage and full service history. At three years old they've lost the majority of their value but have loads of life left in them. I keep them until they are run into the ground.

 

But I can see why people who aren't interested in cars would prefer to pay a fixed sum and any hassles belong elsewhere. I suspect batteries in electric cars will mean more people lease rather than buy.

[skiersteve]

I'm only 28 but 2 of my closest friends both want bikes but the test is expensive and hella expensive if you fail more than once, add in a girlfriend and probably owning a car too, going out to places then add on trying to save a massive deposit if you want a decent place too live in a semi decent area and that's it all your money gone, motorbike doesn't even appear as a blip on the radar and don't think you can blame the younger generation, only reason I have a bike is because my parents are well off and gave me a house, yay me but for most young people a bike is just an expensive toy that just isn't feasible when your trying too set your self up for the future, 

 

tldr life too expensive cant afford bike

[SometimesSansEngine]

Cost has to be considered. I totted up what I spent in year one on here once but can't find it now. But it was significant, and not just because me and my wife learnt at the same time. CBT, theory, mod 1, mod 2, retakes, helmet, boots, gloves, gear, the bike, security, insurance, tax, intercoms, stuff for maintenance etc etc etc

 

After that it only gets as cheap as you want it to get. Some things get easier, when you're starting out you can't always wait for a bargain on kit but if you're replacing (or just upgrading) you can. But there's always the 'just because' purchases eh

 

But in terms of cognitive load, whilst driving isn't cheap it's a lot simpler: get lessons, pass, buy a run around. If you try to get into the world of motorcycling there's FLOWCHARTS to try and work out what licence you want (I kid you not, if you haven't done your test in the last few years) because of the graduated licences, then there's type of bike, size of bike, what tyres do you want to put on it, what type of safety gear do you want etc. It's not as easy to pick up

 

Just to throw another thing into the mix.... other than safety I think a lot of people assume that half your life will be spent fixing the bike. And I know some older riders mock younger riders for not wanting to or not knowing how to fix their bike, but there has to be an acceptance that most people just want to push the ignition button and have the bike start. And part and parcel of motorcycling is weekly maintenance even if you pay someone else to do a lot of the servicing. Many cars now you barely have to check.

[Stu]

40 minutes ago, SometimesSansEngine said:

Cost has to be considered. I totted up what I spent in year one on here once but can't find it now. But it was significant, and not just because me and my wife learnt at the same time. CBT, theory, mod 1, mod 2, retakes, helmet, boots, gloves, gear, the bike, security, insurance, tax, intercoms, stuff for maintenance etc etc etc

 

After that it only gets as cheap as you want it to get. Some things get easier, when you're starting out you can't always wait for a bargain on kit but if you're replacing (or just upgrading) you can. But there's always the 'just because' purchases eh

 

But in terms of cognitive load, whilst driving isn't cheap it's a lot simpler: get lessons, pass, buy a run around. If you try to get into the world of motorcycling there's FLOWCHARTS to try and work out what licence you want (I kid you not, if you haven't done your test in the last few years) because of the graduated licences, then there's type of bike, size of bike, what tyres do you want to put on it, what type of safety gear do you want etc. It's not as easy to pick up

 

Just to throw another thing into the mix.... other than safety I think a lot of people assume that half your life will be spent fixing the bike. And I know some older riders mock younger riders for not wanting to or not knowing how to fix their bike, but there has to be an acceptance that most people just want to push the ignition button and have the bike start. And part and parcel of motorcycling is weekly maintenance even if you pay someone else to do a lot of the servicing. Many cars now you barely have to check.

 

I see you point about the cost and yes its not cheap to get started 

 

BUT 

 

Theres always a but  if someone wanted it that bad then they would do it! I just don't see the enthusiasm these days  

[skyrider]

14 minutes ago, Stu said:

I see you point about the cost and yes its not cheap to get started 

 

BUT 

 

Theres always a but  if someone wanted it that bad then they would do it! I just don't see the enthusiasm these days 

and what's going to happen when we hang up our lid's, cant see many of the next generation taking our place 

Edited March 4, 2021 by skyrider

[SometimesSansEngine]

"I'm interested in learning to ride a bike, let's quickly look up what my options are. Oh......"

 

 

[S-Westerly]

57 minutes ago, SometimesSansEngine said:

Cost has to be considered. I totted up what I spent in year one on here once but can't find it now. But it was significant, and not just because me and my wife learnt at the same time. CBT, theory, mod 1, mod 2, retakes, helmet, boots, gloves, gear, the bike, security, insurance, tax, intercoms, stuff for maintenance etc etc etc

 

After that it only gets as cheap as you want it to get. Some things get easier, when you're starting out you can't always wait for a bargain on kit but if you're replacing (or just upgrading) you can. But there's always the 'just because' purchases eh

 

But in terms of cognitive load, whilst driving isn't cheap it's a lot simpler: get lessons, pass, buy a run around. If you try to get into the world of motorcycling there's FLOWCHARTS to try and work out what licence you want (I kid you not, if you haven't done your test in the last few years) because of the graduated licences, then there's type of bike, size of bike, what tyres do you want to put on it, what type of safety gear do you want etc. It's not as easy to pick up

 

Just to throw another thing into the mix.... other than safety I think a lot of people assume that half your life will be spent fixing the bike. And I know some older riders mock younger riders for not wanting to or not knowing how to fix their bike, but there has to be an acceptance that most people just want to push the ignition button and have the bike start. And part and parcel of motorcycling is weekly maintenance even if you pay someone else to do a lot of the servicing. Many cars now you barely have to check.

As someone who is now 63 (sigh) I'm not planning on hanging up my lid anytime soon and as I don't have a garage I do  little of my own maintenance. I don't commute so I don't have the bike as a means of necessary transport.  Its a pure hobby for me and yes its not cheap. But then many hobbies are not. My other hobbies are game fishing - pretty expensive, skiing ditto, and deep sea sailing also ditto. Sadly I'm not rich either so I make sacrifices for my fun. At least motorbiking you can make cheaper by the right choices if you want to. 

[SometimesSansEngine]

21 minutes ago, Stu said:

 

I see you point about the cost and yes its not cheap to get started 

 

BUT 

 

Theres always a but  if someone wanted it that bad then they would do it! I just don't see the enthusiasm these days  

 

In my job role this is the point you go "hm interesting, let's chat to people and see what's putting them off".

 

My own stuff here is my own anecdotal evidence with a sample size of one (me), but it would be interesting to hear what lots of other people think. Especially when you break it down into different types of folk.

[SometimesSansEngine]

2 minutes ago, S-Westerly said:

As someone who is now 63 (sigh) I'm not planning on hanging up my lid anytime soon and as I don't have a garage I do  little of my own maintenance. I don't commute so I don't have the bike as a means of necessary transport.  Its a pure hobby for me and yes its not cheap. But then many hobbies are not. My other hobbies are game fishing - pretty expensive, skiing ditto, and deep sea sailing also ditto. Sadly I'm not rich either so I make sacrifices for my fun. At least motorbiking you can make cheaper by the right choices if you want to. 

 

I'm not saying it's wrong to consider it your hobby, but that's probably part of the problem for some. It's not an essential mode of transport (for everyone). It's that cost that can be chopped when life circumstances change etc

 

Don't get me wrong, I think the best hobbies are the ones you know you spend too much money on, but if it's between learning to ride a bike (which you can guarantee your family doesn't want you to do) vs them giving you the money for car lessons.....

[S-Westerly]

Too true. My son has a full bike licence  but his wife is not keen on them so has extracted a promise from him not to buy a bike until his children are at least 10. Currently  1 and 0.