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26 Comments
Your all getting old the entry level stupid there no excitement anymore to organised it’s over the love lost too bad regards enjoy
Very well said ……. It is still an adventure
Just found your channel great stuff. Hello from Ireland.
Mate I'm the same age as you. Long grey beard and flat cap. Passed my test on a BSA C15 with my helmet tied to the back seat, it was a hot day! Young people today aren't interested in bikes. They see bikes as being for people with long grey beards and flat caps. People like us with long grey beards and flat caps ain't gonna be around for very much longer.
Just find a way to get passed all the fees and laws , there is a way and without taking a motorcycle test, if you think about it. Fight back from a corupt government
There is no such thing as a British Motorbike Industry unless you count the ones made in Taiwan, Malaysia, India or China.
Thank you really great insight.
Some great points there – I would add that in my opinion the crazy licensing laws that we have to go through just to ride in the first place must be putting youngsters and new riders off. I started in the late 80’s early 90’s when they just introduced the two part test and thought that was onerous enough! I can only imagine what a palaver it is these days – you really have to want to ride desperately to go through all that! You’re right that manufacturers have to make motorcycling almost irresistible as a lifestyle choice to raise its profile again and maybe appeal to those who hadn’t even considered it before. I’ll admit all those biker movies we grew up with helped – Quadrophenia, Easy Rider and On Any Sunday did it for me!
Chinese bikes may well look the part from 5 feet away, and stay that way for a few months, but, look closer and you see the reasons for the low purchase price, then take another look after a few rounds of rain and road grime, that shine has now worn off.
The argument against those facts is not there as yet, maybe time will change this, but i don't think so. Price can only be driven down by cheap labour or cheap materials…and sometimes both.
A sensible, articulate and grounded narrative that encompasses the decline in the motorcycle industry. I think the future is the Chinese market for quality affordable machines. You’ve got a new subscriber 👍
Theres no crisis. Some commentators on here state that motorcycles have become too expensive with prices if £15K to £20K and only the wealthy can afford a motorcycle. If a motorcycle to someone means minimum of 100 bhp and electronic gagetry, fine. Dealerships and manufacturers arnt in the driving seat here, we are, the consumer. I passec my motorcycle test in 1978 on a Honda cb125. Very reliable and economical with a top whack of 68 mph, after 4 months i bought a Honda cb500T, it had top whack of about 98 mph. i thought it was great, to a 17 year old it was.
Fast foreward to today im loking at returning to motorcycling. For around £4.5K i can get pre reg, honda, cb300r, honda cl500, ktm 390 duke or rc390, triumph speed 400, bmw 310, BSA gold star 650, royal enfield 650 twin. All restricted to i believe 47 bhp. Most of these bike will top 100 mph. For those complaining about depreciation especially the beezer, id say get the bike of your choice, and keep it for minimum of 5 years. Why do i see bikes with 500 mile or less for sale and the owner bellyaching about depreciation. You did it to yourseves.
at least you have a show, here in the states? they've stopped them, used to be at the jacob javits center in NYC, but its been gone for a few years now probably due to Covid? and never restarted it. But yes, i remember going to the show and it was getting smaller and smaller.
An excellent overview of the past and current state of the market. I've been on motorcycles since the mid 1960s so saw the steady decline you describe. I wasn't able to go to the NEC this year but went last year and was surprised at the range and quality of the Chinese bikes on show and at prices that yer average bloke could afford. It'll be interesting to see what effect, these well speced and affordable Chinese machines will have along side the already established Indian brands. I'm sure it can only be good for motorcycling in general and hopefully attract a younger audience.
I dont care about the industry and i dont care about societys views on it. I will find a way to ride regardless of the BS of the real world.
The fun of motorcycling is lone wolf. You cant take that away until we are all dead.
At last somebody talking sense about what’s going on. So many comments on other channels claiming bikes are so expensive. Simple fact is, in real terms, they’ve never been cheaper. There just isn’t the interest there once was and youngsters have very high costs in getting their licence
Its demographics in a nutshell. Baby boomers drove the economy up. In the 70s and 80s, we had money, and bikes were affordable. I started on L plates on a 250cc bike. Then came the 125cc restrictions. By then, I'd passed my test and moved onto a 650cc bike. But inevitably, i needed a car, and that was that. Today, im heading towards retirement and bikes. Although i still love them, i wouldn't want one with all the problems we have in society. So baby boomers are now driving the economy down. I think a lot of baby boomers who get to 70 might even decide, since they have had a diet of petrol and diesel-powered vehicles, will give up on their licences and not have a car. I certainly dont want an EV .. ever.
Youngsters at work, think us older guys are nuts hearing stories of us riding in the rain, and worse the snow on a motorcycle. They are happy with their expensive (high financed) german diesel car and wouldn't even consider a motorcycle as the means to get the license and insurance is crippling!
THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IS THE GOVERMENT !!! THEY DON'T WANT US THEY ONLY WANT CARS !!
Excellent, thoughtful video 👍
In the last four years the number of Harley Davidson dealerships in the mainland UK has gone from 30 down to 19 but the number of Harley Davidson bikes registered every year has remained constant at around 52 000. Weird?
Great video. People will spend a few thousand on a leisure / lifestyle purchase but as the cost soars above £10k-£15k that's a really hard decision to take home to your partner! For the youngsters, there's super accessible subscription finance to have a brand new car, something beyond dreams when I was younger. If they've got a job they can get a brand new car for £149 a month or less
Only 10 years left till new internal combustion bikes are gone remember, slow decline is inevitable as dealers and manufacturers disengage from the UK, the Chinese bikes will probably be the last to go as 2035 approaches
Relative affordability & theft.
I couldn’t agree with you more. I’ve driven cars and ridden a bike for 50 years . Even now I still run both together but I’m finding it increasingly difficult to do so . The cost before was manageable but now we’re hit from all sides by stealth charging and costs and unfortunately one or even both will have to go in the near future. Motorcycling keeps me alert and youthful and gives me an inner strength, I don’t want to loose that but I fear its inevitable.🥲
In the UK there is a mentality issue towards bikes and bikers which has led us to this point regarding sales. Bikes are seen as death machines essentially and I think this started with the reputation of the Ton up boys. The UK uses less motorbikes in city centres than most European countries who have embraced small capacity bikes and scooters as efficient commuters. People in the UK would rather spend their morning commute sat in traffic in the warmth of their car with a haze of brain fog and a coffee over getting their mind active in the morning and embracing the invigorating cold. Moreover you only have one practical test in a car and the manoeuvres are easier to perform, slow speed on a bike requires a lot more discipline. I think we as a nation should embrace bikes more as commuters, I think that the process of learning to drive should include having to do a CBT. There is also a certain element regarding the industry waiting with bated breath to see what happens with the electric segment.
Id like to add the cost of second hand bikes being sold by dealerships.
A car after ten to fifteen years is worth a fraction of its retail price where bikes are being advertised at about 75% of its original cost.
Incredibly insightful comments