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[Richard230]

Here is a link to a YouTube commentary posted last month regarding the current state of new and used motorcycle sales in the U.S. The primary focus of this video are motorcycle prices, financing and insurance costs. It is a sad situation, especially for small U.S. retail dealerships. Basically, potential motorcycle customers are being priced out of the market, according to the commentator. I noticed that at minute 7, the presenter mentioned that Zero had laid of 12% of their staff in order to adjust to the declining market:

[princec]

We've seen this coming in slow-motion for the last several years: the price of bikes is now regularly exceeding cars, when really, they should be running at about 1/4 the cost of a typical car. The Chinese are of course showing the way - some of the bikes coming in from China are now almost at the cutting edge but at 2010 prices.

Cas

[Specter]

then they are really not helping new, wanna be riders.  there are fewer and fewer entry level bikes really.   how about some 250s  300s  it don't have to do 180 mph but run on the highway would be nice.  the bikes are all getting bigger, and of course, more expensive.  how can you expect someone to get hooked on bikes if they can't even afford a starter anymore, and the stater is a 600 cc that does a buck 50.  Really? for a young rider just learning.... that's just not very ..... it's really tempting fate

aaron

[Richard230]

And don't forget all of the electronic gadgets that are being stuck on new motorcycles lately, such as radar systems to provide automatic braking if you get too close to the vehicle ahead of you, like are on some BMW and Ducati bikes. I am sure those devices are not cheap.

[Specter]

i read an article where one of the counties is posting more laws regarding e bikes, after some kids got smashed on a few, because laws always fic problems with personal behavior right?

looking at some of these  e bikes, thats an electric dirt bike, not a bicycle.  just because you stuck peddles on it, it does 60 mph, yep sounds perfect for my 10 year old, complaining kids are tearing around on the sidewalks, shopping centers ... you know.. being kids    start ticketing the parents for juniors behavior would  be a good start.  bicycles were not only supposed to be for getting around town but for some exercise too right?  how does motorizing help with the workout?  then you wonder why all these kids today are 150 lb fat frogs.

one thing i honestly thought was a bit off though is, ok i get the follow the rules of the road, stop at lights etc, thats just common sense but when riding on the road, riding with traffic, ok again ,i get it, rules of the road but imo at least riding against it seems like it would be safer, that way you can see whats coming at you, and if someone has some big ass mirrors hanging out or is weaving or real close to the shoulder, you can get the hell out of the way, but if you are riding with traffic, that's all sneaking up behind you.  yah you might have a mirror but should be looking at traffic in front of you, not squinting at a mirror all the time.   just my take on it.

aaron

[Richard230]

US is not helped by the value of the dollar having dropped about 15% in the last six months. That means everything that is imported to US automatically increases in price about 20%. Plus tariffs.
Historically US has been the biggest consumer market in the world. Competition along with lot of people with money to burn kept the prices low. This has been changing. There is less competition. US consumers have less money to burn. Consumers from other countries have more. Dropping US sales have been met with finance offers to keep sales up. Now that isn't cutting it anymore. 
Insurance companies have gone from being "risk shared by all" to "big profits to shareholders". 
Focus on big engines doesn't help, "bigger is better" stopped being relevant long time ago. People go around the world, having great time, on 10 hp bikes.

Those are all good points. Meanwhile the mom-and-pop motorcycle retail shops are caught in the middle and will have to be creative to stay in business for the next couple of years.

[flynnstig82r]

Another reason could have to do with declining perceived safety: Here in Sacramento, everyone seems comfortable driving at 80+ MPH, 10 feet from the next car’s bumper. The advancements in brakes and vehicle safety has caused people to drive faster, follow closer, and pay less attention. On city streets, people blow through stop signs at 35 MPH without looking in giant trucks and SUVs. Outside of an empty parking lot, there’s no safe place to ride where a new person can build their skills.

Ultimately, I also think that shrinking motorcycle sales is the inevitable result of “toy culture.” When something is a toy, it’s the first purchase that gets cut when people are tightening belts, or when riding doesn’t feel as fun or as safe anymore. If more people rode scooters and bikes as transportation, the market would be more resilient.

[Specter]

Richard, the mom and pops will stay in business much like how the automotive business keeps itself going.  the repairs, and oil changes / maintenance by those who don't have the time / knowledge to do it themselves.

as for stop riding when there is nowhere safe, umm, that's a perception.  as one rides more ,they begin to feel safer in tighter areas.  When i first started riding, yah being a few feet from a car doing 80 mph was daunting, especially on not nice roads, with grooves, potholes, a 3 inch gap / height difference between what they paved last week and didn't and the line defining the two weaving back and forth like a drunken sailor.  Now that ive been doing it a bit it's 'shitty but business as usual', they get used to it and it doesn't bother them anymore.  Unless something really bad happens to totally spook them ,id hope that not too many say, umm i quit.

for morons not paying attention, california does NOT have a monopoly on that at all, that's everywhere.  Now throw phones into the mix and you have a recipe for disaster. this is why you must keep your head on a swivel at all times and trust NOTHING.  people paying attention less in cars, yah that's a growing problem and it's going to get worse.  not paying attention on bikes, that's totally on YOU,  no amount of tech improvements made it where you didn't have to pay attention more or less on a bike, you don't have the metal around you to protect you like a car does!!

the economy has been crashing the past 4 years, but economies are not like jet fighters where they just pow pow and turn on a dime, it's a slow arc when they turn,  it improves GREATLY, but you are not going to see that for a few years.  yes people are feeling more comfortable now etc, but the responsible ones, are paying down bills and stuff first, that accumulated in the harsh times, THEN they'll be buying toys.  Give it a year or so and i think you'll see sales start to go back up.

with the guvmint gimme dat's going away on electric vehicles, that's going to be an issue too, but lets be brutally honest here, if you MUST have a government subsidy to survive, then your business is destined to fail.  ANY business,  that needs a handout is severely in trouble, because as we see winds of war shift all the time in politics.  Energica didn't qualify anyways for that unfortunately so hopefully it don't affect them too bad.

next few years will be interesting

aaron