Dead or Alive

It was just another morning at the shop, sunlight streaking through cracks in the door. Intent on finishing some long overdue organizing, I was up and in early. Just a week before triple-digit temps were still the norm, but the sudden dip had me adjusting to the post-dawn chill without the benefit of an adjustment periodSipping coffee and taking stock, my cell rang. Checking on some old Suzuki brake rotors he'd dropped off a week before, the caller runs a nearly cycle shop and feared the hard to find parts might be scrap. As is usually the case, the rotors had cleaned up well before reaching minimum thickness, saving everyone a lot of trouble and expense. Dropping by soon after, Mr. Bike Shop was still somewhat surprised such a service existed locally, and felt fortunate to have found VMOL's Precision Disc grinding while surfing the internet for used Suzuki parts.  

After paying the bill, the shop keeper looked around and commented on the “Euro stuff” parked in various spots around the room. Shaking off my morning haze to realize the advantages of having the bike shop come to me (instead of the other way around) I nod towards my Guzzi Le Mans and explain I'm looking for tires. Envisioning my own personal version of Let's Make a Deal, disappointment followed when he stopped the conversation before it started. “I don't do motorcycle tires...can't compete with the online stores. I can get them, but if you're shopping for a deal find out who sells the most tires and buy from them.“ I'm not sure exactly what I said then, but I remember clearly his pointed response. “Whatever. Look, motorcycles are dead. Dried up. 90% of our business is quads and dirt stuff. Not bikes.”

I haven't mentioned it before, but I've recently moved. Around late August the deal came down, moving my home of fifteen-years right out and me right into a very old, very rural property owned by my family. Vacant for over a year before my pop passed away in 2009, “The Rock' is a five-level Bostonian that was raised in the early 30s; made from granite stones cut and cultivated from the nearby Sacaton Mountains. The renovations here have proved to be a time consuming task, but son Alex and I are enjoying the change of scenery.

It's a fair question to ask what any of this has to do with my new friend's moto-moratorium, and the simple answer is logistics. Sitting in close proximity to the intersection that feeds traffic from three directions into Central Arizona Community Collage, I'm allowed a bleacher view to study student transportation choices. My eyeball observation counts one motorcycle for every 40 or so cars, the majority being mid-sized Japanese sport bikes made in the last decade. And while that rough 2-1/2% isn't exactly a healthy figure, I'm betting it's consistent over the last few years...and a far cry from poll bearers marching down Juneau Avenue. Taking into account the cheap motorbike/university relationship, the affordability angle is nonetheless key to understanding what's working in the bike biz these days, and what isn't.

Visiting our friends over at Web Bike World for some hard numbers, it's no surprise to find a dramatic drop following the new bike sales peak of 2005 (see graph < <). Just to be sure, double check with your local banker for the real story, but you don't need a Master's degree in economic science to understand that qualifying for a new bike loan and sales go hand in hand. Check those numbers again and notice that dealers move twelve street bikes and/or scooters for every one dirt bike or quad. Perhaps the dirt stuff needs worked on more, or the young riders using them aren't capable of it, but there has to be a logical reason why service departments are filled with them. I have visited the local dealerships and what we're been told is true. I'm willing to accept what and where, but far less comfortable not understanding why.   

In a way, I feel partly responsible. Better said, as a vintage motorcycle enthusiast, I'm part of the 'new bike' problem. And while I know that many of you keep a late-model machine with the old, I can't get past the fact that there are precious few new motorcycles that interest me. Call me a throwback, uninterested, unmotivated or just plain cheap, my opinion on the subject is just that; an opinion. I have no idea what drives a person's particular passion and I'm in no position to take a guess. Speaking personally, I've got 35 years of bench time keeping my bikes in the game, and I'm not willing to pay for the privilege of throwing that experience away. Don't confuse this with not liking many of the new models available because I do, I'm just not interested in owning one. I'm far from alone in this, judging by the email we receive.

Most of the people who could afford an expensive motorcycle ten-years ago still can, but that demographic isn't getting any younger. The proof is in the numbers. For the rest, where purchase, insurance and service costs can prove prohibitive, the used market exists. I can't emphasize just how many great motorcycles are available (case in point; the Kawasaki GPz 1100, our Bike of the Month) for pennies on the new bike dollar. Looking even deeper, in my opinion the popularity of strippers and cheap-to-build cafe' multis is not only an enthusiastic and exciting response to the problem, it's driving motorcycling back to where it belongs. Just the same, if you have a local shop or dealer that you like, support them...even if it means spending another twenty-bucks on a set of new Metzelers. The internet is great, but I suspect many of us are guilty of forgetting that the purpose of it is to bring people together; not isolate them. Guilty as charged, I promise to take my own advice and the earliest opportunity.    

Motorcycling is far from dead, but it is changing. And the process is ongoing. Some will adjust, some won't but that has happened before. If they're smart, today's manufactures will take a lesson from history and note what happens when those changes are ignored. Nolan Woodbury