Well, a local MC rag recently tried to put a finger on the issue:
(I quote/translate some passages):
The motorcycle industry ignores its most important customer group!
Grey-haired reality vs youthful advertising dreams:
The motorcycle industry advertises bikes with young models, but its main customers are over 50.
This discrepancy between marketing and reality is costing the industry credibility and sales.
Why is she ignoring her most loyal buyers?
The motorcycle industry and its gray-haired reality
The motorcycle industry lives in a strange parallel universe. In their commercials, young, well-trained people with flawless skin drive through urban scenes or over dusty passes, diversely cast, stylishly dressed, seemingly ready for the next adventure at any time.
The reality outside the showrooms looks different.
There are men with gray temples, in their mid-fifties, experienced, solvent and highly motivated to spend more money on their hobby.
These are exactly the people who keep the industry going. And they are exactly what rarely occurs in communication.
A look at the bare numbers puts any illusion aside.
In Germany, the age group between 50 and 59 years dominates the motorcycle population, closely followed by those over 60 years old.
The statistical center of gravity has shifted upward by a full decade in the last twenty years. Where 40 to 49 year olds used to form the backbone of the market, today there are drivers over fifty.
The same picture emerges for new registrations over 125cc. Around 70 percent of all motorcycles in this class are bought by people over 40, with the largest individual group being 50 to 59 year olds. At the same time, the group of 60 to 69 year olds is growing the most. Motorcycling is not getting younger, but older. Measurable, sustainable and across all displacement classes.
There is a gap between marketing and reality
And yet the industry acts as if it has to hide this reality. The fear of being perceived as an old man's hobby is deeply rooted.
Marketing departments believe that youthfulness is synonymous with future viability.
Motorcycles are presented as lifestyle products that must be compatible with fashion, urbanity and social media.
The problem is not that you want to appeal to young people. The problem is that you deny your own customers.
We at 1000PS (<- name of the MC rag) repeatedly experience that motorcycle manufacturers actively ask for “young editors” and specifically send “young people” to international press presentations.
We can only wrinkle our noses at this.
We are proud of our diverse team of young and old people who are brought together by a common passion.
This discrepancy between manufacturers has long been noticeable for retailers in their everyday lives.
Motorcycles are positioned to be sportier than the target group demands.
Ergonomics have to be adjusted later, comfort handlebars installed, seat heights reduced.
Development and marketing sometimes go in different directions.
While sales figures clearly show who is buying, campaigns tell a different story. This is not only implausible, but inefficient.
Clearly, markets in Southern Europe and Eastern Europe are different.
But especially in those markets where manufacturers make real money and sell high-priced products, the older target group dominates.
The question of young people is real, but it does not justify this self-deception.
Yes, young drivers have a harder time. Training costs, insurance and entry prices are high. However, the interest is there when the hurdles decrease. The market needs solutions for beginners, not ignoring existing customers. The current 50+ generation will continue to dominate the market for years to come. Anyone who doesn't take it seriously today is voluntarily giving up sales, loyalty and credibility.The motorcycle industry should stop being ashamed of its reality. Their key customers are experienced, older, predominantly male and passionate. They are not a temporary solution, but the foundation of the business. Anyone who makes these people visible, respects them and addresses them specifically is not acting backwards, but rather economically sensible.
Motorcycling has come of age. It's time for the industry to admit that too.
you can find the whole essay here:
www.1000ps.at
(I quote/translate some passages):
The motorcycle industry ignores its most important customer group!
Grey-haired reality vs youthful advertising dreams:
The motorcycle industry advertises bikes with young models, but its main customers are over 50.
This discrepancy between marketing and reality is costing the industry credibility and sales.
Why is she ignoring her most loyal buyers?
The motorcycle industry and its gray-haired reality
The motorcycle industry lives in a strange parallel universe. In their commercials, young, well-trained people with flawless skin drive through urban scenes or over dusty passes, diversely cast, stylishly dressed, seemingly ready for the next adventure at any time.
The reality outside the showrooms looks different.
There are men with gray temples, in their mid-fifties, experienced, solvent and highly motivated to spend more money on their hobby.
These are exactly the people who keep the industry going. And they are exactly what rarely occurs in communication.
A look at the bare numbers puts any illusion aside.
In Germany, the age group between 50 and 59 years dominates the motorcycle population, closely followed by those over 60 years old.
The statistical center of gravity has shifted upward by a full decade in the last twenty years. Where 40 to 49 year olds used to form the backbone of the market, today there are drivers over fifty.
The same picture emerges for new registrations over 125cc. Around 70 percent of all motorcycles in this class are bought by people over 40, with the largest individual group being 50 to 59 year olds. At the same time, the group of 60 to 69 year olds is growing the most. Motorcycling is not getting younger, but older. Measurable, sustainable and across all displacement classes.
There is a gap between marketing and reality
And yet the industry acts as if it has to hide this reality. The fear of being perceived as an old man's hobby is deeply rooted.
Marketing departments believe that youthfulness is synonymous with future viability.
Motorcycles are presented as lifestyle products that must be compatible with fashion, urbanity and social media.
The problem is not that you want to appeal to young people. The problem is that you deny your own customers.
We at 1000PS (<- name of the MC rag) repeatedly experience that motorcycle manufacturers actively ask for “young editors” and specifically send “young people” to international press presentations.
We can only wrinkle our noses at this.
We are proud of our diverse team of young and old people who are brought together by a common passion.
This discrepancy between manufacturers has long been noticeable for retailers in their everyday lives.
Motorcycles are positioned to be sportier than the target group demands.
Ergonomics have to be adjusted later, comfort handlebars installed, seat heights reduced.
Development and marketing sometimes go in different directions.
While sales figures clearly show who is buying, campaigns tell a different story. This is not only implausible, but inefficient.
Clearly, markets in Southern Europe and Eastern Europe are different.
But especially in those markets where manufacturers make real money and sell high-priced products, the older target group dominates.
The question of young people is real, but it does not justify this self-deception.
Yes, young drivers have a harder time. Training costs, insurance and entry prices are high. However, the interest is there when the hurdles decrease. The market needs solutions for beginners, not ignoring existing customers. The current 50+ generation will continue to dominate the market for years to come. Anyone who doesn't take it seriously today is voluntarily giving up sales, loyalty and credibility.The motorcycle industry should stop being ashamed of its reality. Their key customers are experienced, older, predominantly male and passionate. They are not a temporary solution, but the foundation of the business. Anyone who makes these people visible, respects them and addresses them specifically is not acting backwards, but rather economically sensible.
Motorcycling has come of age. It's time for the industry to admit that too.
you can find the whole essay here:
Motorradindustrie und die Realität ihrer Zielgruppe
Analyse zur Alterung der Motorradkunden und dem Marketing-Dilemma der Branche. Erfahren Sie mehr über die wahren Käufergruppen und deren Potenzial.
www.1000ps.at
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. I get the multiple bike craze and if one is mechanically down for whatever reason, you have backups. Redundancy can be a very good thing. Or in my case, when my brother visits here in SC or I go to Colorado, the bike is waiting for him (and for me out there). No more rentals.