Why Motorcycling is Dying???

[the Ferret]

" I'll stick to low mileage pre- owned. Been lucky, sort of, so far ..."

Bingo

I on the other hand rarely buy used motorcycles.Been on forums decades and I've read so many posts of people buying used bikes and finding out previous owners weren't the " master electricians" they thought they were, causing electrical issues hard to track down later on. Plus I've seen how other people treat their bikes and I dont want to buy a bike from someone who treated their bike in that manner." You dont need to use the clutch if you time your shifts" "you cant over rev the bike, because the electronics will step in" " you should run your bike at 85% of redline for maximum efficiency" ... wheelies, power shifts, excessive engine braking for stops and curves, thats not how I treat my bikes, and I don't want to buy a bike treated as such,

So I buy new, put every single mile on my bikes so I know how they were treated. They get serviced regularly, and I get a warranty to protect me in case there is an issue.

That said, the last bike I bought WAS used, and had several electrical modifications. While I was nervous about that, a buddy who turned me on to the deal whose word I trust implicitly, assured me the previous owner was very knowledgable mechanically, was retiring from riding due to age, rode very responsibly, had only put 1200 miles on the bike since new, had all reciepts and records, all the original parts, and a transferable extended factory warranty. I was going to wait another year and buy a new 26 but decided against my normal fears, to go ahead and take a chance on this used bike. I'm hoping I don't regret that decision down the road.

 

[Whisperquiet]

" I'll stick to low mileage pre- owned. Been lucky, sort of, so far ..."

Bingo

I on the other hand rarely buy used motorcycles.Been on forums decades and I've read so many posts of people buying used bikes and finding out previous owners weren't the " master electricians" they thought they were, causing electrical issues hard to track down later on. Plus I've seen how other people treat their bikes and I dont want to buy a bike from someone who treated their bike in that manner." You dont need to use the clutch if you time your shifts" "you cant over rev the bike, because the electronics will step in" " you should run your bike at 85% of redline for maximum efficiency" ... wheelies, power shifts, excessive engine braking for stops and curves, thats not how I treat my bikes, and I don't want to buy a bike treated as such,

So I buy new, put every single mile on my bikes so I know how they were treated. They get serviced regularly, and I get a warranty to protect me in case there is an issue.

That said, the last bike I bought WAS used, and had several electrical modifications. While I was nervous about that, a buddy who turned me on to the deal whose word I trust implicitly, assured me the previous owner was very knowledgable mechanically, was retiring from riding due to age, rode very responsibly, had only put 1200 miles on the bike since new, had all reciepts and records, all the original parts, and a transferable extended factory warranty. I was going to wait another year and buy a new 26 but decided against my normal fears, to go ahead and take a chance on this used bike. I'm hoping I don't regret that decision down the road.

I’ve purchased twelve motorcycles in the last nine years……six new and six used with the only problem ($$$) coming from a used very low mile 2017 VStrom 650 that I purchased. It looked great, had lots of accessories, and only 1400 miles on a seven year old bike. I was unable to ride the bike when purchased as it was raining heavily and within days of purchase the ABS failure light came on (not uncommon on some Vstroms) and wasn’t worth fixing at around $1000.00 for a new ABS pump.

I advertised the bike with the ABS problem noted and had NO interest in the bike even at a rock bottom price. It was soon traded in on a new VStrom 800 and the dealer gave me what I was asking for it when listed for sale.

The other five used motorcycles purchased were flawless low mile bikes that were as good as they looked.

That said, motorcycling is dying with all of my riding buddies being between late 60s to 80. I don’t see much interest from younger people but I still have a few new bikes in my future!

 

[the Ferret]

Yep, some guys do well buying used bikes. Others not so much. Im sure youve read the threads with " I have this issue with my bike... the previuos owner did this ...."

It helps if you are a decent wrench and can correcting the mechanical/electrical mistakes of others. I'm not.

 

[Daboo]

I was very fortunate when I bought my 2014 BMW F800GT used. The previous owner was a retired cardiologist with more money than he knew what to do with. He did the research and added all the best mods to set it up for touring...and then didn't. He had a neighbor with a lot of experience do the mods and the friend apparently knew what he was doing. I got 107,000 miles out of that bike.

Chris

 

[Gus1300]

As long as the rider has the mental and wrist maturity to determine their own time and place scenarios, it doesn't matter to me how much more bike they have than they really need, irrespective of cost or power.

Oh boy, is there a LOT to dissect in that statement! As an MSF coach, we try to emphasize it every class; only YOU are in control of how you ride, every time you ride.

As far as interest, we have full classes throughout the year, so that's at least one data point that interest isn't waning. 21-40 is our most common group, so they're out there.

 

[ST1100Y]

21-40 is our most common group, so they're out there.

Again a different scenario...
over here:
50%: consisting of young newbees (often even on 125cc), a few females (that's good)... the other 50%: gray/white haired "re-entries" who are back on two wheels after 2~3 decades...
(ze GF and I are a weird minority with our frequent/annual warm-up trainings, just to get back in shape in the spring... and full-dressed tourers like the ST, yet even ze GF's NT700VA are a rare sight...)

 

[JetRanger]

Again a different scenario...
over here:
50%: consisting of young newbees (often even on 125cc), a few females (that's good)... the other 50%: gray/white haired "re-entries" who are back on two wheels after 2~3 decades...
(ze GF and I are a weird minority with our frequent/annual warm-up trainings, just to get back in shape in the spring... and full-dressed tourers like the ST, yet even ze GF's NT700VA are a rare sight...)

I'm in the latter group... not interested in who's got the fastest or who can scrape the most metal off their footpegs. I'll definitely need the pre-spring training to get my legs up to snuff to hold up the ST in a parking lot.

 

[DesmoRonin]

I had a friend yrs ago who had around 6-10 bikes all the time. Lived in a 2 bedroom bungalow. His prized possessions( vintage bikes) lived in the house all winter. Second bedroom was reserved for working on the bikes. Visitors had choice of sharing couch with his pit bull or the floor. (Safer on the floor)
This all changed of course when he married a fellow rider.
They still had lots of bikes, nice house with double garage. She made sure though, no bikes would be in the house. (The things you do for love)

My ST lives outside for lack of room inside the garage. I've been trying or a couple of decades now, but I am still not able to convince my better half to allow me to keep a bike in the living room, even the ones that are rolling art.

 

[ST1100Y]

I'll definitely need the pre-spring training to get my legs up to snuff to hold up the ST in a parking lot.

Well, its more about refreshing fast vs slow cornering technique, proper head posture & body stance, slow speed maneuvering/U-turns, use of brakes... quite a Gymkhana, lots of orange cones, etc... and (ours) is held by the local motorcycle cops... (much to the displeasure of liberal groups... )

 

[DesmoRonin]

Oh boy, is there a LOT to dissect in that statement! As an MSF coach, we try to emphasize it every class; only YOU are in control of how you ride, every time you ride.

As far as interest, we have full classes throughout the year, so that's at least one data point that interest isn't waning. 21-40 is our most common group, so they're out there.

I have two sons (24 and 25 years of age) who ride, and my youngest, Hayden-Rossi (yes, after Valentino), is 18 and about to enroll in the local MSF course and get his first bike. Despite my age, I relate quite well to their friends and do ride with them on occasion. I'm easily old enough to be their father and in some cases, their grandfather. And I'm likely stricter than any MSF coach regarding gear, safety, and continual improvement. Then again, maybe they aren't listening to me, lol. Perhaps in an effort to pass the torch, I bring on at least a half dozen young new riders every year and sometimes a whole lot more. More Gen-Z than Millennials IME.

 

[STFlips]

Despite the impediments of insurance costs, bike prices, and short season, our small market seems steady here in Canada with over 67,000 sold in 2024 and 2025

https://www.motorcyclesdata.com/202...y Trend and Perspectives,67.526 sales (-1.8%).

My local dealership now carries 7 brands, as well as usually having 50 or 60 used bikes, and always seems busy.
A couple of years ago, I heard that they sold 120 bikes in three months, but they are a private company so no confirmation on that.
Usually when I visit, I'm the oldest one in the joint, but not always! Still a few of us old codgers kicking tires, buying and riding.

 

[JetRanger]

Well, its more about refreshing fast vs slow cornering technique, proper head posture & body stance, slow speed maneuvering/U-turns, use of brakes... quite a Gymkhana, lots of orange cones, etc... and (ours) is held by the local motorcycle cops... (much to the displeasure of liberal groups... )

I meant moving the bike before I get on it... the parking lot slow speed exercises are definitely next on the agenda.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

My local dealership now carries 7 brands, as well as usually having 50 or 60 used bikes, and always seems busy.

We had a very large dealership here in Montreal that sold Harley, BMW, as well as all of the Japanese brands and probably most other brands that existed. They were packed with people every time that I went there. They did the opposite. They got rid of all of the brands except for Harley and BMW. They went from an army of salesman to one or two for Harley and one or two for BMW. Whenever I go there now it seems dead, there is rarely more than a few people in there. When asked why they did this the owner told my Brother in-law that they make as much money selling only a few Harleys and BMW's a month compared to having to deal with the hassles of selling high numbers of all of the other brands.

This dealership went on like this successfully for many years after making this change. A few years back it was sold to a group that owns many car dealerships. The last time that I was in there a salesman was trying to sell me a motorcycle and in talking to him I learned that he didn't even ride one himself so it would seem that it has shifted to nothing more than a money making endevour for the new owners. I wonder how long it will survive now.

 

[Sadlsor]

While I have yet to see it in my town, I'm getting lots of feedback from riders elsewhere that Big Auto (dealers and conglomerates) are buying bike shops.
And although it may breathe some life into the network through cash infusions, still I must question if there will be any long term growth, or any improvement overall.
Remains to be seen.

 

[Uncle Phil]

While I have yet to see it in my town, I'm getting lots of feedback from riders elsewhere that Big Auto (dealers and conglomerates) are buying bike shops.
And although it may breathe some life into the network through cash infusions, still I must question if there will be any long term growth, or any improvement overall.
Remains to be seen.

Probably more like "the 'remains' will be all that is seen" ...