Another sign of what is ahead for the motorcycle hobby...

[Chuck78]

Here in the capital city of Ohio, Columbus, I see TONS of Japanese and quite a few European bikes. On rural rides I see sport bikes and motards some, sometimes often, but generally I see more slow poke Harley cruisers and to a much lesser extent "metric" cruisers (I consider Harley's "Metric Cruisers" as well since they use Japanese forks and CRAP Chinese parts these days as well, and most replacement parts for 12+ year old Harleys are NLA from Harley so all Chinese-made "metric-origin" aftermarket)... I see a lot of Harleys in the city as well. Not any shortage of Harleys vs sport bikes or japanese bikes in the city. Vintage bikes I see a lot less of, as well as retro bikes. seems as if they are definitely out there but most are just get ridden a lot less. There is the young hip tattooed and often beardo'd crowd who obsess over mostly old Harley choppers, and sometimes CB and other Japanese choppers and bobbers. They are around everywhere on vintage machines, but not in great quantity. They make a lot of bar runs and "Bar Raids" locally but few really put serious miles on these ill-handling types of mostly aesthetically-concerned bikes.

I have no desire to have drive by wire bikes with complicated CANBUS computer systems. a basic fuel injection system and maybe even front ABS would not be a bad thing, but I will be unlikely to ever buy a new bike due to all of the other complicated computerized technology they have. I want DEAD RELIABLE, and easy to maintain. Modern mostly does not fall under that category once they are a few years old and racking up the miles...

I WOULD consider buying a new European 2-stroke dirtbike such as a Gas Gas, Sherco, KTM/Husqvarna, Beta, Ossa, etc... They are still built pretty rock solid barebones and reliable, with electric start as the only real common modern aspect, some with a cooling fan, some with fuel injection to reduce 2 stroke emissions. I'm very happy with 86-88 and 95-06 KDX200's (and KDX220, 96-05), old Yamaha IT200 Mono-X 81/82+ especially the last year 1986 with disc forks, Suzuki PE175 80-84 and PE250 80-82... don't see myself needing a modern bike, but for the wife, the 2016-ish+ KTM Freeride 250cc 2T is a no brainer as the best pro-level dirtbike I could get of any era for her short stature and ease of riding.

I'm not even interested in any modern cars or trucks anymore. too much cheaply built overly-complicated electronics CRAP especially 2005+!!!! And I'm only 41 years old and complaining about all this stuff!!!! In case you might have mistook me for someone a few decades older and unwilling to accept modern technology due to life experiences and aging. modern trucks cost $30,000-$60,000, some big rigs even $80,000 for 1 ton extended cab diesels!!! Heck I can build a 1960's - 1980's 1/2 ton or 3/4 ton pickup, Toyota mini-truck, old Jeep, or Suzuki Samurai (Jeep, FJ40-etc, Samurai with aftermarket rugged corrosion resistant 5/32" marine grade aluminum body tub!!! NO RUST EVER!) for $6,000-$17,000 + a winter and more time of my labor, and have it BUILT TO THE HILT, dead reliable, and decent fuel economy on some of my preferred options on those... and be into it for the used market price of a nice condition 10-12 year old truck that is only going to go downhill from it's 10 year old state and start having complicated accessories and engine management system parts failures all down the line, as well as the modern cheap thin "economic/lightweight" steel bodies start rusting out heavily at 12-14 years old driven in snow/road-salt "rust-belt" climate areas...

Building an Aqualu aluminum body tub stretched Canadian Long Wheelbase (LWB) Suzuki Samurai with it's 5/32" marine-grade corrosion-resistant rugged body tub, stretched / reinforced and stripped/re-coated frame, common Toyota axle swap (full floaters front and rear already on mine!), VW turbodiesel engine kit swap (common for Samurais), and Toyota HZJ79 "R151F" trans and transfer case... this rugged little 4x4 should last me for the rest of my life and run 200,000 miles before the current 200,000 mile engine should need a refresh, then another 300,000-400,000 miles before another overbore...
All mechanical, no engine management computer (would get even better fuel mpg and better emissions, but it's a liability to have all that wiring/connectors, and all those sensors and controls...),
lightweight 2,700lb fully equipped rugged 4x4 with a 55" cargo bed, 400,000+ mile diesel engine, 33-39mpg fuel economy, good power for it's size (no pulling house trailers or horse trailers tho!), will go ANYWHERE offroad, not much to rust with the aluminum body tub...and rugged Toyota drivetrain. Future-proof vehicle right there.... will have to pull a motorcycle trailer when needed tho, not a large enough bed to haul bikes.
Also have my 1962 GMC 1000 panel truck (Suburban with no rear seats or rear bedside windows) with lots of upgrades to a 63-87 truck (-91 Suburban) disc brake front end, Jeep/Toyota 5 speed transmission, rear disc upgrade, common rear differential, and a VERY durable old GMC big block V6 antique truck engine (scarce parts!) but can also swap in any Chevy Small Block V8 - the best medium size car/truck engine of all time... I think I'm set on light/medium duty utilitarian 4x4 and medium duty passenger trucks for the rest of my life. Small passenger sedans I can acquire used and have no remorse disposing of them when their time is up...

A Toyota HZJ75 pickup or "troopy" imported to the US would also be incredible, one of the best passenger vehicle diesel engines EVER. or the BJ74 or HZJ73/74 imported to the USA (both diesels, same trucks different diesel engines) would be similar to the Samurai plans I have for mine except they still have a steel body.

These are my plans to keep rugged passenger vehicles/trucks on the road for me beyond my time on this earth, as well as hoarding tons of parts and several bikes here in the way of Suzuki GS's and upgrades/mods/spares for them, as well as with 2-stroke dirtbikes... Keep big parts staches, don't worry about being forced to buy something that I need $400 or $1000 in computer scanners to repair... as well as an electronics degree to be a motorcycle "parts changer."

[LAB3]

Ten years ago when all the wholesale price of natural gas plunged I would have bet everything I had that we'd be seeing CNG powered vehicles all over the road, especially Semi Tractors.

[pattiwack]

Most of the people i talk to that want to get a bike but don't, won't get them because of all the teens now-a-days texting and driving, not paying attention to the road.
Not to mention the terrible pot holes and road conditions in NY/NJ

[RichDesmond]

The auto industry is facing the same demographic problem.


From a news article this morning: https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news...try/ar-BBWOKsz

“For some reason, younger Americans are buying fewer of the vehicles sold in the United States and old people are buying a larger percentage.”

“New research by the Green Car Congress looked at cars and light trucks sold by buyer's age in 2007 and 2017. In the earlier year, 31% were bought by people 55 and older. That number was 52% in 2017. Worse for the industry, in 2007, 13% of cars sold in America were bought by people 65 and older. That number rose to 27% in 2017.”


“At the other end of the spectrum, in 2007, 45% of cars sold in 2007 were bought by people under 45. That figure was only 28% two years ago.”

A lot of that is just the boomer bubble, as that large cohort moves into that age demographic.

This is really the kind of thing that drives me nuts. Green Car Congress is using statistics in a way that makes no sense. It may be deliberate, or they may be math-illiterate. The numbers that would matter, in their context, is how the percentage of car ownership or car buying had changed over time within each age demographic.
For example, if over a 10 year period the percentage of people in the 25-35 age group who owned or bought cars has dropped significantly, then that's useful information.

[bobgroger]

A lot of that is just the boomer bubble, as that large cohort moves into that age demographic.

This is really the kind of thing that drives me nuts. Green Car Congress is using statistics in a way that makes no sense. It may be deliberate, or they may be math-illiterate. The numbers that would matter, in their context, is how the percentage of car ownership or car buying had changed over time within each age demographic.
For example, if over a 10 year period the percentage of people in the 25-35 age group who owned or bought cars has dropped significantly, then that's useful information.

I think part of the demographics might be that young people flat can't afford to buy a new car. I would not want to be young with a family in this economy, at least without a Tech job. $500k houses, $50k cars, $10 6-packs of beer... But "no inflation".

[RichDesmond]

I think part of the demographics might be that young people flat can't afford to buy a new car. I would not want to be young with a family in this economy, at least without a Tech job. $500k houses, $50k cars, $10 6-packs of beer... But "no inflation".

That doesn't describe a lot of places. Here in Oklahoma City you can buy a perfectly nice house in a decent area for $150K. Nice new cars are less than 30k, really nice used cars are less*. I'm not sure that it was ever true that most young people could afford a new car, I certainly wasn't able to back then.
You're right about the beer, craft beer here is in the $9-10 range, but it's incomparably better than the Bud/Miller/Coors swill that used to be about all you could find. Worth it to me.

But, going back to my earlier point, we really don't know if young people are actually buying fewer cars, new or used, at least based on those statistics. Given that this is still a very car-centric country, I imagine ownership hasn't budged much, if at all. What is a thing, at least based on my experience, is that younger people don't get excited about cars they way we used to.

*Just bought a 2017 Acrua TLX for the wife. 25,000 miles, only paid $21,000. Struck me as a lot of car for the money.

[1978GS750E]

What do you think about the non-running 1977 GS750 with 15k miles selling on ebay for over $1600???

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1977-Suzuki-GS/174092272821?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

Is this a sign that prices are coming back, someone overpaid, or is this one just that unusual?

[wyly]

Though chain drive aside, I have to say I’ve been leering at the Kawasaki Z900RS Cafe as a new machine, even more so than the Triumph T120 that I thought was my dream bike.

https://www.kawasaki.com/products/2018-Z900RS-CAFE

Ive taken it's sister the naked Z900 on a test ride, I was looking for the latest ride with the latest technology and compared to several other rides (on that day it was the 790 KTM Duke)the only rider aid was ABS but I fell in love, what an awesome machine.

I don't think you'll be disappointed with Z900RS.

[Chuck78]

At first, I thought the automotive problem was just that economists were complaining that no one was buying US & American made / US-sold vehicles anymore, but apparently these concerns are more that people are just simply not desiring to own vehicles at all? I would say that the articles seem to be turning a blind eye to anything but new car/truck sales, however.

As far as bikes go, bikes for many are simply just a hobby vehicle, and as stated, drivers are worse and worse as times go on with distractions...
Sone of us cannot commute to work on 2 wheels (see below), and are also fearful of distracted city drivers, and do only ride motorcycles for recreation - to escape the city, get twisty road thrills, go on long mountain riding adventures...

My occupations and activities require me to drive a truck or van, and personal transport on 4 wheels is also exclusively relegated to utility capable vehicles - ONLY trucks, vans, or small economical station wagons.
For the new tech generation who are glued to video games & mobile devices, even riding a bicycle can lose it's appeal to some, and they often will never learn to use tools for serious hands on work and even DIY tasks, hence no need for trucks vans or station wagons.
With the popularity of Uber, Lyft, etc and public transport options in big cities, and no need to haul anything for utility purposes if you have no hands on mechanical skills, only a high paying computer tech job, it's plain to see the reasoning behind a large segment of these trends!

[LAB3]

There's going to be some pretty butthurt boomers out there when their $30k+ "investment" gets sold off for scrap price when they're in their 80's and the kids can't afford to buy groceries.