2008 MIC Owner Survey: holy crap, young people

“In 2003, Baby Boomer riders outnumbered Gen Y motorcyclists almost four to one. But Gen Y motorcycle ownership grew 62 percent since 2003, putting the current ratio of Baby Boomers to Gen Y at two to one. Bikes that look like they came from the 1950s are giving way to bikes that are futuristic among young buyers.” The final results of the 2008 Motorcycle Industry Council Owner Survey have just come in and its interpretation of the data indicates that more young people and women are riding, while overall the numbers of riders is up, as is their income.

This should turn out to be a watershed moment for the motorcycle
industry. As the Financiapocalypse dries up the traditional Boomer
source of purchasing power — home equity loans — the industry is going
to increasingly rely on younger people purchasing motorcycles for
transportation. Some of the trends identified in the survey — the
generational shift, the increase in women riders, the move away from
cruisers, increased acceptance in mainstream society — are likely to be
made stronger by the new economy, while others — increased rider
wealth, the growing percentage of bikers owning new motorcycles — could
trend sharply downwards. 
>

All articles remain open for 12 hours from their time of publishing. The full version of this article, additional photos and comments are available to subscribers. Click here to subscribe, it’s quick and easy. Already a subscriber? Click here to log in.