Getting younger riders into riding?

[Ssky0078]

Saw this article on Ride Apart and was wondering what the sentiment was for the forum here.
Motorcycle Industry vs. Next Generation Riders - RideApart

 

[PosterFZ6]

Blah...

It always comes down to money.

I have tons of 20 something year old friends envious that I ride a motorcycle. And they all would get a bike if they could afford.

Truth is that my generation doesn't really have a basic financial understanding or the ethic to live frugally within your means. Half of them have ruined credit scores.

No disposable income= no luxury goods such as a motorcycle.

Not everybody can afford this expensive hobby.

Hell, for commute purposes I still prefer mass transit and bicycling. Much easier and less of a hassle than riding a motorcycle in the NYC. Many of my peers jump onto the bicycles as a preferable means of commute.

I for one think that the motorcycle industry will be just fine.

Edit:

A part of me also doesn't want more guys on bikes.

It's easier to pick up girls when only 1 out of 5 guys rides a motorcycle.

It's easier to be cool ;p

 

[Botch]

Ironically I just read a disturbing statistic in a recent issue of Time magazine: fully one-third fewer teenagers are pursuing a driver's license, as compared to ten years ago!
Has the social media/internetz age really taken that much of a bite out of actually living??

 

[Erci]

They're looking for 20-somethings to comment, so my opinion is obsolete :rof:

All the kids (late teens) I talk to still want the stereotypical image.. sport bike + no gear. I don't think that part has changed.. gen X or gen Y.

One way we could potentially get some kids to be interested in this sport is to do introduction to motorcycling at high schools or colleges. We (MSF) occasionally do this at local malls. We set up an area with a motorcycle and tell people all about them, when someone approaches.

I know how to give kids all the tools to be safe out there.. and then I just pray that they listen and put all this knowledge to practice.

 

[Erci]

Ironically I just read a disturbing statistic in a recent issue of Time magazine: fully one-third fewer teenagers are pursuing a driver's license, as compared to ten years ago!
Has the social media/internetz age really taken that much of a bite out of actually living??

To put it simply: Yes
Sad.

 

[PosterFZ6]

Ironically I just read a disturbing statistic in a recent issue of Time magazine: fully one-third fewer teenagers are pursuing a driver's license, as compared to ten years ago!
Has the social media/internetz age really taken that much of a bite out of actually living??

Let's keep things in perspective. A lot of people moved to the cities.

I have friends in NYC that simply don't car about owning a car. They have no need for it. It's too costly and mass transit system in NYC is pretty expansive and sufficient enough.

If you live in the suburbs, without a car you are stuck. It's a must have.

 

[yamihoe]

I guess you can put me in with the Europeans

my FZ is my primary means of transportation, it gets just shy of 50mpg, insurance is $109 for a year, I only have to put tires on every other year and it keeps people from asking me to take them places :thumbup: its just all around cheaper than my car. I only put gas in my car every 4 months, and thats $60+ a tank and ~20mpg, insurance is 6 times more a year and its not as fast as my bike. I cant financially justify driving my car any more than I absolutely have to.

I just dont see why people here don't ride bikes more. the only time I take my car is when its POURING or its super crazy ridiculously cold, like potential for ice cold.

as far as teens not perusing licenses, my sister is one of them, it bothers me SO much. I bought her a car 3 weeks before her 16th birthday because a friend owed me alot, she tuns 17 in a month and I sold the car because she has yet to get a license.

 

[Botch]

Let's keep things in perspective. A lot of people moved to the cities.

I have friends in NYC that simply don't car about owning a car. They have no need for it. It's too costly and mass transit system in NYC is pretty expansive and sufficient enough.

If you live in the suburbs, without a car you are stuck. It's a must have.

Well, I certainly agree if you live in a city (I wouldn't own a vehicle in NYC either).
But, I see it happening around here too, and I really have trouble understanding it...

 

[oaks]

Well, I certainly agree if you live in a city (I wouldn't own a vehicle in NYC either).
But, I see it happening around here too, and I really have trouble understanding it...

It doesn't help that few high schools still offer driver's education programs -- forcing teens to pay for private driving school if they are under 18 and want or need a license, typically.

I recall being very annoyed that I was a month too young to take Driver's Ed the first semester of 11th grade, and didn't get my license until I was an ancient 16 1/2 years old the following June. Oh, the shame!

 

[Don't Panic]

If my kid refused to get a license, I would refuse to give them a ride anywhere. Teaching kids independence and freedom goes a long way.

Kids/Teens these days are too coddled and dependent.

That's my grumpy old man side coming out... I'm 20

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Wait til the price of fuel experiences another major spike in price. Everyone will be on two wheels. Motorcycles are a hobby for most, give it time until it becomes more of a primary again. I think it's cyclical.

 

[SweaterDude]

I guess you can put me in with the Europeans

my FZ is my primary means of transportation, it gets just shy of 50mpg, insurance is $109 for a year, I only have to put tires on every other year and it keeps people from asking me to take them places :thumbup: its just all around cheaper than my car. I only put gas in my car every 4 months, and thats $60+ a tank and ~20mpg, insurance is 6 times more a year and its not as fast as my bike. I cant financially justify driving my car any more than I absolutely have to.

believe it or not the actual running/maintenance costs for a bike and car are about the same. mainly because of tire costs. unless you ive in an area where you need to switch back and forth between snow tires (which still doesnt skew the figure much) tires on a car last ~30-40k miles. thats 6-8x as long as on a bike. more maintenance actually has to be done on a bike. and the gas mileage only offsets on the occasions where you go somewhere by yourself, not meeting people or riding on a trip with another bike.

 

[dschult2]

I think it's like any other hobby that we do, it's up to us to pass along the love of it to our children. I was on a dirt bike by the time I was 8 and fell in love with it and that eventually transitioned naturally into street motorcycles. My two daughters both ride quads but I have been thinking about getting one of these for my 8 year old, I think she would love it.

2014 Yamaha TT-R50E Gallery, photos, pictures, pics

 

[Jman]

Re: Blah...

It always comes down to money.

I have tons of 20 something year old friends envious that I ride a motorcycle. And they all would get a bike if they could afford.

Truth is that my generation doesn't really have a basic financial understanding or the ethic to live frugally within your means. Half of them have ruined credit scores.

No disposable income= no luxury goods such as a motorcycle.

Not everybody can afford this expensive hobby.

Hell, for commute purposes I still prefer mass transit and bicycling. Much easier and less of a hassle than riding a motorcycle in the NYC. Many of my peers jump onto the bicycles as a preferable means of commute.

I for one think that the motorcycle industry will be just fine.

Edit:

A part of me also doesn't want more guys on bikes.

It's easier to pick up girls when only 1 out of 5 guys rides a motorcycle.

It's easier to be cool ;p

This is very well put. I have been trying to encourage a young guy at the rock climbing gym to get one (after he expressed an interest in it) and the main obstacle was the money.

 

[chuckfz6ryder]

My son is 16, and currently taking his driving lessons. We live in the suburbs and it's a 5-10 mile ride to anywhere we need to go. My wife got a new bike a few months ago, and my son is loving the old ninja 500. He wears everything but riding pants and has several thousand miles experience with me coaching him through the Bluetooth communication system we use. I can't wait for spring when he will take the MSF course. I think he is doing great and I love riding with him. I let him get a feel for my FZ6 and heard him giggling through the comm. system when he romped on it

 

[Susan]

We're 12 miles from town, so all our kids have wanted to get their licenses (mainly because if they want to do expensive stuff or buy expensive stuff after they're old enough to drive, they have to get jobs and pay for said stuff themselves, it's just our rule).

We have graduated licensing here, so even after the kids get their permits, we have to be in the vehicle with them practically until they're retirement age. *sigh* But I imagine it's safer that way.

 

[Andz]

I had a crappy day and I'm feeling like a pedantic grumpy old sod so I'm going to pick on the thread title....

If they are younger riders they are already riding, what do you want to get them in to?

:spank:

 

[Ssky0078]

believe it or not the actual running/maintenance costs for a bike and car are about the same. mainly because of tire costs. unless you ive in an area where you need to switch back and forth between snow tires (which still doesnt skew the figure much) tires on a car last ~30-40k miles. thats 6-8x as long as on a bike. more maintenance actually has to be done on a bike. and the gas mileage only offsets on the occasions where you go somewhere by yourself, not meeting people or riding on a trip with another bike.

I did the math on this and if you go with a good sport touring tire, and even with my Fz1 and it's 32 mpg, I save $200 on the year. If I had my Fz6 still or something like a a NC7000 it would jump up to around $700-800

 

[pookamatic]

You want to continue the replenishment of riders? Take your children for rides between the ages of 8 and 12. Bonus points, give them the keys to an appropriately-sized adv/dirt bike.

They'll carry that feeling of freedom forever and will eventually get a bike. Even if they have to wait until they're 34 before they do. :thumbup:

 

[yamihoe]

believe it or not the actual running/maintenance costs for a bike and car are about the same. mainly because of tire costs. tires on a car last ~30-40k miles. thats 6-8x as long as on a bike. more maintenance actually has to be done on a bike. and the gas mileage only offsets on the occasions where you go somewhere by yourself, not meeting people or riding on a trip with another bike.

yes, typically tires last longer on cars, even with that 30-40k estimate thats only 4x as long as the rear lasts on my bike (+/-11k miles) , I would go through 5 bike tires (2 front 3 rear) to every car set, so 5 tires on my bike to 4 tires on the car, lets just say all the tires cost the same for bike and car tires, what I save on gas(50mpg vs 20mpg) more than makes up for the extra tire, and then the super cheap insurance ($500 less a year) and lower state taxes ($55 on the FZ and $73 for the GT) along with cheaper oil changes (~20 each FZ and 35 GT) and you dont have to get emissions done on bikes ($25). still tons cheaper for me than my tire roasting car

for 10,000 miles traveled its 500 gallons for my car and 200 for the FZ
at $3.50 a gallon the car uses $1750 in gas to the $700 in the FZ. thats $1050 difference just in gas costs. that cost shrinks the better gas mileage your car gets but its still a huge difference every year.