For the past 2 decades, Harley-Davidson has successfully marketed its bikes to baby-boomers. And you know the problem: boomers are graying. Consequence, some of those older riders quit riding or ride much less and buy less motorcycles. Harley buyers were an average age of 38 in the early 90’s, and now 50! Just observe the rally goers. A high percentage of gray hair riding baggers or trikes.
While all manufacturers, big or small, are courting the 20’s to 30’s clientele, at the same time they all push the new hot item, a 3-wheel motorcycle. In Sturgis, trikes are everywhere like never before. And their owners fit in 2 categories (In addition to the biker with some form of physical disabilty: 1-) the very mature rider who wants to continue to ride. 2- the aging couple where the female passenger requires the husband or boyfriend to offer them a more comfortable ride with the perceived benefit of extra safety on the road. Harley-Davidson with the “Tri-Glide” & Lehman/Victory with the “CrossBow” have a waiting list for their trikes. So, in 2010 will we see major custom builders devoting their talents and skills to the trike? Should be interesting… .
We start on trikes, why not go out on them -;0)
John E Adams
Aug 5th, 2009 at 10:17 am
We start on trikes, why not go out on them -;0)
AMEN ! ALSO WEAR DIAPERS AND CRY A LOT ! LOL
Simplemente para MACHOS!!!!
Soon everyone will have an all singing and dancing trike with luggage, windscreens, comfy seats, stereo systems etc.
I am gonna be a trendsetter and suggest the next big thing will be 4 wheel bikes, fully fendered, full width widscreens to provide protection, comfy seating for a whole family of 5 and a trunk you can put a dog or two in. some models will even have roofs and wind up windows.
Perhaps those outriggers for 2 wheel bikes I laughed at the other week aren’t such a bad idea after all.
Boomers do seem to want to recreate their childhood with motorcycles: Big wheels lookalikes, outrigger wheels, trikes. Next we will have people making fire trucks, tool boxes, stealth Jets and excavators in the shape of motorbikes………Nah, ……no way, …….that would really be fecking stupid.
Buck Rogers,
Please contact your local Victory dealership , your bike is near completion .
A MINI ragtop is the samesize as a trike with all the advantanges and non of the disdvantages..A motorcycle like a bicycle is a 2 wheeler.
Fluke
Aug 5th, 2009 at 2:40 pm said:
Boomers do seem to want to recreate their childhood with motorcycles: Big wheels lookalikes, outrigger wheels, trikes. Next we will have people making fire trucks, tool boxes, stealth Jets and excavators in the shape of motorbikes………Nah, ……no way, …….that would really be fecking stupid.
Oh come on now cut occ a little slack. LOL
I spent some time on I80 in Iowa last weekend and couldn’t believe the number of Trikes I saw on trailers headed west. This is insane! Trikes are bad enough, but at least ride them.
Hey Bros & Babes,
Trikes have sure come a long way in both technical design and styling. It fits a developing sector in the evolution of our business.
That said, the Trike crowd is only one of many age-brackets that “needs” to be served by OEM’s for us to thrive saleswise.
Also noteworthy, recall some of my previous posts regarding positioning and “price-points”. It takes one cash-flushed customer to lay down $34,000 – $38,000 for a new trike.I predict a significant pre-owned market here in the future.
Not a sustainable niche long term in my 2-cent opinion.
Like the earlier post comment by Fuji, “we start on Trikes and will leave on Trikes. Remember, someelse bought that 1st Trike for us. Tougher for us to fork out the big price today.
BikerMarc
Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing.
You are taken off center stage, but with a three wheeler you are given such a comfortable front seat as a spectator to watch the disease of youth fade away into maturety
If one lives that long
LOL
I was just remarking to Ken Hines (Lehman) that there seems to be an increase in the amount of trikes at the rally this year. Hard to miss when there are so many of them on the road.
Funny how some of you rag on trikes and the folks riding them but the truth be told those trike riders ad up more miles than you keyboard jockeys.I never get tired of laughing at the so called real bikers that wear the I rode mine patch that is sewed on their vest that is obviously worn once a year. If asked most only live one hundred miles away or less. But keep raggen on others it may help you feel like a real biker.whatever that may be.
Well, the “industry” needs some new directions. Trikes are just one.
The HD expo in the Rapid City visitors center parking lot had two long lows of brand new trikes on display.
Probably weren’t there just for show.
Wonder how many of them were sold…???
-nicker-
Am I the only one that noticed the number of side car rigs on the road in Sturgis too?
I have a bud who traded his old Road King for an HD/Lehman trike. Over the last 5 yrs he has overcome agent orange cancer (3 tours Nam), a hip replacement & a knee replacement 3 mos ago which morphed into a merca infection nearly costing him his life. His other knee needs replacing, too. July 5th, he rode that trike in Shasta Rally’s AVTT Ride of Honor & he completed a 7 state ride afterwards. He did these things on the machine he dreamed of when he was fighting to get back in the wind & for his life.
I say “bring on the trikes”
That Victory trike is one sick looking piece of work and they also have a trike based on the Kingpin that has the flared gaurds and a boat shaped “trunk”.
All very retro to the Vision trike’s futuristic
I am a trike owner. We put 15,000-20,000 kms/year on it. I am 58 years old, can still hold a two wheeler up, but why? This Goldwing/Lehman trike takes me 4-6 hours a day further than most 2 wheelers I ride with. But, I still believe it is better to ride a 3 wheeler than no wheels. We enjoy the comfort and don’t really care what others rise-as long as they ride.
I know this is an old post, but had to chime in here. I own 2 motorcycles, a sidecar hack and a 2010 street glide trike. I rode the Street Glide Trike almost 2500 miles to the Sturgis Rally..solo. It shouldn’t matter to riders what one rides… this neener neener crap just makes riders look stupid and jealous. Just ride and be happy what you ride instead of knocking others down for their comfort. I am happy to ride both… I just chose the bike for the ride I wanted. The 2010 SG Trike blows my softail off the freeway. It takes a certain skill to ride one. Its all upper body, but is still controlled by conventional motorcycle skills and education. If anything, its harder to ride one considering the evaluation of cornering and not being able to lean into curves. So, until you try riding one of those beasts… don’t knock it.