When two strokes were banned for road use, people moved to larger four strokes to get the same sort of power. Now as smaller four stroke motorcycles start hitting the sweet spot for highway/freeway riding, and become more sophisticated (CBR250R, Ninja 300), they are becoming viable again.
Gas prices and financial reasons are pushing people towards motorcycles. Many people need a second vehicle, because they commute in a different direction to their spouse, but cannot afford the car/car insurance/gas. We pay $800/yr for insurance on our car, compared to $300/yr for a N300 (quoted).
Young people, and indeed all people, can't afford fast cars as well as they used to. The best way to go fast, on a budget, is with a motorcycle.
I believe that the global economic downturn of the past few years really hit the motorcycle industry hard. As consumer products go, motorcycles fall in to the category of hard goods purchased with discretionary income. For most consumers, discretionary income is thought of as maybe a few hundred dollars a month, and that's if your lucky after you've paid the mortgage, put food on the table, etc. Consumer credit has been very tight for the past few years, and only now is beginning to loosen up, but not by much.
The October issue of Sport Rider magazine has an interesting article, titled "Banks and the Sportbike market". In it they talk about how liter sportbikes are now out selling 600cc sportbikes, due largely to the tightened consumer credit availability. Joe Average motorcycle buyer can't afford to lay down for a 600cc sportbike, whereas the older guy who has a few bucks to his name can, and is inclined to spend a little more and get the liter bike... he can also afford the insurance, unlike the younger Joe Average who would very likely pay more in full coverage insurance premiums than in bike payments, assuming he can even get the loan. But I digress... While small motorcycles have a very strong appeal on many levels, I think the low cost factor is driving sales more than anything else. If Joe Average can't practically buy a 600cc sportbike, his choices might come down to sitting on the sidelines with no bike, or saving up some money and buying something that isn't going to put him underwater financially... enter the smaller displacement motorcycle. Look at our forums here... how many people here with CBR250's, would be over at 600RR.net, talking about their arrh arrh's, if it were not for the overall cost factor? In my estimation, the strong appeal of the quarter liter CBR, and other bikes like it, has as much to do with it being an affordable bike, as it is a "beginners" motorcycle. Aside from the fact that I really like my bike, that I could also afford to own it was a huge factor in the purchasing decision.
Anyway, if you don't already get Sport Rider, you might want to check out the October issue... IMO, it's one of the better motorcycle 'zines on the shelf.
I strongly believe that small motorcycle sales will only increase in the future, and that the manufacturers have seen the writing on the wall, and are responding with products that their customers can afford to own, and most importantly... enjoy using.
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I've owned my bike for 2 weeks... I've had already 4 persons come to me and ask me about my bike as I was putting my helmet on, and had their jaws drop when they asked for the price and I answered. Then I mention MPG and they're pretty much sold.
So, yes. With the usual bad economy blah blah when people realize they can have something fun, cool, AND cheap, they like it.
I've owned my bike for 2 weeks... I've had already 4 persons come to me and ask me about my bike as I was putting my helmet on, and had their jaws drop when they asked for the price and I answered. Then I mention MPG and they're pretty much sold.
So, yes. With the usual bad economy blah blah when people realize they can have something fun, cool, AND cheap, they like it.
I've had more people ask about my CBR, especially price, and I see their jaws drop when they hear "about forty five hundred"... most just assume its a $10,000 motorcycle. I guess because I have a Tri-Color, many have just assumed, obviously without seeing the 250R decal on the rear side cowl, that it's a 600, or 1000 CBR. That says a lot about the design & styling of the CBR250R. Let's face it... the bike oozes curb appeal.
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It seems some of the progressive European countries want to dissuade motorized personal transportation or make it elitist. Italy seems to be an exception where small scooters are common. large cities in Japan are also full of scooters I hear from a friend that just got back. And of course India and Thailand are full of them. I find my PCX150 to be the perfect way to hop around town for light shopping, fast food, or visiting friends. A plug in electric version with the same performance and a 20 mile range would be ideal.
I think that manufacturers are starting to cater to older, more mature riders who maybe haven't ridden before but wanted to or want to dump the extra cc's they don't use in their larger bikes. These riders are ones that have the cash and freedom to just go out and buy a less expensive bike... have the sense to know that supersports are generally ridiculous for their needs (cool for some people, but not most)... and need something economical. I think it's a generational thing and an economical thing.
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Cambobomb For This Useful Post:
i bought the bike mainly for the mpg,and at around 4000 it was easy
to buy cash and not have a payment.
i ride it alot more than i thought i was,just around town for small arrands
and just crusin around it save a great deal in fuel & $.
this is my favorite bike i have had,not by a long shot but
honda hit it on the head with this one IMO.
and the 80+mpg is just crasy for the total package
this bike offers.
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off the grid
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I didn't even know about the [potentially] great fuel mileage of the CBR when I went shopping. I just wanted a bike that was powerful enough to allow me to take the interstate to work and was small enough for me to get a leg over. I won't ride without my pants, and they make the acrobatics of mounting/dismounting difficult for this getting older, out of shape guy.
It turned out to be an exciting bike to ride. I lucked out!
I've been riding large displacement bikes for 31+ years now. 600cc is the smallest I've owned, and that was a recent purchase, this year, as a track only bike.
I mostly became interested in a smaller bike once they switched to fuel injection. Plus the fact that they don't "look" like small bikes any longer, and come with features only found on larger bikes, until recently.
Oh. And that fuel mileage!
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*Current garage*
2012 Triumph Daytona 675R
2006 Yamaha FZ1
2005 Honda CRF50-88cc supermoto race bike
2004 Yamaha YZF-R6
2003 Honda GL1800 Goldwing
2002 Honda XR50
2001 Suzuki DRZ400S
(Still trying to make room for the 250!)
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