July 2008

[Buzz Kanter]

Motorcycle Trends

There’s no doubt that the economy has been slammed hard, and that each of us has to watch where and how we spend our money. I’m curious how the mortgage meltdown and depressed stock market will affect our spending on motorcycles, and I wanted to know how the industry and riders are reacting. So, I attended the big V-Twin Expo trade show in Cincinnati and then headed down to Daytona Bike Week a couple of weeks later.

Over the last few years, a lot of Harley dealerships, flush with increasing sales and profits, spent a fortune expanding their respective operations or moving into larger facilities. I expected to hear a lot of dealers and shop owners complaining about the economy, and how the subprime mortgage mess is damaging the motorcycle industry. I was surprised by how upbeat most of the people at the trade show were. I don’t know if that’s because the complainers stayed home, or if it’s a case of cycling enthusiasts rolling up their sleeves and figuring out how to get through it. I’m betting on the latter.

Okay, so that’s my take on the industry. What about the other side of the parts counter -- the actual bikers and riders? To answer this, I checked out the action in and around Daytona Bike Week, the traditional start of the motorcycle season here in the US. Every year, I look forward to the March sunshine of Daytona; I’m able to spend time with old friends and make some new ones. To roughly gauge the annual attendance, I take note of how many hotels have their vacancy signs out. There might be better ways, but I don’t know any. After all, the crowds always seem heavy on Main Street, but I wanted a more realistic measure. A few years ago, you couldn’t find a vacancy sign during Bike Week within 50 miles of Daytona. Since then, I see a few more each year. This time, I saw them at almost every hotel and motel around town all week. So I know the attendance was down. Blame it on whatever you want, but I would bet they’d get more of us in hotel rooms if they didn’t jack the rates during Bike Week.

On the streets, I got a firsthand look at the trends and changes in the motorcycle marketplace for a new year. I have to say, even with the lighter attendance, Daytona Bike Week is still pretty overwhelming. I saw a lot more stockers than choppers, and I noticed considerably more Harley liquid-cooled V-Rods than ever before. While there were still some big-buck, long-fork choppers on display, there seemed to be fewer of them. More of the customs looked homemade, often built with more creativity than cash. I was blown away by some of the new-generation builders, including Nash, Suckerpunch Sallys, and Keino, who showed off their creations at the skate park across from Millers. Is this an old trend that will grow as dollars become tighter? I hope so. I also noted a lot more of the bikes carried couples, while in the past it seemed most of the bikes were ridden solo. Could this be the family vacation on two-wheels?

AIMag.com -- We Are Online
I’d like to invite everyone to visit our free, interactive web site, www.AIMag.com. If, like me, you’re more comfortable cruising the highways and byways than the internet, you might find our site easier to use than you expected. We offer all sorts of great features, all of which are easy to find and use. We’ve archived a growing number of past AIM articles and features, which includes product reviews, tech, and installs. My personal favorite is the free bulletin board/forum where you can interact with our staff and tens of thousands of other enthusiasts. It’s easy to read the posts and messages, reply to whichever ones you like, or start your own. As our editorial team monitors and participates in the various threads on a regular basis, don’t be shy about contributing your own sentiments on a given topic, pro or con.

Looking for a back issue of any TAM magazine, including American Iron Magazine or the American Iron special issues, as well as our old and collectible Indian Motorcycle Illustrated, Hot XL, Thunder Ally, or Hottest Custom Harleys? We have partnered with www.GreaseRag.com (a small, online, mail-order company) to list all the magazines still available for sale. GreaseRag also has a great selection of motorcycle-related items ranging from bike books to genuine Harley-Davidson belt buckles.

Your homework, if you’d like some, is to find out what you can about online wikis. I can’t go into details just yet, but hope to have an interesting announcement next month.

Ride safe, ride smart, have fun.

Buzz Kanter
Publisher/Editor-In-Chief