American women are the fastest-growing part of the motorcycle business, buying more than 100,000 of them a year. Even though aging baby-boomer men, with money to spend and time on their hands, have played a big role in expanding the market in recent years, motorcycle companies are trying hard to woo women buyers.
“Fifty percent of the population is female there is pent-up demand,” said Jim Ziemer, the chief executive of Harley-Davidson. “We need to remove barriers.”
So they are producing more motorcycles that are lower to the ground – so women can plant their feet firmly on the ground – with narrower seats and softer clutches, and adjusting handlebars and windshields to make bikes more comfortable for smaller riders.
They are selling more clothes, too, in bright colors and with rhinestones, rather than the standard-issue black and orange leather jackets. Even the Harley-Davidson skull emblem has undergone a friendly makeover on some clothes to include wings and flowers. Suzuki last year rolled out a new line of clothes called Suzuki Girl with tight-fitting riding jackets in pink and baby blue.
Having been a chaplain in a hospital, I can honestly say that aging Baby Boomers and motorcycles are not a good combination…
With all due respect to Harley Owners and weekend bikers, I simply could not help myself last weekend…
My son and I were on our way to play some golf (he’s 11) and we passed a passel of Bikers, probably 15 or 20 out for their Saturday Road Trip, all the folks riding Harley’s, two and three wheelers, some with sidecars and trunks, pulling trailers, and all dressed EXACTLY the same, leather, leather and more leather.
My son, eyes wide open, said “Dad, who are all those OLD people on motorcycles!!! And what are they doing??”
Couldn’t help myself…”Son, that’s just a bunch of grown-ups playing dress up!”
Guess I’m just jealous….
KTF!….mrb
1 above: What statistics are you referring to?
2 above: Perhaps if you were to actually ever ride a motorcycle, you might learn through experience that leather provides the best protection against wind chill. Leather can help reduce injuries from pavement rash in case of an accident. Leather boots provide protection from burns on hot exhaust pipes. None of these protections are necessary in an enclosed 4-wheel vehicle. On the other hand, driving a car is quite simply very boring compared to riding a motorcycle.
My [i]wife[/i] won’t let me have a motorcycle. 😉