Preliminary information from the Motorcycle Industry Council reveals that all categories of motorcycles experienced sales drops in 2008, but scooters jumped 41.5 percent and dual purposes leaped 22.8 percent. MIC prez Tim Buche says, "Overall, motorcycle sales were down 7.2 percent, not nearly as sharp a decline as many other consumer products in today's economy."
Buch adds, "If it was smart-sized, offered great value and high fuel mileage, then chances are it was a sales success. Availability mattered, too. Many dealers could have sold more of these kinds of motorcycles if they only had them. Demand was so much higher than anyone could have expected." The report also finds that on-highway bike sales (cruisers, sport bikes, touring bikes, and standards) slipped 5.6 percent, while offroad bikes fell a precipitous 30 percent.
Given that all manufacturers (and almost all types of bikes) are suffering these days, does that make you more or less likely to shop for a new motorcycle?
Related:
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- European Dreaming: The 2008 Honda Transalp
Click for Photo Galleries of the Honda CRF230L Dual Purpose and the Vespa GTS 300 Super Scooter
I will always ride my bike and as gas keeps getting higher in $ it is way more practical to go out and buy a mid priced motorcycle over a mid priced car new any day. Bike sales may be slipping but not as much as automobile sales this last year, besides this lack of might inspire some new blood in the motorcycle industry.
Basem,
I own the 2008 version of the Zero X motorcycle that you recently reviewed. I after market light kitted mine cheaply, as you suggested was possible, and it is now registered and license plated in my state as a full street legal motorcycle (NOT bicycle – what bicycle beats a muscle car off the line?). An instant flip of the switch and it qualifies as a moped with no registration or street restrictions or lights required in my state (note: may vary from state to state). Flip the switch back, it’s ready for full performance mode. I use my Zero X about 75% paved city, county, state streets, road, highways as my daily driver commuter (26 miles) vehicle and 25% off road fun, fun, fun.
Also, my Zero X cost the same up front as my near equivalent (my gasser has slower acceleration and performs worse off road) pure gasser dual sport motorcycle. Manual required one year maintenance costs for the two – gas: $1,000 (oil changes, cleaning, tune ups and 7,500 mile servicing) , electric: $0. Two more years and I’ll have saved enough on maintenance on the electric to get my next instantly swappable power pack for the electric way ahead of schedule: 80 mile range with a 10 second pit stop to swap power packs, here I come!
As a final dig, as I have MSF (Motorcycle Safety Foundation) training and actually listened to the Zero staff when I picked up my motorcycle (I know, they can UPS it for cheap, but I couldn’t wait), I haven’t had any spills on it. I realized it had the highest power to weight ratio of anything on the market.
Best wishes, though, really.
On fork travel on the Zero X,
Zero can just keep beefing it up, but here’s my take as an owner with thousands of miles of experience on both electric and gassers.
The Zero X is very lightweight and highly responsive to very subtle, delicate, skilled inputs. It’s the first motorcycle I’ve used where
1. the high speed counter-steer gyroscopic effect is truly minimal.
2. user weight and handling methods matter hugely.
3. high level technical mountain bicycle skills and sophisticated, subtle body english can be meaningful inputs into the handling. Those take more than a couple of weeks to start to master and maximize on the Zero X for most non-professional riders.
Compared to the Zero X, most gas motorcycles feel and handle like heavy tractors to me. It’s like the handling of a Lamborghini on twisties versus driving a pickup pulling a plow at 5 mph. Finesse the inputs and the truck won’t notice while the Lambo will sing. Be heavy handed and heavy minded and you’ll flip the Lambo and crunch the suspension while the truck won’t notice. Enough lame metaphor?
I’ve seen 65 ft. jumps on the Zero X where the suspension was fine – gotta have mad skills and the right body.
Again, best wishes.
When i get a chance, i’m going to write a note to the council explaining that “dual-purposes” are motorcycles…!
Hello Fellow riders,
With all of the talk about Green iniatives, including hybrid cars, electrics, car pooling, public tansporation alternatives etc. there was a report that certain highways and tollways were going to adopt lanes for car poolers, hybrid or electric car owners, and transit buses, but no mention for the best fuel efficient motor vehicles on the road…motorcycles and scooters! What gives? I know motorcyle ridership is fractional compared to car traffic, but shouldn’t we get the “Green Lane” too?
You greenhorns already have your own lane, its called the “sidewalk”…!