18-25 group forms core two-wheeler ‘take-up’ market

[Bob]

According to research undertaken for the Motorcycle Industry Association, people aged 18-25 years are the age group most likely to consider riding a motorbike or scooter.

Three-quarters of the people interviewed held a neutral or positive attitude towards motorcycling and associated it with positive words. Freedom (35%), fun (24%) and convenience (18.5%) were the three highest rated by total mentions

Almost one-third (30%) had ridden a motorcycle or scooter in the past. The majority of people who had ridden (89%) found the experience enjoyable. Nearly two-thirds (60.7%) said they would consider riding again.

[StoneChucker]

Aye, I'm 23 so I can't argue...

BTW, 67.85% of statistics are made up on the spot!

[riffer]

Hmmm. Surely followed quickly by 35-45 year olds with kids and mortgages and foolishly thinking they could save some money by not driving a cage to work?

[jrandom]

Aye, I'm 23 so I can't argue...

Sniff. You're 23 too, eh.

If I didn't have a bunch of encumbrances that I should more properly have left until my 40s or summat, perhaps *I* could be riding an R1 by now.

[riffer]

Sniff. You're 23 too, eh.

If I didn't have a bunch of encumbrances that I should more properly have left until my 40s or summat, perhaps *I* could be riding an R1 by now.

Yes but when you are in your 40s they will have left home, and you will be lording over all those who had children in their 30s.

I will be 38 when my next is born, I'll be nearly 60 by the time they all clear out.

[NC]

Hey I'm 23!!!!

[vifferman]

Yes but when you are in your 40s they will have left home, and you will be lording over all those who had children in their 30s.

Quite right.
Although we still have 3 at home, we could conceivably be down to 0 in 3 years time. And regardless of that, we've been able to leave them at home and go riding, fly to Melbourne, or whatever. ("whatever" possibly being the States next year, to do some riding in the East. As you do. When you had kids in your 20s, while all your mates were doing their OE and gallivanting all over the globe...)
And I couldn't handle having teens in my 60s, so I don't regret it (although occasionally I regret having had kids at all...)

[jrandom]

occasionally I regret having had kids at all...

Don't say that.

I've been hoping the feeling will pass by the time they're 10 or so.

[Blakamin]

Yes but when you are in your 40s they will have left home, and you will be lording over all those who had children in their 30s.

I will be 38 when my next is born, I'll be nearly 60 by the time they all clear out.

now i'm depressed....

and it doesnt really save money riding to work, coz you always want something new for it

[Ghost Lemur]

Don't say that.

I've been hoping the feeling will pass by the time they're 10 or so.

Damn exactly what I was thinking.

But they are pretty cool sometimes.

[Coldkiwi]

now i'm depressed....

and it doesnt really save money riding to work, coz you always want something new for it

true.. but if you weren't spending cash on the bike, you'd spend it on another hobby wouldn't ya?
Anyway... I just had a reminder of why CARS SUCK today. Dropped my wife at the airport this morning and then had to fluff my way into the city, burn up way more petrol (at a a MUCH lower average speed) and pay $8 for the privelege of leaving it locked up on a dusty old derelict site that Wilsons call a 'car park'.

Can't wait to ride the bike in tomorrow!

[moko]

Average age of bikers in the U.K. is currently 38 por thereabouts and a lot of older guys are "born-agains" with a few die-hards like me who never went away in the first place.If things locally are any indicator then ironically the Scooter boom amongst youngsters have brought in some welcome new blood.Dont know about N.Z. but here packs of youths on these new-style scoots do their version of the Mod thing.Recently I`ve noticed more and more "real" bikes amongst their ranks,usually trailies or Aprilias with the old RD125 Yam being very popular locally.God knows where they`re finding these things because most got thrashed to death in the 80`s but they`re digging up some really nice examples.More and more I see groups of lads looking at the bikes in the city parking spaces,not so long ago they`d not have taken any notice of anything on 2 wheels unless it had a Harley badge on it.I hope this keeps up because not that long ago biking was really on the rack in this country with sales at rock-bottom,general lack of interest and a Government seemingly determined to slap all kinds of crap on bikes in a totally mis-guided attempt at safety legislation.

[TonyB]

Hmmm. Surely followed quickly by 35-45 year olds with kids and mortgages and foolishly thinking they could save some money by not driving a cage to work?

Nahh, that's just what you tell the wife to fool her into letting you get a bike.... Lets see, say you buy a set of tyres for $530 bucks and get an optimistic 6000km out of them...thats about 9 cents a km... just on tyres....
Which would be why I stopped commuting on the bike and bought a little 323 work bomb- it cost me the same as one set of tyres nearly two years ago. I would've gone through 4 sets in that time just riding to work and back. If that had happened it would be bye bye bike You can't fool the minister of finance for long!