Those where the days: bike regos for 1986

**spanner spinner** · 6th October 2013, 21:19

We got a pile of old kiwi riders dropped off at work and this article from a 1986 copy reminded me of how good the bike industry use to be. 1986 3.2 million people 13,372 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.004 per cent) 2012 4.4 million people 5,272 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.001 per cent) and the 1986 numbers where a drop from 1980 29,957 new bikes registered!

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**pete-blen** · 6th October 2013, 21:32

[QUOTE=spanner spinner;1130621400]We got a pile of old kiwi riders dropped off at work and this article from a 1986 copy reminded me of how good the bike industry use to be. 1986 3.2 million people 13,372 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.004 per cent) 2012 4.4 million people 5,272 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.001 per cent) and the 1986 numbers where a drop from 1980 29,957 new bikes registered!]

Unless you were there in the late 70 , early 80... don't know how meany bikes were on the road...
Then along came the cheap jap import cars....

**rastuscat** · 7th October 2013, 08:09

[QUOTE=pete-blen;1130621402]

Originally Posted by spanner spinner

We got a pile of old kiwi riders dropped off at work and this article from a 1986 copy reminded me of how good the bike industry use to be. 1986 3.2 million people 13,372 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.004 per cent) 2012 4.4 million people 5,272 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.001 per cent) and the 1986 numbers where a drop from 1980 29,957 new bikes registered!]

Unless you were there in the late 70 , early 80... don't know how meany bikes were on the road...
Then along came the cheap jap import cars....

Yup, you got it. Bikes used to be what people could afford. Cheaper than cars. Then the Jappos arrived.

I don't envy young people who love bikes these days. It's become a wealthy mans passtime.

**ellipsis** · 7th October 2013, 08:49

...most of the riders of motorcycles on the road in the40's, 50's, 60's, early 70's were riding 'transport'...Wednesday night rides were generally home from work and most riders wished they had enough 'overseas funds', so they could get permission to own a car and then wait months until it arrived on a boat...the biker lifestyle had not been perceived as anything other than, riding a bike as opposed to walking or taking the train...then things changed...hollywood, jappas, 1% yanks etc etc...

**willytheekid** · 7th October 2013, 09:06

Originally Posted by ellipsis

...most of the riders of motorcycles on the road in the40's, 50's, 60's, early 70's were riding 'transport'

MOST! lol

...My Grandad was riding his Norton Flat-track racer from the dunedin race track, to the pub, and then out to the mudflats to see my Gran at the batch

...and anyone familar with Dunedin will remember the huge white cross waaay out in the mud flats at Purakaunui inlet on the dog leg corner...Don't ride norton flat trackers drunk!, they don't take highspeed corners to well

...but they sure can skip across mud flats!

(*his mate and him went back the day after to get the bike...it had sunk!

...hence the huge cross lol)

**iranana** · 7th October 2013, 09:16

[QUOTE=rastuscat;1130621460]

Originally Posted by pete-blen

I don't envy young people who love bikes these days. It's become a wealthy mans passtime.

I have a Yamaha RD as a project bike, for what I've spent fixing it I could have quite a nice car, but fuck that, let's keep the dream alive

**Voltaire** · 7th October 2013, 09:39

WOW Triumph sold 16, must have been to some old diehards as my recollection of British bikes in the mid 80's was totally outdated bikes that gangs rode.
I had a Z1000j ( $4100, 4 years old) and wanted a Ducati, but they were almost unheard of...a Doo what I?
Used to drool over Two Wheels mags at the range and prices of bike in Oz.
Bought my Ducati in Sydney for $2700 AU compared to the $6000 Auckland Motorcycles wanted for a similar Darmah.
Picked up a BMW there too as I had not seen many in Auckland, I think Jensens in Newmarket were the dealers and you could order them from the catalog.

**Banditbandit** · 7th October 2013, 14:25

Those where the days: bike regos for 1986

Fuck - now I feel really OLD ... I'd been riding for 13 years in 1986 ... It's hard when the young bucks think that was a long time ago - and some of us think it was recent history ... (someone born in 1986 would be 27 this year ...)

**SPman** · 7th October 2013, 16:18

You feel old....I'd been riding for 20 yrs and the missus for 25yrs (she started youngish).....

**pete-blen** · 7th October 2013, 16:44

Originally Posted by Voltaire

my recollection of British bikes in the mid 80's was totally outdated bikes that gangs rode.

LOL.... I couldn't have said it better

**pete376403** · 7th October 2013, 16:58

Hire Purchase on bikes only required 1/3 deposit, where cars required a 1/2 deposit - that help bike sales a lot, too. My 72 Bighorn 35o was $390 down and the balance over two years (General Finance had pretty exorbitant interest rates, though

**Motu** · 7th October 2013, 19:05

Originally Posted by Voltaire

WOW Triumph sold 16, must have been to some old diehards as my recollection of British bikes in the mid 80's was totally outdated bikes that gangs rode.

By the mid '80's all the gangs were on Harleys, none would have the skills to keep a Triumph going by then. The later Meriden Triumphs were a shadow of their former selves burdened with US emission regulations. Low compression, restrictive exhausts and lean carbs turned the lightweight nippy Triumph into a gutless fat slug. I knew a guy who had one then, he reckoned it was hard pressed to do 80mph.

1986 ? At one point in that year I might've been down to just 2 bikes, after swapping the CB750 for a Singer Vogue, I'd never had that few bikes since I was 16. Five years later I was back to 10 running bikes. In the '70's and '80's everyone was on bikes - my inlaws both rode CB125's, and all their 8 kids rode motorcycles as everyday transport, and not what you would call a hardcore motorcycle family...it was just a cheap way to get around.

**HenryDorsetCase** · 7th October 2013, 20:27

Originally Posted by Banditbandit

Fuck - now I feel really OLD ... I'd been riding for 13 years in 1986 ... It's hard when the young bucks think that was a long time ago - and some of us think it was recent history ... (someone born in 1986 would be 27 this year ...)

I hired someone this week who is doing exactly that. I'm like "What the hell just happened?" They study stuff like the Springbok tour in HISTORY class.

HISTORY!!!! I was there!

**Woodman** · 7th October 2013, 20:29

Back then most of the dirt bikes were road registered, IT's PE's KDX's XR's etc wheres now they are not. Wonder how much this skews the figures?

**russd7** · 7th October 2013, 20:50

Originally Posted by Woodman

Back then most of the dirt bikes were road registered, IT's PE's KDX's XR's etc wheres now they are not. Wonder how much this skews the figures?

all the ones that i knew of that were road reg were ridden on the road (mine included), most were toys as well as transport even tho the the black and whites were nazis. I got a ticket for no mirror even tho i had the remainder of the mirror with me and fresh grazes from when i had not long before come off. when i asked how i was sposed to get my bike home his answer was "push it, its not up to warrant of fitness"

, well pleased that most traffic officers i come across these days are a lot more understanding