So I subscribe to BIKE magazine, fairly recently with the demise of Practical SprotsbikesTM Hitcher and I have realised it is one of life’s pleasures reading a magazine made of paper of a weekend morning. I’d kinda lost interest in the endless cycle of new bikes, but I’ve dipped my toe back in for a year or so, as I succumbed to the Adventure bike ideal, maybe it is interesting to read of different bikes again after a diet of Resto types.
But this issue (February):
80 hot new bikes.
They list with tiny review all the new bikes or reasonable updates to existing.
What strikes me, is how many there are. Apart from the many sub models (Triumph have more Tigers than Africa [ooh that’s good, have to remember that), there are heaps of makes that I’ve never seen before or are expanding their range (I have a CF Moto in the fleet).
Yes there is a huge expanding market in China and India that we are not really cognisant of, and as the brands start exporting we become aware that Indian bikes aren’t clunky old Royal Enfield pastiche that come to mind. Kind of “When did that happen?” (as you notice the new high rise building that wasn’t there last week)?
So the Asian market is growing at a level we struggle to comprehend; What does that mean of the other manufacturers? Will they lose relevance? Will they indeed Survive?
For a tiny market like ours is support possible for, say, 10 more manufacturers over what we currently have? Let alone if they all tried to enter our shores (which they wouldn’t all).
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks