AI-generated video summary The motorcycle market faces an unprecedented crisis in July 2025, with over 60,000 unsold bikes and dealership closures accelerating. High prices, rising interest rates, and changing demographics are impacting sales and the industry's future. Click bait YT channel.
Obviously, anecdote is not evidence but when I was at the Malle Festival a few weekends ago I was pleasantly surprised to find that the demographic was younger than I had expected. However, even leaving aside financial issues, the general cultural and political trend towards suffocating safetyism is killing motorcycling. My cohort (GenX) was the last generation to have had a relatively free childhood involving unsupervised dangerous play, which, I suspect, we carried over into our love of bikes. Those who came after us were increasingly mollycoddled, constantly watched by anxious parents and almost all physical play was carefully curated and controlled in order to eliminate almost all risk. Our roads have turned into an entrapment and enforcement network to such a degree that almost all my riding has been off road for the past 4 or 5 years and the only road riding I do these days is on the short stretches connecting one green lane to another. However, I imagine that the safety obsessed sissies and control freak Karens who decide what’s best for us will find a way to bring that last little bit of unsurveilled risk taking to an end at some point in the near future.
Spot on. I packed in road riding years ago for reasons you mention here. I sit typing this as I await a dreaded NIP through my letterbox- a lapse in concentration whilst in the van… doh! But I was at a major dealership the other day and was pleasantly surprised to see a couple of young lads, screwdrivers and pliers in hand, farting about with their 125’s in the car park. Took me back a while The super bike market does seem a little depressing mind. I was at Mugello last week and the new blade is fkn fast if anyone is interested
https://www.motorcyclesdata.com/2025/07/30/british-motorcycles-market/ Looking at top manufacturer’s performance, Honda confirms the leadership, although with sales slightly declining (-6.6%). Although losing sharply, the local icon Triumph advanced in second place, with sales down 26.5%. In third place Yamaha reporting a deep 20.9% lost. Behind, BMW with sales down 17.2% ahead of Kawasaki (-28.4%), Lexmoto (-19.1%), KTM (-38.3%), Royal Enfield (-28.2%), Suzuki (-29.2%). Meanwhile:
The superbike market is mental as the manufacturers keep churning out ever more powerful bikes which due to their cost and the aforementioned aging demographic, are mostly going to be ridden by old men with dodgy knees, creaking backs, slow reactions and fading eyesight on roads which are increasingly congested, infested with speed cameras and blighted by potholes.
Young folks, even if they wanted to ride, they won't simply be able to afford it. They can't even afford to leave a rent, and buy their own living. I feel very bad for the newer and newer generations of people, as keep getting, or will be F'd by the system they are born to.
Cost of living is out of control as it’s run and dictated by big multi nationals whose only interest is profit profit profit at any cost.
Sorry but this is just isn’t true . Loads of kids on scoots bikes and even the 40 year old mid life crisis crew out and about alll summer long round here. I’ve never seen it so busy and I even got a nod off an r1 hero this week.
The rider on the r1 I mentioned unless it was an extremely skinny and cheeky looking 50 year old under the jeans and t shirt he or she was wearing. Honestly bikes galore in the south east (ish).
I started riding (legally) aged 17 in 1981, I didn't know anyone over 40 who rode a motorbike, fast forward 40 years (where the f*ck did that go) and now I don't know anyone under 40 that rides a motorbike. These days anyone who rides a motorbike, if they have any hair, some of it is grey....
Bear in mind Honda and Yamaha, in fact all the jap makers, have other businesses that make far more money than bikes.
Not referring to the op but the motorcycle world in general, what’s this constant obsession with things being over? If it’s not road racing it’s showrooms. If it’s not showrooms it’s track days. If it’s not track days it’s loud exhausts. If it’s not Lou’s exhausts it’s something else (probably BSB related). Things might change and you may not like the changes but nothing’s disappeared forever and likely never will.
