Liberty media launched a dedicated 24 hour moto gp tv channel in America this week. There were 200 odd thousand people at Suzuka for the endurance racing last weekend. It’s most definitely not over.
As a slight aside, when was the last time anyone saw a motorbike ad on the telly? Im inundated with fucking funeral plans, adopt an ostrich and mattresses ….
Is there the slightest possible chance that the motorcycle industry (certainly in the U.K.) just needs to catch up a bit and is quite frankly shooting itself in the arse ? Zero ads, anywhere (and I mean zero). How much must they cost these days lol. Pocket change lol. Showrooms closed 50% of the weekend. Tommy bridewell (no disrespect) being sponsored by a firm that hasn’t opened for the 2 years since it was “launched”. Scandalous ticket prices (Silverstone) Etc….
To be fair though, at 17 I didn’t know many 40 year olds and there’s a word for 62 year olds that hang around teenagers. It depends a lot on the bubble you are in. My nephew is 34 and has just traded his R6 that he’d had for 5 years for an MT 09
My Son every time we go for a ride, he passed his A1 test September 2023. Despite the Police bigging up that they always pull a 125 without L plates on he hasn't been stopped. My local MOT station for motorbikes his Son too. Other than that zero
My son is 36, has been riding since he was 19 has a '93 600SS, a 1100 Pan European for him and his new wife for leisure, and a brand new MV Agusta 800 RR - gorgeous bike. He also studied Motorsport and Motorcycle Engineering at Coventry Uni and there were 20 other Uni's offering similar courses, although that is 14 years ago since he graduated. All his mates are into cars, they don't follow motorsport, F1 or any form of racing, but they build all sorts of cars together, off-roaders, turbo hatches. I think Liberty Media have a great opportunity to revive the global sports bike industry in the next 5 years if they can wrestle control from the DORNA Spanish family business. Hold onto your hats, this could explode around over in the next 5 years. I won't want to hear any moaning from us lot about the south east being flooded by hooligan kids on sportsbikes. I'm looking forward to it.
Not a chance. Motorcycle ads = toxic masculinity. See below. Anyone who can name the place where that advert is displayed wins a lolipop (no cash alternative available)
What about all these influencers - some have millions of views on Youtube - 44 Teeth, Itchy Boots Triumph have a Triumph ambassador riding around South America on a modest 900 Scrambler - including dirt roads. She is young attractive girl probably aimed at the younger target audience - who can afford and manage a 900 Scrambler. Associating motorcycles with travel and adventure - getting out there - photography - these are all positive things linked to a modest motorcycle. Well done to her and well done Triumph. The visuals of Argentina, Brazil and Chile are amazing - and she is out there doing it. You do not see that on TV - at least I don't think so. This kind of thing might be how one motorcycle manufacturer survives and thrives - and others do not.
UK is dying as we grasp more and more ‘for the greater good’ attitudes to safety, freedoms, privacy. Insurance has proved many out the market, as have the scumbags (especially in cities) nicking bikes. What used to be cheap, fun transport is now more expensive and restricted
three older folks i know have bought them in the last year. older folks. that's getting a lil harder say these days. . i don't really know anyone riding much these day's locally. i haven't ridden in over two years. out of the bazilion i knew who rode regularly, i dont think any of them are now but i am out the loop. tho there are still plenty of bikes out and about. i think they were all in Kintyre this week. that will learn me for promoting it as the best and prettiest roads in Scotland. chortle. but mostly with foreign plates. though i did see a few with L plates suggesting folks are still taking up the challenge. and it does appear to be a challenge. the lad who was bike mad since he was 10 hasn't ridden his new bike, an Aprilia RX125. since passing his car test a month after getting it (it was a Lexmoto when he turned 17, tho a handsome and affordable bike, i think the unreliability of it helped put him off road bikes. the Aprilia has been advertised since early summer and there's not even a sniff of interest. back in the day kids would of been queuing up for a 125 trail bike.
There's no shortage of riders of all ages on the continent. Neighbour's 20 year old son just bought an old R1 having got his full licence...I can’t tell him enough to go easy...
That’s got to be my favourite ad of all time, or certainly one of them. A funny entertaining way to put the message across. Can you imagine anything like that nowadays. The furore! As for bike commercials, I can’t remember any
My 20yr old son is into bikes, but getting a licence these days is a PITA. The average age of bikers I see round here seems to be rising rapidly. He did his CBT at 16 then full bike test two years later, but he's restricted to A2 bikes because of his age, which is 100% sensible. Now here's the daft part, once he turns 21 if he wants to ride a bike with more than 47hp he has to do his full bike test again, so essentially passing the same test twice, just on bikes with different HP. I got hooked on bikes when I was 16, I know a couple of my boys mates were thinking about getting a bike but have been put off but the licence hassle.
