more and more buying bikes

[Wrider]

To be honest I got into it for recreation. I combined the two stereotypes you mentioned GreyThumper...
I'm a kid (21) who bought a 500lb+ first bike because it was cool. On the other hand I took learning seriously because I'd seen too many idiots crash themselves...
Now look at me, school for Motorcycle Mechanics living, breathing, and dreaming bikes.
Wrider

[ChemicalTaste]

To be honest I got into it for recreation. I combined the two stereotypes you mentioned GreyThumper...
I'm a kid (21) who bought a 500lb+ first bike because it was cool. On the other hand I took learning seriously because I'd seen too many idiots crash themselves...
Now look at me, school for Motorcycle Mechanics living, breathing, and dreaming bikes.
Wrider

Thats how I was. Even though I got a ninja 250, I only got it because it was the only sport bike that was cheap enough and not a liter bike. Yet I took the MSF course 2 times withen 1 year, got my license and even persuaded my friends to take the course.

[ofblong]

To be honest I got into it for recreation. I combined the two stereotypes you mentioned GreyThumper...
I'm a kid (21) who bought a 500lb+ first bike because it was cool. On the other hand I took learning seriously because I'd seen too many idiots crash themselves...
Now look at me, school for Motorcycle Mechanics living, breathing, and dreaming bikes.
Wrider

I was almost tempted to do a career change move to florida to goto UTI and become a Motorcycle mechanic instead of an Industrial Mechanic. Problem is I cant afford to do it with 4 kids and a wife =[.

[G3rrity]

Seeing vespas and other scooters pop up in my suburban NJ town is pretty frightening. In fact, seeing them in the United States itself is unnerving for me. People might finally be getting the right idea about local transportation, but here in NJ people rent scooters (yes, actual scooters) for 100 dollars and use them to take and pass the motorcycle (yes, motorcycle, not scooter or moped) road test. That spells disaster for people who go out and buy a real motorcycle after using the scooter to pass the test.

[jrdudas]

I have a little different take on all the newly added riders out there. I first started to ride as a teen in Florida where there were plenty of bikes and scooters on the road and you could ride year round. As I remember there were few serious accidents involving bikes and scooters. I rode my scooter to school everyday and delivered my 16 mile long paper route seven days a week; often in heavy traffic and sometimes in inclement weather.

I also rode many miles when I lived in Arizona; another all year riding locale. Because there were so many bikes and scooters on the road in those locations the cagers learned to be more aware of their presence. I'm hoping that the addition of more bikes and scooters will do the same for areas where there are few bikes on the road in cold weather.

JR

[olebiker]

I suppose a lot of you are too young to remember the AD from honda back in the late sixties About meeting the nicest people on a honda. It featured a little 50cc step through. That period was the biggest period of motorcycle expansion in North America. It is better now that most people take some kind of training. Unfortunately the size and power of bike that most people start with is really scary to me. Remember back then a lot of us rode 250cc and thought it was a great size. Sure a big step up from a 100cc yamaha twin jet

[baltimorebayside]

Started off on a 3.5 hp mini bike,
then
100cc Honda CB
CB 350cc (2 each)
CB 450cc
CB 500cc
750 Nighthawk (2 each)
750-K FOUR
present Suzuki C50T

dan

[Schmink]

Here in Sunny Southern CA, I've seen alot more Vespas on the road than ever before. It does make me wonder, if any of those owners have taken any sort of course to make themselves safer?

I value safety and thus I took the MSF course after riding on the back of my SO's motorcycle and having numerous conversations about what to look for, the dangers, etc. Every trip we've taken, he explains what he's scanning for, how to avoid dangerous situations, etc. He's been riding for about 30 years so he's very knowledge able in what to look for. I know that after have those year long conversations I was more ready to take the MSF course and really know what I was getting into and the dangers that are inherent in motorcycle riding. It doesn't make me afraid, just more aware so I can be safer.

I know that because of all of that I'm a good rider, even though I'm fairly new at it. I scan the road, I'm a defensive rider and I know to look for anything that could potentially hurt me. .so to speak. Basically, I'm very aware and I anticipate what the cages may do to impede my safety. . . .but I do wonder how many of those new "scooter" riders are as aware???

[RhadamYgg]

It seems like everyday for the last month or 2 I have seen at least 1 person I know getting a new motorcycle because of the cost of gas.

This is what scares me. Every bozo out there thinks that "OH! I'll just buy a motorcycle and save money."

Look for a lot more accidents and deaths.

+1 - Communication about getting training is relatively low, a lot of dealers have no scruples and certainly rent scooters with a brief 'course' and off they go with their new motorcycle...

And of course, there aren't enough trainers for the demand, facilities to match demand. So, yes, I think there will be a lot more accidents and fatalities this year. It might even be comparable to 1980/1981, but based on the number of bikes on the road the numbers will be a lot higher.

Here's to hoping none of us get to participate in those statistics.

If you search 'Motorcycle Gas Savings' on news.google.com - you'll see new articles almost every day on this subject. At least some of them mention getting training.

RhadamYgg

[RhadamYgg]

It is true that most of the new bike purchases are of smaller displacement. Most of the articles I read about increasing motorcycle sales indicate that the smaller bikes are selling like crazy, but the larger bikes are sitting on the sales floor.

So, at least people aren't (on average) going in to this on a 600cc sport bike.

I find that in terms of ROI, my bike is a lot better than a Prius. Given the almost 10K premium to get that hybrid over my cars cost - it would take a long time to make that up in gas savings - even at $3.93 a gallon at my local Exxon.

Even so, the 4K+ that I've spent on my bike, equipment will take 750 rides to work to make itself up in terms of gas monetary savings. But with the costs of maintenance - In the long term I'm not sure if there will be any savings until gas hits $5+ in New Jersey.

RhadamYgg