Are Motorcyclists Becoming Extinct?

[P2breaker]

There is a weird thing happening with my generation, I am 29. It used to be that you got rid of the bike when you got a family because motorcycling is dangerous and selling the cycle was necessary for struggling new parents. Now, few are married and few have kids. My generation seems to worship cell phones and train wrecks on TV. My generation has nothing to live for yet is still so afraid of dying that they won’t risk a motorcycle. My generation seems so content with apposing mining rights and drilling on public land yet it is land they would never dare visit themselves. They don’t have the guts to go to these places and sure as heck don’t have the guts to go screaming there at 90mph on the greatest highways in the world without a cage.

[DragonLady58]

Your right, the biker is a endangered species. The powers that be wants everyone conforming to little lookalike cars that can only go 70, with internal gps and a killswitch, so, if you disobey, they can shut you down.
Theres fewer and fewer of us as we get older, there are some young ones, not as many as they were....and 90% are only fair weather riders....
I've gone to Sturgis or Daytona, with a whole trip in the rain....

[mbarr10]

I've gone to Sturgis or Daytona, with a whole trip in the rain....

And It was hell at the time but looking back,.....It was still hell. But a great story and memory. I personally look back on those times when I think other things suck, And life looks better some.
The new ones have.....remember that time the wifi went out and we had to listen to the radio, OMG that was bad.

Sounds like a new thread there DragonLady58, "Worst trips ever" You First, it was your idea.

[duo1983]

Originally Posted by redjay

A lot of us got into motorcycles because that is all we could afford.
We learnt how to fix them because we could not afford to take them to a mechanic.

We got bit by the motorcycle bug at an early age.

Nowadays young guys can either afford a car or have one bought for them.
Our parents could not afford to do that.
The cost of motorcycles and motorcycle insurance is deterring the next generation from getting into motorcycling.
They go straight into a car and stay there.

From my experience guys that get into motorcycling at a later age have a bike for a few years and then sell them. They always wanted one, try it and move on.

The ones that start from an early quite often have a motorcycle all their life.

Sorry but I have to disagree I didn't start riding till I was 27 and I've kicked my self in the ass for not starting earlier. And I run the motorcycle safety program for my command . A lot of people are scared to ride when they see motorcycle on the side of the road and the rider laying on the ground I've see more than my share of downed riders and friends. But with that said last month alone I signed up over 5 people from my command for rider classes. And all a cross the board classes are booked for training. So it's a good sign

[redjay]

Originally Posted by duo1983

Sorry but I have to disagree I didn't start riding till I was 27 and I've kicked my self in the ass for not starting earlier. And I run the motorcycle safety program for my command . A lot of people are scared to ride when they see motorcycle on the side of the road and the rider laying on the ground I've see more than my share of downed riders and friends. But with that said last month alone I signed up over 5 people from my command for rider classes. And all a cross the board classes are booked for training. So it's a good sign

We all have different opinions. I related mine and that of my friends who are still riding motorcycles after 40 years on a bike but started as soon as they were able to get a motorcycle license, which in the U.K is 16. You cant get your car driving license in the U.K until you are 18.