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Compelling motorcycle demographics
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The ferret Offline
Forum Moderator

Ohio
Posts: 31,282
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #1
Compelling motorcycle demographics
http://brandongaille.com/32-compelling-m...ographics/

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
02-01-2017 07:20 AM
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Rocky Offline
Been There

Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 3,397
Joined: Apr 2014
Post: #2
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
Interesting stuff - even though it's from a US perspective - but generally I think it can probably be applied to most of us.
I recognized myself on many points and facts.

Still rockin', rollin', and ridin' after all these years
'67 BSA 441 VR, '70 Triumph Tiger 100, '02 Honda CB900F, '06 Triumph T100 Bonneville, '14 Honda CB1100A
02-01-2017 08:04 AM
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CB4ME Offline
Road Warrior

Maryland
Posts: 2,051
Joined: May 2013
Post: #3
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
.. seems that guys who gave up riding to get married, raise a family, and have a career decided to get back onto a bike assuming that they didn’t lose any skills – except that they did. Motorcycles are also more powerful than they used to be, which can be a surprise for riders who haven’t been on one in awhile.

The main reason I downsized to a 471cc bike. Less opportunity to get in trouble. Big Grin

[size=xx-small]Accessories by: Agras, BabyFace, Chic Design, Daytona, Endurance, Force Design, Honda, K&H, K&N, Magic Racing, MotoGear, Moriwaki, Ohlins, PBI Sprockets, Posh, Power Commander, Ryujin, SP Takegawa, SP Tadao, SW Motech, TSR, U-Kanaya, WM, XAM Sprockets [/size]
02-01-2017 11:18 AM
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curlyjoe Offline
High Mileage

Massachusetts
Posts: 1,323
Joined: Jul 2014
Post: #4
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
The CB was my first bike after taking a 30 year break from riding. It took many thousands of miles riding to get back up to speed again. I missed second gear when I rode away from the dealership. Since all the staff comes out and watches a new owner ride away, it was kind of embarrasing, lol. Smile

2013 CB1100 ABS
2008 ST1300
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2017 11:46 AM by curlyjoe.)
02-01-2017 11:45 AM
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LongRanger Offline
Been There

Evergreen, CO
Posts: 4,220
Joined: Aug 2015
Post: #5
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
I've been riding continuously since 1973 and have really noticed an increase in my risk aversion over the past 5 years or so. I'm now content to cruise at the speed limit, where in the past I usually rode 20-30 mph over and didn't think twice about crossing the double-yellow to overtake slower traffic. Those days are over.

Ride more. Worry less. Tongue
‘12 BMW R1200R Classic
'15 BMW R1200RT
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2017 12:13 PM by LongRanger.)
02-01-2017 12:13 PM
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Nortoon Offline
High Mileage

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,409
Joined: Jan 2015
Post: #6
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
(02-01-2017 11:18 AM)CB4ME Wrote:  Seems that guys who gave up riding to get married, raise a family, and have a career decided to get back onto a bike assuming that they didn’t lose any skills – except that they did. Motorcycles are also more powerful than they used to be, which can be a surprise for riders who haven’t been on one in awhile. The main reason I downsized to a 471cc bike. Less opportunity to get in trouble.

This sounds familiar. After a 25 year hiatus from riding, I attended a vintage motorcycle rally. The buzz came back. I decided to buy a Triumph Bonneville until I saw the $13,000 base price. Bonnies were $1300 out-the-door when my buddies rode them in the late 60s.

I looked around and bought a CB500XA for less than $6800 out-the-door. I was concerned that a 500cc bike might not be powerful enough. But I was wrong, it was surprizing quick.

As I was not use the 6-speed close ratio transmission and instant response of the fuel injection, I hobby horsed out of the dealers lot. That was embarrassing, but not dangerous.

That happened two days later when I went to make a left turn at a city intersection. As I approached the car at stop sign on my left started to move forward and stopped when they saw me. I snapped the throttle off when they moved, and back on when they stopped. The bike immediately leaped forward towards the curb. Fortunately there was no one parked there as I wobbled awkwardly around corner. I learned to use second gear after that scare to smooth out turns at intersections.

It took a number of rides before I was comfortable and riding smoothly. I am sure there will be a new learning curve when I get my CB1100 EX a few months from now. The EX is 100 pounds heavier and has twice the horsepower. I'll also have to watch the fuel gauge, as I know it won't get 81 miles to the Imperial gallon like the CB500.
02-01-2017 04:23 PM
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Papa Weeley Offline
High Mileage

SoCal
Posts: 1,110
Joined: Jan 2014
Post: #7
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
(02-01-2017 11:18 AM)CB4ME Wrote:  The main reason I downsized to a 471cc bike. Less opportunity to get in trouble. Big Grin

Did you join the CB500 club, too?!

[color=#FFA500][i][color=#32CD32][color=#00BFFF]Ham and eggs - a day's work for a chicken, a life-altering experience for a pig.[/color][/color][/i][/color]
2013 CB1100 #056, with too danged many mods to list.
2015 Honda CB500x
02-01-2017 04:32 PM
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Nortoon Offline
High Mileage

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,409
Joined: Jan 2015
Post: #8
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
(02-01-2017 04:32 PM)Papa Weeley Wrote:  
(02-01-2017 11:18 AM)CB4ME Wrote:  The main reason I downsized to a 471cc bike. Less opportunity to get in trouble. Big Grin
Did you join the CB500 club, too?!

I joined a CB500 Forum before I bought. It was mostly CB500R and CB500F members at that time. But they sure liked their bikes, and had very few complaints about them.

When the CB500X Forum opened, I joined that. There was a lot of good information there. The forum members knew more about the CB500X than the dealers.

I struggled trying to install my center stand spring. There were two suggestions that did not work. I walked away cussing. Finally someone posted about using the greased shaft of a Phillips screwdriver as a lever. Worked like a charm.
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2017 05:28 PM by Nortoon.)
02-01-2017 05:27 PM
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The ferret Offline
Forum Moderator

Ohio
Posts: 31,282
Joined: Apr 2013
Post: #9
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
That's an old mechanics trick we used 30 years ago, only we used flat blade screw drivers. THe tip fits on the centerstand button easier.. Works Great.

.
Defender of the Realm
2014 DLX (the pleasure horse)
2021 NC750X DCT (Angry Bird)
(This post was last modified: 02-01-2017 08:10 PM by The ferret.)
02-01-2017 08:09 PM
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Rocky Offline
Been There

Nova Scotia, Canada
Posts: 3,397
Joined: Apr 2014
Post: #10
RE: Compelling motorcycle demographics
(02-01-2017 08:09 PM)The ferret Wrote:  That's an old mechanics trick we used 30 years ago, only we used flat blade screw drivers. THe tip fits on the centerstand button easier.. Works Great.

Yep, I've used that old trick several times.

Like some of the others, I had a 34 year break between motorcycles and only came back to bikes in 1992 when I retired - and that was almost by accident.
A younger co-worker got into bikes and stirred up my interest once again by taking me on occasional visits to bike shops. Four months later I had a new Honda Hawk NT650 Big Grin

Still rockin', rollin', and ridin' after all these years
'67 BSA 441 VR, '70 Triumph Tiger 100, '02 Honda CB900F, '06 Triumph T100 Bonneville, '14 Honda CB1100A
02-02-2017 04:00 AM
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