The cell phone comment is spot on. Our youngest is 17 and has 18 year old friends who have yet to take driver's ed - we talking cars for christ sake. Who needs to drive when you have Snap Chat and know that mom or dad is there to answer your beckoning call? We made it clear to our kids that the taxi service ended when they were eligible to drive themselves. Sadly, we're the generation that created the millennials.

 

There are a lot more younger guys out here in SoCal on HD's that when I bought my first one at 29 (50 now). Tricked out Dyna's are definitely the most popular. Maybe SoCal is a different market, but I know a bunch of guys that are in their 20's and have transitioned from sport bikes.

 

most of these bs articles written are to drive stock price. yes riders are different yes current riders are older. harley is still introducing product life will go on.

the sky is not falling yet.

 

Did H-D kill the LiveWire project? I would think that bike would do well among the tree-hugging millennial generation...

 

I see a lot of these millennial/hipsters riding old vintage bikes.....Shovelheads, old Kawi's and Honda's, Triumphs etc. I met a lot of them in NYC last couple of summers and quite a few here in CT too. A lot of these guys are gear heads and enjoy building old bikes. Some of that probably came from lack if funds too, but this what I see them doing around here, as well as in NC when I lived there. New bikes aren't cool in their eyes. I can respect that. I'm not sure how much of the market share these type of guys make up but I'm sure they made some kind of dent in sales, not only for Harley but other manufacturers too.

 

Millennials will ride. But in an urban world. If I were to forecast motorcycle sales over the next ten years, I see it something like this.

Urban condo/apartment dwellers are facing buildings and street with no parking. They are being forced to take a bus to work. How do they run errands, or get away for the weekend. Rent a smart car, or buy a nifty thrifty street 750. Actually, that probably not the bike. But it may be close. It needs to run the owner to work all week on a single tank of gas, it needs to be able to be parked in minimal or special places outside high car stall rates. It needs to be able to live outside and not rust, crack or fade. It needs to be able to take your date and yourself and escape the city for the day or the weekend. So it needs two up capability, and able to take enough weekend gear to make the owner want to head out and experience the mountains, the seashore, the lakes or wherever. Maybe a winery visit.

And those more successful millennials will understand the joys of the big twin. But it will need to be more sophisticated or more edgy. Therefore, the heart of Harley will remain strong, if not somewhat modernized. For use older riders, I'd like to see my touring bike lose 100 pounds, not get heavier. I also think the 80, 88, 96, 103, 107, 110 race will end. Give me performance, not just bigger and heavier.

To the OP, at Sturgis you find a lot of guys my age who remember when they partied all night. But don't be blinded by a few old farts, Sturgis is filled with Gen Xers, and early millennials. By this I mean 30-45 year olds rock the place and the 20 year old are there and will be back. Maybe on a sporty or Bonnie, but it is now as much theirs as ours.

 

I work with several mid 20's year olds, 3 of them ride street glides, 4 ride sport bikes. They are there. I have a 20 year old nephew in college. He want an ultra, just like mine. Well actually he wants mine. But wants me to give it to him.

 

You definitely need to get out more before you start judging the age group that goes to rallys. I've been to a few and I've seen young, middle aged and older.

 

The folks at HD are clueless. Look at what they do.

They look at different US demographics, they undertake aggressive marketing nonsense, they look at overseas markets, they introduce sub par 500 and 750 CC bikes in the US and overseas. They have lost focus on what got them to where they are.

Look at other market leaders in the US. -

Mercedes is not hucking a Hyundai type of car for the masses.

Amazon is not hucking bricks and mortar for their products.

Walmart is not hucking Whole Food's produce, meat or poultry.

Trane is not hucking a Goodman type air/heating system.

HD darts and dodges aimlessly looking for the flavor of the month - anything that they think will increase sales.

 

...... yeah, like say with this month's Flavor - Electra Glide
.... i mean, the E Glide started out w/a batwing fairing, big honking V twin & a well padded saddle for 2
......... and look at it now, 50 yrs on .....