Groms (and clones) and Monkeys.

 

I see a move back to the Vintage scene, lots of kids running around on Shovels, Pans and Knuckles are making appearances again at the local spots. Rusty and crusty seems to be very popular with the younger crowd, sometimes even with Jap choppers. Survivor bikes very popular. None of that really helps the Mother Ship, just more people not buying new stuff. But you asked, not a lot of NEW bikes that I notice. Carry on.

 

Shot this vid up in the canyons last year...they are hugely popular.

 

I have no idea what's coming. I know what I like and that's good enough for me.

I do wonder about something, though...there are hundreds of thousands (millions, really) if low mile, newish bikes out there, owned by guys 55 or older. Who wants them? More particularly, who's going to want them in 20 years?

Suggests that one possible future is guys who are born today will have a glut of essentially free raw materials to work with in 2038, resulting is a resurgence of some amazing garage built stuff.

 

I see a resurgence in Vespa's, the "Scooter of Steel" definitely (retro) Vespa's.....lol!

 

Second vote for the retro rides - KZ's, CB's, GS's....either restored to stock or changed over to cafe style.

Market is up on all....and they weren't much money to start with brand new. I picked up a KZ1000P over Thanksgiving weekend, just to have something different to look at and tinker with over the winter.

 

Have to agree - the future is pre owned HD's. Big glut of them and with the next wave of baby boomers retiring there will be more. Big losers? MoCo, Indian,etc. Big winners? All those young cats and kittens that will pick up those bikes at killer deals.Ahh to be young again....

 

Rented a Goldwing for a Miami to Key West and back. Gotta tell ya, that automatic transmission was sweet. It may not be conventional and my left hand and foot cramped from searching for the levers, but it was nice. A very close second for those 700-800 lb. baggers was reverse.

 

I see the logic in what you are saying...But if new bikes aren't selling now, then there wont be as as many in 20 years right? The bikes we are riding right now will be in the used market in the future. I'm still trying to figure out a way to screw the next generation out of a low priced classic Softail Springer, and be buried with my motorcycle...lol!

 

Someone said "vintage". I agree with that and I think some of us older guys are hanging on to our older easy to work on bikes. Lotsa mention about EVOs and I think that they are still popular for the reason I mentioned. Not to forget about the price of new bikes. I can work on my EVOs a long time for the price of a new bike! Stick in the mud, yup, that's me! My bikes are paid for and require limited time with with a wrench shoved in em. If they (or older bikes) do need something most of us can do it in our own garage and not at a high priced indy or dealer. The MOCOs technology of today requires the simplistic of crap to be done at the dealer. I think that's their plan. New bike, new forever customer?? I don't see a real craze down the road.

I have a shovel and 2 other EVOs. Would like a pan and a knuckle sometime down the road. I don't believe the desire for or older bikes for that matter will die until us older guys do.