As the world puts the clock an hour back and days are once again getting shorter, the motorcycle season in many places is slowly coming to an end. All-in-all, we’re looking back at a strange and restricted, but a great summer for bike trips.
As the pandemic started earlier this year, Guido and I have written a number of articles on the increased use of motorcycles and the positive effects of riding bikes during COVID-19. If you haven’t read them here, have a look:
- Are we riding less or more due to COVID-19?
- Buying a motorcycle during the pandemic
- Blood Bike Riders: UK’s humble heroes
Another positive development for the industry as a whole are the rising sales numbers of motorcycles in the several segments. At the start of COVID-19, the industry found itself at a crossroads, with several socio-economic factors negatively impacting sales. I actually wrote about the plunging sales back then, but the pandemic has almost miraculously led to a spike in riding activity and sales. The real question then, will it last?
Forbes interviewed motorcycle industry insider and market watcher Robert Pandya and asked him if the high-tide of sales will result in a renaissance for two-wheelers – a must read.
The article from Forbes and Robert Pandya is an interesting piece. Bust misses a critical step to even consider motorcycles as transportation instead of entertainment vehicles. Line splitting. Without it, a motorbike takes more time with more hassles than a car. One has to put on a gladiator suit, brave the weather and eventually find a spot to park it.
If one travels around the world, the countries that allow line splitting enjoy a much larger population of bikes, usually scooters, used daily by people of all walks of life as transportation.
Until then, it’s just fun to ride.
Good addition. Fully agree. Without lane splitting there’s no real advantage to riding motorcycle over a car. That is, in home-work commuting and work related circumstances. However, I do believe that the bigger bikes. Let’s say 500cc and up, are ridden mostly for fun and enjoyment. Some use it to commute too, but that’s not the majority.