The future of motorcycling...
What is to be done?
John Newman
I could just hear the sound of (brave or foolish) race bikes on the track above the incessant hammering of rain on the car roof. Donington Park circuit was hosting three days of classic bike racing, the biggest mainland meeting this year. An especially welcome event in the calendar as the Vintage Motorcycle Club's Festival of a Thousand Bikes had to be postponed due to uncertainties as to the status of Mallory Park Circuit; which have now been resolved.
Big Bertha
The Sunday (10th August) could have been the busiest and most attractive day for spectators, but the back end of Hurricane Bertha rushing across the Atlantic to temporarily drench our shores, put a stop to that.
A couple of hours of misplaced optimism later, when some competitor vans and trailers were leaving; I decided to do the same. But how could I fill the space in Wemoto News that should have been a feature story and lots of pictures of racing exotica and other gorgeous machinery?
It really is important...
Well there has been an issue swirling around motorcycling for a number of weeks now that deserves an airing and some attention and discussion by all those who care about the future of our sport, leisure, touring and the trade. It's the latest set of statistics from the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). What! You're substituting classic bike racing with statistics? Stay with me, it really is important.
In the latest issue of Dealer News, the motorcycle trade monthly; one of their headlines reads 'Motorcycle test numbers bomb'. The story told of a huge drop in the numbers of people entering motorcycling through the new licence and test system introduced in January 2013. Think about how you got into motorcycling and how quickly you graduated to larger capacity bikes, and consider this: under the new test rule changes it is now impossible for anyone under 24yrs to gain direct access to unlimited power motorcycles, and for riders under 19yrs to ride a machine over 125cc.
One result of the changes is that the number of people taking Module 1 (practical, off road) and Module 2 (practical, on road) tests have gone down by over 30% in the period from April 2013 to March 2014. But for young people specifically, that is 16-17yr olds, taking the Module 1 test, the drop in numbers is staggering. The numbers fell from 3,294 in 2012/3 to 353, a drop of almost 90%.
Test numbers peaked in 2012/3 as people were encouraged to take tests before the new rules were implemented.
Warning signals
Okay. Those amongst you who might like to further study statistics, can go to the DVSA website. But just a perusal of the stats in the preceding paragraph should send all kinds of warning signals out to all those who have any interest in maintaining the profile and their future enjoyment of motorcycling.
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The trade and the MCIA (Motorcycle Industry Association) are obviously pleased that they are gaining from the recent return of consumer confidence in some sectors of the economy - major consumer purchases are benefiting from the continued Bank of England policy of 'cheap money'; that is interest rates being maintained at 0.5%. New motorcycle registrations are up for the seventh consecutive month, with an 11% rise being posted in July compared to last year.
In the UK we excel at short-termism, and the motorcycle trade and its interests are a good example. Look around you at any motorcycle gathering. Not exactly brimming with youthful vigour: the average age of a motorcycle rider being 41 – 50yrs old in a survey carried out by Bennetts insurance in 2009, and I suspect that figure may have crept up by now. Not a good foundation on which to build future sales unless you aim to switch to tuned and customised mobility scooters.
So. What is to be done?
At present the two organisations which claim to represent riders' interests, the BMF (British
Motorcyclists Federation) and MAG (Motorcycle Action Group) do not have a high profile, let alone members amongst motorcyclists generally. Is this because riders are just a bunch of individualists who don't recognise the necessity of joining 'political' organisations? At least MAG have hoisted the warning flag over the future by publishing the same stats about this drastic decline in people taking tests on their website.
Have cars become such a ubiquitous part of our lives that two wheels are hardly considered now as an everyday means of transport, despite their advantages on ever more congested roads? This cannot be totally true as the rise and rise of cycling has shown, and this method of transport and activity is just as prone to the risk averse propaganda dominating today's world.
There has never been a powered two wheel culture in this country in the same way that happens in countries on mainland Europe. In France and Italy in particular city streets are thronged with scooters and bikes. We are not a numerous enough lobby and represent a very small section of the economy to be considered important by any government of whatever complexion. The frustrations of people who do try to influence on behalf of powered two wheelers are understandable. So perhaps a new approach is needed.
Money talks!
Whether we like it or not in early 21st century capitalism, money talks. It is time for the trade/industry to step up and protect their and our interests by investing in popular campaigns to promote motorcycling. They will not easily be persuaded to do this. It will have to come out of their pockets, and having just been through a recessionary period, most will want to enjoy a more prosperous or non loss-making period.
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The big four (Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha) and other manufacturers/importers have a role to play too. Increase your marketing budgets, but put a proportion of this towards a high profile public campaign to promote what's positive about motorcycling instead of just trying to entice existing riders. Otherwise who will you sell to twenty years down the line?...and that's not far away.
And just so that you're not only embroiled in a 'serious' topic, I have dotted the article with some gorgeous bikes from our picture library.
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John Newman for Wemoto News.
A very thought provoking article there - has it provoked any thoughts?
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