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volume 8 | issue 11
DECEMBER 2017
Sprockets Industry Losing Customers
Courting aging baby boomers is not enough, it turns out. The motorcycle industry needs new buyers and it needs them now. After the big recession gullywumped motorcycle sales eight or so years ago, the industry was knocked down, if not quite out. As it recovered from the recession, another problem T-boned it almost as hard: an aging buyership. With some notable exceptions, people are eventually going to stop riding bikes as they get older. And there aren’t nearly as many young buyers coming in to fill the void. For an earlier generation, mine or yours, say, motorcycles were a constant thing. We all had one, or rode one at least and didn’t consider life without at least one motorcycle in the garage. Not so with today’s youth. Most industry leaders agree they need to make motorcycles more affordable. Cost is still a problem long after the recession ended. They also have to reach out to younger buyers and those not traditionally targeted by the industry –- women and minorities in particular. One way manufacturers are hoping to attract new buyers is to offer more affordable bikes. Many motorcycle makers are putting an emphasis on bikes of around 300 ccs of displacement, some single- and some dual-cylinders. The general trend among buyers is that they’re aging out. A lot of us grew up on dirt bikes; that’s not the Millennials thing. A lot of people have an interest in motorcycles but to enter the sport on a 750-pound bike is intimidating. Speaking of which, Harley-Davidson, perhaps hit hardest by the dearth of youth, is offering young buyers its Street 500, Street 750, Street Rod and Iron 883 models to reach and keep youth buyers. Over the next 10 years, the industry needs to bring 2 million new riders, people of all generations … they need to charge fast and furious into the future.
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2018 Kawasaki Ninja H2 SX Supercharge Your Journey
The supercharged Ninja H2 was created to offer riders something they had never experienced. But Kawasaki’s answer to the “ultimate” motorcycle was merely the opening act. Now, for our second supercharger challenge Kawasaki brings the unique sensory experience of a supercharged engine to the sport tourer category with the new Ninja H2 SX and Ninja H2 SX SE. Where the Ninja H2 – and the sensational Ninja H2R upon which it is based – were born from a pure pursuit
of performance, the new Ninja H2 SX was designed from the beginning for real-world applications. Its Balanced Supercharged Engine was developed for everyday street-riding situations, offering an output stronger than the H2 in the low-mid range combined with superb fuel efficiency. Its versatile engine character enables relaxed long-distance riding, easy manageability at slow speeds, and – when called upon – the exhilarating acceleration that only a supercharged engine can deliver.
The all new Ninja H2 SX comes in two model variants: the standard Ninja H2 SX and the Ninja H2 SX SE. Focused as being ultimate in class, the SE model comes equipped with an impressive array of additional quality features such as Kawasaki’s first TFT LCD display on screen, lean angle sensitive LED cornering lights and a quick shifter for seamless up and down gear selection. Thanks to its light weight, the Ninja H2 SX has a striking power-to-weight ratio continued on PG. 03 while the sporty