As sales grow, the image of motorcycling has undergone a makeover. Motorcycles have a strong presence in the popular culture -- whether in television shows like American Chopper or in motocross, the racing sport, on television and in video games. And popular traditional manufacturers like Harley-Davidson are also aiming to appeal to new riders.
Shaking it up
Some buyers are exploring exotic or lesser-known brands. Younger riders are being drawn to higher-horsepower sport bikes from makers like Suzuki of Japan and Aprilia of Italy. Other brands, like Moto Guzzi and Ducati, both of Italy, are drawing riders who want to set themselves apart from what has become a common sight in many towns and cities: large groups on Harleys out for an evening ride.
Amy Kraus, 41, of Lansing, Michigan, wasn't drawn to any specific bike until she saw a Moto Guzzi Breva 750 and fell in love with it. "I sat on the bike at a bike show and my husband kept saying, `Honey, it's time to go,'" Kraus said. "I was like `No, I'm OK just right here on this bike.'" A few weeks later she took a Breva for a test ride and within minutes bought a bright red one.
Kraus and her husband, 43, have turned their love of motorcycles into a business. In 2004, they opened the Alpha Training Center in Lansing and began conducting motorcycle safety courses. Kraus' husband also works as a sergeant in the Lansing police force.
The new face of motorcycling has been evident to the couple since they began teaching, Amy Kraus said, noting that 40 percent of their students, on average, are women.
"There used to be a stereotype about women who ride" -- that they were anti-establishment -- Amy Kraus said. "But the women at our classes do all the traditional things women do."
Such infusions of new riders are inspiring companies to cast a wider net for buyers.
BMW and its dealers offered open houses in April to introduce three new bikes, spending heavily on Internet advertising. "We have a real challenge in the industry to appeal to younger riders and to women riders," said Laurence Kuykendall, marketing communications manager at BMW. "We've been depending on `Chapter 2' riders, men who rode in the 1960s and return to the sport as they retire."
To reach out to new buyers, especially women, BMW has lowered seats and narrowed them near the gas tank to make straddling the bike easier. It has also made bikes lighter, and added horsepower to appeal to younger riders. "Cruising around town in groups isn't something that appeals as much to younger riders," he said.
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