Before the flu i did not have time for a motorcycle. During that period of time i bought my enfield 350, i needed a way to get out of the stupidity of what they are putting on us. My motor, my anger management. I now now how much i need to ride and forget about everything and Smile. Not riding for me is slowly dying. I respect every rider on whatever motorcycle there on, our way of life. Thanks again Stu, love from Holland
As a bike mad OAP i'm always up for a new bike, however bike shops unwillinness to part exchange and when they are, their greed when offering you ridiculously low price for your part exchange bike, is the reason that I will be keeping my existing bikes for some time to come.
Same here, worked through it. Watched everyone partying while I worked. Now we all have to pay and jobs are very unstable. I could have done with a summer off 🤣
I couldn't work because of I'll health. With COPD, I'd have been hospitalised or worse if I'd have caught it. As a Director of my own company (and only employee) I got £250 a month for me and my disabled Wife to live on. I know some people who were furloughed and took on a second job and used the monet to buy a new bike. Can't blame them but the system is so wrong.
A CX 500, K75 S or a non-running 883 Sporty sold off by some heirs after 17 years of standstill (for those knowing what's going on inside a bike) is an absolutely affordable basic and brings the same (if not more because of the lack of any financial risk) joy on the road as any fancy overpriced new bike. Dump Your car and commute on the K75 - absolutely doable, and a question of preferences. I'd rather have no car than no motorcycle. People just are too lazy and brainwashed to _live_ I reckon.
Licensing rules to get your bike test are deliberately designed to put youngsters off. Coupled with a ridiculous price for new bikes as toys rather than a necessity for travel.
Where I'm concerned a bike is a necessity as i have to deal with depression on a daily basis.A good ride chase's away the depression and gives me a whole different and positive outlook on the day.
As a semi-retired , mortgage free life-long biker im just fed up with the constantly rising bike prices along with the fuel prices . I'm just hanging on to the bikes ive got that do the job really well . When i do replace the bikes its going to be with a smaller , cheaper to run option . The big expensive bikes that ive been suckered into buying in the past are unnecessary with unusable performance. No more !
Not bought a new bike, or car , in my life. Second hand always and have spent up to 17k for that pleasure. Always worked as a heating engineer but cash always had elsewhere to be spent and never believed in loans, now retired. Have looked in envy at other machines but was brought up to “neither lender or borrower be”, Wait, work hard and appreciate the value of my purchase. Keep up the good work👍
We just need to enjoy our bikes while we can, & not worry about the fact that future generations won't experience the enjoyment & freedom biking has given us. It's their loss if they want to sit in an AI driven electric box whilst glued to an iphone. Maybe one day someone will find an old honda 50, which escaped the great compulsory scrappage scheme of 2040, which will start first time after sitting in a barn for 30 years, will run on toxic sludge from the local canal, & hence rediscover a fun new way of life. Circle of life & all that......
Very simple - with high rents and mortgages people have a lot less disposable income. When that happens discretionary spending decreases. For some people a motorcycle is their primary means of transport (usually young people/students) but for a lot of others a motorcycle is basically a discretionary expense for a lot of people.
And, do you know why insurance premiums have risen? Because of an agreement that all insurance companies have signed, called the Net Zero Insurance Alliance, collusion in a plan to force vehicles off the road to save the planet, but the insurance industry will make the same profit from less customers by charging them more. This NZIA has been declared illegal in the USA as it amounts to price fixing.
I should have guessed!! I had an incident free year( no claims) yet my premium was increased by around 80% ! I shopped around and got it much cheaper in the end. But premiums are going up no thanks to our government signing up to yet another multinational agreement, without a care in the world it seems for it's hard pressed citizens
@@GarryShirreffs-cs2gb It is! Because the insurance companies are getting more money from the customers that are left, which means that they employ less staff and can co-operative with each other in price fixing.
Plus, the inability to accurately assess EVs that are damaged - and a totalled - just incase they spontaneous combust weeks or even months later. Luton Airport anyone?
Did you know that the first patent for weather manipulation was signed in 1891 buy the US authorities? If you think that is conspiracy theory stuff then check out this from 1976. The Environmental Modification Convention, formally the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, is an international treaty prohibiting the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects
Brilliant video as always Stuart and I just got rid of one car and bought a Honda 125 Grom for commuting, it cost £3500 new and its doing 142mpg, costs £6 to fill the tank with premium fuel and cuts through traffic like a hot knife through butter, its ridiculously good fun and always puts a smile on my face and its become my go to bike, even over my Xadv 750 😊👍🏻
UK motorcycle sales will decline as riders aren't replaced by younger riders. We are falling off our perches and there aren't enough hatchlings. There's no British riders at the top of motoGP and everyone is taxed to financial peril
Yes and i noticed that all those trying out the BSA were old pharts,in fact all those at the bike show were older types,same in the hobby world as the last of the RC plane shops closed down in our town recently,owner told me young-ons stay home now playing on there ipads.
I have not had a pay-rise for 5 years. Furthermore my mortgage is set to increase by £300 a month this July. Thus I won't be changing bikes, or indeed buying one, anytime soon...I suspect my situation is mirrored elsewhere...
Exactly….. and the bikes aren’t getting cheaper neither. Nothing is!!! it’s not only bikes. Car dealerships in USA are full of cars nobody wants. I was told by someone who buys repo cars to sell them as 2nd hand that his boss told him not to bring anything for more than 5000 usd coz they won’t manage to sell it.
I count myself lucky. The past 10 years when it was better I paid extra on the mortgage. Not many holidays etc. I knew this was coming as it has before. Money is a lot tighter than it was but could have been a whole lot worse.
No wonder bike sales are falling . Costs a fortune to pass the direct access, Insurance a rip off , bikes are too big and complex “gone are the days changing a spakplug in 10 mins “ . Seems royal Enfield have hit the sweet spot tho . And finally the weather here in the UK , if it’s not raining , it’s 35mph winds . What’s not to like 🤷♂️.
Boiled down cynical speculation: Untethered greed. Prices have been going up everywhere, while quality declines. A large percentage of people have less money. Same reason. Many governments are getting into the act and taking more (again, while delivering less - and this is something you can't legally avoid - well, unless you're unethical and wealthy). It doesn't help that select governments are making it less enjoyable to own and ride motorcycles.
Housing changes could be another factor. Lots of flats being built around here, some with no parking at all, or town houses with only on-street parking.
I was a motorcycle between 1995 and 2017. When new & late-model motorcycle sales were slow, we would stock clean, older bikes - most of whichwere too old to be in Glass's & CAP guide books. In fact, sales of older machines - especially on the private market - make up a significant proportion of all sales. It may be my perception vias, but it seems prices for these older machines have firmed up nore than I'd expect and I'm seeing more friends but an older bike as a 2nd bike or even as a main bike. Because lets face it: the real-wirld performance of an older bike is on par with the latest offerings - albeit withiut all the electronic rider aids. What do others think? Are people holding on to their +10YO bikes? Are prices for older bikes more buoyant? Are nore people realising they can buy a truly great machine outright for less noney than they'd lose on a brand new bike's depreciation over the first two years?
In my fifty years of riding, I have never been in a position to afford a brand new motorcycle, but I survived by riding bikes that were a few years old and that has not changed. My current bike is a 1997 Harley Sportster, which I subjected to a ground-up rebuild to my own specs (1” taller shocks on the rear, a 1275 big bore kit, late model (2007) oil pump, better and stronger clutch, and LED headlight) a few years back and have ridden all over Eastern Australia in the last 15 years. It is reliable, powerful enough to do everything I want on the Highways, handles as surefootedly as any Triumph I ever owned, and is very easy to maintain. It doesn’t have any of the new-fangled mods, electronic ignition being the only real ‘tech’ stuff on the bike. I simply don’t want, let alone NEED a new bike. Including the purchase price and cost of said improvements, the bike owes me a paltry 10,500 Australian dollars, which is less that the Royal Enfield Interceptor here. I’m 676 and have a bike that I’m well used to, is set up just how I like it, and is FUN to ride, whether touching the pegs through the twisties, or just chugging along at a leisurely pace. No matter what motorcycle I might purchase, I would still want to change it around to suit me, which just adds to the cost and I’m just not really interested to be honest. I regard my Sporty as a modern classic. Sort of. I certainly get a lot of attention whenever I park it anywhere and that’ll do.
Cost of living "crisis" shows no sign of ending and is now really biting. Motorcycles are a luxury and luxuries are the first to go. Added to this consumables like tyres are really expensive compared to car tyres but last a fraction of the mileage.
To give a Western Australian perspective, I'm seeing a continual decline in young people riding motorbikes and most of the riders I see are towards the upper part of middle age. Nothing to do with the weather, as although it can get bloody hot, there aren't many days where you could go out and get soaked. See the odd young hoon on an unregistered dirt bike, electric skate boards and similar, but that's about it. Even the weekend ride groups that come into the hills seem to be thinning. New licence conditions, high insurance prices and other financial things may have a little bit to do with it, but at the end of the day (in our social media controlled lives) its all down to fashion.
Another factor is there is no longer an assumption of progress up the cc ladder. It used to be the case that most riders aspired to a 1 litre+ bike, now people are happy with their 350 or 500 as insurance costs, ULEZ, reduced speed limits and the rest, limit the attraction of larger machines.
Time to redo the type of ad campaigns like the ones that Honda put us all on motorcycles way back when. Stop pricing bikes out of the market. Get ins companies to stop wringing riders dry.
Bad weather, high cost of living, high cost of getting a licence, high fuel costs. The image of biking has changed tremendously over the decades, so young riders aren't really attracted to bikes. They'd usually rather use electric scooters, owned or stolen.
The government want to make it awkward for the motorcyclist and motorist to carry on with the freedoms we enjoy. I am not sure what will happen to the motorcycle when all cars have to be Ecars ?
The high levels of theft in cities probably curtails sales there more and more, especially as they have better public transport as an alternative. Interestingly my bike insurance went down by ten quid last year and two quid this year. Enough for a fish supper 😊
You're not wrong there. I had an A1 which I did on my own, moved up to an A2 as didn't want to do the theory again, cost over £1000. Bearing in mind, I'm not a new rider having done some 90,000 miles since 2018 over my Vespa and Honda 125. It may cost a new rider more, as may need more lessons.
In the 80s I bought used, 90s I bought used, 2018 I bought new, 2024 I bought new. Im 67 years old and have ridden the most part of my life. I see lots of people on bikes but maybe because i live in a destination area, (Western North Carolina). Great video
Another underlying reason, as commented earlier, is we are a dying breed. The average UK rider is now 54 and it gets higher every year. I tried to find the UK trend over the years but struggled, but in the US, which is a comparable market, in 1990 the average rider was 32, in 2009 it was 40, in 2017 it was 47. So this downward trend has been going on for 3 decades. Whether it will level off, once the Boomers have died off, who knows? We won't as we won't be here. Christ, that sounds morbid, sorry.
Of course motorcycles will vanish, we are being crushed, by all industries, sales insurance tax tax tax, until we get a handle on this corrupt cartel of a government we are screwed, but we can fight this now we see their corruption, hope it changes.
First of all... Love your channel, from the west, and subscribed. Your narration is incredible, and sets the tone in a very pleasing way. Keep up the great work! I got a firm rule that my bike shouldn't exceed the price of my car. So, that alone keeps me away from alot of bikes. I've also learned the hard way that if you just cover your bike and not keep it in a garage, it becomes a nesting place for every creeping crawling thing under the sun. I think alot of motorcycle manufacturers forgot that there's no doors, no roof, no trunk, no AC, no heat, and basically no protection from other vehicles. Not to mention that you can only ride around 6 to 7 months out of the whole year. Yet, they seem to want the same revenue as other vehicles with all those luxuries. NOT... I love being on 2 wheels, and ways of doing that without breaking the bank are becoming more availible (Royal Enfield for instance). And one thing that you didnt mention in your video is that maxi scooters are silently taking over the 2 wheel game. They're cheaper, they're automatic, they have built in storage, and here's the kicker... They ALL have a fuel gauge. Once they make it to the states its gonna put a serious dent in the motorcycle industry. Im current looking for a new bike, but if that Honda Forza 750 or XADV gets here before I find that bike, its history.
I'd guess the fact that manufacturers think they can change a stupid amount of money for what most people have as a "toy" is their biggest problem.... when I bought my gsxr 750 in 06 it was just under 6k GBP and the thou was only about 1.5k more. People could generally afford that as a toy... Now most thousands are 16k plus for the base model.... Most people I know who used to ride can't afford to.. it's that simple.. family and bills come first
I am currently in hospital. The guy next to me crashed his brandnew motor bike down a huge pothole on the A5 main drag. That may explain some drop in demand.
The motorcycle companies killed motorcycling in N. America. Starting about 40 years ago, dealers were forced to locate in light airy purpose built buildings, costing many 100's of thousands, and very costly to heat/cool. There not being enough in motorcycle sales to support such foolishness, they were forced to sell and service camper trailers, boats, and anything else they could lay their hands on to make ends meet. These new dealers (most of the old guys bowed out, or were forced out) were no longer places of knowledge, and motorcycle sales/service ended up taking a back seat. Then we should say a word about overall product quality............ seems as the prices go up the quality is diminishing. And what about product? Is the motorcycle you buy today any better than the motorcycle you bought, say, in 1975? Power is down, in some cases way down (a typical early 70's 350 Honda had 32hp, a 450, 45hp, advertised as a "Triumph killer") and vehicle weight is way up, usually +100-200 lbs. I just bought a new motorcycle, a Kawasaki, and it's junk, I should have saved my money.
I’m pleased you mentioned the weather. For me that’s the number one reason why my bikes are staying in the garage. Another important factor is bike theft. Or the fear of bike theft. I will not use any of my bikes if it means leaving them unattended for any time whatsoever. The complete lack of any police presence on our roads today and their total ambivalence to bike theft is a national disgrace. Then there’s the state of our roads……one now needs an adventure bike just to pop down to the shops which your not going to do because, by the time one has bought the loaf of bread, you bike will have been nicked!
I personally find the older i get most of my riding is done in the winter months as the summer weather here in Tamworth, NSW is just to bloody hot.At sixty seven years of age i've earned the right to pick and choose.
Bikes have far to much technology in them now to make them affordable, and i for one, after sixty years of riding , the average person doesn't have the knowledge to know how to use it as intended.
Stuart , thought provoking video. Respect to new riders determined to get a licence.👍. Same bike for 22 (74k miles ) years from new zero% finance helped. Tool and toy. Will keep it running for as long as humanely, mechanically and financially possible. Weather... No medal 🥇 issued for riding in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly .ETTO ✌️
Beautifully Said Stuart..Love What You do and Share here and you have help me tremendously the last 2+ years with my 1966 BSA A6L and my 2019 RE Interceptor 650! Stay Well!! Most Sincerely,,Sch.
Hi Stu you are right, the declining economy and insurance costs could bring the motor cycle industry to its knees. I tried to insure with my current insurer a second hand triumph Street twin and because it was valued over £6000 they would not insure it because it wasn't in a locked garage. Even though I have two disc locks, a chain lock and it's hidden away in a side garden it wasn't good enough. I did however get insurance through MCN compared. What will they do next? Keep those articles coming they're great.
Thanks for that Stu. I think also in MHO, the poor condition of the roads, the increase in number of cars on the road and sadly the increased arrogance of road users generally has had an effect on me!! It has damaged my confidence a bit!! 😔 Once again a great video Stu. Thanks.
I blame driving schools for the arrogance on the road. They are teaching kids to a test pass standard and NOT how to be a conscientious, safe, and thoughtful driver.
The world is in decline, our “leaders” only care about themselves, vote them out! meanwhile, enjoy riding our motorcycles while we can….thank you, uncle Stu, God bless!
Inflation needs to sit just above interest rates now for a decade or more to inflate away the debts. A slow default if you like. Pensioners then need to be encouraged to spend their money so that it trickles back down. Then the mega rich need to be taxed on assets. Perhaps anything over 2 million in assets so that it has no effect on the average person. Money raised in this way needs to be ring-fenced into helping young people earn more. Then at the same time we need whole term fixed rate mortgages capped at base rate plus 2 or 3 %. This will make housing expensive out of the gate and cheaper over time which will encourage families. And if I’m getting my wish list we need Christianity / Christian values taught in every school, with the Union flag hanging everywhere and respected… Then with one culture, and helping the next generation, we might pull the nation back together….
Agreed on cost of living, license, insurance etc. But bike manufacturers keep making ridiculously expensive (and unnecessarily over-powered) motorcycles that are utterly impractical on UK roads and are festooned with even more expensive and pointless riding modes and gizmos. Look at the rest of Europe and the inexorable rise of practical scooters rule the roost because they are fun and infinitely more practical than most motorcycles, but even they are getting ludicrously expensive, especially the ones that are marketed as "adventure" scooters. Well done Royal Enfield for keeping prices lower and realistic. They seem to be the exception.
Germany had 3 years of rain. Hard to sellnew motorcycles in the rain 🌧️. NSU was bought out by VW . Adler was bought out as well.Motorcycles are not something you buy every year. There are lots of bikes on the 2nd hand market. If you don't have the money you don't buy anything.
.Money.. motorcycles are expensive toys. When you can buy a more practical car and newer. I remember years ago a BMW ad. "as cheap as a family car!" says it all, with other dealers following suit.
I am subscriber, I left the like, but I prefer ride videos, especially that weather turns s__t now and will stay like this for the best part of the summer.
For me it is the state of the roads and pot holes. Keeps me off the road. Desperate to get back on two wheels but I am not suicidal. Hence when I do buy another bike it will be an adventure type with loads of suspension travel.
One contributing factor Motorcycle sales are in decline, could also be due to the fact it's rained every day for the last 6 Months. My bikes have been in the garage most of that time. Prices are high, and new riders have to jump through hoops. My first Commando was £340, and the test consisted of riding around the test centre followed by an emergency stop.
Luxury items with rising prices as well as rising operating costs; at the same time the average person is poorer. But not quite bad enough yet for the motorcycle to replace the car for most…
Insurance ! My cars, m/c's and home have jumped.... I asked my agent.. and got their cost have risen... You would think a long term customer (years !) would get a break. Also, your zip code and credit rating factors into how they gig your wallet. An example of location is gas prices.... $3.45 near me... I drive 15 miles to a different .. zip code area... and it's $2.95 ,,, I can't confirm it but I been told young riders on certain machines'.. crotch rockets... have an insurance premium equal to the cost of the bike with an insane deductible... 😎
Back in 1978 I bought a brand new Suzuki GT 250 X7 for £695.00 on the road, that was eight weeks wages, try buying a new 350 today on those numbers. A freind went to Stafford show recently, as he rode into the carpark his was the only old bike there on the day, all the rest were middle aged riders on brand new machines. You failed to mention PCP which is the new disposable avenue to a new or nearly new motorbike.
I always enjoy your clear, concise and calm manner of discussing this topic. Hmmm, man made crisis creates lack of economic growth, with increased cost of living, and nobody can afford the increased purchase price of motorcycles because they choose to eat and heat their homes.
Personally, I dislike the majority of modern bikes because they've become too complex. Too much plastic, too powerful, too fast, too expensive, too unusual styling, too uncomfortable, too disappointing. I sold my Triumph and replaced it with a beat-up old single banger Cagiva trail bike, and now I'm happy as a clam.
Have you seen the interest rates on offer when buying a bike 10-12% - I think that's a bit of a piss take and will affect sales as most people finance new things.
On the positive side, I rode more in December and January than I ever have before. We've had a lot of rain in the last 2 months though. Maybe the riding seasons are just moving around some. 👍👍5🏍🙋♂️
I discovered your channel recently and bought my Royal Enfield Shotgun because of you. Just wanted to say that I love your narrative style and just the way you present things. Cheers mate!
Since covid, my old fireblade had been locked away in the shed and my car got sold and replaced with a Honda 125 scooter to do my daily commute to work...
I’ve recently got rid of my motorcycle, due to the increasing costs and at the end of the day for me it’s only a toy. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to get back on a bike but, when times are hard the bike has to go!
I sold my new classic 350 after an year of riding /not too many miles/ mainly because felt like I had money locked up and was not using the bike as it should be used. So, I am left with my 125 city scooter to commute with. Find myself constantly looking at bikes new and 2nd hand but i'm biting my hand after and shacked it off for now.
The stupidly expensive motorcycles combined with the lack of disposable income. Poor can no longer afford one, and now what everything has skyrocketed, neither does lower middle class. If the latter group wants to have atleast somewhat decent living conditions, luxuries like motorcycles are the first that get binned. Upper middle class could afford a motorcycle but if they have any sense they buy used. Those who are willing to buy new are not enough to sustain motorcycle companies for long, which may put pressure on them to raise the prices even higher but it will eventually make the problem even worse. Just ask Harley.
About the weather in Yorkshire.. Sounds straight from The Yorkshiremen skit by Monty Python.... "It was cold, and rainy on our ride.. and we were lucky!" In our Northern Virginia.. We have had several lovely days but May has been cold and rainy too.. I guess none of us are lucky!
Millenials and Gen Z are so poor because of house prices that only a tiny percentage can afford a bike. I'm in the top 3% of incomes in the UK yet still have just under £500,000 of debt. Sucks to be born in the 1990s. Many opt out of their pensions in order to make overpayments so there's an even greater need to spend wisely as we need to think about retirement early. I wish I lived the boomer years when people could have fun and didn't need to work like slaves
my heart bleeds for them! my first house was £39,000 and i made £3.500 a year. mortgage rates were double what they are now and very hard to get without a big cash deposit.
@@stuartfillingham Mortgages have never been more unaffordable than they are now. 14% of £20,000 (both averages for 1980) is only £2800 of annual interest. 6% of £300,000 (today's average) is £18,000 or 6.4 times more than in the 1980s. Dont forget we also get taxed a lot more today and don't get pensions like before either.
@@ilikelampshades6 And dont forget here in the UK minimum wage is 6 times higher than it was in the 80s it is swings and roundabouts! As for millennials I know a few and their general outlook (I'm not tarring all with the same brush) Is that they want to be looked after and dont want any hardship in their lives. They bitch and moan that everything is too difficult, Too hard and too expensive so there is no point bothering, They simply give up before they have even tried.
@stuartfillingham Yet statistically speaking, millenials work more hours than any other generation, have less savings, less pensions, have less children due to costs, and most can't afford homes. Red herrings exist, but it is demonstrably harder for millennials than baby boomers. The economist author of 'The Pinch' says that the closer you're born to 1957, the easier life has been financially.
Since 2020 the price of most new bikes has increased dramatically, so I think people rather get a 2nd hand one. Also, interest rates to buy new bikes is a bit high, so puts people off.
Hi Stuart after watching your latest video I remembered your advice to check if still Subscribed. Guess what I hadbeen Un Subscribed . Left out in the Cold 😢 I am Back in your foulds 😅. Kept putting the warning up . Ride safe.
Inflation erodes wealth. Protect your wealth by buying solid tangible assets that hold their value or increase in value. It could be gold, silver, bitcoin or classic or future classic bikes and cars. I'd rather have a well chosen bike in the garage than cash in the bank.
Back in Ye olden days motorcycles were used far more as transport.. Even Mods & Rockers used their pride and joy for both work and 'pleasure'...The Austin Mini had not yet taken over....Now, most bikes sit in a garage all week quietly waiting to be unleashed on a Sunday morning...weather permitting! which in UK is not reliable at all..In my riding heyday during the mid to late seventies l would spend a sunny Sunday morning cleaning and polishing my 'pride and joy' only to have all that work undone Monday morning on the forty mile ride to London. Reading through previous comments, l guess most are relevant, Motorcycling for most riders is a Fair Weather occupation..There is absolutely no pleasure riding in inclement weather...its the pits!
I gather my Dad rode a Norton Commando & a Triumph Bonneville before I came along. By the time I was 6, in 1970, I had 2 little brothers & Dad had a fuckin’ awful Austin A30. He made a sacrifice which I now appreciate more fully. I, too, would spend Sundays (in the early 80s) tending to my ‘pride & joy’, an RD250. Then, it was career, sports, kids, no sports, etc, retired, kids left home, bought a bike after 38yrs. Now waiting for the sun, as you’d alluded to.✌️
@@razzle1964 Yeah! the Mini would have been a better bet. A change in lifestyle means a change in priorities...Sixties Rockers are now grandads, or even great grandads...l now ride about the Spanish countryside...more sedately, but slip into hooligan mode on occasion....A Street Triple 675 R... ride safe Razzle
@@brianperry Thank you. And you, Brian. (as an aside, I spent 32yrs taking the train into the City. I did it twice on a bike, for fun. Wasn’t fun). I’d like to ‘upgrade’ to a Triple one day. In the meantime I hope, someday soon, to take my Super Meteor 650 thru’ France & down to Andalucia, etc. ‘Old rockers never die’, eh (they just retire to the costa)😉🤘
Of course they have, I am for the first time in years in a position to be able to buy a Brand new bike but every time I see all those sensors and abs, rider modes etc. I feel positively disappointed, I have instead bought myself a 34 year old bike. I can fix all of it myself and wont be spending money on pointless electronics which themselves are an issue rather than a solution.
I have been pricing up the cost of new bikes, namely the Keeway Superlight 125CC... Brand new its less than 3k (OTR). Cheap to tax, insure and run. No MOT for 3 years either... its a cheap way for young'ones to get into Motorcycling if thats the route of interest.. I wish this sort of thing had been around when I was 17\18 and doing my first CBT - but I dont think there was. So less than 200 for your CBT, 3k for a new bike, 20 per year tax and the insurance is not bad either... its a cheap way for young people to get to work if thats what they need... Car Insurance would be 3k on its own i imagine for a new, young driver. The Keeway on finance is around 80 quid per month if you pay 500 deposit up front. Thats the price of my car insurnace per month. Its nuts, really.
Hopefully trading my triumph sprint st for a brand new bullet 350 classic next week!!! It will be my last bike. So looking forward to it. Main reason for the change is weight and running costs. I can’t haul the weight about like I used to. Royal Enfield seem to be the best value for money out there.
OK, Stu, I think motorcycle sales have dropped because Millennials arfen't interested in riding them. I'm pushing 68 and I've just bought a new BSA Gold Star 650 Legacy Edition, I still have my 2011 H-D Iron 883.
Before the flu i did not have time for a motorcycle. During that period of time i bought my enfield 350, i needed a way to get out of the stupidity of what they are putting on us. My motor, my anger management.
I now now how much i need to ride and forget about everything and Smile. Not riding for me is slowly dying.
I respect every rider on whatever motorcycle there on, our way of life.
Thanks again Stu, love from Holland
Sold as very expensive toys , too fast to complicated to much non essential electronics , thank you Royal Enfield for an affordable range of bikes.
YES!
Agree
100% this.
As a bike mad OAP i'm always up for a new bike, however bike shops unwillinness to part exchange and when they are, their greed when offering you ridiculously low price for your part exchange bike, is the reason that I will be keeping my existing bikes for some time to come.
Worked all the way through and received no money. Now I'm paying for all the people who sat at home. I'm tired of the struggle.
Me too. Didn't get a single day off. Need a completely new governmental structure in this country before it's too late.
Same here, worked through it. Watched everyone partying while I worked. Now we all have to pay and jobs are very unstable. I could have done with a summer off 🤣
Same here brother.
I couldn't work because of I'll health. With COPD, I'd have been hospitalised or worse if I'd have caught it. As a Director of my own company (and only employee) I got £250 a month for me and my disabled Wife to live on. I know some people who were furloughed and took on a second job and used the monet to buy a new bike. Can't blame them but the system is so wrong.
Agree 💯
Young people aren’t as interested in riding. Nor can the majority afford it. They have to focus on being able to just afford the basics.
A CX 500, K75 S or a non-running 883 Sporty sold off by some heirs after 17 years of standstill (for those knowing what's going on inside a bike) is an absolutely affordable basic and brings the same (if not more because of the lack of any financial risk) joy on the road as any fancy overpriced new bike. Dump Your car and commute on the K75 - absolutely doable, and a question of preferences. I'd rather have no car than no motorcycle. People just are too lazy and brainwashed to _live_ I reckon.
Licensing rules to get your bike test are deliberately designed to put youngsters off. Coupled with a ridiculous price for new bikes as toys rather than a necessity for travel.
Used bikes are for poor and young people to just get around. New bikes are for people that can finally afford a new one
Where I'm concerned a bike is a necessity as i have to deal with depression on a daily basis.A good ride chase's away the depression and gives me a whole different and positive outlook on the day.
As a semi-retired , mortgage free life-long biker im just fed up with the constantly rising bike prices along with the fuel prices . I'm just hanging on to the bikes ive got that do the job really well .
When i do replace the bikes its going to be with a smaller , cheaper to run option . The big expensive bikes that ive been suckered into buying in the past are unnecessary with unusable performance. No more !
Not bought a new bike, or car , in my life. Second hand always and have spent up to 17k for that pleasure.
Always worked as a heating engineer but cash always had elsewhere to be spent and never believed in loans, now retired.
Have looked in envy at other machines but was brought up to “neither lender or borrower be”,
Wait, work hard and appreciate the value of my purchase.
Keep up the good work👍
We just need to enjoy our bikes while we can, & not worry about the fact that future generations won't experience the enjoyment & freedom biking has given us. It's their loss if they want to sit in an AI driven electric box whilst glued to an iphone. Maybe one day someone will find an old honda 50, which escaped the great compulsory scrappage scheme of 2040, which will start first time after sitting in a barn for 30 years, will run on toxic sludge from the local canal, & hence rediscover a fun new way of life. Circle of life & all that......
Brilliant 👍👍😂
Very simple - with high rents and mortgages people have a lot less disposable income. When that happens discretionary spending decreases. For some people a motorcycle is their primary means of transport (usually young people/students) but for a lot of others a motorcycle is basically a discretionary expense for a lot of people.
And, do you know why insurance premiums have risen? Because of an agreement that all insurance companies have signed, called the Net Zero Insurance Alliance, collusion in a plan to force vehicles off the road to save the planet, but the insurance industry will make the same profit from less customers by charging them more. This NZIA has been declared illegal in the USA as it amounts to price fixing.
Absolute proof that the “global warming” scam is just that…
I should have guessed!!
I had an incident free year( no claims) yet my premium was increased by around 80% ! I shopped around and got it much cheaper in the end. But premiums are going up no thanks to our government signing up to yet another multinational agreement, without a care in the world it seems for it's hard pressed citizens
Not a good business model force your customers off the road .?
@@GarryShirreffs-cs2gb It is! Because the insurance companies are getting more money from the customers that are left, which means that they employ less staff and can co-operative with each other in price fixing.
Plus, the inability to accurately assess EVs that are damaged - and a totalled - just incase they spontaneous combust weeks or even months later. Luton Airport anyone?
If we keep having summers like 2023 it will die out forever
Did you know that the first patent for weather manipulation was signed in 1891 buy the US authorities? If you think that is conspiracy theory stuff then check out this from 1976. The Environmental Modification Convention, formally the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, is an international treaty prohibiting the military or other hostile use of environmental modification techniques having widespread, long-lasting or severe effects
Think back to 2020 and the first five weeks of lockdown. No planes, and 5 weeks of continuous blue skys
Blame the geo engineering psychopaths for that
@@loonaticsrunningtheassylum how does your reply make any sense?
Brilliant video as always Stuart and I just got rid of one car and bought a Honda 125 Grom for commuting, it cost £3500 new and its doing 142mpg, costs £6 to fill the tank with premium fuel and cuts through traffic like a hot knife through butter, its ridiculously good fun and always puts a smile on my face and its become my go to bike, even over my Xadv 750 😊👍🏻
UK motorcycle sales will decline as riders aren't replaced by younger riders. We are falling off our perches and there aren't enough hatchlings. There's no British riders at the top of motoGP and everyone is taxed to financial peril
Well, you keep voting to be taxed into peril. Cut it out
same in Germany
This is spot on, most of the motorcyclist are 60+ me included.
Yes and i noticed that all those trying out the BSA were old pharts,in fact all those at the bike show were older types,same in the hobby world as the last of the RC plane shops closed down in our town recently,owner told me young-ons stay home now playing on there ipads.
And let's face it, there's not a lot for a youngster to get excited about.
I have not had a pay-rise for 5 years. Furthermore my mortgage is set to increase by £300 a month this July. Thus I won't be changing bikes, or indeed buying one, anytime soon...I suspect my situation is mirrored elsewhere...
Exactly….. and the bikes aren’t getting cheaper neither. Nothing is!!! it’s not only bikes. Car dealerships in USA are full of cars nobody wants. I was told by someone who buys repo cars to sell them as 2nd hand that his boss told him not to bring anything for more than 5000 usd coz they won’t manage to sell it.
I count myself lucky. The past 10 years when it was better I paid extra on the mortgage. Not many holidays etc. I knew this was coming as it has before. Money is a lot tighter than it was but could have been a whole lot worse.
Start a youtube channel. You could possibly end up with a nice income, and buy several bikes and even some luxury watches.
No wonder bike sales are falling . Costs a fortune to pass the direct access, Insurance a rip off , bikes are too big and complex “gone are the days changing a spakplug in 10 mins “ .
Seems royal Enfield have hit the sweet spot tho .
And finally the weather here in the UK , if it’s not raining , it’s 35mph winds .
What’s not to like 🤷♂️.
Boiled down cynical speculation: Untethered greed. Prices have been going up everywhere, while quality declines. A large percentage of people have less money. Same reason. Many governments are getting into the act and taking more (again, while delivering less - and this is something you can't legally avoid - well, unless you're unethical and wealthy). It doesn't help that select governments are making it less enjoyable to own and ride motorcycles.
policing by consent. Withdraw consent. Law vs Legal. I did.
Housing changes could be another factor. Lots of flats being built around here, some with no parking at all, or town houses with only on-street parking.
I was a motorcycle between 1995 and 2017.
When new & late-model motorcycle sales were slow, we would stock clean, older bikes - most of whichwere too old to be in Glass's & CAP guide books.
In fact, sales of older machines - especially on the private market - make up a significant proportion of all sales.
It may be my perception vias, but it seems prices for these older machines have firmed up nore than I'd expect and I'm seeing more friends but an older bike as a 2nd bike or even as a main bike.
Because lets face it: the real-wirld performance of an older bike is on par with the latest offerings - albeit withiut all the electronic rider aids.
What do others think? Are people holding on to their +10YO bikes? Are prices for older bikes more buoyant?
Are nore people realising they can buy a truly great machine outright for less noney than they'd lose on a brand new bike's depreciation over the first two years?
In my fifty years of riding, I have never been in a position to afford a brand new motorcycle, but I survived by riding bikes that were a few years old and that has not changed. My current bike is a 1997 Harley Sportster, which I subjected to a ground-up rebuild to my own specs (1” taller shocks on the rear, a 1275 big bore kit, late model (2007) oil pump, better and stronger clutch, and LED headlight) a few years back and have ridden all over Eastern Australia in the last 15 years. It is reliable, powerful enough to do everything I want on the Highways, handles as surefootedly as any Triumph I ever owned, and is very easy to maintain. It doesn’t have any of the new-fangled mods, electronic ignition being the only real ‘tech’ stuff on the bike. I simply don’t want, let alone NEED a new bike. Including the purchase price and cost of said improvements, the bike owes me a paltry 10,500 Australian dollars, which is less that the Royal Enfield Interceptor here. I’m 676 and have a bike that I’m well used to, is set up just how I like it, and is FUN to ride, whether touching the pegs through the twisties, or just chugging along at a leisurely pace. No matter what motorcycle I might purchase, I would still want to change it around to suit me, which just adds to the cost and I’m just not really interested to be honest. I regard my Sporty as a modern classic. Sort of. I certainly get a lot of attention whenever I park it anywhere and that’ll do.
@toolzandnewideas Eastern machines?
Cost of living "crisis" shows no sign of ending and is now really biting. Motorcycles are a luxury and luxuries are the first to go.
Added to this consumables like tyres are really expensive compared to car tyres but last a fraction of the mileage.
To give a Western Australian perspective, I'm seeing a continual decline in young people riding motorbikes and most of the riders I see are towards the upper part of middle age. Nothing to do with the weather, as although it can get bloody hot, there aren't many days where you could go out and get soaked. See the odd young hoon on an unregistered dirt bike, electric skate boards and similar, but that's about it. Even the weekend ride groups that come into the hills seem to be thinning. New licence conditions, high insurance prices and other financial things may have a little bit to do with it, but at the end of the day (in our social media controlled lives) its all down to fashion.
Most of the riders are 60+ in the UK.
Another factor is there is no longer an assumption of progress up the cc ladder. It used to be the case that most riders aspired to a 1 litre+ bike, now people are happy with their 350 or 500 as insurance costs, ULEZ, reduced speed limits and the rest, limit the attraction of larger machines.
Time to redo the type of ad campaigns like the ones that Honda put us all on motorcycles way back when.
Stop pricing bikes out of the market.
Get ins companies to stop wringing riders dry.
I can’t see how Honda can sale any more pcx 125 more then they do!
Bad weather, high cost of living, high cost of getting a licence, high fuel costs.
The image of biking has changed tremendously over the decades, so young riders aren't really attracted to bikes. They'd usually rather use electric scooters, owned or stolen.
The government want to make it awkward for the motorcyclist and motorist to carry on with the freedoms we enjoy. I am not sure what will happen to the motorcycle when all cars have to be Ecars ?
Maybe people are realising that buying more stuff and bingeing box sets doesn't stave off the despair
Never has. Never will.
13:40 And that's why I just bought RE Bullet. I am old enough to not care about proving something to anybody.
The high levels of theft in cities probably curtails sales there more and more, especially as they have better public transport as an alternative. Interestingly my bike insurance went down by ten quid last year and two quid this year. Enough for a fish supper 😊
And the fact they are far too expensive now, so are consumables and parts, now insurance is because of this
Getting through the bike test is now too expensive.
You're not wrong there. I had an A1 which I did on my own, moved up to an A2 as didn't want to do the theory again, cost over £1000.
Bearing in mind, I'm not a new rider having done some 90,000 miles since 2018 over my Vespa and Honda 125.
It may cost a new rider more, as may need more lessons.
I just read an article that the government are going to push through new laws banning the sale of new motorcycles by the year 2040! They're mad 😂
Was on line looking at some new bikes this morning ….much like car prices both new and second hand are now bonkers !
In the 80s I bought used, 90s I bought used, 2018 I bought new, 2024 I bought new. Im 67 years old and have ridden the most part of my life. I see lots of people on bikes but maybe because i live in a destination area, (Western North Carolina). Great video
Another underlying reason, as commented earlier, is we are a dying breed. The average UK rider is now 54 and it gets higher every year.
I tried to find the UK trend over the years but struggled, but in the US, which is a comparable market, in 1990 the average rider was 32, in 2009 it was 40, in 2017 it was 47.
So this downward trend has been going on for 3 decades.
Whether it will level off, once the Boomers have died off, who knows? We won't as we won't be here.
Christ, that sounds morbid, sorry.
The average entry level job age keeps going up.
Of course motorcycles will vanish, we are being crushed, by all industries, sales insurance tax tax tax, until we get a handle on this corrupt cartel of a government we are screwed, but we can fight this now we see their corruption, hope it changes.
First of all... Love your channel, from the west, and subscribed. Your narration is incredible, and sets the tone in a very pleasing way. Keep up the great work! I got a firm rule that my bike shouldn't exceed the price of my car. So, that alone keeps me away from alot of bikes. I've also learned the hard way that if you just cover your bike and not keep it in a garage, it becomes a nesting place for every creeping crawling thing under the sun. I think alot of motorcycle manufacturers forgot that there's no doors, no roof, no trunk, no AC, no heat, and basically no protection from other vehicles. Not to mention that you can only ride around 6 to 7 months out of the whole year. Yet, they seem to want the same revenue as other vehicles with all those luxuries. NOT... I love being on 2 wheels, and ways of doing that without breaking the bank are becoming more availible (Royal Enfield for instance). And one thing that you didnt mention in your video is that maxi scooters are silently taking over the 2 wheel game. They're cheaper, they're automatic, they have built in storage, and here's the kicker... They ALL have a fuel gauge. Once they make it to the states its gonna put a serious dent in the motorcycle industry. Im current looking for a new bike, but if that Honda Forza 750 or XADV gets here before I find that bike, its history.
I'd guess the fact that manufacturers think they can change a stupid amount of money for what most people have as a "toy" is their biggest problem.... when I bought my gsxr 750 in 06 it was just under 6k GBP and the thou was only about 1.5k more. People could generally afford that as a toy... Now most thousands are 16k plus for the base model.... Most people I know who used to ride can't afford to.. it's that simple.. family and bills come first
with interests rates at 7.95 % Low side. people aren't going to pay a rate like that here in the USA. my last bike rate was 1.99% for a Honda Goldwing
I am currently in hospital. The guy next to me crashed his brandnew motor bike down a huge pothole on the A5 main drag. That may explain some drop in demand.
The motorcycle companies killed motorcycling in N. America. Starting about 40 years ago, dealers were forced to locate in light airy purpose built buildings, costing many 100's of thousands, and very costly to heat/cool. There not being enough in motorcycle sales to support such foolishness, they were forced to sell and service camper trailers, boats, and anything else they could lay their hands on to make ends meet. These new dealers (most of the old guys bowed out, or were forced out) were no longer places of knowledge, and motorcycle sales/service ended up taking a back seat. Then we should say a word about overall product quality............ seems as the prices go up the quality is diminishing. And what about product? Is the motorcycle you buy today any better than the motorcycle you bought, say, in 1975? Power is down, in some cases way down (a typical early 70's 350 Honda had 32hp, a 450, 45hp, advertised as a "Triumph killer") and vehicle weight is way up, usually +100-200 lbs. I just bought a new motorcycle, a Kawasaki, and it's junk, I should have saved my money.
I’m pleased you mentioned the weather. For me that’s the number one reason why my bikes are staying in the garage. Another important factor is bike theft. Or the fear of bike theft. I will not use any of my bikes if it means leaving them unattended for any time whatsoever. The complete lack of any police presence on our roads today and their total ambivalence to bike theft is a national disgrace. Then there’s the state of our roads……one now needs an adventure bike just to pop down to the shops which your not going to do because, by the time one has bought the loaf of bread, you bike will have been nicked!
I personally find the older i get most of my riding is done in the winter months as the summer weather here in Tamworth, NSW is just to bloody hot.At sixty seven years of age i've earned the right to pick and choose.
Lack of spare / fun money. I’d have a bike tomorrow if I could afford one. Also they are damn expensive nowadays!
Get a Honda Grom - 60 quid a month, 142mpg and a right hoot 😊👍🏻
Bikes have far to much technology in them now to make them affordable, and i for one, after sixty years of riding , the average person doesn't have the knowledge to know how to use it as intended.
Stuart , thought provoking video. Respect to new riders determined to get a licence.👍. Same bike for 22 (74k miles ) years from new zero% finance helped. Tool and toy. Will keep it running for as long as humanely, mechanically and financially possible. Weather... No medal 🥇 issued for riding in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly .ETTO ✌️
Beautifully Said Stuart..Love What You do and Share here and you have help me tremendously the last 2+ years with my 1966 BSA A6L and my 2019 RE Interceptor 650! Stay Well!! Most Sincerely,,Sch.
Hi Stu you are right, the declining economy and insurance costs could bring the motor cycle industry to its knees. I tried to insure with my current insurer a second hand triumph Street twin and because it was valued over £6000 they would not insure it because it wasn't in a locked garage. Even though I have two disc locks, a chain lock and it's hidden away in a side garden it wasn't good enough.
I did however get insurance through MCN compared. What will they do next?
Keep those articles coming they're great.
Thanks for that Stu. I think also in MHO, the poor condition of the roads, the increase in number of cars on the road and sadly the increased arrogance of road users generally has had an effect on me!! It has damaged my confidence a bit!! 😔
Once again a great video Stu. Thanks.
I blame driving schools for the arrogance on the road. They are teaching kids to a test pass standard and NOT how to be a conscientious, safe, and thoughtful driver.
The world is in decline, our “leaders” only care about themselves, vote them out!
meanwhile, enjoy riding our motorcycles while we can….thank you, uncle Stu, God bless!
And vote for who ?…. that’s my dilemma. Which clown in the circus 🤷♂️
God is a biker and when you hear thunder that's him starting his bike to go for a ride.
Inflation needs to sit just above interest rates now for a decade or more to inflate away the debts. A slow default if you like. Pensioners then need to be encouraged to spend their money so that it trickles back down. Then the mega rich need to be taxed on assets. Perhaps anything over 2 million in assets so that it has no effect on the average person. Money raised in this way needs to be ring-fenced into helping young people earn more. Then at the same time we need whole term fixed rate mortgages capped at base rate plus 2 or 3 %. This will make housing expensive out of the gate and cheaper over time which will encourage families. And if I’m getting my wish list we need Christianity / Christian values taught in every school, with the Union flag hanging everywhere and respected…
Then with one culture, and helping the next generation, we might pull the nation back together….
Beefy for PM!
so , dont trust doctors politicians or passenger planes and things will get better .
17:00 I am not sure. See the prices of RE Classic 500 EFI - 5k - 7k+.
It will disappear completely in 2035
NO IT WILL NOT. GUARANTEE YOU.
NO IT WILL NOT. I'LL GUARANTEE YOU THAT✌️
Agreed on cost of living, license, insurance etc. But bike manufacturers keep making ridiculously expensive (and unnecessarily over-powered) motorcycles that are utterly impractical on UK roads and are festooned with even more expensive and pointless riding modes and gizmos. Look at the rest of Europe and the inexorable rise of practical scooters rule the roost because they are fun and infinitely more practical than most motorcycles, but even they are getting ludicrously expensive, especially the ones that are marketed as "adventure" scooters. Well done Royal Enfield for keeping prices lower and realistic. They seem to be the exception.
Germany had 3 years of rain. Hard to sellnew motorcycles in the rain 🌧️. NSU was bought out by VW . Adler was bought out as well.Motorcycles are not something you buy every year. There are lots of bikes on the 2nd hand market. If you don't have the money you don't buy anything.
.Money.. motorcycles are expensive toys. When you can buy a more practical car and newer. I remember years ago a BMW ad. "as cheap as a family car!" says it all, with other dealers following suit.
I am subscriber, I left the like, but I prefer ride videos, especially that weather turns s__t now and will stay like this for the best part of the summer.
Worst thing was the money flowed up to the rich increasing inequality.
A nicely philosophical analysis- unnaturally optimistic for a Yorkshireman 😉! Thank you Stuart, let’s hope it turns out nice again!
For me it is the state of the roads and pot holes. Keeps me off the road. Desperate to get back on two wheels but I am not suicidal. Hence when I do buy another bike it will be an adventure type with loads of suspension travel.
Just a quick heads up Stuart. UA-cam unsubscribed me from your channel. I've no idea why. Keep up the good work.
Do we say "Rubber side down" or "Shinny side up" or any variants if these?
One contributing factor Motorcycle sales are in decline, could also be due to the fact it's rained every day for the last 6 Months. My bikes have been in the garage most of that time. Prices are high, and new riders have to jump through hoops. My first Commando was £340, and the test consisted of riding around the test centre followed by an emergency stop.
Luxury items with rising prices as well as rising operating costs; at the same time the average person is poorer. But not quite bad enough yet for the motorcycle to replace the car for most…
It doesnt help when the dealer who you have been paying to service it offers you 50% less than you bought it for 2 years ago.
Insurance ! My cars, m/c's and home have jumped.... I asked my agent.. and got their cost have risen... You would think a long term customer (years !) would get a break. Also, your zip code and credit rating factors into how they gig your wallet. An example of location is gas prices.... $3.45 near me... I drive 15 miles to a different .. zip code area... and it's $2.95 ,,, I can't confirm it but I been told young riders on certain machines'.. crotch rockets... have an insurance premium equal to the cost of the bike with an insane deductible... 😎
Back in 1978 I bought a brand new Suzuki GT 250 X7 for £695.00 on the road, that was eight weeks wages, try buying a new 350 today on those numbers.
A freind went to Stafford show recently, as he rode into the carpark his was the only old bike there on the day, all the rest were middle aged riders on brand new machines.
You failed to mention PCP which is the new disposable avenue to a new or nearly new motorbike.
I always enjoy your clear, concise and calm manner of discussing this topic. Hmmm, man made crisis creates lack of economic growth, with increased cost of living, and nobody can afford the increased purchase price of motorcycles because they choose to eat and heat their homes.
Excellent vid, thanks for sharing.😎
Personally, I dislike the majority of modern bikes because they've become too complex. Too much plastic, too powerful, too fast, too expensive, too unusual styling, too uncomfortable, too disappointing. I sold my Triumph and replaced it with a beat-up old single banger Cagiva trail bike, and now I'm happy as a clam.
They are to expensive. Prices up 20 percent of so.
Economic factors, government regulation and taxes, and insurance rates are all coming together to kill all motorsports, including motorcycles.
We go into a global recession, and sales of luxury items like large-displacement motorcycles fall off of a cliff. That is just reality.
hmm... except the sales statistics say the opposite!
The 30% increase in price hasn’t helped Hondas price ranges in Grantham are silly and with 9,9% APR ,NOT IN THIS DECADE
Have you seen the interest rates on offer when buying a bike 10-12% - I think that's a bit of a piss take and will affect sales as most people finance new things.
Thanks!
thank you!
On the positive side, I rode more in December and January than I ever have before. We've had a lot of rain in the last 2 months though. Maybe the riding seasons are just moving around some. 👍👍5🏍🙋♂️
I discovered your channel recently and bought my Royal Enfield Shotgun because of you.
Just wanted to say that I love your narrative style and just the way you present things.
Cheers mate!
Since covid, my old fireblade had been locked away in the shed and my car got sold and replaced with a Honda 125 scooter to do my daily commute to work...
I watch your videos because I ride a Triumph T120. But the real reason I watch is because of your great story telling voice. Aka Mr Valjoux
I wonder if the current drop in views of modern classic reviews on UA-cam etc may be due to the increasing plethora of folk reviewing them?
have wondered that myself. its a bit oversaturated these days.
Ten pence worth, wow inflation, it used to be tupence worth lol.
Two pence.
I’ve recently got rid of my motorcycle, due to the increasing costs and at the end of the day for me it’s only a toy. Hopefully in the future I’ll be able to get back on a bike but, when times are hard the bike has to go!
I sold my new classic 350 after an year of riding /not too many miles/ mainly because felt like I had money locked up and was not using the bike as it should be used. So, I am left with my 125 city scooter to commute with. Find myself constantly looking at bikes new and 2nd hand but i'm biting my hand after and shacked it off for now.
For most Riders a Motorcycle is an expensive part time toy they can no longer afford to keep or purchase, due to the current economy.
Because they're overpriced EPA regulated junk. Ditch the computer, ditch the fuel injection, ditch the gps, ditch the catalytic converters, etc. 🙄
great video, well done 👍
The stupidly expensive motorcycles combined with the lack of disposable income. Poor can no longer afford one, and now what everything has skyrocketed, neither does lower middle class. If the latter group wants to have atleast somewhat decent living conditions, luxuries like motorcycles are the first that get binned. Upper middle class could afford a motorcycle but if they have any sense they buy used. Those who are willing to buy new are not enough to sustain motorcycle companies for long, which may put pressure on them to raise the prices even higher but it will eventually make the problem even worse. Just ask Harley.
We're too old, bikes are too good ergo boring, the sole of the 60s and 70s is now mass produced, and their's the irony......sad
About the weather in Yorkshire.. Sounds straight from The Yorkshiremen skit by Monty Python.... "It was cold, and rainy on our ride.. and we were lucky!" In our Northern Virginia.. We have had several lovely days but May has been cold and rainy too.. I guess none of us are lucky!
its obvious why this is happening, look at the same pictures you have presented
Millenials and Gen Z are so poor because of house prices that only a tiny percentage can afford a bike. I'm in the top 3% of incomes in the UK yet still have just under £500,000 of debt. Sucks to be born in the 1990s. Many opt out of their pensions in order to make overpayments so there's an even greater need to spend wisely as we need to think about retirement early. I wish I lived the boomer years when people could have fun and didn't need to work like slaves
my heart bleeds for them! my first house was £39,000 and i made £3.500 a year. mortgage rates were double what they are now and very hard to get without a big cash deposit.
@@stuartfillingham Mortgages have never been more unaffordable than they are now. 14% of £20,000 (both averages for 1980) is only £2800 of annual interest. 6% of £300,000 (today's average) is £18,000 or 6.4 times more than in the 1980s.
Dont forget we also get taxed a lot more today and don't get pensions like before either.
@@ilikelampshades6 And dont forget here in the UK minimum wage is 6 times higher than it was in the 80s it is swings and roundabouts! As for millennials I know a few and their general outlook (I'm not tarring all with the same brush) Is that they want to be looked after and dont want any hardship in their lives. They bitch and moan that everything is too difficult, Too hard and too expensive so there is no point bothering, They simply give up before they have even tried.
@stuartfillingham Yet statistically speaking, millenials work more hours than any other generation, have less savings, less pensions, have less children due to costs, and most can't afford homes. Red herrings exist, but it is demonstrably harder for millennials than baby boomers. The economist author of 'The Pinch' says that the closer you're born to 1957, the easier life has been financially.
Since 2020 the price of most new bikes has increased dramatically, so I think people rather get a 2nd hand one. Also, interest rates to buy new bikes is a bit high, so puts people off.
Huge prices
Hi Stuart after watching your latest video I remembered your advice to check if still Subscribed.
Guess what I hadbeen
Un Subscribed .
Left out in the Cold 😢
I am Back in your foulds 😅.
Kept putting the warning up .
Ride safe.
Inflation erodes wealth.
Protect your wealth by buying solid tangible assets that hold their value or increase in value.
It could be gold, silver, bitcoin or classic or future classic bikes and cars.
I'd rather have a well chosen bike in the garage than cash in the bank.
MCIA shows MOTORCYCLE Sales in decline! Whats going on?,, answer is they're too bloody expensive.
Back in Ye olden days motorcycles were used far more as transport.. Even Mods & Rockers used their pride and joy for both work and 'pleasure'...The Austin Mini had not yet taken over....Now, most bikes sit in a garage all week quietly waiting to be unleashed on a Sunday morning...weather permitting! which in UK is not reliable at all..In my riding heyday during the mid to late seventies l would spend a sunny Sunday morning cleaning and polishing my 'pride and joy' only to have all that work undone Monday morning on the forty mile ride to London. Reading through previous comments, l guess most are relevant, Motorcycling for most riders is a Fair Weather occupation..There is absolutely no pleasure riding in inclement weather...its the pits!
I gather my Dad rode a Norton Commando & a Triumph Bonneville before I came along. By the time I was 6, in 1970, I had 2 little brothers & Dad had a fuckin’ awful Austin A30. He made a sacrifice which I now appreciate more fully. I, too, would spend Sundays (in the early 80s) tending to my ‘pride & joy’, an RD250. Then, it was career, sports, kids, no sports, etc, retired, kids left home, bought a bike after 38yrs. Now waiting for the sun, as you’d alluded to.✌️
@@razzle1964 Yeah! the Mini would have been a better bet. A change in lifestyle means a change in priorities...Sixties Rockers are now grandads, or even great grandads...l now ride about the Spanish countryside...more sedately, but slip into hooligan mode on occasion....A Street Triple 675 R... ride safe Razzle
@@brianperry Thank you. And you, Brian. (as an aside, I spent 32yrs taking the train into the City. I did it twice on a bike, for fun. Wasn’t fun).
I’d like to ‘upgrade’ to a Triple one day. In the meantime I hope, someday soon, to take my Super Meteor 650 thru’ France & down to Andalucia, etc. ‘Old rockers never die’, eh (they just retire to the costa)😉🤘
Of course they have, I am for the first time in years in a position to be able to buy a Brand new bike but every time I see all those sensors and abs, rider modes etc. I feel positively disappointed, I have instead bought myself a 34 year old bike. I can fix all of it myself and wont be spending money on pointless electronics which themselves are an issue rather than a solution.
I have been pricing up the cost of new bikes, namely the Keeway Superlight 125CC... Brand new its less than 3k (OTR). Cheap to tax, insure and run. No MOT for 3 years either... its a cheap way for young'ones to get into Motorcycling if thats the route of interest.. I wish this sort of thing had been around when I was 17\18 and doing my first CBT - but I dont think there was. So less than 200 for your CBT, 3k for a new bike, 20 per year tax and the insurance is not bad either... its a cheap way for young people to get to work if thats what they need... Car Insurance would be 3k on its own i imagine for a new, young driver. The Keeway on finance is around 80 quid per month if you pay 500 deposit up front. Thats the price of my car insurnace per month. Its nuts, really.
@toolzandnewideas That does sound like proper Freedom!
Hopefully trading my triumph sprint st for a brand new bullet 350 classic next week!!! It will be my last bike. So looking forward to it.
Main reason for the change is weight and running costs. I can’t haul the weight about like I used to.
Royal Enfield seem to be the best value for money out there.
OK, Stu, I think motorcycle sales have dropped because Millennials arfen't interested in riding them. I'm pushing 68 and I've just bought a new BSA Gold Star 650 Legacy Edition, I still have my 2011 H-D Iron 883.