What do young riders want?

Yep, I have been beat up by ATGATT types and others that group ride with military precision, plus the guys that unless you ride their brand you aren't worth their time. (BMW, Harley, Honda, any/all of them!) Their way was the only way, all others need no bother. I can't help to wonder how many riders guys like this have discouraged others from riding thinking that most riders are like that.

I am pretty liberal when it comes to motorcycles. Ride what ever brand you want, just as long as you enjoy. Gear, wear what you like, can afford and are comfortable with. Just enjoy and have fun!

A suggestion: On more than one occasion I have donated riding gear to make it available to younger, less well equipped riders. A couple of pairs of nice riding pants that no longer fit and one Darian jacket that I recall were given away at rallies or at GEARS to pass it on. I would urge anybody who has surplus gear to find a way to do the same.

PGlaves said:

A suggestion: On more than one occasion I have donated riding gear to make it available to younger, less well equipped riders. A couple of pairs of nice riding pants that no longer fit and one Darian jacket that I recall were given away at rallies or at GEARS to pass it on. I would urge anybody who has surplus gear to find a way to do the same.

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I have been offered very fair (sometimes shipping cost only) helmets in extremely good condition on Marketplace which I buy for kids who are wearing poor, ill-fitted, or no helmet at all. There are quite a few people in BMW MOA who are happy to "pay it forward" and I'm proud of this.

Gear donations is a great idea. I would much rather help a fellow rider out than make a few bucks reselling what I no longer use. I think Goodwill will take these items as well. Any other ideas about doing this?

I would venture a guess that young riders want acceptance, not judgment. I laugh as I wonder how many here started very young themselves...or remember that they were the folks that were disected by their older counterparts back in the day.
I hung out at and then worked at the local Honda shop before I saved enough for a used street legal bike...and finally got moms approval which was the largest life hurdle. The old dudes at the dealership that mentored me or I looked up to were most likely in their 20's to mid 40's...old dudes! One gave me a used heavy Bell helmet and let me ride with him and other mechanics at times. It helped me gain confidence.

Nowadays, when folks come by with their kids, I engage them and ask which bike in shop would they ride if possible...the majority walk over to the Airheads and ask questions about them. Sometimes it's the smaller KTM's, but more often the focus goes back to the old machines.
Have attended a few events in Austin and there are a LOT of young folks riding used bikes and making them their own...including some Beemers and Triumphs. They wear gear or some form of it and my thoughts are if they keep riding, lifes lessons will affirm how much they need. I don't care how they look or how their bike has been altered...not my place.
They do not need me to sneer, make adult judgements or condescending comments...I turned that down in my youth and am sure it comes across the same to them.
I will try to engage and ask about their bikes or answer questions they have about what I am riding/wearing. I do get more interaction when I ride the Airhead which is pretty cool as they come talk to grandpa.

I have ridden my Orange bike to a club event and most do not care, some feel the need to tell me I'm not conforming which makes me just smile and feel sorry they are snobbish. No different than when I rode a Honda and parked next to the V-Twins in my younger days...all fun!

Ride what you want, wear what you feel is adequate, and say hi to others

We have given some used gear to folks, but most helmets and jackets are a bit big for the youngsters.

azgman said:

Gear donations is a great idea. I would much rather help a fellow rider out than make a few bucks reselling what I no longer use.

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I had a young guy at my job that rode a sport bike to work on some days that were in the high 30's. The engineering department guys told me about him because they knew I rode in cold weather. This kid was wearing jeans, tennis shoes and two jackets to keep warm. I gave him a winter riding suit and gloves for which he was extremely appreciative.

As this thread has turned a bit, it's time for all to watch On Any Sunday.......again.
OM

Humm, excessive and punitive traffic enforcement. Cost of insurance. Huge medical costs if something goes wrong. Declining income. High cost per mile for tires, insurance, maint and parts. declining income.

The deck is being stacked against us.

Rod

The younger guys and women I regularly see are riding older bikes. Usually UJM, some Sportys and a few Euros. Lots of scooter pilots. But in general everyday rounds I see few motorcycles, even in summertime. If gas hits six bucks a gallon motorcycling will have a Phoenix.

As for ATGATT, I think back to what I wore back in the eighties when I finally thought about wearing any purpose clothing. Before Stich was even an a business model. It was after forty that good equipment was the only rational approach. Also helps to understand what happens after sliding down a gravel road on yer bum.

As for chuckling at other bikes, equipment, helmets, etc., it's just uncalled for. If someone wants an opinion, they usually ask. I'm older now and sometimes wonder if anyone will ask me anything interesting before I kick the bucket? My kid has talked to me some in the last few years. I used to pick him up from after school care with a smoked '84 RS, put the helmet on his head and pillioned him home. Always thought that would put riding on his mind. Didn't work, must have scared him.

azgman said:

Gear donations is a great idea. I would much rather help a fellow rider out than make a few bucks reselling what I no longer use. I think Goodwill will take these items as well. Any other ideas about doing this?

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Another suggestion along these lines.....you might consider donating your useable surplus riding gear to your local MSF course. We get quite a large number of new riders having to choose between their own bike or some good gear to help protect their body from their inexperience. I hate seeing new riders in jeans, t shirt and a third generation hand me down helmet. Just a thought.

Friedle

ragtoplvr said:

Humm, excessive and punitive traffic enforcement. Cost of insurance. Huge medical costs if something goes wrong. Declining income. High cost per mile for tires, insurance, maint and parts. declining income.

The deck is being stacked against us.

Rod

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Same as it ever was. Seems like we had the same hurdles.

A hourly wage of $1.25 about the time I needed a tire made for some tough choices as a young rider.

The police for some reason pulled us over a lot in Houston/Galveston as teens, even when we were not being hooligan kids Being able to pop a license out of a wallet usually ended the encounters.

Health insurance became a concern when we turned 18 in my house and when it became mandatory here for operating a vehicle , a very high entry fee to ride motorcycles

On the entry to young folks riding...be the advocate for them to siblings and neighbors who say they are just too dangerous. Be the grandpa that lets them ride tiny bikes and try to mentor them the best you can.Time outs still work when dumb takes over. I have had my teen grandaughter out on the road a few times riding pillion and try to set a good example...I did ask her mom first. She wants my /6!

My three adult children have been introduced to riding, my son bought a big Honda V-twin after leaving the Navy...in spite of my suggesting a MSF course, he put it in a ditch the second week and walked away. I let him ride an 1150R one weekend and geared him up, just didn't change his mind. His twin sister likes bicycles and no interest at moment...makes working on her children my next step as Grandpa at some point.

My oldest daughter just took the course last Fall and has a license. Her main challenge is being 5'3. I have a few smaller bikes for her to try out on Dad rides when she is ready.

henzilla said:

Nowadays, when folks come by with their kids, I engage them and ask which bike in shop would they ride if possible...the majority walk over to the Airheads and ask questions about them. Sometimes it's the smaller KTM's, but more often the focus goes back to the old machines.

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I wonder how many times people are going to say this and our leaders are going to read it before we ever take tangible steps in this direction?

I am now in my 60's. But, when I was young, I always rode with sneakers, jeans, tee shirt, and a 3/4 helmet. The younger riders today are doing the same thing I did. Now that I am older, my hearing isn't so good. My doctors tells me that I have a good chance of getting skin cancer on my arms. I have also seen some bad motorcycle accidents where safety gear was missing, and they paid a heavy price.

Aging and experience creates wisdom. I now ride with a full helmet. I always use ear plugs. I always ride with an armored jacket and pants. I always wear gloves and boots. I regret not doing this sooner. While I understand that younger riders can't afford some of these items, I hope that they will eventually change before too much damage is done. But, I never judge them for their financial inability to have the right gear. I can also credit the MOA for helping me move in that direction. When I read about older riders (then me), and some of the pitfalls they encountered, I try to learn from those experiences. That is one of the benefits of the club. As for social riding, I have never done that. I have always ridden as a solo bike. I really don't enjoy riding with others. The club just needs to find a way to create value for young riders.

dsimon9 said:

Also, don't forget the baby boomer generation wave has gone by. There are just not as many young folks as there once was.

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This is not a cause of decline of ridership. Millennials are on pace to exceed the peak Boomer population of 76 million.

limecreek said:

This is not a cause of decline of ridership. Millennials are on pace to exceed the peak Boomer population of 76 million.

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Millennials are expected to bypass the Boomer generation and become the largest current generation sometime during 2019. However, there are about 10 million less of them now than there were of the Boomer population at the same age so, yes, there are less young people now than when the Boomers were young.

powwow said:

Millennials are expected to bypass the Boomer generation and become the largest current generation sometime during 2019. However, there are about 10 million less of them now than there were of the Boomer population at the same age so, yes, there are less young people now than when the Boomers were young.

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You mean the millions that threatened to move north of the border based on a recent election are still here?!

What the #$@&%$!

greenwald said:

You mean the millions that threatened to move north of the border based on a recent election are still here?!

What the #$@&%$!

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They realized that the old guys were going into dementia care at a rapid rate, so they decided to stay and take charge.

Last year, at the DSM rally, one of the young riders I was talking to while we were doing the GEARS training, looked around and made a very poignant observation: He pointed at the midway and said look at the age of these guys - if this doesn't change this will be a perishable organization. The rest of the conversation centered around how lucky he was to find a really sweet deal on his BMW, but most of his friends could only afford rising sun bikes.
Truth is, a used Honda or yamerhammer is still only 50% of the cost of a used BMW. Couple that with the unfortunate idea that this newest generation of riders is the product of helicopter parents who have told their kids to never ever go near motorcycle because motorcyclists are just organ donors. The kids have been totally dissuaded from even looking at motorcycles.

I believe we all need to set the example in how we ride, ATGATT, attitude toward riding etc. We need to take the time to mentor younger riders and younger kids who even show an interest in riding and get them excited. If we train them right during their first exposure and they catch the bug, they and social media will gain traction and maybe we will see a slow reversal of the decline in interest.

That said, if you know any kids that are interested, mentor them and steer them toward the GEARS program (yes, a shameless pitch on my part!) They don't need to be BMW riders. We doubled attendance last year and we need to build on that!

Just my opinion!

kthflieger said:

That said, if you know any kids that are interested, mentor them and steer them toward the GEARS program (yes, a shameless pitch on my part!) They don't need to be BMW riders. We doubled attendance last year and we need to build on that!

Just my opinion!

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Voni and I have hosted or helped at gears at least ten of the recent years. Get the young riders there. It is as worthwhile as it gets.

PGlaves said:

They realized that the old guys were going into dementia care at a rapid rate, so they decided to stay and take charge.

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Clever devils!