The motorcycle industry is in panic mode right now. As the baby boomers retire, they are also giving up motorcycling, and that is having some consequences that is making manufacturers nervous. New motorcyclists are becoming harder to come by, and more used bikes on the market means those new riders are buying old wheels. What is a motorcycle maker to do? Harley-Davidson thinks it may have a solution.
How Will Harley Make New Motorcyclists?
The dwindling motorcyclist population hasn’t gone unnoticed. Several manufacturers have changed their methods to tempt demographics previously neglected to pick up a new bike. However, back in 2000, when the company was in an entirely different crisis, Harley-Davidson started what’s known as the “Riding Academy”.
These courses are taught at 245 Harley dealerships nationwide, and the company is looking to expand those numbers. The three to four-day course allows riders to learn the ins and outs of motorcycling from a trained professional. This can give new riders confidence that they may not have had before, and the manufacturer hopes that will be the ticket to getting more people to ride motorcycles.
In 2017, Harley claims to have trained over 50,000 people in the U.S. how to ride. Among those people are millennials, women and minorities—three demographics the industry says were previously under-pursued. But the company is still advertising to young males through sports programming like the UFC and the X Games.
What other methods do you think manufacturers should use to bring more people into motorcycling? Do you reach out to spread you love for riding the open road on two wheels? Head over to our Facebook page to tell us what you think, and remember the motorcycling attorneys at Metier Law Firm are hear to watch out for your rights.