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Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I blame da kidz.
Hanging out at a bike shop this AM and I notice that while there's the occasional young ones about the vast majority are my age and up.
When I was a yoof I was probably the last generation that viewed motorcycles as a cheap and available form of transport, since then it seems, despite "austerity" and various financial crashes and the whole world just getting worse and worse (apparently) most yoofs bypass the cheap motorcycle options and go straight to the car. Or just wait until they're older and can afford to insure a car.
Is it a cultural thing? Safety thing? I can see various possibilities but there's just not the young uns coming through.
There's PLENTY of 125s available in a myriad of styles and prices thanks to the new Chinese brands as well as the established brands. I'd hazard a guess it's still cheaper to insure a 125, although I don't actually know. I dunno, be curious to see what happens.
26/10/2024 14:58:34 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Although Pidcocks will not fit my theory, as they are a long established motorcycle dealer, many of the dealers that are relatively new to the market have been hit by the increased costs over the last few years with rapid growth and borrowed finance.
Completely motorbikes fits my theory as this type of dealer.
They have grown quickly over the last five to six years by taking over other dealers and opening larger showrooms. This growth I believe is financed with borrowing. Now if the stock of bikes in the showrooms have a value of £10,000,000 then interest rates of five years ago would have cost around £100,000. Interest rates today for the same £10,000,000 would cost around £600,000.
So finance will cost an extra £500,000 alone, plus the increase in staff costs, and increase in energy bills ect.
So with all these extra costs and a drop in sales for whatever reason, be it youths not buying or very poor weather through the summer there can only be one result.
Administration!
26/10/2024 19:49:58 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
My own thoughts mirror yours. Businesses built on debt are always susceptible to market forces far more than established long running concerns and yes, we know motorcyclists are getting old. Just look at us lot. Not you Madame du Soleil.
I also believe that motorcycles are getting damn expensive, if you want to go either adventure or tour in a BMW emporium you can easily spend in excess of £20K. Now I know I'm a rich baby booming property enriched pensioner, but that's a lot of brass for some'at sitting in your garage.
Have this wave of buyers (us) exploited their ill gotten gains and the piggy bank is now empty.
I still see people spending brass but is it brass or just credit.
Either way, I would expect some more casualties as we go through winter, it's a lean time for bike shops in the UK. Plus there must be a knock on effect with less dealers now ever further apart who will buy into these brands.
My nearest franchised dealer is at least 50 miles away anyway, but that's pretty unusual and very geo specific. I don't think many would relish a 100 mile journey to reset the EMU or ABS module when they throw a fault.
It is also relevant that many manufacturers have insisted on one make palaces to stock their shiny new stock, that costs money and commitment.
Upt.
27/10/2024 09:51:27 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Yes, but....
I agree with much of what you have all said especially the debt business. More and more companies borrow excessively - often to fund dividends - then find they can't sustain that model when borrowing costs rise. Look at water companies, "care" home conglomerates and others. They have been bought out by private equity companies on the basis of loans. The only way they can carry on is to squeeze the services they supply to the minimum. And then we're all shocked when it turns out they're not doing a very good job and are struggling financially. Although oddly enough this struggling doesn't seem to extend to their CEOs and owners.....
Not sure whether this applies to motorcycle dealers or not.
27/10/2024 10:08:55 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Just to clarify, a quick shufti at Companies House indicates that Pidcocks is in fact a family run concern so what I said above doesn't apply.
28/10/2024 12:38:02 UTC
Rev. Mick! said :-
Having been away travelling,I am once more struck by similarities between meditation and long motorcycle journeys.
From someone else in the Sangha I found this:-
https://castbox.fm/vb/322075957
If you have other Podcast sites it is Episode 198 of
"Urban Dharma Podcast". Not at all technical.
https://castbox.fm/vb/322075957...
30/10/2024 16:52:12 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Now that's an engine, don't ya thunk. Electrically boosted. Oooooo ay.....oooooooo.
Honda of course.
V3.
08/11/2024 16:46:43 UTC
Ian Soady¹ said :-
Looks nice as it is. A shame it'll probably be covered by pig-ugly plastic.
09/11/2024 14:32:58 UTC
ROD¹ said :-
Technology marches on, but I see they have left the usual room for valve adjustment, very tight!
It will be interesting to see how the bike is developed, and brought to market.
09/11/2024 18:48:40 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
RE valve adjustment - I quite agree ROD although the VFR range was never ever known for being easy to check and adjust. Perhaps they're hydraulic tappets and you're not expected to ever adjust them? Who knows. It's a Honda, it'll need some camchain tensioner work one day though. Probably easier to drop the motor.
11/11/2024 08:15:21 UTC
nab301 said :-
Is that the first Honda with a tubular type frame as opposed to I think they're called an aluminium beam type frame , the latter presumably being cheaper to manufacture.
Nigel
11/11/2024 13:28:08 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
Current Hondas with tubular frames that come to mind will be the,
NC's.
CL500.
Is the 500X tubular too?
Certainly lots of the scooters are.
Obviously I may be wrong.
Upt.
11/11/2024 16:20:23 UTC
nab301 said :-
Upt, a bit of a senior moment there for me , I have a CBR500 with mainly a tubular frame but if you look at the swing arm end it isn't strictly tubular .... I probably meant to say vfr , and the one in the photo seems to have a swing arm pivoting on the engine allowing a more or less 100% tubular frame...
Nigel
11/11/2024 17:55:28 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
I kinda know what ya meant nab301 - a mostly tubular frame rather than Honda's usual tubes and metal sections frame. That frame's more Ducati and KTM. Now I've typed that I'm not sure that's a good thing...
12/11/2024 08:05:38 UTC
nab301 said :-
Ren , as always, the voice of reason , that's what I meant to say in my first post..
Nigel
14/11/2024 11:16:48 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Ooooooh frosty seat season.
19/11/2024 21:11:25 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
May i draw your attention to the following...
"Spring has sprung, now we have a few months of warm pleasant rain to enjoy after the cold and miserable rain of winter. What excitement and adventures will this year bring"?
Pffffffftttttt.
20/11/2024 00:09:26 UTC
Ren - The Ed¹ said :-
Everyone's a blummin' critic...
20/11/2024 11:44:34 UTC
nab301 said :-
cool alright , 18°c on a sunny day last week now below freezing...
Nigel
20/11/2024 17:19:32 UTC
Upt'North ¹ said :-
A feels like of 26f's or minus 3c's here today. Daytime temperatures.
Just light snow and a bit of ice.
The B is wrapped, it's going nowhere.
Although Ed says it's spring, so there's hope.
Er'Indoors was reading there were 8 motorcycle fatalities in the borders in the last week, nuff said.
Upt.
20/11/2024 20:59:26 UTC
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